S moke S ignals
SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
7
Resurrected Marriage Ordinance sparks discussion
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
A routine first reading of the re-
vised Tribal Marriage Ordinance
sparked discussion about same-
sex unions and an unsuccessful
attempt to table the ordinance at
the Wednesday, Aug. 12, Tribal
Council meeting.
The Marriage Ordinance, which
was repealed more than a decade
ago, has been updated and would
allow couples to marry in Tribal
Court. It appeared before Tribal
Council for a first reading, a process
that then solicits input from the
membership before coming back to
council for consideration.
However, a non-discrimination
clause in the revised ordinance,
which states that a Tribal mar-
riage license cannot be denied on
the basis of race, religion, sexual
orientation, color, gender, gender
expression, national origin, disabil-
ity and military status, would allow
same-sex couples to marry in Tribal
Court and turned a usually routine
matter into a lengthy discussion.
Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr. moved
to table the first reading, saying he
favored an advisory vote from the
membership before Tribal Coun-
cil decides on such an important
social issue.
“This impacts many generations,”
Giffen said. “We all were raised
differently and I think an advisory
vote by the membership would be,
in my eyes, the best way to go with
this because each generation has
their own opinion of this law. For
nine people to make a decision,
which encompasses so many dif-
ferent generations with so many
different philosophies, isn’t the
correct way to proceed with this.”
Tribal Council member Chris
Mercier said that Tribal Council
rarely, if ever, votes to table a first
reading of an ordinance and that
Tribal members concerned about
the ramifications of the ordinance’s
non-discrimination clause will have
30 days to voice their concerns.
Mercier also pointed to the recent
Supreme Court decision that ruled
the ability to marry is a constitu-
tional right.
“What this is doing is this is pro-
viding a service to our members,”
Mercier said. “You can get married
in our Tribal Court and we’re not
going to discriminate against any-
one who wants to get married in our
Tribal Court.”
Mercier also said that Tribal
Council can proceed with the first
reading of the ordinance and pur-
sue an advisory vote if a majority
so desires.
The non-discrimination clause
also received comments from audi-
ence members who said they favor
not allowing any marriages in Trib-
al Court if the updated ordinance
means allowing possible same-sex
marriages.
Others said they are concerned
that the membership at-large will
not realize the ramifications of the
non-discrimination clause in the
updated ordinance.
Giffen’s motion to table the first
reading failed in a 5-3 vote and the
updated Marriage Ordinance will
be advertised in two Smoke Signals
seeking membership comments
before returning to Tribal Council
for a vote.
Tribal Council Secretary Toby
McClary encouraged Tribal mem-
bers to comment because comments
are seriously considered and do al-
ter proposed changes to ordinances.
Currently, Tribal members can-
not get married in Tribal Court, but
they can divorce if it is uncontested.
In late 2004, proposed amend-
ments to the Marriage Ordinance
revised it to clearly define marriage
as a “consensual union between one
man and one woman.” During the
Feb. 16, 2005, Tribal Council meet-
ing, the ordinance was repealed in
a 5-2 vote, removing Tribal Court’s
ability to perform all marriages.
In other action, Tribal Council:
•Approved resolutions that add
General Manager Dawn Doar as
an authorized signer on Tribal
bank accounts and a line of cred-
it and removed former interim
General Manager Rick George as
a signer for those accounts;
•Declared Sept. 11 as the next per
capita payment date;
•Appointed Molly Leno to the Pow-
wow Special Event Board with a
term ending in March 2017;
•Approved paying $2,662 in mem-
bership fees to the Mid-Willamette
Valley Council of Governments and
its Economic Development District;
•Approved a capital contribu-
tion to Ilihi LLC not to exceed
$430,000 that will be used to
fund costs and expenses related
to the foreclosure and sale of Mi-
croGREEN Polymers’ assets. The
auction of MicroGREEN’s assets
is set for Wednesday, Sept. 30, in
Arlington, Wash.
•Held a first reading on amend-
ments to the Personnel Man-
agement Ordinance that would
modify the Tribe’s random drug
testing process to only require
random drug testing of employees
in safety-sensitive positions;
•Adopted amendments to the En-
rollment Ordinance that, among
other changes, provides proce-
dures for removing names of living
individuals from the Restoration
Roll who did not meet the Grand
Ronde Restoration Act require-
ments and provides procedures
and standards for finding reason-
able doubt of a member’s required
lineage, including a definition of
“reasonable doubt” and a process
for requiring DNA evidence;
•And approved enrollment of one
infant into the Tribe.
