OR. COLL.
E
78
.06
S66
November
15, 1997
A f
Struggle of Restoration remembered
The following statements are verbatim accounts of what members of Tribal Council said to
Congressional officials in 1983, after the Restoration Bill was introduced. As the Tribe celebrates
Restoration Day on November 22, we should remember the words that helped make it all possible.
Testimony of Frank Harrison in support of HR 3885
before the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee,
October 18, 1983
Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee:
My name is Frank Harrison, and I am a Council member
of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Indians. I want
to thank you for allowing me this opportunity to appear
before you. I would like to tell you some of the effects of
Termination on our tribe.
As you know, Termination as a policy has been repudi
ated by the United States Congress since 1968 but my tribe
remains terminated.
The idea behind Termination was for Indian people and
tribes to become self-sufficient by assimilating into the white
society; to compete with white people and thus to learn to
advance ourselves. The concept was that Termination would
have a positive effect on the Grand Ronde Tribe.
The facts however, show that the opposite happened. Ter
mination caused a great hardship to our tribe and our
people are still suffering because of it. In 1982 we hired a
firm in McMinnville, Oregon to conduct a socio-economic
study of our people. This study shows that the Grand Ronde
Indians are lagging behind their white neighbors in health,
employment, and education. I would like, Mr. Chairman,
to read some of the findings of this report.
Twenty-five percent of our tribal members suffer from
chronic health problems. Twenty-four percent are in need
of medical attention but cannot afford it. Fifty-one per
cent have dental care needs which are not being met.
The tragic irony of this is that not far from Grand Ronde
there is the Indian Health Services facility at Chemawa
Indian School. This is a modern and efficient facility but
our people cannot make use of its services because we are
terminated and no longer federally recognized Indians.
But the greatest loss has been our sense of identity. The
loss of federal recognition affected the unity of the Tribe.
Some people moved away. I remember going to other tribes
and having Indian people ask me what tribe I was from,
and having them not know Grand Ronde. This happened
to me many times when I was growing up and still does
today. This would not have happened if our tribe had been
federally recognized perhaps.
In seven ratified treaties our tribe ceded to the United
States hundreds of thousands of prime acres, making that
land available for white settlement; in return the United
States agreed to provide health, education, and economic
development services. The United States agreed to protect
our people; the United States recognized our sovereignty.
Our tribe has abided by the laws of Congress and we kept
our treaty promises. We never consented to being termi
nated and yet Termination has unilaterally abrogated
many of the promises made to our tribe by the United States.
We ask today that Congress close the gap of twenty-nine
years and restore our tribe to its former status. Thankyou.
,v. l 4 IV
.1 ' 4-
A
1
'A i-
; . .. VVfltl,l..i,lM.
1 -.rx.
1 ' 'X"
JUniver
Recei
'ersity of Oregon Library
ived on: 11-19-97
iSmoke signals
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1983: Marvin Kimsey, Jackie (Colton) Whisler, Frank Harrison, Karen Harrison, and
Kathryn Harrison testifying before Congress in order to restore the Grand Ronde Tribe.
The following is an excerpt from the testi
mony of Congressman Les Aucoin before the
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs in
Washington, D.C. In this testimony, Congress
man Aucoin urged the passage of the Resto
ration Bill, which he introduced.
Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee;
Thank you for this opportunity to testify in
support of this bill. The main thing I want to
stress this morning is my complete support
for this legislation and what it seeks to do
and that is give the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde the tools they need to help
themselves. I'm convinced that tribal status
is crucial to Native American people and is a
cornerstone for their collective success. To
non-Indians, tribal status may seem super
fluous, unnecessary, or perhaps even silly.
But to Indian peoples, it is the vessel for
their cultural rediscovery, and a source of
their cultural identity.
Even though the Tribe was ill-prepared for
the realities of Termination and many Indians
floundered as unemployment soared, the
Grand Rondes maintained an identity, a sense
of community that persists today. It is a
strong bond which may never be broken.
These Indian people are now ready to ac
cept Restoration of their tribe as a federally
recognized entity. They are not asking for a
hand-out. They are determined people who
have earned the dignity of being called by
this nation as a tribe once more.
Restoration Celebration Nov. 22
The annual Restoration Celebration will be held Novem
ber 22 at Grand Ronde Elementary School. The meal will be
served at noon, followed by a mini pow-wow in the school
gymnasium. This year a special "History Room" will be set
up where Elders can share stories with tribal members about
the days before Restoration, and visit with the staff from the
Tribe's Cultural Resource Protection program.
The celebration will also feature the unveiling of a "Sa
cred Hide" artwork, designed by tribal member Jon George,
which will hang in the Health and Wellness Center. Health
and Human Services employees are encouraged to attend in
order to place their thumbprint in the Sacred Hide.
Volunteers are needed to help with set up, clean up, and
serving of the meal. Please call Jon George or Kathy Tom at
879-3098 if you are interested. Vendors are welcome, but
space is limited and will receive space on a first come, first
serve basis. Please call to reserve a space. Public welcome.