SMOKE SIGNALS - April 1,1996 Page 5
Mountain bikers needed
for Spirit Mountain race
Currently some mountain bike enthusi
asts in Grand Ronde are trying to organize
a race during pow-wow weekend. If you
would like to volunteer or participate in this
type of event, please contact Jeff Nepstad
at 879-2377 or Frank Hostler at 879-5608.
The following counties have been declared major disaster
areas and you may be eligible for relief funds from the
Federal Government for your home or small business:
If you have flood damage:
Call your insurance agent first to find
out if you are covered and to file the ap
propriate claims.
Call 1-800-462-9029, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
to find out if you are eligible for disaster
relief. Those eligible include renters and
homeowners whose residences were de
stroyed or made uninhabitable by flood
ing. There are no income requirements.
Any callers to FEMA must be able to
spend 10 to 20 minutes answering ques
tions about themselves and the property.
When applicants reply, FEMA will want
to know if the property involved is owned
or rented as their primary residence, social
security numbers of all working household
members, where the family is staying or
can be reached at by phone, additional in
formation on any home insurance, flood
insurance, or no insurance at all.
Also, FEMA is interested in future po
tential problems that might occur in pos
sible future flood events. This process is
called "Hazard Mitigation," which is a
preventative maintenance measure that
they will apply to all qualified applicants'
properties. (Correct a problem now or
pay big bucks later!)
A special thanks to FEMA Salem Di
saster Field Office, in assisting the tribal
community.
SBA offering relief grants and loans
Additional relief funds are available during disaster events through the Small Busi
ness Administration (SBA). This program is available to both individuals and busi
nesses. SBA grants are available generally to those individuals or families who are of
the very low income levels and have fallen through the cracks of the FEMA process.
Grant amount can be as high as $12,900, and are applied to the family's needs.
SBA loans are available to families who show the ability to repay on a low interest
rate of 4-5. Loan amounts can be as high as $200,000. Remember to keep all
receipts in the event you are audited.
When calling about the FEMA program, make mention that you are also interested
in the Small Business Administration relief program.
Letters from
LINFIELD
COLLEGE
Office of International Programs
Last month some foreign ex
change students attending Linfield
College visited the Tribe and were
given a tour of the facilities and a
history of our Grand Ronde people.
The students were from France and
Japan. Here are their letters of appreciation.
French Group
Dear Editor,
First of all, we would like to thank you
for receiving all the Linfield students and
for giving us your time.
That was a great experience, we all re
ally appreciated these discussions.
It was very educational because we have
never had the occasion to learn about Na
tive Americans.
We, now, understand more about your
culture and your problems.
We understand from your point of view
and share your ideas about fighting each day
to keep your own identity and spirit.
You can be proud of who you are.
Sincerely,
The French Community Vincent
Cartier, Clementine Fischer, Audrey Hamel,
Terence Nairn, and Antoine Prechet
Japanese Group
Dear Editor,
Thanks for all your kindness in sharing
and your time with us during our visit with
the Tribal Council. It was a great experi
ence to hear the truth of what you have been
through. One of the most important things
we learned was that you have such a strong
will to have been able to overcome the ex
tremely difficult times brought on by the
"newcomers." For example, the chairman
told us that your tribe was forced to evacu
ate because of white people's exploitation;
in fact, you all were forced to survive where
ever you all settled.
Second, as white people spread across the
U.S., they destroyed the natural surround
ings in which you all have lived together
for many years. Now, the white people
seem so concerned about the environment
yet, the white people are the ones who
started to destroy mother nature. We felt a
great deal of contradiction over this issue.
You may be interested to know that Ja
pan had a similar problem. In the northern
part of Japan (Hokkaido) there are tribes
called "Ainu." These Ainu tribes are con
sidered as outcasts in Japan. The Japanese
occupied the Ainu's land exactly the same
way as the whites did to the Indians. The
Japanese deceived the Ainu, and took all
their lands. Today, they live in an isolated
place these people have no equality, no
chance to get jobs.
From our visit, we learned many truths
which we had not seen on T.V., or in the
media.
Thank you all again for providing us with
a better understanding about Indians.
Sincerely,
Ko Kagawa, Yuko Osawa, Yuko Suzuki,
and Eri Takahashi
Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m.
It will start on time so don't be late
Pow-wow grounds (weather permitting)
Registration at the covered area
of tribal community center.
Open to all community children
ages 0 to 10.
Have any questions,
call Bonnie at 879-2016,
Jill at 879-2018,
or Tammy at 879-2017.