6 MAY 15, 2012
Smoke Signals
Tribal! Cooainicoll ameunds ots opetraimig cryDes
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke SigrutU editor
In reaction to Tribal Council
member Valorie Shelter's arrest
for alleged possession of meth,
the Grand Ronde Tribal Council
voted 7-0 on Wednesday, May 2,
to amend its operating procedures
to reinforce a zero-tolerance policy
regarding illegal drug use in the
community.
The new operating procedures
state that any Tribal Council mem
ber arrested for felony possession
of a controlled substance during
their term in office will no longer
be paid. In addition, an accused
Tribal Council member will no lon
ger have use of a Tribal credit card
and will be stripped of his or her
appointments to boards, associa
tions andor commissions.
The new rules apply to any in
cidents before and after adoption
of the new operating procedures
resolution for current Tribal Coun
cil members.
However, an accused Tribal
Council member will remain on
Tribal Council. Only Tribal voters
can remove a Tribal Council mem
ber from office through recall.
Sheker did not attend the May
2 meeting, out on personal leave,
Tribal Council Secretary Jack
Giffen Jr. said. Her absence was not
excused by Tribal Council.
The new operating procedures
reflect Tribal Council's commit
ment to maintaining a drug-free
workplace and community, Tribal
Attorney Rob Greene said at the
May 1 Legislative Action Commit
tee meeting.
Sheker, who is in the final year
of a third three-year term on Tribal
Council, was arrested April 24 after
an altercation with her daughter-in-law
in Tribal housing.
Valorl Shkar
According to a
probable cause
affidavit written
by Polk County
Deputy Jeff Wil
liams, who was
the arresting
officer, a small
plastic container
found in Sheker's
purse contained
methamphetamine and she admit
ted to snorting the illegal substance
three days earlier. Unlawful pos
session of a controlled substance is
a felony in Oregon.
Sheker also was arrested on
felony assault and misdemeanor
harassment charges. She pleaded
not guilty to the charges on Tues
day, May 8, in Polk County Circuit
Court. Her trial is tentatively
scheduled for June 27.
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cher
yle A. Kennedy said the new Tribal
Council operating procedures will
retroactively apply to Sheker's
situation.
Sheker will no longer be paid if
she decides to remain on Tribal
Council and she will not be able to
use a Tribal credit card or represent
the Tribe on outside boards, com
missions and associations.
Greene said that should charges
not be filed, if the charges are
eventually dropped or if the ac
cused Tribal Council member is
found innocent, pay, use of a Tribal
credit card and the ability to serve
on boards, commissions and as
sociations will be reinstated, ac
cording to the amended operating
procedures.
Later in the May 2 meeting,
Tribal Council appointed Toby
McClary to fill Sheker's spot on
the Chemawa Station LLC board
of directors.
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The week following Sheker's ar
rest has been a "very sad" time for
the Tribe and Tribal Council, Ken
nedy said.
"I know and understand that
people have problems," Kennedy
said. "I believe that every one of
us has family members, or even
ourselves, who may have gone
through situations like this. The
action that we took was really to
make sure that the representation
that sits at this table is doing so in
a responsible way and we believe
that you, as the members, want us
to act accordingly.
"I just want the members to know
that this is not a personal agenda,
and she certainly has my best
wishes that she would seek a better
place in her life and that things will
take a different path for her."
During the Tribal Council meet
ing, it was revealed that Tribal
Council invited Sheker to come in
and talk. She did not attend.
Tribal Council also requested in
writing that Sheker resign and seek
the help provided Tribal members
combating substance abuse.
Tribal member Brenda Gray said
Tribal Council should also address
driving under the influence and
misdemeanor drug charges, such as
marijuana possession, in their new
operating procedures resolution.
Vice Chair Reyn Leno said Tribal
Council is addressing the current
issue and that Tribal voters have
a bigger say through amending the
Tribal Constitution.
"I don't appreciate people being
potentially on drugs or hung-over
or anything else trying to make
decisions for this council," Leno
said.
Tribal Council member Kathleen
Tom endorsed a stronger ethics
ordinance that addresses alcohol
and drug use by Tribal Council
members.
Giffen said the Tribal Constitu
tion should be amended so that if a
Tribal Council member is arrested
for felony drug possession, there is
the ability to automatically remove
the person from office.
"It needs to be in the Constitution
to have teeth," Giffen said.
Tribal Council member Chris
Mercier said he was concerned
about creating Tribal law on the
spot to deal with the Sheker inci
dent. "I really hope that we don't do
something like this again," Mercier
said. "We're making up Tribal law
to deal with something that just
happened very, very recently and
that's a dangerous precedent to
set."
"I think everybody up here wants
to see Val get healthy and be
healthy," McClary said. "We really
all do wish the best for Council
woman Sheker and that she gets
the help that she needs."
Tribal Council member Steve
Bobb Sr. said that the situation
shows what can happen when you
take the wrong path.
"You have to be very careful about
the decisions that you make in your
life," Bobb said. 'That is one of the
things we always try to preach to
our younger people, to not go down
these paths because it's a pretty
dark, lonely street, and it just gives
you an idea that it can happen to
anybody. ... It ruins multiples lives
when you do that."
Tribal Council member June
Sherer said she continues to support
Tribal Council members having to
take a monthly urinalysis test.
Had that policy been in place,
Sherer said, it would have saved a
big heartache and, perhaps, gotten
Sheker the help she needs.
"We need to nip this in the bud
while we're ahead of it," Sherer
said. D
Elder's
held on Saturdays
Bingo at the Elders' Activity Center will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sat
urday, May 26.
For more information, contact Elder Activity Assistant Daniel Ham at
503-879-2233. B
Graves teaching basket weaving
Tribal Elder Connie Graves teaches a basket weaving class, which is
open to the public, at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Elders' Activity Center.
For more information, contact Tribal Cultural Education Specialist Brian
Krehbiel at 503-879-4639 or brian.krehbielgrandronde.org. B
503-879-5211
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