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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2003)
DECEMBER 15, 2003 Smoke Signals 7 j I . i J- : .f'''.' .: 111 -I i tih j . . .. wV W " ft I j- i ft it ' 1 i i ' Jo rp 1 j L .,.... -T-n U. Unlike Any Other The Tribe's Veterans' Memorial went from dream to reality in 2003. The memorial, designed by Tribal member and Marine Veteran Steve Bobb, is easily one of the most unique tributes to Veterans in our nation. The memorial honors men and women as well as Tribal members and members of our community. The dedication ceremony was well attended and proved to be the perfect showcase for Native American recording artist Lee Greenwood who made his way to Grand Ronde to help dedicate the memorial. also sponsored classes in which Tribal member Dakota Whitecloud taught traditional ways of making moccasins, and Tribal Elder Sam Henny taught traditional ways of weaving baskets. The Inter-Tribal Fish Commission continued fighting Bonneville Power Association policies for saving depleted salmon runs. if ' t1 "i I iimi l - i Opening Dedication Tribal Elder Joyce Ham, the daughter of the late Ha Dowd, came to Grand Ronde and Spirit Mountain Casino for the opening dedication of the Tribe's newest showcase "The Hall of Legends." The hall is located at the casino between the gaming floor and the lodge. The display was designed by Tribal member Elaine LaBonte and won rave reviews from everyone in attendance. Following the tragic loss of two children in a freak car fire, the far flung but tightly knit Davidson family kept the family's Eyvette's Brookside Cafe open while family members re covered at Portland's Legacy Emanuel Hospital's Burn Unit. Tribal member Amy L. Jeffers died in a car accident. The casino landed and lost, all within months, a new general manager. Richard Kline, who recently came on as assistant general manager, is now serving in the top spot on an "interim" basis. The casino also sponsored its Second Annual Spring Fashion Show and gave the Hall of Leg ends a makeover. Willamina High School succumbed to the rav ages of asbestos and the more general scourge of teenagers this year, when most of the facility was closed down for safety reasons. A shuffle of students sent high schoolers to the Willamina Middle School, middle schoolers to the Grand Ronde Grade School, and tucked Grand Ronde grade schoolers in with Willamina Elementary students. Tribal Elder and former Tribal Chair Kathryn Harrison received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Portland State University, and also cut the ribbon for the dedication of the Native American Student and Community Cen ter, partially funded by the Spirit Mountain Com munity Fund. In June, Tribal mem bers visited Tomanowos, t h e Willamette Meteorite, held at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Tribal youth participated with internships at the Museum, and others participated in internships at Nike in Beaverton. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for the first time hosted the Northwest Indian Language Insti tute, held its first night time rodeo this year and the First NW Indian Music Festival on National Indian Day. The Tribe danced through success ful Pow-wows, both for Veterans and competition, during the summer. Veteran Pow-wow pioneer, Tribal Elder Marce Norwest, announced his retirement following this year's Veteran's event. His wife, Sharon, who kept the books for these events, retired with Marce. The Northwest Indian Veterans Association (NfVA) honored Sharon Norwest for 10 years of service. Tribal member Gene LaBonte and his wife, Billie, will take over the organizing for next year's Veteran's Pow-wow. The Indian Child Welfare Agency spon sored a community forum at the Tribe to create wellness through a "wholistic, re lational world view." In September, the Lummi Nation's Honoring Pole stopped at the Tribe for a ceremony on its way to the site of the 9 11 Pennsylvania crash. The Tribe re-elected Cheryle Kennedy and Jan D. Reibach for repeat three-year terms to the Tribal Council, and brought in Jack Giffen, Jr. for his first term on the council. Tribal member Bryan Mercier was named the Tribe's 2003 Mark O. Hatfield Fellow. This follows a Morris K. Udall Internship for Mercier, who used it to work in the Washington, D.C. office of Oregon's Sena tor Gordon Smith. Tribal member and Lobbyist Justin Martin joined leaders from 57 countries in the mid-career Masters program at Harvard University. Tribal member and Director of Tribal Opera tions Chris Leno earned a Mas ters of Public Administration at Portland State University's School of Urban and Public Affairs. Spirit Mountain Casino's Executive Chef Ri chard Burr headed up this year's 'Chefs of the West' team. The Tribal Cultural Trust set its sights on a share of state funding for the Arts, Humanities and Cultures. The Tribe honored 20 years of Restoration with a day long celebration at the casino. The Tribe also acquired the Old Grand Ronde Grade School property (1.5 acres) and the par cel just north of the Elders' Housing (9.14 acres). Smoke Signals staffers won eight writing and photography awards at this year's conference of the Native American Journalists Association. The Tribe opened Grand Ronde Station, a multi-service convenience facility by the casino with gas and propane pumps, a car wash and three food franchises inside. Cherokee Darrel Clark came on as manager. D 1 IK ' ! J A ; - l Learning Tribal youth gathered at the Tribe's new education campus for a summer math camp in 2003. The Tribe's Educa tion Department continued to put on and sponsor events aimed at improving the life's of our Tribal youth.
