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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2017)
S moke S ignals AUGUST 15, 2017 11 Preschool graduation Early Childhood Education’s Preschool Teacher/Education Coordinator Kristina Jaquith gives Alex Butcher a hug as he receives his certificate during the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Preschool Graduation held in the Tribal gym on Thursday, Aug. 10. Kalea Liebelt receives help putting on her graduation gown from Early Childhood Education’s Preschool Teacher/Education Coordinator Kristina Jaquith as she prepares for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Preschool Graduation held in the Tribal gym on Thursday, Aug. 10. Thirty students graduated this year and a dinner followed the graduation ceremony. Graduating students were Abbie Haffner, Alex Butcher, Aiden Campbell, Armando Contreras, Adahy LaBonte, Evelynn Huff, Gabriel Langley, Hanora Diaz, Hemi Haight, Jack Mercier, Jayde Diaz, Kinleigh Bailey, Kalea Liebelt, Kalani Johnson, Liam Batey, Leonidas Pond, Neomyah Guzman, Robert Haller, Taylor Ruggles, Ayden Ruiz, Brett Hembree, Haven Conklin, Kiara Gettle, Isaiah Ibarra, Nolen DeLoe, Desirae Hernandez, Hudson Hubble, Riley Freeman and Eva Juardo. Tribal Chinuk Immersion apprentices Santiago Atanacio, left, and Jade Colton, right, help Armando Contreras put his cedar hat on as they prepare for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Preschool Graduation held in the Tribal gym on Thursday, Aug. 10. Armando is Atanacio’s nephew. Photos by Michelle Alaimo Election is smallest field of candidates since 1993 ELECTION VOTE continued from front page membership to work hard to earn their vote,” George said about how she thinks she became the most re- cent member of the 600-vote club. “I think how hard a candidate works in the campaign is a good indicator of how hard they will work after the campaign. It takes a commitment to getting out there and talking to as many Tribal members as you can, meeting with as many Tribal members as you can. … That’s what I tried to do.” George said she met with Tribal members all spring and summer in 2016, driving all over the state for candidate forums and family reunions in southern Oregon that she was invited to, and she devel- oped a website. She also didn’t just preach to the choir, she said. “I really did prioritize having con- versations with people who I knew didn’t completely hold the same views as me, and that’s important,” George said. “It’s important for peo- ple to know that even if you have disagreements that you sincerely listen to them and you want to understand their point of view be- cause that is critical for our council to do throughout their term.” Blackwell, the first Tribal Council candidate to surpass the 600-vote mark, said she thinks the campaign she ran 13 years ago was the first to create a website and send mailers to Tribal voters. “I was definitely surprised by it, but we did do a lot of things that were different,” Blackwell said. “That was the first year that we started going out to different areas all around the state to visit with Tribal members. We did a lot of mailings. I did a lot of postcards because I wanted to send mailings that people would have to read that they wouldn’t have to open. … At the time, there wasn’t a lot of out- reach happening.” Blackwell said that she also thinks that because she grew up in Grand Ronde and was the Com- munity Fund director, like George, also played a part in catapulting her above 600 votes. “I didn’t expect that at all,” Black- well said. “It was my first time to run so I wasn’t even sure I was going to win. I was surprised to win. I was surprised to get over 600 votes.” The possibility of a 700-vote total this year is attainable considering there are only six candidates run- ning for Tribal Council, the small- est field of candidates since 1993. In addition, Tribal Council Chair- man Reyn Leno is stepping down after 21 years of service. He re- ceived 558 votes in this last run for Tribal Council in 2014. Over the last five Tribal Council elections between 2012 and ’16, an average of 3,422 total votes have been cast. Tribal members are permitted to vote for up to three candidates. For a candidate to reach the 700- vote threshold assuming an aver- age number of total votes cast, he or she would need to capture 20.45 percent of the vote this year. Although that doesn’t sound like much, in past Tribal Council elec- tions only three candidates have ever received more than 20 percent of the total votes cast: Kennedy in 2006 and Mark Mercier and Leon Tom in 1993. However, the 600-vote club may increase this year. Again, assuming an average number of total votes cast, a candidate would only need to capture 17.5 percent of the total votes cast to reach 600 or more votes, a feat that has been accom- plished several times in Tribal Council elections. Of course, much depends on voter turnout as well. Since 2011, a ma- jority of Tribal Council races have seen a turnout of eligible voting members – those 18 or older – in the low 30-percent range. This year, Tribal Council candi- dates are incumbents Tonya Glea- son-Shepek and Chris Mercier and challengers Mark Mercier, Michael Langley, Lisa Leno and David Lew- is. Angela Schlappie withdrew from the race in late July. Tribal Election Day is Saturday, Sept. 9. Ballots were mailed to Trib- al voters on Wednesday, July 26. Candidate statements appeared in the July Tilixam Wawa, which was mailed first class to Tribal members in mid-July. Three advisory votes In addition to voting for three Tribal Council candidates, Tribal voters are being asked to weigh in on three advisory votes with a com- bined seven questions. A “yes” vote means the voter is recommending Tribal Council consider the specific topic or action. The first advisory question, which is yes or no, asks if the Tribe should consider investing in Elder mar- ket-rate units in Tribal housing. The second question asks if the Tribe should consider investing in the cannabis industry and gives vot- ers three options: medical marijuana, recreational marijuana or hemp? The final advisory vote asks if constitutional enrollment require- ments should be amended to do a possible three things: • Remove the requirement that the applicant be born to a parent who was a Tribal member at the time of the applicant’s birth? • Remove the requirement that the applicant be born to a parent who was a Tribal member at the time the application is filed, if still living? • Or replace the requirement that an applicant have 1/16th Grand Ronde blood as defined as all Indian blood derived from an ancestor on the Restoration Roll with the pre-1999 amendment re- quirement that an applicant have 1/16th Indian blood and descend from a member of the Tribe?
