DECEMBER 15, 2000
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est beginnings of the people who were seeking Restoration and
what the Tribe has achieved over the years in relatively short
time -1 mean we're talking 17 years. That is less than a genera
tion to work this complete transformation of the Tribe and its
outlook.
Smoke Signals: One of the things I noticed is when your name
is mentioned, folks around here got real excited about your visit.
How does that make you feel to know that you are an important
person to the community?
Wharton: Well, I don't know about being an important per
son. It's nice to know that people remember you from the days
when you worked together and the work that you did together.
There is a certain kind of bond that comes out of people who share
struggles.
You have to recall that this is a time when the Grand Ronde
people supported what they did with bake sales and trying to sell
beads and crafts.
Smoke Signals: And passing the hat.
Wharton: And passing the hat. There was a real sense of
mission. A real sense of struggle and commitment among the
people who were there. These are people who showed up because
they believed in who they were and what they were doing. There
was no other incentive. These were people that showed up be
cause they wanted their grandmother's medicine to be paid for.
These people had very simple needs. And the foundation of all of
that was to remove the insult that the United States had put
upon them about not being a Tribe anymore. Not being one of the
Indian Nations amongst the great circle of Indian Nations. That
' was first and foremost. And it is all the sweeter that it turned out
so grandly successful. But, it also would be sweet just the same if
there were nothing more than those programs that they had wanted
at the time.
Smoke Signals: Because that would be a victory.
Wharton: Absolutely. Restoration of itself was a victory. That
the Grand Ronde people deserved to have it happen, but it wasn't
essential to the initial vision and goals that the people were think
ing about. So, it was a terrific bonus. They deserved it. They
needed to have it, but they could have survived without it. The
gaming was beyond anybody's vision or dreams. In the early
days I mean. Those dreams and visions evolved over time.
Smoke Signals: What do you think is the most important
thing for our folks to remember about the transition that has
gone on over the 17 years just from your perspective? What do
you wish people would consider important?
Wharton: I think it is always important for people to remem
ber their own story. To understand their own history and to rec
ognize the contributions made by the people in their community
who went before them. It is important for people to know who
those people were that kept the flame alive when there was little
reward for doing so. These are the people who didn't end up being
the elected leadership of the Tribe... You know I think about
people like Dean Mercier I mean he was there and he was
committed and he added a lot of grit to that. . . You know he is not
the kind of guy who goes back to D.C. and testifies before Con
gress although he certainly could have. And he is not the guy
who sits down and negotiates with the bankers over what the
debt service rate will be on a gaming enterprise. But, he is an
intregal part of the community that held together the belief that
the Tribe existed and had a right to exist and ought to be restored.
That contribution, by itself, is a really important piece of under
standing that all of the Grand Ronde people are part of doing what
happened here.
Smoke Signals: Not a lot of people know that information.
Wharton: There are others too. Mrs. (Eula) Petite who
didn't outlive this process. She was there too. And, there are the
people who provided so much support in context to what was go
ing on like, Candy Robertson. There was never a meeting, there
was never a gathering, there was never anything going on that
she wasn't behind the scenes making sure that the food was there,
that the lights were on, that the heat was on.
Candy is the kind of person who even though she's not up on the
podium speaking, you couldn't be there without her. It couldn't
happen, it wouldn't happen without her.
Smoke Signals: I appreciate that perspective.
Wharton: There is one other thing and it has to do with the
courage. The raw, gut courage. In addition to the commitment
and the showing up and the putting their own money in the tea
pot and the bake sales and the rest of it. These people, and these
are just the down home Grand Ronde people.
Smoke Signals: It's not just about the money either.
Wharton: It has nothing to do with money.
Smoke Signals: It's not even the benefits and all the things
it's about the community. It's about the sense of family. It's
about the sacrifices that people made and the ideal they had.
Wharton: More than anything else, it's about righting a ter
rible wrong.
3 ay Leno Brings Stand Up Comedy
to Grand Ronde Audience
The Tribe's Spirit Mountain Casino showcased one of the big
names in Hollywood on Monday, January 17 when Tonight Show
host Jay Leno performed back-to-back stand-up comedy shows.
