Smoke Signals 3
FEBRUARY 1,2013
Tribal Council OKs applying for $50,000 museum grant
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council approved apply
ing to the Institute for Museum
and Library Services for a $50,000
Native AmericanNative Hawaiian
Museum Services grant at its Jan.
16 meeting.
Should the Tribe receive the
grant, which would help transform
the former Grand Ronde Middle
School into a Tribal museum by
buying shelving and archival cabi
netry, the Tribe would need to
provide $25,000 in matching funds,
$5,000 of in-kind staff time and pay
$2,268 for supplies.
In other action, Tribal Council
approved appointing Tribal Council
member Chris Mercier as the Tribal
delegate to the Mid-Willamette Val
ley Area Commission on Transpor
tation with Tribal Council member
Jon A. George as the alternate.
Tribal Council also adopted a
resolution requesting that the Or
egon Legislature re-appoint Tribal
Council member Cheryle A. Ken
nedy to the Legislative Commission
on Indian Services. In addition,
Tribal Council also nominated
Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr. to serve
on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Native
American Policy Team.
In other action, Tribal Council:
Approved resolutions approving
two infants and one minor for
enrollment in the Tribe;
Held a first reading for proposed
amendments to the Tribal Ethical
Standards Ordinance. The pro
posed amendments would estab
lish a new process for filing and
handling complaints of wrongful
conduct by Tribal officials, includ
ing mediation before cases are
heard by Tribal Court.
The Jan. 16 Tribal Council packet
also included two Authorizations to
Proceed.
One authorization approved ex
tension of the Natural Resources
Department's 2003-12 Manage
ment Plan through Dec. 31, 2013,
or until a new management plan is
adopted. The plan expired on Dec.
31, 2012.
The extension included an inter
im harvest schedule for 2013. Ac
cording to Michael Wilson, Natural
Resources Department manager,
the extension allows harvesting of
9,368 million board feet of timber
in 2013. The timber harvested will
generate an estimated $2,756 mil
lion for the Tribe.
The other authorization OK'd
moving forward with a constitu
tional amendment vote to remove
Secretary of the Interior oversight
and approval of amendments to the
Tribal Constitution.
Tribal Attorney Rob Greene said
this will allow the Tribe to conduct
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
It will be difficult not to run into a
veteran in Grand Ronde this July.
The Marcellus Northwest Memo
rial Veterans Powwow will be held
Friday, July 12, through Sunday,
July 14, at Uyxat Powwow Grounds
off Hebo Road.
And three days before that -Tuesday,
July 9, through Friday,
July 12 - the Tribe will host a
four-day "Veteran's Summit: A
Gathering of Warriors" being put
on by the Gresham-based Native
Wellness Institute.
The free summit will bring any
where from 500 to 1,000 veterans
to Grand Ronde's Tribal pow
wow grounds for informational
workshops, motivational keynote
speakers, benefits coordination, a
parade of color guards, a welcome
home ceremony, traditional games,
health care, talking circles, counsel
ing and more.
"Our Native veterans are too often
a forgotten population," said Charles
Tail Feathers, a Native Wellness In
stitute board member and visionary
of the gathering. "Some of our war
riors from prior wars and conflicts
still have unmet needs. The purpose
of the Veteran's Summit is to honor
them, provide direct services and
sources, help them on their healing
journey and provide a good time
filled with food, laughter, culture
and positive camaraderie."
Tribal Chair Reyn Leno, a Vietnam-era
Marine Corps veteran,
attended one of the first planning
meetings for the summit in San
Diego in late November. After re-
elections on its time schedule and not
wait for the Bureau of Indian Affairs
to schedule and fund an election.
"This is a question of Tribal sov
ereignty," Greene said. "The Tribe
should not be required to wait
on the bureau when the Tribal
membership and the council want
to make changes to their constitu
tion, and certainly not wait on the
bureau's timetable to do that."
