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General Council receives
Natural Resources update
— pg. 6
FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Tribal Council
approves lodge,
store investments
How BIG can Grand
Ronde become?
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
ribal Council approved on
Wednesday, Feb. 5, almost
$16 million in loans and equi-
ty investments that combined will
remodel Spirit Mountain Lodge and
the Grand Ronde convenience store
located just east of Spirit Mountain
Casino on Salmon River Highway.
Tribal Council OK’d a $15.5 mil-
lion loan from the Tribe’s line of
credit to Spirit Mountain Gaming
Inc. that will fund construction
for the first phase of lodge interior
remodeling.
The lodge’s interior remodel will
include adding more high-demand
suites, updating older lodge rooms,
and redesigning and updating the
entrance way and Hall of Leg-
ends connecting the lodge to Spirit
Mountain Casino. Tribal Council
approved $1.1 million to fund the
remodel’s design phase in March
2018.
During the Tuesday, Feb. 5,
Legislative Action Committee
meeting, Tribal Council members
Jack Giffen Jr., Kathleen George
and Steve Bobb Sr. supported the
lodge remodel, pointing out that
with gaming and hotel competition
now in Clark County, Wash., that
Spirit Mountain Casino and Lodge
must remain fresh and up-to-date
to continue attracting guests.
“This is a necessary, strategic
investment,” George said.
The revamping of the 254-room
See MEETING
continued on page 10
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
A water storage tank on a hillside across Highway 18 from Spirit Mountain Casino on Thursday, Jan.17, holds
500,000 gallons of water and was built by the Tribe to ensure fire protection for Spirit Mountain Casino and
water supply for the community.
Community water supply is plentiful for future growth
(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of Smoke Signals
stories in 2019 that will examine the infrastructure of Grand
Ronde and how many Tribal members could conceivably re-
turn to live in the community safely and comfortably.)
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
R
egarding the Grand Ronde
Tribe’s Strategic Plan-stat-
ed goal to “attract new Trib-
al members, diversify and grow the
population, and promote a health-
ier, sustainable community,” one
thing it doesn’t need to fret about
is the most elemental commodity
– water.
Tribal lands are located with-
in the boundaries of the Grand
Ronde Community Water Asso-
ciation, where there’s plenty of
water, and water rights, to fulfill
the needs of current and future
population growth into the fore-
seeable future.
The association, incorporated
in 1973, has water rights to more
than 691 gallons per minute – ap-
proximately 363 million gallons a
year – and is currently using 225
to 500 gallons per minute depend-
ing on seasonable demand.
Water Association Manager
Karl Ekstrom shrugs his shoul-
ders during a recent interview
in response to the Tribe’s plans
See WATER
continued on page 8
Bryan Mercier takes reins as BIA’s regional director
Grand Ronde Tribal member works
way up from Summer Youth Crew
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
P
ORTLAND — Grand Ronde Tribal mem-
ber Bryan Mercier didn’t travel far when
he left his job at the Bonneville Power
Administration for one at the Bureau of Indian
Affairs.
He merely walked across the courtyard from
the BPA offices to the BIA offices.
Although Mercier still drives to the same
Photo by Dean Rhodes
building he has for the past 10 years, the job he
does now is very different. While at the BPA, he
served as division director of Fish and Wildlife.
Now, Mercier is the Bureau of Indian Affairs’
regional director, the senior most official over-
seeing all Northwest BIA functions ranging from
staffing to transportation.
“We’re a microcosm of federal government
services,” he said. “I was happy with my former
job, but this has been a great opportunity to help
Indian Country.”
See MERCIER
continued on page 11
Tribal member Bryan Mercier received a Pendleton blanket from Tribal Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy during the Sunday, Feb. 3, General Council meeting in honor of his being
hired as the new regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.