sNok signflz FEBRUARY 1, 2024 Representative visit Tribal Council approves vocational rehab cooperative agreement renewal By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals editor Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal Council member Kathleen George, right, explains stick game to U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, middle, as they watch Chinuk Wawa immersion students play the game during a tour of chinuk wawa skul on the Tribal campus on Tuesday, Jan. 23. At left, Tribal Council member Brenda Tuomi watches the game. Before touring the school Tribal Council and Rep. Salinas met in Tribal Council’s conference room to talk. This was Rep. Salinas’ first visit to Grand Ronde since the Grand Ronde Reservation Act Amendment was signed into law in late December. She and Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced the bill last March, which restored the right to pursue land claims and compensation for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. 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 coffee grounds and then throwing them away with the household trash. For more information, call 503-879-1821. 5 Tribal Council approved renew- ing a cooperative vocational reha- bilitation agreement between it and the state at its Wednesday, Jan. 24, meeting. The agreement includes the state Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Commission for the Blind and the Tribe’s Vocational Rehabilitation program. It has been in place for more than two decades. The Tribe’s program provides culturally relevant services to Grand Ronde Tribal members with disabilities to maintain or regain employment. Services include career explora- tion, job coaching, job search, work clothing and tools, transportation, licensing and fees, and on-the-job training. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved an application to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a $30,000 restoration outreach grant; • And approved the agenda for the next General Council meeting, which will be held at 11 a.m. Sun- day, Feb. 4, at the Monarch Hotel & Convention Center, 12566 SE 93rd Ave., Clackamas. It will fea- ture a report on the Community Development Plan. To watch the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab. MARRIAGES IN TRIBAL COURT Tribal Court is issuing marriage licenses and able to perform marriage ceremonies for a filing fee of $40. Contact the Tribal Court at 503-879-2303. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde COMMITTEE SUMMIT Thursday, March 14, 2024 5:30 to 8 p.m. Dinner Provided Spirit Mountain Casino For questions please contact: Shannon.Ham-Texeira@grandronde.org Ad by Samuel Briggs III ATTENTION GRAND RONDE TRIBAL MEMBERS na q’at may IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE MARCH 2024 PER CAPITA DISTRIBUTION Deadline Dates for March 2024 Per Capita • Change of Address: Tuesday, February 27, 2024 BY 5 P.M. • Change of Direct Deposit: Tuesday, February 27, 2024 BY 5 P.M. PER CAPITA DIRECT DEPOSIT Forms can be found: • Online at: www.grandronde.org • Or by contacting Kalene Contreras at 503-879-2204 or Kalene.contreras@grandronde.org ADDRESS CHANGES Changes can be made by: • Calling the Member Services Department at 503-879-2116 • If you get voicemail your address will still be changed if you clearly state your: • Name • Roll # • Date of Birth • Last 4 digits of SS# • New Address Ad by Samuel Briggs III a ł ush lamatsin event Sweetheart’s JAM FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE LOVE IN THE SWEETEST WAY! THERE WILL BE RAFFLES, TRADITIONAL SONGS AND DANCE, ACTIVITIES, PLUS MORE... 02.08.24 5-7pm @ the Tribal Gym QUESTIONS? CONTACT THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADMIN ASSISTANT 503-879-1369