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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2001)
8 JUNE 15, 2001 Smoke Signals Grant hooks Chehalem Youth up to the Internet Chehalem Youth and Family Ser vices will be able to improve their Internet access thanks to a grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund. The grant for $6,120 will be used to assist the agency as they work to improve Internet access in order to meet the needs of youth they as sist. Chehalem Youth and Family Ser vices provides residential treatment and private, special education ser vices to children ages 11-17. The children are referred by the juvenile justice system and children's protec tive services. "The Spirit Mountain Community Fund reaches out to help those in our community who are most in need. We I ... - '. ; , I v ! 1 ' V "Our Tribal members have a deep commitment to our children; this is a way for us to give back to our community in a way that touches all of us the success and mental well being of our children." Angela Blackwell are pleased to be able to provide as sistance to an organization that does so much for the youth in our commu nity. Our Tribal members have a deep commitment to our children; this is a way for us to give back to our com munity in a way that touches all of us the success and mental well-being of our children," said Tribal mem ber and Community Fund Adminis trator Angela Blackwell. Chehalem Youth and Family Services has served emotionally and develop mentally impaired youth for the last 30 years. They provide a formal educa tion at the middle and high school level that is separate from the regular pub lic school system. This is a necessity because the children are challenged because of developmental disabilities. And, some are victims of child abuse and its emotional aftermath. The grant money will help the pro gram with the technology and learn ing aides similar to those available to children in the regular public school setting. Their goal is to rein tegrate the students in to the public schools system whenever possible. Tillamook Forest Interpretive Center Receives Grant Oregonians and visitors will have a new opportunity to discover the Tillamook State Forest thanks to a grant from the Spirit Mountain Com munity Fund. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde recently an nounced a $250,000 grant to the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust for construction of the planned Tillamook Forest Interpretive Center. The cen ter, planned for opening in 2004, will be located halfway between Tillamook and Forest Grove on the Wilson River Highway (Oregon 6). "Our Tribe has always respected the natural world around us," said Tribal Chair Kathryn Harrison. "We see the proposed Tillamook Forest Interpretive Center as a great oppor tunity to help people explore and learn from this amazing forest." "The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Tillamook Forest share a fundamental and over- .'V 6 ' - II V "Our Tribe has always respected the natural world around us. We see the proposed Tillamook Forest Interpretive Center as a great opportunity to help people explore and learn from this amazing forest." Kathryn Harrison arching interest: The forested land scape itself," said Executive Director of the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust Doug Decker. "Generations of Native people knew, lived in and shaped the Tillamook forest. Shar ing this chapter of the Tillamook story is one important component of the overall experience at the center." The center will be a place where visitors can explore the past, present and future of the forest through ar tifacts, personal stories, photos, film, exhibits, games, hands-on models (including a functional indoor water shed), computer simulations, interpreter-led programs and other inno vative media. Outdoors, the Tillamook Forest comes alive through salmon and elk watching viewpoints, a demonstra tion forest, a functional forest look- i t - out, and a prominent suspension bridge across the Wilson River. An interconnecting network of interpre tive trails considers the forest through the eyes of Native Ameri cans, homesteaders, early loggers, firefighters, tree planters and forest ers, fish and wildlife and a variety of forest users. The 16,000-square foot center will be situated alongside a picturesque narrow gorge of the Wil son River on a forested site planted entirely by school children, an hour's drive west of downtown Portland. The Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust is the non-profit organization overseeing the capital campaign for construction of the interpretive cen ter. For more information on the cen ter, contact the Trust at 503-359-7474 or visit the project on the web at www.tillamookforest.org. Teatro Milagro will Expand their Bridges Residency Program A $20,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund will allow the Miracle Theatre Group to expand its Teatro Milagro's Bridges Residency Pro gram. Teatro Milagro is the bilingual touring company of Miracle Theatre. The Bridges residencies are held in rural communities that demonstrate a need for multicultural awareness and are designed to integrate diverse com munity members into the performance. Each residency lasts three days and involves 15-20 community members. There are three rehearsals, visits to local schools and a free performance at the end of the program. Because of Spirit Mountain Community Fund support, Teatro Milagro will bring the program to Marion County schools this fall. This year's produc tion, "Profecia" is a play about saving the earth. Through improvisation, students are able to contribute their ideas about their future and perform them in a bilingual theater scene. The Spirit Mountain grant will fund residencies at Woodburn High School, Chemawa Indian School and a residency that will unite Hispanic and Native American students from the two schools at the Elsinore Theater in Salem. Miracle Theatre group is the largest Hispanic arts and culture organiza tion in the Northwest. Past works have included stories about saving the rain forests, immigration and freedom of artistic expression. Farmworker Housing Project Receives $100,000 toward Education Center The Farmworker Housing Project in Woodburn is well on its way toward establishing an education center dedicated to educational and leadership development programs for low-income farm workers and their families. A grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund has launched their capital campaign for the new building. "I see this gift from The Spirit Mountain Community Fund as the spring board for our education center," said the program's Executive Director Roberto Franco. "It's difficult for an organization like ours to enlist the support of major funders until we can demonstrate that a respected organization is giv ing us their vote of confidence with a significant donation. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have been the missing link we've so desperately needed." The building will be established at the Nuevo Amanecer housing project in Woodburn. "When I look at the Farmworker Housing Project I am reminded of where our people were just a few years ago as we worked from a grass roots level to have our Tribe reinstated," said Tribal Chair Kathryn Harrison. "It took all of our creative resourcefulness and tenacity to get us to where we are today. I admire that same determination in those involved with the Farmworker Housing Project. I know they will succeed and we are proud to be able to give them a helping hand." v
