i
V
NOVEMBER 1, 2003
Smoke Signals 7
mmmyoity
Confer
Opens
Photos by Peta Tinda
"V ; .?fiirjrfef rffeL, v" wfj
' ' , t''- II 1 rill jif j, ; , .
-I'V.-r-' ' Jf ,i iff : ji i 1 i r ?
i ' . Slfe taiif E f i.f r 'I
'iff' III ! I f' !l ' !( ' '
,i-,.r.m,ii..,. .....n. r fc--. .- : - .. , :. .. . ,t ,1. , .f
Special Guest Former Grand Ronde Tribal Chairwoman and respected Tribal Elder Kathryn Harrison cuts the ceremonial ribbon, officially opening the Student and
Community Center. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's Spirit Mountain Community Fund donated $250,000 to the building of the center, which will be a place of respect,
cultural identity, common ground and a beacon for the 20,000 Native Americans and Alaskan Natives who live in the Portland area.
Gathering Place to the outside. The Gathering
Place is a space for celebration and sharing un
der a prism of glass telegraphing the rhythms
i
of the day. The
building tells
many stories; ref
erencing teepees,
Columbia River
fishing scaffolds,
longhouses,
mound houses
and rolling hills.
"The roof is a
sky catcher, re
flecting the pat
terns of the sky
with a rooftop gar
den (eco-roof) that
displays, native
plants and inter
prets the tradi
tional ways that
individual species
play a role in Na
tive life. The cul
mination of the
procession up the
ly. j ,Si mwiir mJ roof is the place of
honor where graduates will be forever recog
nized for their achievement."
The stairs up to the rooftop courtyard start
outside the Civic Side with a succession of turns
and risers taking one up to the facility's high
point above the Gathering Place. Stairs down
from there emerge just off the Gathering Place
to complete the circle. Within are a scattering of
artworks from the likes of Lillian Pitt (Warm
SpringsYakama) and Jim Jackson (Klamath)
although more are coming, $500,000 worth in
all.
In addition, from a kitchen off the Gathering
Place volunteers served up fry bread and other
appetizers for visitors who also were invited to a
salmon dinner set up in the parking lot across
the street.
"Indians started flocking here for the (Native
Studies) program when it was in a little house,"
said Tom Ball. "Now we have this beautiful new
center. We're hoping that Indian people will
continue to come here." The school enrolls some
250 Indian students from a Native population
of some 14,000 in the Portland area.
Many Tribal members and Tribal Education
employees attended. Tribal youth Eric Sabin
came "to be involved in Tribal activities," and
Tribal youth Nathan Mueller said, "I like get
ting involved in all the Native American stuff."
Tribal member Ashley Tuomi, now a PSU stu
dent and former coordinator of the United In
dian Students of Higher Education, was part of
a team of students who introduced State Sena
tor Ben Westlund.
The Office of Indian Education in the federal
Education Department announced a two-year
$400,000 grant to the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde during the opening. The Special
Projects Demonstration grant for Indian Chil
dren will enable high school students to teach
math and science to elementary school students
in the Native language, according to director
Victoria Vasques. B
trr; ; 1
4 i,.,. if- - It If,
--IS- 4
1 MiM ifltei itsKfev
Restoration Governor Former Oregon
Governor Victor Atiyeh, the Governor in 1 983 when
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde was restored,
has always been a vocal and active supporter of the
Tribe and it's efforts towards self-sufficiency. Atiyeh
spoke to the crowd gathered at PSU for the opening of
the Native American Student and Community Center.