8 AUGUST 1, 2001
Smoke Signals
IKteEs Amy! Weteraira
Traditional event gets bigger and better every year.
Continued from front page
Committee, Marce Norwest organized the event.
Norwest, who served in the United States Army
in the early 1950s, is a Tribal Elder who has been
organizing Veteran's events for many years.
Norwest said the Veteran's Pow-wow is a cel
ebration of freedom.
"Honoring your Veterans is very important," said
Norwest. "Freedom didn't come free we had to
fight for it. If it weren't for Veterans we wouldn't
have the freedom that we have today.
"Most of our Veterans are Elders as well and
they are dying off at a high rate," said Norwest of
the many reasons Veterans are an honored popu
lation in the Tribal community.
Tribal Council honored Norwest and his wife
Sharon for all the work they have done and con
tinue to do for our Veterans.
"I didn't expect that," said Norwest of being hon
ored by council. "My wife said she didn't expect
that either. She is kind of the (foundation) of our
association she does all the bookwork. I've
never asked council to try to pay her for all the
work she does. When they asked her to come over
she said she never dreamed that would happen.
And, that is something that I will remember for
ever. I'm very emotional and I had a hard time
holding back and she did too. It was a great
thing."
Norwest seems tireless and along with a grow
ing group of dedicated area Veterans (not all of
them are Tribal members) keeps a busy schedule
of events. Norwest said they participate in almost
every event they are asked to appear. That can
end up being 40 to 50 events a year. "
He was impressed by the large turnout this year.
"Most of our Tribal Council was there and that
gave me a big lift," said Norwest. "We had Veter
ans from all over the United States here. We all
enjoyed ourselves and it was one of the highlights
of my life you know.
Working pow-wows, parades and other events
with the Veterans and establishing a color guard
that is now well known all over the Northwest has
been a labor of love for Norwest. The man has a
dream. And, it is a tough one to give up, but he
said he sees that the day could be coming.
"One of these years I would like to go to a pow
wow and just watch one." D
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Warrior Tribal member Deitrich Peters danced at the Powwow to honor Veterans.
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Flag Bearers Kenneth "Pee Wee" Robertson, George Berry and Carl Lambert carry the flags for Grand Entry.
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Halona Butler and Ali Holsclaw crowned as the
new Veteran's Royalty Queens for 2001-2002.
Now We Have Two
This year's Veteran's Royalty
crowned at annual pageant.
By Justin Phillips
The Veterans now have something they didn't
have last year two queens.
At this year's annual Veteran's Pow-wow,
Ashley Tuomi (the 2000-2001 Veteran's Queen)
crowned Tribal members Ali Holsclaw and Halona
Butler as the new Veteran's Royalty Queens for
the 2001-2002 pow-wow season at the Grand
Ronde Veteran's Pow-wow Royalty Pageant. The
pageant took place at the Tribe's pow-wow grounds
on Friday, July 13.
Holsclaw, 15, and Butler, 8, will now represent
the Grand Ronde Veterans over the next year.
I've know these girls since they were real little,"
said Tribal Elder and Veteran's Committee Chair
man Marce Norwest. "Just about every Pow-wow
I've been to, they were there."
Norwest said the Veteran's Royalty girls serve
as role models for other young people who look up
to them.
Tuomi, who just turned 18, will attend Portland
State University this fall.
The majority of the Grand Ronde Royalty Court
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Ashley Tuomi (2000-2001 Veteran's Queen)
was present at the pageant.
Each of the Royalty girls congratulated the
newly crowned queens.
Sharon Norwest, Marce's wife, will be in
charge of the Veteran's Royalty.
Marce and Sharon are very happy with the
two queens.
"I'm sure, and there is no doubt in my mind
that they are going to make the Veterans and
the Tribe proud, because they are very dedi
cated," said Marce. "We are very happy to have
them." B