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