6 DECEMBER 1, 201 1
Smoke Signals
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By Ron Karten
Smoke Signali staff writer
LINCOLN CITY The posting of
national, state, military and Tribal
flags opened the Government-to-Government
Summit on Nov. 15 at
Chinook Winds Casino.
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Indians hosted this year's event
and the flags were carried alter
nately by state and Tribal leaders
as the Siletz drum, West Coast
Boys, played to open a full day of
meetings.
This was the 13th annual confer
ence initiated by Gov. John Kit
zhaber with Executive Order 96-30
during his first term as Oregon
governor.
"This is far more than a statutory
obligation," Kitzhaber said. "For
me, it is a deep personal obliga
tion." One theme that speakers re
turned to again and again was the
value of "mutual respect and trust,"
in the governor's words.
Developed over time, state and
Tribal governments have each rec
ognized the extra work required to
continually train leaders and staff
members who take over leadership
positions.
"How do we bridge the gap when
we have changing Tribal Council
members and changing state of
ficials?" asked Delores Pigsley,
chairwoman of the Confederated
Tribes of Siletz Indians. "How do
we set in policy the way we're going
to work together?"
"It is up to us to continue to work
on these relationships," said Grand
Ronde Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
A. Kennedy.
And related to that was an oft
cited criticism that state policies
often fail to reach local level state
employees.
"We've grown a lot in last 25
years," said Burns Paiute Tribal
Council member Charlotte Rode
rique. "In the last 15 years, (96-30)
has made it easier to work with
state agencies. A drawback: maybe
the state people aren't as informed
about the bill as they should be,
but program by program, it is dif
ferent." 'There is a disconnect," Kitzhaber
said, "between people on the ground
and agency directors."
Other summit themes included
Tribes' unsuccessful efforts, over
almost 20 years, to fund a state
position dedicated to Tribal Educa
tion. The position exists, but was
defunded in the early 1990s, said
Tribal member and Tribal Educa
tion Department Manager April
Campbell. What that means for
Tribes, she said, is "we're missing
out on having a voice in state poli
cies that affect our Native student
population."
The position would keep Tribes
informed as the Oregon Education
Department considers policies af
fecting Tribes, specifically, said
Kennedy, "an Indian Education
specialist at Oregon Department
of Education that would assist in
revising and implementing the
American IndianNative Alaskan
Indian Education State Plan (for
Oregon)."
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"Unfortunately, with Oregon in
this difficult budget situation, it
always comes down to funding,"
said Grand Ronde Tribal member
and Tribal lobbyist Justin Martin.
"While everyone agrees about the
importance of this position, we also
know and understand the economic
problems that Oregon is facing. We
are hopeful that at some point in
the immediate future our coopera
tive efforts with the Department
of Education will lead to a creative
solution to get something done."
Health care is another area of
concern to Tribes, Kennedy said.
"We appreciate the work Dr.
(Bruce) Goldberg (director of the
Oregon Health Authority) has done,
but it is a two-tier program. It must
allow Tribes to be on equal footing."
Kennedy said Tribes are looking for
"one vehicle for compacting dollars
available for Tribes. Pass through
dollars should be treated as pass
through."
Tribal leaders brought lists de
tailing successes and failures in
their Tribal relations with state
agencies.
On the Oregon Health Plan re
design, Kennedy reported in the
list she submitted to Kitzhaber,
"State held a committee with stake
holders, community partners, but
Tribes were not included in the
initial conversation and committee
until well into the process after Co
ordinated Care Organizations were
decided on. The Tribes didn't get
to express any concerns or issues
until after decisions had already
been made. Because a large num
ber of Natives have OHP and also
use Tribal facilities, it does have a
large impact to Tribes. It would be
helpful when the state has conver
sations, planning, coordinating and
collaborations that Oregon Tribes
are consulted and brought in from
the beginning."
"There seems to be a clear prior
ity to use federal funds for state
projects," said Kennedy. "Tribal
funds come from those federal dol
lars; we'd like to see a portion go
to Tribes."
In that regard, Kennedy reported,
"Our experience with state parks
has been less favorable. We have
applied twice to the state Recre
ational Trails Program to develop
trails open to the public. There
seems to be a clear priority to use
Photos by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryl A.
Kennedy listens as Gov. John
Kitzhaber, right, speaks during
the 13th annual Tribal-State
Government to Government Summit
at Chinook Winds Casino Resort in
Lincoln City on Tuesday, Nov. 1 5.
Tribal Council member June Sherer
carries the Grand Ronde Tribal flag
in the opening ceremony of the 1 3th
annual Tribal-State Government-to-Government
Summit at Chinook
Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City
on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
the funds for state projects. ... The
RTP funds come from federal dol
lars. We would like to see a portion
of those funds going to Tribes."
"It is critical," Kitzhaber said,
"that we rethink our models and
make sure they still make sense."
On the other hand, there are
bright spots throughout the government-to-government
relations.
Lincoln County Commissioner
Terry Thompson said that the
county's relationship with the Si
letz Tribe is "one of the greatest
relationships."
When getting started years ago,
Thompson said, "We had to find
common ground, so one of the first
things they did was take negativity
out of the room. One of the big steps
forward, we took the lawyers out of
the room."
Cottage Grove Mayor Gary Wil
liams, who said his people had "only
been in Oregon for six generations,"
described that city's work with Na
tives as "incremental, small steps,"
such as "naming streets with Na
tive American names."
Many Tribal leaders had high
praise for the Oregon Department
of Transportation in its government-to-government
responsibili
ties. In fact, Kennedy reported to
Kitzhaber that she thought it would
See SUMMIT
continued on page 7