Smoke Signals 9
JUNE 1,2009
Sell-Sherer handed the
Grand Ronde flag to Bobb
State St
V'-' ' to W Wnt V ''! I
and Leno, who connected it
with latches. When instruct
ed, Leno hoisted the Grand
Ronde flag as Sell-Sherer
saluted and Bobb watched
it rise into the air.
"The Tribal Government
Day celebration was impor
tant and a very significant
event to me," Sell-Sherer
said. "Not just because I
was honored with the privi
lege of representing our
Tribal veterans by carrying
in our flag at the flag rais
ing ceremony.
"But because now after
150 years, the state has
declared and officially rec
ognized all of the Oregon
Tribes as sovereign na
tions. It is a major step
forward and a long time
overdue."
After the flags were raised, Uma
tilla Tribal Chair Antone Minthorn
performed a bell song.
"We have been on this land for
thousands of years, lived on this
land for thousands of years, fought
on this land and died on this land,"
he said.
'Today, we come here to raise our
flags as nine Tribes and nine sov
ereign nations. We raise the flags
because of the people who were here
before us. We will continue with our
traditions, language and customs
under these flags."
After Mike Rondo of the Cow
Creek Tribe sang the national an
them a cappella, Minthorn recog
nized state officials in the audience,
including Gov. Ted Kulongoski,
Secretary of State Kate Brown,
Attorney General John Kroger
and state Sens. Chuck Riley, Ted
Ferrioli and Rick Metsger. It was
Metsger's 2008 measure that au
thorized the Tribal flags and monu
ments, which were paid for by the
Tribes and the Oregon State Capi
tol Foundation.
"Welcome to your state Capitol,"
Brown said. "With the installation
of these nine flags, it is truly your
Capitol. And I look forward to work
ing with you in the future. This is
truly a historic occasion and I hope
it's an opportunity for all of us to
work together under these flags
for the betterment of each other,
all Oregonians and future genera
tions." These nine flags have been miss
ing from this park over the past sev
eral years," Kulongoski said before
reading a proclamation declaring
May 14 as Tribal Government Flag
Day and May 16-23 as American
Indian Week.
"I'm proud to live in a state that
respects and admires its nine sov
ereign Tribal governments, and
proud to lead a state government
that engages its Tribes as sovereign
equals.
"Oregon is blessed that these nine
Tribes enrich our culture, serve as
stewards of the land and contribute
so much to this state that each of
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us holds so dear."
After Kulongoski's speech and
proclamation reading, representa
tives from the nine Tribes addressed
the crowd: Tribal Chairman Dean
Adams from the Burns Paiute;
Chairman Bob Garcia from the
Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw;
Chairman Ed Metcalf from the
Coquille; Chairwoman Cheryle
A. Kennedy from Grand Ronde;
Chairwoman Sue Shaffer from
the Cow Creek; Chairman Antone
Minthorn from the Umatilla; Vice
Chairwoman Aurolyn Stwyer from
the Warm Springs; Chairman Joe
Kirk from the Klamath; and Chair
woman Delores Pigsley from the
Siletz.
This was truly a historic event,"
Kennedy said. "What I see here
today in recognizing this historic
moment is really an action of the
heart. You can legislate things.
but it is only when
a changing of the
heart occurs that
you can embrace
each other, and that
is what I see here to
day. And I am very
grateful that this is
happening for the
Tribes and the state
of Oregon."
These flags rep
resent honor, sacri
fice, history, culture
and perseverance,"
Metcalf said.
"We are no lon
ger in a hostile,
adversarial rela
tionship," Antone
Minthorn said.
The flags signify a
great government-to-government
re
lationship." At 11:40, the
event ended and at
tendees adjourned
across the street
to Water Fountain
Park to eat a bar
becue lunch provided by the Cow
Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
and its Seven Feathers Casino.
"It was great," Bobb said about
the day's events. "A great day in
that the pain and suffering of our
ancestors whose footprints on this
land were washed away by a stroke '
of a pen and ignored as an invisible
people now share a place of honor
on the grounds of the Capitol of this
great state.
The Grand Ronde people proudly
stand beside our brothers and
sisters of the eight other Tribes of
Oregon, as sovereign people, and
hopefully free the anguished spirits
of our ancestors.
"As a Tribal member and a vet
eran, I wear my emotions very close
to my heart. Whenever I represent
our people, it is with overwhelming
joy and the utmost pride."
"I think it's good to honor the
Graphic created by George Valdez
presence of people who have been
here forever," Tribal Council mem
ber Chris Mercier said. "I think it
matters because we are sovereign
nations, we were here before and
we will always be a part of Oregon's
history. We each have our unique
history and story to tell.' I think it's
quite appropriate."
"It was so historic," said Tribal
Council member Kathleen Tom.
"It was such a pleasure to be here
with my Dad (Tribal Elder Leon
"Chip" Tom), who was the third
generation of Tribal Council and
I'm the fourth generation. Sharing
that memory with him will always
last in my heart.
"And seeing our flag fly at the
Capitol because I remember the
times before Restoration that there
weren't really any good memories
at the state Capitol. Today meant
a lot to me." D
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Grand) Bond Honor Guard mambara, from laf t. Tribal mambar Stava Rlf a, Norria Manilt, Tribal
mambar Gana LaBonta and Chria Tinnay wait for tha start of tha provision during Tribal
Govarnmant Day In Salam on Thursday, May 14.