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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2017)
6 S moke S ignals DECEMBER 15, 2017 General Council briefed on Tribal Lands Department By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor For the first time ever, the Tribe has taken land outside of Yamhill, Polk and Tillamook counties into trust with the 97-acre Rattlesnake Butte property in Lane County re- cently being approved, Tribal Lands Manager Jan Michael Reibach said during a presentation given at the Sunday, Dec. 3, General Council meeting held in the Tribal Commu- nity Center. “It’s historic for the Tribe,” Rei- bach said during his 20-minute presentation. Trust land cannot be sold or trans- ferred to non-Native Americans and can benefit from federal programs for business development, housing, environmental and cultural protec- tion. The General Council meeting started at 10 a.m. to accommodate the Tribal Council Christmas Party, which partially ran simultaneously at the Tribal gym. Reibach started his presentation by outlining the mission of the Trib- al Lands Department, which is to support the Tribe in “exercising its sovereignty by identifying, acquir- ing, protecting, restoring and man- aging Tribal lands and resources throughout the Tribe’s ceded lands and other areas of interest.” The four-person Lands Depart- ment staff has myriad responsibili- ties, Reibach said, from monitoring the Portland Harbor Superfund site cleanup to land acquisition to self-governance to participation in the Northwest Power & Conser- vation Council. The latter entity is charged with implementing the Bonneville Power Administration’s Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program, which provides funds to purchase a minimum of 16,880 acres during a 15-year period through 2025 to mitigate the resource losses caused by the construction, in- undation and operation of federal dams on the Columbia River. The Grand Ronde Tribe has acquired five properties totaling 1,124 acres through the program and works to protect the properties in perpetuity for fish and wildlife conservation. Photo by Michelle Alaimo Reibach said a 97-acre Tribal Lands Department Manager Jan Michael parcel in Yamhill Coun- ty, called K’anawi, has Reibach gives the membership an update on his been approved for Bon- department during the General Council meeting neville Power Admin- held in the Tribal Community Center on Sunday, istration funding and Dec. 3. two other properties are either in due diligence or proposed departmental employees are totally grant funded through the Portland in Linn and Polk counties. A new responsibility for the Harbor Cleanup effort and the Bon- Lands Department, Reibach said, neville Power Administration. Reibach said that he attempted to is self-governance, which allows Tribes to use federal funding to meet keep his presentation brief because local community service needs and he made a presentation in May that Tribally driven priorities. In 2018, outlined the properties the Tribe the Grand Ronde Tribe will receive owns. Tribally owned properties a record $2.778 million in self-gov- reach from the old Multnomah ernance funds from the Department Greyhound Park in Wood Village of the Interior, he said. Other highlights included Rei- bach announcing that the Tribe purchased the 69-acre Rowell Creek timberland property southeast of Spirit Mountain Casino in 2017, as well as the 3.3-acre Johnson allot- ment – Russ Leno’s old house – in Grand Ronde. Reibach said the timber harvest- ing on the Rowell Creek property eventually will pay for its purchase. Reibach added that two of his four to Kilchis Point near Bay City in Tillamook County to Rattlesnake Butte near Junction City. After his presentation, Reibach fielded three questions and com- ments from Tribal members in attendance. In other General Council action, nominations for four open seats on the Elders Committee were accept- ed. Elders Diana George, Louise Coulson, Cherie Butler, Serena Layman and Linda Brandon were nominated. Voting for the Elders Committee will occur at the late December birth- day meeting to be held at the Elders Activity Center and during the next General Council meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 7. Bob Duncan, Veronica Gaston and Alton Butler won the $100 door prizes and Michael Wiggs, Cherie Butler, Sydney Clark, Blair Harvey and Julie Duncan won the $50 door prizes. Arlettia Krehbiel won a do- nated necklace. Reibach and Tribal Council Sec- retary Jon A. George performed the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting. The meeting can be viewed in its entirety by visiting www.gran- dronde.org and clicking on the News tab and then Video. It’s a wrap Photo by Michelle Alaimo Senior Miss Grand Ronde Isabelle Grout, left, and Tiny Tot Jameson Turner wrap a present during Grand Ronde Royalty’s Christmas and Wrapping Party held in the Governance Center on Monday, Dec. 11. The presents are for children who had a tag on the Community Tree of Giving, which helps local families that are in need this holiday season. Royalty Coordinator Chelsea Clark said Royalty members wrapped 23 presents during the party. Sewing class participants wanted The sewing classes that have been held at the Elders Activity Center have been canceled due to lack of participation. Classes could resume if at least six people commit to attending. To commit or find out more information, contact Elders Activity Assistant Dan Ham at 503-879-2233. Fee assistance Ad created by George Valdez Enrolled Tribal members can request assistance with test fees (i.e. GRE, SAT, LSAT, ACT) and admissions application fees. Contact Higher Education for more information at 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2275.