S moke S ignals
MARCH 1, 2016
9
'We started grade school together'
FRIENDS continued
from front page
the ireplace and traded memories
and stories of growing up togeth-
er, making their way in the world
without each other and then being
reunited again where they can be
surrounded by family, friends and
caring staff.
Joined by some of their daugh-
ters – Penny DeLoe and Sharon
Freund for Val and Christine and
Kalene Contreras for Beryle – the
duo traded stories that proved their
commitment to each other was
genuine and lifelong. There were
moments of laughter and crying.
Both are bound to their wheel-
chairs and each is aflicted in some
way by the toll of working so hard
for so many years, but their eyes
still sparkle and their minds are
sharp and crisp and quick to tell
certain memories, especially if it
shined a new light on either party.
Their daughters relished in the
memories, as well as the feigned
debate on whether these were the
type of stories they ought to be
sharing with the world.
“We’ve known each other since
the time we were little,” Val said.
“We started grade
school together. We
were good friends and
we grew up together.”
Beryle remembered
an incident that took
place outside of a
dance in Rose Lodge
when the ladies were
young. It involved
another girl making
eyes at Val’s eventual
husband of 43 years,
Pete.
“We don’t want to
tell him that story,” Val said, but
laughed as Beryle continued the
story anyway.
Val remembered the two girls
picked beans and berries and even-
tually hops together with their
families.
“That is how we earned our school
clothes,” Val said. “I probably ate
more berries than I picked.”
Beryle said she remembered
camping in the hop ields to work.
Eventually, the young ladies
began having their own families
and each moved away from Grand
Ronde following the relocation
years. Each began their own path
of raising children, caring for their
husbands, working their careers
and changing the world.
Grout spent 14 years on the Grand
Ronde Tribal Council off and on
from 1987 through 2004 and is
well-known throughout North-
Contributed photo
Tribal Elders Val Grout, left, and Beryle Contreras in sixth or seventh grade.
The two went to school together in Grand Ronde.
Tribal Elders Beryle
Contreras, left, and
Val Grout pose for
a photo with Santa,
aka Tribal Elder Steve
Bobb Sr., during the
Elders Christmas
Party held at the
Elders Activity Center
in December 2015.
in the late 1960s and
early 1970s.
Contreras and two
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
of her daughters
west Tribes for her dedication to
spent three months living on Alca-
preparing Tribal-event meals. She
traz Island in San Francisco Bay
was involved in preparing meals
during the famous Occupation of
for the Tribe’s annual powwows,
Alcatraz in 1969. The occupation
Restoration celebrations, Christmas
of Alcatraz happened when 89
and holiday meals, and literally
Indians lived on the island from
hundreds of funerals over the years.
November 1969 until they were
Grout served on Tribal Council
forcibly removed by government
before it was a paid position. She
troops in June 1971.
used to hold bake sales to raise gas
During her time on Alcatraz,
money so she could drive back and
Contreras became involved in
forth between Tillamook and Grand
Indian activism and got to know
Ronde in the early years right after
John Trudell, Russell Means, Rich-
1983’s Restoration. She is also ded-
ard Oakes and Wilma Mankiller.
icated to helping with fundraisers
Mankiller, who went on to become
for children.
the most powerful Indian woman in
Contreras relocated to Portland
the country as principal chief of the
and then to San Francisco while
raising her family. After attending
beauty college, she eventually found
herself part of the Native American
activism movement that has be-
come legendary since it occurred
Celebration of life potluck
to be held for Tribal Elder
A celebration of life potluck for Tribal Elder Richard
"Mushy" Ray will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at
the Elders Activity Center. For more information,
call the Elders Activity Center at 503-879-2233.
Cherokee Nation, and Contreras
became close friends.
In 2005, Mankiller reunited with
Contreras when she visited Grand
Ronde. The two women spent the
day together and toured the Tribal
campus and housing units, sharing
many of their stories along the way.
Grout said she is continually in
awe of everything the Tribe has
accomplished over the years since
Restoration.
“I’m amazed at how far the Tribe
has come and I’m so proud of our
Tribal leaders for leading us to
where we are,” said Grout. “And
all of our staff that have backed
us up throughout the years. I’m so
thankful that we had the foresight
to build the Adult Foster Care pro-
gram because that’s my home now.”
DeLoe remembers letting Val
know she would be coming to live
at the foster care lodges in Grand
Ronde with deep emotion.
“When I got to tell her she could
come home that was the best day be-
cause this has been her life since the
time we were reinstated,” said DeLoe.
“This is what she lives for. For me to
be able to tell her was amazing.
“I think by creating the Adult
Foster Care facility we are bringing
years of our culture back to where
we are. So it truly does mean a lot
to have them here back at the Tribe
and be well taken care of.”
Christine Contreras said their
family was cautious to have Beryle
return to live in Grand Ronde and
that the whole process of them
checking it out took about a year.
“She is well taken care of,” said
Christine. “We’re just so lucky to
have a foster care program where
she can still be with friends like
Val. A lot of the people that work
there are like granddaughters and
grandnieces and we know they love
our parents and our grandparents.
That’s a big deal to us.”
Val repeats that she is very proud
of all of her children and that their
father – Pete – was also very proud
of the children.
“I married the best man in the
world,” Val said. “And I had him
for 43 years.”
Beryle gives credit to Val for
much of her good fortune.
“I think Val was the reason I
made it on this Reservation,” says
Beryle. “Because she was so good.”
Together again. Childhood
friends reunited. Both surrounded
by family. Both winking at each
other at just the memory of it all.
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