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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2007)
4 AUGUST 1,2007 Smoke Signals UcflaDD Scholars Bv'mg A WoirDd Off Cm iriios fifty Amid EimttDDnasiiasm To Gorainid RoddcOg Udall scholars work with the Natural Resources summer youth crew on another section of the Tillamook Trail. UDALL continued from front page (that got loose and flapped around for a day), left the thirteen partici pants unable "to see the forest for the leaves," according to Martina Gast, a Red Rock Ojibwe, First Nation Band, located in Nipigon, Ontario, who is Tribal co-coordinator for the trip. Gast, the only Native on the crew, nevertheless helped coordinate visits to a number of Indian experi ences along the way. In Louisiana, they visited the United Houma Nation and trav eled the bayous; in Kansas, they learned about the Indian board ing school system at the Haskell Indian School; and in Oklahoma City, they attended a Tribal health symposium. "A huge learning experience," said Gast. The bus was fit and forward thinking, with leather seats still smelling new and a biodiesel en gine fueled by a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent ultra low sulfur diesel, along with carbon offsets purchased through Native Energy to make the tour carbon-neutral. C " Y Udall Communications Manager Eli Zigas The scholars from across the country anticipated futures in fish and wildlife, geography and history and one a few years out of college was considering a Masters degree in business. "I think they need people like us in business," said Jennifer Baldwin, the group's blogger and videog rapher, who also was considering further education in Indian law. Here in Grand Ronde, they picked up rhineharts, polaskis, sandviks and mcclouds, and fol lowed the Natural Resources interns' bus down Grand Ronde Road and out past Sharkey's Bridge to the Tillamook Trail, still in development. "The understory (in the woods) is unbelievable," said Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife Co ordinator Kelly Dirksen. "Your work will give the opportunity for others to see a part of the trail that only loggers normally see." Somewhere about a mile down the trail, the roots again poked out and the bottomless hills en croached a little too close to the trail for comfort. Interns and scholars picked up their imple ments of construction and un der the direction of Youth Crew Leader Alyssa Cudmore, they continued the arduous process of stretching out and widening the path. Working together, they brought a huge, fifteen foot length of tree down from the hill to make a border for the trail. And here on this path, you could hear the beginnings of conversation between the groups. By the time of the lunch bbq held behind the Natural Resources building, they were discussing the relative merits of Tillamook cheese vs Cabot cheese of Vermont, and Wisconsin cheese, that may or may not have an un earned reputation for quality. In his 30 years in Congress and 14 as Chair of the House Inte rior Committee, Udall championed many Native and environmental causes. The Udall Foundation, congres sionally established in 1992, offers scholarships, fellowships and in ternships. www.udall.gov Photos By Toby McClary K7? liSSlpP " m l ' !'M'7::' ; ' jiii""niiiii mi.( . ft I L( K'y jil jj r; f I 1 ; Jj fl Ji . ., u" " 1' ;t ,,J- ( ' '. .' "'" T"' vmmmi ttr&,w. Hr W ., ... .r-W- - .!. 7yv, . . "wM,I'-- ' ' ( I , ' , ' s V . " . ... i . , .. Mil Ml - ........... . , : - 1 ....1. .,..1. j .... ...... ...tiA i ...ft.-...,-.- , - , - - r- . - - i- Covered in leaves and legacy is the Udall bus. Thirteen Udall scholarship alumni traveled for two months across the country honoring ten years of community service in the name of Arizona Congressman, Morris Udall.
