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.