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June 15, A
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JUNE 15, 2001
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503-879-5211
1-800422-0232
A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe
www.grandronde.org
v Sea Otter has a Rich History on the Coast LT1
v?V The Sea Otter has played a leading
r,
role in Northwest History.
The last known Sea Otter
killed in Oregon was
in 1906.
Editor's
Note: When Q
Smoke Signals
was recently ( w
approached by David
TT i I. 1 A ' Ll
naicn aooui running nis
article about the Sea Otter in the
paper we agreed enthusiastically, but we
turned the tables on Hatch and had one of our
freelancers write about him as well. We hope you
enjoy Hatch's piece about the Sea Otter and our piece about him. Pictured
above is an otter pelt and bones that Hatch collected during his research.
ByPetaTinda
The Sea Otter dances and plays in his dreams as if taking him back to a
world that no longer exists. He wonders if his ancestors are guiding his
thoughts and his pursuit of knowledge.
David Hatch is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz and currently
lives in Portland.. "When my grandmother went to enroll with Coos Tribe they
said, tyou don't look like a Coos,' so she went and enrolled as a Siletz," said Hatch.
As a child, Hatch grew up traveling around.
The first school I went to more than two years was Oregon State University,"
Hatch said. "After graduating from OSU with a degree in engineering, Hatch
got a job as a traffic signal designer with the City of Portland, where he has been
for 15 years.
"All you do is turn the light bulbs on and off," Hatch said jokingly. .
- About a year ago, Hatch was on a committee to decide the name of OSU's new
research boat, made specifically for gathering information about the tidal zone.
DAVID HATCH, continued on page 6
THE SEA OTTER - Leading Role in Northwest History
A keystone species of Northwest Coast ecological systems, the Northern Sea
Otter is now almost gone. Over the past 300 years, the Sea Otter has served as
the economic inspiration for European invasion of the Northwest coast, as well
as the exploitation and murder of the Native people. Today, Sea Otter ambas
sadors living in the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Coast Aquarium are the only
examples of this once plentiful species in the state. Writer David Hatch traces
Elakha's threads through history and argues for the development of a restora
tion plan for returning the Sea Otter to Oregon's coast.
By David R. Hatch
This is a story without a beginning or ending.
For the sake of a beginning we'll start with a queen, actually a Russian
Empress named Catherine. At the time she was known as "Her Imperial Maj
esty Empress Catherine."
In 1725 she sent Vitus Bering on a five-year journey to find out if in fact her
kingdom extended to the Americas that were being invaded from the east by the
Europeans. Although Vitus sailed right through a narrow strait separating two
continents, the weather was so bad he never saw the continent just to the east.
Upon Vitus' return, the new empress Her Imperial Majesty Empress Anna
sent Vitus Bering on another five-year journey to look farther for more an
swers to the same question.
On this trip, Vitus and his crew in their ship the St. Peter overextended
themselves. Many of the crew along with the captain were not able to survive
the winter in the sea we call the Bering Sea shipwrecked on an island just off
the coast of Russia, which we call Bering Island.
THE SEA OTTER, continued on page 6
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
Community of Oregon
9615 Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347
Address Service Requested
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1399 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
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Grand Ronde Tribal Cemetery
Finding Our People
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; University of Oregon Library
Received ons 06-18-01 a
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In Search Of Tribal member Gene LaBonte is now working with Cemetery Care
taker and Tribal Elder Russ Leno at the Grand Ronde Tribal Cemetery. LaBonte is
working with Leno through the Tribe's Cultural Resources program to map the cem
etery and find lost loved ones. LaBonte said he is proud to get an opportunity to
learn from and work under Lend. Story on page 4
Tribal
Information Day
State Capital is the site
for important event.
Leaders Grand Ronde Tribal Chair
Kathryn Harrison listens as former Oregon
Governor Vic Atiyeh thanks the crowd
gathered at the State Capital in Salem in
May. The Tribal Information Day was
part of American Indian Week. The
event also marked the 25th Anniversary
of the creation of the Commission on
Indian Services.
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K S I i
Senator Wyden Visits Grand Ronde
Town Hall Meeting United States Senator from Oregon Ron
Wyden visited with the Tribal Council at the Grand Ronde Commu
nity Center on Sunday, June 3. Wyden spent time discussing issues
with those in attendance and has publicly stated that he will hold a
town hall meeting in every Oregon County every year.
V I W Mm i
5MH
The 16 Tribal Council candidates will each have five minutes to introduce themselves
and speak about issues that are important to them. Then questions will be drawn
randomly and asked from the question box. This will be preceded by a potluck lunch.
Hamburgers, hotdogs, punch and coffee will be provided by the Election Board. At 2
p.m. the forum will continue with questions from the audience that will be field by
Election Board members. Candidate Statements will be published July 1.
CANDIDATE QUESTIONS WANTED
The general membership who would like to ask questions of the Tribal Council candi
dates but are not able to attend the July 7 Candidate Forum are asked to write their
questions to the Election Board. Note: The Tribal attorneys will review the questions
to be asked. There will be no inappropriate allegations or personal attacks allowed.
Please send questions to: Election Board, P.O. Box 99, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347.