6
S moke S ignals
APRIL 15, 2017
Tribal Council makes numerous appointments
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Thirty Tribal members were
appointed or re-appointed to the
numerous Tribal committees and
special event boards during the
Wednesday, April 5, Tribal Council
meeting.
The most controversial of those
appointments occurred on the Trib-
al Enrollment Board, where three
newcomers were selected to serve
– Ann Lewis, Martina Gilbert and
Debi Anderson.
Anderson was one of the Chief
Tumulth descendants facing disen-
rollment because of an audit and
Lewis was a vocal critic of the
disenrollment process while it was
occurring.
The Tumulth descendants’ en-
rollment was maintained after
the Tribe’s three-member Court
of Appeals ruled in 2016 that the
Tribe waited too long in its attempt
to disenroll them. A majority of the
Enrollment Board then dismissed
its disenrollment decision against
the Tumulth descendants under
protest and published a letter in
Smoke Signals and Tilixam Wawa
explaining its decision with only
board member Margaret Provost
dissenting.
Incumbent Enrollment Board
members Robert Schmid, Laura
Gleason and Sharon Freund were
not re-appointed, but Sharon Han-
son was re-appointed to the board.
Gleason and Freund posted let-
ters on Facebook to complain that
they were not contacted about not
being re-appointed before it became
public at the Tuesday, April 4, Leg-
islative Action Committee hearing.
“I, like Laura, would have liked
an explanation of why and to at
least got a call before it went public
no matter what side of the fence we
are on,” Freund wrote. “We are still
Elders and deserved that much.”
“It was disrespectful and shame-
ful for Tribal Council to publicly
disregard the board’s recommen-
dation to re-appoint me to this po-
sition and to publicly announce the
newly appointed board members
without any discussion or justifi-
cation,” Gleason wrote in a letter
that also was submitted to Smoke
Signals.
Gleason and Freund attended the
Tribal Council meeting.
“What you did today was a slap
in my face,” Gleason said, adding
that she was upset that Tribal
Council did not stand behind the
Enrollment Board during the try-
ing disenrollment process and
subsequent Appeals Court decision.
In July 2014, Tribal Council voted
4-3 to invest the Enrollment Board
with the final say regarding invol-
untary loss of enrollment cases.
The only Tribal Council member
remaining who voted in support of
the Enrollment Ordinance amend-
ment is Jack Giffen Jr.
Leno said at the Legislative
Action Committee meeting that
three of the four Enrollment Board
members recommended for re-ap-
pointment were not picked.
Ten people applied for the four
open positions and nine of them
received at least one vote, Tribal
Council member Chris Mercier
said.
“We’ve got some shake-up in
some of the committees,” Leno
said. “One of the main ones was
the Enrollment Board. I’d like to
acknowledge our Enrollment peo-
ple who didn’t get re-appointed.
They went through a lot during
the whole audit process. They’ve
gone through a lot over the past
few years for their work on enroll-
ment so I just want to take time
to acknowledge them people. This
happens once in a while. New peo-
ple get appointed.”
Tribal Council members Denise
Harvey and Kathleen George said
that many applications to serve
on committees and special event
boards were submitted this year.
“I thought it was encouraging,”
Harvey said.
“We were in a fortunate situa-
tion with so many folks wanting
to serve,” George said, adding that
Tribal members not selected should
continue checking in for potential
vacancies.
During the Tribal Council meet-
ing, Tribal Council member Tonya
Gleason-Shepek, who is Laura Glea-
son’s daughter, said she thought
the notification process could be
improved.
“It could have been done better
and with some respect,” she said.
Giffen voted against the new ap-
pointees to the Enrollment Board,
citing his concern that a high level
of confidentiality is required and
that the new board members lack
historic knowledge of Tribal fam-
ilies.
Two other members of the Chief
Tumulth descendants also received
appointments. Jade Unger was ap-
pointed to the Ceremonial Hunting
Board and Eric Bernando was ap-
pointed to the Culture Committee.
