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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2012)
8 JANUARY 1,2012 Smoke Signals nsz n r? n n n U5i rvs n co kuo) n (o n fc is rs r ft ismt ft ; iv a ft tea t tei r. - r.t. ffi . 1 - -... i i, .,.,1 .J Photos by Michelle Alaimo From left, Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffon Jr., Tribal Council members June Sherer and Steve Bobb Sr., Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno, Tribal Council members Toby McClary and Kathleen Tom, Tribal member and Tribal Cultural Protection Coordinator Eirik Thorsgard, Tribal Council member Chris Mercler and There were no shades of differ ence about the common goal. "It was clear from the start that Tribal Council and the Tribal mem bership wanted to see the fish restored to Agency Creek," said Dirksen. With Tribal Council on board, Natural Resources had all the support the department needed, Dirksen said, to improve habitat and lure the salmon back. The Tribe won a grant to build the fish weir that Natural Resources uses to count, assess, record and mark fish coming back upstream, all in the service of evaluating fish run numbers, which in turn validate the success of the Tribe's habitat improvement. Thorsgard retold traditional stories at the weir and in the gym, where Spirit Mountain Casino served a traditional meal. One story, involving a bet between salmon and lamprey, explains why salmon have so many bones while lamprey have none. Another talked about the tradition of returning the first caught fish as skeletons, and sometimes as whole fish, to the river or creek where they were caught as a sign of appreciation for the fish giving up their lives. "We return the bodies of the fish so they can go back out to sea, resurrect and come back to help us again," Thorsgard said. "Traditional culture has a different explanation, but just as big a punch." And the meal prepared for the event brought back some of the best in traditional foods, including cedar plank salmon, fall mushroom crusted beef tenderloin, roasted root vegetables, finished with rolls and butter, cookies and dessert bars. Grand Ronde Royalty Princess Elizabeth Watson-Croy hands out packages of chocolate fish as a gift to attendees of the Salmon Celebration after a meal in the Tribal gymnasium on Friday, Dec. 16. Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy participate in the Salmon Celebration at the Tribal fish weir on Friday, Dec. 16. CELEBRATION continued from front page Dirksen, "but we get 4 to 4.5 percent of all the Coho in the basin." Factors that led to this dramatic habitat improvement included installing 13 new culverts, re-opening 20 miles of stream, and placing hundreds of logs and fish carcasses into the creek. "One of the things that gets lost is the relationship between us and the fish," said Tribal member Eirik Thorsgard, Tribal Cultural Protec tion coordinator. Driving home the point, Thors gard told traditional Native stories that place salmon at the heart of Indian culture. "Grand Ronde has always been a fishing Tribe," said Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy in welcoming a crowd that included government representatives, advo cacy group leaders, historians, edu cators and the public. "There used to be drying racks in all the houses around here, and there were always newspapers on the floor because of the rich oil the came out. "The 28 years going without this kind of celebration (now that it's here) it's well worth the wait." Those 28 years mark the time since Restoration, when the Tribe began the long process of restoring federal recognition and regaining as many traditional rights as the state would allow. Along the way, the Tribe also began the process of reclaiming the local environment and addressing drastic needs, such as health care and social services. The Tribe has been re-kindling its culture lost during the Termina tion years. Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno said he sees the return of gathering and ceremonial hunting rights and the salmon celebration as part of one effort. "It all fits together," Leno said. "It amazes me to see things com ing back." The memories of fishing during those years showed how families viewed that part of the culture dur ing Termination. "I grew up here," said Tribal Council member June Sherer, "and we never had these types of ceremonies." "The ceremony has always been here," said Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen Jr., "but we didn't have fish to celebrate." "Small, family-centered celebrations have taken place," said Thorsgard. : . ax? ..U-'" ?v ( tr & a I J wifl - s'Cs 3 JANUARY 1,2012 Smoke Signals 9 1 . ;r 1 The Grand Ronde Canoe Family sings a welcome song at the start of the Salmon Celebration at the Tribal fish weir on Friday, Dec. 1 6. "The neat thing about it," said Executive Chef Richard Burr, "is we were able to get line-caught wild Chinook salmon. They were this beautiful orange red, nothing at all like these pond-raised