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NOVEMBER 15, 2013
Smoke Signals
December 2000: The National
'Indian Gaming Commission an
nounces that the Grand Ronde
Tribe is recognized for operating
a self-regulating Indian casino.'
February 2001: Smoke Signals
joined the World Wide Web at
www.grandronde.org. , .
April 2001: Spirit Mountain
Community Fund eclipses the $10
million mark in giving.
, May 16, 2001: Tribal members
make their first visit to Tomano
wos at the American Museum of
Natural History in New York City
to bless the meteorite.
May 23, 2001: Ground is broken
for a new education complex.
May 2001: Work begins on new
rodeo grounds that will be ad
jacent to the Tribal Governance
Center.
June 2001: Work starts on a
5,200-square-foot expansion of
Spirit Mountain Casino, which
will provide space for an addi
tional 200 slot machines. ,
Aug. 1, 2001: The Tribe estab
lishes a Court of Appeals.
Sept. 21, 2001: Ground is broken
on a new Tribal member housing
development that will include 36
one- through five-bedroom homes.
. August 2002: Open house is
held in the gymnasium of the
Tribe's new Education Complex.
-November 2002: The new
Grand Ronde Tribal Housing
Authority building completed.
. April 2003: The Tribal Library
'opens.
April 4-5, 2003: The first Agen
cy Creek Round Dance is held.
April 2003: The first Tribal
Wellness Day is held.
May 13, 2003: Spirit Mountain
Community Fund celebrates $20
million in charitable giving.
May 31, 2003: The West Valley,
Veteran's Memorial is dedicated
on the Tribal campus. ,
June 26, 2003: The Tribe's new
36-unit housing development
Chxi Musam Illihi ("A New Sleen
, ing Place" in Chinuk Wawa) is
dedicated. ' ; ,
August 2003: The Hall of Leg
ends, which connects Spirit Moun
tain Casino with Spirit Mountain
Lodge, is remodeled into a walk
through display showcasing the
history and culture of the Grand
Ronde Tribes.
Nov. 22, 2003: The Tribe eel-,
ebrates 20 years of Restoration at
Spirit Mountain Casino. Singer
Crystal Gayle was the headliner
at the event.
Dec. 19, 2003: The Tribal con
venience store opens off Highway
18 next to Spirit Mountain Cas
ino. February 2004: The Tribe
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receives a $500,000 Indian Com
munity Development Block grant
to widen Grand Ronde Road.
April 2004: Work begins on
an expansion of Spirit Mountain
Lodge that will add 150 rooms in
five stories.
April 2004: Spirit Mountain
Community Fund surpasses the
$25 million mark in charitable
giving.
Sept. 1, 2004: The Tribe opens
a satellite office in Portland.
March 2005: The Tribe opens
a satellite office in Eugene.
April 23, 2005: The 163-room
expansion of Spirit Mountain
Lodge opens.
April 2005: Round Valley be
comes the Tribe's independent
construction company.
June 15, 2005: Ground is bro
ken at the Chemawa Station site.
June 2005: Ground is broken
for a new 72-unit mixed-income
development.
Aug. 1, 2005: The Grand Ronde
Tribe participates in its first Ca
noe Journey, the Paddle to Elwha,
which lands in Port Angeles,
Wash. . :
Nov. 10, 2005: Spirit Mountain
Community Fund - tops $ 3 0 mil-,
lion in charitable giving. .
April 17, 2006: A 2. 2-pound
fragment of Tomanowos is repa
triated to the Tribe by Willamette
University. r
( July 5, 2006: The Tribe cel
ebrates the opening of three Adult
Foster Care buildings on the
Tribal campus.
, July 15, 2006: A name-giving
ceremony is held for Stankiya,
the Grand Ronde's homemade
canoe. The name means "change"
in Chinuk Wawa.
: Sept. 1, 2006: Spirit Mountain
Casino opens The Peak.
October 2006: New rental units
in Chxi Musam Illihi ready for oc
cupation in Grand Ronde.
October 2006: The Tribe starts
building a fish weir in Agency
Creek. .
Feb. 5, 2007: A groundbreak
Photo from Smoke Signals archive
ing event is held for the southern
expansion project at Spirit Moun
tain Casino.
May 25, 2007: A groundbreak
ing event is held for the new El
ders' Activity Center.
Aug. 2, 2007: Gov. Ted Kulon
goski signs the first state-Tribal
Proclamation, which was the first
step toward giving Grand Ronde
Tribal members increased access
to game for ceremonial purposes.
Aug. 24, 2007: Spirit Mountain
Casino opens the free-standing
Play World Events Center. "l
Sept. 13, 2007: The Tribe cel
ebrates the 10th anniversary
of Spirit Mountain Community
Fund, which surpasses the $40
million mark in charitable giving.
March 2008: More than 600
Tribal artifacts from the Horner
' Collection are returned to the
. Tribe. ' ?-- " i:
April; 18, ;2008: The Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Commission awards ceremo
nial hunting rights to the Grand
Ronde Tribe.,
May 15, 2008: The fourth mar
jor expansion of Spirit Mountain
Casino opens, including a new
Events Center and the Cedar
Plank Buffett. ; i
July 12, 2008: The first powwow
is held at the. Tribe's new Uyxat
Powwow Grounds off Hebo Road
near Fort Yamhill State Park.
V August 2008: The Tribal Read
ier Board along Grand Ronde Road
becomes operational. -
Sept. 15, 2008: The Oregon De
partment of Motor Vehicles starts
accepting Tribal identification
cards as proof of legal presence in ,
the United States.
Nov. 1, 2008: The Elders' Activ
ity Center opens.
Nov. 22, 2008: The Tribe cel
ebrates 25 years of Restoration at
Spirit Mountain Casino. Events
include a concert by Rita Coolidge.
Jan. 30, 2009: The first Gath
ering of Oregon's First Nations
Powwow is held at the Oregon
State Fairgrounds in Salem.