"To have the Bureau of Indian
Affairs telling us what we can and
can't do is mind-boggling," Kennedy
said. "For me, it's really about the
Tribe being a sovereign." D
turning and talking with the rest
of Tribal Council, he pledged the
Grand Ronde Tribe's support as
host.
Many of the Tribe's programs are
involved in the planning process
to host the Veteran's Summit. A
meeting held Jan. 17 included staff
and committee members, as well
as volunteer Tribal veterans and
Tribal Council members.
Veterans, their family members
and those who serve veterans are
invited to attend the summit. Meals
will be provided along with limited
travel scholarships and camping.
Tail Feathers said he envisions
a village where veterans will camp
and eat together, get free health
care and haircuts, receive assis
tance with coordinating benefits,
play traditional games, listen to
traditional stories, participate in
singing and dancing, participate
in a parade of color guards, attend
workshops and participate in ac
tivities to promote their personal
healing.
"Healing is the spirit driving the
Veteran's Summit," Tail Feathers
said.
Although the Grand Ronde Tribe
is hosting the event, the Native
Wellness Institute is organizing it.
The institute is accepting financial
and other sponsorships for the
gathering.
Anyone who would like to host a
veteran or sponsor a meal, speaker
or any other part of the gathering
should contact William Penn, Na
tive Wellness Institute Veterans
Warrior's Gathering Coordinator,
at 360-490-7463. B
Parents Night will present
sexual health facts
Family Nurse Practitioner Tami Martin will present "Parents
Night: Facts About Sexual Health" at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.
20, in the Tribal Community Center.
She will discuss current sexual health information and contracep
tion to help parents answer their children's inquiries. There will be
a question-and-answer session.
The evening will include a light dinner and door prizes.
For more information, contact Amber Mercier at 503-879-2162 or
amber.merciergrandronde.org. D
Committee seeks Elders' phone numbers
The Tribal Elders Committee is working on a volunteer phone list of
Elders. If you would like to submit your phone number and address to be
available to other Elders, send it to elders.committeegrandronde.org or
leave a message at 503-879-2231. B
Committee & Special Event
Board meeting days and times
Below is the most current information on the meeting days and times for
Tribal Committees and Special Event Boards:
Ceremonial Hunt Board meets as needed. Chair: Shonn Leno.
Cultural Trust Board meets at 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month
in Modular No. 2. Chair: Perri McDaniel.
Culture Committee meets at 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month
in Modular No. 3. Chair: CeCe Kneeland.
Education Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. on the first Monday of the
month in the Adult Education Building. Chair: Tammy Cook.
Elders' Committee meets at 1 0 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month
in the Elders' Activity Center. Chair: Gladys Hobbs.
Enrollment Committee meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Building. Acting Chair Robert Schmid.
Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of
- the month at the Natural Resources Building. Chair: Harold Lyon.
Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of the
month in the Tribal Wellness Center. Acting Chair: Patti Tom-Martin.
Powwow Special Event Board meets at 5 p.m. the first Thursday of
the month at the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Dana Ainam.
Rodeo Special Event Board meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of the
month at the Tribal Rodeo Office. Chair: Harold Lyon.
Social Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. the second Monday of
the month in the Social Services Conference Room. Chain Jenny San- '
chez. , , "' ;
Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources Building. Chain Bob Mercier.
v Veterans Special Event Board meets at 4 p.m. the first and third Tues
day of the month in the Elders' Activity Center. Chair Gene LaBonte.
Tribe to host Veteran's Summit in July
2013TrobaO-N
Marketplace dates
D Feb. 1-2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Feb. 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. f f
B March 1-2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.'; March 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D April 5-6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; April 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.'
O May 3-4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; May 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D June 7-8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; June 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. i
B July 12-13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
B July 19-20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Elder Honor Day) i , I
Dates subject to change due to conflicting Tribal or SMC events.
Located across from Cedar Plank Buffet.' :i