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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1995)
Ors . C u.L . F. 78 .06 Historical Marker Visitors will read the following narrative: Indians inhabited Oregon 's inland val leys for thousands of years before Euro Americans began to arrive in the late 18th Century. In the early 1780s, and again in the 1830s, diseases spread by seafarers and fur trappers swept through Oregon's valleys killing most of the na tive population. The opening of the Or egon Trail in the 1840s increased pres sure to remove the remaining Indians from their homelands. In 1856, the U.S. Government created the Grand Ronde Reservation, and in the winter of 1857, federal troops forced the native people to leave their aboriginal lands and march to the reservation. The Grand Ronde reservation, origi nally 70,000 acres, was later divided into individual parcels for the Indians, and "surplus" land was sold to non-Indians. In 1954, the Grand Ronde Tribe was "terminated, " and all but 7-12 acres of the Tribe's land was sold. Termination meant the U.S. Government no longer recognized the Tribe or its people as In dians. In 1983, after a prolonged and dedi cated effort by tribal members and their supporters, the UJS. Government restored the Tribe to federal recognition. In 1988, Congress re-established a 9,811 acre res ervation in the mountains north of Grand Ronde. The Tribe has since acquired ad ditional land, built a community center, and developed education, health care, and other programs for tribal members. The Tribe has also embarked upon an ambitious economic development pro gram as part of its plan to achieve self-sufficiency. INSIDE: Critical Investment Issues, page 2 Job Fair, page 3 Pow-wow '95, pages 10 and 11 H istorical Marker unveilea I h T' MMM - m J: Lil Vik.,,.-. -4'v A . J sr I Tammy Cook, Mark Mercier, Diana Robertson, Kathryn Harrison, and Andy Jenness pose next to the His torical Marker erected last month on Highway 18. The marker depicts the history of the Grand Ronde Tribe. By Tracy Dugan A historical marker was unveiled in Grand Ronde on July 18. Located on Highway 18, about one-quarter of a mile east of Grand Ronde Road, this is the 97th marker to be erected in Oregon's Historical Marker Program. The marker depicts tribal photos and a summary of the history of the Grand Ronde Tribe and its people. Tribal Council and staff members have been working on this marker project for a couple of years. The process in volved meeting about location, text, and design of the marker. At the dedication ceremony, Ila Dowd delivered the Lord's Prayer in Chinook jargon. Guest speakers included Tom Bunn of the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners who said, "It has been my great pleasure to watch the growth and development of this tribal community. My hope is that my children's chil dren will increasingly recognize your rich history." Other guests included Kris Olson, U.S. Attorney in Or egon; Tim Simmons, Assistant U.S. Attorney tribal liason; and Lois Hanson of the Travel Information Council. Lois Hanson said the Historical Marker Program began in 1939, with the help of the Oregon Historical Society. The marker program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and is usually co-sponsored by a com munity group. Historical markers preserve, honor, and educate the pub lic about the history and geology of Oregon, and the di verse culture of its people. The Tribe hopes the marker will be a point of interest for many tourists and visitors.