8 DECEMBER 1,2011
Smoke Signals December 1,2011
Smoke Signals 9
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Tribal descendant Austin Verdino, 3, picks out beads
as ha makes a bracelet, with the help of his uncle,
Tribal member Mike Schmid, during the Tribe's 28th
Restoration Celebration in the Tribal gymnasium.
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Bobby Mercier, Tribal member and the Tribe's Language and Culture specialist, speaks during the plankhouse
ceremony that started the events to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Tribe's Restoration on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
RESTORATION
continued from front page
These annual celebrations honor
"those who made the sacrifices so
we could be here," Mercier said,
sentiments that echoed throughout
the day.
The two-hour start at the plank
house paved the way for a noon meal
and program that stretched through
most of the afternoon with memories
and raffles for nearly 400 in atten
dance. A Walking On video remem
bered Tribal Elders and members
lost during the last year. At 4 p.m.,
a Restoration powwow began that
stretched into the night.
"We want the children to see us
praying," said Mercier, "seeing us
taking care of the things that need
to be taken care of. Each of us is
a reflection of all that they went
through."
The plankhouse ceremony also
included drumming, songs and
prayers by a group of culture-centered
youth, including members of
the Grand Ronde Canoe Family.
Tribal member CeCe Kneeland
remembered that she was 23 when
she heard that the Grand Ronde
Tribe's Restoration was accom
plished on Nov. 22, 1983, when
then-President Ronald Reagan
signed the bill into law.
"I was sweeping the floor when I
heard it," she said.
She offered the group "a little bird
song" that her grandmother taught
her when she was small.
Tribal member Kevin Simmons
introduced his family.
"This is a good place. This is
a healing place," Simmons said.
"There have been warriors, and
there still are warriors."
He called today's warriors "brief
case warriors."
"We have built a home for our
children," said Mercier, "but that
doesn't mean our work is done. We
tell stories about how our ances
tors came here in the wintertime,
but they did not ask, 'What can I
have?' Instead, they were teaching
their young that the right question
is, 'What can I do?'
"We have children in the city who
don't know who their parents are or
where they come from. I met a young
lady in Tigard who couldn't even point
the way to Grand Ronde. Those are
the kind of people we need to reach
out to. A people coming together
that makes our people strong."
"I started to cry when I woke up
this morning and realized what
day it was," said Tribal Elder and
former Tribal Chairwoman Kath
ryn Harrison. "There were a lot of
crossroads that could have taken
us the wrong way."
"Everybody helped everybody," said
Tribal Elder and former Tribal Coun
cil member Wink Soderberg, referring
to the days before Restoration. "And
when we didn't have the money, we
found a way to do it. Charity starts at
home. Reach into your pocket. Reach
into your heart and make sure we
take care of our own."
Tribal member Marcus Gibbons
came out with his sons, Osprey
and True, both Tribal members.
Photos by
Michelle Alalmo
Describing the reservation where
he grew up as a place where "alco
holism was rampant" and "it was
the murder capital of the U.S.A.,"
he said, "But we were always given
these ceremonies; and learning how
to pray in sweat lodges. The path
that brought me here is the path of
all my relatives.
"I dance and I pray and I dance
and I pray and I dance and I pray,"
said Marcus.
"I put my hands on all of these
boards before we built this long
house. Every day we came up here
and prayed. It's who we are. I dance
and I pray for every one of us."
This year marked the first that
Tribal Elder Ed Ashman had been
inside the plankhouse.
"I learned more in two hours here
this morning than I ever knew be
fore," Ashman said. "I'm so much
at peace in there."
Before a lunchtime meal of cer
emonial elk stew, salmon and
broccoli salad, Tribal Elder and
former Tribal Council member Val
Tribal members from left, Orin
John Allen, Leah Brisbois and
Deitrich Peters participate in
Grand Entry of the Tribe's 28th
Restoration Celebration in the
Tribal gymnasium on Tuesday,
Nov. 22. Peters was the arena
director for the powwow.
