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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2006)
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 Smoke Signals 5 FGo YffiimiyDD Park QMIfcafrBdl History comes alive through a cooperative effort between Tribe, state and local officials. By Ron Karten "Our people have been waiting for this to happen for a long time," said Grand Ronde Tribal Elder Peat-hie Hamm. Beautiful light held fast over a spanking new Fort Yamhill State Heritage Area all morning long on Saturday, September 9, while the dedication took place. "From now on," Hamm continued, "this will be considered sacred ground for the Grand Ronde people." It's been a long time coming. Since the 1850s, when Fort Yamhill was set up and run by the then young Lieuten ant, Phil Sheridan, the Indian memory of the time has focused on the block house, now housed in the public square in the nearby town of Dayton, that was a prison for Grand Ronde's forefathers. They ended up there for infractions like speaking their own language, or trying to leave the reservation. With the dedication of the park, the re-creation of the historical presence here is officially begun. And the story fi nally includes the Indian perspective. The officer's quarters thought to be home to Phil Sheridan now are in the middle of being refurbished, and still pose questions to Gregg A. Olson, an expert in the field who has been contracted to bring the building back to its original stature. "How did they attach the back 20 feet to the officer's quarters?" he asked as he described his efforts on one of many' tours of the house he led that day. A smaller building remains stand ing, but many of the buildings within the compound remain with founda tions exposed and that's about all. "We're far from finished," said State Parks Director Tim Wood. "This is just the beginning of the story telling." And this beginning has had many fathers. "This park became a reality by the work of legions of people," said Wood. -'4 ii. I .-A V J I 1 4UJP f 1 u V" hit' !' S'i" J In,, s Unit -rmr 1 .J. A I LU TIT? Uf' ffe" ; U - LYJi -v'Ul And they ran the gamut from Grand Ronde youth who contributed sweat equity, to the Tribal member-owned construction firm, Round Valley Con struction, that prepared the site, to the oversight and planning work of A mile-long trail with interpretive markers will be expanded in the years ahead. The Spirit Mountain Community Fund contributed $50,000 to this proj ect that has cost $1.5 million so far. "Our people have been waiting for this to happen for a long time. From now on, this will be considered sacred ground for the Grand Ronde people. " Tribal Elder Peachie Hamm Eric Scott, Tribal Engineer, to local and state officials who contributed property, people and advice to the project. The Parks Department purchased 59 acres to add to the site. Bonneville Power Administration moved the power lines that had run through the center of what would be come the park. And the anthropologi cal digs and the rebuilding continue. State Lottery funds also contributed. The project also is part of the Gover nor's "Park A Year" initiative, said Mary Oberst, the Governor's wife. "This is a great example of the Tribe's vision," said Tribal member Shelley Hanson, Director of the Com munity Fund and emcee for the day's event, "and our ability to partner." It is an effort, said Jim Paar, A Tribal Elder Peachie Hamm, (I to r) Tribal Elder and former Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison, Tribal Council member Kathleen Tom and Tribal Council Secretary Chris Mercier were in attendance for the Fort Yamhill State Park opening on Saturday, September 9. member of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission, "to imagine life through the eyes of people who came before us." The project has been 15 years in process. With 32 parking spaces, the clay use park is expected to draw some 200 visitors a day, said Parks Spokes man Chris Havel. On hand were some 160 folks from the Tribe and the surrounding neighborhoods, including Sharon Werth of Salem, whose grandpar ents once lived in the Phil Sheridan House, and who's parents were married there and lived in the little house still standing nearby. It was built long after the area was a fort. "Lots of memories," she said, look ing at the place with studs exposed and the floor pulled up and replace ment beams showing through here and there. Tribal Elder Dale Langley looked down from the crest where the block house once stood, and said that he used to ride horses down in that val ley. It never occurred to him in those days that all this history was looking down over his ride. To the untrained eye, said one ob server, the park still looks like "just a bare little piece of ground." But it is not bound to stay that way. "The spirit within us is not to destroy," said Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle Ken nedy, "but to help build up." v7? V r9 I 1 it i L. M 'r la. pyiiium't- . . - ......... About 80 people attended the Fort Yamhill State Park Grand Opening which was held in the shadow of Spirit Mountain under a partly cloudy sky.
