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FEBRUARY 1,2012
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A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe
www.grandronde.org
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TornbaD CoymciD sends primary idea tto votteirs
Constitutional amendment would change the way Tribe conducts annual elections
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council voted 6-1 on Wednesday,
Jan. 25, to send a proposed constitutional
amendment to voters that would create
a primary during the Tribal election process if
more than 10 candidates are nominated in any
given year.
Only first-term Tribal Council member Toby
McClary voted against the resolution and Tribal
Council member Valorie Sheker was absent.
During the September 2010 election, a non-
binding survey asked Tribal members about
a possible Tribal Council primary and about
establishing Tribal Council term limits.
Tribal members who responded to the survey
supported a primary 582-366, or 61.4 percent in
favor of the idea. To change the Tribal Constitu
tion, two-thirds of Tribal voters casting ballots
must approve a proposed amendment.
In the 2010 survey, almost 47 percent of those
responding said they favored paring the Tribal
Council candidate slate to six for the early Sep
tember general election.
The proposed constitutional amendment would
create a primary if the number of candidates
nominated to run for Tribal Council in late June
exceeds 10. The top six candidates in the primary
election would continue on to the September
general election.
Tribal Council elections of late have regularly
seen a candidate field exceeding 10 with those
being elected regularly receiving less than 20
See PRIMARY
continued on page 6
Senior Miss
Grand Ronde
Nakoosa
Moreland
participates
in the junior
and teen girls
jingle dress
exhibition
dance during
the fourth
annual
Gathering
of Oregon's
First Nations
Powwow at the
Oregon State
Fair & Expo
Center Pavilion
in Salem on
Saturday, Jan.
28. Story and
more photos on
pages 8-9.
YT
f
n
.1 A r
H 1.W
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Reservation Act
amendment to
receive hearing
Grand Ronde Tribe seeks
streamlined process for taking
former land back into trust
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
An amendment to the 1988
Grand Ronde Reservation
Act that would streamline
how the Tribe takes former reser
vation land back into Tribal owner
ship will receive a hearing before
the Senate Indian Affairs Commit
tee on Thursday, Feb. 2.
A Grand Ronde contingent, led
by Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A.
See AMENDMENT
continued on page 13
Want to watch?
The Webcast of the hearing on
the proposed amendment to the
Grand Ronde Reservation Act
can be watched at 11:15 a.m.
Pacific time on Thursday, Feb. 2,
by going to http:indian. senate,
govnewsmultimedia.cfm.
Meircoeir receives Leadeorsltoiip) Awairdl
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
DAYTON Tribal Council
member Chris Mercier re
ceived the Gwen VanDen
Bosch Regional Leadership Award
on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the an
nual meeting of the Mid-Willamette
Valley Council of Governments held
at the Dayton Community Center.
See MERCIER
continued on page 9
.. Egg .rvl z 1
Tribal Council member Chris Mercier and Tribal
Public Affairs Director Siobhan Taylor look at the
plaque that Mercier received after being named
the recipient of the Gwen VanDenBosch Regional
Leadership Award at the Mid-Willamette Valley
Council of Governments annual dinner and awards
presentation at the Dayton Community Center
in Dayton on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On the left,
Mercier's mother, Pat, and brother, Tribal member
Bryan Mercier, also attended the event.
Photo by Michelle Alaimo