8 AUGUST 15, 2023 Smoke Signals Tribal member launches counseling business By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals editor Tribal member and former Trib- al employee Nicole Hewitt has launched her own therapy practice. Hewitt, who is a licensed mar- riage and family therapist, is call- ing her new business Sevengen Counseling, built on the concept that navigating past and present struggles in a mindful way will help clients heal the next seven generations to come. “That is the instrument to heal- ing” Hewitt said. “And it wouldn’t be that name if I had never worked for the Tribe.” Most recently, Hewitt served as a clinical supervisor and mental health therapist for the Tribe, and also has worked as the Youth Empowerment and Prevention Program manager and as a senior mental health counselor. In total, she was employed by the Tribe for eight years and has been a thera- pist for 18 years. Hewitt decided to branch out on her own so she could spend more time with her family, especially her 7-year-old daughter, Sanaa. “I love and am honored to have given back to our Tribal communi- ty, but I wanted to be home more with my daughter and make my own hours,” she said. “I had the goal of doing this for a while, and now that we have two wonderful therapists for youth (at the Tribe), I felt comfortable doing this.” Hewitt will treat clients virtually and in-person, depending on their Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal member Nicole Hewitt recently started her own therapy practice, Sevengen Counseling. Hewitt is a licensed marriage and family therapist and before launching Sevengen she held several positions within the Tribe including Youth Mental Health and Chemical Dependency counselor, mental health therapist, clinical supervisor and Youth Empowerment and Prevention Program manager. location. She is licensed in both California and Oregon. In-person services will be available to those living in Washington and Yamhill counties. Currently, Hewitt accepts some private insurance providers, but is not yet able to take Tribal health insurance. In addition to one-on-one therapy sessions, Hewitt also offers a Girl Strong Group, which focuses on in- creasing feelings of empowerment, self-confidence and connections. The group meets 60 minutes a week for six weeks, with a maximum of six participants per group. “It will help them with commu- nication skills, time management and self-esteem,” she said. “It’s also a lot more cost effective than one-on-one therapy. I have offered to do this in the Tribal community as well and would love to offer that to our youth here.” Hewitt grew up in Southern California and has a bachelor of arts in psychology from Cal State Northridge, and a master of arts in psychology from Phillips Graduate University. She wanted to be a therapist from the time she was in high school. “I had lots of friends with family is- sues and they would talk to me about it,” she said. “I just always knew I wanted to help people since then.” Growing up in California, Hewitt didn’t have the opportunity to regu- larly attend Tribal events, although her family traveled to Grand Ronde almost every year for the Tribe’s Contest Powwow in August. Living in Sherwood, an hour away, gives her daughter much more opportu- nity to do so. “I love that my daughter is grow- ing up involved in cultural activities and connections with the Tribe that I didn’t have the opportunity to do,” she said. “I am also grateful to be able to do things with the Tribe and our culture.” Hewitt moved from California to Oregon in 2012 when she was re- cruited to fill a Youth Mental Health and Chemical Dependency counselor. “I had a dream to give back to the Tribe and serve our community, so when the call came, I took the op- portunity and moved here,” she said. Hewitt can be reached at 971- 979-0790 or sevengencounseling@ gmail.com. For more information on her counseling services, visit www. sevengencounseling.com. Racing Commission audit faults ambiguous gaming laws in Oregon By Dean Rhodes Publications coordinator SALEM – An audit of the state Racing Commission released Wednesday, Aug. 9, by the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division faults “ambiguous” state gaming laws that pose a risk to the state’s economic interests and sovereign Tribal nations. “As technology changes, laws and rules need to be updated to minimize conflicts between existing statutes authorizing gambling on horse races with Oregon’s constitutional prohi- bition of casinos and limitation of lotteries,” the audit states. In February 2022, the Oregon Racing Commission voted unani- mously to deny TMB Racing 225 slot machine-like historic horse racing machines at the planned Flying Lark entertainment complex adjoin- ing the racetrack at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass. The decision was largely based on an opinion by the Oregon Depart- ment of Justice that categorically stated that TMB Racing’s plan violates the Oregon constitutional prohibition against casinos. TMB Racing, a company formed by Dutch Bros Coffee co-founder Travis Boersma, drew opposition from the state’s Native American Tribes, including the Grand Ronde Tribe, which argued that allowing his- toric horse racing machines at the Flying Lark would be unfair since only Tribes are allowed to operate casinos in Oregon. Their approval, Tribes contended, would hurt not only Tribal casino revenues, but the Oregon Lottery as well. After receiving a letter from Ore- gon Tribal representatives objecting to the racing machines, then-Gov. Kate Brown told Oregon Racing Commission members that they had a “statutory obligation” to consult with the Tribes. She also suggested that the commission seek a formal legal opinion from the Oregon De- partment of Justice on the legality of Boersma’s plans. Boersma originally hoped to open the Flying Lark by October 2021 and then rescheduled to February 2022. With the Department of Jus- tice ruling part of his business plan unconstitutional, he withdrew his business proposal. Former Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan announced in Feb- ruary 2022 that an audit of racing oversight and regulation by the Oregon Racing Commission would be in her office’s 2022-23 audit plan. The Racing Commission collected approximately $7.8 million in rev- enues and more than $1.4 million went into the state’s general fund in the 2019-21 biennium. “The controversy around the Fly- ing Lark’s request … highlighted the contention among the state, Tribes and private industry, revealing various concerns and complexity around constitutional allowability and regulation authority over such gambling,” the audit states. The audit recommended that the Oregon Legislature should consider, with stakeholder and Tribal input, providing additional clarity around the definition of a casino in state stat- utes. It also suggested the Legislature set specific limitations on user inter- faces and player experiences for online and physical gambling products. The audit also found delays in filling and replacing Racing Com- mission commissioners, ways to increase oversight and transparency of funds allocated to support the horse racing industry and limited documentation maintained of the commission’s reviews of historical horse racing machines. “Everyone benefits when our laws are clear and fair,” said Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. “The audit points out important areas of ambiguity that the Racing Commis- sion, legislators and the governor’s office can address to ensure we have clarity, a fully staffed oversight com- mission and appropriate stakehold- er input in our gambling statutes and enforcement.” To read the full audit, visit the Or- egon Secretary of State’s website.