Tribal Council appoints Youth Council members

The Tribe now has a Youth Council.

At its Wednesday, Aug. 31 meeting, Tribal Council appointed Dominik Briant, Isabelle Grout, Raven Harmon, Jason Page, Payton Smith and Madalyn Volz to the Youth Council with terms ending in March 2018 or when they graduate from high school. One position remains vacant.

Tribal Council Secretary Cheryle A. Kennedy said that the installation of the first-ever Youth Council was a “moment in history” for the Tribe.

Each appointee received necklaces and a certificate from Tribal Council members in attendance.

Tribal Council finalized the bylaws for the Youth Council in May.

“The objective of the Youth Council is to provide a collective voice and represent the Tribal youth in all matters that concern them; to serve as a means of mobilizing and coordinating the actions of youth, other community members and organizations toward positive goals; to promote the development of future Tribal leaders; to help solve problems facing Tribal youth; to coordinate cultural, school and community service projects and provide for the youth to interact for fun and fellowship,” the bylaws state.

Youth Council is open to those in sixth through 12^th grades. Mirroring Tribal Council requirements, regular meetings must be held no less than every two weeks and General Youth Membership meetings must be held once a month excluding the summer months of June through August.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Set the agenda for the Sunday, Sept. 11, General Council meeting, which will feature Tribal Council election results and a report from Spirit Mountain Casino General Manager Stan Dillon;

• Approved an amendment to the agreement with Industrial Economics, the Tribe’s technical consultant for Portland Harbor and related cleanup and natural resource damages activities, that extends the contract to Sept. 30, 2017;

• Authorized applying for a Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding totaling $118,845. In 2016, the Tribe served 162 households with heating assistance as part of the program;

• Approved 2017 hay harvest season licenses that will bring in an estimated $59,148 in revenue to the Tribe;

• Approved applying for a Tribal Wildlife Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to exceed $200,000 that would control invasive species, such as Scotch broom, and remove three miles of fencing at the Chankawan property;

• And approved the enrollment of two infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

Also included in the Aug. 31 Tribal Council packet were authorizations to proceed that will allow the Molalla School District to continue to use the term “Indians” as its mascot and authorized General Manager David Fullerton to submit a letter to the state commenting on amendments that would allow Tribal governments to participate in mutual assistance agreements along with state and local governments.

Tribal Council member Jon A. George joined Lands Department Manager Jan Reibach, Cultural Adviser Bobby Mercier, Cultural Education Coordinator Jordan Mercier and four Tribal youth 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, by clicking on the News tab and then Video.