Smoke signals., July 15, 2013, Page 5, Image 5

Smoke Signals 5
JULY 15,2013
mn)Ibirase jjoDims Tribal CeoainidD staffi
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Former Hatfield Fellow Francene
Ambrose has joined the Tribal
Council office as an administrative
assistant.
She studied at the University of
Washington and graduated from
Portland State University, earning
a bachelor of scienceliberal arts
degree. She combined Sociology
with Native American and Black
Studies.
Since 2006, she has been work
ing on her master's in Public Ad
ministrationTribal Governance
degree at Evergreen State College
in Olympia, Wash., and Portland
State University.
She was the Grand Ronde Tribe's
2008 Hatfield Fellow, working in
the office of Sen. Ron Wyden.
"It was an historic time to be in
D.C.," she said. "I was able to be
in D.C. when President Obama
was voted in for the first time. I
was there for the hearings and
appointments for Supreme Court
Justice (Sonia) Sotomayor, director
of Indian Health Service Dr. Yvette
Roubideaux and Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar.
"I worked on ensuring that Tribes
received funds in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
worked on the re-authorization of
the Indian Healthcare Improve
ment Act, Indian Veterans Housing
Opportunity Act and was able to
'drop' my 99-year Lease bill in the
hopper where bills get their start.
I was able to set up a hearing for
the Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs Tribal Police about the
need for passing the Tribal Law
and Order Act of 2009."
She also handled the Grand
Ronde Tribe's request for American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act
0 "
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Francan Ambrose recently started as Tribal Council's new administrative
assistant. Ambrose was the 2008-09 Mark O. Hatfield Fellow, a fellowship
program that was started by Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
stimulus funds.
With all that though, she said,
"The most powerful thing for me
was viewing the original treaties
with Tribal Council."
As a fellow, she also worked with
the nine Oregon Tribes on specific
bills. Now focusing her talents in
the Grand Ronde Tribal Council
office, she is working on projects to
benefit the Tribe.
"I felt like this was my opportu
nity to give back to the Tribe in a
meaningful way after they provided
me with a scholarship and a won
derful fellowship," Ambrose said.
"I am excited to work with the
Tribal Council once again. After
being a fellow, I have not had the
opportunity to work on policy issues
and look forward to jumping back
into it.
"Both my studies and the fel
lowship helped me step into this
position. I am familiar with, or can
easily catch up on issues, having
worked on or been in the back-
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ground, and I can draw on my
nonprofit work and volunteer ex
perience." She started as administrative as
sistant on June 24 and currently is
in training in the Tribal Council of
fice. To start, she is organizing the
council's paper files, saving them
electronically to make them easily
searchable.
"We are also working on updating
and organizing the office and meet
ing space," she said.
However, with her legislative
experience, Executive Coordinator
Stacia Martin has in mind some
projects based on that experience.
"I am excited to see where that is
headed," Ambrose said.
On the way, Ambrose has accu
mulated experiences that will serve
the Tribe well:
As a student, she was Peer Men
toring Program coordinator at the
University of Washington;
She worked in the Office of De
velopment at Portland State;
She was development manager
for the National Indian Child
Welfare Association;
She worked as an intern for the
Portland Veterans Affairs Medi
cal Center through the Student
Temporary Employment Pro
gram;
She was a clerk in the Title VII
Indian Education Program;
She has been on the Native
American Student & Commu
nity Center Advisory Board with
a Portland State Presidential
appointment. She recommended
policies, programming and proce
dures to the board;
She was president of the Portland
State chapter of the American
Indian Science & Engineering
Society;
And she was the assistant to the
director of the Portland State
Native American Student & Com
munity Center.
Since 2004, Ambrose has been
a volunteer with the Bow and Ar
row Culture Club in Portland. The
nonprofit's mission is to provide Na
tive Americans the opportunity to
gather and celebrate their culture
and traditions. The group plans the
City of Roses Delta Park Powwow
each year on Father's Day weekend,
which starts powwow season.
She has been the group's trea
surer and most recently was its
fundraising coordinator. She and
her husband, Jerald Harris, have
run a silent auction at the powwow
for the last two years.
"We enjoy their family friendly
events that are drug- and alcohol
free. It is a great group for those
wanting to drum, dance and social
ize with other Natives in the area,"
she said.
Ambrose was raised by her grand
father Corky Ambrose in White
Swan, Wash., on the Yakama Res
ervation. Today, though, Ambrose and
Harris, who builds and repairs
computers and also studied for a
master's degree in Public Adminis
tration at Evergreen State College,
are looking for a home in the Grand
Ronde area.
'This is the first time that I will be
living on my reservation," she said,
"and I am excited and proud to start
the adventure of learning about my
ancestral history here."
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