Leno, who takes his act on the road annually, poked fun at the
news, joked about the differences between men and women and
their pets, told stories about his many airline adventures, shared
intimate details about a unique relationship with his parents,
waxed poetic about his love of old cars and still managed at times
to be raw and edgy with his humor.
Before the show, the question on many people's mind was why
does an "A" list performer like Jay Leno need to go on the road
when he has a long-running hit television show that pays him
extremely well.
After the show he answered that question.
Leno: It's like working out with weights or something, you
can't be a weightlifter and not train. The way you keep sharp is
you go out and you learn something each show and you get an
other ad lib that you can turn into a joke or something.
Smoke Signals: Is there anything you miss about the early
days of your career?
Leno: No. I learned from those early days. We all started out
together, me and (David) Letterman, Robin Williams, Jerry
Seinfeld. We all started out working in clubs. You learn from
every experience.
During the interview, Leno was informed than one of the
larger families in the Tribe has the name Leno as well.
The difference in pronunciation was explained to him
Lenno for him and Leeno for the local family.
Leno said everyone in his Italian family, except his dad,
pronounces the name Leeno.
Leno: That is how everybody in my family pronounces their
name except my dad. My dad changed it to Leno (Lenno). You
know when he was a kid everybody wanted to be American no
body wanted to be Italian or whatever. So, he made it more anglo
sized Lenno instead of Leeno. It actually is pronounced Leeno."
Smoke Signals: Tell me about your car collection.
Leno; Well, I never sell anything. I have every car I've ever
owned since I came to California. I like to work on them and drive
them around and crash them and fix them.
Smoke Signals: Do you ever take a tour of your own cars to
see what you have?
Leno: No. Saturdays and Sundays I just work on my stuff in
the garage; sometimes for a couple of hours after work. It's great
fun. Great fun.
Tribal Elder Joe Mercier Shares
Memories, Survives World War II
Tribal Elder Joe Mercier, 77, thought growing up in Grand Ronde
during the 1930s was tough. But, life on the Reservation was
cake compared to surviving in the jungles of New Guinea and the
Philippines during World War II.
"I remember we pinned down these (Japanese soldiers), but they
had caves and we didn't know it," said Private First Class Joseph
Arthur Mercier of his memories of war. "I was the lead. I was
always the scout. I came up out of a moor and there was a (Japa
nese soldier) and he began to shoot. He was using an automatic
rifle and he shot our sergeant five times in the legs. We finally
got him out of there and that is how I got my Bronze Star."
As his battalion's scout (Rifleman), he was on the point. He
would scout an area out before the other troops would come in. He
was always the first one to get into the action. He said he could
remember many times when the war raged around him.
The fear the young men felt in their battles held them together
said Mercier, who was 20 years old at the time (1943).
"Damn right we were scared," he remembered.
Mercier returned to Grand Ronde and resumed hunting in the
woods with his friends.
"I did most of the shooting," said Mercier of his frequent hunt
ing trips. "Those deer didn't hardly ever get away from me."
Mercier remembers one hunting trip, with best friend Fremond
Bean, in which he needed more than a gun to make the kill.
"He (Fremond) came by and wanted to go hunting," said Mer
cier. "He said I should drive because he wanted to do the shoot
ing. So, I drove. We went up the hill and halfway up the butte, he
shot this deer that was fairly close. Fremond started out down
the hill after the deer and left me up top. I didn't have a gun. I
went over to where I thought the deer was and damned if it (the
deer) wasn't standing there looking at me."
What Mercier didn't know at the time was that Bean had shot
the deer through the ear and the deer was near death, but still on
all fours.
"I looked around there until I found a good-sized limb and I hit it
(the deer) in the head and knocked it down," said Mercier. "It
would get up and I would knock it down and it would get up and I
would knock it down."
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Tribal Elder Orville Leno Logged, Played
Baseball, Went to War
Grand Ronde Tribal Elder Orville Leno spent most of his years in the woods
as a logger. He saw some of the world while in the military and remembers
his days of growing up in Grand Ronde fondly.
Leno said the state of logging in the Northwest is sad. He said it is hard to
watch the industry he grew up in die out.
His memories of war are not discussed with family and yet his memories of
playing baseball while growing up are shared with excitement and enthusi
asm. Baseball was the only game that mattered in Leno's youth. Everybody in
the community Indian and non-Indian came to play. Respect was earned
and life-long legends were born.
