Smoke Signals
NOVEMBER 15, 2001
Wew CualttyraS ProtectBom Specialists
Cultural Resources department isn't just about "stones and bones" anymore.
By Justin Phillips
It's one of the most valued pro
grams the Tribe has in its operations
Cultural Resources.
Tribal members Perri McDaniel
and Connie Schultz have now joined
the Cultural Resources department's
growing team. Their job will be to
protect and preserve our culture
from the past, present and future.
McDaniel has been associated
with the Tribe's Small Business De
velopment department since 1997.
Schultz has worked for the Tribe
since 1998. Schultz had been a part
of Human Resources before making
the move to Cultural Resources.
McDaniel's new badge is the Cul
tural Protection Specialist II.
McDaniel grew up in the Grand
Ronde area and has four children
Eagle Dog, Two Stars, High Pine
and Delia. McDaniel is the daugh
ter of the late Shirley Parazoo.
Schultz is the daughter of
Annabelle "Peachie" Hamm (Petite).
Schultz obtained an Associate's de
gree from Chemeketa Community
College in General Studies. Shultz is
also continuing to take classes towards
completing a Bachelor's degree.
"Cultural Resources just isn't
about stones and bones," said
McDaniel. "We have a lot more
people in the Tribe interested in
making baskets. The resources into
making baskets include different
kinds of bark from plants. So, bo
tanical resources are also cultural
resources because without those re
sources we can't continue to prac
tice our culture."
McDaniel also said that camas,
Wapato (a potato like plant that
used to be staple of Tribal member's
diets), deer and elk are also cultural
resources.
f
, 1 1
A (,
1
1' fHfah" 4
I
Connie Schultz
Perri McDaniel
"My responsibilities here at Cul
tural Resources are site protection
and preservation," said Schultz.
That would be the Reservation as
well as the ceded land areas. I work
under Perri."
Site protection includes the Tribe's
significant cultural, sacred or reli
gious sites.
McDaniel and Schultz get about 20
to 30 requests per week to see if cul
tural significance plays any factor in
proposed land development projects.
Land and property developers must
contact the Tribe through the Cul
tural Resources department if the
land is state or federally owned.
"Even if there is a cultural site
there, we are not going to say, 'no,
you can't build here" said McDaniel.
"What we need to know is this some
thing that is important to the Tribe?
Do Tribal members want this pro
tected? Regardless, they (develop
ers) still have to check with us."
It is important to keep Tribal mem
bers educated about what is a cul
tural resource and why it is worth
protecting.
"To me the most important thing
about us and that sets us apart as a
Tribe is our culture," said McDaniel.
"This is why it's so important for our
kids to be learning about culture and
none of us are ever to old to learn.
Without it, I fear we set ourselves up
again for termination all over again."
Schultz is on the road often.
"About three-fourths of my time is
spent out of the office in the field,"
said Schultz.
When you don't find Schultz at
work, you can find her studying his
tory or traveling.
"I love to travel," said Schultz.
"That's the way you get history is
when you travel. You don't always
get it out of the television or Internet."
Something that bothers Schultz is
when people "assume" something
about one another before knowing
the real truth.
"I don't ever like to assume any
thing," said Schultz. "If I don't know
or understand something, I always
ask. That's part of being a history
nut, if you don't know something,
ask or find out. I try not to make
judgments on anything until I have
all the information."
McDaniel likes to go out dancing
and she also likes to go to pow-wows
and do quill work.
McDaniel is also going to school at
Portland State University (PSU)
studying for a Master's degree in
Public Administration. The program
has an emphasis in Tribal Aolminis
tration, which makes PSU the only
college in the nation to offer this.
"I've got plenty to do to keep me
busy," said McDaniel.
Now the Tribe has two new Cul
tural Protection Specialists to help
protect significant objects and sites.
Kathryn Harrison Honored with Prestigious Tom McCall Award
Tribal Elder and
former Tribal Chair
joins the state's elite.
....sSsiiif.,.
' ' I ' 1
v.-; " 't-?.. .: ..
-. .':.-::- ,.'" v. - -,:,. : - V. " 1 ;
Distinguished - Tribal Elder
Kathryn Harrison received the Tom
McCall award at a dinner banquet in
Portland on Friday, October 26 from
S.O.L.V. Executive Director Jack
McGowan. Photo by Peta Tinda
By Peta Tinda
Grand Ronde Tribal Elder and
former Tribal Chair Kathryn Har
rison took her place among
Oregon's most distinguished lead
ers recently when she received the
Tom McCall award for leadership.
Tom McCall was Oregon Gover
nor from 1967 to 1975. McCall was
a larger than life maverick, a
unique political leader that
achieved national fame for his
western attitude and posing for
photo ops while fishing in Oregon's
once world-famous rivers and
streams.
Past McCall award recipients in
clude United States Senators Ron
Wyden, Gordon Smith and Mark
Hatfield, as well as Ken Harrison,
president of the Portland General
Electric Company, and philanthro
pist Arlene Schnitzer.
Harrison received a standing ova
tion from the crowd gathered for the
eighth annual Stop Oregon Litter
and Vandalism (S.O.L.V.) citizenship
awards banquet held at the Nike
world headquarters in Beaverton.
The Tom McCall leadership
award was created to recognize out
standing contributions from indi
viduals who, by their actions, mir
ror the spirit and service to Oregon
shown by Governor McCall.
Harrison, who was the first
woman chair of the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde and served
on the Tribal Council for 20 years,
was recognized for her leadership
and philosophy of giving back to
the community.
"What Kathryn has done for Grand
Ronde, Native Americans and the
people of Oregon has been a guiding
light for us all," said Jack McGowan,
Executive Director of S.O.L.V., the
statewide non-profit organization
founded in 1969 by former Oregon
Governor Tom McCall. "Kathryn
manifests the best we can be as people
and as Oregonians."
Harrison played an instrumental
role in the federal restoration of the
Tribe in 1983.
As part of that effort, the Tribe
established the Spirit Mountain
Community Fund, which has
awarded over ten million dollars
to benefit Oregon communities
and non-profit groups. She has
served on numerous boards and
committees, representing the
Tribe at national, state and local
levels. Many groups have hon
ored her for her years of service
to the Tribe and Oregon commu
nities, including the American
Indian Business Leaders, the
YWCA, and the league of Women
Voters. Mrs. Harrison also re
ceived the 1999 Women of
Achievement Award from the Or
egon Commission for Women.
"I can't take credit for all I've
done," said Harrison. "Whatever
I did, it was because I had a good
team. I'm here because of my
mother and father, my Tribe, my
state, and most of all my family.
If I died tonight, what more could
I ask? This land doesn't belong
to us, it belongs to our children.
We must take care of it because it
belongs to them."