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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2001)
J I ID o C P HI a. I Q. B0 4 DECEMBER 1, 2001 Smoke Signals 4 M M IV- 1 ' J I ft tl H V . . A Salute World War II Veteran Bill Axtell salutes the American flag as it passed by during the annual Veteran's Day Parade in McMinnville on Saturday, November 10. '. . 4,1 5 '- "ti . si 'I V I i 1 J 1 1 A Wave Grand Ronde Veteran's Princesses Ali Holsclaw and Halona Butler waved to the crowd during the parade. L J V i f v .1. ' vfs 'fin ) . 4 I :j V' 'A , Offerings - Young Native women 'm fy 'l the crowd at the Chemawa Veteran's - M " Pow-wow on Saturday, November 10. Pris- r oners of War and those Missing in Action t are honored with a solo chair (right) that 5V(- i sat respectfully empty reserved for the i4 warriors who died or were captured. This y3r i' ; dancer and her child (far right) were part y.:-4'"y ' of a troupe of Aztec dancers were attended :p- v 1 ! J .- V the pow-wow after completing a journey "v. - rrnm ourn Mmer ca. si , v.. . k' II: i;4 1 I 0 .-. .1 SVffr - i, I - iMiiiWfil' ' 1 4 ft i, I v 'fir in -v. Benefits Fair A benefits fair for the employ ees of the Tribe was held Novem ber 7 at the Governance Center. Representatives from AFLAC, Costco, MaPS Credit Union, U.S. Bank, AT&T Wireless were all on hand to educate the employees on services available. Award Winning Journalist Wants to Take on Hollywood Next Tribal member Chris Mercier is content to write features for now, but the travel bug could bite at anytime. By Justin Phillips The man, the myth, the legend; our very own Tribal member. He is considered by the Native American Journalist Association (NAJA) among the best in the na tion in writing for Tribal newsprint. Tribal member Chris Mercier has big-time talent when it comes to jour nalism and is currently freelancing as a feature writer for Smoke Signals. Mercier won first place for Best Feature Writing Twice a Month at the NAJA conference this last summer in Buffalo, NY. His story that won was in the De cember 15, 2000 issue of Smoke Sig nals entitled; Gastric Bypass Surgery, Even as a Last Resort it Can Change Your Life. The story documents Tribal member Shelley Hanson's jour ney to a new life of health and fitness after bariatric surgery. Mercier is the son of Pat and Bryce Mercier. He also has an older brother, Bryan Mercier, who cur rently lives in Madrid, Spain. Mercier graduated from the Uni versity of Oregon with a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism. This isn't the first time Mercier has been with Smoke Signals. He worked here the summer of 1996. James Bond, Elvis, Clint Eastwood and Bono from U2 are Mercier's idols. "Anytime T.N.T. (television station) has a James Bond marathon, I'm there," said Mercier. Mercier came dressed as Elvis Presley on Halloween, admitting he loves to "inspire the ladies." "I love the King," said Mercier. "I still think he is alive." The talented writer is also an avid traveler. I'm not talking about across the states; he travels to different countries. Mercier has been to over 25 different countries. "I hated France," said Mercier. When Mercier isn't working his pencil, he is reading books. "I love to read history," he said. Mercier is still unsure about his 1 future and where it's going to take him. "I'd like to do more traveling in the near future," said Mercier. Whether he's reading, writing or traveling, Mercier makes headlines of his own. "I hope one day to make it on sur vivor or the Who Wants to be a Mil lionaire show," said Mer cier. "That's the way I want to retire." - f 4 Worldly Grand Ronde Tribal member Chris Mercier poses for a photo shoot with his award from the Native American Journalists Association for best feature story. C 1 I $ O.
