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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2008)
4 SEPTEMBER 1,2008 Smoke Signals AmnieirDcaDT) Rlasfteirpiieces pDfjjed ffeatiwures oraireDy seemi Native Amecriicami regaOiia SALEM An exhibition of historic and contemporary ceremonial regalia from all nine of Oregon's federally recognized Native American Tribes will be on display Sept. 27 to Jan. 19 at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University. "The Art of Ceremony," Oregon's 2008 National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces project, features what the Tribes consider their finest artwork, items they wear and use in private ceremonies and , rituals. Handcrafted dance outfits, jew- -elry, staffs, headdresses, musical instruments and a 21-foot cedar canoe many on loan from Na tive families across the state are among the items to be displayed. "Most people have never really seen Oregon's traditional regalia," said Willamette anthropology Pro fessor Rebecca Dobkins, who orga nized the exhibition in collaboration with Native community curators. "The only time much of this regalia is worn is during private events like funerals, feasts or dance ceremonies. These items are not largely shared outside their community." A multitude of free public events will accompany the exhibition, start ing with a Procession of Nations through campus at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, that will include members of all Oregon's Tribes. The exhibition will open at 4 p.m. and there will be a free feast and celebration at 5 p.m. at Goudy Commons on the campus of Willamette University. Visitors also can watch regalia makers at work from 1 to 5 p.m. Sun day, Sept. 28, at the museum. Tours, films, lectures and demonstrations are among the other events sched uled throughout the exhibition. "The Art of Ceremony" will show case the diversity of regalia between Tribes, from the western Tribes' use of feathers and abalone shells to the eastern Tribes' beadwork and buckskin. After leaving the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, the exhibi tion will travel to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton and the Museum at Warm Springs in central Oregon. In addition to the National Endow ment for the Arts grant, the exhibi tion is supported by an endowment gift from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through Spirit Mountain Community Fund, a Mil licent Mcintosh Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, a Si letz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund award, and by grants from the city of Salem's Transient Occupancy Tax funds, the Oregon Arts Com mission and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette Uni versity. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues day through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The galleries are closed Monday. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesday is an admission-free day. For more information, call 503-370-6855 or visit www.willamette. edumuseumofart. A Columbia River-style canoe paddle, Stanklya isik (coyote design paddle) made of Isik-stik (Oregon ash, or "paddle tree" in Chinuk Wawa), will be on display during "The Art of Ceremony" exhibition at Willamette University in Salem from Sept. 27 through Jan. 1 9. The concave handle and notched tip provides two points of contact under water and the shape also is useful for harvesting wetland plants, such as wapato. ij Photo courtesy of Cultural Resources Department Transportation to Grand Ronde Transportation to Grand Ronde will be on Sept. 19 for medical and dental appointments or enrollment cards. Please call Lisa Archuleta at 503-235-4230. They will leave at the Portland office at 8 a.m. Please call in advance to reserve your seat. ft. W A rii W 1 v. : -ill - I I'll III U llirnitll.:)!.!!! Homeownership becomes a reality HOUSING continued from front page and that was pretty much it. The whole buying the house thing took about three months. The Tribe stuff, a week or maybe two weeks. And now, I'm a homeowner. "I couldn't have bought the house without the Tribe." Ritchey took advantage of the Tribe's Down Payment Assistance Program. Because of this gener ous program, homeownership has become a reality for many Tribal members. Tribal Housing Authority Ho meownership coordinator Nancy Holmes implements the Down Pay ment Assistance Program, which is expected to be funded by the Tribe to the tune of up to $800,000 in the current year. Initially, down payment grants totaled $5,000 for Tribal members buying a home. Today, the average assistance amounts to $11,250, according to Housing Authority Executive Director Carina Kistler Ginter. The Tribe also matches an additional $2,600 contributed by the buyer, making total grants as high as $12,500. Initially, constraints on local water availability and sanitary sewer service prompted the Tribal Housing Authority sooner than anticipated to serve Tribal mem bers in a larger geographic area. While the Tribe's service area includes six neighboring counties (Polk, Yamhill, Marion, Washing ton, Multnomah and Tillamook), the Housing Authority's service area expanded to 10 counties (Polk, Yamhill, Marion, Tillamook, Washington, Multnomah, Clacka mas, Linn, Benton and Lincoln) and then went nationwide. The Down Payment Assistance Program will provide the equiva lent of about 60 $10,000 grants this year to help Tribal families afford the upfront costs of buying a house. The program has issued almost 900 grants since 1990. Funding for down payment as sistance comes from Tribal (no income limit) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop ment sources (for income quali fied families). When using HUD funding, the Tribe agrees that the houses meet federal National Environmental Protection Act regulations. Down payment assistance funds have been available, with different funding sources, since 1990, even before the Housing Authority was created in 1996. The Tribe offers an array of other financial assistance for housing purposes, including home repair grants up to $10,000 ($5,000 for owners of mobile homes) to be used for the repair or replacement of flooring, windows, siding, roofing, plumbing and electrical problems to Tribal members living in Washing ton, California and Oregon. Expan sion of the program nationwide is being discussed. Medical Adaptation grants, from $3,000 to $6,000, are available to Tribal members nationwide to modify their residences to accom modate various medical condi tions. The Tribe's help has made a big difference in Hitchey's life. "I grew up on a four-lane high way," Ritchey said, "and now we live almost in the cow fields. We got a bunch of apple trees, nut trees, and there used to be a dairy here. We've got a dairy barn. And all my neighbors are the same way. The nearest neighbors have lived here 30 years, so it's very stable, but the best thing is we all know each other." B Clothes Closet opens Sept. 8 The Clothes Closet will open Monday, Sept. 8. Its new hours are 1 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call Kathy at 503-879-4001 or Anna at 503-879-4252. Silcti Scpt. 2: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 3: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 4: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 5: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. -Sem Sept. 15: 1:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 1 6: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 1 7: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you need assistance, call Joyce Retherford at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1393, or call direct at 511-444 8393.
