PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
Plankhouse, powwow
grounds receiving updates
— pg. 11
MARCH 15, 2016
Tribe completes $4
million donation
to bypass project
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
N
EWBERG — The pledge was made in
November 2011. The oversized ceremo-
nial check was signed and presented on
Monday, March 7.
The money will be transferred to the Oregon
Department of Transportation this month.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s
$4 million donation to help fund the first phase
of the Newberg-Dundee Bypass construction
project is complete.
“That is the biggest check I’ve ever signed,”
said Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr.,
who led a Tribal Council contingent to a cere-
monial check presentation held in Newberg near
where the bypass will meet up with state High-
way 219 at Hess Creek. He was accompanied by
Tribal Council members Jon A. George, Tonya
Gleason-Shepek, Denise Harvey, Brenda Tuomi
and Chris Mercier.
“All the partners we have, the county partners
and the state partners, have all come together
to work hard to make our roads safer,” Giffen
said. “This is a huge project that will make the
passage from Portland to the coast even safer. I
want to thank you on behalf of the 5,400 Confed-
erated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal members.
As leaders, we administer their dollars and these
are their dollars. They are grateful to have the
partnerships that we do. I look forward to the
day this is open.”
“I’m grateful for this opportunity and proud
to be a partner in this process,” Gleason-Shepek
said.
Harvey, who is currently serving as a Tribal
representative on the Yamhill County Parkway
Committee, said she personally can’t wait for
the bypass construction work to be completed
because she commutes to Grand Ronde from her
home in Tualatin.
See PROJECT
continued on page 10
Smoke Signals file photo
Children collect Easter eggs during the Tribe’s annual Easter egg hunt held at the covered area in
Tribal Housing last April. This year’s event is being held on Saturday, March 26.
Easter, and its egg hunt, arrives early in 2016
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
E
aster comes early this year with the
holiday being in March rather than
April. And this year’s annual Easter
Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday, March 26,
at the covered area in Tribal family housing.
Housing Services Coordinator Deborah
Kroeker said this is one Tribal event not to
be late for.
“It’s an incredible event,” said Kroeker. “It’s
the one event everybody shows up early for
because if you show up three minutes late
the hunt is over. If it lasts a full minute it’s
a long time. Those kids are quick. They are
out there, they’re getting those eggs and they
are ready to go.”
The hunt starts promptly at 10:05 a.m. and
there are four hunt categories for children
ages 1 to 2, ages 3 to 4, ages 5 to 8 and ages
9 to 12. Egg hunters are advised to bring
their own Easter basket to put their eggs in.
Parents are reminded to bring their own
camera and Tribal Elder Steve Bobb Sr. is
slated to be this year’s Easter Bunny again
as he has in past years. Bobb will be posing
for pictures with children before and after
the hunt
“He loves doing the Easter bunny thing,”
said Kroeker.
Kroeker said members of the Tribe’s
Housing Department as well as a handful
of other volunteers stuff about 2,000 plastic
eggs with candy for the event. Tribal Council
sponsors the event and pays for the candy.
“This will be an event for the kids to have
fun,” said Kroeker. “The kids all seem to
have a good time. This is old-fashioned fun.
We get out there and have a good time. I
think it’s fantastic.” n
Trail of Tears accounting
Grand Ronde Tribal Historic
Preservation Office Manager
David Harrelson, left, looks
over a map of southern Oregon
with Lewis and Clark College
Professor Dr. Stephen Dow
Beckham at Beckham’s home in
Lake Oswego. The map traces the
“Trail of Tears” of the Umpqua
Tribal people that occurred in
January 1856.
Historian finds diary that tallies Umpqua belongings left behind
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
W
Photo by Brent Merrill
hen most Grand Ronde
Tribal members think of
the Trail of Tears they
think of the removal of the Rogue
Valley Indians to Grand Ronde that
began 160 years ago on Feb. 23 and
concluded on March 25, 1856.
Now that recognized Tribal his-
torian Dr. Stephen Dow Beckham
has completed his latest work, new
light is being shown on a period in
Tribal history that is completely
reliant on two detailed accounts
of Indian removals authored by
non-Indians.
See TRAIL
continued on page 8