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.