Tribal Council releases drafted enrollment ordinance

By Kamiah Koch

Social media/digital journalist

On Thursday, Nov. 7, Tribal Council shared the long-awaited working draft of the enrollment ordinance that will be considered upon the passage of the lineal descent constitution amendment on Monday, Dec. 9.

The constitutional amendment would change the criteria for Grand Ronde Tribal membership and the enrollment ordinance would be the process by which enrollment is conducted.

The 22-page drafted ordinance is available on the Tribe's website and details the proposed changes to the existing ordinance if the membership votes to amend the constitution.

The proposed ordinance changes the membership requirements from blood quantum to lineal descent; an annual limitation of no more than 200 accepted membership applications (except children younger than 6 months or who are the subject of child welfare court proceedings); removal of the Enrollment Committee’s limited number of regular and special meetings; processing membership applications in the order in which they are received with date stamps; and the complete removal of the section detailing the procedures for correcting the membership roll with blood quantum corrections.

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.

Additionally, the 1999 enrollment amendment requirements will be removed, including the provision that an applicant had to be born to a parent who was a member of the Tribe at the time of their birth and who, unless they had passed away, was a member of the Tribe when the applicant filed an enrollment application.

The constitutional amendment will be decided by Tribal members 18 years and older in an election conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, while the enrollment ordinance is only voted on by Tribal Council. There is no precedent of the Tribal membership voting on language in a drafted ordinance before Tribal Council votes on it according, to Tribal staff.  

If the constitutional amendment passes, the amended enrollment ordinance would be approved during the next Tribal Council meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Ballots for the constitutional election were sent out Nov. 8 and Tribal members must return the ballots in the mail by Monday, Dec. 9. There is no in-person voting available and the mail-in ballot is the only form of voting. Tribal members are also encouraged to mail in their ballots sooner than later.

Several community meetings and office hours with Tribal staff have been held to offer opportunities for the Tribal membership to discuss the amendment and drafted ordinance.

Remaining office hours with Tribal staff are scheduled from 5-6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, and noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Tribal Council chambers and on Zoom. Another community meeting is slated for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Tribal Council chambers and on Zoom.

Any Tribal member who did not receive a ballot and is registered to vote with their name on the voter registration list should request one as soon as possible by calling 360-614-5848 or by email at Cherisse.Tiger@bia.gov.