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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2020)
sNok signflz DECEMBER 1, 2020 TERO Worker of the Month October 2020 Name: Devree DelaRose-Wilder Employer: ACME Concrete Paving Inc. Positon: Laborer Devree first applied for the TERO Skills Bank in July of this year. He was dispatched to a concrete slurry plant in Corvallis to help on an Oregon Department of Transportation project. This was Devree’s first experience with a TERO program because he is from southern Or- egon and has not had access to a TERO Devree DelaRose-Wilder program within his vicinity. Devree says he has had an opportunity to learn many new things from road construction and operating since being dispatched. He is also thankful to Grand Ronde TERO for allowing him the opportunity to enroll in the BTI Heavy Equipment Operators Training he is cur- rently in. The opportunity is offered through a collaboration between Grand Ronde TERO and Baker Technical Institute. Devree was chosen as the October TERO Worker of the Month due to his high level of commitment to both the contractors he works for and TERO. He took the initiative to enroll in TERO’s Skills Bank program and take advantage of the many benefits it offers. “I recommend TERO for anyone wanting to get out of their comfort zone and set themselves up for success,” he said. Tribe receives Meyer Memorial Trust grant PORTLAND — The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde was one of several Native American Tribes and organizations that received Meyer Memorial Trust grants in 2020. The Grand Ronde Tribe received $35,000 to help pay for the com- pletion of the Chankawan Wild- life Area restoration alternatives analysis. The Tribe obtained the 425-acre conservation property in May 2016 as part of the Bonneville Power Administration’s Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program. The property fronts more than a mile of the North Santiam River near Stayton in Marion County. Other Native American Tribes and organizations receiving grants included: • National Indian Child Wel- fare Association in Portland, $180,000, for operational support of the organization dedicated to the well-being of American Indi- an and Alaska Native children and families; • Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indi- ans Economic Development Corp. in Portland, $50,000, to support the organization’s mission and work to strengthen Native American entrepreneurs in Oregon; • Coquille Indian Tribe in Coos Bay, $100,000, to address press- ing health care needs by using self-directed and culturally re- spectful approaches; • Red Lodge Transition Services in Oregon City, $115,000, to op- erational support that provides culturally focused programs for Native Americans released from jails, prisons and treatment pro- grams; • American Indian Science and Engineering Society in Albu- querque, N.M., $177,464, to im- prove Indigenous student success across Oregon through imple- menting STEM-related college and career readiness strategies; • Native American Youth and Fam- ily Center in Portland, $123,333, to eliminate barriers to college and career readiness, and cul- tivate a stronger college-bound culture within Portland’s Native American community; • Nez Perce Tribe of Joseph, $138,824, to integrate Tribal knowledge into Wallowa Lake management and explore reintro- duction of sockeye into the lake; • Burns Paiute Tribe in Burns, $173,884, to help the Tribe ex- ercise sovereignty by protecting natural systems and salmon in the waterways of the Tribe’s tra- ditional homelands; • High Desert Food & Farm Alli- ance in Bend, $177,942, to de- velop and implement a plan that will establish a sustainable, culturally relevant food system in the Warm Springs community; • Native Fish Society in Oregon City, $85,000, to grow relation- ships with rural and Indigenous communities by integrating eq- uity outcomes into ongoing envi- ronmental programs and efforts; • Natives of One Wind Indigenous Alliance in Medford, $46,000, to elevate the voices of Indigenous workers in the timber sector and improve statewide forest practic- es and workplace safety rules; • Native American Youth and Fam- ily Center in Portland, $300,000, for redevelopment of Tistilal Village, to help low-income and formerly homeless Native fami- lies in Multnomah County; • And the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton, $300,000, to rede- velop the Lucky 7 manufactured home park with new, high-effi- ciency homes. The Meyer Memorial Trust made 150 grants totaling $21.3 million to make Oregon a more flourishing and equitable state, Director of Communications Kimberly Wilson said. 9 State’s COVID ‘freeze’ not affecting Tribal operations By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s “freeze” to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the state that went into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 18, is not affecting Tribal governmen- tal operations. “We are aware of the governor’s latest ‘freeze’ to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon,” said Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Her- nandez in an all-employee e-mail on Monday, Nov. 16. “After careful con- sideration, the Tribe has made the decision to maintain its current op- erations for the Tribal government.” However, Hernandez added, Tribal employees who feel it is in their best interest to work remote- ly can do so with approval of their supervisor. Working remotely, if possible, is one of Brown’s “freeze” suggestions for Oregonians. Brown also limited all bars and restaurants to takeout only, closed all gyms, restricted indoor and outdoor gatherings to no more than six people from two different house- holds, limited capacity at grocery stores and pharmacies, and allowed churches and faith groups to accom- modate indoor crowds of no larger than 25. The freeze is scheduled to last until at least Wednesday, Dec. 2, in most of the state and probably longer is more populated counties. The “freeze” is in reaction to surg- ing COVID-19 cases in the state that suddenly jumped to more than 1,000 for three consecutive days and have continued to grow over the Thanksgiving holiday week. General Manager David Fuller- ton announced on Thursday, Nov. 5, that two Tribal governmental employees for the first time had tested positive for the coronavirus. The two positive tests prompted Fullerton to limit campus access on Friday, Nov. 6, and Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 9-10, to only essential staff members. Other staff members were asked to work from home or granted administrative leave for the day. Since Wednesday, Nov. 11, was Veterans Day and a Tribal holiday, the Tribal government resumed normal schedules and operations on Thursday, Nov. 12, with the exception that guests are no longer allowed on the Tribal campus. The two positive cases within the Tribal government, which employs more than 500 people, are not the first coronavirus cases to affect the Tribe. Spirit Mountain Casino, which employs more than 1,000 people, re- ported four of its behind-the-scenes employees had tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-October. According to the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center, as of Monday, Nov. 30, it has conducted 1,179 COVID-19 tests with 1,124 negative results, 28 retests and 27 positive results. The Tribe limited access to the Tribal campus to only a skeleton crew of essential employees in mid- March when the COVID-19 pan- demic became a major public health concern in Oregon. After the Tribal government re-opened in mid-May, employees have had to undergo dai- ly temperature checks, been asked to wear masks and encouraged to wash their hands frequently and keep socially distant. “We have done a great job keep- ing the virus contained, but we all must do our part to protect ourselves, family and co-workers from this virus,” Hernandez said. “Wash and sanitize your hands, wear masks and social distance. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will continue to evaluate if any changes need to be made.” The Tribal government was closed the entire week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 23-27. Tribal employees were already scheduled to have Monday, Nov. 23, off in celebration of Resto- ration and Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, off in observance of Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Spirit Mountain Casino announced a temporary suspension of smoking within the facility starting on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The smoking prohibition in- cludes 20 feet from all entrances to the lodge, casino and lobbies. The casino is still requiring that all guests wear face masks, which is a policy instituted in early July. Since the Tribe is a sovereign nation, it does not have to follow state-mandated guidelines, a fact Brown acknowledged in March during the initial reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Community Health Program Medical Transport Services Medical transportation services are available to Tribal members within the six-county service area when an alternate means of transportation is not available. Advance notice required. Please call 503-879-2078 to schedule a reservation.