Smoke Signals 3
NOVEMBER 1,2009
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Thorsgard goes to Australia to continue his education
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member Eirik Thorsgard
has two positions at the Tribe.
He is Cultural Protection coordi
nator and interim Tribal Historic
Preservation officer.
Add to that now, Thorsgard, at
32, is also back at school.
For his doctoral thesis, he is
studying Indian creation stories
from the ceded lands of the Grand
Ronde Tribe's ancestors.
He visited Adelaide, in southern
Australia, in August to formally
enroll at Flinders University. His
arrangements made him the first
non-resident doctoral candidate at
the university. He will work on his
thesis from Grand Ronde.
"I'm a test case," Thorsgard
said.
His worldwide search turned up
only two doctoral programs with
staff experienced in supporting
his indigenous archeology studies,
Thorsgard said. At the University
of California at Berkeley, they told
him, "Good luck with that."
While in Adelaide, he solidified
his professional relationship with
the woman who has since become a
mentor and adviser, Claire Smith,
president of the World Archeo
logical Congress. He had met her
previously in Vancouver, British
Columbia, at a Society for Ameri
can Archeology conference.
And through Smith, Thorsgard
also met Chris Wilson, another
doctoral student in Adelaide, who
also is an aboriginal from the Ngar
rindjeri (pronounced net'-eii-jeri)
Mob (a word used as Tribe is used
in the United States). He stayed
with Wilson and his two daughters
when in the area.
Through Wilson, he traveled to
Coorong where he met with the
Ngarrindjeri Rupee (Tribal chief)
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Eirik Thorsgard, Tribal member and the Tribe's Cultural Protection
coordinator, enrolled at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia,
during a visit in August. Behind him is the Australian Aboriginal flag that he
brought back with him from his visit to the country.
and Elders. He was there for the
Mob's first election of council in a
history that goes back 50,000 years
or more, though Mob Elders have
been at the job of fighting for their
culture against development in
recent years.
Thorsgard also sat in with the Mob
on meetings with federal and state
governments about development on
the nearby Murray River.
"Most live like we do on a reser
vation," said Thorsgard. "Really
marginalized."
But he says that they are re
claiming their cultural heritage,
and fighting for resources like
water that continue to be drained
away for nearby development. (See
their video at www.youtube.com
watch?vrGIsv-dSs40.)
Here in Grand Ronde, we may
y -
a iJ
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Kris Olson admires a beaded medallion she received as a gift during
her departure lunch at Wild wood Restaurant In Portland on Friday, Oct.
1 6. Olson Is the outgoing Spirit Mountain Community Fund Board of
Trustees chairwoman. Watching in the background are Tribal Council
member Steve Bobb Sr., center, and Tribal Attorney Rob Green.
hear more from the Ngarrindjeri
because they currently are making
an effort to sell their wine through
the Grand Ronde and other aborigi
nal peoples.
"They're very interested in visit
ing," said Thorsgard.
All this, however, is but a sidelight
of his doctoral effort, the tracking of
creation stories throughout the ceded
lands of the Grand Ronde Tribe.
The last year that a comprehen
sive study was attempted of these
creation stories was in 1985, and
while useful for Thorsgard, it was
incomplete.
"They didn't understand us,"
Thorsgard said. "They don't even
list Spirit Mountain."
The effort is more than aca
demic. "What I'm trying to establish,"
said Thorsgard, "is everything
that the federal agencies will be
required to protect. If it's not listed,
it's not protected."
Part of the process is working
with others "making sure I'm
writing it down in a way that makes
sense for Tribal and other aborigi
nal people."
There are dance circles on Sauvie
Island. There are basalt mounds
along the Columbia River. There
are stories about Beacon Rock and
Rooster Rock all mentioned in cul
ture stories of the past, and certain
to be documented.
Creation stories have not been
found for Spirit Mountain or Mary's
Peak, said Thorsgard, but "power"
stories have been.
Anthropologists of the 1960s did
not accept the Missoula Floods
as fact, though traditional stories
describing the floods had been un
covered 40 years earlier. Today, the
fact of the floods is widely accepted
in scientific literature.
Thorsgard has made an academic
career of writing useful, practical
stuff. For his master's degree at
Oregon State University, his thesis
proposed policy and procedures for
Tribal site protection programs.
"It's always nice to do research
that's entertaining," he said, "but
it's useful to do work that is nec
essary. Our Tribe is fighting to
maintain its culture and history
every day. If we don't make it ac
cessible to all Tribal members, it
will disappear."
For many years, federal and state
governments have taken culture
. out of the reach of aboriginals, he
said, "so that Tribes have to ask for
information. Increasingly, Tribes
are taking these responsibilities
on themselves," and finding that
government agencies are coming to
the Tribes to see how things should
be done.
Thorsgard hopes to finish the
four-year program in two. His
thesis, expected to be some 80,000
100,000 words, already, in draft
form, exceeds 33,000.
"I like to set really hard goals for
myself," he said.
As examples, he said that in ad
dition to his work for the Tribe,
he also teaches "Introduction to
Anthropology" part time at West
ern Oregon University, and helps
raise four children, one with special
needs.
"We sit in a unique position in
the world," he said. "We have the
responsibility to make or break our
own destiny." D
Tribal Council Christmas
Party set for Dec. 5
The annual Tribal Council Christmas Party will be held 11 a.m. to 2
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, in the Tribal gymnasium.
Between 11 and 11:45 a.m., children will visit with Santa Claus and
parents and guardians arc encouraged to bring their own camera to take
photos.
The invocation and meal will be at noon, followed at 1 p.m. by children
singing Christmas carols, door prizes and contest winners.
The Christmas Stocking Decorating Contest will have two categories
ages 6 to 12 and 13 to 99. People need to bring their own stocking; al
ready decorated and the deadline for entries is noon. There will be first-,
second- and third-place prizes for each category and all judges' decisions
will be final.
People are encouraged to bring a gift of socks, gloves or mittens for
children andor foster children.
For more information, call Bonnie Mcrcier at 503-879-2016. B