Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current, January 15, 2024, Page 5, Image 5

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JANUARY 15, 2024
Tribal Council approves broadband
connectivity grant application
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council approved an ap-
plication for a $2.6 million grant
to improve high speed internet
services at its Wednesday, Jan. 10,
meeting.
The federal Tribal Broadband
Connectivity Program is a grant de-
signed to bring better internet ser-
vice to rural Tribal communities.
If approved, the four-year award
would provide up to $2.6 million
for 195 houses within Tribal Res-
ervation lands to receive updated
broadband services.
“This grant is primarily a con-
struction grant allowing for new
towers and fiber to be installed and
will allow us to network with the
Native-owned and operated compa-
ny, Native Network, so that we can
ensure its success,” Grants Manage-
ment Assistant Dana Morfin said
during a Legislative Action Com-
mittee meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
The Tribe received $500,000 from
the same grant in 2023.
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Approved a $120,000 application
for a Bureau of Indian Affairs En-
dangered Species Program grant
to assess western pond turtle
presence on Tribal lands;
• Approved paying annual Indian
Gaming Association membership
dues of $25,000 and appointing
Tribal Council member Denise
Harvey as the Tribe’s delegate
and all other council members as
alternates;
• And approved enrolling one in-
fant into the Tribe and approved
a non-infant emergency enroll-
ment because they meet the re-
quirements outlined in the Tribal
Constitution and Enrollment
Ordinance.
To watch the entire meeting, visit
the Tribal government’s website at
www.grandronde.org and click on
the Videos tab.
5
Gift making
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Youth Empowerment & Prevention Youth Tobacco Prevention
Coordinator Shannon Lafferty, left, beads a keychain while Tribal
member Veronica Gaston works on making a necklace during the YEP
gift making day in the Tribal Community Center on Wednesday, Jan.
10. The gifts will be given to guests during the annual Native Youth
Wellness Day scheduled for March 8 and Agency Creek Round Dance
scheduled for March 8-9.
Drop box installed
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department, 9655 Grand Ronde
Road, has a medication drop box located in the front lobby.
Lobby hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The drop box is for any prescribed or over-the-counter medication.
If the containers are too large to fit in the drop box, please repackage
them in a zip-lock plastic bag. Tribal Police employees cannot handle
the medications so the person dropping them off must repackage them.
Needles and liquids are not allowed in the drop box.
Tribal Police suggest mixing liquid medications with cat litter or cof-
fee grounds and then throwing them away with the household trash.
For more information, call 503-879-1821.
LISTEN
TRIBAL EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OFFICE
TO SMOKE SIGNALS
103 PODC ASTS
MMIP BILLBOARD
MOVEMENT REACHES
GRAND RONDE:
This year the Tribe saw an increased
effort to raise awareness for missing
and murdered Indigenous people.
A main advocate in the growing
awareness efforts is Tribal member
CDL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAINING
Amanda Freeman.
Part one: Podcast 102 - The story behind Grand Ronde’s MMIP billboard.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde TERO Department
is looking for Tribal members with CDLs who are interested in
current employment opportunities or Tribal members who are
interested in obtaining their CDL for future employment.
Freeman’s work caught the eye of Great Circle Recovery Operations
Director Jennifer Worth and Spirit Mountain Casino CEO Camille Mercier.
Together, they created a billboard along Highway 18.
Part two: Podcast 103 - On the record: MMIP Awareness Dinner.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• Must obtain your CDL permit before you register.
• Must show proof of completed ODOT physical
Once the billboard was up, Freeman and Worth planned a community event,
and other requirements.
an awareness dinner held Friday, Dec. 1. Smoke Signals is following these
• Four weeks to complete.
OFFICE
P
TRIBAL EM
TS
• Employment opportunities available now.
H
• TERO will assist with funding CDL course.
efforts with an MMIP awareness podcast series, with more to come in 2024.
YMENT RIG
LO
• Schedule courses when you are ready.
For more information, contact
Kamiah Koch at 503-879-1461 or
kamiah.koch@grandronde.org
Contact Jacob Boekhoff at 503-879-2146 or
e-mail Jacob.Boekhoff@grandronde.org
VISIT SMOKESIGNALS.ORG AND CLICK ON PODCAST
Ad by Samuel Briggs III
Ad by Samuel Briggs III