Smoke signals., March 01, 2011, Page 9, Image 9

Smoke Signals 9
MARCH 1,2011
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signali ttaff writer
From Jan. 31 through Feb. 12,
Tribal member and Language and
Cultural Specialist Bobby Mercier
returned to the Maori's homeland
in New Zealand for the second year
in a row.
He continued developing already
close relationships that since 2008
have grown closer with indigenous
peoples as far as halfway around
the world and as close as Oregon
and Washington.
Mercier joined members from the
Coquille and Suquamish Tribes in
the Pacific Northwest as well as
Dutch representatives during the
Maoris' traditional Waitangi Days
celebrations. Waitangi Days have
features in common with Grand
Ronde canoe journeys, as they spent
"a couple days" on the water.
In Maori longhouses at night, Mer
cier witnessed and participated in
protocols that are a traditional part
of Waitangi Days celebrations.
But more was afoot this year.
. "We're working on a project," he
said, "a carving cultural exchange"
that could be funded through the
Hallie Ford Museum in Salem. The
work of recent weeks is in prepara
tion for a grant deadline almost a
year away on Jan. 1, 2012, said
Mercier.
The grant could "bring their carv
ers and some youth here, and send
our carvers and some youth over
there to learn how
to carve in their
style," said Mer
cier. "This is a way
for us to get more
youth involved in a
carving culture."
In addition, the
grant could fund a
canoe exchange, in
which Maoris and
Grand Ronde Trib
al members would
ship each other lo
cally carved canoes
for use in events
half a world away
like those of recent
weeks.
"Revitalizing ca
noe life," is how
Mercier puts it.
While there, Mer
cier was offered
the distinctly high
honor of helping to
carve a new Maori longhouse, and,
beyond that, carve a panel depict
ing Grand Ronde culture to hang in
the longhouse.
"It's a pretty big deal," said Mer
cier. The longhouse is the dream of
Maori master carver Hector Busby,
said Mercier. Busby now is in his
70s and working to complete the
project while his abilities hold
out.
w J ft
1 iimii Hymn . ?L
Kg- ir-jiiFff" .vise cJ
Photo courtesy of Bobby Mercier
Bobby Mercier, second row left Tribal member and Tribal Language and Cultural specialist in a group
photo that was taken outside of the Maori longhouse, named Te Whai-a-te-Motu, where protocols
were held during the traditional Waitangi Days celebrations and where Merder slept some nights.
Mercier traveled nine hours to a
place called Tuhoe, one of the last
places where no treaties were ever
signed between indigenous Maoris
and the New Zealand government.
With evenings spent in conver
sation, Mercier noted that the
people of Tuhoe "went through a
lot of similar things that we went
through: the government coming in
and using force to make them move
from their homelands, and the use
of boarding schools that caused a
loss of language and culture."
From there, Mercier traveled
eight hours to Wellington for a
night where he visited the Te Papa
Museum. There, he met with Maori
artist Darcey Nicholes, where
discussions continued about the
longhouse project.
Two Maori representatives are
expected to visit Grand Ronde for the
2011 canoe journey, said Mercier. D
t4
I ... t I O V
J K ""t -. V-V
m7f
3 f;V' x
V v
Tribal descendant Brandon Thorsgard, 5, blows bubbles that he caught while fishing at the
fishing game as children behind him also play the game during the Preschool Valentine's Day
party in the Tribal gymnasium on Monday, Feb. 14. '
n
r)
v
)
Tribal member
Jayden LaBonte,
3, right, helps his
mother, Tribal
member Hermila
Chavez, staple a
paper headband that
he made during the
Preschool Valentine's
Day party in the
Tribal gymnasium on
Monday, Feb. 14.
-1
Tribal member Danielle Loomis, 3, glues a strip of
paper that will be an antenna for a paper ladybug
she's making.
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
V
x'' ' V .
t:.. f"mr LjJ I
i
Tribal descendant Kiah Redhawk, 4, gets a heart
drawn on her cheek by Early Childhood Education
Administrative Assistant Sandy Bobb.