Smoke Signals 3
APRIL 1,2009
GrnDftiuiiraD Resources speairlhieadls TuriilbaD
DimvoDveinniein) Dim mniaimy Oregon) H 50 events
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Grand Ronde Tribal ancestors
are among the earliest to create
the history of this area that in 1849
became the state of Oregon.
Tribal cultural warriors are bring
ing back traditional lifeways in
Native communities. For Oregon's
150th birthday on Feb. 14, these
same cultural warriors secured
for Native history its proper place
among the many stories of European-American
history.
The latest sesquicentennial
(150th anniversary) projects for the
Grand Ronde Cultural Resources
Department include installations
at Champoeg State Heritage Area
in St. Paul, Mission Mill Museum in
Salem and Lane County Historical
Society Museum in Eugene.
At Champoeg Park, site of the
unratified 1851 treaty negotiations
between the federal government
and western Oregon Tribes and
bands, State Parks officials worked
with Grand Ronde representatives
to develop a long-lasting exhibit at
the visitors' center.
The Grand Ronde Tribe was
originally represented by Tribal
member (she wasn't an Elder at the
time) June Olson, former manager
of the Cultural Resources Depart
ment, and Lindy Trolan, current
Tribal Cultural Collections coor
dinator. The Tribe participated as
a full partner in the planning and
development phases, culminating
in the 2005 Champoeg State Park
Visitor Center interpretive plan.
Once this was finalized, fundrais
ing for the project, entitled "Facing
Statehood," began.
The Friends of Historic Cham
poeg spearheaded the fundraising.
Spirit Mountain Community Fund
and the state of Oregon contributed
to the project.
In the end, the Grand Ronde Cul
tural Resources Department made
many contributions to the exhibit.
Among them are recordings from
the Tribe's Chinuk Wawa immer
sion school classes.
The department also worked
with Tribal members, including
Tribal Elder Connie Graves, whose
woven contributions to the exhibit
include a juncus burden basket
and tumpline, and cattail baby
booties.
The department worked with
Tribal member Kristi Petite's hus
band, Jessie Hall, who carves in
the Native tradition, and included
some of his carvings in the Cham
poeg installation.
In addition to collaborating on the
exhibit text and imagery, the Tribe
loaned the heritage area several ar
tifacts from the Tribe's permanent
collection.
The exhibit, which is anticipated
to be a permanent installation, is
"very specific to place and time,"
said Trolan. "It shows not only
the original indigenous commu
nity, but the continuation of the
Grand Ronde Tribe and traditions
today."
Tribal Cultural Protection Coor
dinator and Tribal member Eirik
Thorsgard will speak on May 16
during the Champoeg Spring Chau
tauqua Series. The title of his talk
will be "Tribal History from Indi
vidual Tribes to the Grand Ronde
Tribe."
On sale at the park are materials
relating to the Grand Ronde Tribe.
They include the Round Dance and
Canoe Family CDs as well as "The
Kalapuyans" book, highlighting
one of the five major Tribes of the
Grand Ronde Confederation.
As a result of Grand Ronde input,
future efforts at Champoeg State
Heritage Area will encourage more
partnerships and events that bring
Tribal members to the park. Last
summer, the Grand Ronde and
Chinook Canoe Family paddled
the Willamette River, camping
overnight at the park before ending
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND RONDETIUBAL. COUBT
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;. The purpose of die Peacemaker Program is to provide a iKxt-achrnaria
way to resohv disputes. The Pcareuukrr Program is utfc-ikird to reflect die
, Tribe's tradition of using trsprctrd members of die conurnmity to lieal
' conflicts among its members. '
Trained Pcacemakrn facilitate die peacemaking process to guide die parties
in coming to a irnMuafly agrrealJe resolution to tlirir conflict.
For more ndomiauoii alxnn das Program, j4rase contact die TnlsJ Court
Program Specialist at die address listed brlow.
Humankind hat not nvwtt the ttvA of hfe. We art but one thread ilhtn IL
.." Whatever we do to the web, we do to ounehes. AH thingt an bound
together. AH Atngt connect.
Chief Seattle, IBM
JULIE BOEKIIOFF
TRIBAL COURT PROCRVMS SPECIALIST
9515 GRAND RONDE RD.
GRAND RONDE, OR 97317
niONEi 50379-4623
FAX: 503479-2269
Julimrk)K)flrpaiidroiiclf.or
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Photo courtesy of Mission Mill Museum
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Rond contributed to all phases of the Mission
Mill Museum's Oregon 1 50 exhibit, "Facing Statehood," including development
of the text and storyline and almost 50 hems from the permanent collection. The
exhibit focuses on the 25 years before statehood in 1 849.
Ad created by George Valdef
their paddle near Willamette Falls.
Dancing, feasting and protocol
came once again to Champoeg.
'The Tribe played an important
role in giving us background in
formation, making sure our facts
were accurate," said Bryan Nielsen,
Champoeg State Heritage Area
manager.
"The relationship between the
Tribe and the early settlers in the
valley, it's important that this
relationship is told, not just what
went on thousands of years ago, but
when settlers got here. It is really
important, and a lot of people are
seeing that now. The project is an
example of a better way of telling
a story."
In Salem, the Tribe's Cultural
Resources Department became
involved in Mission Mill's Oregon
150 project last March. For the
anticipated 18-month run of the
exhibit, the Grand Ronde Tribe
contributed almost 50 items from
the permanent collection, including
a powder horn and bag, ceremo
nial fish club, and bow and arrows
that were recently returned to the
Grand Ronde Tribe from Oregon
State University's Horner Collec
tion. The Grand Ronde Tribe contrib
uted to all phases of the exhibit,
including development of the text
and story line, Trolan said. The
headings are in both English and
Chinuk Wawa and the exhibit fo
cuses on the 25 years before state
hood in 1849.
Also included in the exhibit is a
kiosk with the hands-on, interac
tive Virtual Gallery that also ap
pears on the Cultural Resources
Department Web site at www.
grandronde.orgcultureikanum.
"We wouldn't have been able
to achieve what we did with the
exhibit without the help from the
Grand Ronde Tribe," said Keni
Sturgeon, curator of Mission Mill
Museum.
For the Lane County Historical
Society Museum, the doctoral dis
sertation of Cultural Resources
Department Manager and Tribal
member David Lewis will be on
display. His work takes a fresh look
at the Termination of the Grand
Ronde Tribe.
The museum exhibit's focus is
diversity in Lane County.
In addition, the Grand Ronde
Cultural Resources Department
has been involved in many smaller
Oregon 150 efforts, including the
development of the western Oregon
Tribes' video shown at the Gather
ing of First Nations event in late
January at the State Fairgrounds.
The Tribal Cultural Resources
Department also participated in
development of the Oregon 1 1 istori
cal Society's traveling exhibit, cur
rently at Snlcm Public Library. B