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Smoke Signals 5
JUNE 1, 2004
Tribal Elder Merle Holmes Walks On
Death of highly regarded Elder and Tribal historian is one of many in the community in recent weeks.
By Brent Merrill
Grand Ronde
Tribal Elder Merle
Holmes, one of the
most universally
respected Native
American leaders
in the Northwest,
passed away in his
sleep at home on
Monday, May 17.
Holmes, 70, was
highly regarded as
a Tribal leader and
historian fluent
in Tribal history,
traditions and lore.
Along with fellow
Tribal Elders
Marvin Kimsey
and Margaret Pro
vost, Holmes be
gan the process known today as
Tribal Restoration. The work be
gun by the three Elders led to the
federal recognition of the people of
the Tribes that made up the Con
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde by
Merle Holmes
then President
Ronald Reagan
in 1983.
I lolmes served
the Tribe as an
elected official
and sat on sev
eral Tribal com
mittees and
boards. Most re
cently, Holmes
was appointed to
the Grand Ronde
Community Re
sources Food
Bank Board
of Directors.
Holmes
was a proud
Veteran, and
held a place
of honor in the Grand Ronde
community where his service is
commemorated on the Army pil
lar of the West Valley Veterans'
Memorial.
Before achieving the status of
Tribal leader, Holmes worked as a
log truck driver living in Salem.
Holmes is survived by his two
sons James of Seattle and David
of Los Angeles and a large, lov
ing family.
Holmes was a proud member of
the Warm Springs Medicine Soci
ety for the last 12 years of his life.
Services, as per Holmes' wishes,
were private and held in Grand
Ronde at the family's traditional
cemetery at the base of Spirit
Mountain on Monday, May 24.
"Our family would like to thank
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TV
i?4
the community for honoring his
wishes," said Tim Holmes, nephew
of Merle, about the respect shown
by the community during the pri
vate services.
Holmes' death was latest in a se
ries of deaths that have left the
Grand Ronde Tribal community in
mourning for the last month and a
half.
The recent passings of respected
Tribal Elders Merle Leno, Orville
Leno and Verna Larsen have been
among the losses that have devas
tated the community of families.
Verna Larsen
Merle Leno
Orville Leno
's Mental Health Unit Gets 3-Year Letter Of Approval
By Ron Karten
A State of Oregon Alcohol & Drug
Program site review team came by
the Tribe's Health Clinic last month
to look over the operation.
The result: the CTGR-Behavioral
Health program "is in substantial
compliance withjjio violations of
confidentiality, according to pro
gram Manager and Clinical Super
visor Joseph B. Stone, Licensed
Psychologist and Certified Addic
tion Professional.
The Letter of Approval sanctions
the program for continued opera
tions for another three years. As a
sovereign nation, the Tribe
does not need a Letter of Ap
proval from the state to con
tinue operations, but it is a
sign that the program is as
professional as other pro
grams across the state, said
Stone. In more concrete
terms, it means that the
Tribal program is creden
tialed for insurance reim
bursement. The Letter also is confirma
tion for the Tribal program ef
forts to bring together alcohol
Joseph B. Stone
and drug treat
ment with gen
eral mental
health treat
ment. "The hope is
that there be
an integration
of A&D ser
vices and men
tal health ser
vices and
Grand Ronde
is certainly do
ing that, mak
ing it more holistic for clients, which
of course is a benefit to the clients,
according to Ron Fisher, Regional
Coordinator for the Office of Men
tal Health Services.
"It takes time," said Fisher. "It
takes patience. It takes trial and
error. It's a process, not an event,"
made difficult because mental
health is on "the emotional side
with more shades of gray," while
alcohol and drug treatment is
"more concrete."
"Blending those philosophies is
sometimes tasking," said Fisher.
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New Life Together Tribal members Susie Mooney (Brandon) and
Jack Lash were married in Tribal Court on Wednesday, May 1 2 , 2004 .