Ad Hoc Committee Letter

As a former member of the Enrollment Requirements Ad Hoc Committee I feel that the committee came up with the only recommendation that the majority of the committee could agree on. It took us a year and much debate over all the material that we could gather to come up with what we thought would have the best chance of passing. We were all concerned with the issue of split families within the tribe. I, for one, am counting on the fair-minded members of this tribe to vote yes on the recommendation that will at least allow the children of the present membership to enroll.

The recommendation is really simple:
1. A person/child that has 1/16th or more Grand Ronde blood and has a parent on the current roll will be able to enroll in the Grand Ronde Tribe.

2. If they are enrolled in another tribe they must relinquish membership in that tribe for five years.

The current roll is the Restoration Roll plus all the members who have joined the tribe since 1983. I have been told by a tribal member that he is telling everyone he knows that if this does not affect your family to vote no. I am asking you all to think more about this kind of statement. This kind of thinking will not heal the split within the tribe.

I want to see the tribe become one again. I want us to Care for one another, helping each other and their children to have a better future. I want all of us to feel proud of who we are and what we are doing to help all of the members to be able to have a good education, better jobs, and a decent place to live.

We are not just a tribe made up of elders! We need our young people to become educated and self-supporting. They are our future!! Please help heal the split families within our tribe!

Thank you,
Diana Norton