FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tribal referendum on enrollment changes falls short of needed votes

Tribal voters overwhelmingly supported proposed change to tribal enrollment process despite low voter turnout.

Warm Springs, Ore. – Mar. 18, 2019 – Warm Springs Members took to the polls on Friday to decide on changes to the how blood quantum is determined for the purposes of automatic enrollment.  Of those who cast a vote, over 74% supported the proposed change to the tribal enrollment process but the referendum failed to meet the required 1/3 participation of all eligible voters.

Warm Springs Enrollment Ordinance 94 outlines the requirements for automatic enrollment and adoption. Currently, an individual is eligible for automatic enrollment if they have at least 1/4 of Confederated Tribes blood – Warm Springs, Wasco, or Paiute. Resolution No. 10,934 (Sep. 2008) also allows individuals to also consider blood quantum from neighboring Tribes based upon valid traditional kinship and ancestral ties that can be document and confirmed as traceable to legitimate treaty and pre-treaty family affiliation connected to the Warm Springs (Sahaptin or Ichiskin); Wasco, (Chinookan or Kiksht); and/or Paiute, (Shoshonean or Numu).

Tribal Council added the baseline census year concept for automatic enrollment purposes in 1975. Adding the census baseline meant that all applicants for enrollment would have blood quantum determined by examining the parent/grandparent whose name appears on the 1940 census. For those on the 1940 census list, all their Indian blood would be considered Confederated Tribes blood for the purposes of enrollment. Tribal Council later added the 1960 baseline for enrollment purposes in 2008.

In April 2016, the 26^th Tribal Council adopted Resolution 12,157 which changed the rules for determining blood quantum for automatic enrollment by adding the 1980 census to the list of baseline census years for determining the Confederated Tribes blood quantum. Simnasho District Tribal Council representatives invoked Article VI of the Constitution and By-Laws to call for a tribal referendum on the resolution. The 27^th Tribal Council approved the March 15, 2019 date to seek input from Tribal membership on the proposed change.

A total of 3,466 voters were eligible to participate in the March 15, 2019 referendum and 1,155 votes were required for the referendum to be valid. A total of 717 Tribal members voted in the referendum, representing 62% of the total eligible voters, with 537 voting in support of the proposed changes. Voter turnout as follows:

###