PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
SALEM, OR
PERMIT NO. 178
NOVEMBER 1, 2014
Tribe prepares to
celebrate 31 years
of Restoration
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
he Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde will celebrate its 31st an-
niversary of Restoration, which
occurred on Nov. 22, 1983, with a day’s
worth of events on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The celebration starts at 9 a.m. with
a prayer service for Tribal members
and their families at the Atudship rock
mound, which is designed to be a sacred
memorial for healing. The site, first
used during 2013’s 30th Restoration
celebration, is located on the Lash prop-
erty immediately north of the Tribal
Cemetery off Grand Ronde Road.
The Atudship rock mound is a mon-
ument honoring the plight and Resto-
ration of the more than 27 Tribes and
bands that make up the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde.
“Atudship” is a Tualatin-Kalapuya
term meaning to heap up earth and
rocks, a Native ceremony that is usu-
ally associated with the practice of
obtaining spirit power.
The prayer service is being coordi-
nated by the Tribe’s Land and Culture
Department. People are asked to bring
T
See RESTORATION
continued on page 15
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tresa Mercier, Tribal Health & Wellness Business Offi ce manager, has worked for the Tribe for 30 years. She
is the Tribe’s fi rst 30-year employee.
Mercier recalls last 30 years
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals editor
resa Mercier was hired by the Tribe as an
intern in April 1984, not too long after Res-
toration occurred on Nov. 22, 1983.
That was more than 30 years ago when she
T
Feds fi le notice to take
land into trust for Cowlitz
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
he federal government
fi led a motion on Wednes-
day, Oct. 22, in U.S. Dis-
trict Court for the District of
Columbia stating that the De-
partment of the Interior in-
tends to take land into trust in
southwestern Washington state
for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe as
early as Jan. 21, 2015.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe has
been trying unsuccessfully since
2002 to take approximately 152
acres into trust near La Center
– about 15 miles north of the
Portland/Vancouver metropol-
itan area – so that is can build
a mega-casino complex on the
property.
However, the city of Vancou-
ver, nearby property owners,
Citizens Against Reservation
Shopping and the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde
have fi led lawsuits against the
proposal, stating, among other
things, that the Cowlitz Tribe’s
traditional homelands are about
60 miles farther north in the
Toledo, Wash., area.
“It doesn’t make sense for
the Department of the Interi-
or to take the La Center land
into trust,” said Tribal Council
Chairman Reyn Leno. “That
would allow the Cowlitz Tribe
to move forward with its casino.
Then, if the court says it was il-
legal for the department to take
the land into trust, the Cowlitz
would have to close their casino.
This is truly putting the cart
before the horse.”
Leno added that the Grand
Ronde Tribe is staying on top
of the issue. n
was 19.
Today, at 49, she is the Tribe’s longest-serving
employee ever and the Health and Wellness
See MERCIER
continued on page 12
Tribal Police to start issuing
concealed carry permits
W
By Dean Rhodes
Smokes Signals editor
ith the passage of
a new Tribal Public
Safety Ordinance
that went into effect
on Thursday, Oct. 16, the Grand
Ronde Police Department is prepar-
ing to start issuing concealed carry
permits on Tribal lands.
The revised Public Safety Ordi-
nance, adopted by Tribal Council
on Sept. 24, transfers the authority
to issue concealed carry permits
from Tribal Court to the Police
Department.
“The obligation used to rest with
the Tribal Court, but in anticipation
of the move of the responsibility to
the Police Department, existing
permits were not renewed,” said
Tribal Police Records and Evidence
Technician Mindy Lane.
Lane said the Police Department
has received one application and
there were four other applications
pending.
The biggest caveat in obtaining
a Tribal concealed carry permit
is that applicants must already
possess a valid concealed carry per-
mit or concealed handgun license
issued by an Oregon county.
Lane said that applications will
be taken by appointment only and
the Police Department must take a
photo, obtain a signature and make
copies of identity documents.
“The application process from
start to finish takes about two
weeks, including performing and
reviewing the necessary back-
ground checks,” Lane said.
Tribal concealed carry permits
are valid only on designated Grand
Ronde lands. Permit holders are
not allowed to carry into any Trib-
al building, any location or event
where Tribal business is being
See WEAPONS PERMIT
continued on page 15