Lineal descent constitutional amendment election is Dec. 9

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

All Grand Ronde Tribal members 18 years and older will have another opportunity to amend the Grand Ronde Tribal Constitution to change enrollment requirements by voting in the upcoming constitutional amendment election on or before Monday, Dec. 9.

Tribal members must register to vote in the upcoming election on changing the Tribe’s Constitution to require lineal descent, rather than blood quantum, for Tribal enrollment — even if they are already registered for Tribal elections. That’s because this is a federal election being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, rather than by the Tribe.

Registration packets were mailed out on Friday, Oct. 12, and must be returned early enough to be received by the BIA Secretarial Election Board’s office in New Mexico by Monday, Nov. 4. Registration packets may also be mailed back via priority mail to ensure timely delivery.

Any Tribal member 18 or older who did not receive a packet should request one as soon as possible, from the Secretarial Board Chair at 360-614-5848, or by email, at Cherisse.Tiger@bia.gov.

Additionally, Tribal members who are in a time crunch to get their registration packets may contact the Tribe’s Election Board at election.board@grandronde.org or 503-879-2271.

A list of registered voters will be posted at the Grand Ronde Community Center and Tribal Governance Center on Nov. 4, and any challenges to the list must be submitted in writing by Thursday, Nov. 7, to Cherisse.Tiger@bia.gov or in person at the Election Office in the Grand Ronde Community Center between 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tribal staff are holding office hours from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 and noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, both in-person at Tribal Council Chambers in the Governance Center and via Zoom to discuss the amendment and answer questions. Members may register to attend by Zoom online at www.grandronde.org/constitutional-amendment-on-lineal-descent/.

Additionally, the Election Board will be holding office hours at the Tribal Community Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, through Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Ballots will be mailed out on Friday, Nov. 8. In order for a vote to be counted, returned ballots must be received in the designated post office box at the Grand Ronde Post Office by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9.

The upcoming election is the most recent effort to change how the Tribe determines who should be enrolled. Meetings about the amendment are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 and Wednesday, Nov. 20 in Tribal Council Chambers. To register for Zoom attendance, visit grandronde.org/constitutional-amendment-on-lineal-descent/.

Discussions about the latest constitutional amendment began in 2019. After a series of workshops and community meetings, an advisory vote in 2023 showed that 65.3% of the Tribe’s members supported changing to a lineal descent system.

If approved, the amendment will change the Tribe’s enrollment criteria from 1/16 Grand Ronde blood quantum to descent from a biological parent or grandparent who were enrolled members of the Tribe, and not enrolled by error.

The amendment will cap new enrollments of 150 per year, which may be increased up to 200 by approval of Tribal Council. The limit will not apply to infants younger than 6 months or to children who are the subject of child welfare court proceedings.

The change also will require that Tribal Council maintain an ordinance establishing procedures for processing membership issues but will remove a requirement to enact the ordinance within six months.