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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2009)
Smoke Signals 9 MAY 1, 2009 Strategic Plan process visits Yakima By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor About 50 people attended the April 19 Community Meeting held in Ya kima, Wash., to provide input on the Tribe's Strategic Plan process. Tribal Planning and Grants Department Manager Kim Rogers said about 23 Tribal members attended from eastern Washington (mostly the Yakima and Kennewick areas), one drove over from Idaho and the remainder were Tribal Council members, staff and Tribal members from western Oregon. Since January, the Tribe has been soliciting Tribal member input on a new Strategic Plan, which is being updated for the first time since 1995. The Tribe has previously held meetings in Grand Ronde, Clacka mas and Eugene to accept Tribal member input. The final meeting is scheduled for May 17 in Bend at the Riverhouse Hotel. The comments collected from these meetings will be considered in completing the Strategic Plan. There will then be a 60-day comment period on a final draft of the Strategic Plan before it is considered for adoption by Tribal Council. Rogers said that four Tribal members filled out and left comment forms in Yakima, rating the space, food and agenda positively. There are 116 Tribal members in Yakima County, which is not far from the Tri-Cities in southeastern Washington state and approximately equidistant from Seattle, Spokane and Pendleton. At the end of the meeting, Tribal member Sheila Wyatt won a drawing for a Tribal stadium blanket and Tribal Elder Shirley Deane won the drawing for a copy of the Tribe's 25th anniversary Restoration DVD. Wyatt and Deane both live in Harrah, Wash. B Llk - SX . : . v ii B- V ft. ''' - - i Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal Council member Valorie Sheker looks through a magazina at ona of tha information booths at tha 2009 Oragon Govarnor's Confaranca on Tourism at tha Salam Confaranca Cantar in Salam on Monday April, 20. Tha confaranca ran between April 1 9-21 and Tribal and casino employees Siobhan Taylor, Kristen Ravia, Janele Guiterrez and Ashley Langley staffed the Tribe's information booth at tha event. Tribal member Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach performed during the conference's awards ceremony. Tribal Government Day set for May 14 at State Capitol By Dean Rhodes Smitke Signal etlilnr The flags of Oregon's nine federally recognized Tribes will join the flags of America's 50 states in the Walk of Flags on Thursday, May 14, during Tribal Government Day events at the State Capitol in Salem. Events start at 9 a.m. Thursday. Per tradition, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Spirit Mountain Casino will serve break fast to attendees during the morning reception. Public Affairs Director Siobhan Taylor and other Tribal staff will be at the Grand Ronde information booth in the Galleria of the State Capitol. In addition, a flag ceremony and proclamation reading by Gov. Ted Kulongoski will be held to celebrate the Tribal Flags Monument that has been placed on the grounds of the State Capitol with the Walk of Flags. Two Grand Ronde veterans are scheduled to participate in the Tribal Flag event. A barbecue lunch buffet, hosted by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe and Seven Feathers Casino, will start at noon. In addition. Grand Ronde Tribal Council members plan to attend the event. B This Message to America is the result of the National Indian Council on Aging's year 2000 conference in Duluth, Minn. More than 1,700 Elders O from 108 Tribes across America attended and contributed to the words in this message. Think about your Elders as you read this. They came O O together, setting aside Tribal and political differences in order for you and O your children to have some words of wisdom to help you in your lives. Please pass this on to as many people as you can, both Native and non- Native alike. These are the words of our Native Elders, but the values , expressed can be appreciated by all of humanity. Once you have read it, -O you are responsible for it. These are the Elders' hopes and dreams for 0 the world you re-create every day. O O o A Spiritual M essae to America o As we stand before the dawn and country. of a new millennium, we pray for We should all strive to be lead ers and contributors. Do not sit back and let others plan and do o all the thinking. Let us unite to- -O gether so that we may have the strength to protect our future. Strength comes from working through trials and tribulations, o O HEALTH O Spiritual health is the key to ho- listic health. We pray to have the discipline to set healthy examples o for our children to follow. Respect- ing everyone and everything in the universe starts with self-respect. Take time to listen and take care of your body and spirit. o o FAMILY AND YOUTH " Family is important and pre- O o America's survival, our survival. O We pray that we will be given O strength by the Creator to follow the footsteps of our forefathers to share our love, respect and compassion for one another. There is good in every-O- one because the Creator has put a little of himself in all of us. We pray for forgiveness for the pain and suffering we have caused one another. e We pray that our children will not O- repeat our mistakes. We pray that we can respect the diversity of America; all life is sa- cred. Every child born is a precious O- gift of our Creator. It is our sacred O trust to embrace children from all walks of life because we are part of the same family. ITT il i 1 '1 J 'II I Al , . . 1 1 . 1 w e pray uiai cniiaren wm nonor cious. uways lei mem Know mat O and respect their Elders that they are loved. Let your children o is where the wisdom comes from, and grandchildren know you are O This respect will not allow forgot- always there to love and support ten Elders. We are all equal, with them and that they mean the each having our own special gift to world to you no matter what they O contribute. These values will allow do or say. Children are of infinite o our youth to become leaders and value. Live what you teach. Spiri- O workprs in mir nnfiptv. ChilHrpn. timl vnlnpa hr.npn.-v nnH .ntp.rr.tv j . , , t"-j you are our future and our hope start in the home. iur me people, oiunu anu oe coura- we pray ior me youm. we must geous. teach the youth to work together o O We pray to learn and use the and respect all that is living on wisdom of all that has come before our Mother Earth. We need to us, to achieve personal successes convey to our younger generation 0 and to contribute to those of oth- that the survival of our people lies o ers. Only when our young ones in spirituality. o learn respect for everything can O 0 they evolve. PEACE We pray to learn ways to settle EARTH differences peacefully. Teach 0 O We pray for respect and love of respect for each other's ideas, o Mother Earth because she is the Value honesty on all levels, from foundation of human survival and children to parents to community 0 we must keep her pollution-free to governments. We will bo happy o for those who will travel after us. when we create peace with each O Protect her water, air, soil, trees, other. o o forests, plants and animals. Do o not just take and waste resources. TO THE SEVENTH 0 Make it a priority to conserve. The GENERATION land is given to us by the Creator Survive O to care for, not to own. If we take Keep hopes and dreams o care of the land, the land will take Take care of yourself care of us. Remember your spirit 0 Be there for each other o UNITY Respect courage O We should have respect for each Share knowledge o other. We pray for commitment Always keep learning o And rpnnnnaih!f Vw-bnvinr in nrrlnr Rnmnffltmi- vmir Ima unlim. - f . . u.....v. - - " " a. am. ...ar. J .r m a a X. V- Tdiuao to help those in need and to give O them support and friendship. Be o an example in life that others may follow; serve people, community i.'..t in-j r i l.. .t. - uuvrnuiru fvr f f t til uy inr o Grand Ronde Culture Com-o mittee o
