march 15, 2014
Dear fellow Tribal members:
While we may only be three months into the year, I can tell you that 2014
is already looking like it will be a tremendous year for the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde.
Our Tribal departments, casino and economic development ventures are
already off to a great start. As in years past, I will continue to update you
throughout the year on issues being considered by Tribal Council and the
progress being made by our Tribal departments and businesses.
I feel it is important to have an open dialogue and hope that you will
contact me when important issues come up. I have highlighted below just
a few of the important issues before Tribal Council and hope that you find
them helpful.
Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) Commission
Over the last few weeks, Tribal Council has had a number of interviews
with TERO Commission applicants. The first round of interviews was com-
pleted mid-February and the second set of interviews for the commission
took place on March 5. Once Tribal Council has completed the interview
process, we will appoint five individuals to serve on the Tribe’s first TERO
Commission. Once the commission is established, it will play a crucial role
in enforcing the TERO Ordinance.
Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) website
As some of you may know, the TERO page on the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde’s website is up and running. There, you will find information
on upcoming contractor certification training programs, a list of frequently
asked questions, download TERO Indian-owned Business Certification Ap-
Official Tribal Facebook pages
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde:
www.facebook.com/CTGRgov
• Grand Ronde Tribal Council:
www.facebook.com/TheConfederatedTribesOfGrandRondeTribalCouncil
• Grand Ronde Higher Education:
www.facebook.com/grand.r.ed
• Grand Ronde Youth Education:
www.facebook.com/CTGRYouthEducation
• Spirit Mountain Community Fund:
www.facebook.com/SpiritMountainCommunityFund
• Grand Ronde Station:
www.facebook.com/GrandRondeStation
• Grand Ronde Royalty:
www.facebook.com/TheConfederatedTribesofGrandRondeRoyalty
• Spirit Mountain Stampede:
www.facebook.com/SpiritMountainStampede
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
at the Elders’ Activity Center. Chair: Perri McDaniel.
• Culture Committee meets at 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month in
the Land & Culture Department conference room. 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 1 p.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 Health & 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 5 p.m. the first Tuesday of the
month in the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Steve Bobb Sr.
To update information on this list, contact Publications Coordinator Dean
Rhodes at 503-879-1463 or dean.rhodes@grandronde.org.
S moke S ignals
plications or find important contact information for our TERO staff on the
Tribal campus.
The Coastal Connector
A new, daily public transit bus service known as the Coastal Connector
has started providing service between Grand Ronde and Lincoln City. Grand
Ronde and Siletz Tribal members can ride the bus for free just by showing
the driver their Tribal identification cards. The service, provided by the
Tillamook County Transportation District, will allow Tribal members to
commute back-and-forth easier. The bus will pick up and drop off at the
Tribal Community Center and at Spirit Mountain Casino’s east entrance.
Women’s Transitional House
After much anticipation, construction on the Women’s Transitional House
is complete. The transitional house is scheduled to open on April 1 and its
first residents are scheduled to move in shortly thereafter. The transitional
house will provide post-treatment services to Tribal members and will be a
safe alternative for women who may often find themselves in difficult situ-
ations. For more information on the Women’s Transitional House, contact
Behavioral Health at 503-879-2026.
Cultural Employee Orientations
Recently, Land and Culture Department staff worked to develop a new
orientation curriculum for new hires that focuses on Grand Ronde Tribal
history, culture, cultural practices and language. The training also will be of-
fered to existing employees throughout the year so they have an opportunity
to learn something new about our Tribe and our culture. The orientations
will provide employees with a detailed explanation of Tribal sovereignty and
what it means to be a sovereign Tribal nation. Tribal Council has identified
this as a priority and will be asking the Spirit Mountain Casino Inc. Board
of Directors to review the existing curriculum at the casino and implement
a similar training for its employees.
Language Application
After months of planning and preparation, Land and Culture staff will soon
begin working closely with developers to take photos and language record-
ings on and around our Tribal campus. Work is currently set to take place
at the end of next month. When the photos and recordings are completed,
app developers will then work to build an app that is user friendly and will
teach users Chinuk Wawa. The app will be available for iOS devices later
this year and will be made available for Android devices in 2015. If you or
someone you know would like to participate in a photo shoot or language
recording, please look for ads in an upcoming edition of Smoke Signals.
2015 Budget Priorities
Over the next few months, Tribal Council will begin developing its list
of 2015 budget priorities. During the budgeting process, Tribal Council
works closely with Tribal staff to identify priorities for the upcoming year
in order to start the planning process. If there is something you wish to
see budgeted for in 2015, please submit your priority in writing to Tribal
Council for consideration.
Food Bank
Not long ago, the Tribe was awarded a $500,000 Indian Community
Development Block Grant to help construct a food bank facility in Grand
Ronde. Tribal Council has identified a location for the new facility and will
be working with staff to finalize plans for the new food bank. We hope to
work closely with our local food bank and other entities to better meet the
needs of our Tribal members and our community. The Tribe is looking to
break ground on the project this spring.
Good Government
For decades, our Tribal leaders and our Tribal Elders have worked hard
to create a system of good governance in Grand Ronde. If there’s one thing
I can assure you, it’s that your Tribal leaders do their best to keep this in
mind each and every day. One thing I’m often asked is “What makes good
government?” I believe that a good government is made up of a few funda-
mental elements and among those incorporates good communication, ac-
countability, transparency, responsible stewardship of resources and natural
resources, doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and
always remembering where you came from.
While one can expand on any one of those things, I think that all of them
can be agreed upon in one form or another. Tribal Council will continue to
work toward all of these to meet the expectations and needs of our mem-
bership.
As you can see, there are a number of positive things happening in Grand
Ronde and there are certainly more to come. I would like to thank our mem-
bership and staff both at the Tribe and at the casino for helping us make
the Tribe what it is today.
In closing, I would also like to recognize the efforts of our Natural Re-
sources staff and thank them for working hand-in-hand with the state and
local loggers to rescue three bear cubs that would have otherwise been
abandoned a few weeks ago. The cooperation between our Natural Resources
Department and the agencies involved speaks to the Tribe’s mission and
demonstrates our commitment to our community, environment and natural
resources. I look forward to updating you in an upcoming edition of Smoke
Signals.
Sincerely,
Reynold L. Leno
Tribal Council Chairman
Portland office slates St. Patrick’s Day potluck
The Tribe’s Portland area office, 4445 S.W. Barbur Blvd., will hold a St.
Patrick’s Day potluck from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, March 17.
For more information, contact Portland Satellite Office Tribal Services
Representative Lisa Archuleta at 503-879-1881 or at lisa.archuleta@
grandronde.org. n