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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2011)
Smoke Signals 9 JUNE 15,2011 Tiro lb ad member TyamiDDa Smmotilh) g fives bach By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer "My whole life," says 20-year-old Tribal member Tyanna Smith, "I've always been an outdoor person. Even when I was little, I always said, 'I'll never work behind a desk. " Her father, Robert Smith (Yaka ma), used to take the family- includ ing her mother, Marcia Gustafson, Smith and her three sisters; all the siblings are Tribal members - camping and hiking. And he was a hunter on his own time. So, Smith's volunteer job at the Natural Resources Department is a perfect fit. Fulfilling a require ment for a biology class, she has been driving out to the Tribe since March for an afternoon every other week. Tribal Biologist Rebecca McCoun, her supervisor, notes that she works with "a positive attitude in a wide range of weather conditions." Smith assisted with surveying the rotary screw smolt trap on Agency Creek in Grand Ronde, as sisted with radio tracking collared Columbian black-tailed deer on the Grand Ronde Reservation and helped plant native plants on the Tribe's Tyee Nature Reserve. She also works with plants, day to day, back in Portland. Smith said she has "a really small lawn" at her place in Portland, but "it's crowded with ferns, bleed ing hearts (that are native to the Northwest) and tulips." Living in Portland, she says, is terrific, but, "It's nice to get away from the city every once in awhile." Smith is finishing her last year at Portland Community College's Rock Creek campus. Next year, she transfers as an environmental science majorbotany minor to Port land State University. The volunteer work in Grand Ronde gives her valuable experi ence in addition to country air. "It's an opportunity to get some -y "rr- '. ' Photo courtesy of Rebecca McCoun Tribal member Tyanna Smith assists with surveying the rotary screw smolt trap on Agency Creek In Grand Ronde. Smith has driven out to Grand Ronde from Portland this spring to volunteer with the Tribal Natural Resources Department and also complement her major in college, environmental science and botany. experience that had to do with my major," she said. Also, "It was Grand Ronde, my Tribe, so I wanted to work for them." The Tribe has funded her educa tion, including tuition and living expenses, and Smith has taken these gifts very seriously. In addition to her success with school and volunteer work, earlier this year Smith was awarded a research internship at Portland State for this summer and she was recently approved for the En vironmental Protection Agency's Greater Research Opportunities Undergraduate Student Fellow ship, an Environmental Protection Agency-paid internship for summer 2012. EPA is also partly funding tuition expenses for her junior and senior years. "I love school," she says, "espe cially now that I'm getting into upper level biology, chemistry and environmental science classes. The subjects are interesting and chal lenging, and I need to be challenged or I'll get bored. These classes make me work hard." Of an Environmental Science class, she recalls the challenges of writing a report on a field study: analyzing all the data, finding legitimate references and "just writing the report," she said. "I liked it, though. It's kind of amaz ing because it's tedious and you're constantly searching for something, but I felt good when I completed it. Now I have something for my portfolio." Smith also is a dedicated biker. "All the time, all over the city," though school, she adds, "pretty much consumes my life." Her sisters are Jennifer Smith, who is studying English at Oregon State University; Kayla Smith, who wants to study biology after study ing at the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute; and Amanda Smith, who just graduated from high school. The girls trace their Tribal heri tage through their great-grandfather on their father's side, former Tribal Elder Leonard Vivette. "I have his old Chemawa jacket," said Tyanna. "I wear it all the time. I love it." "Tyanna drove down an hour and a half from Portland to Grand Ronde volunteering a total of 20.25 hours of her time from March 10 to May 13," said McCoun. "With gas prices so high, I was very impressed with her willingness to come so far to volunteer. Tyanna is very driven and I am very excited for her future." Both have hopes that part of that future includes Smith volunteer ing again in six months for the fall Coho run. D Grand Ronde Avenue of Flags The Grand Ronde Avenue of Flags in an opportunity to honor the Tribal veterans in your family. A donation of $100 will go toward the purchase of an American flag. A rawhide feather, with the name of your veteran, will be attached to the flag. The flags will be proudly displayed on Veterans Day and Memorial Day and at the Maroellus "Maroe" Norwest Veterans Memorial Powwow each year. It is an opportunity to honor your family veteran. To purchase a flag and feather please complete the applica tion form and submit it, with your check, to the CTGR Public Affairs Dept. Please make checks payable to CTGR Avenue of Flags Project. Nnme of Trlbnl Veteran: Branch of the Service nnd Dnte of Service Your Nnme: Your contact information: (For office uhc only) AddreM Phone Email Ad created by George Valdez Ad created by George Valdez
