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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2015)
10 S MOKE S IGNALS SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 'Today will be a l OPENING continued from front page across the Willamette River at about 8:40 a.m. 7KHEUHH]HPDGHWKHÁDJV²0,$ 32:FDUULHGE\%XWOHU2UHJRQÁDJ FDUULHGE\0LOOHU86ÁDJFDUULHG by Bobb and Grand Ronde Tribal flag carried by Leno – flutter at almost 90-degree angles to their respective poles. At 8:54 a.m., the first official Orange Line train No. 523 filled with dignitaries, including Tribal Council member Cheryle A. Ken- nedy, slowly crossed the bridge as the Tribal procession, which also included Tribal Royalty, Tribal Council members, Tribal dancers and numerous Tribal members, marched alongside in the pedestri- an and bicycle lanes to the rhythm and singing of Bad Soul drum. Tribal Council members who marched included Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr., Denise Harvey, Jon A. George, newly-elected Brenda Tu- omi and Ed Pearsall. Meanwhile, Portland-area media representatives shot video and took photographs under the watchful eye of TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch and her staff. Once the train reached its stop on the west side of the Willamette River, Harvey boarded for a trip up to the Southwest Third and Lincoln Street stop, where Kennedy was scheduled to speak alongside other federal, state and local represen- tatives. Harvey, upon exiting the train, received a hug from Gov. Kate Brown, who was a longtime mem- ber of the Spirit Mountain Commu- nity Fund Board of Trustees before assuming the governorship earlier this year. 2QVWDJH.HQQHG\ZDVÁDQNHG by Brown and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer as the Lincoln High School marching band played and members of the Royal Rosarians handed out orange roses. Other speakers also included Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Milwaukee Mayor Mark Gamba. The Grand Ronde Tribe became an integral part of the Tilikum Crossing process when it suggest- ed a Native name for the bridge to honor the original peoples of the Portland area, which is part of the Grand Ronde Tribe’s ceded lands in the 1855 Willamette Valley Treaty. The proposed name, tilikum, is a Chinuk Wawa word for people, fam- ily or a gathering. Historically, the word is spelled “tilixam,” a Chinuk :DZDZRUGWKDWFDQEHGLIÀFXOWWR pronounce. In the interest of giving the gen- eral public a word that is easy to say, the Tribe proposed spelling the word with a “k” instead. The Tribe’s proposed name was RQHRIIRXUÀQDOLVWVDQGWKHSXEOLF Tribal Council member Cheryle A. Kennedy, seco the grand opening celebration for Tilikum Cross Saturday, Sept. 12. Kennedy spoke at the event. next to her is U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer. At left, Portland Area Office Tribal Services Representative Lisa Archuleta applies a Tribal logo tattoo to Lola McCoy- Hansen in Tilikum Village during the grand opening celebration for Tilikum Crossing in Portland on Saturday, Sept. 12. was invited to vote on their favorite. The TriMet Naming Committee unanimously choose “Tilikum” – “Bridge of the People” – as the new bridge’s name. Earlier this year, the Grand Ronde Tribe also gifted two basalt carvings and a large bronze me- dallion to TriMet that will remind Portland and its residents that Native Americans have lived and continue to live along the shores of the river since time immemorial. All three pieces, collectively called “We Have Always Lived Here,” were created by Chinook artist Greg A. Robinson at the Gresham home of Grand Ronde Tribal mem- ber Greg Archuleta. “I am so happy to be here for the opening of the Orange Line,” Brown told the crowd assembled at Lincoln and Southwest Third. “This is absolutely a great example of the Oregon way. Collaboration to achieve meaningful changes that make everybody’s lives better. Let’s continue to work together, moving Oregon forward and creating more opportunities for all Oregonians to thrive.” TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane said as he introduced Kennedy that TriMet realized early RQWKDWWKHEULGJHSURMHFWÀWLQWR the area’s long Native American history. “We honored that history with the naming of Tilikum Cross- ing, which is truly a bridge of the people,” he said. “This is truly a wonderful morn- ing, a blessed time,” Kennedy said as she welcomed people to the Tribe’s homelands. “My heart felt just so joyful seeing my people marching to the train as we were coming over the bridge itself and seeing my people walking on the bridge … Today was a heartfelt time for me. “When we put our thinking to- gether, when we put our hearts together, truly something beautiful DQGPDJQLÀFHQWHPHUJHVDQGWKDW is what we see here today. … I am very proud of this time in our his-