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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2012)
Ife WlrT PRESORTED ilUUUK ViS. 4$&V A FIRST-CLASS MAIL S?s-HsVv3s? wfeS&f i,",iii-..H.'.''iiii'''''.iih....--'ii' i upausetmagoerpa,d ISPS T42P3 PERM.TNO.178 LmfLlBKSr f s?y , f V5ii ' ii V or newspaper proj. uo library system pre fSmtif ' S.i ' V V 1299 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON fctPtWIl5V iV5 y N EUGENE OR 97403-1205 8l 5S f JULY 1, 2012 moke s signals A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe 8 Ks WWW.grandrOnde.org TXMFQTJA. B MOIj-AXiIjA. a ROGUE BIVER a KAX1-AJPTJY.A. a CHASTA 1 3 mmoDDDDirag for TcrDbaD Com dill Ddds yes it By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer Thirteen Tribal members were nominated to run for three open Tribal Council seats and all accepted at a special General Council meeting held in the Tribal Community Center on Sunday, June 24. As of the day of nominations for Tribal Coun cil, 3,892 Tribal members are eligible to vote in the election slated for Saturday, Sept. 8. Last year, of 3,844 eligible to vote, 1,136 ballots were counted. Eligible voters must be registered to vote and all can register up to and including Election Day on Sept. 8. Each eligible voter is entitled to vote for up to three candidates. Of the 13 nominees, the top three vote-getters will fill three vacancies, which are seats See NOMINATIONS continued on page 8 f j --m ill Smoke Signals file photo Grand Entry of the Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow at Uyxat Powwow Grounds in Grand Ronde in July 2011. Wofio'DTfflDfDS. IP(o)llM (q) Co) (2) By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer Navajo gourd dancers from southern Oregon and two dance spe cials will highlight this year's Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow to be held Friday, July 6, through Sun day, July 8, at Uyxat Powwow Grounds in Grand Ronde. The powwow grounds are located off Highway 22 near Fort Yamhill State Park. The Tribal tradition of hon oring veterans, Native and otherwise, is expected to bring thousands to Grand Ronde from across the country. Pre vious powwows have drawn many from overseas as well. Drummers and dancers from all over have been invited, said Dakota Whitecloud, an Elder and chair of the Tribe's Veterans' Special Event Board, which organizes the powwow. Thirty to 50 vendors are ex pected, including many sup porting Tribal programs, such as housing, social services and health care. The dance specials will be an Owl Dance and a Team Dance, she said. And along with the See POWWOW continued on page 4 Off you go Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow When: Grand entries are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, July 6; 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 7; and 1 p.m. Sunday, July 8. Where: Uyxat Powwow Grounds off Highway 22 near Fort Yamhill State Park. Cost: Free parking and camping available. More information: Contact Dakota Whitecloud at 503-879-4240 or by e-mail at sangretta yahoo.com. Tribal voters approve primary process by too small a margin By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal voters approved a pri mary election amendment to the Tribal Constitution on June 13, but it fell 13 votes short of the required two-thirds approval to institute the measure. In certified election results re leased Wednesday, June 20, 407 Tribal voters favored a primary election and 222 opposed it for a 64.7 percent approval rate 2 percentage points short. To change the Tribal Constitu tion, at least 30 percent of those registered to vote must cast ballots and then 66.7 percent of those vot ing must approve of an amendment for it to take effect. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1,108 Grand Ronde Tribal members registered to vote in the special election for an approximate ly 28.6 percent registration turnout of eligible Tribal voters. Of those who registered, 629, or 56.8 percent, voted. To pass with that voter turnout, 420 yes votes were needed. Tribal Council voted in January to send the primary election idea to voters. If the amendment had been approved, starting in 2013 the field of Tribal Council candidates would have been pared to six candidates through a primary election if 10 or more Tribal members were nomi nated in June. In a 2010 non-binding survey, Tribal members supported a pri mary election process 584-366, or 61.4 percent in favor of the idea. Recent Tribal Council elections have consistently seen more than 10 or more Tribal members nomi nated. With so many candidates on the September general election ballot, those elected to three-year Tribal Council terms customarily receive less than 20 percent of the total vote. B
