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STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
Canoe Journey returns — pg. 11
JULY 15, 2016
Constitutional
amendments
rejected
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
ribal voters overwhelm-
ingly rejected two proposed
amendments to the Tribal
Constitution during a Bureau of
Indian Affairs-conducted election
that concluded on Friday, July 8.
The first proposed amendment,
which would have changed enroll-
ment requirements and expanded
the definition of Grand Ronde
blood, was rebuffed 639 to 412, or
60.8 percent of voters opposing the
idea.
The second proposed amend-
ment, which would have altered
the requirements for initiating a
referendum or initiative and the
calling of a special General Council
meeting, fared even worse, with 670
Tribal members voting “no” and 382
in favor for a 63.7 percent to 36.3
percent split.
Of the 1,546 Tribal members who
registered to vote with the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, 68 percent partic-
ipated by casting ballots.
To change the Tribal Constitu-
tion, 30 percent of those who reg-
istered to vote have to cast a ballot
and two-thirds of those voting
must approve of the proposal for
an amendment to be incorporated.
The two proposed amendments to
the Tribal Constitution were sent
to voters in identical 5-2 Tribal
Council votes on April 6.
The first constitutional amend-
ment proposed to changed Tribal
enrollment requirements.
Currently, Tribal membership
requirements for new applications
include, among other things, that
applicants have at least 1/16th
Grand Ronde blood quantum, were
born to a parent who was a mem-
ber of the Tribe at the time of the
applicant’s birth and at the time
of application, unless the parent is
deceased.
Grand Ronde blood is currently
defined as “all Indian blood derived
from a direct ancestor whose name
validly appears on the official Trib-
al membership roll prepared under
the Restoration Act, which may be
corrected by Tribal Council with
approval from the Secretary of the
Interior.”
See ELECTION
continued on page 10
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder and U.S. Navy veteran Herman Hudson Jr., in striped shirt, and other veterans participate in the 1
p.m. Grand Entry on Saturday, July 9, of the 2016 Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow held at Uyxat
Powwow Grounds.
Veterans Weekend
Powwow honors warriors from Vietnam era
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
E
ven rainy weather in July
couldn’t keep veterans
from turning out in large
numbers for the annual Mar-
cellus Norwest Memorial Vet-
erans Powwow held in Grand
Ronde at the Tribe’s Uyxat Pow-
wow Grounds on Friday, July 8,
through Sunday, July 10.
Friday night’s opening grand en-
try featured Grand Ronde Tribal
Elder and Marine Corps veteran
Alton Butler and Tlingit/Haida
Tribal member and Army vet-
eran Wayne Chulik carrying in
the eagle staffs to the sound of
host drum Bad Soul.
Tribal Elder and Marine
Corps veteran Steve Bobb Sr.
See POWWOW
continued on pages 14-15
Tribe hosts fourth Veterans Summit
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
he day before the Grand
Ronde Tribe hosted the
fourth annual Veterans
Summit: Gathering of Warriors
at Uyxat Powwow Grounds, the
Department of Veterans Affairs
released sobering statistics re-
garding suicides among the
country’s men and women who
have served in the military.
The first actual count found
that 7,403 veterans killed them-
selves in 2014. That’s 20 veter-
ans a day.
The issue was discussed sever-
See SUMMIT
continued on page 16
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Joe Bertagnolli, left, Suicide Prevention coordinator at the Portland
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, leads a suicide prevention workshop
during the fourth annual Veterans Summit: Gathering of Warriors held at
Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Friday, July 8.