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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2012)
8 MARCH 15,2012 Smoke Signals 'This ds a piretitiy amazDimg poalbDkaftDOin)' DICTIONARY continued from front page of Grand Ronde Indians. The new edition is one-third larger than the working dictionary previously created by the Tribe's Cultural Re sources Department. "This is a pretty amazing publi cation for the Tribe," said Tribal member and Cultural Resources Department Manager David Lewis. "It really shows the depth of our culture and the depth of our in teractions with other Tribes in the area." Lewis thanked the Public Affairs Department and Tribal Council for their help and funding, respec tively. Former Tribal employee Tony Johnson (Chinook), who worked on the new dictionary for many years while he was employed in Grand Ronde, said it was a "proud day" for Grand Ronde. "This dictionary is going to be awfully important to folks that are just lay people interested in the language, linguists studying other languages and the community, of course, the children, everybody coming up," Johnson said. The new dictionary is dedicated to Tribal Elder and Chinuk Wawa teacher Jackie Whisler, who walked on in December 2007. Members of her family, including son Mike Colton, grandchildren Justine, Nick and Jade Colton and sister Cheryl Carl, attended and received a copy of the dictionary. "It was great," Mike said after the ceremony. "Anyone who knew mom knows that she put her heart and soul into the Tribe without ever expecting anything in return. (The dedication) was nice." During lunchtime activities, a blessing song in Chinuk Wawa was sung and drummed by Tribal members Travis Mercier, Bobby Mercier, Brian Krehbiel and Gregg Leno and Johnson with Tribal youth assisting. Posters of the book cover, which was designed by Tribal Graphic Designer George Valdez, were given away to those who wanted a copy, and several Tribal members purchased the dictionary for $20. In addition, copies were distrib uted to Tribal Council members in attendance. Tribal youth who are currently learning Chinuk Wawa in Grand Ronde Tribal language classes sang several songs in Chinuk Wawa dur ing lunch. 'This dictionary is very important to us," Bobby Mercier said. "Our kids are speaking the language of our ancestors. That is a very big thing and is helping to keep our language alive." Tribal member and Cultural Re sources Program Manager Kathy Cole honored Johnson and Henry Zenk, an anthropologist who first started working with the Grand Ronde Tribe in 1978, for their work on the dictionary. "It grew in stages," Zenk said about the evolution of the new dictionary. Zenk and Johnson signed copies kr-. V.ir'. Jinwi " rcYx- I f V-':: T" f MSIUdmi X ft J; I r"ft Iff . . in the lobby of the Tribe's Commu nity Center. Cole thanked Chinuk Wawa teachers past and present for their effort in keeping the language alive. She mentioned Johnson, Bobby Mercier, Whisler, Ali Holsclaw, Crystal Szczepanski, Zack Ed wards, George Neujahr, Daniel Haugg, Frank Quenelle, Jeff Merci er, Esther Stewart, Kim Contreras, Elaine Lane, Shawn Bobb, Bubba Sohappy, Shawn Beauchamp, Halona Butler, Hannah Zimbrick, Leslie Riggs, Tiffany Greenburg and herself. Then Bobby Mercier, the Tribe's Language and Culture Specialist, led Tribal members in a couple games of Chinuk Wawa bingo. The bingo cards featured eight colors identified by their Chinuk Wawa pronunciation around a blank, white center square, and the first players to get a blackout received a prize. "Liblo," Mercier said while hold ing up a brown card. VisitiheJidbeX page to see more phot "Legley," he said, holding up a gray card. "Ti?il," he said, holding up a black card. Meanwhile, players, such as Tribal Elder Linda Brandon, filled in their bingo cards as the colors were announced. Following bingo, a closing song concluded the celebration. Also during the General Council meeting, Lewis said that the Cul tural Resources Department will be moving into the former Grand Ronde Middle School building later in 2012. The building, purchased by the Tribe in 2011, will house that department and a museum. "It is going to become a cultural center in many ways for the Tribe," Lewis said, adding that the Tribe Photos by Michelle Alalmo Izaiah Fisher (Siltez), left, and Tribal member Kailiyah Krehbiel reach for a toy at the same time as they pick a prize for getting bingo in the Chinuk Wawa bingo game during the General Council meeting in the Tribal Community Center on Sunday, March 4. On the right is Tribal Elder Cherie Butler, who also got bingo and looks at the prizes. Henry Zenk, right, an anthropologist who first started working with the Grand Ronde Tribe in 1978, speaks to the membership after Tribal member and Cultural Resources Program Manager Kathy Cole, middle, honored him and former Tribal employee Tony Johnson (Chinook), left, for their work on the new Chinuk Wawa dictionary. has received more than 50 applica tions to be project architect. In other action, it was announced that the April 1 General Council meeting will be held at the Mon arch Hotel & Convention Center, 12566 S.E. 93rd Ave., Clackamas, at 11 a.m. Tribal Elder Gloria Sundahl gave' the invocation while Tribal member Wendell Olson and Tribal Elders Dorothy Shortt and Marlena Lan cour won the $50 door prizes and Tribal Elder Cheryl Carl won the $100 door prize. Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy also announced that Tribal members have 45 days to participate in a Per Capita Distri bution Survey that is seeking input on how frequently the Tribal mem bership wants per capita checks allocated per year. B
