14
S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 1, 2015
Letters
Dear Tribal members:
I am writing in response to Angie Blackwell's letter in the Sept. 15, 2015,
issue of Smoke Signals.
Angie Blackwell is correct that I do not live in the Grand Ronde, Ore., area.
However, Angie is not correct in thinking that I do not have a way of knowing
what Tribal issues the Tribal members in Grand Ronde are talking about.
There are various means of communication that are available if a person
wants to utilize them and that is what I have done over the years to try and
stay in touch with what is going on in the Tribe.
Angie Blackwell is correct that enrollment is one of the Tribal issues that I
have strong feelings about. I have stated on various occasions that I believe
if a person is found not to meet the constitutional membership requirements
at the time they were enrolled they should be disenrolled as is set forth in the
Tribe's Constitution. I would think most Tribal members feel the same way.
I am a LaChance descendant and therefore probably related to over half of
our Tribal membership. There is also a strong possibility that I am a descen-
dant of Frank Norwest, who I think is one of Angie Blackwell's ancestors. If
that is the case, I would be related by blood to Angie Blackwell and even more
of our Tribal membership. Regardless of all of that, I consider my family to
be my late mother, my three sisters and their children and my four children.
All the members of my family have been enrolled for many years.
For those who do not know, a few years ago the Tribal Council approved a
change to the Enrollment Ordinance that will allow a person to be added to
the Restoration Roll based on certain criteria. Something like that could help
quite a few Tribal members who do not have an ancestor on the Restoration
Roll. A person would have to contact the Member Services Department to find
out more about that.
In regards to what was revealed at the July 29, 2015, Tribal Council meeting,
two days after that meeting I requested and received a copy of the handouts
that were given out at the beginning of the meeting. In the handouts was a
copy of an authorization to proceed that was signed by six members of the
Tribal Council who were Jack Giffen Jr., Toby McClary, Jon A. George, To-
nya Gleason, Cheryle A. Kennedy and Ed Pearsall. In looking at the ATP,
I do not see where “several items are bundled together” as Angie Blackwell
wrote. Instead I see the words, “Remove the requirement that an applicant for
membership have a parent who is or was a member of the Tribe at the time of
the applicant's birth and, if living, at the time of application.” I don't see how
that wording could be considered to be any kind of a bundle.
In closing, I want to say that I stand by my statement in the Aug. 15, 2015,
issue of Smoke Signals that there wasn’t any talk of “gerrymandering” after
the disenrollment of 34 children and adults on Dec. 3, 2008. I will also add
there wasn't any talk of “gerrymandering” after the disenrollment of various
Tribal members during the Tribal Council meeting in August 2013 that lasted
for about two days. It is only recently that Angie Blackwell and some others
have come up with the term “gerrymandering” for their own political reasons.
Leroy Good
Roll #892
Zoe Morriss Alvarez
born Sept. 1, 2015
7lbs 1oz, 19 & 1/2 inches,
is lovingly welcomed by proud
parents Daniel & Elizabeth (4282)
Alvarez along with excited
big siblings Seven,
Justice, Carsten & Mercedes.
ELDERS’ RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY
INCOME PROGRAM ORDINANCE
OPEN FOR COMMENT
The Tribal Council is considering adopting amendments to the Elders’
Retirement Program and Supplemental Security Income Program Or-
dinance. The proposed amendments were given a First Reading at the
August 26, 2015, Tribal Council meeting.
The proposed amendments include:
1. Providing three months of benefits to surviving spouses of Tribal Elders;
2. Replacing outdated payment amount of $100 with “monthly amount
established by Tribal Council;”
3. Adding definitions of “Spouse” and “Executive”; and
4. Replacing all references to “Executive Officer” with “Executive.”
The Tribal Council invites comment on the proposed amendments.
For a copy of the proposed amendments please contact the Tribal Attor-
ney’s Office at 503-879-4664. Please send your comments to the Tribal
Attorney’s Office, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347
or by e-mail to legal@grandronde.org.
Comments must be received by Oct. 15, 2015.
Notice of planned ICDBG application
& Community Development Statement
Early Childhood Education Center
Preschool Addition Project
The Grand Ronde Tribal Council collected comments and suggestions
from the Tribal community and selected building a Preschool Addition
to the Early Childhood Education Center in Grand Ronde for the Tribe’s
2015 Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) application
to HUD. A 1,800-square-foot project addition is planned for the south
side of the center.
It would add two classrooms to serve twenty additional 3 to 5 year old
children and eight additional 2 year old children. Also 200 square feet
of existing space would be renovated to expand the kitchen.
The estimated development cost is $667,000 and would be covered
by $500,000 from this ICDBG application and $167,000 in match from
Tribal funds or from the Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Department’s
Indian Housing Block Grant funding.
There would be an estimated $10,000 in startup costs including
furnishings, increased annual program operating costs estimated at
$253,363, and $18,073 in added annual facility operating costs.
These costs would be provided by the Tribe less any portion provided
by grant funding such as the Administration for Children and Families.
To comment on the proposed application please contact Kim Rogers,
Planning & Grants Development Manager, at 503-879-2250 or send your
comments to him at 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347.
Written comments should be provided by 8:30 a.m. Oct. 13, 2015.
Tribal Council will also collect comments at their Oct. 14, 2015, Tribal
Council meeting at which council will consider formally authorizing
this application.
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