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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2016)
PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 700 Membership briefed on Natural Resources — pg. 5 FEBRUARY 15, 2016 Tribal Council OKs new food bank agreement By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor T ribal Council approved an agreement with Marion-Polk Food Share that will keep the organization operating the Grand Ronde Food Bank for two more years at its Wednesday, Feb. 3, meeting. The Tribe entered into a one- year agreement with Marion-Polk Food Share to operate the food bank — iskam mfkhmfk haws — following its construction in 2014. Marion-Polk Food Share offered to continue operating the site. The Food Bank has been distrib- uting food to needy area residents since December 2014 and Tribal member Francene Ambrose was hired to manage the site. The Tribe built the 3,300-square- foot structure, which includes room to store produce, canned goods and frozen foods, with funds from two federal grants. The Food Bank, 9675 Grand Ronde Road, was sited across from the Housing Department offi ce to be closer to Tribal housing, making it more convenient for Elders and other Tribal residents than previ- ous locations that were near Uyxat Powwow Grounds off Hebo Road. In 2015, the Food Bank served more than 15,000 individuals and received more than 6,500 hours of work from volunteers, Ambrose said. In other action, Tribal Council: • Held a fi rst reading on amend- ments to the Hotel Occupancy Tax Ordinance that would in- See COUNCIL continued on page 9 Photo by Michelle Alaimo Jeremy Ojua, front, Tribal Silviculture/Fire Protection technician, and Colby Drake, Tribal Silviculture/Fire Protection supervisor and Tribal member, have their photographs featured in a new exhibit “Ili / i, a photographic essay on the beauty that surrounds us” at Chachalu Tribal Museum & Cultural Center in Grand Ronde. It runs through March 25. Good eyes New photo exhibit on display at Chachalu By Brent Merrill Smoke Signals staff writer I f you have never looked at ice so closely that you can see the spider web effect in the crystal formations, local photog- rapher and Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Silviculture/Fire Protection Technician Jeremy “Jay” Ojua has and he has the image to show for it. You can see that particular image yourself at Chachalu’s latest exhibit – “Ili/i: a photo- graphic essay on the beauty that surrounds us.” Chachalu is the Tribe’s muse- um and cultural center at 8720 Grand Ronde Road. The exhibit, which runs through Friday, March 25, fea- tures photographs by Ojua and Colby Drake, who is the Silvicul- See EXHIBIT continued on page 8 Meeting discusses local food options By Brent Merrill Smoke Signals staff writer P lenty of rain falls in Grand Ronde, but many area residents still feel that they are surrounded by a desert – a food desert. Also, they feel that transportation keeps them from accessing quality, healthy food. These opinions were discovered by the Food Access Community Team, which is made up of Grand Ronde Tribal Council member Chris Mer- Photo by Michelle Alaimo cier, Nutrition Program Manager Kristy DeLoe, Food Bank Coordinator Francene Ambrose, and Lexi Stickel and Ian Dixon-McDonald of Mari- on-Polk Food Share. The FACT Team has been meeting since Feb- ruary 2015. Marion-Polk Food Share is the regional See MEETING continued on page 7 Food Access Community Team member and Tribal Council member Chris Mercier gives a presentation during the "Let’s Talk About Food" meeting held at the Tribe’s Adult Education building on Thursday, Jan. 28.
