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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
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Smoke Signals file photo
Grand Entry of the Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow at Uyxat Powwow Grounds in Grand Ronde in
July 2011.
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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