Spring break activities — pg. 11
PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
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PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
APRIL 1, 2015
Constitution
unchanged
In search of smelt
Proposed amendments fail
to receive sufficient support
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
wo proposed amendments to
the Tribal Constitution failed
to receive enough support to
pass in the March 14 election.
The first proposed amendment,
which would have removed Secretary
of the Interior oversight and approv-
al of amendments to the Tribe’s Con-
stitution, received 381 votes against
and 230 in support with 28 ballots
not having a vote marked.
The second proposed amendment,
which would have instituted term
limits on Tribal Council service of a
one-year break after three consecu-
tive terms served, was supported by
391 voters to 220 against, but the
64 percent “yes” vote fell short of
the two-thirds approval required to
change the Tribal Constitution. In
addition, 28 ballots were submitted
without a vote marked.
Since this was a federally run
election, Tribal members had to spe-
cially register to vote and 1,091 did
so out of more than 3,900 potential
Tribal voters. With 639 ballots being
returned, there was a 58.6 percent
turnout, which met one of the Trib-
al Constitution’s requirements – a
minimum 30 percent turnout.
In September 2010, the member-
ship was surveyed about instituting
a primary process in Tribal elections
and about term limits for Tribal
Council service, and both ideas were
supported by survey respondents.
However, in June 2012, a primary
election amendment also failed to re-
ceive the required two-thirds approval
to change the Tribal Constitution. Q
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr. dips for smelt in the Sandy River during a Tribal excursion at Lewis and
Clark State Park on Sunday, March 15. More photos on page 9.
Easter egg hunt set for April 4
T
his year’s Easter egg hunt starts at 10:05 a.m. sharp
on Saturday, April 4. Organizer Deborah Kroeker,
Tribal Housing Services coordinator, strongly ad-
vises parents to bring their children to the covered area
in Tribal housing on Raven Loop on time. Or 10 a.m.!
“It will last around two minutes,” Kroeker says. “That’s
why I tell people not to be late.”
Two minutes is about the time it will take for about
100 children to pick up 2,000 eggs.
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the Tribal Housing Department to prepare for the event.
Children will hunt in four adjacent areas, all starting at
the same time. They will be split into age groups that
give all the children an equal shot at the eggs: 1- to
2-year-olds; 3- to 4-year-olds; 5- to 8-year-olds; and
9- to 12-year-olds.
Parents are reminded to bring cameras for action
photos and pictures of their children with the Easter
Bunny, portrayed this year by Tribal Council member
Jon A. George, who will be borrowing the bunny suit
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Big prizes are inside the eggs, chosen again this year
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the smell of candy in the morning, Kroeker said.
Tribal Council again supported the annual hunt with
$500. Q
Feds brief Tribes on marijuana legalization
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
O
regon Tribes are preparing
for murky legal waters that
will begin on July 1 when
Oregon’s Measure 91 goes into
effect, allowing residents 21 and
older to possess up to an ounce of
homegrown marijuana in public,
eight ounces at home and grow up
to four plants out of public view.
While it may become legal in
Oregon, growing, possessing and
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
using marijuana remains against
federal law and Tribal lands are
under federal jurisdiction.
To help Tribes navigate the brave
new and potentially confusing
world, Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Jennifer Martin and Tim Simmons
briefed an Oregon Tribes meeting
held Tuesday, March 17, at Spirit
Mountain Casino.
See LEGALIZATION
continued on page 15
Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr. gives a welcome speech at the start of the
Oregon Tribes meeting held at Spirit Mountain Casino on Tuesday, March 17.