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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2004)
JULY 15, 2004 Smoke Signals 3 Tualatin River Comes Clean Hundreds of boaters enjoy the waters again. P." u ,o 'K By Jack Ham and Ron Karten In June, the Tualatin Riverkeepers sponsored a float trip to make the river available to hundreds of boaters. The idea was to begin to open up a river that has very few entry points for boaters, but also, to help the river for the long run by enabling people to get to know the river better and as a result take better care of it. Running through the Willamette Valley, the Tualatin River is a slow moving, pond-like river that goes from the coast to the Willamette River at West Linn. It serves as a nesting area for Canadian geese, an area for wetlands and it also once served as fishing grounds for Native Kalapuya Indians. Over the years, the Tualatin River has been damaged by the removal of vegetation and its many wetlands have been replaced by parking lots which allow harmful substances to flow into the river. Decades back, the Tualatin River was one of the most polluted in Oregon, but this float trip honored years of clean up efforts by different government agencies and the Riverkeepers. Participants enjoyed a rejuvenated waterway. At the end of the float trip, the Riverkeepers sponsored an information fair. Brochures described the discovery of the Tualatin River, native plants along the shore and ways to keep the river clean. "We wanted to make it as easy as possible to get in and experience the river," said Sue Marshall, Executive Director of Riverkeepers. "We want to reconnect people to the Tualatin River. There is so little access." As of June, access is up dramatically, and in today's world, that is a good thing. For more information about the Tualatin River and ways to help keep it running clean, contact the Riverkeepers: 503-590-5813. Guide Bob Blair of Sherwood, a Tualatin Riverkeepers volunteer, served as river guide for Smoke Signal's staff writer Ron Karten. I I., e rti N v.. K 'fjtt Jt..;.. iSti'T YNrzj- - WAV Supporters Dozens of boats of all kinds and literally hundreds of boaters floated down the Tualatin on a beautiful Saturday at the end of June. There was room for all and time to just sit back and enjoy this great but widely unappreciated river. Caring Sue Marshall, Executive Director of the Tualatin Riverkeepers, enjoys the day from the shoreline, making sure that all the boaters embarked and disembarked safely, and enjoyed the day. As many as 60 volunteers were on hand to help. "Gathering Place For The Indian Nation" Opens In Sheridan Art gallery, crafts supplies, lessons and a Native foods restaurant will make the Route 18 location a destination of its own. By Ron Karten Gail Hawks, an artist in her own right and wife of internationally acclaimed Indian artist, John Hawks (Cherokee), came from be hind one of the gallery's newly built structures for hanging art. Each is like a big box with about 18 inches of depth inside that could be well used for storage, but Hawks had a great new idea: "She could talk from inside the wall!" The discussion about Native story teller and author Bonnie Jo Hunt (Sioux), who had just signed to be part of the upcoming John Hawks Gallery here, went off in many di rections. This was another among the ideas generated by the prin ciples of Spirit Hawk, Inc., an amazing, multi-faceted project that is coming to life in the old Cheers facility on Route 18 in Sheridan. As currently envisioned, the project will include a fine arts gal lery featuring the work of John and Gail Hawks along with a host of internationally regarded artists. Most will be Indian or work in In dian themes, said David Stefan, executive director of the company. A section of the facility will sell crafts tools and raw materials for a variety of Native crafts and will of fer classes by accomplished Native crafts folks, many of whom will be Elders from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and accom plished artists like Cameron Blagg (see Smoke Signals, 101502). For the restaurant area, the man agement team is looking for a res- i. w. MM.iMim.il in iiiuii.iiii mmiuii mug ai hhwp' tmiwiwi i i ' t " r t i ) i" I ? ; f- g : ' , ' , I: 'Touching People's Souls" From left, glass artist and entrepreneur Jerry Jensen, partner David Stefan, executive direc tor of the project, and John and Gail Hawks take a few moments for a photo out back. The green space and Oregon's largest indig enous arboretum also are part of the draw for the project. taurateur to open a facility that of fers buffalo, elk, deer and other Native foods. "We want a project that offers all aspects of the Indian culture," said Stefan. In that regard, the eight-plus acre property also is being prepared for teepee camp outs along the South Yamhill River that runs by the property, for volleyball, horse shoes and the largest indigenous arboretum in Oregon. With art galleries in McMinnville and along Highway 18, and with the many Tribal art offerings, Stefan sees the facility as the center of an emerging "art corridor." "You talk to people around here and you hear a need for culture," said Stefan. "People want a recognition of where we came from, who we are and where we're going. So much is being lost." "Art represents a reflection of parts of us that are very deep, very sensitive and very powerful," said Stefan. "It's more than just a busi ness. We're touching people's souls." Glass artist and entrepreneur Jerry Jensen, Stefan's business partner on this and many projects, now teaches glassworks at Linfield College as he sets up a glassworks division within the college's art de partment. He holds open the pos sibility that he may teach classes here as well. John Hawks, centerpiece artist for the gallery, brings an incred ibly varied past to the present project. Along with selling his art work to the stars, Hawks also de scribes his time living with actor John Wayne, and improbably, with the Campbell's soup can, 15-minutes-of-fame artist, Andy Warhol. Hawks currently is designing cos tumes for a Hollywood movie pro duction, and at home in Amity, con tinues to build on his impressive collection of art works. Hawks is no stranger to galler ies, either. In 1998, he sold his gal lery in Palmer, Alaska. Since 1988, however, he has had a dream of opening a gallery in Grand Ronde, which would bring together cul ture, history and art of both the Northwest and the Grand Ronde people. The project will be coming to gether in the days and weeks ahead, though the group expects to open the doors to different parts of the facility in mid-July. H
