Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2002)
MARCH 15, 2002 MARCH 15, 2002 Smoke Signals lc IT 17 (?7rA nfl fv rfi TA Smoke Signals Member Cmmpue fl J, : : . ; 1 m Tab II w 1. f -r., Television Interview Marine Veteran Steve Bobb being interviewed by a Medford TV station reporter for the evening news. Several media outlets in southern Oregon covered the walk's opening ceremony. V ill V ..... Lr . v., Reunited Medford news paper reporter and columnist Paul Fattig contacted Steve Bobb just days before the walk from Table Rock to write an advance story. After discuss ing the fact they had both been in the Marine Corps at the same Vl time they discovered that they had actually been in boot camp together. The old friends shared stories of their experiences and introduced their wives to each other. Photos by Peta Tinda Continued from front page Bobb was ready. Was Merrill not? No, he too was quite ready, though with a twinge of butterflies. He'd never done any thing like this before and the in clement weather offered little en couragement. Merrill took a breath, and glanced around probably not hoping to put the rain jackets into use this early, but knowing he had to. Merrill had his own dedication to make, to the city of his upbring ing, the lively, lovely old place we call Eugene. University of Oregon cap, U of 0 sweatshirt, it didn't take much to figure out whom he rooted for come Civil War week. "Stop wearing your hood," joked Leno. "Makes you look like a wuss." And then they were off. Cameras clicked away, capturing every first step. Photographers vied for bet ter positions, often getting in each other's way. Looking out the back of the van, Bobb and Merrill eventually be came two specks as we headed north, Salem-bound. Now I'll make a confession. I wasn't quite sure if they'd make it. When you look at the path before them and take into account nearly 270 miles to traverse, the Table Rock walk looks like a real chal lenge, more the sort of thing you read of some Dutch adventurer do ing in National Geographic. But Bobb and Merrill were living illus trations that day of calm determi nation. Who knows how much money they would make from their various pledges? Were it only a peso they still would have walked. They were that intent on following through. Watching them quickly trek the first mile with only the occasional wince, the prospect of 20 miles a day for two weeks really seemed not only entirely possible, but highly probable. It wouldn't be easy. The phone calls affirmed that. Merrill experi enced some back problems just days into the walk. His feet were also blistered, as his new shoes were not yet broken in. He quickly switched to his old pair. Even Bobb's cal loused feet weren't blister-proof. Exhaustion would not relent. "I felt like crying the first day," Merrill told me over the phone. The human body remains a liv ing tribute to adaptation and flex ibility. The two soon found a rhythm and those 20-mile days piled up one after the other. Yet in their zone they literally took the miles in stride. Within two days, the weather cleared. The duo kept up and people no ticed. Other publications got wind of the endeavor and soon the Pub lic Information Office had a steady stream of callers, all asking the same questions and wanting the same press release. Seven Feath ers Casino near Roseburg even gra ciously put them up for the night. KVAL News in Eugene ran a short piece on them during the nightly news. Tribal Elder Violet Zimbrick called me. Evidently some friends of hers in Palm Springs had read of the endeavor... in The Los An geles Times. For those not too familiar with the topography of Oregon, from T 1 i If f JF"- ' 5 ' 4i; UN WELCOME HOME - Children from the Grand Ronde Tribal Before and After Care showed their support for the walkers by making banners welcoming them home, and walking with them on the last leg of the journey. The banners were written both in English and the Tribal language, Chinuk. V'W. VV , - " -i (. .V y- - . 1 1 I. ' M 1 1 fVi-' . 4' Journey's End Nearly 100 people showed up the Grand Ronde Elementary School to finish the Walk from Table Rock with Steve Bobb. The walk encompassed 265 miles (including 140 miles of 1-5) and 14 days. The first 10 days were highlighted by great weather, but the rain finally came on Day 11. Day 13 brought snow just to give Bobb a taste of everything along the way. Medford to Eugene the route runs rather hilly mountainous, with some notably steep inclines. Eu gene rests at the bottom of the Wil lamette Valley, and there the path becomes undulating at worst. In theory, the last five days from Eu gene to Grand Ronde should have been the smoothest stretch and likely would have been, had not March 4 brought a rash of bad weather that worsened into snow the final two days. The Willamette hasn't seen snowflakes this late in the season for many, many moons and it all kind of resurrects that higher authority