After his leaving school after the 11th grade Leno made a name for him
self as a logger. Then, he went into the service.
"I got some of the guys that I was in the service with there is not many of
us left," said Leno, "They still write every Christmas. They still keep track.
When I was in the service I used to tell him I lived in a teepee. Yeah, I used
to kid them a lot just because I was the only Indian. I had a lot of fun with
them just from being an Indian. They all respected that though.
"I took infantry training in Arkansas," said Leno. "I was doing communi
cations for different outfits. Wherever they needed communication they'd set
us up. We went from Casablanca clear up to Rome.
"I got to see a lot of it (the world)," said Leno. "A lot of it I didn't like, but it
is like I said we were survivors."
Leno survived many battles and earned several commendations and honor
medals. Leno took part in the Angio Landing near the time of the Normandy
Landing.
"I think I've got 6 or 7 battle stars," said Leno. "Some of them were good
and others were just not what you want to see."
Leno said the face of war is not pretty. He said the pictures of war have
stayed in his mind, but it is not something he chooses to talk about often.
"The hard part was the killing of somebody that you didn't even know for no
(apparent) reason. In war nobody gabs anything you both lose. No matter
if you win you lose."
Leno said he has tried to forget some things.
"Oh, I think about them (memories of war), but I try not to," said Leno.
Leno's memories of growing up in the woods and spending most of his life as
a logger in the Northwest are more pleasant. He said it was tough work, at
times nearly impossible, but he learned and he has no regrets.
The veteran loggers put the rookie timberjacks through a traditional rou
tine of hazing while teaching them the art of logging.
Just like in baseball, the veterans wanted to see how much the young rook
ies could do.
"A little harder," they would say to Leno. "If you can stand er."
The memory made him smile.
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cjribal Elder Merle Holmes was Born
II in Grand Ronde, Knows its History
Sometimes he feels he's on the outside looking in at his own
Tribe.
Grand Ronde Elder Merle Holmes watches as his Tribe grows,
evolves and rewrites its own history. Holmes said the most im
portant factor in establishing and maintaining Tribal history is
accuracy. He wants the Tribe's story to be told but, he wants
it to be told correctly.
Holmes was born in his parent's home on the left bank of Agency
Creek in Grand Ronde in 1933. Holmes was one often children
born to Abraham and Mildred Holmes. Holmes' grandparents
were David Holmes and Mary Sangretta. Mary was the daugh
ter of Chief Joseph Sangretta. Holmes has two sons Jim and
David.
Holmes said that even though he feels detached from the Tribe
at times, he said he understands the evolution of a modern-day
Tribe trying to cling to its remaining culture and at the same
time find prosperity to benefit its members.
"I will be up front with people who ask me things and I will tell
them what I remember," said Holmes. "You have to have a touch
with the old line of people to really establish the old history like it
was. It is really critical now because there is only a handful of
Elders left that we can extract this knowledge from."
Casino Employee, 18, Saves Lives
with "Heroic" Rescue
Life has been pretty crazy lately for Dallas teenager Russell
Irwin. First, he got a new job. Then, he got married. Next, he
became a hero.
After finishing just his second shift at the Grand Ronde Tribe's
Spirit Mountain Casino as a prep cook, Irwin was on his way
home when he came across a burning tour bus that also had just
left the casino. Irwin acted quickly and began helping passen
gers get off the bus to safety.
"I came over the hill and when I did, the charter bus was on
fire," said Irwin. "In order to miss the bus, I had to pull my
emergency brake otherwise I would have hit them. They had
cars scattered all over that hill.
Irwin said he didn't have time to think.
"I got out of the car and ran down to the bus," said Irwin. "I
asked (someone) near the bus if they got everybody off the bus and
he said there were still people in there. They were pushing to get
out. So, I went up over the seats and I got into the back end of the
bus where the fire was at and started pulling people out of the
bus. The guy that was helping me said after the sixth time I
went into the bus I passed out on the stairs and he yanked me off
the bus. Then, I went to the hospital."
The bus started to deteriorate around him on his last trip into
the burning vehicle.
