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Page 10 PLATFORM RAINA JORDAN TRIBAL COUNCIL CANDIDATE SPECIAL ELECTION JULY 6, 2021 VOTE RAINA JORDAN JULY 6, 2021 Hello, all! My name is Raina Jordan, and I am running for the vacant seat on the Colorado River Indian Tribe’s Tribal Council. For those of you that do not know me, I am the daughter of Angela Nez and Marlon Jordan. My maternal grandparents are the late Lorraine Eddy- Nez and the late Hank Nez. I have worked as a manager of group homes in Tucson, and I worked in the CRIT Accounting Department for 9 years. I previously served as Chairwoman of the CRIT Liquor Board, briefly, as well. I am currently employed by the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe in their Accounting Department, and I take care of my baby relative as a foster parent/kin- ship placement. All these things have given me the skills needed to be an excellent leader, and they also give me a unique perspective. This year was an extremely hard year for the community, but it high- lighted the deficits caused by our tribe’s reluctance to adapt modern practices. It is imperative that employees be able to work from home to ensure work will still get done in the event of another pandemic or other catastrophe. Working from home is also a hiring incentive that allows CRIT to compete with all the local government agencies in the area, as well as a way to employ more parents who cannot afford the rising costs of childcare. Another way in which the tribe needs to adapt modern practices is using Zoom or another virtual conferencing platform to hold meetings when it is unsafe for the membership to meet in person. By not holding the monthly meetings, the tribe denied tribal members the right to speak to our leadership. These meetings hold the leadership and tribal employees accountable to the membership, and because they were not held accountable, hiring was chaotic, court cases were halted, and var- ious other issues arose holding monthly meetings via Zoom would also enable tribal members who either live off of the reservation or cannot attend the monthly meetings, for various other reasons, to par- ticipate in our government. This would also ensure all tribal members have a voice in their government. Our tribe needs to embrace technol- ogy and learn to function in a new way because it is vital to our sur- vival. It is also imperative that the tribe updates policies, procedures, and codes that cause processes and departments to function slowly. It is not fair to continually blame departments for their lack of productivity when the real culprit is the code or procedure these departments oper- ate under. One example of processes that need to be changed is our hiring process. Indian Preference needs to be the most important part of the hiring process, and yet it is often ignored. When our people are not given the right to work for their own government, the entire commu- nity suffers. I also believe the requirement for a high school diploma and driver’s license are the biggest barriers to tribal employment. If a job does not require a person to drive, why is it necessary to have a license? Also, a high school diploma does not determine a person’s intelligence or competence to hold some positions, and the require- ment to have one is an elitist view that needs to change. Education is amazing, but those that do not meet this requirement should not be automatically left out of employment with our government. When jobs do not get filled, it creates stress for other employees. Our government cannot continue to burn out its workforce. Our community needs healing, and that healing can only happen when our government understands the impact of every decision made. Decisions need to be made with empathy and care for the peo- ple of the Colorado River Indian Tribe. Right now, our people need leadership with not only vision, but with the aptitude to put in work towards change. A vote for Raina Jordan is a vote for a completely new way of operating. Thank you! Vote Raina Jordan for Tribal Council July 6, 2021