JULY 15, 2004
Smoke Signals 3
Tualatin River Comes Clean
Hundreds of boaters enjoy the waters again.
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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have been replaced by parking lots which allow harmful substances to flow into the river.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.
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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-
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'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