SS2fffi3 : :'- i HI I ' " " " PRESORTED
ttrr, -r- M 11 ' : I il 1 V f( FIRST-CLASS MAIL
H 1 U ) PERMIT NO. 178
JutY 4 ! W5NMSPrtPER PROJ. UO LIBRARY SVSFEH PRE
' A :H ..5 '-' r 1299 UNIUERSITY OF OREGON
. V ltT't r If EUGENE OR 97403-1205
' 111
8ll 0 MAY 15, 2012
moke S fe) agnails
A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe BT J? Nf WWW.grandrOnde.org
TTIMIPQTJA. C3 MOLALLA B ROGUE RIVER a KAIAXJITA E3 CHASTA
CWilinniirDSiD Day ewemift seft
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal Memorial Day events
on Monday, May 28, start
with a noon meal prepared
under the direction of Tribal mem
ber and Food Services Coordinator
Kristy DeLoe.
DeLoe will be joined in cooking
this year's meal by Tribal cooks
Kevin Campbell and Michael Bur
ton. Campbell is also a Tribal
member.
Together, the culinary trio will
prepare the traditional meal of stew
with ceremonial meat, salad, rolls,
coffee, punch and dessert.
The meal will be prepared at the
Elders' Activity Center kitchen
though it will be served at the
Community Center opposite the
West Valley Veterans' Memorial.
Tribal Elders and Grand Ronde
Royalty have volunteered to serve
the meal.
Following immediately after the
meal, Tribal Council Vice Chair
Reyn Leno, a Vietnam-era Marine
veteran, will be master of ceremony
at the memorial.
Nine new names added this year
to the black granite pillars will bring
the total number to 2,254. With the
Army and Navy pillars filling up, the
Tribe anticipates adding two new
See EVENT
continued on page 18
Tribal Vice Chair and Marina
veteran Reyn Leno speaks
during the Tribe's Memorial Day
observance at the West Valley
Veterans Memorial on the Tribal
campus on Memorial Day 2011.
5 A
Smoke Signals file photo
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal member Inatye Lewis, 9, looks to give a high five to a volunteer as he nears the finish in the
Awesome 3000 at Bush's Pasture Park In Salem on Saturday, May 5. Behind Lewis is the friend he
ran the race with, Zinn Morton.
BD awSLTiTD8 CTDJOLTD
Inatye Lewis shines in overcoming a
disability to finish Salem event
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
SALEM On Saturday, May 5, at Bush
Park, 9-year-old Tribal member Inatye
Lewis participated in a 2,000-meter
race for third-graders.
He was thinking, "Go, and run, and try to
impress my mom."
His mother, Donna Lewis, is married to
Tribal member and Cultural Resources
Department manager David Lewis. She
provided the back story and how she felt
about the race even before her youngest
son ran it.
Inatye, she wrote in an e-mail, was born with
a rare birth defect called tibial hemimelia,
which is a congenital absence or reduction (and
delayed growth throughout childhood) of the
tibial bone or the shin bone.
"Usually other malformations of the leg and
foot are present (as with Inatye) and the joints
and muscles of the affected leg(s) often form
incorrectly," she wrote. "The majority of chil
dren born with this syndrome end up with an
amputation in the first few years of life.
"Some children are able to have enough
See RUN
continued on page 13
Community Fund
celebrates 15 years
of Tribal giving
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A.
Kennedy said: "It is astounding to me
that 30 years ago, we were having bake
sales and now look at this: We've given away
$56 million and I'm sitting across the table from
Sherman Alexie."
The $56 million represents almost 1,800 grants
in an 11-county area.
"Indians have plenty of reasons to be angry and
to fight back," said Alexie, "but to see this Tribe
operate with such love and forgiveness is incred
ible. I'm so proud of you. You honor us and set an
example that more and more will follow."
The three-hour celebration for the 15th an
niversary of Spirit Mountain Community Fund
on Friday, May 11, at Spirit Mountain Casino
hosted about 500 Community Fund recipients,
Tribal Council members, Community Fund
trustees, elected officials, Tribal Elders and
many guests for steak and salmon.
In addition, there was the introduction of
a new Community Fund video hosted by Ex
ecutive Director Kathleen George, a videotaped
congratulations from Gov. John Kitzhaber,
awarding of eight $5,000 special grants and for
dessert, writer, poet and storyteller Sherman
Alexie (Spokane).
"Fifteen years ago, Spirit Mountain Commu
nity Fund, the new philanthropic arm of the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, made its
first grant award, to the Life Flight Network,"
said George. "That first grant, which enhanced
Life Flight's ability to save lives in rural Or
egon, started something that has become very
important to the Grand Ronde Tribe, and that
is to partner, to support the foundational abil
ity of non-profit organizations in Oregon to
help people, foster self-sufficiency and to build
See CELEBRATION
continued on page 15