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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1993)
New Faces, Continued glii .IT3 DUANE MANYHIDES I was born and raised as a traditional Native American, and am working as a Prevention Counselor for the Wellness Component. Other jobs I have had include working forthe Grand Ronde Tribal Forestry Department from 1 99 1 -92 as a Crew Leader, a Summer Youth Leader, and I also worked as a Recreation Assistant for Chemawa Indian School. I look forward to the challenges of this position and will do my best to serve the youth and the community. At- x ft t ( , '-- 1 ROBIN RICHARDS Robin Richards is a new employee who has been hired to fill the position ofTribal Court Clerk, and to do some administrative work for various departments. As Court Clerk, Robin's job primarily entails the handling of ongoing case files, developing forms and procedures, as well as assisting in the formal court setting. The position requires knowledge of the Indian Child Welfare Act, Indian law, and court procedure. Said Robin, "Law has always been a passion for me. I studied Indian law in college, and have wanted to work for a tribe for years. Because of their unique status as soverign governments, tribes have the opportunity to really serve their people." . ' ' v I - ' . ' , , .5 y : x - ' - v I , f A t," V V """" : """" ? ; , ? Robin attended Fairhaven College at Western WashingtonUniversity where she worked toward a self-designed undergraduate degree in law and history. She has been employed as a paralegal or administrative assistant for several different law firms and corporations in Clark and Multnomah counties. She also worked as an administrative assistant for the Clatsop County Commissioner's office. When asked how tribal court and state court differ, Robin replied, "I have been in state courts where judges didn't give either party any respect. Judge Marston is very respectful and professional in his treatment of those before him." By being the main person in the clerk position, Robin hopes to help provide stability and access for tribal members in dealing with the court system. And on her other employment duties, she says, "I hope I get a chance to work on some really good projects." SUMMER YOUTH CREW The Forestry Summer Youth Crew accomplished a lot of hard work thisyear, and the department would like to acknowledge their efforts. They worked on the Head Start Program's playground, did a lot of trail building, helped set up for Pow-wow, assisted with the Outdoor School salmonbake, cleared brush for the campground area, and other tasks. You did a great job, and thank you! Celeste Wolf, Youth crew member for two years, was chosen by her fellow crew members as the "best overall member". This decision was based on the quality and quantity of her work, attitude, and innovative use of r wt . ifcj . -t J , 1 mmm mm ; i , ; i -.l i - it ill . Jr. Ill her time. She was such a hard worker, she had to be reminded of break i l and lunch time. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by the Forestry Staff and she was awared a $25 gift certificate. Congratulations, Celeste! C- .. .1 r FoA Creiv, L-jR: Matt Thomas, Shonn Leno, Peter Grout, Jason Mercier, Tyson Mercier, Celeste Wolf, and Crew leader Bill Moreland Road To Restoration, Part Two There are many tribal members who have grown up learning about tradition and heritage, whose families were proud to be Native American. They attended pow-wows and other traditional ceremonies, although they were not members of a recognized tribe. Sometimes, when they met other Native Americans, and mentioned to them what tribe they were from, people would often tell them they had never heard of a tribe called Grand Ronde. The Grand Ronde tribe, along with many others, was terminated in 1954 by the federal government. To the tribal members who lived and worked in the Willamette Valley, the state of Oregon, or elsewhere experienced not only a loss of rights and recognition, but a loss of identity. Tribal member Dakota Whitecloud remembers coming home from school one day to her grandmother who told her something that no Native American child should hear. That she could no longer call herself an Indian. Said Dakota, "My grandmother told me she had some bad news. She said the president signed a law that said we were no longer Indians. And that I couldn't be an Indian anymore, only an American." Throughout three decades of termination it was words like those that kept so many people resilient in their determination to get the Grand Ronde Tribe restored again. People volunteered their time to keep track of enrollment records, make phone calls, and apply for grants and funding. And as funding increased, employees were added, and connections in Washington D.C. were listening, slowly progress was being made. The Depot building, now used as the Social Services offices, was once the main tribal headquarters. !jiL IT i iv-.ni i 1 : tt. r-r:y wi ,
