6 NOVEMBER 15, 2023 SMOKE SIGNALS General Council briefed on 2024 draft budget By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals editor Finance Officer Chris Leno briefed Tribal members on the draft budget for calendar year 2024 during the Sunday, Nov. 5, General Council meeting held in a hybrid format at the Governance Center and on Zoom. The draft budget portion of the meeting was held in executive ses- sion, which limits how much Smoke Signals can report on the details. Leno9s draft budget presentation ran approximately 45 minutes and he oelded 12 questions and com- ments regarding next year9s Tribal spending plan. Tribal members interested in ob- taining the slides of Leno9s presen- tation should contact Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez at stacia.martin@grandronde.org or call 503-879-2304. The November Tilixam Wawa also features a detailed look at the 2024 draft budget and adult Tribal members have until 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, to submit written comments. The onal 2024 budget will be ad- opted on or before Dec. 31. Written comments can be submitted to 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR, 97347; or emailed to chris.leno@ grandronde.org. In other action, Tribal Coun- cil Vice Chair Chris Mercier an- nounced that the next General Council meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, with a report to be determined. The meeting will again be in a hybrid format. Kathie Levine, Ashley Tuomi, Ron Tuomi, Catrina Palachuk and Veronica Gaston won the $50 door prizes. Lyliana Rideout, Andrea Knight and Darlene Aaron won the $100 door prizes. Ron Tuomi and Gaston donated their winnings to the Grand Ronde Food Bank. The non-executive session portion of the meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribal government9s website at www.grandronde.org and clicking on the Government tab and then Videos. n Tribal trick-or-treating "We don't have to do it all alone. We were never meant to." -Brene Brown Photo by Danielle Harrison Spirit Mountain Community Fund Program Coordinator Angela Schlappie, dressed as a squirrel, hands out candy to eager trick- or-treaters on Monday, Oct. 30, at the Tribal Governance Center. Approximately 75 youth participated in the annual event, which also included stops at the Tribal gym, Community Center, Youth Education, Elder Activity Center, Adult Foster Care, Housing, Tribal Police, Human Resources, Health & Wellness and Procurement. It was sponsored by the Tribe9s Youth Enrichment Program. Mental Health Texts ! On Fridays you will receive a message about mental health, a social emotional tip or a simple quote or message of encouragement. Text JOIN to (971) 318-3459 Reservation Act amendment to fix Thompson strip error approved in House of Representatives vote By Dean Rhodes Publications coordinator WASHINGTON, D.C. 3 An amendment to the Grand Ronde Reservation Act that would fix a mistake incorporated into the act in 1994 was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The amendment now heads to the Senate for consideration. The Bureau of Land Manage- ment discovered a survey error on the Grand Ronde Reservation that dated back to 1871. The error was discovered after passage of the Grand Ronde Reservation Act in 1988 that returned 9,811 acres to the Tribe. Surveyor David Thompson had incorrectly surveyed the eastern boundary of the Reser- vation, leaving 84 acres unsur- veyed. The land also was excluded from a 1904 sale of unallotted lands within the Reservation and Grand Ronde was not compensat- ed for it. Until the error was discovered, BLM treated the land as Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands and permitted private companies to harvest timber on the acreage. After being informed of the survey error, the Grand Ronde Tribe determined the parcel, called the Thompson Strip, was unmanageable because of narrow boundaries and divided owner- ship interests. The Tribe agreed to accept a 240-acre parcel of grant lands adjacent to the Grand Ronde Reservation in exchange and surrender its claims to the Thompson Strip. However, the Department of the Interior in 1994