DECEMBER 15, 2003
Smoke Signals 7
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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.
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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
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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.