Summit promotes benefi ts
— pg. 4
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july 15, 2014
Veterans Powwow honors LaBonte
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
he three-day Marcellus Norwest
Memorial Veterans Powwow held at
Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Friday,
July 11, through Sunday, July 13, honored
Tribal Elder and Navy veteran Gene LaBonte
on Saturday, July 12.
During the Vietnam War, LaBonte served
in Stockton, Calif., for three years, 11 months
and 29 days, he said, as a Radioman 3rd Class
Petty Offi cer.
“I never went to sea,” LaBonte said. “I was
T
a dry land sailor. It takes 100 non-fi ghting
personnel to support one soldier.”
Ever since, LaBonte has been active in vet-
erans’ affairs. He has participated in many
capacities for many years at the Tribe and in
2008-09 LaBonte was elected vice chair and
then chair of the nine-member Governor’s
Advisory Committee on Veterans Affairs.
LaBonte was appointed to a four-year term
on the committee in 2008 by then-Gov. Ted
See POWWOW
continued on pages 10-11
Tribal Elder and Navy veteran Gene LaBonte receives a hug during a dance in his honor at the 201
Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow held at Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Saturday, July 12.
Before the dance, he was presented a Pendleton blanket by Tribal Council.
Tribe ready to reap benefi ts
of economic development
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
E
ntering its third full
year of operation, the
Tribe’s Economic
Development Depart-
ment is starting to
see returns on its in-
vestment of time and
Tribal funds.
One Tribal investment
will start returning
a profit on schedule,
said Economic Devel-
opment Director Titu
Asghar, and the Tribe’s
investments are creat-
ing job opportunities for
Tribal members.
“One of our investments
should be returning money
next month and on sched-
ule,” Asghar said recently in
his offi ce on the second fl oor
of the Governance Center.
“If things go according to our
plan, the Tribe should see
a huge pop in three to four
years.”
The Economic Development
Department started in 2011.
One of its fi rst goals was to de-
velop a Tribal Council-approved
investment policy to guide its
activities.
In October 2012, the Tribe
purchased a majority stake in
Shasta Administrative Services
of Redmond, which processes
third-party medical claims. “For
a fraction of its worth,” Asghar
said.
In December 2012, the Tribe pur-
chased 20 percent of SAM Medical
Products of Wilsonville. The com-
pany is known for manufacturing
splints that are used worldwide by
health care providers.
In addition to those
two investments,
Economic Develop-
ment staff worked
with the Health and
Wellness Clinic to
expand its mail-order
pharmacy business,
enrolling several Pa-
cifi c Northwest Tribes.
This contributed to a 12
percent increase in con-
tract pharmacy services
in 2013.
Economic Development
also coordinated the in-
stallation of an electric car
charging station at Grand
Ronde Station at no cost to
the Tribe in collaboration
with the state Department
of Transportation.
“We get 6 percent back
on the charges,” said Eco-
nomic Projects Coordinator
Jilene Mercier, adding that
the charging station provides
cross marketing opportuni-
ties between Spirit Mountain
Casino and Grand Ronde Sta-
tion because owners of elec-
tric cars are probably making
purchases at the convenience
store or walking over to the
casino while they wait for their
vehicles to fully charge.
In 2013, the Tribe invested in
MicroGREEN Polymers of Ar-
See DEVELOPMENT
continued on page 14
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Council
amends
Enrollment
Ordinance
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
ribal Council voted to amend
the Enrollment Ordinance
to give the Enrollment Com-
mittee authority to make fi nal deci-
sions on involuntary loss of Tribal
membership cases and to remove
Tribal Council
from that en-
Tribal
rollment pro-
Council
cess during a
special meeting
amends
held Wednes-
Burial
day, July 2.
Fund
Since the
amendments to
Ordi-
the Enrollment
nance on
Ordinance were
page 5.
adopted on an
emergency ba-
sis, they became
effective immediately. Tribal Coun-
cil will follow regular procedures for
fi nal adoption of the amendments,
including seeking Tribal member
comments.
Those facing involuntary loss
of membership – disenrollment
– retain the ability to appeal the
Enrollment Committee’s fi nal deci-
sion to Tribal Court and the Court
of Appeals under the new rules.
Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack
Giffen Jr., Secretary Toby McClary
See COUNCIL
continued on page 6