10 JUNE 15, 2003
Smoke Signals
2003 Tribal Information Day At The State Capital
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The Governor Says He Recognizes Sovereignty Oregon state Governor Ted Kuiongoski spoke at
Tribal Information Day on Thursday, May 22. Tribal Information Day is an annual meeting between elected Tribal and
State representatives with an emphasis towards advancing the understanding of Tribal issues. Kuiongoski said he
recognizes the sovereignty of Oregon Tribes and promised to work closely with Tribal governments in the future.
Dozens of Natives from all across Oregon, as well as representatives from all nine Oregon Tribal Councils attended.
Photos by Peta Tinda
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Memories Are On The Menu At The Tribe's Memorial Day Dinner
Tribal Elders use the event to tell stories of days gone by.
and Tribal
By Ron Karten
The Memorial Day dinner held at the Tribe's
Community Center looked like a lot of other
meals. It carried with it, though, the memories
of days gone by.
The cemetery is much the center
members remember the spruc
ing up along with the running
around but the memories of
those lost is mixed with the
remembrance of big family re
unions, which in some cases
are the biggest reunions a fam
ily enjoyed all year.
The Holmes family has its
own cemetery up on a hill be
hind Grand Ronde. "The fam
ily is up there right now, fin
ishing their cleanup of the
cemetery," said Tribal Elder
Merle Holmes on the Friday
before the Memorial Dinner.
"It'll be ready.
"A lot of people, to keep their
flowers fresh, they'll do it on
Monday," said Holmes. "But
our celebration isn't any differ
ent. "It's a private cemetery,"
said Holmes. "On a hill. We
never have to put the coffins
down in water. It's been there since the Civil War.
It's been in our family's hands all that time. We're
pretty proud of it. We try to take care of it. My
uncles and aunts all have children there. The
Holmes people go there. There's no charge for it.
"The only thing I can remember," he said, "my
folks lived on the property at that time. I remem
ber lots of people. It was about the only time of
the year I'd see them. And there was always lots
of food, a chance to visit. That's what I remember
as a little boy. It was a gathering time. And a
time to sit down and eat. Talk about old times. A
happy time. Everybody was glad to see each other.
Usually, we'd just get together when we'd lose
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"Let's Eat" Tribal Elder Herman Hudson, Jr. (center) is surrounded by fellow Elders at
the Tribe's Memorial Day Dinner. The dinner was held at the Community Center on Satur
day, May 24.
somebody, which was a sad time. But this was a
happy time for us."
"We always had lots of family," said Billie
LaBonte, "lots of picnics. All my ancestors are
buried in Fox Valley (between Lyons and Mill
City). It's just an old pioneer cemetery with no
caretakers. Mom and Dad were Johnny-on-the-spot
taking care of the cemetery. It always took
three or four trips. It was just what our family
did. Sometimes, it was Mom and Dad and us two
kids; sometimes we had 25 people.
"I always thought it was neat when you got
through, you could walk to the old part of the
cemetery (where the grave stones go) clear back
to pioneer times.
"On the actual Memorial Day, we
would go up to the old Clason Place
(up near Mehama). A lot more rela
tives and cousins lived right on the
river. We'd always have a picnic.
"My clearest memory is when
we'd put the irises, lilacs, snowball,
roses in the car for the cemetery. I
remember the smell of the car (with
all the flowers inside)."
Billie's husband, Tribal member
Gene LaBonte, remembered that
"we used to make flowers out of crepe
paper and then dip them in wax."
He also remembered cemetery
detail: "We'd just decorate a couple
of graves and then get out." And:
"We weren't allowed to run around
in the cemetery." And at that age,
he added, "I wanted to, bad."
"It seems like we had so much
respect in those days," said Billie.
"I had fear," said Gene, now, all
these years later, smiling.
For others, it was the details of the clean up
operation at the cemetery that came to mind,
the importance of the event for keeping the Tribe
together, and maybe most endearing, the way
the holiday became a time to pass down tradi
tions and traditional knowledge.
"My parents told me, sometime, it would be
my day (to pass on our traditions)," said Billie
LaBonte.
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