"The rubber on the floor of the bus was all gooey," said Irwin of
the inferno. "I got chemical burns from the seats. They were
pretty hot. I also got chemical burns in my throat and in my
mouth because of the toxic fumes. I don't really remember too
much after that. I just remember the ambulance came and got
me."
According to Oregon State Police on scene, a mechanical prob
lem in the bus' engine caused the fire.
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A ssistant Secretary to the Bureau
ZrAof Indian Affairs Goes One-on-One
The highest-ranking Native American public official in the
United States, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs (BIA) Kevin Gover, took a moment from his schedule to talk
with Smoke Signals at this year's National Congress of Ameri
can Indians Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota in mid-November.
Smoke Signals: Obviously right now the big thing that is on
people's mind is the election and I know that without resolution it
kind of has people in turmoil. What do you think about that right
now and how does it affect Indian Country?
Gover. I don't know that it affects Indian Country any differ
ently than it does every other American. I think we have to be
patient and try to have some confidence in the process. I believe
that a clear result will emerge soon. And in Oregon and Wash
ington and New Mexico even in places like Iowa and Wisconsin
the Indian vote could have been the swing vote. If anybody
doubts the impact that we (Natives) can have on elections, this
election has proved it.
Smoke Signals: It seems like many people felt that a vote for
the Green Party would have taken a vote away from Gore. What
do you think about that?
Gover: As far as I'm concerned, a vote for the Green Party is a
vote for Republicans. I respect the integrity of the Green Party, I
respect their earnestness, but it is absolutely clear that when you
vote green you are basically voting for a Republican candidate. I
frankly don't think a lot of people did that in Indian Country. I
understand the appeal that Winona LaDuke has, but the reality
was that she was never going to be vice president. I hope that
doesn't prove to be the decisive factor. Because if it is, then the
Greens are responsible for what happens for the next four years.
Smoke Signals: What do think are the most important issues
on the West Coast and how can Tribes be a part of government
maybe in a different way?
Gover: Well clearly the salmon issue is first and foremost. If
it turns out that the work that the Tribes did in U.S. vs. Wash
ington and U.S. vs. Oregon proved to be hollow victories because
the resource has been destroyed that would be a sad comment on
how the United States stewards the resource. The Tribes have to
continue to pound on the door. There are very powerful interests
at work on this issue and the Tribes have not yet had their voice
fully heard in my opinion. They just have to keep working at it.
Smoke Signals: What are some of those powerful interests
that you allude to?
Gover: The timber companies, the power companies and even
the agricultural interests in those states have had more influence
to date on the resolution of the salmon issue than have the Tribes
in my opinion. If we don't bring policy around to the Tribal per
spective I believe the resource will be lost.
Smoke Signals: That would be a tragedy.
Gover: It would be a crime of historic proportions for those
animals to become extinct.
ell-known Onandaga Chief
wants Native Languages Saved
Respected Tribal leader, and veteran of many television projects
that have educated the dominant culture about Tribal history,
Onandaga Chief Oren Lyons was a central figure in the 57th
gathering of the National Congress of American Indians.
Lyons took a moment after the awards ceremony to speak with
Smoke Signals.
Smoke Signals: I noticed one of the things you talked about
tonight was the importance of keeping our languages.
Lyons: Of course. You know its getting so we heard a couple
of good examples today of people who are so intent on getting a
good nation that they forget who they are. The more you look like
your brother over there, the less you are going to look like your
self. It is so important the first foundation for sovereignty is to
know who you are and to protect that.
Smoke Signals: One of the things we are doing back home is
we are teaching our language, our Chinook jargon, to our chil
dren because they seem to really retain it and they go home and
they teach their older siblings and their parents. . .
Lyons: That is what happens. You are not the only ones a
lot of Indian nations are teaching the kids and the kids are going
home and teaching their parents. The parents have to learn out
of embarrassment they can't talk to their kids in their own
language. It is a neglect that nations will pay for. And, I will say
one more thing about language, language hasn't been lost lan
guage was taken. Language was beaten out of the people. Lan
guage was a federal program of destruction. I mean we didn't
lose language. It was taken from us in the most unjust manner
you know it was a crime. It was really a crime what they did.
Smoke Signals: Like in the boarding schools . . .
Lyons: Well, that is what it was. The whole purpose of the
boarding schools was to take the child away from the culture and
the language.
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