Smith pursues heavy equipment operator trade as one of few women in field
She knew what she wanted and used Tribal programs to help her obtain the training, skills for the job
By Natasha Kavanaugh
‘Awesome’ program helps Smith
give back
Tonya Smith is a heavy equipment
operator apprentice with major work and
certification as a crane operator. She is one
of the few women in this specific trade.
A heavy equipment operator de
scribes the many types of machines
used on a construction site, including
cranes, forklifts, bulldozers, excavators,
backhoes, graders, front-end loaders and
paving equipment.
Smith has built a knowledge base
in grades and stakes, health and safety,
project organization and production tasks
to meet the needs of the industry.
“I knew what I wanted to do, I just didn’t
know how to obtain it,” said Smith.
While working to get into the heavy
equipment operators’ training school,
Smith utilized the Grant Assistance for
Single Adults to meet her basic needs.
She is quick to recognize the assistance
she has received from the 477 Self-
Sufficiency Program.
“The staff, the programs - they are all
awesome,” said Smith.
The Tribe’s program helps clients find
not just a job but a lifelong career that
pays a living wage.
Smith also participated in the Work
Experience Program, obtaining her CDL
permit and flaggers certificate.
The big tractor at the house
“I got the idea of her getting into this
line of work when she was my client and
in interviewing her for her case plan, she
stated that one of the things she really
enjoyed doing was playing on the big
tractor at her house,” said Anna Renville,
Tribal services specialist in the Portland
Area Office.
“Another woman that has helped
Tonya a lot and other of our folks with
apprenticeships is Penny Painter, work
force development specialist with Cooper
Zietz Engineers, Inc. A Native American-
owned small business was also very
encouraging, motivational - and resource
ful. Penny helped her get in touch with
the right companies,” said Katy Holland
Kaady, Tribal education specialist who’s
also in Portland.
“I had just spoken with Penny, who
was recruiting women in the area of
Smith shared as her way of giving
back, not just taking. She participated
in the “Women in Trades Fair” held in
Portland, spending the day promoting
Courtesy photo by Anna Renville
and recruiting other women in the trades,
demonstrating her skills on a crane and
Tonya Smith
talking with hundreds of women from
the trades and so I put Tonya in contact
with her and that is how it got started,”
said Renville.
First recruited from the Siletz Tribe’s
Self-Sufficiency Program, Smith immedi
ately went to work with Campbell Crane,
where she learned to operate a large
crane, and then was accepted to and
graduated from heavy equipment opera
tors’ training school.
Renville had referred Smith to the
Tribe’s adult vocational training (AVT)
program, which helped pay for various
costs from lodging and transportation to
CDL license fees. Then with Painter’s help,
Smith was accepted for an apprenticeship
with Operating Engineers Local 701.
Smith is one of several American In
dian apprentices Painter has recruited to
the trades since 2005 through an Oregon
Department of Transportation grant ad
ministered through its American Indian
employment initiative. Renville recom
mended Smith for the ODOT program.
In a letter of recommendation, Painter
said, “Tonya is very focused, self-motivated
and a determined individual.”
throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“Tonya did so much herself by fol
lowing through with everything, applying
for the apprenticeship, getting references/
recommendations from us all, going
through her interviews and making it
through orientation,” said Kaady. “Tonya
was on top of her training and being at her
apprenticeship sites and working with her
co-workers and also all of her volunteer
ing with Women in Trades organizations
and talking to other young women to
encourage them in their pursuits.”
Salem state title roots grew from Chemawa win
By Chris Hagan from the Statesman
Despite a 2-3-2 record in the Dura
chicken-hearted footballers even before
land. With World War II still raging, ad
Journal in Salem, Ore.; originally
tion League playing against Class A
they played a game,” Statesman sports ed
mission was $25 in war bonds for adults
published Nov. 26, 2010
Woodbum, Silverton, Canby and Molalla
itor Al Lightner wrote Nov. 25. “No such
and $5 in war stamps for students.
Streaks, droughts and precedents get
(hybrid leagues have been around for a
blubbering came from the Indians.”
thrown around a lot during playoff time.
long time) the Braves had improved on a
South Salem is in the quarterfinals
winless 1943.
after 19 years, Scio is trying to become
Coach Tommy “Chief’ Thompson
the first repeat Class 2A champion since
came into the season knowing his team
Amity in 2001 and Santiam Christian is
needed a boost, and set out to install the
trying to win its first title.
T offense.
In between their league schedule, they
fumbles and a penalty nullifying a 50-yard
played what amounted to Class B playoff
touchdown run by Cal Simmons to take a
games for the Western Oregon title, beat
7-6 halftime lead on a Merle Williams-to-
ing Amity 13-0 before getting past Reed
Chet Ashman touchdown pass.
sport to set up the tilt with Arlington.
As time grows longer and memories
Thompson turned to Reuben “Rube”
The game, to be held at Willamette’s
fade, sometimes it’s good to go back to
Sanders, a former Chemawa and Wil
Sweetland Field (now the school’s Quad),
the beginning and see where the histories
lamette star - eventually a charter member
attracted a lot of interest from Salem resi
started. For Salem-area football teams,
of the American Indian Athletic Hall of
dents. Parrish and Leslie middle schools
playoff success starts not with the Vikings
Fame with Jim Thorpe and an Oregon
adopted the teams, with the Parrish band
or Saxons or Foxes, but the Braves.
Sports Hall of Famer - who had retired
playing for Chemawa while the Leslie
three years earlier and agreed to be an
cheerleaders supported Arlington.
On Thanksgiving 1944, the Chemawa
football team beat Reedsport, 12-6, set
assistant coach.
ting up a contest that has yet to be repeated
Despite playing a league up, Che
in the school’s history, sending Chemawa
mawa held its own. The team lost 7-0
to the Class B title game.
and 7-6 to Duration champion Woodbum,
“The Indians immediately accepted
with the six points in the second game
the pre-game challenge from Eastern
being the first that had been scored on the
Section Champion Arlington eleven for
Bulldogs all year.
a December 2 title game,” the Oregon
Statesman reported the next day.
“Such odds would ordinarily and
automatically squeeze an ‘uncle’ from
Chemawa overcame four first-half
Even Gov. Earl Snell, an Arlington
native, agreed to hand out the trophy.
The Honkers came in outscoring their
Arlington nearly took a lead but
missed a field goal after picking up a Che
mawa fumble at the 9-yard line. It would
be their last chance to go ahead.
Ashman soon after caught anoth
er touchdown pass after a Chemawa
interception, the first six of 19 unan
swered points as Chemawa cruised to a
26-6 win.
“It was a dinger of a ball game,” the
Statesman wrote. “2,000 fans will tell you
so today, as well.”
opponents 256-0, although the Statesman
The two games are still the only play
noted that Chemawa had a slightly larger
off contests in Chemawa history, although
team, outweighing them on the line by an
the Braves remain the only Oregon high
average of 169.6 to 165.8 pounds.
school team with an undefeated post
Around 2,000 people came to Sweet
season record.
February 2011
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Siletz News
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