Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1999)
UH. COLL. E 78 .Ob 866 CHASTA UMPQUA rfOLALLA ALAPUYA IE RIVER DOM March 1999 A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe MARCH 1, 1999 Cemetery Respect for those in our past is an important part of tribal culture ... ,fl RussLeno Cemetery groundskeeper By Tracy Dugan A few hundred yards away from the Gover nance and Commu nity centers sits what represents to many a sacred place: the Grand Ronde Tribal Cemetery. If walls could talk, the cemetery building would be able to tell many stories: stories of respected and loved tribal members who have passed on; sto ries of restoration and how all the tribal services and Council business was conducted from its tiny offices; stories of how after the tribal people lost everything, the cem etery was the one part of the Tribe's heritage it was allowed to keep. In the last year the Tribe has improved and updated the cemetery for the members. A cov ered gathering place was built; wrought iron gates and fencing were erected at its entrance; the grounds have been attractively maintained. But along with these improvements, the cem etery has also received some unwanted attention. Tribal Elder Russ Leno, who keeps an office at the cemetery and oversees its functions and main tenance says that the cemetery is being used dis respectfully by some. "This winter we've had some vehicles coming here at night and driving through the grounds," he said. "We know because the next day I found tire marks all through the grass." Which means that this vehicle or vehicles drove over graves and burial areas. . 66 My parents taught me that the cemetery is a place for respect. You don't ever walk on a grave. 99 "We know it happened two different times this past winter," said Leno, who has strong personal feelings about the cemetery. Leno grew up in Grand Ronde and has helped maintain the cemetery ever since he was a little boy. Several generations of his family are buried there, and he knows every marker, every head stone. "My parents taught me that the cemetery is a place for respect. You don't ever walk on a grave. Some people don't bother with that anymore." . Leno's parents are Emma and Dave Leno, and his grandmother is Tilmer Leno, all of whom are buried at the cemetery. He said, "We have done so much to improve things. I wish people would pay a little more at-' tention to how the cemetery has been fixed up." Leno doesn't like the idea of locking the gates at night, because that way no one could get in during the evening hours. But it is something Tribal Council may have to consider if inappro- continued on page 2 331 aaaEfi aaasffl Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde iy) Community of Oregon 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 Address Service Requested Fox, Janes Special Coll . ) K'nisht Library , UofO Eu9cna OR 97403 PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM, OR PERMIT NO. 178 ' University of LVauon Litirary j Received on: 0305':-iy J imoke vicinal s Native Education hot topic at ATNI Federal funding for education in Indian Country may get a boost, but regional education officials say there is still plenty of homework to do. By Oscar Johnson Education in Indian Country took cen ter stage at a regional conference as tribal and educational officials weighed recent successes against a backdrop of continuing setbacks in Indian education. During the first general session of the Affili ated Tribes of Northwest Indians' annual win ter conference, attention was given to President Clinton's recommendations for increasing next year's federal budget for Native education. Grand Ronde Tribal Council members, Kath ryn Harrison, Chip Tom, and Ed Pearsall at tended the conference. If Congress approves the President's annual budget, the U.S. Office of Indian Education would have $77 million an $11 million in crease over the previous year's budget for the duration of Oct. 1999 to Sept. 2000. The additional funds would be earmarked to ensure 500 more Indian and Alaska Native teachers, increased potential for higher edu cation in Indian Country, and meet the cul tural needs of Native students in local school districts. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) education programs could also see new bonding legisla tion that would invest $30 million in renovat ing and repairing Indian schools. The budget proposals were heralded as the Clinton Administration's efforts to fulfill a presidential promise made last year to improve overall edu cation in Native America. Currently 50 percent of Indian students are only partially proficient in their academic abili ties when measured on a scale of "partially pro ficient, proficient and above proficient." Al though the annual dropout rate for Indian stu dents is down from 17 percent to 12 percent, it is still higher than the 10 percent four-year national average, according to Carmen Tay lor, a BIA education official. Concern about getting more parents and tribal officials involved in education was also highlighted at the conference. Representatives from Chemawa Indian School in Salem made an impassioned presentation outlining the school's desperate need for 'a new vision' and more participation from parents and tribal of ficials. Chemawa board member, Don Pigsley, told a room full of ATNI members that 90 percent of the school's students have problems with al cohol, youths often arrive with substandard reading skills, students sometimes have no place to live over summer breaks, and parents and tribal government officials rarely, if ever, visit the school. 'Too many of these children are at the end of the line when they arrive at the school door," continued on page 3
