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MARCH 1, 2005
Smoke Signals
Grand Ronde Tribal Elders Show Off Their New Jackets
in
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Treasures Elders
gathered in the Community
Center for a group photo on
Thursday, February 17, to
show off their "Elder" jackets.
For more information on how to
get an Elder jacket, contact
Elder Committee Chair Louise
Coulson at 503-879-2678.
Ww $ ' ('K
Joint Session Of The Oregon State Legislature Honors The Past
CAPITAL DAY
continued from front page
For openers, Tribal Elder and
former Grand Ronde Chairwoman
Kathryn Harrison stood before the
assembly and offered the invoca
tion. The Honor Guard of the Confed
erated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
posted the colors. Coyote Creek
drummers from Grand Ronde
brought in the Honor Guard.
"It was nice to see old friends from
the political world," said Kathryn
Harrison afterwards. Governor Ted
Kulongoski and Senator Kate
Brown each stepped up on the dias
to greet her before the ceremony
began.
The day included a reception for
the state's birthday along with
guest speakers. One, Michael
Carrick, discussed the weapons and
tools of the Lewis & Clark entou
rage. Old time fiddlers played, and
of course, a proclamation of the day
was signed.
On Tuesday, the capitol hosted
basket weaving demonstrations
and a display of the 1855 Tribes of
Middle Oregon Treaty. A lecture
by Warm Springs Chief Delvis
Heath described how Native
Americans perceived Lewis &
Clark. Another, by Grand Ronde
Tribal member and Tribal Tourism
Project Coordinator Elaine
LaBonte described the impact of
Lewis & Clark on Native peoples
here.
Vernon Kennedy (Burns Paiute)
played the Native flute and partici
pated with an exhibition drum
group and dancers.
Tribal member Claudia Leno pro
vided frybread and Indian tacos.
While Native participation cer
tainly appeared to be "a recognition
of our sovereign status as a nation,"
in LaBonte's words, she was not
alone among Native participants
who felt a level of tokenism in the
effort.
"It was nice," said Kathryn
Harrison, "but they whisked us in
and whisked us out. Something
that important, they should have
taken more time."
"We were called in at the last
minute," said LaBonte. At that
time, the Capitol staff was already
prepared for a costume party in
which Capitol staffers would dress
as Indians. It had become some
thing of a tradition for Oregon's
birthday celebrations.
"It's disrespectful," said LaBonte,
and she told the Capitol planners
to put an end to the practice.
"They're not costumes," she said af
terwards. "They're traditional re
galia with spiritual significance. To
have our Honor Guard and drum
group wearing regalia (in the face
of such a costume party) would
have been a mockery of all we stand
for."
LaBonte noted the importance of
having the Tribes brought into the
planning process from the begin
ning. School children arrived from all
over the state for the Capitol's activi
ties. Many sat with folks from the
Grand Ronde and Warm Springs at
tables set up with displays.
"That was most important," said
LaBonte.
Throughout the week, the Lewis
& Clark related presentations con
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Grand Entry The exhibition drum group, playing on Tribal Elder Dale Langleyfc drum takes up a modest portion in the Capitol's rotunda.