Smoke Signals 3
AUGUST 1,201 3
Tribe creates Enrollment
Audit hotline
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has created an En
rollment Audit hotline with which to collect frequently asked
questions from the Tribal membership.
The goal of the hotline is to develop a list of commonly asked
questions regarding the audit information that was distributed
in the April Tilixam Wawa.
The answers to those questions will be published in an upcom
ing Tilixam Wawa, as well as be distributed to the membership
in an information packet.
Please ask general questions only; please do not leave personal
inquiries regarding yourself or family.
The toll-free phone number is 877-645-2641. D
Official Tribal Facebook pages
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde:
www.facebook.comCTGRgov
Grand Ronde Tribal Council:
www.facebook.coinTheConfederatedTribesOfGrandRondeTribalCouncil
Grand Ronde Higher Education:
www.facebook.comgrand.r.ed
Grand Ronde Youth Education:
www.facebook.comCTGRYouthEducation
Spirit Mountain Community Fund:
www.facebook.comSpiritMountainCommunityFund
Grand Ronde Station:
www.facebook.comGrandRondeStation
Grand Ronde Royalty:
www.facebook.comTheConfederatedTribesofGrandRondeRoyalty
Spirit Mountain Stampede:
www.facebook.comSpiritMountainStampede
ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS
COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL EVENT BOARD VACANCIES
The following Committees and Special Event Boards have vacant
positions.
Education Committee 1 Vacancy
Fish & Wildlife Committee 1 Vacancy
Rodeo SEB 1 Vacancy
Please send completed applications to Stacia Martin, 9615
Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347.
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: Marline Groshong.
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 the Land & Culture Department conference room. Acting Chair: Betty
Bly.
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 10 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. 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. 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. Chair: Jenny Sanchez.
Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources building. Chair: Bob Mercier.
Veterans Special Event Board meets at 3 p.m. the first Tuesday of the
month in the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Gene LaBonte.
Dear fellow Tribal members:
Looking back on the first six months of the year, a lot can be said about the
Tribe and where we're headed. I have to say I have never been prouder of who
we are and what we have to look forward to in the future. With a rebounding
economy, we hope to take advantage of opportunities that will put our Tribe
and our membership in the forefront and create new paths for future genera
tions. I'm looking forward to the second half of 2013 and would like to take a
moment to update you on some of the things we've been working on.
2013 Veterans Summit: A Gathering of Warriors
This year the Tribe hosted the Native Wellness Institute's first-ever
Veterans Summit. The four-day summit was attended by more than 300
veterans, family members and supporters. It was a great opportunity for
us to bring veterans and veterans service providers together to provide
our brave men and women with health checks, veterans' service informa
tion, workshops and healing circles. We look forward to having another
Veterans Summit and are extremely grateful for our staff and everyone
who participated.
Oral History Project
This year our Land and Culture Department has focused some of its efforts
on collecting oral histories from Tribal members. Project fliers have been
completed by Culture staff and will be circulated in Smoke Signals and are
available on our Tribal campus. The project is a great way to preserve our
Tribal history and we hope to get as many people as we can to participate.
Tribal Police Department
As we entered 2013, the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department was just
beginning to take shape. Now, six months later, we have a fully functional
police department and have hired on two new police officers and a police
trainee. The department is doing a great job of patrolling the reservation
and is doing a number of things to help improve public safety on and near
Tribal lands.
Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance
The Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) is ready for Tribal
Council adoption. Tribal Council and staff will now be working through
the recruitment process for a TERO director and will be developing policies
and procedures to implement a successful TERO program.
2014 Budget Priorities
Last month, Tribal Council began discussing 2014 budget priorities. As
with years past, Tribal Council plans on being actively involved in the
2014 budget process and is looking forward to another successful year full
of projects that will benefit our Tribe and our membership.
Women's Transitional House
A few weeks ago, Tribal Council approved the construction contract for
the Women's Transitional House renovation and addition. The project will
include a full renovation and a 2,135-square-foot one-story addition. Cur
rently, the project is on track and should be completed this fall.
Chachalu
Recently, "Chachalu" (Place of Burnt Timber) was chosen by Tribal Coun
cil as the name for the new Museum and Cultural Center. In the coming
months the museum's capital campaign will be under way and we should
continue to see progress on the Museum and Cultural Center.
HR 841 Grand Ronde Reservation Act Amendment
On May 16, 2013, I testified before the House Committee on Natural
Resources on H.R. 841, a bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act.
The bill would not only save us time and money, but would also streamline
the Department of the Interior's land-into-trust responsibilities. On June
12, 2013, that same bill passed unanimously out of the House Committee
on Natural Resources. The bill has since been placed on the Union Calendar
and awaits action in the House.
Enrollment Audit
While we know the enrollment audit is not an easy thing for our Tribe,
our Tribal members or our employees, it is important to note that it is
an important step in creating an accurate historical record. We ask for
everyone's patience at this time as the process moves forward. We will be
keeping our members up to date as developments occur and thank you for
your understanding.
Quarterly Meetings
This year, Tribal Council has focused some of its efforts on strengthen
ing our government-to-government relationships. Since January, we have
had five quarterly meetings with neighboring counties and two quarterly
meetings with the Governor's Office. We hope to continue on this path and
look forward to future meetings with our local elected officials.
Casino Improvements
As some of you may have already noticed, there are several improve
ments under way at Spirit Mountain Casino. The casino recently added
and completed a new e-bar and gift shop and plans on opening a business
center and fitness center for visitors. With the economy slowly improv
ing, our hope is that these new amenities will appeal to our clientele and
provide them with services they want and need.
I believe this is a testament to how hard your Tribal Council and Tribal
employees are working for the membership. I look forward to reporting to
you again at the end of the year to reflect on the next set of great things the
Tribe is pursuing.
Sincerely,
Reynold L. Leno
Tribal Council Chairman