Smoke Signals 3
AUGUST 1,2008
Hatiffiielldl FeDDow ft be m WasDnninigftoini, B.C.
Tribal member Francene Ambrose picked to work in Sen. Ron Wyden's office
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member Francene Am
brose, 28, recipient of the 2008-09
Mark O. Hatfield Fellowship spon
sored by the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde, is excited about when
she will be in Washington, D.C.
'Til be there for the election and the
inauguration," Ambrose said. "I will
have a front-row seat. This is the one
thing I've been very excited about."
Ambrose will work in the Washing
ton office of Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden
from November through July 2009.
Originally from White Swan,
Wash., on the Yakama Reservation,
Ambrose was raised by her grand
father Corky Ambrose and aunt
Margaret Ambrose, who are both
enrolled Yakama Tribal members.
Corky, now retired, was a wildland
firefighter. Because of this, her aunts
and uncles stepped in to help raise
her when he was working. She is very
close to them and her cousins.
Her Grand Ronde Tribal roots
come through her great-grandmother,
Tribal Elder Grace Wheeler
Ambrose, who was Corky's mother,
from Grand Ronde.
Today, she lives in Portland and is
finishing a master's degree in Public
Administration, focusing on Tribal
Governance, at The Evergreen State
College in Olympia, Wash.
She attended the University of
Washington in Seattle as an un
dergraduate and graduated with
a bachelor of science degree from
Portland State University in 2003.
Using the Hatfield Fellowship
experiences to fill some of her elec
tive credits, she plans to graduate
next year. "I'm planning to go to law
school, possibly at Lewis and Clark"
she said, "and focu9 on Tribal law."
Her Tribal experience is not so
much with Grand Ronde as with
Yakama, where she grew up. MI
have lots of family from Yakama,"
she said. "I was raised with the
Yakama Warriors Association. I
traveled with them growing up."
Her grandfather ran the local
Johnson-O'Malley program and she
Hatfield Fellow
reception scheduled
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund and the Tribal Council
will hold a farewell reception
for 2007-08 Hatfield Fellowship
recipient Rebecca Knight at 11
a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, in the
Governance Building Atrium. In
coming Hatfield Fellow Francene
Ambrose also will be there.
No RSVP is necessary to
attend.
For more information, contact
Jilene Mercier at 503-879-1637.
attended meetings with him. The
federal Johnson-O'Malley Act of
1934 was created to meet needs of
American Indian students. Through
the Oklahoma-based National Johnson-O'Malley
Association, it has
since spread to Native reservations
across the country. It operates with
a combination of federal grants and
locally raised funds.
"Like Title VII in Portland Public
Schools, it raises money for Native
students," Ambrose said. "We did
fundraisers to help pay for school
credits and the cost of athletics, like
basketball shoes.
"My grandfather raised us to be
very community-oriented," she added.
"We used to put on a Thanksgiving
dinner every year for the Elders, and
play bingo. He'd always make sure we
gave back to the community."
While in school, she worked for the
National Indian Child Welfare Asso
ciation and now works part-time for
Eugene-based Oregon Social Learn
ing Center. She conducts research
that helps assess a mentoring pro
gram for another organization.
"I used to be grant writer," she
said.
With this background in mind,
Ambrose has been researching fel
lowships during her years in college
and said she is pleased that her first
choice came through. She learned
about the Hatfield Fellowship a
Va at1 hi' .h v
Photo by Michelle Alaltno
Mimbtri of the Grand Ronde Veterans' Honor Guard and Tribal
Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy lead tht parade in the opening
ceremonies of the Gorge Garnet in Hood River on Friday, July 18.
Tribal member Francene Ambrose
few years ago and made sure she
had the appropriate prerequisites.
Then, she said, "It was an honor to
even be a finalist."
"I cried at the interview and I
cried on the phone," she said about
receiving the news. "I'm so excited.
I think it's going to be a wonderful,
wonderful experience. Being there
will be such a great time, especially
with the upcoming elections.
"I knew I wanted to do something
like this."
Ambrose said she intends to use
the experience to learn.
"I've been reading and writing
about public policy, but my goal is
to see it in action, how it's created.
I'm hoping to get the hands-on,
learning experience."
Previously, Ambrose visited the
nation's capital in conjunction
with a visit for the opening of the
National Museum of the American
Indian. She went to take pictures
of the Yakama Warriors Group
marching in the parade.
While there, she said, "I went to
see the different memorials. My
grandfather was in the Korean
War, so we made a point to see the
Korean War Memorial.
"I really liked Washington, D.C.
At first, it was overwhelming. I
don't think I'd ever seen that many
people in one place. Unfortunately,
when we were there, the terror
threat had moved up, and it was a
little threatening with the amount
of police that were there. But I'm
excited to be going back."
In 1998, Ambrose was part of the
group organizing voters against
Initiative 200 in Washington state.
The initiative passed and prohibited
the state from using race or ethnic
ity in deciding student admissions,
employment or contract awards.
She also "helped organize a rally,
brought in Tribal leaders, informed
them, and then had them speak
out on the importance of getting
(former Washington Senator) Slade
Gorton out of office. I think that's
what guided me down this track."
While attending Portland State,
she also helped with the dream of a
Native American center becoming a
reality. She aided the school in secur
ing funding and communicating with
local Tribes about the importance of
having a home away from home for
students. She spoke at the ground
breaking and opening ceremonies of
the Native American Student and
Community Center and was one of
the first staff to work there.
Portland State President Daniel
O. Bernstine said on Martin Lu
ther King Jr. Day in 2003 that "Dr.
King's legacy lives on in Francine
sic Ambrose, a member of the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand
Ronde. Francine is a leader in Na
tive American student organizations
and was key to developing the PSU
Native American Student and Com
munity Center."
She currently is treasurer of the
Bow and Arrow Culture Club in Port
land, and helps plan the annual City
of Roses Delta Park Powwow. "It's like
a full-time job in itself." she said.
At the end of August, she will
marry Jerald Harris, a Yakama
descendant who is also studying
Public Administration at Evergreen.
They will move to Washington, D.C,
together and he will continue his
search for a similar internship.
"When we tell people the news
about moving to D.C, everyone
says it's going to be like having an
extended honeymoon," she said.
"We'll have to wait and see about
that!" D
i r i
'in
Pholo by MkMIe Alaimo
Country artist Clint Black performs at the Spirit Mountain Casino's
Events and Entertainment Center on Friday, July 25.