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Tribal member Gene
LaBonte launches
outdoor business
— pg. 8
june 1, 2021
Tribe starts enrollment
community meetings
By Dean Rhodes
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Graphic by Samuel Briggs III
The money shot?
Grand Ronde vaccinations entered into state lottery drawing
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
he more than 20,000 people who have
received their COVID-19 vaccinations
through the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde have gotten more than immu-
nity against the coronavirus.
They now have a chance – albeit minute –
to win a lot of money.
On Friday, May 21, Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown announced a COVID-19 vaccine lot-
By Dean Rhodes
By Dean Rhodes
T
Smoke Signals editor
T
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Tribal employees are still required
to wear masks upon entering
the Governance Center in Grand
Ronde even if they have been
vaccinated against the COVID-19
coronavirus.
tery to combat slowing vaccination rates.
The “Take Your Shot Oregon” campaign
will automatically enter every Oregonian
age 12 and older who gets at least one shot
by June 27 into the lottery.
A June 28 drawing will give adults 18 and
older the chance to win one $1 million prize
and 36 $10,000 prizes (one in each county).
See MONEY
continued page 3
Council incumbents
seeking re-election
Smoke Signals editor
See MASKS
continued on page 7
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Tribal government playing
it safe with mask rules
he Grand Ronde Tribal
government will not be
changing its mask-wearing
rules for vaccinated employees
following the Thursday, May 13,
announcement by the federal
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention that said vaccinated
Americans no longer need to wear
masks in most situations.
“Throughout this pandemic,
CTGR has erred on the side of
keeping people safe,” General
Manager David Fullerton said in
an e-mail to all employees. “Mov-
ing forward, we will continue with
those same precautions. CTGR
will continue to require masks for
all employees.”
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See MEETINGS
continued on page 11
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T
he Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
held the first of four scheduled informa-
tional meetings regarding membership
and enrollment issues on Wednesday, May 26.
Because of continuing COVID-19 pandemic
concerns, it was held virtually using the Zoom
teleconference application and attracted more
than 130 Tribal members. Originally scheduled
for two hours, the meeting lasted two hours and
45 minutes as Tribal members recounted their
family stories of enrollment injustice during the
question-and-comment period.
“It shows me that there is great interest about
our enrollment and concern as well,” Tribal
Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy said
about the attendance. She then cited a litany of
problems that have affected the Tribe’s member-
ship records that were inherited from the federal
government upon being restored in 1983 after
29 years of Termination, including incorrect
information in files handed over by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs.
“What is known is that most Tribal families
have a problem with enrollment. … The problem
is invasive,” she said.
In addition to Kennedy, Tribal Council mem-
bers Steve Bobb Sr., Jack Giffen Jr., Jon A.
George, Denise Harvey, Lisa Leno, Michael
Langley and Kathleen George attended the
meeting.
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Smoke Signals editor
ribal Council incumbents
Cheryle A. Kennedy, Jon
A. George and Steve Bobb
Sr. have all confirmed to Smoke
Signals that they plan to seek
re-election during the Sept. 11
Tribal Council election.
Kennedy, 73, is the longest
serving Tribal Council member
in Grand Ronde history. She will
be seeking her eighth consecu-
tive three-year term on Tribal
Council.
During the 2018 election, Ken-
nedy set a record for the most
votes received by a Tribal Council
candidate at the time with 712
votes. That record was surpassed
in 2020 when Lisa Leno received
more than 1,000 votes and Chris
Mercier and Michael Langley
both received more than 900 votes.
Kennedy has served as Tribal
Council chair for 15 years, includ-
ing the last four years.
George, 60, is the current Trib-
al Council secretary and will be
seeking his fourth consecutive
three-year term on Tribal Council.
During the 2018 election, he fin-
ished second to Kennedy. He has
served as Tribal Council secretary
for the last five years.
Bobb, 72, served two terms on
Tribal Council between 2007 and
’13 and was re-elected to a third
term in 2018, garnering 606 votes.
He will be seeking his fourth three-
year term on Tribal Council.
Tribal Council nominations will
occur at 11 a.m. Sunday, June
27. The location and in-person
attendance rules have yet to be
released. n