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NOVEMBER 1, 2001
Smoke Signals 9
New Center to Honor
Helped Early Explorers
Shoshone Woman Who
SALMON, ID. (AP) - A daylong
dedication of the future home of the
Sacajawea Cultural and Education
Interpretive Center is expected to
draw crowds and dignitaries from
throughout the region.
The new center, to be sited on 75
acres of prime irrigated pasture bor
dering the Lemhi River just east of
Salmon, is already home to a ranch
house, barn and outbuildings.
A new 1,200-sqare foot visitor's
center, rest rooms, an outdoor am
phitheater, interpretive exhibits
and trails are planned improve
ments. Rose Ann Abrahamson, a lateral
descendant of Sacajawea, and
President of the nonprofit
Sacajawea Interpretive and Edu
cation Center, Inc., said the dedi
cation is the culmination of years
of work.
"We are deeply honored by this
opportunity to host and pay trib
ute to this nation's famous Native
daughter," she said. "We have
worked long and hard to obtain a
land base in our traditional home
land and to tell the history of our
people and famous ancestor,
Sacajawea."
Sacajawea, whose home was the
Lemhi Valley, led Lewis and Clark
across the Continental Divide at
the Lemhi Pass east of Tendoy.
The Lemhi Pass, mentioned in
Stephen Ambrose's book "Un
daunted Courage," has already at
tracted a growing number of visi
tors each summer.
The city bought the property with
a $1 million HUD grant appropri
ated by Congress for the center.
Officials hope the interpretive
center will be an added attraction
for the millions of people expected
to follow the Lewis and Clark trail
during the expedition's bicentennial
celebration in 2004 and 2005.
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Tribe Plans Community Development, Including Hotel Near Casino
- DEMING, WA. (AP) The Nooksack Tribe plans to build a
natural science center, hotel and Softball fields near its casino
in this small town on the Mount Baker Highway.
The Tribe says it will pay for the five-year, $20 million com
munity development project with a combination of casino prof
its, grants and donations.
Officials with the BellinghamAVhatcom Chamber of Commerce
have praised the plan, noting the Tribe said it would add 150
new jobs and provide an $8.5 million annual payroll.
Tribal Chairman Art George said his council wants to build
lomcK
Casino General Manager Kevin Hogan.
"The casino is performing well above industry standards and
has been for the past couple of years," said Hogan.
The casino employs 230 people now, said Hogan.
The plans for a casino expansion include a day spa, hotel and
meeting rooms.
Of the 22 Indian casinos in the state, two the Quinault
and the Upper Skagit expanded their buildings in the last
year to be destination spots for people who otherwise might head
to Las Vegas.
new businesses that can improve the economy of eastern Whatcom County. Before the Tribe can break ground on the hotel or science center, it must
The introduction of slot machines into the casino in recent years dramati- convert 85 acres it owns into federal trust land property held in trust by
cally boosted profits and made the project feasible, said Nooksack River the federal government for the use of Indian Tribes.
Spirit Mountain Grant Expands
Food Storage Capacity at Shelter
GRAND, RONDE, OR St. Jo
seph Shelter and Mission Benedict
received a major boost in their on
going efforts to feed the hungry
through an $18,000 grant from the
Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
The Spirit Mountain grant will en
able the Shelter to purchase a large,
walk in freezer and a smaller, walk
in cooler. The new units will greatly"
expand the Shelter's food storage
capacity.
According to Shelter Director Sr.
Adele Mansfield, the additional
freezer-cooler space is essential.
"We receive a great deal of food
that is donated either directly to us
or comes through Marion Polk Food
Share," said Sr. Adele. "However,
we've been severely limited in what
we can store and use as needed over
time. The units we're purchasing
through the grant will enable us to
be more efficient in using donated
food and more effective in meeting
the needs of those who are hungry."
Sr. Adele also noted that people
are sometimes surprised by the scope
of the two ministries.
St. Joseph shelter, Which is a min
istry of the Benedictine Sisters of Mt.
Angel, serves both homeless families
and single, male farm workers who
need temporary housing, Last year
the shelter housed 44 families and
over 400 single men, While provid
ing over $18,000 to shelter residents
and drop-ins
Mission Benedict, on the other
hand, provides food boxes, and emer
gency assistance with rent, utility,
transportation and medical needs for
residents of Mt. Angel and the local
area. Co-sponsored by the Sisters,
Mt. Angel Abby, St. Mary parish,
and St. Vincent DePaul, The Mission
served 847 families in 2000. More
than 85,000 pounds of food was dis
tributed to the needy last year
through food boxes from the Mission.
The freezer and cooler units are be
ing installed in the warehouse built
this spring at the shelter. Sr. Adele
believes this will make a difference
for the people who are served at the
Mission and the shelter.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde created the Spirit Mountain
Community Fund in 1997 as a way
for Tribal members to practice their
age-old traditions of sharing and giv
ing back.to the community.
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RESTORATION CONCERT
November 20, 2001 Free Concert
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BILL MILLER
In the Rogue River Banquet Rooms 7l'M Concert Celebrating the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Rondo's Restoration Day - November 22
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