salmon." The work over the last 10 to 15 years to improve the habitat around and within Agency Creek has been an effort of partners. "We have a number of cooperative programs with the Tribe," said Dan Edge, chair of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission that in 2008 returned ceremonial big game hunt ing rights to the Grand Ronde Tribe and also invested with the Tribe in lamprey research. "It is just a kick after all these efforts that the fish are back in the creek. These are real and positive results." Edge also is department head at Oregon State University's Fish and Wildlife Department. "(This success) really demon strates Grand Ronde's leadership," said Kari Rosenfeld, development director of Rural Development Ini tiatives, Inc. "We need to let people in rural areas know the good things you are doing," said Jill Rees, Public Affairs specialist with the federal Department of Agriculture. "Thanks for coming to the table as we try to protect the fish," Giffen told Tribal partners and staff. "Our people have been taking care of the forests for time immemo rial and now we are continuing that here," said Tribal Council member Kathleen Tom. "Grand Ronde does take its stew ardship very seriously," said Tribal Council member Chris Mercier. "I would like to thank the Elders for keeping these traditions alive and for passing them on to our gen eration," said Tribal member David Lewis, manager of the Cultural Resources Department. "This is a very special day to honor the fish that feed our fami lies," said Tribal Council member Toby McClary. Grand Ronde singers Tribal members Thorsgard, Marcus Gib bons, Brian Krehbiel, Travis Mer cier and Greg Leno, as well as Chucky Fryberg (Tulalip and a Tribal spouse) performed a bless ing song for the event. Help in preparing for the celebra tion came from Tribal staff and community members, including Tribal Elder Kathy Provost and her husband, Don Hendricks, Tribal Elder Frank Simmons, Tribal Elder Margaret Provost and her daugh ter, Jackie Many Hides, Tribal members Wendell Olson, Lisa Archuleta, Perri McDaniel, Jose phine Ingram and David Harrelson, Tribal Elder Bob Tom and Tribal Council staff member Lauri Smith, as well as Cultural Resources and Public Affairs staff. "I thought it was a wonderful cel ebration," said Tribal Elder Kathy Provost, who is chair of the Tribal Culture Committee. "It was attend ed by a lot of people who can help our Tribe get our rights back." "I think it was time for it to happen," said her husband, Don Hendricks. "There's no end result, though. This celebration is just go ing to go on and on." Among others in attendance were Karen Quigley, director of Oregon's Legislative Office of Indian Affairs; Chip Lazenby, a member of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund Board of Trust ees; Peter Booth, director of the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill in Salem; Roy Elicker, direc tor of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Chris Whea ton, manager of the Northwest regional office for ODFW; METRO Councilor Carlotta Collette; and representatives of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and the Uni versity of Portland. "This is only the beginning of the great things ahead for us and our partners," said Siobhan Tay lor, Public Affairs director for the Tribe. "To be a fisherman is a gift from our Creator," said Kennedy. "(From some fisherman) you hear about the ones that got away, but our fishermen always came back with a good bounty for family and Tribe. We want to give thanks for this gift the Creator has given." 500ICrOR5ALE. "The Kalapuyans:A sourcebook on the Indians of the Willamette Valley" by Harold Mackey, Kh.U. tSti Name: . Address:. City:. State:. Zip: . of books x S 1 5.95 each Checks only. total. This book, through collabora tion between the Cultural Re sources Department, Mission Mill Museum, an4 the Mackey Family, has been re-release4 in a second edition with a new cover, an updated bibliography with more current an4 accurate sources, new photographs, and 3 new afterward explaining the Grand Ronde Tribal perspective. $13.00 per book Books may be purcbase4 (torn the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department located on the second floor of Tribal Building 14- (Adult Education Build ing) for $13. OO each. To have an order mailed to you, please fill out this form and include an additional $3.00 for shipping cost per book. Mail this form to: CTGR Cultural Resources The Kalapuans 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, OR 97347 Grand Ronde Dental Clinic Eric Webster DMD Myron Peng DDS ErinLangeDDS Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri 8 A.M. -5 P.M. Thursday 9:30 AJVL - 5 PJVL Closed for lunch 12:30 AJVL -1:30 PJVL Emergency Hour Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 8 AJVI. Thurs 9:30 AJVI. ...j Please call for more information about Emergency times We now offer Cleaning appointments 5 days a week 503-879-2020 Ad created by George Valdez
