S MOKE S IGNALS
JUNE 1, 2015
9
Rose Festival Court tours Tribal campus
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
This year’s Portland Rose Festi-
val Court toured Grand Ronde on
Wednesday, May 13, and ate lunch
with Tribal Elders and visited the
Tribal plankhouse and Chachalu
Museum & Cultural Center during
their visit.
The 15 members of the Rose
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traveled from their Portland-area
high schools to the Reservation.
The tour was arranged through
Spirit Mountain Casino’s Mar-
keting Department and began at
Chachalu.
The Rose Festival
Court is made up of
young women selected
in March of each year.
During April, they at-
tend several meetings
that prepare them for
the many appearanc-
es that follow in May.
The Rose Festival Court
travels to various com-
munity events and the
princesses visit with
business leaders, tour
hospitals and senior fa-
cilities, and interact with youth
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Each princess receives a $3,500
scholarship to attend college. The
mission of the program is to provide
scholarships for higher education,
promote community outreach and
volunteerism, and to offer network-
ing and mentoring opportunities to
outstanding young women.
The princesses, each represent-
ing their families, schools and the
Rose Festival Court, stepped off
a tour bus to be greeted by Tribal
member Jocelyn Huffman, who is
the sponsorship administrator for
Spirit Mountain Casino. Huffman’s
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the tour along with Tribal Council
Chief of Staff Stacia Martin.
Huffman welcomed the Rose
Festival Court and chaperones
and then introduced Reina Nelson
of the Tribe’s Land and Culture
Department. Nelson gave a warm
welcome and then Bobby Mercier,
Travis Stewart, Brian Krehbiel
and Jordan Mercier performed a
drum song in the museum’s replica
plankhouse.
“Every time we have visitors we
like to welcome you,” said Bobby
Mercier of the welcoming drum
song.
Nelson emphasized how far the
Tribe has come in a short amount
of time.
“If you look around at the land it’s
beautiful,” Nelson said. “It has been
restored. We are alive.”
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Kathy Cole, left, Tribal Cultural
Education and Outreach
Program manager, talks with
Tabitha Ivan, a 2015 Rose
Festival Court Princess, while
court members tour Chachalu
Tribal Museum & Cultural
Center on Wednesday, May 13.
At left, Rose Festival Court
princesses dance to “The Blue
Heron Song” during a visit
to the Tribe’s plankhouse on
Wednesday, May 13.
As the princesses toured the
museum, they asked many ques-
tions and their chaperones seemed
impressed.
“I’m always so amazed at the
baskets and the beadwork,” said
Portland Rose Festival President
Frank Chinn. “Are people still
making baskets?”
Cultural Education and Outreach
Program Manager Kathy Cole gave
a brief lesson in the Chinuk Wawa
language and explained that the
Land and Culture Department de-
veloped an app for Apple products
to help others learn the language
and preserve it for future gener-
ations.
“What an amazing thing to get
to do to save a language,” said
Princess Tabitha Ivan, 18, who is
a senior at Lincoln High School.
She said she plans on a career as
an entrepreneur.
Next the princesses checked out
“the shop” and spent time with
Tribal Artisan Travis Stewart and
Tribal Historic Preservation Pro-
gram Manager David Harrelson.
Stewart demonstrated carving
and talked about the many art
projects he and the rest of the staff
are working on. He showed a mask
that he is currently carving and
said that the Tribal artisans make
their own traditional tools.
Harrelson said that the staff arti-
sans are afforded a unique outlook
on their projects.
“It’s not so much about the time;
it’s about having the right energy,”
Summer food service starts
A free lunch for any child from 1 to 18 years of age will be served
beginning Monday, June 8, as part of the Summer Food Service.
Free lunch will be served through Aug. 14 at Tina Miller Park in
Willamina from 11 to 11:30 a.m. and at Raven Loop Park in Grand
Ronde from noon to 12:30 p.m.
Lunch also will be served at Willamina Elementary School to any
student attending the Art Conspiracy in June and summer school
in July and August. Q
Harrelson said.
After touring the museum, the
princesses traveled to the Elders
Activity Center for lunch with
Tribal Elders. After grabbing their
lunch trays, the princesses sat
amongst Elders and the Grand
Ronde Tribal Royalty princesses.
The Rose Festival Court was met
by Tribal Council members Jon A.
George and Denise Harvey.
“This is always an honor,” said
George. “Time spent with Elders is
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What has happened here is because
of our Elders.”
George linked the Rose Festival
Court princesses to Tribal Royalty
when he said, “Congratulations on
becoming princesses just like our
royalty. Thank you for honoring
us today.” George then introduced
Harvey and thanked Huffman for
her efforts in coordinating the tour.
Rose Festival Court princesses
then formed a chorus line and each
member gave an introduction and
a sponsor pitch to the audience.
Each princess shared her name,
school and interests, as well as her
volunteer efforts.
Throughout the tour, Court Prin-
cess Naomi Tsai gifted 2015 Rose
Festival pins to Tribal represen-
tatives. Tsai, 17, is a senior at
Cleveland High School who plans to
attend medical school for an inter-
national career in health sciences.
After gifts were exchanged, all
the princesses gathered in front
of the Elders Activity Center for a
group picture.
As the tour entered the Tribal
plankhouse, achaf-hammi, Chinn
said he was excited for the court to
gain this experience.
“This is a great cultural exchange.
I’m so glad the girls can see this,”
Chinn said.
The court gathered on seats
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Outreach Supervisor Bobby Mer-
cier said, “We are happy that you
are here today” in Chinuk Wawa.
Mercier explained the history of
the plankhouse and how its name
came about. He also explained how
the Tribe acquired the timber used
to build the house.
When Princess Lily Brodrick, an
18 year-old senior at Wilson High
School, asked Mercier why the Tribal
history presentation at the museum
began in the time of the Lewis and
Clark expedition, he had an answer.
“Our stories go back 15,000
years,” said Mercier.
The Rose Festival Court then
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they were taught the “Blue Heron”
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and then running in a circle and
acting out the song.
“We had a fabulous visit to the
reservation,” said Chinn. “I loved
that the 2015 Rose Festival Court
was able to get out and visit Grand
Ronde. In our fast-paced world, I
believe it is always positive to have
an experience of interacting with a
large variety of people and to learn
their story and cultures, especially
in our own backyard.”
Chinn said he thinks the visit will
change things for the princesses.
“I am sure that the court no lon-
ger sees Grand Ronde as a place
along the side of the road on the
way to the beach,” said Chinn.
“Being of Chinese descent, I know
how important it is to retain the
culture, history and language of
one’s origin. It is important for
people to know where they came
from as well as looking to the
future.” Q
TERO Open House
TERO will be hosting an Open House Event for those of you who are interested in learning more
about the program and job assistance. TERO staff will be available to answer any questions you
may have and will also be on hand to assist with filing out TERO applications. We hope to see
you there!
When: June 25 th from 5-6pm
Where: Adult Education Building Room 126 A & B
Light refreshment will also be served.
If you have any questions you can call Keri Kimsey at 503-879-2188