News for October, 1997

The big news this month, is that of elections for three positions on the Tribal council. The top three vote getters were Ed Pearsall, Bob Mercier and Val Grout. I would like to congratulate those people, but to do so may be premature. It seems that a few ballots (6-9) turned up some days following the actual count. I am not sure that those votes had any impact on the election outcome. The additional thirty-five ballots that were discovered in the offices of the election committee could lead to a different end. While I have not heard what this means, I do know that one of the members of the tribal election committee has resigned.

This reporter would like to know who is responsible for the overall integrity of tribal elections in general. The apparent malfeasance occurred within the current structure of tribal government and to expect a forthright and open solution would be naïve. When it is considered that there were/are individuals related to candidates, serving on the election board; that conclusion gains credence. The further awareness that tribal council is steeped in and relies upon the status quo, puts any resolution of this situation even further down the trail. In fact it would appear that the tribal leaders and officials have taken their training from the old Chicago School of politics. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has, as yet, to return my calls regarding the audit and oversight of tribal elections.

The construction of the new Natural Resources building is finished and move-in is complete. The process of modernizing tribal operations is moving right along. The Health and Wellness center is nearly complete. The files and equipment have been moved from the old office trailers, but service to the community is still a couple of weeks away. The ground was broken and construction began this past month on the new tribal office building. It will sit on the north side of the Pow-Wow grounds. The administration building is the last phase of tribal construction. It represents the final step in the establishment of the Grande Ronde peoples, and goes a long way to give them the dignity of which they were stripped at conquest.

The weather has turned and we are well into our rainy season. The hawks have started to return, as well as the bluejays. The geese and ducks are beginning to fill the refuges and other available waters. Most of the vultures are gone and a couple of transient blue herons can be seen hunting the fields. The early bow season has come and gone with mixed results. Deer hunting starts this weekend and I will try to pass along the general hunt results. The salmon are coming up the river and angling is picking-up. I haven't talked to anyone yet, so I'm not sure how the fishing really is.

There is a new set of Indian Wars in the offing. It is being led by Senator Slade Gordon of Washington. In a unilateral move he inserted an article into the senate spending bill for the Department of Interior. The meat of the article was the revocation of Sovereign Immunity. This is the concept that the individual tribes were, at the time of treaty negotiations, independent nations and in return for what they gave to the U.S. government, certain things would be granted to them as nations. Well, we all know how well the government and it's bureaucrats have lived up to their end of the bargain. Now the racist Slade Gordon is attempting to both renege and rewrite those treaties. In order to continue to receive those benefits that were promised; any tribe (nation) must disavow (relinquish) their sovereignty and rights to self-determination. What this really is an oblique attempt to impose taxes on tribal development programs. While Mr. Gordon holds up lists of injustices, and maintains that he only wants to make things fair. The truth is he is a White Supremist with a long record of attempts to abuse Native Americans.

This weekend I had the opportunity and honor of attending the thirteenth annual banquet presented by The Oregon Commission for Women. It was to present and honor the Women of Achievement Awards. There were many state and local dignitaries present. The keynote address was given by Oregon State Court of Appeals Judge Susan Leeson. The presentation of the 1997 Women of Achievement Awards was hosted by Portland's mayor The Honorable Vera Katz. This year's recipients were State Representative Margaret Carter; State President of AARP Nellie Fox-Edwards; and Oregon Commission for Children and Families Policy Consultant Patricia Davis Hinrichs. Each of these women not only had to overcome the yoke of poverty and disadvantage; Each had to surmount the stereotype and restrictions placed upon them by a patriarchal society. We would like to congratulate them on their fine example of fortitude and desire to be more than what a misogynist male society would force on them. Also Kudos to The Oregon Commission for Women in their fight to remain a viable force in this state and fighting back the attempts of a reactionary dominated state legislature to disband the commission.