OCTOBER 1,2007
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Sepf. 13 event continues tradition of Tribal grants
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Tribal member and Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson
Tribal Council Vice Chairman Reyn Leno presented Cheryl Bickle and the
Community Transitional School with $5,000 on Sept. 13.
By Toby McClary
Smoke Signals staff writer
Over the last 10 years, the Spirit
Mountain Community Fund has
given away more than $40 million.
On Thursday, Sept. 13, Tribal rep
resentatives, Community Fund staff
and grant recipients celebrated the
10th anniversary since the fund's
inception with a dinner held at the
Oregon Garden in Silverton.
And the giving continued.
The evening began with a banquet-style
dinner that included
salmon and buffalo. After the meal
and brief socializing, the Shunka
Sapah drum group kicked off the
event with a grand entry song dur
ing which the Grand Ronde Honor
Guard posted the colors.
Tribal member and Commu
nity Fund Director Shelley Hanson
joked about attendees from the
Portland area stopping at Oktober
fest in Mt. Angel and "celebrating
a little early."
"The real focus of this event was
our beginnings and reminding
people that we are a Tribal founda
tion," Hanson said.
Hanson and Tribal Council mem
ber Chris Mercier presented 15
honorees with Community Fund
logos beaded by Tribal Elder Dean
Mercier's wife, Christina.
Honorees included former Gov.
John Kitzhaber (not present); Bruce
Thomas, former chief executive offi
cer of Spirit Mountain Casino; Chuck
Galford, original Community Fund
director; Kathryn Harrison, Tribal
Elder and former fund trustee and
former Tribal Council chairwoman;
Kris Olson, fund chairperson; Sho
Dozono, fund vice chairperson;
From left, former U.S. Attorney for
Oregon and chair of the Spirit Mountain
Community Fund Board of Trustees
Kristine Olson and Tribal member and
trustee Camille Mercier react to the
beaded Community Fund logo as former
Tribal Council member Angie Blackwell
shows it off.
Photos by Toby McClary
Oregon Sen. Kate Brown, trustee;
Henry "Chip" Lazenby, trustee;
Angie Blackwell, former fund di
rector and trustee; Jack Giffen Jr.,
Tribal Council member and trustee;
Reyn Leno,
Tribal Council
member and
trustee; Ca
mille Mercier,
Tribal mem
ber and trust
ee; Chips Tom,
Tribal Elder;
Dennis Wor
den, 2006-07
Hatfield Fel
low; and Spirit Mountain Casino's
Marketing Team.
After the honoring ceremony, the
Board of Trustees gifted several or
ganizations with $5,000 each. The
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SPIRIT MOUNTAIN
COMMUNITY FUND
organizations included Artists Rep
ertory Theatre, Children First for
Oregon, Community Transitional
School, Juliette's House, Oregon
Holocaust Resource Center, Oregon
Shores Con
servation Co
alition, Three
Rivers Land
Conservancy,
Thugz Off
Drugz, Union
Gospel Mis
sion of Salem
and Willamette
Riverkeeper.
Tribal mem
ber and Grand Ronde Royalty Adviser
Reina Nelson then took the stage with
members of the 2007-08 royalty. Each
member of the royalty demonstrated
various styles of pow-wow dance as
Nelson explained the meaning and
history of each style.
"We want to let people know who
we are as a Tribe," said Hanson.
"Folks got to experience that."
Attendees were then invited to
gather outside on the yard and par
ticipate in a traditional Round Dance,
also known as a Friendship Dance.
"The feedback was overwhelmingly
positive," Hanson said. "One lady said
that the Round Dance was a great way
for everyone to say hi to each other."
The Spirit Mountain Community
Fund donates 6 percent (about $5
million) of Spirit Mountain Casino's
annual profits to non-profit orga
nizations in 11 western Oregon
counties, including Clackamas,
Multnomah, Washington, Tilla
mook, Lincoln, Yamhill, Polk, Mar
ion, Benton, Linn and Lane.
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