8
S moke S ignals
june 1, 2014
Casino’s Rose Festival float offers ‘sweet prayers’
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Nikia Mooney, 17, is larger than
life and will star on this year’s
Spirit Mountain Casino float dur-
ing the June 7 Spirit Mountain
Casino Grand Floral Parade.
A model of Mooney, who is the
daughter of Daniel Mooney and
Egypt Leno, was designed by Tribal
Elder Steve Bobb Sr., as was the
rest of this year’s float, “Sweet
Prayers for a Big World.”
It responds to this year’s Rose
Festival theme, “Making Memo-
ries.”
“I’ve always liked the look of Roy-
alty performing the Lord’s Prayer,”
said Bobb. He had been working
on a statue with that in mind to be
cast in bronze when this year’s Rose
Festival float landed on his plate.
“I wanted to see if that image
would work for the parade, too,”
he said.
Bobb has designed the last six
Spirit Mountain Casino floats for
the festival. He also designed the
West Valley Veterans Memorial, a
prized addition to the Grand Ronde
campus since 2003.
The side of the float is for memo-
ries yet to come, Bobb said.
“If our world doesn’t get squared
away, there will be no memories for
the future,” he said.
Bobb received the festival theme
in November. In February, his de-
sign was approved.
There is a bear at the back of the
float, and scattered around are a
raccoon, rabbit and a red bird sits
If you go
Spirit Mountain Casino
Grand Floral Parade
When: 10 a.m. Saturday,
June 7
Where: Starts at Portland
Coliseum, goes down Weidler
Street to Martin Luther King
Boulevard and across the
Burnside Bridge.
Cost: Free to watch from side-
walks along parade route.
More information: www.rosef-
estival.org/grand-floral-parade
on Nikia’s shoulder.
A drum stands up decorated
with yellow, red, black and white,
the colors of the Native American
medicine wheel. Nine elements,
depicted as triangles, decorate the
bottom of the drum and represent
the nine federally recognized Tribes
in Oregon.
“I tried to represent Tribal and all
Indian people,” he said. “There is a
lot going on. Native Americans will
notice, but maybe not the average
Joe on the street.”
Because Spirit Mountain Casino
is title sponsor again this year, the
float will be first to emerge from the
back door of the Portland Coliseum
at the start of the parade. It then
goes down Weidler Street to Martin
Luther King Boulevard and across
the Burnside Bridge into downtown
Portland.
This is Spirit Mountain Casino’s
fourth year as title sponsor. It
recently signed on for its second
three-year contract, which will
give the casino six straight years
as title sponsor. The casino pays a
sponsorship fee and Bobb says that
the teaching opportunity and recog-
nition the sponsorship brings to the
Tribe and Tribal people makes the
money well worth spending.
“You get exposure not only for
the casino, but also for our people.
Our story hits all the major news-
papers, commercials on TV, radio
exposure. And this year we’ve been
able to meet with a lot of profes-
sional people in the Portland area.
That was our goal: finding new and
better ways of educating the public
about our people and our history.
“We are the people of this area
and have been for thousands of
years. This is where we hunted and
thrived.”
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund, always a contributor to wor-
thy causes during the Rose Festi-
val, will this year announce its gift
during the Grand Floral Parade.
A $100,000 contribution will be
made to OHSU’s Knight Cancer
Challenge, the first-ever official
charity for the festival, said Jocelyn
Huffman, the casino’s Sponsorship
Administrator.
In addition, Tribal Royalty par-
ticipated in the May 31 Starlight
Parade.
“Be there early,” said Bobb about
the Grand Floral Parade. “It starts
at 10 a.m. and ends at noon. Allow
for traffic and parking time. I’d
recommend being in Portland by
nine.” n
Rose Festival Court visits
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
West Valley district
seeking Fire Explorers
The West Valley Fire District, which covers Grand Ronde, Willamina
and Sheridan, is seeking youths for its Fire Explorer Program.
Young men and women age 14 to 20 will become familiar with career
opportunities in the fire service through classroom instruction, hands-on
training and volunteer work.
The program encourages and promotes accountability, safety, com-
munication, teamwork, fitness and leadership.
Participants must attend weekly drills from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays,
adhere to dress and conduct codes, perform weekly physical fitness and
training specific to firefighting skills, and demonstrate a willingness to
make improvements and show self-motivation.
For more information, contact Fire Explorer Post 908 adviser Seth
Bellarts at 503-437-2046. n
Veterans Junior Queen Amelia Mooney shakes hands with 2014 Rose
Festival Court Princess Samantha Westmoreland, from David Douglas
High School, during the court’s visit to the Elders’ Activity Center on
Wednesday, May 14. The group of 15 high school students also toured
Chachalu Tribal Museum & Cultural Center and Achaf-hammi, the
plankhouse.
CTGR Higher Education
Program deadlines set
There are now only two Higher Education programs depending on whether
you are full-time or part-time. The deadline for the Full-Time College pro-
gram is at least 30 days before the start of classes. The deadline for the
Part-Time College program is at least 10 days before the start of class.
Visit the Tribal website for more program information and an application.
www.grandronde.org/departments/education/higher-education/ n
St. Michael’s offers weekly brunch
St. Michael’s Catholic Church offers an open house brunch every
Sunday following Mass. The brunch is free to the community.
Brunch begins at about 11:30 a.m. following the 10:30 a.m. Mass.
Mass attendance is not required for brunch attendance. For more
information, contact Janelle Justen at 503-550-0923. n
Kallie Provost, right, gifts a beaded necklace to 2014 Rose Festival
Court Princess Jasnery Valenzuela, from Lincoln High School, during
the court’s visit to the Elders’ Activity Center on Wednesday, May 14.