Smoke signals., May 01, 2020, Page 9, Image 9

sNok signflz
MAY 1, 2020
9
‘I have always believed that sovereignty is the basis’
SERVICE continued
from page 8
studied: What makes a leader a
leader? Are they born or are they
made? I tend to believe that they
are made, that there is destiny and
that’s what promotes you.
I was always very shy, a true
introvert. In my family and my sib-
lings, I have extroverts who are very
gregarious and when they feel good
they can dance on the top of a table.
They thrive on that; the energy of the
people just invigorates them. Not me.
But I look back in my family,
and I have four chiefs who signed
treaties and I believe that those
attributes, whether you know it or
not, are being taught to you in your
growing years.
Q. You mentioned politics
earlier and another number I
wanted to run by you is that
you have been elected chair-
woman 13 of your 21 years on
Tribal Council. Was it a difficult
time for you recently when
you were not the chair for five
years?
Kennedy: If there were any dif-
ficulties it was really in promoting
things that I thought were import-
ant to the Tribe. Again, I started
with sovereignty. I have always
believed that sovereignty is the
basis. We had to be solidly in our
foundation, so all of the governance
pieces for sovereignty had to be
place and, at times, I felt like that
wasn’t at the forefront. I think for
me that was a bit of a struggle be-
cause I know that you govern your
own people. That means you also
take care of them.
Q. Where does the current
problem – the COVID-19 coro-
navirus pandemic – rate as a
problem in your 21 years on
Tribal Council? Is it the biggest
challenge you’ve seen?
Kennedy: No. Termination.
When we had N1/HI, which was
a few years back, it was the same
kind of thing except there was a
cure that happened early on or it
would have been like this. Very
serious. Living through the era of
polio, for Tribal people tuberculosis
… for me, this one is because public
health measures are the cure. It’s
so hard for people to abide by them
and they take it lightly. I believe
we would have had a handle on it
if we would have closed at the end
of February. I believe it would have
been contained, but it was let’s wait
and see. If people get it, then we’ll
do something. Well, that’s not the
right approach.
Graphic by Samuel Briggs III
Smoke Signals file photo
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle
A. Kennedy met with President
Barack Obama at the Oregon
Convention Center in Portland in
October 2010.
Kennedy: Truly, the Health &
Wellness Center so that our people
could have good health, that we
could live out our lives and have
a quality of life vs. just living. A
lot of that is preventive. Ninety
percent of our ailments are due
to our behavior. Some of us can
have wonderful genes, but you can
destroy it through some of the bad
behaviors that occur. This epidemic
is because we want to continue to
do what we want and I understand
choice, but someplace in there the
voice of reason has to be prevail.
Q. You also had a birthday on
April 3 and you turned 72. Have
you thought about how much
longer you want to continue
serving on Tribal Council?
Kennedy: I don’t look it at like
that. You’re there for however long
you’re there. … When I was hired
for Grand Ronde. When I came
back as one of the first three em-
ployees hired, my path has always
been about milestones and almost
prophetic words to me. When I left
to go to Burns in 1980, I lived in
Madras and I didn’t want to go over
there, but I did because of this. I
was so distressed about it. I didn’t
know what to do. There was this
light in the middle of the night and
it scared me, but I heard this voice
speaking to me. It told me this,
“Yes, go and help these people over
there so that they can be strong as
you are strong. You’ll be there just
a little while and then when that
is over I will take you to the land I
gave to you and your people in the
west. And when you go there, you’re
going to go in and help possess the
land that I have given you. When
that’s done, you and your little ones
and your people will be at rest.”
That is what I heard. … When it’s
all done? I don’t know. n
Q. Is there one thing that
you’ve accomplished in your 21
years that you are most proud
of?
Certified Application Assisters
at the Health & Wellness Center
Cassandra Rhamey is available to assist with
recertification and applications for the Oregon
Health Plan. She can be reached at 503-879-1359
or cassandra.rhamey@grandronde.org.
Leah Bailey also is a Certified
Application Assister available to help.
She can be reached at 503-879-2197
or leah.bailey@grandronde.org. n
To find out more, attend a FREE Start Your Business class!
JOIN US at the Grand Ronde Adult Education Building
on the second Thursday of every month at 4PM
9615 Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, OR
LEARN MORE AT:
WWW.meritnw.org
Or call 503 548-7314