Tribal Council requests cancelation of June 6 election

Tribal Council voted 6-0 on Wednesday, May 14, to request that the Department of the Interior discontinue the June 6 constitutional election because of procedural errors at the Bureau of Indian Affair's Siletz Agency Office.

Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno read a statement during the meeting that said the Tribe "has learned of several procedural errors in the current constitutional amendment election. These errors were caused by the BIA Siletz Agency Office's failure to follow federal regulations for conducting secretarial elections.

"As a result, effective today the Northwest Regional Office on its own initiative removed the BIA Siletz Agency from any further involvement in this election.

"Unfortunately, Tribal Council believes the integrity of the election process has already been seriously compromised by the actions of the Siletz Agency."

Tribal members were scheduled to vote on two proposed amendments during the June 6 election. One would have exorcised the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs from the Tribe's constitutional amendment election process and the other would have instituted term limits on Tribal Council service.

Leno said a new constitutional election probably will be scheduled following the September Tribal Council election.

In other action on May 14, Tribal Council:

• Re-appointed Jerri Schmidt to the Grand Ronde Gaming Commission for a three-year term;
• Approved a grant application to the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps for partial funding of the Natural Resources Department's summer youth crew. The grant will not exceed $10,000;
• Approved a restoration and long-term management plan for the Alder Creek Project near Sauvie Island in the Willamette River. The plan, proposed by Wildlands Inc., is part of the Portland Harbor cleanup;
• Requested that the Department of the Interior take the McCarthy and Risseeuw 2 properties into trust for the benefit of the Tribe;
• Approved the enrollment of three infants into the Tribe.