2 S moke S ignals march 15, 2014 nOTiCe — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings DATE TIME Wednesday, March 19.........................................................................4 p.m. Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed. General Council meeting Sunday, April 6 — 11 a.m. Letters Tribal Community Center Dear Smoke Signals: The Native American population of inmates at Santiam Correctional Institution is requesting aid in the form of donations for this year’s pow- wow on June 7. Every year we struggle to gather enough resources for this ceremony, which is a time for us to be with our families and loved ones, to take part in one of the ceremonies of our culture, to offer food and to pray with our families in both song and dance. Powwow in prison holds a special meaning and medicine for us as it of- fers us a chance to restore some of the damage caused to our families and community by our actions. It helps restore to us our sense of identifi cation, of belonging. These are just a few of the many reasons why this ceremony is impor- tant to us, and why we humbly ask you to help us through donations in whatever way you can. If you have any questions, please contact: Dr. Richard Roy Lead Chaplain 503-378-2144, ext. 423 Smoke Signals PUBLICATIONS OFFICE 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 1-800-422-0232, FAX: 503-879-2173 Web site: www.grandronde.org/news E-mail: news@grandronde.org Twitter: CTGRgov Facebook: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde SIOBHAN TAYLOR CHELSEA CLARK DEAN RHODES PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS/ PUBLICATIONS SECRETARY PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR 503-879-1418 dean.rhodes@grandronde.org 503-879-1920 siobhan.taylor@grandronde.org 503-879-1463 chelsea.clark@grandronde.org Dear Smoke Signals: I do not understand why we at Grand Ronde do not claim the ances- tral lands of all the Chinook villages along the Columbia River from the mouth of the great river to Cascade Locks. The area includes the cities of Portland and Vancouver, where the Multnomah Tribes lived as well as other Tribes. Before the territory became a state, Natives lived free from any bound- aries. The Columbia River, fl owing from Columbia Lake in Canada, was a water road with villages on both sides of the river. The United States government made the boundaries of Canada, Oregon, Idaho and Wash- ington states. The ancestral use by Natives has been abandoned by law. No local Tribes of Indians have rights to commercially fi sh in western Oregon, yet there are many rivers which drain into the ocean and bring spawning salmon to the rivers on the western side of the Cascade Range of mountains. The Tribes in eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho are allowed to fi sh. We at Grand Ronde get our yearly fi sh handout from a fi sh hatchery after the spawning take. The Snake River, fl owing from the heights of the Grand Tetons of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming westward, joins the Columbia River to fl ow into the ocean. All of this topography has dictated what lands the various Tribes have ceded for what they now have use of and what their rights are on the land. The United States owns all the land within its borders. Ceded land means to yield or surrender. It does not mean the land was given away. It does mean the government made promises to the Tribes by treaties for taking the land and has not kept those promises. This is what has led to the trail of broken promises of treaties complaints by Tribes in the United States. It has not been that long ago that we had the freedom to fi sh and hunt as our subsistence. Now we must wait for our per capita to buy the neces- sary subsistence and pay taxes for it. Claudette Parazoo Roll #2923 GEORGE VALDEZ JUSTIN PHILLIPS RON KARTEN GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST PAGE DESIGNER STAFF WRITER 503-879-2190 503-879-4663 503-879-1416 justin.phillips@grandronde.org ron.karten@grandronde.org MICHELLE ALAIMO VALERIE COX SCARLETT HOLTZ PHOTOJOURNALIST CENTRAL PHONES 503-879-1961 503-879-1446 michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org valerie.cox@grandronde.org george.valdez@grandronde.org DEADLINE DATE CENTRAL PHONES 503-879-1447 scarlett.holtz@grandronde.org ISSUE DATE Friday, March 21 ......................... April 1 Monday, April 7 ........................ April 15 Monday, April 21 ......................... May 1 Editorial Policy SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com- munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission. Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address must be included for verifi cation purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not be published unless requested. SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the editor are the opinions and views of the writer. Published letters do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Members of: n Native American Journalists Association n The Associated Press n Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association See page 15 for more letters. Cover Oregon assister at Portland offi ce A Cover Oregon certified application assister will be at the Tribe’s Portland satellite offi ce, 4445 S.W. Barbur Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 19. Contact Loretta Meneley at 503-879-1359 or 800-775-0095 for an appoint- ment to apply for or discuss Cover Oregon. Days will be increased at the Portland offi ce if necessary to accommodate Tribal member demand. Meneley also will be at the St. Patrick’s Day potluck at the Portland of- fi ce from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, March 17. n St. Michael’s off ers weekly brunch St. Michael’s Catholic Church offers an open house brunch every Sunday following Mass. The brunch is free to the community. Brunch begins at about 11:30 a.m. following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Mass attendance is not required for brunch attendance. For more information, contact Janelle Justen at 503-550-0923. n 2014 Tribal Council 1-800-422-0232 — council@grandronde.org n Reyn Leno Tribal Chairman — ext. 2399 n Denise Harvey — ext. 2353 reyn.leno@grandronde.org n June Sherer — ext. 1444 n Jack Giffen Jr. Tribal Vice Chair — ext. 2300 jack.giffen@grandronde.org denise.harvey@grandronde.org june.sherer@grandronde.org n Cheryle A. Kennedy — ext. 2352 n Toby McClary Tribal Secretary — ext. 4555 cheryle.kennedy@grandronde.org toby.mcclary@grandronde.org kathleen.tom@grandronde.org n Kathleen Tom — ext. 1777 n Ed Pearsall — ext. 2305 n Jon A. George — ext. 2355 ed.pearsall@grandronde.org jon.george@grandronde.org