Letters to the Editor - Aug. 15, 2015

Dear Smoke Signals:

The Smoke Signals of July 15 refers to a charnel house for the remains of our ancestors. My knowledge of our history, as is noted in all printed work of the Lewis and Clark journals (1804-06), tells of the Chinook Indians referring to the places set aside for the remains of their dead as Memaloose Illahee. The areas were located on islands in the Columbia River. These islands have been flooded over by the waters from the Bonneville Dam.

I suggest it is traditional for us to name our place for the remains of our people as “Memaloose Illahee” – a sacred place of remembrance.

Claudette Parazoo

Roll #2923

Dear Tribal members:

I found Angie Blackwell’s letter in the July 15, 2015, issue of Smoke Signals interesting for a variety of reasons, especially the part where Angie tries to say that disenrollment is a way for the Tribe to practice “gerrymandering.”

Apparently Angie does not remember that there were 34 children and adults disenrolled on Dec. 3, 2008. After the disenrollment of those 34 there wasn’t any talk of “gerrymandering.” However, there was talk that the Tribe should conduct a full-fledged audit of the Tribal rolls to see if there were others who had been enrolled in error.

In 2010, Penny DeLoe was made Member Services manager. Part of Penny’s job was to oversee the Enrollment Office. It is my understanding that over the next few months many errors were found in the enrollment files. That caused more talk of a full-fledged audit of the Tribe’s enrollment files.

Then in June 2011, the Tribal Council approved an audit for all of the Tribe’s enrollment files.

In all of this, the concern seems to be toward getting the most accurate enrollment records possible and that was about it.

When the processing of the findings of the enrollment audit started to take place in August 2013, I do not recall hearing anything about various people being targets of the enrollment audit. It wasn’t until specific individuals started getting their disenrollment letters that there was a cry of foul play and targeting. Then things got more heated over the next few months and that seems to continue from time to time.

Now we are at the point where Angie Blackwell has referred to the disenrollment of a specific group of individuals as a means for the Tribe to practice “gerrymandering.” To me that type of thinking is way out of line, to say the least. I say that because when the audit was approved, no one knew what the results would be and who would be affected in one way or another.

In regard to the July 1, 2015, Tribal Council meeting, I personally do not feel that the question asked during that meeting about the status of the enrollment action before the Tribal Court was out of line or directed at any specific person or group of individuals. It was a legitimate question that has been asked in other meetings.

The one thing I am in agreement with Angie Blackwell is the concern she has regarding the proposed amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance that would allow names to be removed from the Restoration Roll. If changes continue to be allowed to be made to the Restoration Roll, we will not recognize it in the future.

I just wish Angie Blackwell has written a letter sooner in the Smoke Signals asking Tribal members to read the proposed amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance and ask Tribal Council or somebody in our Legal Department to let you see them. The reason I say that is because the first reading of the proposed amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance took place during the April 22, 2015, Tribal Council meeting and comments were to be sent to the Legal Department by June 15, 2015.

Leroy Good

Roll #892

Dear Smoke Signals:

I am writing this letter to express my sincere gratitude for the contributions made by Robert W. Bradley of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Kelly Dirksen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Natural Resources Department and their respective staff members.

They worked together and provided two donations of fresh salmon to iskam mfkHmfk haws. I appreciate the time spent by NRD staff Brandon Weems and Jeramy Trammell who picked up, cleaned and packaged the fish for distribution.

I feel that they went above and beyond to make this much-needed food donation happen for our community. Protein is the top requested item and also our most expensive to purchase. This donation was a wonderful surprise and every family who received a salmon fillet was very appreciative and excited to take it home. The salmon had a beautiful red color and smelled so fresh.

I am taking this opportunity to express my thanks publicly, so all may know of their generosity and hard work. I hope this wonderful new partnership leads to more collaboration and more opportunities for iskam mfkHmfk haws. Haya masi.

Francene Ambrose

Roll #2955

iskam mfkHmfk haws coordinator