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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2013)
8 OCTOBER 1,2013 Smoke Signals Youth Powwow set for Oct. 4 A Youth Powwow will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in the Tribal gym. Dinner will be provided and dancers of all ages are welcome. This is a drug- and alcohol-free event. For more information, contact Cultural Education Specialist Flicka Lucero at 503-879-2268 or flicka. lucero?grandronde.org. D PoracfiDCDiragi Daw I n,r 'tu - Photo by Michelle Alalmo JC Rogers, right, givaf har opinion as Kaillyah Krahblal, middle, waits to giva har input and Micah Rogers, laft, listans while tha jury they ara on dalibarata a mock trial casa during Law Day for Youth Education on Monday, Sept. 23. Nina students participated in tha day that also Included a history of tha Tribal Court, differences between federal, state and Tribal courts, and a visit from Grand Ronda Tribal Police Chief Al LaChance and Sgt. Jake McKnlght. Tribe to celebrate plankhouse's third birthday The third birthday of Achaf-Hammi, the Tribe's plankhouse, will be celebrated beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. There will be a dinner at 5 p.m. and a giveaway at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Tribal Cultural Outreach Spe cialist Bobby Mercier at bobby.merciergrandronde.org or at 503-879-2076. Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority The Tribal Housing Authority is out of Tribally funded down payment assistance at this time. Opportunity for comment on GRTHA's 2014 Indian Housing Plan Under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-De-termination Act of 1996, (NAHASDA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will provide grants to Indian TribesIndian Housing Authorities for the development and operation of low-income housing in Indian areas. Grants are made to eligible recipients under the Indian Housing Block Grant Program. To be eligible for the grants, respondents must submit an Indian Housing Plan that meets the minimum requirements of the Act, and also submit an Annual Performance Report to HUD, and maintain records for HUD monitoring. The Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority (GRTHA) has received multiple grants under this program. Comments on the Indian Housing Plan are welcome and copies of this report can be obtained at the GRTHA office or by calling 503-879-2401, or 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2401. Comments must be submitted in writing to GRTHA no later than 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 7, 2013. All comments will be incorporated into the final report sub mitted to HUD. D fiuiioQjaglhifi oft was pireftfiy CufistoirDC7 ATTORNEYS continued from front page Ronde Community of Oregon, the issue of top importance is reau thorization of Oregon Senate Bill 412, which allowed the Tribe to hire police officers to protect the Grand Ronde community and to arrest nonNatives who commit crimes against Tribal members in the Grand Ronde area. It was signed into law in 201 1 and is scheduled to sunset in 2015. "Without a doubt, SB 412 has allowed the Tribe to make substan tial strides in its law enforcement efforts, and SB 412 peace officer status is a critical tool for its Grand Ronde Police Department officers," said Tribal Chair Reyn Leno in a letter to the conference. The Tribe is seeking federal support for reauthorization by the Oregon Legislature. Tribal Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr. represented the Tribe in person. "I thought it was pretty historic that so many high level, decision making officials from Washington, D.C. came out for the Northwest Tribes," Giffen said. Other issues the Attorneys raised during the day included their sup port for Tribal sovereignty through efforts to facilitate the implementa tion of both the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 and the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. Attorneys also spoke of their ef forts to address offender re-entry, white collar crime and juvenile justice, including the effects of exposure to violence on American Indian and Alaska Native youth. The Attorneys also defend Indian hunting and fishing rights. Panels with U.S. Attorneys and other law enforcement specialists ended the day with reports on still other crime issues of importance to Northwest Tribes. Tribal law enforcement officers reported progress in the battle against gangs. Since 2009, accord ing to a Justice Department re port, U.S. Attorneys with Indian Country jurisdiction have seen a 54 percent increase in Indian Country criminal prosecutions. At the same time, Nancy Seyler, program manager for the Confeder ated Tribes of Warm Springs, said that the Warrn. Springs people are "terrorized by gangs." Another session focused on the jurisdictional confusion that has bedeviled Oregon and Washington officials over who has jurisdiction when a law enforcement issue comes up on the Columbia River. The effort to solve this problem stems from a celebrated case where members of the Yakama Tribe drowned in the Columbia, but re mained in a canoe for hours while officials worked out the jurisdic tional questions. The daylong conference high lighted successful collaborations between U.S. Attorneys and Tribes, including ongoing opera tions that are bringing down gang members and improving relation ships between U.S. Attorneys and Tribes. Still, the biggest problems are gangs and drugs, said federal In vestigator Detective Sam Williams. U.S. Attorneys and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have seen the best cooperation in 20 years, he said. And community members are reporting crimes to police more often. "Much thanks for the U.S. At torneys and passage of certain criti cal laws," said Suquamish Tribal Councilman Rit Bellis. "Some of it is the money problem, but it also requires communicating together, working through local Tribes." "We view ourselves as having a trust responsibility and work ing with the Tribes, federal part ners and state agencies to ensure healthy salmon runs and equal opportunities for Tribal fisheries to thrive in the protection of salmon species," said Marshall. These programs have helped Tribes along the Columbia River improve fishing habitat to the point where 700,000 fall Chinook salmon have been counted at Bonneville Dam this year. Compared with the 10-year average of less than 250,000, this was the biggest year ever for fall Chinook. "This is the most optimistic and hopeful thing happening in Indian Country," said Marshall. "You've been able to restore the salmon." "The Tribes taught us about looking seven generations into the future," said Jenny Durkan, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington state, "but it's incred ible how much one generation can accomplish." Tribal leaders also sought help with environmental disasters hap pening on or near Tribal lands, including coal shipments and con tamination from the Hanford nu clear site. Lummi Nation Chief of Police Ronald Tso said the oyster beds that members of the Tribe have harvested for generations are dying because of acidic water. , "We speak from our heart," said Virgil Lewis, Yakama Tribal Coun- cilman, "and hope you listen with your heart." "Our commitment to you is that we are listening," said Durkan. D
