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PERMIT NO. 178
Second First Salmon
celebration — pg. 10
june 1, 2014
Tribal Council
asks BIA to
cancel election
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
ribal Council voted 6-0 on
Wednesday, May 14, to re-
quest that the Department
of the Interior discontinue the June
6 constitutional election because of
procedural errors at the Bureau of
Indian Affair’s Siletz Agency Offi ce.
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
Leno read a statement during the
meeting that said the Tribe “has
learned of several procedural er-
rors in the current constitutional
amendment election. These errors
were caused by the BIA Siletz
Agency Office’s failure to follow
federal regulations for conducting
secretarial elections.
“As a result, effective today the
Northwest Regional Offi ce on its
own initiative removed the BIA
Siletz Agency from any further
involvement in this election.
“Unfortunately, Tribal Council
believes the integrity of the election
process has already been seriously
compromised by the actions of the
Siletz Agency.”
Tribal members were scheduled
to vote on two proposed amend-
ments during the June 6 election.
One would have exorcised the De-
partment of the Interior’s Bureau
of Indian Affairs from the Tribe’s
constitutional amendment election
process and the other would have
instituted term limits on Tribal
Council service.
Leno said a new constitutional
election probably will be scheduled
following the September Tribal
T
See BIA ELECTION
continued on page 3
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno gifts u.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley a necklace before Merkley speaks during the
Tribe’s annual Memorial Day ceremony at the West Valley Veterans Memorial on the Tribal campus on Monday,
May 2.
Tribe hosts annual ceremonial meal, name dedication
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
nder sunny skies and a
refreshing breeze, the
12th anniversary of the
dedication of the West Valley
Veterans Memorial saw more
than 250 people attend the an-
nual commemoration of area
veterans.
On Monday, May 26, events
started with a noon meal of cer-
emonial elk stew prepared under
the direction of Tribal Nutrition
U
Department Manager Kristy
DeLoe. She again was joined in
cooking this year’s meal by Tribal
cook Kevin Campbell.
Tribal Elder and former Tribal
Council Chairwoman Kathryn
Harrison gave the invocation.
A drum group including Bobby
Mercier, Brian Krehbiel, Jan
Looking Wolf Reibach, Gregg
Leno and Siletz Tribal member
Willie Towner drummed and
sang. They would again at the
opening of the outdoor ceremony
at 1 p.m.
Tribal Royalty, including Senior
Miss Grand Ronde Goldie Bly,
Junior Miss Grand Ronde Iyana
Holmes, Little Miss Grand Ronde
See MEMORIAL DAY
continued on page 16
Chachalu fi red up for Phase I opening
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
he Grand Ronde Tribe and community,
near and far, are invited to the opening
of the fi rst phase of Chachalu, the Tribal
Museum and Cultural Center, at 4 p.m. Thurs-
day, June 5.
Chachalu is a Tualatin Kalapuya word mean-
ing “place of the burning timber.”
This cultural dream of the Tribal community,
almost since Restoration, is now undeniably on
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
its way.
“Word about Chachalu is spreading fast
through our Tribal membership and regional
academic communities,” said Land and Culture
Department Manager Jan Looking Wolf Reibach,
one of the leads in making this happen.
“With a great interest in this new chapter in
the Tribe’s cultural history, inquiries to donate
See CHACHALU
continued on page 7
Julie Brown, front, Tribal Cultural Exhibits supervisor, and Bradley Leno, Tribal Cultural interpretative
specialist, hang a map of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of the Columbia River as they prepare for
the opening of Chachalu, the Tribal Museum and Cultural Center, on Wednesday, May 28. Chachalu is
opening on Thursday, June 5.