Also included in the Aug. 12
Tribal Council packet were authori-
zations to proceed to submit a com-
ment letter on the Astoria Marine
Cleanup Remedial Investigation/
Feasibility Study, to purchase 405
additional school supply gift cards
and to move forward amendments
to the Elders’ Retirement and
Supplemental Income Program
Ordinance for a first reading.
Tribal Council member Jon A.
George joined Land and Culture
employees Jordan Mercier, Bobby
Mercier, Kathy Cole and members
of the Canoe Family in the cultural
singing and drumming to open the
meeting.
In addition, seven M ā ori youth
from New Zealand and Holland who
are visiting the Tribe performed a
traditional dance and then intro-
duced themselves to Tribal Council.
George, accompanied by Tribal
Council Chief of Staff Stacia Martin
and Administrative Assistant Shan-
non Simi, gifted the M ā ori visitors
with necklaces and a gift bag.
The meeting, in its entirety, can
be viewed on the Tribal website,
www.grandronde.org, under the
News tab and then click on the
Video link. n
Wedding first ever held in casino courtyard
WEDDING continued
from front page
ered himself.
Tribal Elder Lew Younger offici-
ated the wedding in front of about
35 family members as Clint and
Olyvia exchanged their vows to the
song “Unchained Melody” played on
a cell phone.
Younger had the couple hold their
right hands throughout the ceremo-
ny. When he pronounced them hus-
band and wife, they shared a kiss
to the applause of those assembled.
According to Younger, Clint and
Olyvia’s wedding was the first ever
held in the casino’s courtyard.
“I’m over the top,” said Clint. “I’m
shocked. I’m absolutely shocked. It
didn’t register until I saw every-
body.”
The bride wore a floor-length
white dress with platform red shoes
and she carried a red bouquet. She
wore a white lace veil.
Olyvia’s sister, Monica, and her
daughter Bailey were maids of
honor and each wore a mid-length
red dress with brown cowboy boots
and white bouquets.
Bailey’s daughter Samora was
the flower girl and wore a full-
length white dress with brown
cowboy boots and
a red sash. Samo-
ra dropped red rose
petals from a basket
she carried.
Brandy, the best
Labrador retriev-
er in the wedding
party, wore a pearl
necklace and a
white ribbon over a
black coat.
Clint’s best man,
Pedro Gonzalez,
wore a gray shirt
with a black tie and
a red rose corsage.
Clint wore his
khaki work shirt
and black Spirit
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Mountain baseball
cap before changing Clint Folden reacts to seeing his family and realizing
into a black dress his finacee Olyvia Perez planned a surprise wedding
shirt and red tie for ceremony at Spirit Mountain Casino on Wednesday,
family photos.
Aug. 19.
The wedding par-
for a long time so my daughter just
ty included Clint’s mother, Tribal
decided to surprise him,” said Ma-
Elder Violet Folden, and Olyvia’s
ria. “I was very happy for her and
parents, Maria and Antonio Perez,
for both of them because I know
who made the trip from California.
they have a lot in common and
“I knew he would take it in
they are going to make a good life.
stride,” Violet said. “She is very
She (Olyvia) is a very good person.
good to him.”
She has been preparing things for
“They were planning to do this
a long time.”
The wedding was originally
scheduled for three days later on
Saturday, Aug. 22, but Olyvia had
other thoughts.
“I’ve been planning this for about
two months now and he had no
clue,” said Olyvia.
“I had no clue,” echoed Clint.
“She was giving me all this stuff to
do. I told Gladdy (Tribal Elder and
Clint’s aunt Gladys Hobbs) ‘That’s
why she was giving me all this
weird stuff to do. She was keeping
me busy.’ ”
“It was hard to keep it a secret,”
said Gonzalez. “He thoroughly en-
joyed it and he is happy. Everybody
that knows Tony knows he is pretty
down to Earth.”
Asked if she had confidence in
him to pull off this type of wedding,
Olyvia said she did.
“As far as he was concerned we
were going to get married on Satur-
day,” said Olyvia. “I would not have
married him if I wasn’t. I love him.
He’s a keeper forever.”
Clint’s new wife then took the
reins quickly.
“He’s going to go back to work
now,” said Olyvia.
Albeit just a little late from his
normal 30-minute lunch break. n