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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2018)
S moke S ignals NOVEMBER 15, 2018 7 Tribal Council OKs $6.2 million to repair casino roof By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Spirit Mountain Casino is getting a new roof. During its Wednesday, Nov. 7, meeting, Tribal Council gave permission for Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. to retain funds not to exceed $6.2 million to repair and improve the roof, which covers the area of almost three football fields. Casino Facilities Manager Ron Reibach said the 165,000-square- foot roof covers the first three phases of construction at the casino and was installed between 1995 and ’97. Current problems include water leaks and many penetrations for heating, ventilation and air condi- tioning units that cause weak spots and contribute to the leakage. The project will include replacing many of the HVAC units, he said. “We originally had a 20-year guarantee on the roof,” Reibach said. “We certainly got our life out of it, but now it’s time to replace it.” He estimates the project, which will start in spring 2019, will take a couple of months to complete. Tribal Council also sent proposed amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance out for a first reading. The amendments change all ref- erences to “Enrollment Board” to “Enrollment Committee” and pro- vide guidelines for the committee’s duties and allowable meetings. The proposed amendments limit the committee to no more than four meetings a year and allows one special meeting per month if the committee is assigned a specific task by Tribal Council, professional enrollment training is identified, a protest of a committee decision has been filed or the committee receives notice from the Enrollment staff that a special meeting is necessary. Tribal Attorney Brooks Wakeland said at the Tuesday, Nov. 6, Legis- lative Action Committee meeting that the proposed amendments do not affect enrollment requirements. The proposed amendments will be advertised in Smoke Signals for two editions and Tribal mem- Everyone invited to celebration RESTORATION continued from front page in that time is incredible,” he says. “Growing up here, we had nothing, but we still had family. No one locked their doors and everyone looked after each other.” George serves on the Restoration Committee, which is charged with arranging the celebration. The group has been meeting regularly for months to plan the event at Spirit Mountain Casino down to the smallest detail. “The main thing I am looking forward to is seeing all of the Tribal families coming together and con- necting to those who haven’t been here yet,” George says. “We are all one Tribe and should celebrate that.” The 35th anniversary will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. Tribal Council chose that date because Nov. 22 is also Thanksgiving Day this year. RSVPs are not necessary. A meal will be served at noon and a powwow begins at 3 p.m. Specials include Golden Age, Tiny Tot, Youth Council Intertribal spot check, and past and present Grand Ronde Royalty members. There also will be recognition of Resto- ration Elders. Entertainment will be provided by the Grand Ronde Canoe Family. Everyone is invited to attend the celebration. Last year’s event attracted almost 300 people de- spite it being held the day before Thanksgiving. “Even before we were restored, I was always connected with family and we knew we were still a Tribe,” George says. “This is another op- portunity for all of us to come to- gether and celebrate. I am so glad we are restored and have connected with the old values.” George says one example of a return to old values is the Tribe recently erecting a removable fish- ing platform at Willamette Falls, located in the Tribe’s ceded lands, and a place of historical and cere- monial importance. The Tribe had not fished from a platform at the falls in more than a century. “It is so important that we are able to do these things … to recon- nect with the old ways,” he says. Tribal Council member Kathleen George says that the annual Resto- ration celebration is another way to honor the Tribe’s ancestors and Elders for their perseverance and sacrifices. “When I think about Grand Ronde’s Restoration I find myself reflecting on the power of persever- ance and determination that has defined the Grand Ronde Tribe and our ancestors,” she says. “The per- sistence and determination of our ancestors who survived incredible hardship including Termination of our federal recognition should always be a lesson for us.” She says that the Tribal Elders who pursued Restoration when the odds were stacked against them is a reminder not to allow obstacles to block the path of where the Tribe needs to go. “Being born from such coura- geous people we should always persevere,” she says. “We owe it to the people we come from and the sacrifices that they made.” To find out more about the Tribe’s Restoration effort, see the 28-page special section in this edition of Smoke Signals. n bers will have an opportunity to comment on them before they re- turn to Tribal Council for possible adoption. In other action, Tribal Council also: • Approved an addendum to the Portland Harbor Superfund Site Natural Resources Damage As- sessment Plan that provides an update on the current status of the plan and more detailed infor- mation on the proposed focus for conducting the remaining phases of the cleanup; • Approved an agreement to accept an $81,000 grant from the Collins Foundation to help document Portland Harbor and Willamette River contamination-related changes in Tribal traditions and culture; • Approved an amendment to the cooperative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency that would provide up to $291,000 to fund the work of the Tribe’s technical consultant and Tribal employee participation regarding the Portland Harbor cleanup project; • And approved the enrollment of three infants and one noninfant into the Tribe because they meet the eligibility requirements out- lined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance. Also included in the Nov. 7 Trib- al Council packet were approved authorizations to proceed that au- thorize the Natural Resources De- partment and Ceremonial Hunting Board to implement the Ceremoni- al Harvest Distribution Policy and approved transferring $12,551 from contingency to Facilities to cover replacement of a commercial dish- washer in the Community Center. Cultural Advisor Bobby Mercier made the cultural presentation to open the meeting, discussing how Cultural Resources and Natural Resources employees are keeping an eye out for fish to arrive in Res- ervation waterways. Once a fish ar- rives and is caught, an impromptu ceremony will be held in the late afternoon to allow school children to participate. The meeting started at 4 p.m. be- cause of the end of Daylight Saving Time. Tribal Council meetings tra- ditionally are held an hour earlier November through March. The entire meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribal website at www.grandronde.org and clicking on the News tab and then Video. n Health & Wellness Center Entrance Reminder: The drive-through entrance at the Health & Wellness Center is for loading and unloading only. The entrance was built with our Elders and those with mobil- ity issues and their ease of access in mind. If you are coming to the center to pick up prescriptions, please park in one of our regular parking spaces. Thank you, Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center Administration n Ad created by George Valdez