debate again. Justin Phillips said he drove by the pair as they ascended Butler Hill, two lone figures without an ounce of flesh exposed to the chill -the only thing identifying them were Bobb's two flags, perhaps a little worn, but unmistakable none theless. I myself passed them near Valley Junction on March 8, under virtually identical circumstances, though the duo had doubled, as Tribal members Jeff Mercier and Travis Stewart had joined the last leg of the journey. News floated around of a recep tion for the two upon arrival, though who would show up and when it would happen was anybody's guess. More people joined the march at Grand Ronde Elementary and as the last 1,000 feet wound down a crowd of roughly one hundred fellow trek kers had formed, among them Tribal members, Veteran's and even children. Drummers ducked in near the cemetery, giving the procession a dramatic flair. The snow clearly deterred nobody. Now everyone in the Smoke Sig nals office can testify that neither Steve Bobb nor Brent Merrill had planned anything extravagant for their re-arrival. A smiling crowd of onlookers greeted them at the Tribal Governance Center. The lobby was packed with neatly lined chairs and a table decked with cold cuts and savory breads waited. Bobb and Merrill exchanged hugs and handshakes with almost very soul present, their weathered faces grinning tiredly from ear to ear. Travis Benoist introduced Bobb and Merrill through yet another ceremony. Tribal Elder Marce Norwest spoke admirably of the two as everyone gathered in the lobby, talking of how the Veteran popula tion diminishes every day and how this walk may be the turning point for the Grand Ronde Veteran's Memorial. Tribal Council Vice chair Reyn Leno took the podium to announce that Bobb and Merrill needed rest, which is why Council was putting the two up for a night at Spirit Mountain Lodge, all ex penses paid. "I truly believe in this," said Leno. "Many years from now people can look at our memorial and think of Steve and Brent." Cultural Specialist June Olson discussed the history of the Trail of Tears, noting that more than one walk was made, and from place other than the Rogue River Valley. Tribes with little relation were all forcibly relocated to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation back in the 1850's. "Some had to walk from the Co lumbia River," she said. "They were forced together even though they didn't speak the same language. It was a harsh walk ...to a place they didn't know." Both Bobb and Merrill acknowl edged that though they too struggled at times with the walk, in hindsight it wasn't all that bad. "Originally we just wanted to get a little exercise and raise a little money," said Bobb. "I never ex pected this." He said that beckoning to the surprise congregation before him. "You know everyday we looked at each other," he admitted. "We said 'What the heck are we doing?'" "I was just looking for an excuse not to shave for two weeks," said Merrill through newly acquired whiskers. "Actually, I was not so A f w i r V Family Tribal member Steve Bobb finishes the journey from Table Rock hand in hand with three of his grandchildren. Bobb car ried the Marine Corps flag with the Grand Ronde Color Guard from the elementary school to the Tribal Governance Center. sure I'd make it a couple of times. But when walking with a guy like Steve... well, he's pretty inspira tional." The two of them were pretty in spirational overall, talking not about themselves but of others. They talked about the Veterans' Memorial for which they'd just raised a large sum of cash. It will be beautiful. We didn't need to be reminded that this was a walk for honor, to acknowledge sacrifices made in the distant past and near past, all for greater freedoms today. They walked to honor their families, to honor Veterans, and for the Tribe in general. A tearful Merrill made a dedica tion to three individuals, a trio of men who've affected him dearly: Mike Larsen, Merle Holmes and his uncle Tom Bean. "Most of all, I did this for you Uncle Tom," said Merrill. The crowd burst into applause, and people lined up to shake hands again. Norwest brought out two Pendleton blankets for the walkers and while smiles abounded and handshakes lingered, Bobb and Merrill glowed. They just shined, ragged and rugged, tired beyond belief and bearing looks on their leathery, weathered faces that were immensely hard to pinpoint. Come to think of it, those looks were pretty obvious: Satisfaction - pure, untainted, and well-earned satisfac tion. There is no mistaking that. B v asm N K1 -' v Volunteers Steve Bobb and his wife Connie (center) are greeted by volun teer drivers David Nelson and Bob Watson (left). Nelson and Watson were part of a group of volunteer drivers (including Bobb's brother Buddy White and his wife Anna, Gary Reibach and his wife Marlise and Norris Merrill) that maintained a sup port vehicle throughout the walk.
