Tribal Council approves IHS grant applications

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved two competitive grant applications to the Indian Health Service at its Wednesday, Sept. 9, meeting.

The first grant would provide the Tribe funds to tackle the problems of methamphetamine use and suicide, and the second grant would provide funds to support domestic violence prevention.

Planning and Grants Development Manager Kim Rogers said at the Tuesday, Sept. 8, Legislative Action Committee meeting that the meth and suicide prevention grant is a five-year grant with a cap of $100,000 annually, which is $26,000 less than the Tribe has previously been receiving under the grant program.

The $85,513 domestic violence prevention grant would pay for 30 percent of the Tribe’s Domestic Violence Prevention coordinator position if received, Rogers said.

In other action, Tribal Council:

•        Approved the Sept. 13 General Council agenda, which included Tribal Council election results, a report from the Veterans Special Event Board and a program update from Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc.
•        Approved the enrollment of seven people into the Tribe because they qualify for membership under the provisions of the Enrollment Ordinance and Tribal Constitution.

Tribal Council member Jon A. George joined Culture Department employees Bobby Mercier and Travis Stewart and Jade Unger in performing the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting.

The meeting, in its entirety, can be viewed on the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, under the News tab and then click on Videos.