4 NOVEMBER 1,2008
Smoke Signals
Ad created by George Valdez
Wellness staff moving
back to Health Center
Wellness Department staff who have been located in the Tribal Community
Center will be moving back to the Health & Wellness Center on Monday,
Nov. 3.
Staff members who will move back to the Health & Wellness Center include
Bonnie Mercier, Darlene Aaron, Pearl Mekemson, Vernon Kennedy, Stephanie
Grim and Daniel Provost. i
They will be located in the same wing as Optometry and will retain their
some phone numbers.
For more information, call Health & Wellness Center Administrative As
sistant Jill Hafliger at 503-879-2060.
fiVileinni(Diry stores
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Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder Laura Lund places a piece of glass on a memorial stepping
stone she's making during a class at the new Elders' Activity Center
on Monday, Oct. 1 3. Lund is making the stone in memory of her great
grandmother Maryann Michelle. All of the stones that are made will go
in the memorial garden at facility.
Looking Wolf to perform
Breast cancer awareness Dec. 5 in RlcMinnville
luncheon set for Nov. 1 0
The Tribal Wellness Program and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is invit
ing area women ages 40 to 64 to a Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon set for
noon Monday, Nov. 10, at the Grand Ronde Community Center.
Guest speaker Kathleen Marquart will discuss how. mammograms can save '
lives.
For more information about the luncheon, contact Bonnie Mercier at 503-879-2016.
Support group forming
A support group for parents and caregivers of Grand Ronde children with
special needs is forming.
If your child, grandchild, foster child, etc., has extra challenges medically,
emotionally or developmentally and you would like to collaborate and share
resources with other parents, send your contact information in an e-mail to
lewis.dmcomcast.net or call David and Donna Lewis at 503-566-3093.
Lewis said the support group is compiling an e-mail and telephone contact
list and will later coordinate meetings with group members. B
Tribal Elder to receive
Local Heroes Award
Tribal Elder Veda Gamez, 56, will be one
of five Native Americans in the Snn Fran
cisco Bay area who will receive Local Heroes
Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Gamez is director of Substance Abuse Ser
vices at the Nntive American Health Center.
As an employee of the Health Center since
1999, Gnmez hns been instrumental in shap
ing the way the facility provides substance
abuse services to clients. She hns worked to
grow her department nnd provide important
health education to the community in addition
to her efforts to end substance abuse nnd ad
diction in the Nntive American community.
She nlso hns In-en the driving force each yenr behind the Gathering of
the lodges, nn event thnl brings together hundreds of Nntive Americans
from across California tocelebrnte wellness nnd sobriety.
Gnmez is seen as n role model by staff, clients nnd community mem
bers. In addition to her role as counselor, she nlso is a loving mother,
sister and daughter who is devoted to her family.
The nwnrdrt ceremony will lie held nt the Snn Francisco I Inll Rotunda.
For more information, visit www.kqed.orgheritage on the Internet.
Veda Garnet
Tribal member Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach will perform in concert
at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, in the Performance Center at Second and Evans
streets in McMinnville with Tim Yett (Cherokee).
Doors will open at 6 p.m. for VIP seating and at 7 p.m. for general seat
ing. .... Yett will open the show with flute songs from his new CD ''Creating
Sacred Space." Renowned Native American dancer Deitrich Peters (Grand
Ronde) will perform with a drum group as well.
Reibach will perform solo flute songs from his 2007 release "Unity,"
as well as new music from his rock-flute fusion CD "The Looking Wolf
Project."
Reibach recently received the Flutist of the Year award from both the
Native American Music Awards and Indian Summer Music Awards for
"Unity."
Tickets are $15 for general seating and $10 for those 12 and under and
Elders 55 and older. VIP passes are $50 and include a pass to the VIP
room where there will be food, music and visiting with the artists, as well
as an autographed poster and copy of the new CD.
For ticket information, call Kathy Sohler at 503-705-7330 or send an
e-mail to lookingwolfmusicyahoo.com. B
GVUGA dittos passage
off G-deEriittage Day IbnDD
The National Indian Gaming Association acknowledged passage of House
Joint Resolution 62, which designates the Friday after Thanksgiving as
Native American Heritage Day 2008.
The bill, which is supported by the National Indian Gaming Association,
National Congress of American Indians and Tribes nationwide, encourages
observation of Native American Heritage Day with appropriate programs,
ceremonies and activities.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) and Sen.
Daniel Inouye (D-Hawnii), who helped moved the resolution through the
Senate.
"This is a great moment for Indian County," snid Gaming Association
Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. "Signing the bill into law officially recog
nizes, remembers nnd formally celebrates the history, achievements nnd
certainly the major contributions to the American democracy by Native
Americans."
Presidents George II.W. Hush, Bill Clinton nnd George W. Bush have
signed proclamations designating November ns Native American I leritoge
Month in previous years.
"Nntive Americans have been seeking a day of recognition since 1912,"
Gaming Association Executive Director Mark Van Norman said. "This
day honors the original Native Americans, their strengths, wisdom and
fight for freedom, and it recognizes the continued vitality and beauty of
the Native American cultures."