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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2008)
!!.!.. I. ..I.l..!ll,.,ll., !Im i,lll, I.I.I,,!. I II! SERIALS DEPf. - KNIGHT LIBRARY 1299 UNI VERS I Ti' OF OREGON EUQENE OR 97403-1205 PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM. OR PERMIT NO. 178 mmmvnr mm am i A Publication of the Grand Roode Tribe F amJmm xsvf 'E h h urn nivuii f Iff! JUNE 1,2008 n mm.gr31wfnmcte.org TTMPQXXA. CJ MOLALLA C3 ROGUE RIVER C3 KALAPUYA C3 CHASTA Memorial Day 2008 features governor, speeches and first Tribal Ceremonial Harvest Feast By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer Since early on Memorial Day, the Tribal cemetery on Grand Ronde Road was adorned with bright flow ers and fluttering flags. Beginning before 8 a.m., some 50 Tribal and family members and veter ans from across West Valley gathered for the first in a series of events. It was the start of an on-again, off-again chilly, rainy and sunny day that included an address by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and the first Tribal ceremony held with fresh ceremonial meat. The weather prompted Kulongos ki's wife, Mary Oberst, to keep a hood over her head throughout the afternoon ceremony. Among a few quick-thinking Tribal Elders, Val Grout parked facing the Veterans' Memorial and enjoyed the ceremo ny from the comfort of her car. "It was cold outside," Grout said. "I was warm and could hear every thing." The 3 p.m. ceremony honored vet erans of all wars and coincided with the unveiling of inscriptions of some 53 new names, including Kulongoski's on the Marine wall of the Veterans' Memorial. I le served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. "The true test of our national character," Kulongoski said, "is not that we have sacrificed one day in a foreign land for our country, but it is making sure that they have benefits every day when they come home. "I would not be where I am if the GI Bill had not given me the opportunity to go to college and law school." Kulongoski used his speech to support the Democratic version of a new GI Bill passed recently with a veto-proof majority in both houses of Congress. In Oregon, Kulongoski said he is working with the Legislature on a GI Bill supplement that "will do all I can to honor Guard members." Kulongoski's policy adviser Paul Evans said that the effort will seek to supplement education, employ ment, health care and housing needs for Oregon's 359,000 veterans. The Grand Ronde Honor Guard, busy all day, started at the morning ceremony, along with other West Valley veterans and a 21-gun salute honoring those who have fallen in service to country. They went next to ceremonies in Sheridan and Wil lamina before returning for the 3 p.m. event in Grand Ronde. At Grand Ronde, Tribal Elder and Army combat veteran Marce Norwest served as master of cer emonies. 1 le has long been a driving force in keeping veterans' issues on the Tribe's agenda. With his wife, Sharon, Norwest See MEMORIAL DAY on pages 8-9 1 r" wl n ' 7 9l v I Photo by Michelle Alaimo Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski delivers the keynote speech during the Memorial Day ceremony at the West Valley Veterans' Memorial in Grand Ronde on Monday, May 26. TirolbaD iDufoirmaGDOira Day a csy afffaoi Try- r. p f?x Youth have chance to meet the governor Photo by Mil belle AUieno By Ron Karten iinwk Signal Utf( wrilrr Grand Ronde Tribal member True Rimer, 10, naked Gov. Ted Kulon goski if he could be governor for a day on Friday. May 1(5, during Tribal Information Day activities. The governor is an old hand nt this game and Mid right into storytelling mode, but more about that Inter. Along with Kulongoski's slightly more formal address to Oregon's 4 Senior Miss Grand Ronde Josie Faris dances as she leads other Grand Ronde Royalty at the closing of the Tribal Information Day ceremony on May 1 6 in Salem. nine federally recognized Tribes, a training nession for state employees who deal with Native American is sues and Tribal information tables set up on the second floor of the state Capitol in Salem, this year's Tribal Information Day was cozier than in the past. The state's nine federally recog nized Tribes made good use of the Capitol building, where the Grand Ronde Tribe and Spirit Mountain Casino sponsored breakfast and the Cow Creek Hand of Iiwer Umpqua sponsored lunch for 100. Guests, principally from theTrilies and state agencies, spilled down the See INFORMATION DAY on page 5
