12 JUNE 15, 2003
Smoke Signals
Matt Bucknell Moves To Social Services' Foster Care Program
By Peta Tinda
"You have to have the desire in your heart to
help people," said Matt Bucknell, the new Fos
ter Care Program Recruitment and Retention
Specialist for the Grand Ronde Tribe.
He takes over the post from his wife, Danis
Bucknell, who is taking time off to be with the
couple's new baby boy, Matteo, who will be a
year old in July.
"She's real supportive because she knows how
difficult yet how extremely rewarding a job it
can be," he said.
Bucknell's main responsibility is to enlist the
aid of new families to provide homes for foster
children, and to retain the families and children
already in the program through close contact,
activities and events.
"It's a real good program and we're real ap
preciative of the support we get from the Tribal
Council," said Bucknell. "Not only our program
but also other programs like the Youth Social
Services Prevention Program. There are a lot of
families in a lot of different situations that de
pend on the support they get from the depart
ment." His previous experience with the Tribal Youth
g Jr yV " ' u 'h
Education De
partment makes
him well suited to
the task.
"I've partici
pated in activities
before with some
of the families and
kids, so it's nice to
know them al
ready," he said.
He maintains a
close, working relationship with over 60 foster
families in the program's stewardship. He often
makes home visits to check on how the families
are doing.
"We make sure all the needs are being met,
and see if they need any assistance," he said.
Bucknell is also raising funds to take part in
the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, held in Port
land on July 12-13, 2003.
At the moment, Bucknell spends most of his
time processing applications from Tribal mem
bers who want to be involved with the program,
spending time with the foster families and learn
ing as much a she can about the intricacies of
the National Indian Child Welfare Act, which
sets rules on the placement of Native children.
Unlike many state run foster care programs,
one of the main priorities of the Tribal foster pro
gram is to place Native kids in Native homes.
"First and foremost we try to place kids with
their family, with an aunt, uncle or other close
relative," said Bucknell.
If a close family member cannot be found to
look after a foster child, then the next option is
to place the child with a certified Tribal family.
"I think that 99 percent of people would agree
that this is the best thing to do in the case of a
Native child," he said.
In the future, Bucknell said he would like to
see more families enrolling in the program, par
ticularly in the Portland-Metro and Salem ar
eas, where the need for caring, supportive fos
ter homes is steadily increasing.
What it comes down to, said Bucknell, is giv
ing kids the chance to do well.
"The highest priority of my job is to make sure
kids have real opportunity and success in their
lives. It's very, very rewarding."
Education Program Gets New Youth Coordinator In Marie Heimburg
By Peta Tinda
Marie Heimburg
is the new Tribal
Youth Education
Program Coordi
nator. She was born in
the Great Lakes,
near Chicago, but
has spent the last
30 years living in
Ava, Missouri on her family's farm.
She has three grown children, "And four won
derful grandchildren," she said.
She fell in love with the Pacific Ocean during
trips to Oregon to visit her brother, Michael
Mega, who lives west of Dundee.
Heimburg has been involved in social work
for her entire adult life, starting with a
Bachelor's Degree in Human Services. She is
working on her Master's Degree. She has done
everything from start programs to write grants
to make home visits with youth and families.
She began her career in a training school for
girls, has managed houses and runaway shel
ters, was once a juvenile officer for felony-convicted
youth at a state wilderness camp, and has
done social work for state programs.
She worked for four years as a
substitute teacher and as a volunteer for Head
Start, and 5 years coordinating and developing
academic services for youth.
"I really believe in a prevention approach for
youth and at risk youth and families. It's very
effective," said Heimburg.
Her favorite part of the job, she said, is work
ing with the youth.
"I look at all youth in a similar way. I think
that it is very important to listen to the kids,
and let them know my door is open."
Heimburg said that the most challenging as
pect of the new job is learning how the different
departments, like Youth Education, Social Ser
vices and the Tribal Government work together.
She also said that she is a strong advocate for
collaboration between the Education Depart
ment and the community.
"I want to embrace what the youth education
department has developed in the past. In the
present, I want to include what changes youth
and families would like to see and have more
parent involvement. In the future, I want all
Tribal youth to have the opportunity to partici
pate in services and be highly successful in what
ever education and career choices they make."
She looks forward to helping people utilize the
education department. "There are such wonderful
resources available here for youth and families. I
would like to see more participation," she said.
In her spare time she likes to pursue her artis
tic interests, like painting and pottery and her
favorite, weaving. She mostly does floor loom
weaving, which she considers a dying art.
She said she used to go to pow-wow's in the
Midwest, but hasn't been to one for years. But
she did say that she is going to go the Grand
Ronde Pow-wow this year.
"It's an honor to be working out here at the
Tribe," said Heimburg.
"All that I've done was in preparation for this."
New Scholarship Coordinator Sees Herself As A Resource
By Peta Tinda
Luhui Whitebear, age 23, is the new Scholar
ship Coordinator for the Grand Ronde Educa
tion Department.
There was a need for additional personnel to
handle the growing numbers of Tribal members
attending colleges. There were well over 100 stu
dents that the Education Department worked
with regularly, too many for one person to
handle. So the position was created, resume's
were submitted, interviews scheduled, and
Whitebear stood out as the obvious choice.
She has been at her new post since May 19.
"I really like it," she said of her new position.
Since she was recently a student herself, she
knows well the difficulties of getting financial
support for one's education. "I'm really excited
to be finding funding for students, because I
know how important it is."
She said that she is eager to be working in a
Native community because she feels most famil
iar with Natives.
She is originally from Santa Barbara, Califor
nia, but has spent the last few years living in
Oregon.
She is a member of the coastal band of
Chumash Indians, but counts her decadency
from many Tribes. "I was brought up pretty tra
ditional," she said. "There was a lot of ceremony,
a lot of living with the land."
She was very active on campus during her
stay, involved in the Native American club and
other student organizations.
Even with the recent increase in Native stu
dents in college, Natives are still one of the small
est minorities on campus, with usually no more
that a few Natives attending college at a time.
"I know that Native people are under-represented
in college," she said.
By helping Native students track down fund
ing for their education, she feels that she help
ing with this obstacle.
Her main responsibility, Whitebear said, is to
make sure her students are getting their fund
ing and fulfilling their obligations to the Tribe.
The students must maintain a high grade point
average, take a certain number of classes and
fulfill other criteria in order to receive funds.
Her other fundamental task is to find out what
resources in the form of grants, fellowships and
scholarships are out there for students to take
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advantage of.
She has about
50 students that
she is working
with right now,
with more on the
way.
So far, she said,
her experience at
the Education De
partment has
been very good.
"It's been really nice, everybody's really
friendly and helpful if I have any questions. And
I had a lot of questions."
Her foremost goal for the future, Whitebear
said, is to be a resource for the Tribe and com
munity. She wants people to feel free to stop by
with questions or suggestions, and looks forward
to getting to know the community.
For enjoyment, she likes to read, be outside,
go to the coast, and she does beadwork.
Whitebear also attends the Grand Ronde pow
wow every year.
"I couldn't not go," she said.