Smoke Signals 13
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
'Dtt's a dhaDDoirogDifflg) game to Beam
CHESS continued
from front page
on Thursdays and Fridays after
school.
Chess for Success has given the
K-5 program quality boards and
pieces, chess instructions and op
portunities to play in local and re
gional tournaments, says Bucknell,
K-5 and Chess Club lead.
The Tribal Library also benefits
from the program with the gift of
seven chess books: "Bobby Fischer
Teaches Chess," "Simple Check
mates," "Chess," "Welcome to the
Game of Chess," "Winning Chess
Piece by Piece," "Checkmate Activ
ity Book for Beginners" and "The
Chess Book for Kids."
Tribal member Dominik Briant,
8, calls himself "a pure beginner,"
and says he prefers chess to check
ers because he appreciates the
added complexity of chess.
Later on, across the board from
Ross, Tribal member Kaleb Reid,
11, was thinking about the two
and four-move checkmates he had
learned.
"All I need is a rook to win," he
adds.
Suddenly, it seemed, everybody
got up from their boards because
it was time to go to Tribal member
Halona Butler's dance class down
the hall.
"I think it's great," says Tiffany
Tonso, 18, a Tribal member and
high school intern for the program,
"starting them this early. I started
playing chess in the seventh grade. I
kind of stopped and this encouraged
me to get back into it and it's fun."
She sees improvement in the
children who are playing. "I think
a lot of time kids are focusing
more. They're not as rowdy. There's
definitely a couple of changes in a
couple of the students."
On Feb. 11, three Tribal children
from the program Kaleb Reid,
Dakota Ross and Audrey Mer
cier participated with several
hundred others from elementary
schools in Yamhill, Polk and Mar
ion counties at a regional chess
tournament held at Henry Hill
Elementary in Independence.
In the gym, where most of the
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games were played, signs posted
to basketball backboards gave
everybody an idea of what chess
is about:
"Chess is life," said grandmaster
Bobby Fischer.
"Chess is everything: art, science
and sport," said grandmaster Ana
toly Karpov.
The Grand Ronde team placed
11th, with Reid tying for sixth and
Ross and Mercier tying for eighth
during the day.
The whole team, many of whom
had competing Tribal programs to
turn to that Saturday, also includes
Tribal members Cohen Haller,
Dominik Briant, Nick Colton, Mo
ses Mercier, Hattie Mercier, Madi
son Ross, Tara Thorsgard, Mason
Mercier, Makenzie Aaron, JC Rog
ers and Izaiah Fisher, who is a
member of the Confederated Tribes
of Siletz Indians.
"It's a challenging game to learn,"
Tribal member Jacob Holmes, 6,
takes one of Cohen Haller's, 6,
pawns in a chess game during the
Tribe's K-5 Chess Club practice
at the Tribe's education facility
on Thursday, Feb. 9. Looking
over Holmes' shoulder is Matt
Bucknell, elementary and chess
program lead, and to the left is
Tribal member Kaleb Reid, 1 1,
who is also in the Chess Club.
says Bucknell, "especially the strat
egy part, but kids have really grown
in this area with critical thinking
skills, strategy and planning.
"One thing about chess," he says,
"is it's 100 percent about your abil
ity to play. It doesn't matter wheth
er you're a boy or a girl. One of the
Tribal member Dominik Briant, 8,
makes a move as he plays a game of
chess against Tribal member Mason
Mercier, 7, during the Tribe's K-5 Chess
Club practice at the Tribe's education
facility on Thursday, Feb. 9.
rewarding things about it is seeing
a younger player competing with an
older player. It can be a humbling
experience and it gives you many
opportunities to talk about and
display sportsmanship."
Won-loss records can deceive,
Bucknell says, because wins and
losses are rated by how successful
the opponent has been in other
games.
"You may be losing games, but
you may be playing tougher oppo
nents," Bucknell says.
For the summer ahead, Bucknell
has already secured a playground
sized chess game that has been in
storage at Willamina Elementary.
The Education Department has
plans to paint a chess board on the
concrete under the roof behind the
Youth Education building.
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund granted Chess for Success
$25,000 in 2011. Low-income stu
dents, like many in Grand Ronde,
make up almost 75 percent of
the 2,400 students in 59 elemen
tary and middle schools that the
Chess for Success program aims
to serve.
The program started in 1992 in
nine Title I Portland Public schools
to teach children high-level think
ing and social skills.
Powwow dance class
set for Wednesdays
The Tribe's Cultural Resources Department is offering a powwow dance
class from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Adult Education Building.
This is a family dance class for all ages that teaches all powwow dance
styles. For more information, contact Cultural Education Specialist Brian
Krehbiel at brian.krehbielgrandronde.org or 503-879-4639.
Graves teaching basket weaving
Tribal Elder Connie Graves teaches a basket weaving class, which
is open to the public, at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Elders' Activity
Center. For more information, contact Tribal Cultural Education
Specialist Brian Krehbiel at 503-879-4639 or brian.krehbielgran
dronde.org. B
Transportation
for Tribal members
The Portland Office has transportation
day to Grand Ronde once a month for
medical, dental appointments or
enrollment cards. We need a minimum
of 3 people to sign up. Please call Lisai;
4
Please call in advance for the scheduled monthly date
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j you a CTGR Elder or do you quaijfy)
undor CTGR housing
guidelines for low incomoP
Doris Rose CPA
will be returning to the PAO on
Feb. 15 and 29, 2012
10 A.M. - 2 P.M.
To schedule your appointment, call
503-293-4128 , .
1-877-476-0634
or e-mail her at
dorisdorisrosecpa.com
Ad created by George Valdez
Ad created by George Valdez