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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2018)
S moke S ignals FEBRUARY 1, 2018 5 LIHEAP program open in service area 2013 – Tribal Council drafted a letter expressing its “great alarm and concern” to University of Oregon President Michael Gottgedson regarding a restructuring that ended the contracts of three top diver- sity officers, including former Klamath Tribal Chairman Tom Ball, who had served since 2005 as one of three assistant vice presidents in the Office of Equity and Diversity. The Grand Ronde Education Department had worked with him for years and saw him as a “key liaison” and his position being “of critical importance” to Oregon’s nine Tribes, Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno said. 2008 – The Tribe re- ceived a two-year grant from the Administration for Native Americans for the architectural sche- matic design of the Tribe’s planned museum and cultural center. The two- year project included sur- veying, soils analysis, wetland and archaeolog- ical site assessment, and preliminary interpretive File photo design of exhibit space. 2008 The Tribe was set to provide $52,000 in matching funds for the schematic design as part of its 20 percent match share. 2003 – A glitch in refinancing was making it challenging for Tribal members in Grand Meadows to refinance their homes with lower in- terest rates. Approximately 20 of 30 homeowners in Grand Meadows could have benefitted by refinancing, but since they had financed their loans through the federal Housing and Urban Development Section 184, there wasn’t a refinancing provision included in it. 1998 – The Tribe created the Hatfield Fellowship honoring U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield for his accomplishments on behalf of the Tribe, Native Americans, Oregonians and all Americans. The fellowship also honored the memory of Susan Long, who worked in Hatfield’s office during the Restoration era. The fellowship enabled a Native American to serve as a staff member of Oregon’s congressional del- egation. The fellow would be a liaison between the congressional member and Tribes in Oregon. 1993 – Tribal member Neesha Grant of La Grande was crowned 1993 Grand Ronde Powwow queen. Her parents were Steve and Jack- ie Grant and grandparents were David and Emma Leno. The 14-year- old enjoyed horseback riding, camping and being with friends. At school, she was a member of the marching band and student league organization. Grant hoped to major in social work in college. “I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the Tribe through the Grand Ronde Royalty program,” she said. 1988 – Chemawa Indian School students spoke about the impor- tance of Elders and education while participating with Tribal leaders at The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Winter Conference. The theme, “Our Children Are Our Future,” was discussed by Chemawa Assistant Principal Jake Bighorn, who urged students to be humble. “Open the door to who you really are. Then the traditions, etc., will come into your lives,” Bighorn said. “Water always seeks the lowest places. Water is humble, but there is power there.” Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in- crements through the pages of Smoke Signals. Government shutdown shuts down Chinook event RIDGEFIELD, Wash. – The annual Chinook Winter Gathering held at the Cathlapotle plankhouse on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge fell victim to the three-day federal government shutdown on Saturday, Jan. 20. The refuge is run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which was one of the federal agencies deemed non-essential in a government shutdown, which started at midnight Friday, Jan. 19. Grand Ronde Tribal Youth Prevention planned on taking 15 Tribal youth to the event and several Tribal Council members had expressed interest in attending. The refuge preserves the most intact archaeological site in the lower Columbia River and evidence of at least 2,300 years of continuous human occupation. The plankhouse was built in 2005 and is open to visitors on weekends in the spring and summer. The federal government re-opened for business on Tuesday, Jan. 23. A spokesperson for the Chinook Nation said a decision on rescheduling the Winter Gathering has yet to be made. The Tribal Social Service’s LIHEAP – Low Income Home Energy As- sistance Program – is open to eligible Tribal members in the six-county service area and Clackamas County. This is a first-come, first-served program and income criteria applies. LIHEAP is federally funded through the Department of Health and Human Services and is designed to help low-income households with home heating costs. For more information, contact Social Services at 503-879-2034. MARRIAGES IN TRIBAL COURT Tribal Court is now issuing marriage licenses and is able to perform marriage ceremonies for a filing fee of $40. For questions regarding sched- uling, please contact the Tribal Court at 503-879-2303. Massage at Health & Wellness Center Mind, Body & Soul Therapeutic Massage started at the Health & Wellness Clinic last year. Remember: Appointments for massage are not managed by the Health & Wellness Center staff. To schedule an appointment, call 971-237-2561. Tribe adopts new smoking policy TRIBAL COUNCIL continued from front page and receive copies of their viewable documents. In addition, the amendments provide that the Tribal roll is not subject to the ordinance’s confiden- tiality provision and allows for the issuing of descendancy letters or certificates of descendancy. The revised ordinance also estab- lishes procedures on Enrollment Board loss of membership recom- mendations to Tribal Council and loss of membership hearings before Tribal Council. In other action, Tribal Council sent several proposed ordinance amendments out to the Tribal membership for first reading, which solicits Tribal member comment. Proposed amendments to the Small Claims Ordinance, which has not been updated since 1993, will allow Tribal Court to hear cases valued up to $10,000 instead of the current $2,000 limit. Proposed amendments to the Name Change and Birth Certifica- tion Ordinance, which was adopted in 1992 and has not been amended since, would remove all provisions re- lated to birth certification and update and clarify name change provisions. Proposed amendments to the Tobacco Ordinance would bring the Tribe in line with Oregon law and restrict the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. The ordinance currently does not have an age restriction. Tribal Council member Jack Giff- en Jr. said at the Jan. 16 Legisla- tive Action Committee meeting that he will vote against the tobacco age limitation because he feels that it takes away freedom of choice from adults aged 18 to 20 who can serve in the military. Tribal Council also adopted an amendment to the Government Corporations Ordinance that pro- vides that a director whose term has expired continues to serve until a successor is elected and qualified unless the articles of incorporation state otherwise. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved applying for a $45,000 grant from Oregon Workforce Housing Initiative that will help the Tribe review Tribally owned lands and potentially other lands that would be appropriate for housing development; • Approved the enrollment of one infant into the Tribe because he or she meets the requirements outlined in the Enrollment Ordi- nance and Tribal Constitution; • Approved an amendment to Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc.’s seven-year private note with the Tribe that allows Finance Officer Chris Leno to pay off recent con- struction loans using the Tribe’s line of credit and allocate the in- creased permanent loan amount within the Tribe’s investment portfolio; • And approved the agenda for the Sunday, Feb. 4, General Council meeting to be held at the Mon- arch Hotel & Conference Center in Clackamas. The Tribe’s Educa- tion Department will be the pre- senter and a meeting will follow to solicit ideas for advisory votes to be placed on the September Tribal Council ballot. Also included in the Jan. 24 Tribal Council packet was an au- thorization to proceed that allows the Tribe to pay more than $1,200 for 935 pounds of elk meat resulting from five illegally harvested elk in the Trask Wildlife Unit and for the Tribe to pursue an agreement with Oregon State Police to accept and pay for the processing of confiscated game animals in the future. Tribal Council Chairwom- an Cheryle A. Kennedy also an- nounced the Tribe’s new smoking policy, which requires people to be at least 25 feet away from building entrances to smoke.
