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4 pg. 12
april 1, 2023
Mercier named
new CEO of Spirit
Mountain Casino
Taking root
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
he proverbial glass ceiling at Spirit Moun-
tain Casino has been shattered. Tribal
member Camille Mercier has been named
the new chief executive officer of the casino,
becoming the orst woman to lead the Tribe9s
gaming facility since
it opened in October
1995.
Mercier, 52, will for-
mally take over on
May 1, Spirit Moun-
tain Gaming Inc.
Board of Directors
Chair Andrew Jen-
ness said.
Mercier succeeds
Tribal member Bruce
Thomas, who has been
Camille Mercier
interim chief execu-
tive ofocer at the casino since June 2021 when
Stan Dillon resigned.
<I am honored and humbled at the opportunity to
serve Spirit Mountain Casino and the Tribe in the
role of chief executive ofocer,= Mercier said. <My
gaming career began in 1996 and I have been dedi-
cated to understanding and the learning the many
different facets of the casino business since then.
<I9ve been fortunate enough to work with some
talented mentors and leaders at three Tribal and
nontribal casinos in three different jurisdictions.
I look forward to continuing the collaborative
work with the team at Spirit Mountain to max-
imize revenues, create operational efociencies
and recognize our dedicated team members.=
Jenness said the board received two Tribal
member applications for the job and Mercier was
selected because of her depth of experience, ed-
ucation, ongoing professional development and
commitment to the Grand Ronde Tribe.
<We are proud to be able to hire a skilled, ex-
perienced Grand Ronde Tribal member to such
See MERCIER
continued on page 6
Photo by Dean Rhodes
Grand Ronde Tribal members, from left, Jesse Norton, Cultural Policy Analyst Greg Archuleta,
Tynan George, Tribal Council member Jon A. George and Cultural Resources Manager David
Harrelson drum during the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge open house held in Gaston on
Saturday, March 18. Harrelson also made opening remarks about the Tribe9s history at the lake
since time immemorial when the Atfalati people would winter there because the root vegetable
was abundant in the area. The Grand Ronde Tribe has been involved in the process of creating the
new wildlife refuge in Washington County for about 10 years and Tribal members planted wapato
bulbs in the lake in April 2022. Story and more photos on page 7.
Tribe pausing enrollments until April 2024
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
T
ribal Council will pause enrollment ac-
tions in early April that contain a blood
quantum component until April 28, 2024,
affecting enrollment applications, blood quan-
tum correction applications and Restoration Roll
corrections 3 essentially anything that has to do
with enrollment.
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kenne-
dy made the announcement during the Wednes-
day, March 22, Tribal Council meeting, stating
that almost 70 percent of current living Tribal
members have lower provable blood quantum
than what is on ole with the Tribe.
<Enrollment has been an ongoing issue since
before we were terminated,= she said. <Eleven
years ago, an audit was done that found errors
in our oles. There are still questions that are
See ENROLLMENT
continued on page 6
An egg-cellent event returns April 8
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
T
he popular Tribal Hous-
ing Department Easter Egg
Hunt will be held 10 a.m.
Saturday, April 8, since Easter is
Sunday, April 9, rain or shine, at
the covered area in Tribal housing
on Raven Loop.
As usual, organizers want to re-
mind participants to arrive early
or risk going home empty-handed
as the young participants are very
egg-er about scrambling about for
the treats quickly.
In past years, the time for all
the candy to be spoken for is about
one minute after the hunt begins.
Attendees are also asked to bring
their own basket or bag to carry
their treasure home.
This is one Tribal event that re-
quires hard-boiled promptness on
See HUNT
continued on page 4
Tribal youth search for
Easter eggs during the
2022 Easter Egg Hunt
held in Tribal housing.
This year9s event will
be held on Saturday,
April 8, which is the
day before Easter.
Organizers suggest
attendees arrive early
for the 10 a.m. hunt.
Smoke Signals file photo