General membership receives Tribal lands briefing

The Grand Ronde Tribe added more than 150 acres to its land holdings in 2011, which pushed Tribal land ownership to more than 12,500 acres, said Tribal member and Tribal Lands Manager Jan Michael Reibach at the Dec. 4 General Council meeting.

In 2011, the Tribe added 141 acres when it purchased in early February the Rink properties that straddle Grand Ronde Road. The eastern portion of the purchase is now being used by the Tribe to license hay production while the western portion, which included a house, is being considered as the possible location of a women's transition house.

In August, the Tribe added another eight acres when it purchased the Grand Ronde Middle School site from the Willamina School District. The purchase also brought the Tribe a 27,000-square-foot building.

And the Tribe added another 3.5 acres when it purchased two separate properties immediately north of the Tribal cemetery on the west side of Grand Ronde Road.

"We're not out there buying everything," Reibach said. "The Tribe just buys what makes sense."

Reibach said the Tribe now owns 12,513 acres. Broken down by classification, the Tribe owns 10,052.38 acres of Reservation-Forest land, 279.92 acres of Reservation-Local land, 401.4 acres of Trust land, 227.93 acres of Trust-Pending land and 1,551.4 acres of Fee land.

In mid-November, Reibach reported that the Williams property, almost 20 acres east of the Tribal Health & Wellness Clinic, officially became trust land.

"The application was completed in 6.5 months, which is very remarkable," he said in a Tribal-wide e-mail. "The Tribe has earned a reputation for having one of the most efficient trust programs in the western United States. We have a great team here with some outstanding staff and a Tribal Council that is very astute regarding the process.

"Also, the Tribe is truly blessed to work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Siletz Agency's Superintendent Greg Norton and Realty Officer Art Fisher. Their professionalism and due diligence are part of our success."

Tribal member Ann Lewis, who works with Reibach as the Tribe's Commercial Real Estate manager, reported that the Cherry City Center in south Salem continues to make money for the Tribe as she continues to manage the property and negotiate to retain tenants.

"We had another successful year with our Cherry City property," Reibach said after the meeting.

Lewis said the new Portland area office on Barbur Boulevard now has three tenants - Lewis & Clark College, Colonial Life Insurance and Professional Life Insurance - paying rent.

In addition, the Tribe is still working on development plans for the Chemawa Station property in Keizer.

Lewis also said that the Tribe sold its interest in the 283-unit Russellville Commons development in Portland in 2011, and the profits were used to help fund per capita, economic development and purchase of the Grand Ronde Middle School site.

"We go the extra mile," Reibach said about Tribal management of its lands. "We're Native Americans. We take care of our land."

In other action during the General Council meeting, Tribal Elders Samantha Dala, Linda Brandon, Margaret Provost, Louise Medeiros, Richard Ray, Cherie Butler, Louise Coulson and Wink Soderberg were nominated to run for four open seats on the Elders' Committee.

Committee Chair Gladys Hobbs said voting to fill the positions will occur two times - at the Dec. 28 Elders birthday meeting at the Elders' Activity Center and at the Jan. 8 General Council meeting.

Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy and Spirit Mountain Casino Chief Executive Officer Rodney Ferguson also received plaques from Dr. Dale Walker (Cherokee), president of the Association of American Indian Physicians, in appreciation for the Tribe's support of the organization's recent conference held in Portland.

Besides financial support, Tribal staff helped with putting the conference on, as well as providing cultural events, Walker said.

"Your organization did a great job," Walker said. "And thanks to (Public Affairs Director) Siobhan Taylor. What a valuable person you have working for you."

Before the General Council meeting started, Tribal Elder Val Grout gave the invocation and Tribal members Bobby Mercier and Brian Krehbiel performed the drum song "New Beginnings."

Tribal Elder Carol Gleason, Tribal youth Nolen DeLoe and Tribal member Alexandra Foster won the $50 door prizes while Tribal Elder Wink Soderberg won the $100 door prize.

The next General Council meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, in the Tribal Community Center.