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SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
Smoke Signals
Clifford ‘leads with joy, empathy and
compassion for all those around her’
AWARD continued
from front page
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Newly elected Tribal Council member Matthew Haller, left, is congratulated
by Tribal Elder and former Tribal Council member Jack Giffen Jr. before the
start of the General Council meeting held in Tribal Council Chambers on
Sunday, Sept. 10. Haller received 585 votes, the third most votes in this
year’s Tribal Council election. Incumbent Michael Langley received 584 votes,
bringing Haller the win by one vote.
General Council briefed
on Spirit Mountain Casino
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals editor
Spirit Mountain Casino Chief Executive Officer Camille Mercier, Chief
Operating Officer Clint Johnson and Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board
Chairman Andy Jenness gave the first presentation of the 2023-24 General
Council meeting cycle on Sunday, Sept. 10.
Mercier gave a 30-minute presentation in executive session and the
trio then fielded 20 questions and comments from Tribal members in
attendance.
Since the presentation was held in executive session, Smoke Signals
cannot publish specific details.
In other action, Tribal Election Board member Michael Mercier delivered
the Tribal Council election results from Saturday, Sept. 9, that saw two
incumbents – Lisa Leno and Chris Mercier – re-elected to three-year terms.
First-time challenger Matthew Haller secured the third seat, beating two-
term Tribal Council member Michael Langley by one vote.
The one-vote separation between candidates is the closest in an election
since 1983’s Restoration. The previous record for closest race between third
and fourth place during a Tribal Council election occurred in 2015 when
Tribal Council member Jon A. George received two more votes than the
late Steve Bobb Sr. to capture a seat on Tribal Council.
The next General Council meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct.
1, and will feature an annual presentation on the Tribe’s endowments.
Haylee Dehart, Mike Portwood and David Leno won the $100 door prizes
and Deborah Good, Kelli Matthews, Mike Wilson, Emma Leno and Peter
Grout won the $50 prizes.
The non-executive session portion of the meeting can be viewed by visit-
ing the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and clicking
on the Government tab and then Videos.
Tribal members wanting to see the executive session portion should
contact Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez at stacia.martin@
grandronde.org or call 503-879-2304.
Award. The latter “celebrates
a person or entity that demon-
strates leadership in shaping,
preserving and fostering appre-
ciation of local heritage – past,
present and future.”
Clifford, 71, has helped guide
the city of Springfield and Wil-
lamalane Parks in crafting a
land acknowledgement. She
also supported a mural focused
upon Indigenous history in the
mid-Willamette Valley and de-
signed and organized the annual
Red Dress Poetry in the Park
event that honors missing and
murdered Indigenous women.
“Marta has devoted her life’s
work to bringing awareness of
Native American issues in and
around the city of Springfield and
strives to be a good caretaker of
Kalapuya Illihi,” said Stepha-
nie Tabibian (Shoshone-Paiute
Tribes of Duck Valley Indian
Reservation), an education assis-
tant director at the University of
Oregon’s College of Education, in
her nominating letter, citing Clif-
ford’s work on Poetry in the Park
held at Springfield’s Heron Park.
Tabibian said that Clifford jug-
gles her volunteer activities while
also working a full-time job.
“Marta also collaborates with
Willamalane, providing guidance
on appropriate land acknowl-
edgements and park signage, and
conducting Kalapuya Talking
Stones tours for staff. In addi-
tion to all this, and a full-time
job, she is the Elder-in-Resi-
dence at the University of Or-
egon Theatre Department and
the Native American and Indig-
enous Studies Academic Resi-
dential Community. Whenever
there is a community discussion
regarding making improve-
ments for Indigenous and Tribal
representation in Springfield,
Marta is there – always willing
to assist, teach and provide
feedback. She leads with joy,
empathy and compassion for all
those around her.”
In addition, Clifford and The-
resa May, University of Ore-
gon professor of Theatre Arts,
co-founded the Illioo Native
Theatre, which celebrates and
showcases Native, First Nations
and Indigenous dramatists and
artists through productions,
concert readings and workshops.
Illioo recently received $52,000
from the Oregon Community
Foundation to support “Blue-
Jay’s Canoe,” a new form of
play developed in collaboration
with Oregon Indigenous com-
munity members and knowledge
holders, and focusing on wa-
ter-related lifeways of Oregon’s
Indigenous peoples.
Clifford, who works full-time
as a government procurement
specialist for the Government
Contract Assistance Program,
lives in Springfield with her
husband, Al.
Tribal nonemergency text line
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department has a nonemergency text
line at 541-921-2927.
“If you have a nonemergency situation or question, feel free to contact
my officer via text through this line,” said Grand Ronde Tribal Police Chief
Jake McKnight. “When one of my officers receives the text, they will call
you back when they have time.”
McKnight said that emergency situations still require calling 911.
For more information, contact McKnight at 503-879-1474.