Letters to the Editor - Jan. 15, 2016

Dear Tribal members:

I take the letters I submit to Smoke Signals quite seriously, especially when it comes to discussing our Tribe’s membership requirements. Therefore, I found some of the statements made in Tracie Meyer’s Jan. 1, 2016, letter to be very disrespectful and offensive. We have been discussing our Tribe’s enrollment requirements and not some boxing match.

Meyer failed to get very far on her “truth-seeking journey.” The first statement on her “journey” is totally inaccurate. In my letter in the Dec. 15, 2015, issue of Smoke Signals, I did not write the words “Sample Ballot Explanation” anywhere, nor did I give reference to it. Based on what Meyer wrote, I assume she somehow obtained a copy of the “Sample Ballot Explanation” which, to my knowledge, has not been released to the general membership.

Meyer quoted from what she says Chris Mercier calls “the enrollment application checklist.” As far as I know “the enrollment application checklist” is for staff use and has not been released to the membership as a public document.

In my opinion, it is not possible for Tribal Council to make just one all-encompassing amendment that will resolve every enrollment issue created by some of the wording of the 1999 amendment. I believe that each of these issues needs to be addressed separately in order to avoid creating additional problems with our enrollment requirements.

Some members of Tribal Council have made efforts to resolve some of the enrollment issues one step at a time, such as an ancestor on the Restoration Roll. The Restoration Roll correction process had a final approval at the Dec. 23, 2015, Tribal Council meeting. This process is for those who do not have an ancestor on the Restoration Roll. I encourage enrolled Tribal members to complete a Restoration Roll Correction Application for themselves or their lineal ancestors or their lineal descendants.

The next step toward resolving enrollment issues was the proposed constitutional amendment regarding the removal of the parent on the roll requirement. This would have resolved the issue for many of those who have ancestors on the Restoration Roll, but who do not have a parent who was a member of the Tribe at the time of the applicant’s birth and who, unless deceased, is a member of the Grand Ronde Tribe at the time the applicant files an application for enrollment. This step was, however, voted down by Cheryle A. Kennedy, Denise Harvey, Jon A. George, Brenda Tuomi and Chris Mercier.

It is my firm belief that the parent on the roll requirement needs to be readdressed as the next step before any other because most of those who are affected were born during the Termination years. According to information provided by the Enrollment Office during Tribal Council meetings, more individuals were affected by the parent on the roll requirement than any others that were created by the 1999 amendment.

Leroy Good

Roll #892

Dear Smoke Signals:

We wanted to send our heartfelt thanks to all the individuals at the Elders Activity Center who prepared the lovely meal served at my stepfather Paul Beard’s gathering on Jan. 5. The food was well-prepared and the staff more than accommodating.

This also could not have occurred without the quick thinking of Paul’s sister-in-law, Linda LaChance, who even though the facility was cooking the meal also felt inclined to prepare even more food. Also the help from membership for the Burial Fund, which definitely was helpful with my mother, Sharon Beard’s, expenses. Adamson’s Mortuary also was very kind and helpful in aiding in the organizing the aftercare arrangements as well.

Words are not enough to express the gratitude our family has for the help the Tribe made available to us in this time.

Although I am very grateful for all these things, I would also like to mention a few things regarding my experience making arrangements for these affairs.

I do have one small concern. When I was dealing with these arrangements, which I have never done before, I made the assumption to just arrange for the Community Center with the kitchen. Originally, my aunt Linda agreed to do all the meal prep and was to be issued the money for the food by the Tribe. No one offered or informed me that the Elders Activity Center may be available and would prepare the food as well. Instead, my aunt told me that it was available. This was a much better alternative as family should not be bothered so they can be part of the service. So after I had already set up the announcements, I had to quickly get those changed and family notified of the location change.

I just wanted to express again everyone who I was in contact with was definitely kind and polite and willing to help. But when a family is already stressed and mourning the loss and dealing with arrangements, no one wanted to be cooking for 100 people. We should offer these options as someone like me who had never had to arrange this type of service before.

Again, the family of my mother, Sharon Beard, thank the Tribe for all the provisions we were given in our time of need. God bless.

Respectfully,

Roxanne Teeter

Roll #1984