JANUARY 15, 2002
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BY CHRIS MERCIER
After interviewing the Education division's three new employees, the present assumption is that education breeds character.
The thought struck me as I finished up a candid talk with Kevin Simmons, who along with Deb Bachman and Joanne Carr
form the triad of recent additions to a cluster of people already including notable Grand Ronde personalities like Marion
Mercier, April Campbell and Brian Langely.
Truth be told though, none of the three are "new" really, all of them having assumed their respective roles back in the fall.
All three have blended in quite nicely with the medley that is Grand Ronde.
Adult Education Coordinator
JOANNE CARR
ince commuting seemed to be such a key is
sue with Bachman. it Drobablv onlv makes
x t
sense to point out that Joanne Carr is a com
muter. In fact, her daily Silverton-Grand Ronde
drive is of such great length that she often makes
trips to the local music store in search of CD's
whose length goes beyond one hour. The rep
etition of the radio is not for her.
Now in Carr you have a woman who does
things, really. As the Tribe's new Adult Educa
tion Coordinator her contributions, though fresh,
are noticeable.
"I've 11 GED graduates," she said, referring
to the successful run of the Fall GED class. "11
and counting."
Not bad for having only been at her position
for three months. Not bad, but then again, prob
ably not unexpected, given her background.
Carr has known a lot in her life, one that began
in Ohio back in the 1940's. The rural Midwest
being a beacon for German immigrants during
the 19th century, Carr traces her lineage along
those lines. Her maiden name was Seibert and
her father Joe the head of the Marketing de
partment at Miami of Ohio University. Eliza
beth Tate, her mother, was of Scottish origins.
After a Hall of Fame athletic career at
Talawanda High School in Cincinnati, Carr went
on to DePauw University in Indiana, where
amid the social turmoil of the late 1960's she
would receive her Bachelor's of Arts degree in
Philosophy.
Those counterculture days were a fine time to
be philosophical, and looking for answers, Carr
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decided to see the world. After living in San
Francisco, she began a brief career as a stew
ardess for Pan-Am Airlines; she was afforded the
rare opportunity to see such wondrous places like
Rome, Beirut and Tehran.
But while briefly settling in Areata, California
did Carr begin to experience her life. While at
tending Humboldt State University, studying for
a Masters in Wildlife Management, she met Viet
nam Veteran Rick Carr who would change her
life when he became her husband.
The Masters never came, but a unique experi
ence did. After getting married, the couple
moved to Quesnel, British Columbia, where they
began an earnest existence in a log cabin, teach
ing to make a living and functioning devoid of
such modern amenities like electricity or tele
phones. For 13 years they lived that way, en
joying most every minute of it and starting a
family in the process.
They would decide on Oregon to settle in even
tually, especially the small community of
Silverton, a place Carr called a perfect balance
of conservatism and liberalism. A place of toler
ance, really.
Her oldest son Patrick has gone on to the Uni
versity of Oregon. And Elizabeth has picked
Sonoma State. Mike is finishing up high school.
The proximity to Salem allowed Carr to teach,
and that she did, offering night classes at
Chemeketa Community College for 13 years. In
that time she also attended Western Oregon
State College, leaving with a Master's degree in
Education.
She has found time for other hobbies, like having
a horse, a Tennessee Walker by name of Monty.
An Australian Shepherd who goes by Abby also
makes a good friend and ward against those pesky
deer that snack in the orchard. Her 15-acre plot is
in a transitional phase right now. Carr eventually
hopes to craft her own slice of paradise amongst the
blackberry patches and scotchbroom.
The lure of the Tribe, itself in a transitional
phase, was one that she could not pass up. Thus
the commute doesn't bother her that much.
"It's a treat to have someone call me wanting
help for their GED," she said.
Helping students pursue their goals, Carr said,
is what she relishes most about the job. Grand
Ronde is a classic case of an area where so many
opportunities have sprung up when there were
very few previously.
"I love helping students with their careers,"
she said. "I want them to educate themselves
and get jobs they actually like, not just ones that
pay their bills."
Watching the Education Building go up, she
added, has been a particular pleasure. The re
vival of Chinuk wawa has earned her admiration.
"This is a great job," she said. "I've been in
spired by the Education Department and their
support. And I love giving away the Pendleton
blankets to grads."
c
21
College Counselor & Advisor
KEVIN sirxiONS
tar i f r
r& rifting seems to be a common theme among
EJJthe Education Division. In fact, after meet
ing Kevin Simmons, the College Counselor & Ad
visor, one might hypothesize that it is a require
ment, as he too has done a fair share of wander
ing before drifting and settling, ultimately, in
Grand Ronde.
A Tribal member, Simmons shares another
commonality with many people in Grand Ronde
in that he was born and raised for a significant
portion of his childhood in Warm Springs. The
son of John Simmons and Tamara Tomlinson,
he shared the Redmond household with two
brothers and two sisters, before leaving the res
ervation at a young age to attend Catholic school,
first at St. John's the Apostle in Oregon City and
then La Salle in Milwaukie.
"Catholic school was such a shock from Warm
Springs," Simmons told me, adding that while
he resented the venture at first, hindsight has
indicated just how valuable an investment it was.
"I was a cliche really the silent Indian kid
sitting in the back row."
Silent or not, hi3 academic and gridiron skills
earned him a trip to Shasta College, where he
played football, briefly, before transferring to
Willamette University. While not exactly a mis
take, he said, the conservative demeanor of Wil
lamette and Salem didn't suit him well.
"I just felt alienated," he said. "I was alone
there."
And that is why he decided to return to north
ern California, opting for Areata and Humboldt
State University. Playing football as an offen
sive tackle and majoring in Native American
Studies, for the first time since Warm Springs,
Simmons felt "at home."
"Humboldt changed my perception of Indians,"
he said. "It was pretty negative, with alcohol
ism and unemployment and drugs."
Indeed, the abundance of Natives and of Ha
waiians with whom he forged lifelong bonds had
a greater influence on him that any other people,
besides his mother of course ("I can't say enough
about my mother").
"I learned that education is an ongoing pro
cess," he told me. "You learn what you can from
everyone, whether they're black, white, brown,
green, purple, whatever."
In many ways then, his position at the Educa
tion division, which he took over in July, serves
as an opportunity to do for Tribal youth what
was done for him back in Areata offer sup
port, explore options and above all impress upon
Tribal youth the importance of education and
self-improvement.
"This is really one of the best jobs around," he
explained. "In order for the Tribe to be self-sufficient,
we need more Tribal members to go to
college and get degrees."
Though only 25 years of age, Simmons him
self hasn't given up on education. He is pres
ently studying for the LSAT (Law School Ad
mission Test) in hopes of making law school
somewhere. Plans have slowed somewhat with
the birth of his daughter Kaelynn, whom he en
dowed with the middle name of Noelani, Hawai
ian for "beautiful girl from heaven."
Simmons and fiancee Robin Hawke have plans
to marry in May. Until then their hobbies in
clude each other, Kaelynn and adjusting to
Willamina, where they presently live.
"This town is a culture shock from Areata," he
said, alluding to the California city, a "hippie" (as
he likes to call them) haven not unlike Eugene.
What little free time he does find often is spent
reading about indigenous people and cultures
around the world. Sherman Alexie and Vine
Deloria are among his favorites. B