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JANUARY 15, 2012
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A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe
www.grandronde.org
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Port efs agreement at Cascade Locks with Warm Springs Tribe lapse
It means that off-reservation gam
ing in Oregon is off the table. We
understand the need for the Port of
Cascade Locks to look at all their
economic development options.
Justin Martin
Tribal member and lobbyist
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
An option agreement between the Port of
Cascade Locks and the Warm Springs
Tribe concerning 60 acres of industrially
zoned land that would have been home to a pro
posed off-reservation casino lapsed as of Jan. 5.
Chuck Daughtry, general manager of the Port
of Cascade Locks, said commissioners decided to
take no action about renewing the option agree
ment after holding four meetings to discuss the
issue in December.
By not acting, Daughtry said, the commission
ers effectively let the agreement end.
"We could sit down and renegotiate it, but right
now there is no agreement in place," Daughtry
said.
Daughtry said that the Port of Cascade Locks
had twice extended the agreement, which was
originally scheduled to end in 2011, and three
new commissioners elected in June participated
See SITE
continued on page 10
Gathering of
Oregon's First
Nations Powwow
returns Jan. 28
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Oregon's five federally recog:
nized western Tribes have
again come together to host
the fourth annual Gathering of Or
egon's First Nations Powwow, held
again this year on Saturday, Jan. 28,
at the Salem Pavilion at the Oregon
State Fairgrounds in Salem.
The five western Tribes are the
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower
Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians,
Coquille Indian Tribe, Cow Creek
Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indi
ans, Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde and Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians.
"We would like to welcome every
one to the Gathering of Oregon's
First Nations," said Nick Sixkiller
(Siletz), master of ceremony of the
event. "All the public is invited to
enjoy our culture and our heritage.
This is a good place to learn about
See POWWOW
continued on page 5
Off you go
Fourth annual Gathering of
Oregon's First Nations
When: Doors open at noon
Saturday, Jan. 28. Activities
continue until 9 p.m.
Where: Oregon State Fair &
Expo Center Salem Pavilion,
2330 17th St. N.E., Salem
Cost: Powwow is free; parking
is $3.
More information: 503-879-1418.
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Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal members Braden Ebensteiner, middle, and Chyanne Schlappie, left, point to their ears as they play a
game of "Simon Says" during their Chinuk Wawa class at Willamina High School in Willamina on Thursday, Jan.
5. Kathy Cole, right. Cultural Resources Department program manager and Tribal member, teaches the class
and she was giving the students instructions in Chinuk Wawa.
(Cultural conversations
Chinuk Wawa class debuts at Willamina High School
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
t Willamina High
School, Chinuk Wawa,
Lthe Northwest Native
American trade language, is
being taught this year alongside
other foreign language staples,
such as Spanish.
"I took one year of Span
ish and then heard about this
class," said Tribal member and
high school junior Braden Eb
ensteiner. "I switched because I
want to learn about my Native
American culture."
"It's our culture," said Tribal
member and high school junior
Jade Colton, who took Span
ish last year and is now taking
Chinuk Wawa. "I'd rather learn
about our culture."
It took some schedule shifting
and paperwork to enable seven
Tribal high school students to
take the course this year, ow
ing to the late scheduling of the
class, but it is well under way,
says Tribal member and Cul
tural Resources Program Man
ager Kathy Cole, who teaches
the class.
Cole learned the language
through a Tribal program.
The results already have been
"impressive," she said.
Before Christmas vacation, for
instance, Cole assigned students
See WAWA
continued on page 7