6
S moke S ignals
may 15, 2014
ATTENTION
If you are currently receiving or are in need of SNAP benefits,
Social Services provides an Oregon Department of Human Ser-
vices caseworker who comes to Grand Ronde twice monthly on
Wednesdays.
The caseworker may assist with applications, updates, child
care, etc.
If you are in need of services, call 503-879-2034 to schedule
an appointment or you can reach Michelle Carmona at 503-879-
4523. n
Help wanted
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s 477 Employment and Training
Program and Land and Culture Department have resources that can be
utilized along with community members who have a passion for gardening
or want to learn the art of agriculture. If you are a Grand Ronde Tribal
or community member and want to be a part of the planning, preparation
and cultivation of the Tribal garden and orchard site for this year’s plant-
ing season, contact Barbara Gibbons at 800-242-8196, ext. 2135, or e-mail
barbara.gibbons@grandronde.org. n
Adult Foster Program
The Tribe’s Adult Foster Care lodges are committed to offering quality
care to our Elders and helping them remain as independent as possible, while
providing the personalized assistance they need. At our lodges, a wide range
of services is available in a comfortable setting where privacy is respected
and maximum independence is supported. For information, contact the Adult
Foster Program Director at 503-879-1694. n
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council member Ed Pearsall holds a piece of Tomanowos, the
Willamette meteorite, and tells representatives from Willamette National
Forest about it during the annual meeting between them and Tribal
employees at Chachalu on Tuesday, April 29. Part of the meeting included a
tour of Chachalu and its archives area.
Tribe holds annual meeting
with Willamette National Forest
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Managers from the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde met with
their counterparts from Willamette
National Forest for a second annual
meeting on Tuesday, April 29, in-
side Chachalu Tribal Museum and
Cultural Center.
Just outside of the building’s
entrance, members of the Grand
Ronde Land and Culture and Edu-
cation departments worked on
a Tillamook-style plankhouse, a
cedar exhibit showing traditional
plankhouse living.
Cedar for the exhibit and a sheath
of cedar siding starting in the back
of the building and growing around
the outside was a gift from Wil-
lamette National Forest. Tribal
Council contributed $2.7 million for
the first phase of the museum.
These signs of cooperation be-
tween the two governmental enti-
ties were complemented inside,
where Willamette National Forest
managers sought input from the
Tribe about on-going, planned or re-
cently completed projects, and the
Tribe discussed many of its own.
The 1855 Willamette Valley Trea-
ty, many federal regulations and
the overall federal trust respon-
sibility to Tribes require the U.S.
Forest Service to seek Tribal input
through consultation on forest ac-
tions in the Tribe’s ceded lands,
which include Willamette, Siuslaw
and Mt. Hood national forests.
More recently, Memoranda of
Understanding have been signed
among the parties leading to a
specific and official level of coop-
eration.
Work for the meeting also includ-
ed housekeeping questions about
the best ways to work together.
For example, one issue asked
whether the Tribe wanted consul-
tations with each of the federal
forests separately or all at once.
Participants scheduled another
meeting to work out policies. If
they agree to see all three national
forests in one meeting, this will be
the first time the Tribe has met
with all three at once. n
ATTENTION TRIBAL
MEMBERS WITH CONTRACT
HEALTH SERVICES
As most of you are aware, Contract Health Services (CHS) is a
federally funded program and a payor of last resort. With all of the
health care changes recently, we would like to take a minute to re-
mind you that ANY alternate resource you have needs to be utilized
correctly. That means in order for CHS to cover a “patient responsibil-
ity,” you must use providers who are in-network with whatever health
care coverage you have primary, including the Tribal Health Assis-
tance Program, Skookum. If you choose not to use providers who
are in-network or receive services that are not covered, you will be
responsible for any patient balance. Services include: Medical, Dental
and Behavioral Health. We apologize for any inconvenience this may
cause you, but to keep serving our Tribal community, we must ex-
haust all other resources available to our membership.
CHS also wants to remind you that there are some services that are
not covered by CHS, but are covered by Skookum. If you choose to
receive these services, you will be responsible for paying the co-pay-
ments. They are as follows: Chiropractic care, Naturopathic care,
Massage and Acupuncture, as well as outpatient drug and alcohol
treatment. This does not mean that you cannot use those services; it
simply means that CHS will not be responsible for any patient bal-
ances. You can still keep those appointments; you just need to pay
whatever your co-pay is. We understand that this can all be a little
confusing, so please feel free to give us a call if you have ANY ques-
tions and we’ll be happy to help.
• Tauni McCammon, 503-879-1406
• Erica Mercier, 503-879-2080
• Melody Baker, 503-879-2011
• Tresa (Teri) Mercier, 503-879-2008