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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2015)
8 S MOKE S IGNALS JANUARY 15, 2015 Education briefs General Council Tribe off ers a lifetime of opportunities to learn By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The Tribe’s Education Depart- ment offers educational oppor- tunities to Tribal members from preschool through graduate school, interim Education Department Manager John Harp said during a briefi ng of the membership at the Sunday, Jan. 4, General Council meeting held in the Community Center. Harp said current Tribal students range from children attending preschool to a 72-year-old Elder pursuing a college degree. The Tribe’s Education Depart- ment is made up of several divi- sions – Early Childhood Education, Youth Education and Post-Second- ary/Higher Education. Harp said about 40 children are currently enrolled in Head Start and 23 are in the K-5 Chinuk Wawa Immersion Program. About 15 to 25 Tribal youth in sixth through 12th grades take advantage of Youth Ed- ucation’s afterschool offerings and about 80 students receive tutoring assistance. Harp said more than 600 Tribal members annually are enrolled in Higher Education, seeking some sort of post-secondary degree or certifi cate. Harp said the Education Depart- ment added a new position in 2015, a Family Services coordinator, whose goal will be to help connect Tribal families with area schools to help improve attendance by and teaching of Tribal students. Harp said the Tribal Library is- sued 105 new library cards in 2014 Photo by Michelle Alaimo John Harp, the Tribe’s interim Education Department manager, gives an overview of educational opportunities available to Tribal members during the General Council meeting held in the Tribal Community Center on Sunday, Jan. 4. and had 6,745 patron visits. For 2015, Harp said the Edu- cation Department seeks to hire a new department manager, ex- pand its recreation and fi tness pro- gram and expand its kindergarten through fi fth-grade program. “And I hope to get my old job back,” Harp said about fi lling in as department manager and returning to being the Continuing Education coordinator. After Harp’s presentation, Health & Wellness Business Offi ce Manag- er Tresa Mercier and Certifi ed Ap- plication Assister Loretta Meneley briefed the general membership on the Affordable Care Act and how it affects Tribal members. By applying for alternative health insurance through the act, which is popularly known as Obamacare, Tribal members are helping to save Tribal dollars since the Skookum Health Assistance Program is not insurance. By having another fi rst payer for medical expenses, the Tribe can make its Contract Health Services and Skookum funding go further. By applying, Meneley said, Trib- al members in Oregon can either qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or obtain health insurance on the marketplace. With a possible tax credit depending on income, health insurance could cost Tribal mem- bers little or nothing. “By enrolling in Medicaid, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Pro- gram) or a QHP (qualifi ed health plan), we are helping the IHS (Indian Health Service) and Tribal providers by bringing precious re- sources that can be used to care for others in the Tribe,” Meneley said. For more information about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects your situation, contact Me- neley at 503-879-1359. In other action, Eric Bernando, Sean Gerbrandt and Elder Gladys Hobbs won the $50 door prizes and Lise Alexander won the $100 door prize. Necklaces created by Tribal Council member Jon A. George and crocheted items donated by Veroni- ca Gaston also were raffl ed off. Duane Wheeler, Jenny Van Atta and Julie Duncan were elected to the Elders Committee. Voting closed at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Grand Ronde Food Bank Coordi- nator Francene Ambrose reported that the new food bank at 9675 Grand Ronde Road received 514 pounds of donations during the recent food drive, including 164 pounds of protein. She encouraged any interested Tribal members to volunteer to work at the food bank. Ambrose can be contacted at 503- 879-3663 or fambrose@marionpolk- foodshare.org. Land and Culture Department employees Jan Looking Wolf Rei- bach and Brian Krehbiel opened the meeting with cultural drum- ming and singing to honor Tribal veterans, and they were joined by Jade Unger to sing a blessing song for the Tribe’s ceremonial hunters. Ceremonial Hunting Board Chairwoman Marline Groshong said about 30 Tribal members perform the ceremonial hunts that provide traditional game for meals. In 2014, the hunters harvested four deer and three elk, she said. Hunts occur between January and August, she added. Groshong said the animal hides are kept and made available to Tribal members who want to use them to make regalia. The next General Council meet- ing will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, in the Community Center. The meeting, in its entirety, can be viewed on the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, under the Video shortcut. n SIXTEENTH ANNUAL TRADITIONAL WINTER POW-WOW HONORING NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH AND STUDENT SUCCESS A PROGRAM OF THE PCC SYLVANIA MULTICULTURAL CENTER SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2015 Sylvania Campus Health Technology Building 12000 SW 49th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97219 971-722-4116 • General Public is Welcome • Free Admission and Parking • Raffle Prizes • American Sign Language Available • Native American Crafts and Food Vendors pcc.edu/powwow Doors Open at Noon Children’s Activities: Noon–9 p.m. College Fair: Noon–4 p.m. Grand Entries: 1 and 7 p.m. Community Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Master of Ceremonies: Bob Tom (Confederated Tribes of Siletz & Grand Ronde) Whip Man: Ed Goodell ( Confederated Tribes of Siletz) Co-Host Drums: Bulls and Bears & Northern Blackhorse Head Dancers: Harmony Paul & Victor Wilson Color Guard: Northwest Indian Veterans Association PCC Sylvania is a non-smoking campus. Portland Community College is an Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. If you have a disability that requires academic adjustments and services, please contact Disability Services as soon as possible for information regarding eligibility and deadlines to receive services. Some accommodations require several weeks to put into place. Call 971-722-4341 or by Video Phone at 503-928-5875. Ad created by George Valdez
