Smoke Signals
December 1994
Rage 8
Tribal Council
Valerene May Houck Grout
Home: Tillamook.
Born: March 20,1939.
Occupation: Tribal Council
member, fish processing plant
supervisor, home maker.
Family: Husband, Pete; Five
grown children; nine
grandchildren; one great
grandchild.
Hobbies: Reading.
Quote: "My kids and my family
are my life. Our youngest just
left the nest, and this is the first
time Pete and I haven't had kids
runningaround the house. It sure
seems empty."
Val Grout is starting her seventh
year as a tribal council member.
She, like others on the Council,
"got into the job because of caring
about our people. I wanted to do
something - all I can for them."
She has seen a big change during
her terms of office.
How did a woman who devoted
her life to her family, and was a fish
plant worker, become a Tribal
Council member?
"My Grandpa Hudson was always
trying to do things for the tribe,"
she said. "He had a great influence
on my bel iefs. He said that the tribe
would some day be doing great
things, but not in his lifetime. I
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
Community of Oregon
9615 Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347
spotlight: Val
always remembered that."
When it was time to run for the
Tribal Council, Val talked it over
with husband Pete and their children
- and she was elected.
Val doesn't have many regrets in
her life, but she wishes that she had
more formal education.
"When I first got on the Council,
using good sense was enough to
arrive at decisions," she said.
"Things are getting much more
complicated, and I wish that I.had
more education. I believe that
education is most important for our
tribal members."
"Kathryn Harrison and Mark
Mercier were very helpful when 1
started out," Val said. "I learned a
lot from them."
Much of Val's learning has come
through self-help and reading.
Her love or reading began when
she was in the one-room Cloverleaf
School. Her next school was bigger
- two rooms in Grand Ronde.
After one year in Willamirfa High
School, Val quit.
"It was too traumatic after being in
such small schools. 1 couldn't handle
it," she said.
Val and Pete, a logger, were
married in 1955. . ,
After her fourth baby, Val went to
work in a sea food processing plant.
"I did everything," she said.
Grout
i ..'.,
a a -n r n it -- ' "
Val Grout
She climbed the employment
ladder to a floor woman, working
for 26 years in the shrimp, crab and
fish harvests.
Val is happy with her work on the
Council, her family and the tribes'
economic progress. She is doubly
pleased with the renewed interest in
tribal culture.
She remembers that, her
grandfather had maintained some
of the old beliefs, customs and
rituals. Her Grandmother Hudson
was a basket maker and moccasin
maker.
She remember her grandfather's
words and wishes that he were here
to see things as they are. -
"I really think the tribe is going
places," she said.
U i f; . t. i brary
Serials Dept.
Eugene OR 97403
Nora Kimsey: ,
She's active in tribal events and in life
Nora Warren Kimsey was born
December 2, 1908 to John and
Cecile Warren. Her sister, Pauline
Johnson, lives in Warm Springs.
She has three children: Margaret
Provost, Myrna Brandon, and
Marvin Kimsey. Nora has 17
grandchildren, 22 great
grandchildren, and 6 great, great
grandchildren.
Nora can be seen at almost every
tribal function, meeting and event.
She is a participant in elders
activities, arts and crafts, and is one
of the few tribal members who
speaks Chinook jargon.
Tribal ejder Nora Kimsey
I m: m - i
n i i v Vi', if I i
..... Xf ' f : I ft
Nora's most recent trip involved
travelling to Eugene, where she and
I la Dowd attended the Windows of
the Past exhibit at the Lane County
Fairgrounds. There, she and I la
told stories in Chinook jargon and
translated to a room full of visitors.
Nora is one of the Tribes most
active elders.
When lla Dowd was featured in
the October newsletter, we
neglected to mention her 7 great
grandchildren: 4 boys and 3 girls.
Smoke Signals regrets the error.