Smoke signals., March 01, 2008, Page 7, Image 7

Smoke Signals 7
MARCH 1,2008
Tribal Elder Gene la Bounce named! first Native
to advise Governor on Indian-veteran issues
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Gov. Ted Kulongoski will an
nounce in the coming weeks the
appointment of Tribal Elder Gene
LaBonte to the Advisory Commit
tee to the Director of the Oregon
Department of Veterans' Affairs,
according to Veterans' Affairs Di
rector Jim Willis.
LaBonte, 66, will be the first
Native American appointed to the
committee, Willis said. Service
on the nine-member committee is
limited to two four-year terms and
requires attendance at four meet
ings annually in March, June,
September and December.
"He'll also be called on to attend
various events legislative hear
ings or veteran meetings in lieu
of the director andor the governor,"
Willis said.
LaBonte will be installed at a
March 19 ceremony in Salem.
"Because the committee is advi
sory in nature, committee members
will advise the director about issues
they become aware of. In Gene's
case, (particularly) about Native
American issues," Willis said.
Willis has worked with LaBonte
since 2000.
Gene LaBonte
"I found him to be a person who
understands the great dignity and
honor that we hold vets in in the
state," Willis said. "He's a strong
leader in Native American veter
an's affairs, through NIVA, the
Northwest Indian Veterans Asso
ciation. He also has demonstrated
his leadership in the Grand Ronde
Veterans Color Guard.
"When (Tribal Elder) Marce (Nor
west) stepped down as leader of
the Veterans' Powwow, we were
lucky to have someone with the
experience that Gene has to pick up
that role and keep things moving,"
said Reyn Leno, a Tribal Elder,
Tribal Council vice president and
a Vietnam veteran himself. "Granu
" Ronde is so proud of our vets and
our Veterans' Powwow."
"Every time I ever asked him to
do anything," said Willis of LaBon
te, "he was there. I couldn't think of
a better advocate. He was the right
guy (for the committee)."
The committee brings together
veterans representing all eras of
service, from World War II to Iraq,
and branches of the military.
LaBonte is a Vietnam-era Navy
veteran. In the service, he was a
radio operator.
Committee membership is a
volunteer service, with members
serving four-year, staggered terms.
LaBonte will be coming on in March
with two other veterans. Interest
ingly, he will replace an eight-year
adviser, Robert Haltiner, who also
is LaBonte's war buddy.
The Advisory Committee was
created by statute in 1945 and
has played an "important role" in
the effective administration of the
Veterans' Affairs Department and
has been "invaluable" as an adviser
to the director, the department's
Web site says.
'It's a unique class of people that I'll
be on the board with," said LaBonte,
who, with fellow veteran Carl Lam
bert, has been attending the advisory
committee meetings for years.
LaBonte downplays his expertise.
"I'll have to take due council of
other Native American vets and see
what their wants and their needs
are, and proceed from there." Many,
he says, have a better command
of "the tools to get help for vets,"
including medical aid and services
for disabled veterans.
"There are many Native Ameri
can vets that have the experience
that I don't have," he said.
According to Willis, LaBonte will
be dealing with issues confronting
veterans everywhere: a GI bill for the
21st century, updated from the ver
sion passed for World War II veter
ans, health care, education,housing
and employment.
"The focus, of course, is for the
young men and women coming out of
Iraq and Afghanistan," Willis said.
LaBonte said he is looking for
ward to the challenge. "Every
thing's interesting when you don't
know too much." B
Traditional play
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I
Above, Tribal member
Marietta Brisbois
explains the different
types of stickgames
to Tribal members,
from left, Madison
Leno, Kyoni Mercier,
Nick Atanado, Nakoa
Mercier and Izzy
Atanacio during a
Cultural Resources
Department's Western
Oregon Stickgame
workshop and
tournament held
Feb. 22 at the Tribal
Community Center. At
left. Tribal members
Izzy Atanacio (from
left), Katie Brisbois
and Kyoni Mercier play
game. Participants
were encouraged to
bring traditional Items
to bet on.
Photos by Justin Phillips
Tribal ID machine out of service
Enrollment is unable to issue Tribal ID cards at this time due to
equipment failure. Sorry for any convenience this may cause. We
will notify you when we are able to issue ID cards again.
V" l
J. 7 V C
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IjTWA
Photo by Dean Rhodes
Zach Aguilar, a member of the Yakama Outlaws basketball team,
takes a shot at the top of the key during the first half of the semifinal
game against Colvilla's Until We Meet Again team on Feb. 24 In the
Tribal gymnasium. The teams played in the All Indian Mens 6 Foot
Under 1 1 Non Tournament held Feb. 22-24. The Outlaws won the game
1 02-91, but lost in the championship game to the Lapwai team 95-83.
There were three local teams In the tournament - Grand Ronde, ChaChalu
and Quenelle Camp - that were sponsored by Spirit Mountain Casino and
the Tribe. ChaChalu had the best finish, tied for seventh-eighth place.
Other teams were from Siletz, Pendleton, Chiloquin and Portland.