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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2019)
6 Smoke Signals OCTOBER 15, 2019 Tribal Council approves numerous ordinance amendments By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Amendments to ordinances that regulate the Tribe’s committees and special event boards, public records and independent Tribal press were approved by Tribal Council during its Wednesday, Oct. 9, meeting. The amendments will go into effect in 21 days. Amendments to the General Com- mittee and Special Event Board Ordinance have been in the works since March and received much input from Tribal members and Tribal Council members, said Trib- al Staff Attorney Brooks Wakeland during the Tuesday, Oct. 8, Legis- lative Action Committee meeting. The amendments call for com- mittees and special event boards to meet at least quarterly; attend an- nual meetings with Tribal Council; provide a written annual summary of activities; have between five to seven voting members; allow the existence of honorary members; and allow members to cast votes remotely by either phone or video conferencing. A code of conduct also remains in the amended ordinance. Amendments to the Independent Tribal Press Ordinance, which was first adopted in December 2016, provide employment protection for Tribal journalists who accurately report Tribal news. “No Smoke Signals journalist may be fired or suspended solely because of the content of his or her reporting,” the amended ordinance states. The amendments also clarify that the Tribal Attorney’s Office will represent Smoke Signals employ- ees should they ever be sued for their reporting. Amendments to the Public Re- cords Ordinance also bolster the Tribe’s independent press, which is one of only four in the United States. The amendments give Smoke Signals staff, when acting in their official capacity, the same access to Tribal records as Tribal members. Before being amended, the Public Records Ordinance only granted access to “enrolled Tribal members.” Only one set of comments was re- ceived regarding the amendments to the Independent Tribal Press and Public Records ordinances and it came from the five-member Grand Ronde Editorial Board in unani- mous support of the amendments. The Editorial Board, appointed by Tribal Council, oversees the editor of Smoke Signals and is charged with ensuring the newspaper is free from undue political influence while reporting Tribal news. “The Editorial Board feels it is essential to provide protection to Tribal news media employees who are reporting accurate infor- mation about the Tribe and its ‘I am looking forward to the day when we are above $1 billion’ Photo by Danielle Frost Robert W. Baird & Co. Director Joseph Hoon discusses the Tribe’s financial investment performance during the General Council meeting held on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Tribal Community Center. MEETING continued from front page “I remember two years ago, the Tribe’s portfolio was $695,000 or so,” he said. “I think sometimes we forget how blessed we are to have the resources that we do. I want to thank the original Tribal Council members for their wisdom. I am looking forward to the day when we are above $1 billion.” By ordinance, the Tribe annually diverts 10 percent of the funds trans- ferred from Spirit Mountain Casino into investment accounts that help fund health care, government op- erations, cultural and educational programs and Elders benefits. After the portfolio presentation, everyone in attendance sang “Hap- py Birthday” to former Tribal Coun- cil Chair Reyn Leno, who turned 69. Leno also addressed General Council regarding his concerns about the lack of state statistics on suicide by veterans. Leno serves as vice chair of the Oregon Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Committee. “The problem is that these deaths are not getting reported as a veter- an who (died by suicide),” he said. “It’s hard to get money to help with this without the numbers. I am hoping we can create some kind of form to submit to the state about veteran suicides.” In other action, it was announced that the next General Council meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in the Tribal gym and will provide an overview of the proposed 2020 Tribal budget. Joanna Brisbois, Maxine Clem- ents and Dan Stroebel won the $100 door prizes. Stroebel donated his winnings to the Veterans Special Event Board. Tracie Meyer, Nina Portwood Shields, Ed Larsen, Nan- cy Norton and Kamiah Koch won the $50 door prizes. Reyn Leno and Dorothy Leno won beaded necklaces and Linda LaChance, Louise Coulson and Debi Anderson won insulated fish/ clamming bags that were donated by Tribal Elder Victor Lomboy. The entire meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribal website at www.grandronde.org, clicking on the News tab and then Video. government,” states the Editorial Board comments. “We have seen elsewhere in Indian Country how Native journalists have been forced to resign their jobs or been fired because of political fallout from accurate and factual reporting of Tribal news. We hope this traves- ty never occurs in Grand Ronde. Factual reporting should be the ultimate shield for a reporter or editor to keep their jobs.” Regarding amendments to the Public Records Ordinance, the Ed- itorial Board said that Tribal media employees could be technically prohibited from obtaining public records from the Tribe because they are not enrolled Tribal members. “This has the potential of severely limiting the ability of the indepen- dent Tribal press from doing its job about informing the membership about its Tribal government’s past, present and future actions,” the Editorial Board stated. In other action, Tribal Council: • Held first readings on amend- ments to the Elders’ Retirement and SSI Program Ordinance and a draft of a new General Welfare Ordinance. The amendments make benefits under the Elders’ and SSI programs available on a tax-free basis and the new ordinance affirms the Tribe’s in- herent sovereign right to promote the general welfare of the Tribe and provide qualifying assistance and program benefits on a tax- free basis to the fullest extent permitted by law. Both will be advertised in Smoke Signals to allow for member comments be- fore returning to Tribal Council for possible adoption; • Approved the 2020 Indian Hous- ing Plan that must be submitted annually to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Develop- ment’s Office of Native American Programs; • Approved the enrollment of 19 noninfants and five infants into the Tribe because they meet the enrollment requirements outlined in the Enrollment Ordi- nance and Tribal Constitution, and denied enrollment to one infant for not meeting those re- quirements. The entire meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org, clicking on the Government icon and then Videos. Name changes in court Tribal Court provides both minor and adult name changes to enrolled members for a filing fee of only $30. If you have any questions or would like to request a packet, contact Tribal Court at 503-879-2303. Ready for some hoops Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez Tribal member Nolen Criss-Lawson, left, 8, joins other first- through fourth-graders in taking part in a drill during the Portland Trail Blazers Youth Basketball Clinic held in the Tribal gym on Saturday, Oct. 5. The clinic was open to Tribal members, descendants and community members ages 5 to 18 and was sponsored by the Tribe’s Recreation Department and Spirit Mountain Casino. Tribal members, descendants and community members gather for a group photo before the start of the Portland Trail Blazers Youth Basketball Clinic held in the Tribal gym on Saturday, Oct. 5.
