Smoke Signals 7
APRIL 1,2013
Community Fund grants $383,500 to 26 nonprofits
Tribe surpasses $59
million total in giving
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Honoring the "amazing and out
standing projects" of 26 Oregon
nonprofits, Spirit Mountain Com
munity Fund awarded grants to
taling $383,500 on Wednesday,
March 13.
As "partners in making Oregon a
better place," said Spirit Mountain
Community Fund Executive Direc
tor Kathleen George, the Tribe is
making possible "lasting benefits
for our neighboring communities."
"This is the most important piece
for us," said Tribal Council Chair
Reyn Leno. "We always want people
to come past the casino. Well, go to
the casino and then come past it; the
casino is a very important business
to us, but it is not Grand Ronde.
This is Grand Ronde, here."
"It's what you do that makes our
job easier," said Community Fund
Board Chairman Sho Dozono to the
recipients.
The event was held in Tribal
Council Chambers with chairs
extending out into the Governance
Center Atrium.
Community Fund grants sup
port projects in education, health,
arts and culture, environment, his
toric preservation and public safety.
Grants equal 6 percent of profits from
Spirit Mountain Casino as agreed
to between the Tribe and state of
Oregon in the gaming compact.
This quarter's recipients included
the Architectural Foundation of
Oregon. The Community Fund
gave $5,000 to the 40-year-old Ar
chitects in Schools project, which
pairs architects with teachers in
elementary schools across Oregon
to teach architectural concepts to
young students, according to Kim
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Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Mary-Minn Sirag, left, KindTrc Productions-Autism Rocks board of
director's president, shows Julia Willis, Spirit Mountain Community Fund
grants coordinator, the organization's newsletter during the fund's quarterly
check presentation in the Governance Center Atrium on Wednesday, March
13. KindTree Productions-Autism Rocks received a $4,000 grant.
Knowles, manager of the project.
Funds from the grant provide
materials and cover the cost of
developing a training curriculum
that joins teachers with architects
in the classroom.
Architectural concepts include
drawing skills, and measurement
and scale. "The lessons help link
architectural concepts to all the
places where they live, learn and
play," said Knowles. "It's a way to
see how what they learn in school
affects their daily lives."
The six-week program ends with
an exhibit of student work.
This is the first Community Fund
grant for the group.
Another $5,000 went to
Kukatonon, Children's African
Dance Troupe. The Portland-based
brainchild of Liberian emigre Ro-
lia Manyongai-Jones will use the
money to move the headquarters
to a new space and provide trans
portation for the program.
Kukatonon, meaning "We are
one" in the Kpelle language of Libe
ria, teaches West African dance to
Portland-area students in seventh
through 12th grades. The 30-year-old
program is now teaching dances
to 33 students in 13 schools.
Benefits of the program, Manyongai-Jones
said, include "keeping
physically fit, instilling a sense
of cultural pride in students and
improved self-esteem."
The October-June program held
for two hours three times a week
also enables students to perform
across Oregon and into southern
Washington.
This is the second grant to the
group.
Portland-based Wisdom of the
Elders received a $25,000 grant.
The funding will help the non
profit develop a Native storytelling
curriculum for Oregon schools. "It
fits into Health and Wellness and
Native Studies curricula," said
Rose High Bear (Deg Hit'an Dine),
executive producer and co-founder
of the group.
"We're re-doing the content to
meet the needs of Native youth,"
she added.
As a result of input from Native
youth, who have not traditionally
been the focus of the group, the
new video productions are shorter
and include Native youth from the
Portland area, High Bear said.
"We're revising the video produc
tions, developing an implementa
tion manual and starting a pilot
project targeting student needs. We
could start a pilot in Willamina,"
High Bear said, taking the oppor
tunity to pitch the program.
This is the fourth grant for Wis
dom of the Elders. "We would not
have been able to finish any of the
projects without your funding," she
said. "I call you 'Mom and Dad.' "
The Community Fund makes
quarterly awards as well as sepa
rate grants to Oregon Tribes that
are awarded annually in July.
"It's always a nice day when we
give money away," said Leno, one
of three Tribal Council members
who serve on the Spirit Mountain
Community Fund Board.
Tribal Council Secretary Toby
McClary and Tribal Council mem
ber Steve Bobb, also in attendance,
also serve on the board. Other
trustees are Secretary of State Kate
Brown, consultant Henry "Chip"
Lazenby, former Congresswoman
Darlene Hooley and Ron Reibach,
director of facilities at Spirit Moun
tain Casino.
Bobb gave the invocation before
the grant checks were presented.
"Today," said George, "we have
surpassed $59 million in giving."
Chinuk Wawa Dictionary Order Form
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kalnmiMyteuhnin-tlhumfatamif'fcaint9ksntyigi
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Address:
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State:
Zip:
Number of books $20 00 each S .
Shipping SS0O
Took $
Books may be purchased from the Tribe's
Cultural Resources Department located on the
second floor of the Adi ductlon Suddtnfc To
have an order mailed to you, please fMt out the
form and include an additional $5.00 tor
shtpprnf and handttnf costs.
Mail this form to:
CT6R Cultural Resources:
WIS 6rand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, Oft $7347
Checks only please
csA us at 503-879-2268 lor multiple book orders, as addtionaf shipping fees appry
Adult Foster Program
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The Tribe's Adult Foster Care lodges are committed to offering quality
care to our Elders and helping them remain as independent as possible, while
providing the personalized assistance they need. At our lodges, a wide range
of services is available in a comfortable setting where privacy is respected
and maximum independence is supported. For information, contact the Adult
Foster Program Director at 503-879-1694. B