july 1, 2014
Dear fellow Tribal members:
The first six months of the year have been very productive and have
been filled with a lot of accomplishments. Our staff has worked diligently
to keep us at or under budget and have met the challenges of their jobs
every step of the way.
As we work through 2014, Tribal Council continues to work toward
meeting the needs of our membership and has been working to promote
greater Tribal sovereignty. These updates provide me with an opportunity
to update you on some of the things Tribal Council has been working on
and I hope you find this piece informative.
NAFOA “Deal of the Year” Award
In April, the Tribe received the “Deal of the Year” Award from the Native
American Finance Officers Association for our investment in MicroGREEN
Polymers, Inc. The award was presented to the Tribe at NAFOA’s 32nd
annual conference held in New Orleans, La. As most of you know, Micro-
GREEN Polymers manufactures InCycle cups which are aimed at reduc-
ing the amount of plastic in our local landfills. MicroGREEN continues to
pick up speed and we’re looking forward to seeing the company grow. We
should see a good return on our investment. Because the cups are light-
weight, insulated and virtually indestructible, they’ve been purchased by
a number of major airlines including Alaska and United.
As we work to diversify our Tribal portfolio, I believe there will be more
awards on the horizon for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Tribal
Council is committed to making smart and sound investments that will
benefit generations to come.
Chachalu Phase I grand opening
On June 5, we celebrated the opening of Phase I of our Tribal museum
and cultural center, Chachalu. With the opening of Phase I, the Tribe now
has a place to house and preserve its artifacts under one roof. This has
allowed us to document, categorize and carefully preserve our collections.
This has been a significant step forward for the Tribe and our Tribal people.
The museum is a place where we can honor our past and look to the future.
It is a place where we can tell our story and pay respect to those who have
walked before us. As a child, I learned to play baseball on the fields that
surround the building and as I grew older I watched our Tribal members
receive their education in that very building.
Phase I of Chachalu has been a huge undertaking and the opening
marked a momentous occasion for the Tribe. We look forward to our future
successes and celebrate the accomplishments of our team.
Upcoming events
Canoe Journey
On June 22, our Tribal Canoe Family departed early for the 2014 Canoe
Journey to Bella Bella, British Columbia. Their month-long journey will
S moke S ignals
take them through the Columbia River Gorge and ultimately all the way
past Vancouver Island to Bella Bella. Upon their return, Tribal Council
will host a Welcome Home dinner for our Canoe Family.
Veterans Summit: Gathering of Warriors & the Marcellus Norwest Me-
morial Veterans Powwow
This year, the Tribe will once again host the Native Wellness Institute’s
“Veterans Summit: Gathering of Warriors.” This will be the second annual
Summit that was first hosted by the Tribe in 2013. The Summit will take
place July 10-11 and kicks off our annual Veterans Powwow, July 11-13.
The Summit provides veterans with a variety of resources, presentations
and services, including, but not limited to, talking circles, a self-care vil-
lage, sweats and listening sessions.
Spirit Mountain Stampede
The Spirit Mountain Stampede also kicks off this July and will be taking
place July 19-20 at the Rodeo Grounds. Tickets will be on sale soon and
are $10 for adults and $5 for children (children under 4 are free).
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Annual Contest Powwow
The annual Contest Powwow will take place at Uyxat Powwow Grounds
on Aug. 15-17. The powwow will once again have a number of categories
and specials for our dancers and will have an array of Tribal vendors as
well.
Language application
This year, Land and Culture staff worked hand in hand with application
developers and Tribal members to create an app that is both user-friendly
and educational. The app teaches users Chinuk Wawa through a variety of
lessons, quizzes and games, and is available for viewing at Chachalu. The
Chinuk Wawa app also features images from throughout our community
and provides users with an opportunity to learn from and see several of
our Chinuk Wawa speakers. The app will launch later this summer and
will be available for iOS devices. Staff will continue to work on the app to
make it available for Android devices in 2015.
2015 budget priorities
On May 27, Tribal Council held its first 2015 budget priorities discus-
sion and provided comments to staff. Over the next several months, Tribal
Council will continue this process and begin to pare its list as we work
with the General Manager’s Office and Finance. Throughout the budgeting
process Tribal Council works closely with Tribal staff to identify priori-
ties for the upcoming year. If there is something you wish to see budgeted
for in 2015, please submit your priority in writing to Tribal Council for
consideration.
Through good communication, accountability and transparency, I believe
we can meet and exceed the expectations of our membership while provid-
ing our members with essential services and quality care.
Tribal Council will continue to work diligently on issues important to
our membership and, as your elected leader, I will continue to update you
as there are developments.
Sincerely,
Reynold L. Leno
Tribal Council Chairman
Official Tribal Facebook pages
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 at
the Chachalu Tribal Museum & Cultural Center. 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 off Hebo Road. Chair: Harold
Lyon.
• Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of the month
in the Health & Wellness Center. Chair: Patti Tom-Martin.
• Powwow Special Event Board meets TBA at the Community Center.
Chair: Dana Ainam.
• Rodeo Special Event Board meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of the
month at the 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 off Hebo Road. Chair: Bob Mercier.
• Veterans Special Event Board meets at 5 p.m. the first Tuesday of the
month in the Community Center. Chair: Steve Bobb Sr.
• Youth Council meets at 4 p.m. every Tuesday in the Youth Education
Building.
To update information on this list, contact Publications Coordinator Dean
Rhodes at 503-879-1463 or dean.rhodes@grandronde.org.
• 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
• Veterans Special Event Board:
www.facebook.com/pages/Veterans-Board-of-the-Confederated-Tribes-of-
the-Grand-Ronde-Community
• Community Garden: www.facebook.com/GrandRondeCommunity-
Garden
ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS
COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL EVENT BOARD VACANCIES
The following Committees and Special Event Boards have vacant
positions.
Social Services Committee
1 Vacancy
Timber Committee
1 Vacancy
Cultural Trust Board
4 Vacancies
Powwow SEB
2 Vacancies
Please send completed applications to Stacia Martin, 9615
Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347.