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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2018)
6 S moke S ignals APRIL 15, 2018 Grand Ronde Transit Survey The Tribe is collecting comments on public transit use, needs, gaps and suggestions. Current transit service runs between Grand Ronde and Lincoln City on 60X Coastal Connector, between Grand Ronde and Salem on 60X Coastal Connector and 70X Grand Ronde Transit and between Grand Ronde and McMinnville on YCTA Route 22 (& 24s). The survey will end on Friday, May 11, and the information will be used in preparing a new Grand Ronde Public Transit Plan. Please let us know your transit needs and comments. Here is the link to Survey Monkey. Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52XY83B Survey forms are also available at the front desks of the Tribal Governance Center and the Tribal Housing Administrative Office, and at the Patient Registration desk at the Tribal Health & Wellness Center in Grand Ronde. Tribal Council amends out-of-date ordinances By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal Council adopted amend- ments to two more than 25-year- old ordinances that were originally created in the early 1990s and have not been changed since during its Wednesday, April 4, meeting. During the Tuesday, April 3, Leg- islative Action Committee meeting, Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier said the reassessment of the two ordinances is part of a Tribal Council effort to examine and up- date old Tribal ordinances. The Name Change and Birth Cer- tification Ordinance was adopted in 1992 and has not been amended. No comments from the membership were received regarding the new amendments, which renamed it the Name Change Ordinance because all provisions related to birth cer- tification have been removed and name change provisions have been updated and clarified. The Small Claims Ordinance, which was adopted in 1993 and also has not been amended, also received no comments from the membership when the amendments were sent out for a first reading. The new amendments update and clarify provisions to the Small Claims pro- cess in Tribal Court and increase the value of cases that can be heard from $2,000 to $10,000. Tribal Council also sent a Member Benefit Ordinance amendment out for a first reading to seek Tribal member input. The amendment would provide that distributions re- fused or not claimed by a designated beneficiary within 18 months of a Tribal member’s death be returned to the Member Benefit Fund to become part of the following year’s appropriation and distribution. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved applying for an Admin- istration for Native Americans’ Elder In-Home Care & Nutrition grant that would bring the Tribe $585,684 over two years to develop a new In-Home Care and Nutri- tion Program for Elders and the disabled; • Approved applying for an Admin- istration for Native Americans’ Esther Martinez Language Im- mersion grant that would bring the Tribe $868,076 over three years to expand the half-day Chi- nuk language immersion class- rooms from K-3 to K-5 and help pay for after-school and summer Chinuk language support and assistance for parents and their infants to learn the Tribal lan- guage; • Approved nominating Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Institute of Amer- ican Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development. The board consist of 13 members appointed by the president and the institute provides scholarly study of and instruction in Native American art and culture; • And approved the enrollment of three infants and nine non-infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Enrollment Ordinance and Tribal Constitution. Also included in the April 4 Trib- al Council packet were approved authorizations to proceed and staff directives that directed Finance Officer Chris Leno to conduct a supplemental budget process to es- tablish a $75,000 appropriation for the Elders Phase III housing devel- opment project, increased Medicare Part B payments to Tribal members from $121.80 to $135 monthly and from $365.40 to $405 quarterly, and directed General Manager David Fullerton or his designee to help with the potential food sovereign- ty assessment to be conducted in conjunction with Marion-Polk Food Share and the Grand Ronde Food Bank. The entire meeting can be viewed on the Tribal website at www.gran- dronde.org by clicking on the News tab and then Video. 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. Survey finds six homeless Tribal members By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer Out of 125 responses to the Tribe’s first homeless survey conducted in December, only six Grand Ronde Tribal members identified as being without a place to live. Eight other Tribal members said they were living with family or friends. The survey was conducted at the request of Tribal Council to gather information on home- lessness in the area after Tribal members requested help for the homeless during the holiday season. Surveys were available via e-mail and at various locations around campus, including at iskam mfkhmfk haws, Social Services and Early Childhood Education. “Over the last several months, Tribal Council and staff have made addressing the homeless- ness epidemic one of the Tribe’s highest priorities,” stated a Trib- al Council press release. “Staff have been working with the community and Tribal Council to research and determine the number of Tribal members and Tribal member families affected by homelessness in the Grand Ronde community.” Data was collected on whether those completing the survey or someone they knew was either homeless, in jeopardy of becom- ing homeless or housing someone who was homeless. Information also was gathered to help staff identify contributing factors to homelessness. “A number of members … disclosed that they were either housing someone that was home- less or knew an individual that was housing someone that was homeless,” the release stated. When compiling survey re- sults, Tribal staff also found the data collected illustrated the complexity of the homelessness issue overall and the need for “best practices” to address it. “Staff have also worked to ensure that Tribal members affected by homelessness that have been identified already are aware of the resources the Tribe provides through a num- ber of its programs,” the release stated. In addition to the recent sur- vey, staff members have devel- oped a local resource guide in coordination with Lighthouse Community Church and have participated in the “Point in Time” surveys conducted by neighboring counties. On Jan. 31, the Yamhill Com- munity Action Partnership con- ducted one such survey at 13 locations across the county, including Willamina and Sher- idan. In Marion County, a 100-day challenge to end youth homeless- ness was launched in mid-Jan- uary with the goal of building a coordinated system to give 150 unaccompanied youth ages 12 to 18 a safe and stable place to live. It includes coordinated ef- forts between law enforcement, youth, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. After Lighthouse Church Pas- tor and Tribal member Ken Haller received word of people staying at nearby campgrounds, sleeping in their cars and couch surfing with friends, he decided to take action. With the assistance of volun- teers from the local Narcotics Anonymous group that meets at the Tribal building on Grand Ronde Road, Haller began offer- ing coffee, cookies and informa- tion for anyone who needed it between 5 and 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 24697 Grand Ronde Road. Since the church opened its doors to help area homeless, a handful of people have come in. Some were looking for informa- tion, while others just wanted a cup of coffee and conversation, Haller said. Recently, Haller’s wife, San- dra, assisted a young mother and her baby with diapers, a gas card and clothing. “She came in a few times just to visit, too,” Sandra said. “I was glad we could help her out.” Moving forward, Tribal staff will collect more data on home- lessness and those affected with- in the community, as well as continue with efforts to educate themselves and the community on homelessness and the barri- ers it creates.
