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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1999)
CHASTA UMPQUA MOLALLA KALAPUYA ROGUE RIVER MOCC A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe December 17, 1999 OR. COLL. E 78 .06 S66 . December 17, 1993 i' ,;'-.'''..' . v 1 '! " 9 ill Happy Holidays The Tribe's annual Christmas party for tribal members was held on Decem ber 11 at Grand Ronde Elementary School. Several hundred folks at tended, and tribal children sang Christmas carols as part of the pro gram. Tribal Council helped serve the turkey dinner, and everyone received bags of Christmas candy. The Elders' Committee held a raffle drawing. The winners were: Sylvia Fuller, Jackie Whisler, Janet Phillips, Rob Greene, Vivian DeMary, and Norma Lewis. Drawings were also held for fruit baskets and poinsettias. 1 a -"V Tribal Council and staff wish to extend Season's Greetings to all tribal members and their families. Have a safe and happy holiday! farad iiifcGD By Brent Merrill As the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community move into the year 2000, a renewed emphasis on the restoration and preservation of an ancient tribal culture is being balanced by the Tribe's use of the latest in cutting edge technology. As the people of the Tribe transi tion into the new millennium, they are bonded by a unique mix of the old and the new. Members say they are pleased with the Tribe's venture into casino gambling and the success that has come with it. Members also say they are happy that the Tribe continues to emphasize the preservation of its rich traditional culture and sustain ing its forested reservation lands. Many of the Tribe's programs re flect the Tribe's desire to preserve its heritage, but the programs are also making use of the latest advance ments. At the Tribe's Health and Wellness Center, members enjoy health care grounded in tra ditional values while at the same time they are direct recipients of the Tribe's willingness to pursue the lat est in medical technology. One example of that technology is the clinic's new state-of-the-art com puter billing and notification sys tem. The system will be in place mid way through the year 200O. Clinic Manager John Casale said the new system will bring the Health and Wellness Center into the fore front of area medical care. "This is something we have needed since day one," said Casale. "It will eliminate a lot of the manual pro cess of getting statements out to pa tients. This system does that auto matically." Casale said the new system will automatically re-bill an insurance company every 30 days. "To be successful in today's mar ket, you really need something like this," said Casale. In September, the Health and Wellness Center acquired a Fundus Camera to help in the early detec tion of diabetes. Because Native Americans are more susceptible to diabetes than those in the dominant culture, the camera will be a key element in the Tribe's fight with the debilitating dis ease. The new camera is a state-of-the-art retinal photography system that helps detect very early changes in the blood vessels in the back of the eye. Diabetes can cause blindness, and in some cases, loss of limbs. Casale also pointed out the Tribe's Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 Address Service Requested PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM, OR PERMIT NO. 178 University of Oregon Library Received on: 12-20-99 Smoke signals aru new x-ray machine and called it "state-of-the-art" as well. "It is the best x-ray machine around," said Casale. Casale said the clinic is using a new breast examination test that is designed to find cancers easier than previous tests. "This (the new breast examination method) is something no one else has, not even hospitals in the area," said Casale. "In fact Oregon Health Sciences University is just now start ing to provide this training to all of their nursing students." 1 The Tribe's Education depart ment is another example of a program grounded in tradition, but leading students towards the latest in technology in order to enhance their education. "We have gone from the oral edu cation in teaching to being on-line," said Education Program Director Marion Mercier. Mercier said the education of Native people has changed a great deal since the times of gathering around the Elders for oral presentation. Now, Native stu continued on page 2 W4 v. 1 't ' N I " " The Governance Center during Pow-wow. Photo by Kim Mueller (
