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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2016)
S moke S ignals JULY 1, 2016 11 Pawn store visit sparks donation to Chachalu By Brent Merrill Smoke Signals staff writer Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time. Tribal Post Treatment Counselor Chris Holliday can attest to that and if Cultural Collections Supervi- sor Veronica Montano has anything to do with it, others will do the same in the future. “Chris did exactly what we hope everybody does in the Tribe,” said Montano. “His awareness that we had a museum and then being able to go out and advocate for the items to come home is kind of ideal.” What Holliday did was by chance happen upon a large portion of the Kenneth Nelson Russell Collection while visiting with friends at Cap- ital Pawn Shop in Salem. Holliday has no affiliation with the Tribe’s Culture Department or Chachalu, the Tribal museum; he just knew as a Tribal employee that there was a museum. Holliday encountered 84-year- old Norma Yeater, the daughter of Kenneth Nelson Russell, purely by coincidence. Holliday said he was visiting with friends when a nice elderly woman entered the shop and talked about a collection of Native American artifacts. He said she made it clear that she did not want money for the collection, but just to have it go to the right place. The pawn shop owners knew that Holliday worked for the Grand Ronde Tribe and had Yeater speak to him. “I told her I work for the Tribe and that I can put her in contact with one of our people who works at the museum. They would more than like to talk to you,” said Hol- Yeater said her father grew up on 10 acres in Turner near Salem and that almost all of the ar- rowheads were collected on the family property. “He started to find ar- rowheads at a very young age,” said Yeater. “He had an eye for it. It was a love of his. From the time he was little, when they plowed the fields he was out there looking. I’ve been really concerned about daddy’s collection.” Yeater said a series of unusual circumstances led her to Capital Pawn that day. She said she started the day with a rare visit to her safety deposit box. “I had some rings my Photo by Michelle Alaimo husband had given me These are just a few of the more than 300 so when I was going by projectile points and arrowheads recently the pawn shop I thought donated to the Tribe by Norma Yeater. They are well I’m going to go in now being housed at Chachalu Tribal Museum and see what these things & Cultural Center. are worth,” Yeater said. “Somehow we started liday. “She said she had had her talking about Native American dad’s artifact collection for many artifacts. I don’t remember exactly years so I put her in contact with how. the museum. She was really hap- “So you see this all progressed py.” into something wonderful hap- Yeater agreed to have her fa- pening. That’s the story. Isn’t that ther’s collection of more than 300 amazing? Nobody could be happier projectile points and arrowheads than I am that the collection is fi- donated to the Tribe. She said her nally where it should be.” father was a farmer and beekeep- Yeater said she knows she was in er, and that he began collecting the right place at exactly the right arrowheads when he was only 5 moment. years old. “I’ve found that so many times Kalapuya points were made of these things that happen are not obsidian, petrified wood, basalt rock happenstance; they were meant to and agates. be,” said Yeater. “I am just totally Thursday, August 18 th , 2016 9:00am – 5:30pm Friday, August 19 th , 2016 9:00am – 5:30pm Thursday, August August 20 18 th th , , 2016 2016 9:00am 9:00am – – 1:00pm 5:30pm Saturday, August 19 to th , expediently 2016 9:00am – 5:30pm Elders will have a special Friday, line established fill their requests. To ensure this, only Elder 2016 9:00am – 1:00pm Saturday, 20 , for orders will be filled using this line. August Thank you understanding and consideration of others. Elders will have a special line established to expediently fill their requests. To ensure this, only Elder OFFICE DISTRIBUTION orders will be filled using this PORTLAND line. Thank SATELLITE you for understanding and consideration of others. th Fish will PORTLAND not be available to those who DISTRIBUTION do not preregister. SATELLITE OFFICE Wednesday, August 24th, 2016 at 10am – 4pm. Preregistration required BEFORE to Wednesday, August 17 th 2016 at 4pm. Fish will is not be available those who do not preregister. Please contact Lisa Archuleta to preregister up. (503) 879-1881 Wednesday, August 24th, 2016 for at pick 10am – 4pm. Preregistration is required BEFORE Wednesday, August 17 th 2016 at 4pm. If picking up for others, a signed release AND copy of Tribal ID or CIB is required! required ! Please contact Lisa Archuleta to preregister for pick up. (503) 879-1881 No early or late pickup Fish will NOT AND be mailed If picking up for others, a signed release copy of Tribal ID or CIB is required! required ! If you have any questions please call Natural No the early or late Resources pickup Department (503)879-2424. Fish will NOT be mailed If you have any questions please call the Natural Resources Department (503)879-2424. I , Roll Number give I , , Roll permission Number to pick up my salmon. , Signature give of Tribal Member: Date: up my salmon. permission to pick copy Member: of Tribal ID or CIB MUST accompany this Release. Release . No Exceptions! Signature of A Tribal Date: A copy of Tribal ID or CIB MUST accompany this Release. Release . No Exceptions! thrilled.” Montano said she was happy that everything fell into place allowing the Tribe’s Cultural Collections Program to acquire a large portion of the collection. “She was very excited to get this collection back to the Tribe,” said Montano. “All of these artifacts are from an area that was our ceded lands. With this collection, this woman can tell us on a map where they came from. Knowing that they all came from here makes it a spe- cial collection.” Montano said she wanted to thank Holliday for his efforts. “This is the perfect example of what should happen when it comes to potential donations of artifacts and even historic documents,” said Montano. “We want everybody to know what we do in our collections program and that we are available to answer questions regarding these collections.” Holliday said he is so happy that everything worked out. “It’s just a beautiful collection,” said Holliday. “I was just elated to know that it went to the right place. It made my year just to be a part of helping her because she was really stressed. It’s a wonderful thing that it all worked out and it was just a wonderful experience.” Yeater said she is so happy to have her father’s collection in the hands of the Tribe that it makes her emotional. “I absolutely did the right thing,” said Yeater. “I’m just delighted; just absolutely delighted. It was on my heart for a long time. I cry every time I even think of it because it means so much to me that they are there.”
