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PERMIT NO. 178
Easter egg hunt — pg. 7
may 1, 2014
Tribal eff ort leads to
Native name for new bridge
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
P
ORTLAND — When the Tri-
Met Bridge Naming Com-
mittee unveiled Tilikum
Crossing, the Bridge of the People,
as the finalist from among hun-
dreds of names nominated, it was
a testament to a successful Grand
Ronde effort to have a Native name
selected for the transit bridge being
built over the Willamette River.
On April 16, at the southwest
corner of OMSI, along the Eastside
Greenway Trail, more than 100
people gathered for the naming
ceremony. There was a clear view
of the bridge-in-progress through
the clouds and mist of an overcast
day.
The winning name came from
Tribal Historian David Lewis and
the Tribe’s Language Program.
Lewis also served on the nine-mem-
ber Bridge Naming Committee.
Earlier, in 2013, Tribal Public Af-
fairs Director Siobhan Taylor met
with her Tri-Met counterpart.
“They were struggling with the
dilemma that a lot of people wanted
to have naming rights for the
bridge,” Taylor said. “That’s when
I suggested that a Tribal name be
used. Give it a name that honors
the original people of the
Portland Basin. Name it
for the people who make
up today’s Grand Ronde
Tribe.”
Taylor told Tri-Met of-
fi cials that the Tribe would
come up with a name that
would represent the Tribe’s
ageless history in the area,
but also “make it a name
that would embrace all of
the Portland metro com-
munity.”
Taylor took the idea to
Lewis, who consulted the
Tribe’s Language and Land
and Culture staff. Together
they came up with Tilikum,
a Chinuk Wawa word for
people, family or a gather-
ing.
Historically, the word was spelled
Tilixam, a Chinuk Wawa word that
is diffi cult to pronounce.
“The ‘x’ sound has a slight sound
almost like you are clearing your
throat,” said Kathy Cole, Cultural
Outreach and Program manager
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
and Chinuk Wawa instructor.
In the interest of giving the public
a word that is easy to pronounce,
the Tribe’s proposal choose the
word to Tilikum, Lewis said, one
of a few different acceptable spell-
ings.
In January, Tilikum Crossing
joined Abigail Duniway, Cascadia
Crossing and Wy’east as the fi nal
four names being considered. The
public was invited to vote on their
favorite.
See BRIDGE
continued on page 18
During a name revealing
ceremony at the Oregon Museum
of Science and Industry in
Portland on Wednesday, April 16,
the new transit bridge over the
Willamette River was offi cially
christened Tilikum Crossing.
The name was submitted by
the Grand Ronde Tribe and it
means Bridge of the People in
Chinuk Wawa. Tribal drummers,
including Bobby Mercier, left,
and Brian Krehbiel performed
during the ceremony. At left,
Tribal Historian David Lewis
speaks during the name
revealing ceremony for the
new transit bridge. Lewis was a
member of the Bridge Naming
Committee.