PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
Eye safety important
during total solar eclipse
— pg. 23
AUGUST 15, 2017
Effect of Cowlitz
casino not as dire
as predicted on Tribe
By Dean Rhodes
Journey jaunt
Smoke Signals editor
W
hen the Cowlitz Tribe
opened its new casino,
Ilani, in late April, Grand
Ronde Tribal representatives and
Spirit Mountain Casino executives
braced for a possible catastrophic
downturn in casino business and
revenue.
Ilani, if nothing else, has location,
location, location, being only 15
miles north of the Vancouver-Port-
land metropolitan area off heavily
traveled Interstate 5.
See CASINO EFFECT
continued on page 4
Tribe Council
starts LISTSERV
e-mail service
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
I
n an effort to continue improv-
ing communication with Tribal
members, the Tribe is starting
a LISTSERV service that will allow
for multiple e-mail distribution
groups to be established for differ-
ent types of information.
The first distribution group will
be for Tribal Council News, which
will include agendas for meetings
as well as other general Tribal
news.
Tribal Council Chief of Staff Sta-
See E-MAIL SERVICE
continued on page 6
Photo courtesy of Lisa Archuleta
The Grand Ronde Canoe Family arrives in Stankiya to Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada, on Saturday,
Aug. 5, for Landing Day of the 2017 Canoe Journey. This year’s journey was hosted by We Wai Kai and Wei Wai
Kum First Nations and had the theme of “Standing Together.” The Canoe Family left Grand Ronde on Saturday,
July 29, to start the journey. See more photos on page 9.
Will 700-vote total be surpassed in 2017 election?
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
I
Graphic created by George Valdez
n the history of Grand Ronde Tribal
Council elections since Restoration
in 1983, only six candidates have
ever garnered 600 or more votes and no
candidate has ever received 700 votes.
Current Tribal Council Vice Chair
Cheryle A. Kennedy holds the record for
most votes received, capturing 690 votes
in 2006 with a field of nine candidates
running for office.
Also in 2006, current Tribal Council
member Jack Giffen Jr. and former
Tribal Council member Valorie Sheker
also topped the 600-vote threshold, gar-
nering 633 and 608 votes, respectively.
The fourth-place finisher in 2006 was a
distant 242 votes behind Sheker.
Other candidates who have received
600 or more votes are current Tribal
Council members Kathleen George in
2016 with 624 votes and Chris Mercier
in 2007 with 607 votes. Former Tribal
Council member Angie Blackwell re-
ceived 604 votes in 2004.
Blackwell ran in a field of 13 can-
didates while Mercier ran against
nine other candidates and George ran
against eight other candidates.
“I think the candidates owe it to the
See ELECTION VOTE
continued on page 11