S MOKE S IGNALS
JUNE 1, 2015
21
Tribe helps celebrate ‘model’ for states
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
SALEM – Gov. Kate Brown called
the Oregon Legislative Commission
on Indian Services a “national
model” for state government in-
teractions with Tribal sovereign
nations during the commission’s
40th anniversary celebration held
Thursday, May 14, in the State
Capitol rotunda.
Brown was the final speaker
during an 80-minute ceremony
that honored Oregon’s trailblazing
method of including the nine fed-
erally recognized Tribes within its
boundaries in state government.
The Legislative Commission on
Indian Services was created by
statute in 1975 to improve services
to Native Americans in Oregon.
Its 13 members – nine Tribal and
two each from the Oregon House
and Senate – are appointed joint-
ly by the president
of the Oregon Sen-
ate and speaker of
the Oregon House
to two-year terms.
Commission mem-
bers select their
RZQRIÀFHUVWRVHUYH
one-year terms.
Grand Ronde
Tribal Council
member Cheryle A.
Kennedy has been
the Tribe’s longtime
representative on
the commission,
serving 12 years.
She is currently the
commission’s lon-
gest serving mem-
ber.
All proposed state
OHJLVODWLRQLVÀOWHUHGWKURXJKWKH
commission so that Tribes can pro-
vide input when necessary.
Grand Ronde participation in the
40th anniversary celebration was
large and quite visible.
Grand Ronde drummers – Jordan
and Bobby Mercier, Travis Stewart,
Brian Krehbiel, David Harrelson
and Santiago Atanacio – opened the
event as the Honor Guard brought
in the U.S., Oregon and nine Tribal
ÁDJV,QWKHÁDJSURFHVVLRQZHUH
Grand Ronde Tribal Elders Steve
Bobb Sr. (U.S. flag), Raymond
3HWLWH*UDQG5RQGH7ULEDOÁDJ
$OWRQ%XWOHU32:0,$ÁDJDQG
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
Leno, also carrying a Grand Ronde
7ULEDOÁDJ
Tribal Elder Jolanda Catabay
sang the national anthem as Tribal
Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr.,
Secretary Toby McClary and Tribal
Council members Denise Harvey
and Kennedy looked on. Warm
Springs Chief Delvis Heath gave
the invocation.
Siletz Tribal Chairwoman Dee
Pigsley acted as the master of
ceremonies and the event featured
speeches from Secretary of State
Jeanne Atkins, Oregon Senate
President Peter Courtney, Speak-
er of the House Tina Kotek and
Brown, who signed two proclama-
tions.
7KHÀUVWSURFODPDWLRQKRQRUHG
the 40th anniversary of the Legisla-
tive Commission on Indian Services
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Grand Ronde drummers and singers from left, David
Harrelson, Travis Stewart, Bobby Mercier, Jordan Mercier,
Santiago Atanacio and Brian Krehbiel perform during the
Legislative Commission on Indian Services’ 40th anniversary
celebration held in the State Capitol rotunda in Salem on
Thursday, May 14.
At left, Tribal Chairman Reyn Leno carries the Tribal flag out at
the end of the Legislative Commission on Indian Services’ 40th
anniversary celebration held in the State Capitol rotunda in
Salem on Thursday, May 14.
and the second proclaimed May
16-23 as American Indian Week in
the state.
“Thoughtful state and Tribal
leaders like then Senator Vic Ati-
yeh and Warm Springs member
and first chair of the commis-
sion, Rudy Clements, 40 years
ago designed a permanent forum
for state-Tribal discussion in the
legislative branch,” Brown said.
“Today, we celebrate 40 years of
this national model of govern-
ment-to-government; a model that
strives to make this place we call
Oregon a better place for the next
seven generations.”
“Oregon is one of the few states
that recognizes Tribal sovereign-
ty,” Pigsley said. “The commission
is the guardian of that govern-
ment-to-government process.”
3LJVOH\SUHVHQWHGFHUWLÀFDWHVRI
appreciation to the state legisla-
tors who serve on the commission
– Sens. Ted Ferrioli and Arnie
Roblan and Reps. Caddy McKeown
and Greg Smith.
Atkins called the relationship
between the state and its Tribes
“precious” and Courtney said that
demand among legislators to serve
on the commission prompted the
Legislature to increase participa-
tion from two to four members in
2013.
“The relationship with the Tribes
is not partisan,” Courtney said.
“The Legislature has a special
relationship with Native Ameri-
can Tribes in Oregon;
we work together as
partners.”
Courtney also noted that the nine
7ULEDOÁDJVDUHPRXQWHGÀUVWDWWKH
&DSLWRO·V:DONRI)ODJVZKLFKÁLHV
DOOVWDWHÁDJV
“We celebrate an auspicious
occasion,” Kotek said. “Today, my-
self and the other members of the
Legislature continue to respect the
sovereignty of our Tribal nations
here in Oregon. We are committed
to working with the Tribal govern-
ments.
“It is extremely important to have
a relationship of respect and inter-
governmental communication be-
tween Tribal governments and the
Oregon Legislature. We have been
a leader for 40 years in showing
how we can work together on many
issues in making sure that Oregon
is a state where every person can
thrive and succeed. The Legislative
Commission on Indian Services has
played a pivotal role in that commu-
nication and partnership … I hope
for 40 more years of collaboration
and friendship.”
Following the formal ceremony,
which was closed by the Grand
Ronde drum group, Tribal repre-
sentatives sat on two panels for
presentations entitled “What, How
and Why My Tribe Celebrates.”
Kennedy joined representatives
from the Klamath, Coquille and
Umatilla Tribes to discuss Grand
Ronde Tribal practices.
She gave a brief history of Termi-
nation and Restoration, and said
that the Grand Ronde Tribe cele-
brates its ancestors, Elders
and children.
“When I talk about our
people, I am talking about
a people who are tenacious,
about a people who are strong
and about a people who are family
values-centered,” Kennedy said.
“Elders have a very sacred place in
our Tribe. … When I think holisti-
cally about our Tribe, I know that
we are working hard on building on
our culture, and that really builds
on our families.”
Following the panel discussions,
Spirit Mountain Casino Head Chef
Richard Burr and his staff served
a lunch buffet for Capitol employ-
ees and ceremony attendees. The
meal included cedar plank salmon,
meatballs with watermelon and
barbecue sauce, pina colada salad,
Greek pasta salad, rolls, butter,
desserts and bottled water courtesy
of the Grand Ronde Tribe.
Following the meal, celebration
cupcakes were served.
In the afternoon, Oregon Rep.
Brian Clem invited Tribal leaders
WRDQLQIRUPDWLRQDOEULHÀQJDERXW
their concerns before the House
Committee on Rural Communities,
Land Use and Water.
Leno invited Clem and committee
members to visit the Grand Ronde
Tribe and also discussed public
safety issues and the creation of the
Tribal Police Department, the Trib-
DO(PSOR\PHQW5LJKWV2IÀFHPHP-
orandum of understanding with the
state Department of Transporta-
tion and the Tribal history curric-
ulum being used in several school
districts at the fourth-grade level.
Helping to ensure the event
went off successfully were Public
See LCIS
continued on page 23