Tribal Council sworn into office  

   A new council for the Klamath Tribes took office Thursday during a ceremony at the Tribes’ headquarters in Chiloquin.

   With a mix of re-elected and newly elected individuals, members of the 10-person council said they looked forward to working together and carrying out the will of the Tribes.

   “We’re moving forward with your input,” said tribal chairman Gary Frost.  

   The swearing-in ceremony came on the heels of a tense past few months for the Tribes, when various factions wrestled for control of its government. But cooperation was the focus Thursday, with council members saying there was a lot of work to do and they are looking ahead.

   “My vision is we plan for our future, our children, our grandchildren, the seven generations in front of us,” said council member GeorGene Wright-Nelson.

   Shawn Jackson, who will serve his first term on the council, said he wanted to focus on health issues, pointing to his background as director of the Tribes’ diabetes program.

   He said he also wants to focus on environmental issues, including looking at options to develop solar and wind power resources and organic farming practices.  

   “I’m just trying to look out for the best interests of the Tribes,” he said.

   Frost said his priority was transparency of tribal government and keeping the general council, which includes all enrolled adult members of the Tribes, informed.

   “They actually are the governing body,” he said.

   Tribal secretary Torina Case, who began her fifth term in tribal political office, said she is focused on the state water adjudication hearings that could take months or up to a year.  

Side Bar

Council on KBRA: It’s all about following through   

   Recently elected members of the Klamath Tribes’ tribal council said there’s a lot of work to do on the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement to ensure it is implemented as approved by the Tribes’ general council.

   “There’s a lot to flesh out as far as how it’s implemented,” said vice chairman Don Gentry.

   The Tribes are one of the stakeholders that crafted the restoration agreement, which seeks to resolve disputes over water throughout the Klamath River watershed.

   Among its provisions are removal of four hydroelectric   dams on the river, habitat restoration and stabilization of irrigation water and power for farmers. The Tribes also would receive financial aid in purchasing the Mazama Tree Farm, a tract of private timberland straddling Highway 97. The tract was once part of tribal land.  

   Gentry and council members Shawn Jackson and Torina Case said they don’t see a need to make changes to the restoration agreement, but want to see the process of implementation carried out.

   Chairman Gary Frost declined to comment on the document.