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Health & Education Tribe considers joining final year of Medicaid demonstration project 06.29.2026 Nicole Montesano Health & Wellness By Nicole Montesano Smoke Signals staff writer The Tribe’s Health & Wellness department is considering joining a program that would enable it to bill Medicaid for traditional Indigenous medical practices. Oregon, California, Arizona and New Mexico have obtained waivers enabling Tribes in those states to bill Medicaid for traditional practices, in a demonstration …

Tribal Government & News Letters to the Editor -- Nov. 1, 2016 10.31.2016 Dean Rhodes Letters Dear Smoke Signals : This is one of the most difficult letters I have ever tried to write and I almost feel I must apologize for doing so. So forgive me, I am far from perfect and unwell. I am writing to ask for only a little help, nothing more than we do in our daily lives to lend each other a hand; help each other when needed. Where I am there is none I can call to except Creator, and while I know I …

Tribal Government & News Community Fund surpasses $101 million mark in giving 06.27.2025 Nicole Montesano Spirit Mountain Community Fund Kathy Champion, a volunteer with The Father’s Heart Street Ministry, checks a shoe as she labels it for a size at the Oregon City nonprofit Tuesday, June 17. The organization, dedicated to serving homeless adults in Oregon City and surrounding areas, received a $50,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund. (Photos by Michelle Alaimo) By Nicole …

Tribal Government & News General Council examines preliminary 2012 Tribal budget 11.14.2011 Ron Karten General Council Tribal members provided two comments on the preliminary 2012 Tribal budget during the Nov. 6 General Council meeting held in the Tribal Community Center in Grand Ronde. During a 31-minute executive session, Tribal Finance Officer Julio Martinez went over the preliminary budget and then opened the floor for comments. Since the budget hearing was conducted in executive session, …

Tribal Government & News Elder housing solar panels returning juice to the grid 07.30.2012 Dean Rhodes Housing , Natural resources With the second low-income Tribal Elder housing development scheduled for completion and occupancy this fall, the Tribe has embarked on its third solar panel installation project. The new installation serves the 20 two-bedroom, one-bath units and the three three-bedroom, two-bath "grandfamily" units with 10 percent to 40 percent of their electrical needs, said Don …

Tribal Government & News Tribal convenience store reinventing itself 08.30.2012 Dean Rhodes Tribal employees , Spirit Mountain Casino The Tribal convenience store adjacent to Spirit Mountain Casino on state Highway 18 has been reinventing itself over the last few months. Tribal Council, which had been overseeing store operations, turned operational control over in April to Tribal Finance Officer Julio Martinez, charging him with making the store profitable and ensuring that going forward the …

Health & Education New test targets 'walking diabetics' in Tribe 08.12.2011 Dean Rhodes Health & Wellness , Events A Beaverton-based laboratory, DiabetOmics, is improving the way diabetics can check the markers of their disease. It used to be that drawing a drop of blood was only good for a momentary blood sugar level, but DiabetOmics now learns a whole slew of medical and wellness information from one little drop of blood. The screenings read momentary and long-term blood sugar levels, but …

Tribal Government & News Tribal Council approves Fish & Wildlife amendments 08.03.2015 Dean Rhodes Tribal Council , Natural Resources By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor With the Tribe regaining control of fish and wildlife management on its Reservation and trust lands in September 2014, Tribal ordinances regulating fish and wildlife were in need of updating, which occurred on Wednesday, July 29, when Tribal Council OK’d amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Ordinance. In addition, Tribal …

Tribal Government & News Tribal Council approves contracts for two new buildings 07.01.2014 Ron Karten Tribal Council Two new buildings will be going up in Grand Ronde now that Tribal Council approved the contracts to build them at its Wednesday, June 25, meeting. Tribal Council approved a contract with Gerding Builders to construct a new Employment Services building on the Tribal campus next to the Community Center. The building will be a "one-stop shop" for Tribal members seeking employment …

Tribal Government & News Tribal Council OKs purchase of 91 more acres at Chahalpam site 09.15.2014 Ron Karten Tribal Council , Federal government , Natural resources Tribal Council approved the purchase and sale agreement for acquisition of the Chahalpam Phase 2 property, which entails 91 more acres, at its Wednesday, Sept. 3, meeting. The Tribe originally acquired 338 acres on the North Santiam River southeast of Salem in Marion County and just downstream from Stayton in 2013. The original …