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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2021)
sNok signflz SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 11 State agencies are struggling to consult with Tribes FLANAGAN continued from front page “My first impression was that it would be a dream job, but that I didn’t think I was qualified,” Fla- nagan says. “Ultimately, after a lengthy application and interview process, the commission felt oth- erwise.” He takes over for Mitch Sparks, who resigned after less than a year on the job in 2020. Sparks succeed- ed longtime director Karen Quigley in the position. Flanagan, 53, lives in Lake Os- wego with his wife, Kristin, and a chocolate Labrador retriever named Kokanee. The couple has two adult children: Caitlin, 20, and Will, 18. Although he is not a member of a federally recognized Tribe, Fla- nagan has years of experience in cultural resources protection and also worked in areas on the Navajo Reservation when he was a park ranger in Arizona. “I have to think that my 11 plus years of work with the culture clus- ter, my time on the governor’s task force on Tribal cultural items, the relationships I have developed with the Tribes, and my experience testi- fying in front of various legislative committees provided sufficient con- fidence in the commission to give me this opportunity,” he says. “I remain humbled and enthusiastic.” The Legislative Commission for Indian Services was formed 45 years ago and was the first of its kind in the country. It is per- Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez Patrick Flanagan, who worked for 11 years in the Oregon Department of Justice as a lead prosecutor of environmental crimes and cultural resources enforcement, has been hired to lead the Legislative Commission on Indian Services. manent forum for consideration of Tribal-state government rela- tions and consultation. In 2001, commission duties expanded after the state passed a state-Tribal government-to-government rela- tions law, which required ongoing consultation with its nine federally recognized Tribes. The commission has been a key partner in further- ing these efforts. In addition to his experience heading up cultural protection for the Department of Justice, Flana- gan spent five years as an assistant district attorney for Clackamas County, 19 years co-instructing an BACK TO SCHOOL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The 2021-2022 school year is around the corner and the BACK-TO-SCHOOL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM is now available to Tribal Member students. Please see below for more details. Who: Tribal Member K-12 students (Enrolled in the 2021-2022 School year). Qualified tribal member applicants are eligible for up to $300 for school supplies and school clothing. Receipt Verification The applicant will be required to provide copies of receipt(s) of approved purchases within 30 days of the processed check. Registration Information Sign-ups begin on August 2, 2021 and closes at 5pm on September 17, 2021. Please allow up to two weeks to process applications and checks once your application has been received. Complete the application and send back to the Youth Enrichment Program. Please note: Incomplete applications may delay the processes and approval. Applications are available at the following locations: The Youth Education building on campus (Mon-Friday 8am-12 & 1pm-5pm) Tribal Website (Under the Youth Education page) Contact the Youth Enrichment program and one can be emailed to you. environmental crimes prosecution class at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland and served as a park ranger at Zion, Grand Canyon and Grand Teton national parks. “Working in environmental law and cultural resources preservation was a way to stay engaged in things that already interested me,” Flana- gan says. “The way I got into park service is that I had buddies who were in search and rescue. That is how I fell into that work and found it very satisfying because I could use my knowledge in a way to help others. ... I’ve had an interest in natural resources, Tribal and cul- tural issues since my time as an undergrad.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Prescott College in Arizona and a juris doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School. He also volunteers as legal coun- sel for the nonprofit group Health Bridges, an organization focused on improving people’s health in developing countries through sus- tainable ways. Flanagan says although it was hard to leave his job at the Depart- ment of Justice, especially the cul- tural resources protection program he has led for several years, he also is excited about the opportunity this new position presents. “It’s hard to leave because of spending the years building up those relationships,” Flanagan says. “When you leave it, you rec- ognize that you have become the face of that program. You know it will be an impact. But it’s also been exciting because to me the job with LCIS is a fascinating challenge. It allows you to be proactive, not reactive. You’re not confined by the rules of litigation.” A primary focus for his first year on the job is getting out to meet with Tribal leaders from all of Or- egon’s nine Tribes, a goal that has been complicated by COVID-19. “My priority is to find out what issues are of interest and concern to each of the Tribes,” Flanagan said. “Also, meeting with state agencies to see what they need and how we can facilitate a relationship.” He recently met Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy remotely. She is the longest-serving commission member. “It was a good meeting and it’s interesting to see the differences among the Tribes, and the different priorities that exist,” he says. A long-term goal of Flanagan’s is the establishment of a shared resources center to assist state agencies that are understaffed and unable to complete timely cul- tural resources identification and protection for their programs and projects. “These agencies are struggling to conduct the required consulta- tion with Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes as well as the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office,” he says. “This concept pro- poses a ‘shared resources’ solution to remedy this gap within state government. It also could provide a foundation for a physical anthropol- ogist, a position that has also been identified and discussed at length.” Another long-term goal is a com- plete revamping of the commis- sion’s website to include content that is user-friendly and will help the public have a greater under- standing and familiarity with the state’s nine Tribes. “I want to make it more appeal- ing and informative to the general public,” Flanagan says. He anticipates his biggest chal- lenge as director will be the breadth of the work. “If you want to talk about cul- tural resources protection I can do that for hours,” he says. “But when it comes to health issues and education, those are areas outside of my area of expertise. The sheer breadth of the job is definitely the most challenging, but also the most enjoyable because I get an opportu- nity to learn every day. … I have a lot of work to do to get up to speed. “I feel the commission has the op- portunity to be so much more than a liaison between the Tribes and the Legislature. We can advocate and make sure Tribal interests are ad- vanced, and also provide a service by being an information source to the public as a whole.” Please see email and phone contact below. Online Open House and Virtual Event: OR 18 and OR 22 Road improvement design and planning project Have questions, need an application or other? Please contact 503-879-2101 or YouthEnrichment@grandronde.org We want your feedback! Online Open House: August 16 - September 13 Visit our online open house to learn more about this project and see how your feedback has helped us refine the preferred design concept! Our goal is to improve safety and reduce congestion in the project area. Virtual Event: September 9, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Join us at our virtual meeting to ask any of the questions you may have about the project and the preferred design concept. Links are on the project webpage. Your participation is important to our process, join us to help make sure the solutions are right for your community! Visit the project webpage at oregon.gov/ODOT/Projects and type 18854 into the search field to visit the project webpage. For more information, contact: Brennan Burbank Resident Engineer — Consultant Projects brennan.burbank@odot.state.or.us | 503-986-6922 Online Open House and Virtual Event: OR 18 and OR 22 Road improvement design and planning project ust ember ember Join us at our virtual meeting to ask any of