2
S moke S ignals
JULY 15, 2015
NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE
TIME
Wednesday, July 15.............................................................................5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 29.............................................................................5 p.m.
Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed.
Letters
Dear Tribal members:
Earlier this month I sat through the July 1 Tribal Council meeting.
Naturally, the question of enrollment, or disenrollment, was brought up.
I remember when this sad chapter of our Tribal history began. I don’t
think it began with the enrollment audit myself.
It began with how the Tribal Council dealt with the audit. One family
in particular has been persecuted more than others, so much so that one
year ago the Enrollment Ordinance was amended specifically to deal just
with them.
The question asked on July 1 during Other Business naturally was
directed toward them, and asked by someone who has been very public
about their wishes to see this family purged from the rolls. As I recall the
timing of the Enrollment Ordinance amendment last year was strangely
close to the election. What better time to eliminate votes, right?
This brings me to my point. Over the past two years, and in some ways
before that even as enrollment has always been a hot topic, I’ve come to
realize that disenrollment and the council’s authority to keep people in
the Tribe can be manipulated in such a way that it has become a form of
gerrymandering.
For those of you not familiar with gerrymandering, it is a process by
which politicians simply change the boundaries of their voting districts
to assure themselves of re-election. Historically this was often done along
racial lines, e.g. splitting up a heavily African-American or Hispanic dis-
trict, city even, to make it more winnable for candidates who were not in
favor with that particular voting group.
How is this possible within our Tribe? Easy, disenroll people who support
your opponents, and change the enrollment requirements to help expand
your constituency. In our Tribe, this can be done by disenrolling entire
rival families, and helping politically supportive families allow more of
their members in. That, in a nutshell, is Tribal gerrymandering.
People may think I’m off base for saying this. But as I’ve watched our
leaders put forth another series of amendments to our Enrollment Ordi-
nance, one of which makes it possible to remove names from the Restoration
roll, despite assurances two years ago that council would not make any
changes while following up on the audit, I no longer know what to think.
Or trust for that matter. My gut instinct tells me this is bad news.
Angie Blackwell
Roll #1089
P.S: Please read the proposed amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance.
Ask Tribal Council or somebody in our Legal Department to let you see
them.
General Council meeting
Sunday, Sept. 13 — 11 a.m.
Tribal Community Center
Smoke Signals
PUBLICATIONS OFFICE
9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347
1-800-422-0232, FAX: 503-879-2173
Website: www.grandronde.org/news
E-mail: news@grandronde.org
Twitter: CTGRgov
Facebook: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
CHELSEA CLARK
DEAN RHODES
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/
PUBLICATIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
PUBLICATIONS
COORDINATOR
503-879-1463
dean.rhodes@grandronde.org
MICHELLE ALAIMO
PHOTOJOURNALIST
503-879-1961
michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org
503-879-1418
chelsea.clark@grandronde.org
GEORGE VALDEZ
GRAPHIC DESIGN
SPECIALIST
503-879-1416
JUSTIN PHILLIPS
BRENT MERRILL
503-879-2190
503-879-4663
PAGE DESIGNER
STAFF WRITER
justin.phillips@grandronde.org
brent.merrill@grandronde.org
george.valdez@grandronde.org
SCARLETT HOLTZ
VALERIE COX
503-879-1447
503-879-1446
CENTRAL PHONES
CENTRAL PHONES
scarlett.holtz@grandronde.org
valerie.cox@grandronde.org
DEADLINE DATE
ISSUE DATE
Monday, July 20........................... Aug. 1
Wednesday, Aug. 5..................... Aug. 15
Friday, Aug. 21............................ Sept. 1
Editorial Policy
SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com-
munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted
without permission.
Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers
about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be
signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address
must be included for verification purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not
be published unless requested.
SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined
to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration
or Tribal Council. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the
editor are the opinions and views of the writer. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council.
Members of: Native American Journalists Association
Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
2015 Tribal Council
1-800-422-0232 — tribalcouncil@grandronde.org
Reyn Leno
Tribal Chairman
— ext. 2399
reyn.leno@grandronde.org
Jack Giffen Jr.
Tribal Vice Chair
— ext. 2300
jack.giffen@grandronde.org
Toby McClary
Tribal Secretary
— ext. 4555
Denise Harvey
— ext. 2353
denise.harvey@grandronde.org
Chris Mercier
— ext. 1444
chris.mercier@grandronde.org
Cheryle A. Kennedy
— ext. 2352
cheryle.kennedy@grandronde.org
Tonya Gleason-Shepek
— ext. 1777
toby.mcclary@grandronde.org
tonya.gleason-shepek@grandronde.org
Ed Pearsall
— ext. 2305
Jon A. George
— ext. 2355
ed.pearsall@grandronde.org
jon.george@grandronde.org