In addition, Tumulth descendant
Russell Wilkinson is chairman of
the Tribal Employment Rights Of-
fice Commission.
Other appointments or re-ap-
pointments included:
• Guy Schultz, Andrew Freeman
and Sharon Wattier were re-ap-
pointed to the Ceremonial Hunt-
ing Board;
• Francene Ambrose was re-ap-
pointed to the Culture Commit-
tee;
• Mychal Cherry, Justine Colton
and David DeHart were re-ap-
pointed to the Education Commit-
tee;
• Victor Cureton and Dan Stroebel
were appointed to the Election
Board and Michael Mercier, Sha-
ron Hanson and Janet Giddings
(alternate) were re-appointed;
• Tyson Mercier was re-appointed
to the Fish & Wildlife Committee;
• Allison Empey was appointed to
the Health Committee and Alan
Ham was re-appointed;
• Misty Carl and Stacey Running-
bird were appointed to the Pow-
wow Special Event Board and
Dana Ainam, Molly Leno and
Kalene Contreras were re-ap-
pointed;
• Jerry George and John Lillard
were re-appointed to the Timber
Committee;
• And Molly Leno was appointed to
the Veterans Special Event Board
while Steve Bobb Sr., Susie Lash
and Alton Butler were re-appoint-
ed.
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Approved a first supplemental
budget for 2017 that will appro-
priate funds to purchase the Row-
ell Creek property. Tribal Council
also approved the purchase and
sale agreement for acquiring the
property;
• Approved the Grand Ronde Po-
lice Department and Gaming
Commission’s agreement with
the Oregon State Police Criminal
Justice Information Services for
access to its law enforcement
database;
• Approved the Tribe’s Health &
Wellness Center contracting to
purchase Plexis software that
is used by many third party
administrators in Oregon and
Washington Tribes to process
claims payments;
• Approved the Natural Resourc-
es Department applying for a
$12,000 grant from the Oregon
Youth Conservation Corps to
fund the summer youth crew. The
Tribe has received the grant for
more than 20 years running;
• Approved a contract with All-
Ways Construction of Hubbard
not to exceed $1.796 million to
finish the Chachalu Phase II
construction project;
• And approved the enrollment of
one minor into the Tribe because
the youth meets the require-
ments outlined in the Enrollment
Ordinance and the Tribal Consti-
tution.
Also included in the April 5 Tribal
Council packet were 11 authori-
zations to proceed. Some of them
included:
• Opening the Portland Area Office
at 4445 S.W. Barbur Blvd. on
Sunday, May 7, to allow Tribal
members to watch the General
Council meeting via the Internet;
• Modifying a Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs grant request to include the
feasibility of expanding Grand
Ronde Station as a small format
grocery store and to review the
potential for other economic de-
velopment on the site;
• Allocating the $25,000 2017
Pepsi Scholarship, with most of
the funds going to the Veterans
Powwow, $10,000, and Contest
Powwow, $13,000;
• Approving the Willamette Falls
Cultural Fishing Mentorship
Program as presented by General
Manager David Fullerton;
• Approving the Unmanned Air-
craft Systems Program and au-
thorizing Fullerton to institute
the policy;
• Approving a temporary license
for Portland General Electric to
use a portion of the former Mult-
nomah Greyhound Park property
in Wood Village;
• Authorizing hiring a geotechni-
cal engineer to analyze the river
bank conditions next to the Trib-
al Cemetery and report on risks
and provide recommendations
regarding those risks;
• And authorizing Finance Officer
Chris Leno and Fullerton to
proceed with researching the es-
tablishment of a Tribal member
listserv.
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George was joined by Unger and
Bernando to open the meeting with
cultural drumming and singing.
The meeting, in its entirety, can
be viewed on the Tribal website,
www.grandronde.org, by clicking
on the News tab and then Video. n