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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2016)
18 S moke S ignals MAY 15, 2016 Tribe aids in developing guide for energy development By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor As the United States continues to search for alternative energy sources, which could include wave and wind energy on the West Coast, the possibility of energy develop- ment affecting Tribal cultural and historical resources increases. That is why the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, along with two other Tribal communities, par- ticipated in a four-year process to help the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management create a new guide to help federal agencies and Native American communities identify areas along the West Coast that could be affected by future offshore energy development. The guide was developed collab- oratively by the bureau’s Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Regional Ofice, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Of- ice of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Tribal Historic Preserva- tion ofices of the Makah Tribe in Washington state, the Yurok Tribe in California and the Grand Ronde Tribe in Oregon. “Understanding the types of im- portant archaeological and cultural resources that could be affected is essential to their preservation,” said Joan Barminski, Paciic Re- gional Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. “The approach outlined in this guide recognizes that places and cultural heritage Briece Edwards resources can have different or multiple mean- ings and levels of signiicance based on how people from different cul- tures, times or backgrounds have interacted and continue to engage with the respective landscape.” The bureau says that the potential for important coastal and marine Native American sites being affect- ed will become more likely as in- terest in offshore renewable energy development increases. The effects could include disturbing archaeolog- ical sites and traditional use areas. The new guide uses a cultural landscape approach that inte- grates traditional knowledge with environmental science, historical information and archaeological knowledge in an effort to reduce potential conlicts while illing in critical data gaps in ocean planning and resource management. “The goal is to develop a proactive approach to working with Native American communities to identify areas of Tribal significance that need to be considered in the plan- ning process,” states a bureau lier. “Information from this effort will help facilitate decision-making pro- cesses that take into consideration the importance of these locales, and give Tribal communities a more powerful voice during regional en- ergy planning.” Tribal Senior Archaeologist Briece Edwards said recognition of Tribal voices in the planning process was very important. “This was a big project and prec- edent setting for the type of work that it is,” Edwards said. “The Tribe helped set the stage for this project as part of the consultative process for the cultural resources. Here was an opportunity to look in-depth at the cultural connections to that area, as well as serving as a lead developing the project and meth- odology. It also was an opportunity to redeine how a federal agency heard, recognized and integrated Tribal understanding.” Edwards said the guide is a se- ries of recommendations created by Tribes and handed to a federal agency that empower Tribes and reinforces the message that Tribal knowledge, understanding and perspectives are valid and need to be included in the planning process. “The guide gives standing for the Tribes saying, ‘This is important.’ You need to hear from us that this is important,” Edwards said. “We can now point to this document to demonstrate how Tribal cultural concerns about place it into exist- ing processes. It’s about protecting the Tribe’s cultural resources. This is a way that a federal agency listens to the Tribe’s concerns for those resources.” Online degree programs Turn your college credits or associate degree into a more powerful four-year degree from Portland State University. Undergraduate degrees offered: BA/BS in Social Science, BA/BS in Arts & Letters and BA/BS in Liberal Studies. For more information about online degree programs, contact the PSU Salem Center at 503-315-4281. National Strength with Hometown Service I can help you get qualified for a new home loan! Contact me today to get qualiied for an Indian Home Loan (section 184) or any other mortgage option. Toby McClary Loan Officer NMLS# 1418060 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation 280 Liberty St., SE Suite 206 Salem, Or 97301 Direct: 503-837-8359 Cell: 971-241-7141 www.tobyapproves.com ©2016 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation NMLS ID #2289. 4801 S. Biltmore Lane, Madison, WI 53718. 1-877-699-0353. All rights reserved. Oregon Mortgage Lender License ??? Paid ad