Grout and Harrison each gave an
invocation.
Then, the Tribal contingent that
filled the gymnasium split up for
lines at buffet tables on either side.
Kneeland and royalty members
sang and prayed.
Many gifts, up to and including a
large-screen television, were raffled
off during the afternoon.
Special guests included Steve
Colms, director of Environmental
Studies at the University of Port
land; Chris Finks, a board member
of the Maritime Heritage Associa
tion, which is working to build a
Maritime Heritage Center in Port
land that would include the Tribe's
story; and Matt and Janel Bennett,
owners of Sybaris Restaurant in
Albany. Matt put on fundraising
dinner for Albany wetlands based
on Kalapuyan traditional foods and
was subsequently invited to serve
the same dinner for the James
Beard Foundation in New York
City, where he again spread the
word about the Kalapuyan people.
Other guests included the Rev.
Albert Krueger, pastor of St. An
drew's Episcopal Church in Port
land, and First Nations Missioner
for the Episcopal Church in West
ern Oregon. He participated in a
successful effort culminating in the
Episcopal Church in America repu
diating the Doctrine of Discovery
and has been the engine behind an
effort to have the Summers Collec
tion returned to Grand Ronde. Also
on hand was co-vice president of the
Oregon Native American Chamber
of Commerce Bonnie Kahn. She
also runs a life skills program for
Tribal members.
Tribal vendors set up shop in the
Youth Education building next to
the gym.
Royalty included many Trib
al members: Veterans' Royalty
member Isabelle
Grout, and Grand
Ronde Royalty,
Nakoosa More
land, Senior Miss;
Iyana Holmes (Ju
nior Miss); Amelia
(Little Miss) and
Amaryssa (Prin
cess) Mooney; and
Makenzie Aaron
(Princess).
The Honor
Guard included
Chris Tinney and his son, Hunter,
(both Lower Eastern Cherokee),
Wayne Chulik (Tlingit) and Tribal
member T.J. Lafferty.
Nick Sixkiller (Siletz) was mas
ter of ceremonies of the powwow.
Among many introductions, Sixkill
er introduced Grand Ronde Tribal
Elder Pearl Lyon, who is oldest in
the Tribe. She will be 100 years old
in February.
Tribal member Deitrich Peters
served as arena director and whip
man.
Host drums included Little River
(Siletz), All Nations (Burns-Pai-ute),
Johonaaii and The Woodsmen
(Grand Ronde).
"We truly honor this day," said
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cher
yle A. Kennedy, "and we want these
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Tribal member and Little Miss Grand
Ronde Amelia Mooney and Tribal
member True Gibbons participate in
an owl dance.
traditions to continue for hundreds
of years."
The Restoration celebration was
coordinated by the Tribe's Public
Affairs Department Director
Siobhan Taylor and Tribal mem
ber and Administrative Assistant
Kristen Ravia and a committee
of Tribal member volunteers that
included Sam Dala, Darlene Jones,
Claudia Leno, Gladys Hobbs, Violet
Folden, Kathryn Harrison, Wink
Soderberg, Kathleen Tom, Bonnie
Mercier and staff, Scarlett Holtz,
Lisa Archuleta, Jon George and
Destiny Bishop. D
Tribal member
CeCe Kneeland
warms her
drum before
she gifts a
welcoming
song to the
Tribe during
the plankhouse
ceremony that
started events
to celebrate
the 28th
anniversary
of the Tribe's
Restoration on
Tuesday, Nov.
22.
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Tribal member and Royalty Princess Makenzie Aaron, left, and Tribal member
and Little Miss Grand Ronde Amelia Mooney deliver a roaster oven to its
winner during the Tribe's 28th Restoration Celebration.
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Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy, second row right, and Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen Jr., next to Kennedy, participate in Grand Entry
of the Tribe's 28th Restoration Celebration powwow in the Tribal gymnasium on Tuesday, Nov. 22.