14
S moke S ignals
JULY 15, 2015
'Negotiating the MOU was real simple'
event, and General Manager Dawn
Doar.
The workshop was followed by a
reception and dinner at the Pow-
wow Grounds and cultural sharing
at achaf-hammi, the Tribal plank-
house.
SUMMIT continued
from front page
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde
held a pre-summit workshop on
Thursday, July 9, in the Tribal
Community Center to brief other
Pacific Northwest Tribes on its
agreement with the U.S. Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs that
allows it to serve Native veterans
through the Tribal health clinic.
Health care for Native veterans
living in rural areas or in areas of
the country without a Veterans Af-
fairs hospital is problematic at best.
Native veterans are three times
more likely to live in highly rural
areas than nonNative veterans,
and aging Native veterans can find
it difficult to travel long distances
to reach a Veterans Affairs health
care facility.
By allowing Tribal clinics to pro-
vide health care to Native veterans,
as well as be reimbursed for that
care through the Department of
Veterans Affairs, Tribes can help
Native veterans living in rural
areas who cannot access or travel
to the Veterans Affairs facilities
in Portland and the Tribes can
save limited Indian Health Service
funding to care for other members.
Mark Johnston, former head of
the Grand Ronde Health & Well-
ness Center and current deputy
executive director of the Coquille
Tribe, returned to discuss veterans’
health care.
“Negotiating the MOU was real
simple,” Johnston told an audience
of about 30 people. “The harder part
is getting Native veterans signed
up with the VA.”
Johnston said the Department of
Veterans Affairs protected sover-
eign immunity in negotiating the
memorandum of understanding
and reimburses Tribes for Native
veterans’ health care at a high rate.
“Native veterans don’t have to
leave the Reservation,” Johnston
said. “They can see the providers
they are used to seeing.”
“The big question,” Johnston said,
“is where do Oregon Tribes go from
here?” He said he would like to see
the process of qualifying Native
veterans for VA-approved health
care streamlined, possibly allowing
Tribes to decide who is eligible for
VA-reimbursable care.
Also, Johnston said Veterans
Affairs needs to help Tribes figure
out how to serve nonNative veter-
ans who live in the community as
either spouses or residents, but also
face the same logistical problems of
accessing health care.
“I think that is one of the next log-
ical steps that will require talking
to legislators,” Johnston said.
In addition, Johnson said Tribes
will need to talk to their federal rep-
resentatives about more funding for
the VA to treat veterans – Native
and nonNative alike.
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
Leno said the idea of the Tribal
health clinic serving Native vet-
erans was inspired by the Grand
Ronde Tribes’ desire to serve its
World War II veterans, who were
unable or unwilling to make the
journey to Portland.
Summit begins
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno gives a welcome at the start of the
Native Veterans Summit at Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Friday, July 10. In the
background is Tribal Council member Tonya Gleason-Shepek, left, and Tribal
Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr.
Leno said the MOU saves the
Tribe Indian Health Service funds,
which are then used to serve the
rest of the membership.
“We are still working on being
able to see any veteran,” Leno said.
Terry Bentley, Western Region
Tribal Government Relations spe-
cialist with the Department of
Veterans Affairs, said the VA
currently has 79 reimbursement
agreements with Tribes nationwide
that reimburse direct care services
for VA enrolled and eligible Native
veterans.
She added that the agreements
have reimbursed more than $22.6
million to Tribes for the care of
more than 5,400 Native veterans.
Bentley distributed a packet to
help any interested Tribe contact
the VA about establishing a mem-
orandum of understanding regard-
ing Native veterans’ health care.
The workshop also was attended
by Social Services Manager David
Fullerton, who moderated the
The official summit kicked off
a little after 9 a.m. Friday at the
Powwow Grounds with the theme
of “Honoring Iraq and Afghanistan
Veterans,” warriors of America’s
two most recent conflicts.
The Grand Ronde Honor Guard
posted the colors and included Trib-
al Elders Alton Butler (eagle staff),
Raymond Petite (Grand Ronde
flag) and Brenda Tuomi (U.S. flag)
as Grand Ronde drummers Bobby
Mercier, Brian Krehbiel and Travis
Stewart sang.
Elder Edmund Bull (Little Pine
First Nation) gave the blessing
and Grand Ronde Tribal Council
member Jon A. George gave the
invocation.
Morning speakers introduced by
master of ceremonies and Navy
veteran Nick Sixkiller included a
welcome from Grand Ronde Tribal
Chairman Reyn Leno, a Marine
Corps veteran of the Vietnam War
era, as well as speeches from Jo-
Anne Krumberger, director of the
U.S. Department of Veterans Af-
fairs Portland Health Care System,
and Terry Bentley (Karuk), Tribal
Government Relations specialist
for the Western Region with the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Leno introduced Tribal Council
members in attendance – George,
Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr., Tonya
Gleason-Shepek and Ed Pearsall.
He then complimented Tribal staff
on the new arbor, which he said
was one of the few things that all
nine members of Tribal Council
agreed on.
“When all nine members of Tribal
Council agree on something, you
might want to take action and
do it,” Leno said. “It’s a beautiful
arbor.”
Leno said the summit and pow-
wow are his favorite events of
the year because they recognize
veterans.
“We wouldn’t get to do things
like this if it wasn’t for our veter-
ans,” Leno said. “I’ve always said
if you can just help one veteran
we’re successful. Numbers never
bothered me. If you can help one
veteran step up, because veterans
are really tough, and go get their
services and benefits.”
Leno also acknowledged his cous-
in, Thomas Elery Leno, who walked
on Dec. 31, 2014, and became a
statistic of Agent Orange. “It’s
important that we get veterans to
use their benefits, get their families
See SUMMIT
continued on page 15
Terry Bentley, Tribal Government
Relations specialist for the
Western Region with the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs,
speaks during the Native Veterans
Summit at Uyxat Powwow
Grounds on Friday, July 10.