PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
History & Culture
Summit returns
— pg. 6
OCTOBER 15, 2023
Tribe seeking to sell Shasta Administrative Services
By Dean Rhodes
Publications coordinator
T
ribal Council approved making another
$600,000 available to Redmond-based
Shasta Administrative Services from the
Tribe’s line of credit during its Wednesday, Sept.
27, meeting.
The decision brings the amount of Tribal funds
loaned to Shasta, which the Grand Ronde Tribe
has co-owned since November 2012 with Hono-
lulu-based Hawaii-Western Management Group,
to $1.35 million.
Tribal Council also loaned $350,000 to the
company in November 2022 and $400,000 in
February of this year.
Although not approaching the kind of invest-
ment the Tribe lost in MicroGREEN Polymers
in 2015 – more than $28 million – the continued
and increasing loans are prompting concerns
from the gun-shy membership.
Former Tribal Council member Tonya Glea-
son-Shepek, who was on Tribal Council during
the MicroGREEN financial debacle, sought
information about the third loan to Shasta
Administrative Services during the Sept. 27
Tribal Council meeting and asked when the
Tribe would brief the membership on the status
of the company that members own a 51-percent
stake in.
“That’s a lot of money in one year,” she said.
Interim General Manager and Finance Of-
See SHASTA
continued on page 9
Photo by Tim Trainor/Redmond Spokesman
Tribal Economic Development Director Bruce
Thomas said the Grand Ronde Tribe is trying
to sell its ownership of Shasta Administrative
Services, a third-party health benefits
administrator located in Redmond, Ore.
Indigenous celebration
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder Victor Lomboy, left, and
his son, Tribal Elder Victor Lomboy
Jr., sign receipts for their hunting
tags at the Tribe’s Natural Resources
Department on Monday, Oct. 2. The
two traveled from Portland that
morning to get their new tags and
Grand Ronde Tribal harvest licenses.
First day of
issuing new Tribal
hunting, fishing
tags a success
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals editor
M
onday, Oct. 2, was the
first day Tribal members
were able to receive a new
Grand Ronde Tribal harvest license
and tags for use under the historic
memorandum of agreement signed
with the Oregon Department of
Fish & Wildlife.
By all accounts, it was a success,
with 43 deer tags, 43 elk tags and
27 fishing/harvest tags issued.
Tribal members traveled from as
far away as Portland to get their
Tribally issued tags, which allow
them to ceremonially hunt and fish
in expanded territory throughout
See MOA TAGS
continued on page 8
From left, Tribal member and Clackamas County Policy Advisor/Tribal Liaison Tracy Moreland, Tribal Council
member Jon A. George, Harper Hernandez, 6, and Desirae Hernandez, 12, sing and drum at the beginning of
the Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City on Sunday, Oct. 8. The
event was sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Clackamas County, Clackamas Community
College, the Port of Portland and Unite Oregon.
Jan Michael Looking Wolf
Reibach performs during
the Indigenous Peoples’ Day
celebration at Clackamas
Community College in Oregon
City on Sunday, Oct. 8.
Performing with Reibach is
Robin Gentlewolf, one of his
Native Rose band members.
Tribal Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy gives
the welcome address during
the Indigenous Peoples’ Day
celebration at Clackamas
Community College.
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEO
@SmokeSignalsCTGR
@ctgrsmokesignals
@SmokeSignalsCTGR