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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2016)
2 S MOKE S IGNALS JANUARY 1, 2016 NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings DATE TIME Wednesday, Jan 6................................................................................4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan 20..............................................................................4 p.m. Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed. General Council meeting 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 Tribal Community Center Letters Dear fellow Tribal members: In general, I live a quiet life, respect others and maintain a sense of humor. I love a good debate, and won’t back away from a fi ght, especially if I see something wrong or unjust. It was disheartening to open up the Dec. 15 Smoke Signals, cute Christmas cover and all, only to see two letters by Leroy Good and Rosemary Jameson. They are brother and sister, a fact omitted by their letters. Here is my take on the dueling letters between the Michigan siblings and Councilman Chris Mercier: Council just delayed a constitutional election on enrollment because most didn’t want to leave some families behind. The Goods wanted the proposal to proceed and hate “bundles.” Mercier says what they want is a bundle: parent on the roll at time of birth and parent on the roll at time of application are different requirements. The Goods say Mercier is not truthful and he is besmirching Rosemary’s reputation by disputing her claims. They urge us to seek the truth. Here I go, on my truth-seeking journey. Please join me: Mr. Good’s letter on Dec. 15 quoted the last paragraph of the “Sample Ballot Explanation” of the derailed proposal that Mercier only referenced in his Dec. 1 letter. What Leroy did not quote is kind of important: “There is a single amendment proposed. The amendment will change the requirements necessary to qualify as a Grand Ronde Tribal member. Currently an applicant for membership must have fully and unconditionally relinquished mem- bership in another Indian Tribe for fi ve full years and must show all of the following: 1/16th or greater Grand Ronde blood, defi ned as all Indian blood derived from a direct ancestor whose name validly appears on the offi cial Tribal membership roll prepared under the Grand Ronde Restoration Act; born to a parent who was a member of the Tribe at the time of the applicant's birth; and born to a parent who, unless deceased, is a member of the Grand Ronde Tribe at the time the applicant fi les an application for enrollment.” I am not an aspiring lawyer like Mr. Mercier, but based on No. 2 and No. 3 above, it would appear he’s correct. They are different requirements, so yes, as a single amendment that qualifi es as a bundle. Round 1 goes to Mercier. Mercier refers to the enrollment application checklist that staff and Tribal Council use. Here is what it says, including the boxes to check, verbatim: “FACTORS: Direct Ancestor on Restoration Roll (Y) (N) At least 1/16th degree Grand Ronde blood? (Y) (N) Parent enrolled at time of birth? (Y) (N) Parent enrolled at time of application, if living? (Y) (N) (N/A) Full/unconditional relinquishment from other Tribe for fi ve full years? (Y) (N) (N/A)” No. 3 and No. 4 on this list appear yet again to be two different require- ments. At least that’s what enrollment staff, Tribal attorneys and Tribal Council think. Weird to have that checklist if they don't. Round 2 goes to Mercier. Mrs. Jameson claims her words from November 2011 were being twisted, alleging to have never said “parent on the roll at time of birth” and “parent on the roll at time of application” are separate requirements. Here’s what she wrote, relevant parts anyway: “Dear Tribal members: When we voted on the 1999 enrollment proposal, many of us did not know what we were voting on. We thought we were stopping Tribal jumpers yet instead we were in a sense voting to keep out our own Grand Ronde people. “Now we are told the enrollment proposal has three or four changes to our enrollment. However, when you look closely at the proposed amendment changes, there are actually at least seven changes in total: … 2. Eliminate requirement the applicant needs a parent on the roll the year of the applicant's birth; 3. Eliminate requirement the applicant needs a parent enrolled, unless deceased, at the time the applicant fi les their application.” In other words, Rosemary did actually say in November 2011 what in her Dec. 15, 2015, letter she claims she didn’t say. Round 3 goes to Mercier. Final score: Mercier 3, Goods 0. “Parent on roll at time of birth’” and “par- ent on roll at time of application” are two different requirements, making the aborted proposal ... a bundle. Humor is how I cope with some of these confl icts. But with constitutional amendments, you don’t get much more serious. That is why if there are going to be more letters, how about debating the issues being voted on and not trying to confuse people? I am hoping someone can tell the membership why they think Tribal Council should not try to help all the families hurt by the 1999 enrollment amendment. Cheryle A. Kennedy, Denise Harvey, Jon A. George, Brenda Tuomi and Chris Mercier are doing the right thing: looking for an equitable solution. For that stance alone they are all rock stars in my book and are responding to what the Tribal membership has asked them to do: be fair and equitable in their decision making. Tracie Meyer Roll #2776 See page 14 for more letters. 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 DEAN RHODES CHELSEA CLARK MICHELLE ALAIMO PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS/ PUBLICATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT PHOTOJOURNALIST 503-879-1463 dean.rhodes@grandronde.org 503-879-1961 michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org 503-879-1418 chelsea.clark@grandronde.org GEORGE VALDEZ JUSTIN PHILLIPS BRENT MERRILL GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST PAGE DESIGNER STAFF WRITER 503-879-2190 503-879-4663 503-879-1416 justin.phillips@grandronde.org brent.merrill@grandronde.org george.valdez@grandronde.org SCARLETT HOLTZ VALERIE COX CENTRAL PHONES CENTRAL PHONES 503-879-1447 503-879-1446 valerie.cox@grandronde.org scarlett.holtz@grandronde.org DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE Tuesday, Jan. 5 ............................Jan. 15 Wednesday, Jan. 20 ....................... Feb. 1 Friday, Feb. 5 ............................. Feb. 15 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 verifi cation 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 refl ect the opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Members of: n Native American Journalists Association n Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association 2016 Tribal Council 1-800-422-0232 — tribalcouncil@grandronde.org n Reyn Leno Tribal Chairman — ext. 2399 n Denise Harvey — ext. 2353 reyn.leno@grandronde.org n Chris Mercier — ext. 1444 n Jack Giffen Jr. Tribal Vice Chair — ext. 2300 jack.giffen@grandronde.org n Cheryle A. Kennedy Tribal Secretary — ext. 2352 cheryle.kennedy@grandronde.org denise.harvey@grandronde.org chris.mercier@grandronde.org n Brenda Tuomi — ext. 4555 brenda.tuomi@grandronde.org n Tonya Gleason-Shepek — ext. 1777 tonya.gleason-shepek@grandronde.org n Ed Pearsall — ext. 2305 n Jon A. George — ext. 2355 ed.pearsall@grandronde.org jon.george@grandronde.org