S moke S ignals
AUGUST 1, 2018
7
Council: Enrollment audit
findings were improperly
inputted into Tribal files
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Smoke Signals file photo
Isabelle Grout dances a jingle dress dance during the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde Contest Powwow held at Uyxat Powwow Grounds last August.
More than $50,000 in
prize money available
POWWOW continued
from front page
Besides the eclipse, however, the
2018 edition of the Contest Pow-
wow will be very familiar to Tribal
members and contestants alike.
More than $50,000 in prize mon-
ey will be danced for thanks to the
adult dance categories remaining
in junior adult and senior adult
sub-categories. Junior adults are
18 to 35 years of age and senior
adults are dancers between 36 and
54 years of age.
Other dance categories include
juniors (6-12), teen (13-17), ju-
nior golden age (55-64) and senior
golden age (65 and older). This is
the first year that the golden age
category also has been split based
on age.
Dance prizes range from $1,000
for first place in the adult categories
to $25 for taking fifth in the junior
dance categories.
Head staff for this year’s Con-
test Powwow includes master of
ceremonies Bart Powaukee (Ute),
arena director Fred Ike Jr. (Ya-
kama), head dance judge Charlie
Tailfeathers (Cree/Blackfeet) and
head drum judge Chase Sayer from
Saskatchewan, Canada.
Cree Confederation will be the
host drum and drums will compete
for $22,000 in prize money with the
best drum taking home an $8,000
prize.
Specials will include an old style
jingle dance sponsored by the Na-
tive Wellness Institute of Gresham
If you go
Grand Ronde
Contest Powwow
When: Grand entries at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 17; 1 and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18; and 1 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 19.
Where: Uyxat Powwow
Grounds, 9600 S.W. Hebo
Road.
Cost: Camping, $5 with
parking; parking, $1 a day or
canned food; weekend passes,
$3.
More information: 503-879-
2037.
that has a $1,000 first-place prize
with three $200 consolation prizes;
a junior and teens team dance spon-
sored by the Grand Ronde Youth
Council with a $75 first-place prize;
a round bustle/chicken dance with
an $800 first-place prize; and an
old-style grass dance also with an
$800 first-place award.
The Tribe’s Education Committee
will be hosting its annual School Is
Cool dance special for K-12 dancers
who are wearing regalia or not.
Everyone will receive a prize.
A shuttle will be available from
Spirit Mountain Casino to the
powwow grounds and people are
asked to not display gang affiliation
or bring drugs, alcohol or weapons
to the event.
And don’t look directly at the sun!
There is no eclipse this year.
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 scheduling, contact the Tribal Court
at 503-879-2303.
A statement issued by Tribal
Council during its Wednesday, July
25, meeting says that the findings
from the 2012 enrollment audit
conducted by New Mexico-based
Anuskewicz & McCabe were not
properly inputted into Tribal mem-
ber files.
“At the beginning of this year,
significant problems in the manage-
ment and operation of the Tribe’s
Enrollment office came to light,”
the statement says. “Among oth-
er things, we found that Enroll-
ment staff had reduced the Grand
Ronde blood quantum of some
Tribal members. In addition, blood
quantum and other information
had been entered incorrectly in
the Tribe’s enrollment database,
known as Progeny.”
In February, the top two em-
ployees in the Member Services
Department were removed from
their positions.
The enrollment audit resulted
in more than 10 Tribal members
being disenrolled for violating the
dual enrollment clause in the Tribal
Constitution and also identified
67 members who descended from
Willamette Valley Treaty signer
Chief Tumulth for disenrollment
because he did not reach the Grand
Ronde Reservation to appear on an
official roll or record created by the
Department of the Interior before
being executed by the U.S. Army.
The Tumulth descendants even-
tually won a long and divisive legal
battle when the Tribal Court of Ap-
peals ruled in August 2016 that the
Tribe had waiting too long – more
than 20 years – before attempting
to disenroll them.
After an initial investigation, it
was determined that the audit of
enrollment files did a “good job” of
identifying missing documents in
individual enrollment files. Howev-
er, a “poor job” was done in making
corrections to the files based on
the audit findings and it did not
consistently identify errors in blood
quantum calculations.
In reaction to these findings, the
Tribe has limited the use of Proge-
ny because it is “unreliable because
wrong information was entered in
it” and the Tribe is now searching
for new enrollment software. In
addition, all new enrollment ap-
plications will be researched using
original documents in the files of
lineal ancestors and family mem-
bers and a “comprehensive” review
of all enrollment files has been
initiated to ensure their accuracy.
“It has been suggested that the
2012 audit findings should be fully
implemented before proceeding
with any additional review of en-
rollment files,” the statement says.
“This suggestion ignores several
issues: 1) many corrections from
the audit have not been made; 2)
additional errors were made by
Enrollment staff in implementing
some corrections; and 3) all files in
each family line must be reviewed
to address blood quantum discrep-
ancies among family members.”
The statement also says that not
all blood quantum has been accu-
rately calculated or recorded, not
all eligible sources of blood quan-
tum have been properly identified
and blood quantum changes were
not applied consistently to all lines
of a family.
Moving forward, Tribal Council
said in its statement that it will
be guided by several principles
that seek to heal a divided Tribe,
promote the common good and see
to “the best interests of all Tribal
members and the stability of our
Tribe to provide a secure founda-
tion for the next generation.”
“Since the enrollment audit was
initiated in 2012, Tribal members
have lived through an anxious time
and, in some cases, hardship in re-
lation to their enrollment status,”
the statement says. “Enrollment
issues have pitted Tribal member
against Tribal member. The coun-
cil has no intention of extending
this difficult episode in our Tribe’s
history.”
In addition to finding new enroll-
ment software, the Tribe is seeking
to hire a new Member Services
Department manager, encouraging
Tribal members to review their en-
rollment files, developing proposals
for fixing enrollment file problems
that do not involve disenrollment
proceedings and eventually submit-
ting a report to the membership.
For more information about
Tribal Council’s enrollment state-
ment, contact Tribal Council Chief
of Staff Stacia Hernandez at 503-
879-2304 or stacia.martin@gran-
dronde.org.
WALK-IN DENTAL APPOI NTMENTS FOR KIDS <6
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY FOR DENTAL CHECK-UPS FOR KIDS 5 AND
UNDER WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE SEEN AT THE TRIBAL CLINIC.
JUST COME ON IN!
We will check your child’s teeth during any of our clinic hours without an ap-
pointment. Dental check-ups are recommended beginning with the first
tooth!
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Dental Clinic
Phone 503-879-2020
Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 8:00—5:00; Thur 9:30-5:30