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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2004)
Smoke Signals 7 DECEMBER 1, 2004 jribe Celebrates 2. 1 Years Of Restoration ...,A t ,; ;:,r:.v,v :,',,, v,;. Young Dancer RainTeeman, age 13, from Eugene, gets help with his Wapesha, or roach as it's called. The young Inupiat Traditional Dancer was just one of many who came to the 2 1 st Annual Tribal Restoration Day Pow-wow held on Sunday, November 2 1 at the Tribal gymnasuim in Grand Ronde. By PetaTinda "Everything has changed," said Tribal Elder Russ Leno as he sipped his coffee at the 21st annual Tribal Restoration Day Celebration, held at the community center in Grand Ronde. ing the Tribe, downplayed his role. "I just went and sat in... it was great experience to be in D.C. I went twice," he said. "The only thing is I wish my folks were alive to see the Wte cmito (limn f& 0 ojmih am fcil&y twm dhmW ttetmm ru x "We never dreamed it would be this good," said Leno. "Things were much different then; we didn't have money, no nothing. But we always had good changes. . . I don't think they'd believe me," he said. Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy welcomed the 200 or so V St Appearance Mescalero Apache "Gahe" or spirit dancers performed at the Restoration Pow-wow. According to tradition, the dancers live in sacred mountain and come forth to drive away sickness and evil and bring good fortune. The towering headdresses and sacred symbols a cross or a star symbolize protection from the spirits. feeling that we would be restored." Leno, who was one of the original team of Tribal members who made the first trips to Washington, D.C. in the early eighties and began the work of restor- Tribal and community members who attended the celebration. "We are very pleased to be able to provide this gathering in honor of those who worked so hard to restore I 11 jm " 1 i wij hii m hi i in a n iiumi in v 111 nniiMi nm m a nil , ' 2 i ivii ':"A rv 0 A Leaders Tribal Veterans Marce Norwest (right) and Eugene LaBonte led the Grand Ronde Tribal Color Guard into the arena, followed by Tribal Veterans, the Tribal Council and Tribal Royalty. Photos by Peta Tinda the Tribe," she said. Kennedy then acknowledged the Tribal Elders, saying "it's wonderful to see so many Elders here; they worked very hard to bring us here today." She also thanked the former Tribal Council members who were there. Kennedy gave special thanks to the main players in the restoration say ing "Margaret Provost we owe a lot of gratitude to her and she's still work- Valley Native artifacts including rega lia, baskets, trade beads and ancient tools, such as mortars and pestles. A genealogy scroll that listed the Grand Ronde families dating back to the original signers of the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 was also on dis play, giving Tribal members a visible link to their ancestors. Both Grand Ronde and visiting Tribal Elders were given gift bags in thanks for their coming. ' V,X ::,L:l ' A J - I Family Ties Tribal member Wanda McCoy looks at the Tribal genealogy scroll, which lists the various Grand Ronde families all the way back to the original signers of the 1855 Willamette Valley Treaty. ing," said Kennedy of Provost, who was in the kitchen volunteering her time to make sure everyone got fed. "The others, Marvin Kimsey, who worked so hard and Merle Holmes, who we all know passed on this year. We know restoration was part of his vision," said Kennedy. "And also Jackie Whisler and Jackie Provost," continued Kennedy. "There are so many people that helped in the great effort. All of the women who held bake sales and raffles to raise the money to go on the trips to Washing ton needed to gain restoration we're here to thank them and tell them that we are very grateful," said Kennedy. Volunteers Jackie Provost and Da kota Whitecloud coordinated the day's events. Tribal member Bobby Mercier gave the invocation, giving thanks for the chance to come together. The restoration day attendees were served a dinner of roast beef, salmon and frybread. The Tribal Cultural Resources De partment set up a display of Willamette When the meal was served, Tribal Cultural Resources Manager June Olson told stories from the Tribe's early pre-reservation days. i Afterwards, a pow-wow was held in the Tribal gymnasium. Tribal member Bob Tom was Em cee for the celebration. The turnout for the pow-wow who included 50 dancers in regalia. There were five drum groups: Shona-Ay, Four Directions, The Three Drum Singers, All Nations, Antelope Spirit and Grand Ronde's own Eagle Beak Singers, who sang the Veterans' and Honor songs. Tribal Elder Dale Langley, who is old enough to remember when the Tribe was terminated, said that they each got $900 for the millions of acres of ancestral lands that were lost. "After that we never got nothing and the government never gave us nothing," said Langley. "Most of us worked either logging or farming and we ate a lot of deer meat. The things we have today, I don't think it's owed to me... but boy, it's a gift."
