Tribal Council approves Indian Gaming Association delegates

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved appointing council member Matthew Haller as a delegate to the Indian Gaming Association and council member Toby McClary as a primary alternate during its Wednesday, Jan. 28, meeting.

However, the appointment was preceded by concerns presented by former Tribal Council member and current Indian Gaming Association Treasurer Denise Harvey, who requested that council let her keep her seat until at least April so she can complete important financial work related to her position as treasurer.

“This is not the standard board position because I was not put in that position by this Tribe,” she said during a Tuesday, Jan. 27, Legislative Action Committee meeting. “I was put in the treasurer position as an elected position by Indian Country. The delegate seat that you gave me gave me the opportunity to obtain (the position) but those (leadership positions) are elected by Indian Country. All of the Tribes had to vote for me. … I think it’s a real opportunity for our Tribe to have somebody at the top national level for Indian gaming and I can stay there if I remain the delegate. You guys can come and do everything you do as a delegate in an alternate position, but you wouldn’t be able to obtain the Northwest delegate or the treasurer…I have a lot of financial stuff I’m taking care of for IGA right now, so I’m worried you guys are blurring the lines by passing this resolution now before April 1 when my term is up. … You guys aren’t paying anything so why not let a Grand Ronde Tribal person be in a leadership position?”

Harvey also serves as the Northwest delegate, an elected position.

Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez said that appointing a new delegate and alternate is consistent with past practice.

“We have always replaced the delegates soon after Tribal Council elections, so we have delayed it a little bit longer,” she said. “I do believe there is only one conference scheduled to take place between now and April when that term expires anyway, and I’d be happy to follow up on the workload.”

Harvey again countered that this situation was different as hers is an elected position and not a delegate role.

“That’s why I’m trying to separate the difference between a board position and this position,” she said. “It is not the same in any way, shape or form.”

McClary said the decision should not rest solely on the Tribe.

“I think in this particular scenario, a body, whether it be Grand Ronde Tribal Council or the IGA board, somebody will have to make an exception to their processes and procedures, and their historic decisions, in  keeping you in that position,” he said. “I’m not willing to do that for reasons I’ve explained to you. This could potentially be where IGA makes an exception to say, ‘We’re going to let Denise carry out the term of her position but not as the delegate.’ … However, our historic decision making, it is to fill that seat as it becomes available if there is a Tribal Council member that retires or is not reelected. We are just following protocol we have been following since our inception.” 

Harvey said that IGA does have the flexibility to allow her to remain as treasurer if another Tribe selects her as a delegate.

“But I don’t want to do that because it makes the Tribe that you come from not (look) good in the eyes of Indian Country…I really shy away from that,” she said.

During the Tribal Council meeting, Harvey again brought up concerns with leaving a leadership role vacant, noting that it was a volunteer role and not a financial burden on the Tribe.

Tribal Council members again weighed in and explained their decision-making process.

“You and I have talked about this directly and what I shared with you then is what I will share now,” Tribal Council member Kathleen George said. “When I evaluate this, it has to be the best policy for the Tribe. It’s not about an individual. It’s about the fact that there are always transitions when the members of council change…It’s not to take away from your very excellent and honorable service that you have provided on behalf of the Tribe. … For the Indian Gaming Association, it has been the practice of this Tribe to have a Tribal Council member serve as a delegate. I think there’s good and important reasons for that.”

Vice Chair Chris Mercier said that he supported Harvey finishing out her current term.

“I don’t have a problem with your request that you made last fall to be allowed to serve until April,” he said. “I’m a little confused by some of your statements (today) because it feels like you’re wanting to serve as the delegate indefinitely and I thought when we met with you in the fall, you just wanted to do it through the end of your term.”

Harvey replied that she could finish out her term and if the Tribe were to reappoint her as a delegate, it would be a benefit to the  Tribe, Tribal employees and the community.

 “Whoever (else) you give the delegate seat to is going to be one of the other 7,000 people walking around the stadium,” she said. “They’re not going to necessarily get invited to the meetings or know information firsthand. Granted, there’s always a few of our other members at these events, but they’re not at the high level that I get access to for information.”

Mercier replied that being removed from positions is part of the nature of the job of an elected official.

“This is how elections go,” he said. “We get removed from positions we previously occupied. That’s just democracy. Matt and Toby have their work cut out for them, but you know, they’ll have the chance  and we’ll see how they do.”

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved a commercial thinning timber sale in the Ulali Thin Logging Unit for an estimated minimum rate of $44,254.

Tribal Council also set the agenda for the Sunday, Feb. 1, General Council meeting. It will be held at 11 a.m. in the Hilton Garden Inn Clackamas Portland (formerly Monarch Hotel Conference Center) and will feature a report from the Natural Resources Department.

To watch the entire meeting, visit www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab.