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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2012)
Smoke Signals 7 NOVEMBER 1, 2012 Heritage Commission meets in Grand Ronde By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer The results of two Oregon heri tage studies were unveiled at the Oregon Heritage Commission's quarterly meeting held at the Edu cation Department in Grand Ronde on Monday, Oct. 22. Fifteen of 16 commissioners, including David Lewis, Tribal Mu seum CuratorCultural Liaison, attended the session to conduct regular commission business. A $40,000 heritage-tourism study, conducted by Mandala Research for two federal agencies and a tourism business, found that 78 percent of all U.S. leisure travelers par ticipate in cultural andor heritage activities while traveling and that these travelers spend significantly more than other travelers. The study divided cultural trav elers into five groups with differ ent travel interests and travel habits. Leading heritage interests expressed in the study included historic sites (66 percent), attend ing historical re-enactments (64 percent), visiting art museumsgal leries (54 percent), attending an artcraft fair (45 percent), attending a professional dance performance (44 percent), visiting statenational parks (41 percent), shopping in museum stores (32 percent) and exploring urban neighborhoods (30 percent). The second study, from a legis lative task force, focused on the vitality of Oregon's heritage and improvements that might come through state legislation. The study found "unstable and inadequate" funding, "little meaningful coordi nation" and an "inability to mea sure and articulate the economic value of Oregon heritage," among eight problems. Recommendations, not surpris ingly, included legislative fixes for mLMi , ( x- Photo by Michelle Alalmo David Lewis, left, Tribal Museum CuratorTribal Cultural Liaison, listens as Kyle Jansson talks about results from a tourism study during the Oregon Heritage Commission meeting held at the Tribe's Adult Education Building on Monday, Oct. 22. Lewis is a member of the commission and was appointed to the post by the governor. better funding and coordination among the state's more than 1,000 heritage-based nonprofits. Lewis recommended that the report go to the Legislative Com mission on Indian Services for presentation to the state's federally recognized Tribes "for action on their part." "Our mission is to raise all boats," said Alice Norris, executive director of the Willamette Falls Heritage Area Coalition. During the meeting, she received support from the board for a State Heritage Areas program that would enable groups like the Willamette Falls Heritage Area Co alition to come together from across geographic and political boundaries to build a heritage area. "History and culture are part of our everyday living and we need to pay for it,' said Commissioner E. John Rumpakis, an award-winning supporter of heritage issues in Oregon. "It's about performance," said Chinuk Wawa Dictionary Order Form ,'. miinlmiiili iw.m.lln .in .Mint ill, I i li.Unl lii Hi i, lil.n "fj . . jl City; Zip: Number of books x $20.00 each $ . Shipping $5 00 Total: $ i 1 1 jil-TTt7. LninuKwawa kjtkwa nuyka ulman-tthxam fiska munk-kamtdkii tmyk As our elders teach us to speak it . Books may be purchased from the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department located on the second floor of the Adult Education Building. To have an order mailed to you, please fill out the form and include an additional $5.00 for shipping and handling costs. Mall this form to: CTGR Cultural Resources: 961S Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, OR 97347 Checks only please call us at 503-879-2268 for multiple book orders, as additional shipping fees apply Roger Roper, deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and assistant director for Heritage Programs in the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. He serves as staff for the commission. "It requires ongo ing oversight." "We need to think further into the future," said Lewis, "to see where these plans are taking us." Lewis, who has served on the board for more than three years, was joined in the meeting by Com missioner Dawnielle Tehama (Klamath), who also serves on the board of Discover Klamath. "We're pushing a lot of agendas," said Lewis, who indicated that his role on the board is not solely to pave the way for Tribal agendas, but to serve the best interests of the state. With that said, he is pushing, through the commission, for better Native content in school curricula and heritage programs that are open to Tribal peoples. "It's amazing how much we've accomplished since Restoration," said Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr. in welcoming the group, "but that said, there's plenty left to do." In providing the "five-minute version" of Grand Ronde history, Cultural Protection Specialist Eirik Thorsgard noted that the Tribe has been helping "both our people and the local community as well." "Much of the recent progress," said Lewis, "originated with a 2009 meeting in the Crook County Library in Prineville. That was my first meeting as a commissioner. There is when alPotthe commis sioners backed a proposato do a study of the problems and issues with heritage in Oregon because we all admitted that we did not know enough about the problem to offer any solutions. So these two studies and the previous heritage study came out of that notion." D if - I " 4 Photos by Michelle Alaimo Greg Archuleta, left, and Jordan Mercier sing "New Beginnings" during the opening of the unveiling ceremony for the sculpture "Totem II" at the Jean Road Fire Station in Lake Oswego on Thursday, Oct. 1 1 . Behind them is the wrapped sculpture that was revealed at the end of the ceremony. Mercier, left, and Archuleta, right, had their picture taken with artist Travis Pond, who created "Totem 11." The sculpture is 1 7-foot-tall and made of recycled and reclaimed metal objects.
