2
S MOKE S IGNALS
JANUARY 15, 2016
NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE
TIME
Wednesday, Jan 20..............................................................................4 p.m.
General Council meeting
Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed.
11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 7
Letters
Dear Tribal members:
I take the letters I submit to Smoke Signals quite seriously, especially
when it comes to discussing our Tribe’s membership requirements. There-
fore, I found some of the statements made in Tracie Meyer’s Jan. 1, 2016,
letter to be very disrespectful and offensive. We have been discussing our
Tribe’s enrollment requirements and not some boxing match.
Meyer failed to get very far on her “truth-seeking journey.” The fi rst
statement on her “journey” is totally inaccurate. In my letter in the Dec.
15, 2015, issue of Smoke Signals, I did not write the words “Sample Bal-
lot Explanation” anywhere, nor did I give reference to it. Based on what
Meyer wrote, I assume she somehow obtained a copy of the “Sample Ballot
Explanation” which, to my knowledge, has not been released to the general
membership.
Meyer quoted from what she says Chris Mercier calls “the enrollment
application checklist.” As far as I know “the enrollment application check-
list” is for staff use and has not been released to the membership as a
public document.
In my opinion, it is not possible for Tribal Council to make just one
all-encompassing amendment that will resolve every enrollment issue
created by some of the wording of the 1999 amendment. I believe that each
of these issues needs to be addressed separately in order to avoid creating
additional problems with our enrollment requirements.
Some members of Tribal Council have made efforts to resolve some of
the enrollment issues one step at a time, such as an ancestor on the Res-
toration Roll. The Restoration Roll correction process had a fi nal approval
at the Dec. 23, 2015, Tribal Council meeting. This process is for those who
do not have an ancestor on the Restoration Roll. I encourage enrolled
Tribal members to complete a Restoration Roll Correction Application for
themselves or their lineal ancestors or their lineal descendants.
The next step toward resolving enrollment issues was the proposed
constitutional amendment regarding the removal of the parent on the
roll requirement. This would have resolved the issue for many of those
who have ancestors on the Restoration Roll, but who do not have a parent
who was a member of the Tribe at the time of the applicant’s birth and
who, unless deceased, is a member of the Grand Ronde Tribe at the time
the applicant fi les an application for enrollment. This step was, however,
voted down by Cheryle A. Kennedy, Denise Harvey, Jon A. George, Brenda
Tuomi and Chris Mercier.
It is my fi rm belief that the parent on the roll requirement needs to be
readdressed as the next step before any other because most of those who
are affected were born during the Termination years. According to infor-
mation provided by the Enrollment Offi ce during Tribal Council meetings,
more individuals were affected by the parent on the roll requirement than
any others that were created by the 1999 amendment.
Leroy Good
Roll #892
See page 14 for more letters.
Monarch Hotel in the Pacifi c Ballroom, 12566 S.E. 93rd
Ave, off Interstate 205 near Clackamas Town 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
DEAN RHODES
CHELSEA CLARK
MICHELLE ALAIMO
PUBLICATIONS
COORDINATOR
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/
PUBLICATIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
PHOTOJOURNALIST
503-879-1463
dean.rhodes@grandronde.org
Need something notarized?
Tribal Court staff is available at no charge for notaries 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday though Friday with the exception of noon to 1 p.m.
Please be sure to bring a photo ID with you.
If you have any questions, contact the court at 503-879-2303. n
503-879-1418
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
Tribal offi ces will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18, in observance of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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
Wednesday, Jan. 20 ....................... Feb. 1
Friday, Feb. 5 ............................. Feb. 15
Friday, Feb. 19 .......................... March 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 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
Tribal Offi ce Closures
michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org
chelsea.clark@grandronde.org
Elders Committee
election set for Jan. 27
Due to the Jan. 3 General Council meeting being canceled due
to inclement weather and a lack of quorum, the Elders Committee
election will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27,
at the Elders Activity Center, 48940 Blacktail Drive.
Ann Lewis, Leonette Galligher, Louise Colson, Cherie Butler,
Linda Brandon and Richard Ray are vying for four open positions
on the committee.
For more information, contact Elders Committee Chair Julie
Duncan at 503-879-2233. n
503-879-1961
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