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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2011)
PTO PRESORTED STO U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 178 SALEM, OR l'Mi(iif't"ii'Hi!l(i'il'iltlliii'ii'i'!'ii''i'lllll' P-2 F52 OR NEWSPAPER PRO J. UO LIBRARY SYSTEM PRE 1399 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE OR 97403-1 SOS DECEMBER 15,2011 V... A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe J J j jf f wvm.grandronde.org MOLALLA ROGUE RIVER KALAPUYA CHLAJ3TA. OOsodd ipoaLbODslhies TcobaD hostelry book Photo by Michelle Alalmo Tribal Elder and former Tribal Cultural Resources Manager June Olson sits at the desk in her Happy Valley home where she wrote her recently released book "Living in the Great Circle, The Grand Ronde Indian Reservation 1855-1905." 'Living in the Great Circle, The Grand Ronde Indian Reservation 1855 1 905' due out for Christmas By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer Through the collections of many first- and second-generation Grand Ronde Tribal people, Tribal Elder June Olson has pro duced a volume of Tribal history that starts with the times of the treaty signings and the removal of Tribal peoples to the Grand Ronde Reserva tion in the 1850s and continues through the first years of the 20th century. Olson, who now lives in Happy Valley, started the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department in 1996 and served as its manager until 2005. "When I first became interested in Tribal his tory, (Tribal Elder) Don Haller was the family historian," Olson said in an e-mail. "He had been actively collecting historical material along with the late Merle Holmes since the early 1970s. "Sometime in the late 1980s, the two of them allowed me to go on a trip with them to the re gional archives in Seattle where they introduced me for the first time to archival research. This experience set the course of my life." Being hired to build a cultural resources program for the Tribe in 1996 gave Olson the opportunity to collect Tribal history in every form, she said. "After spending years sorting through thou sands of historical records, talking with Tribal Elders, listening to old audio-taped interviews See BOOK continued on page 8 Kennedy, G iff en attend Tribal Nations Conference By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy and Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen Jr. attended the third annual White House Tribal Nations Conference held at the Sidney R. Yates Audito rium at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Dec. 2. The goal of the event, according to the White House's Web page, is to provide leaders from America's 565 federally recognized Tribes the opportunity to interact directly with members of the Obama admin istration. See CONFERENCE continued on page 6 9 jc 4 VT3 r r -a. OM1 i .in 2 n Tribal members KylieSmith,6, left, and her sister Jacey, 7, share a songbookasthey sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" during the Tribal Council Christmas Party In the Tribal gymnasium on Sunday, Dec. 4. See more photos on page 4. P r ft r " " I f , V Photo by Michelle Alalmo Tribal member receives award for work at Spirit Mountain Casino By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer Every year since 2005, the Seattle-based Potlatch Fund has named five Northwest Indian leaders for awards honoring great leadership in such areas as culture and economic development. And each year, following the November awards ceremony, the grant ing agency posts videos of the award winners speak ing about the interests and talents that led up to the awards. This year, Tribal Elder Bruce Thomas, Spirit Moun tain Casino's first chief exec utive officer, had this to say: "I've always loved business, loved finding a win win situation and creative ways to succeed." Bruce Thomas Thomas was honored with the 2011 Antoine Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award. The ceremony, held Nov. 21, honored Thomas for his work setting up Spirit Mountain Casino, said Potlatch Fund Director of Develop ment and Communications Lawrence Leake. "Setting it up in a way that did not (turn over control to) outside management," said Leake. "The idea is to highlight the work that is being See AWARD continued on page 10
