S moke S ignals
JULY 1, 2016
15
Vietnam veterans to be recognized
VETERANS continued
from front page
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
Leno, a Vietnam-era Marine Corps
veteran, said 2016 marks the 50th
anniversary of the Vietnam War.
He said every Vietnam veteran who
attends the summit or powwow will
receive a commemorative eagle pin.
“Over the past couple of years we
have tried to identify people that we
are going to recognize,” said Leno.
“This year we will be recognizing
the Vietnam veterans.”
“Each year we’ve tried to focus
on one set of veterans even though
obviously all veterans are welcome.
That’s our focus for the summit,”
said Tribal General Manager David
Fullerton, who is once again one of
the event organizers.
Fullerton said the Native Veter-
ans Summit is put on by the Con-
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde,
the Native Wellness Institute and
the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs’ Office of Tribal Government
Relations.
Fullerton said the summit’s agen-
da is filled with information for
veterans about education, employ-
ment, hospice services, suicide
prevention and mental health
wellness.
Tribal Government Relations
Specialist Terry Bentley said the
Native Veterans Summit is de-
signed to provide information and
make connections for veterans.
“The theme for this year’s event is
connecting veterans with services,”
said Bentley via e-mail. “The esti-
mate is that 200 veterans and their
family members will attend.”
Bentley said many government
If you go
Gathering of Warriors
Native Veterans Summit &
Marcellus Norwest Memorial
Veterans Powwow
When: Thursday, July 7,
through Sunday, July 10.
Where: Uyxat Powwow
Grounds, 9600 Highway 22
(Hebo Road), Grand Ronde.
Summit General Sessions: 9
a.m. Friday and Saturday, July
8-9.
Powwow grand entries: 7
p.m. Friday, July 8; 1 and 7
p.m. Saturday, July 9; and 1
p.m. Sunday, July 10.
officials from a number of key vet-
erans’ agencies also will attend,
such as the Veterans Affairs Office,
Portland Medical Center, Portland
Regional Office, Salem Veterans
Center and the Oregon Department
of Veterans’ Affairs.
Bentley said the summit will fea-
ture workshops, support meetings,
employment information, cultural
activities and ceremonies, guest
speakers, talking circles, health
and dental care, benefits coordina-
EXCESS PROPERTY AVAILABLE FOR TRIBAL MEMBER BID
The Items listed below are surplus items and are open to bid by Grand Ronde Tribal Members.
BID DEADLINE: July 15, 2016
Ford Water Truck
Condition - SALVAGE
Description: 1986 Ford CF7000 Cab Over
with fiberglass water tank. Vehicle does
not run and is in need of unknown engine
repairs. Front bumper and windshield
need replacement. Pump and other items
have been removed.
Grove Scissor Lift
Condition - SALVAGE
Description: 1994 self propelled scissor
lift. Batteries and charger may need re-
placement. Other repairs may be required,
lift is currently inoperable.
NOTICE PLEASE READ: All bids must be sealed and submitted to the Procurement Office by
5:00 PM on or before the bid deadline. Bids received after the submittal deadline will not be con-
sidered. Bid openings will be within 5 working days of the bid deadline and property will be award-
ed to the highest bidder. In case of identical bids the received date stamp will be used. The Tribe
reserves the right to decline any or all offers. Successful bidders will have 10 working days after the
award to pay for and remove the property. All items are sold “as is” with no warranty expressed or
implied. Bidders are encouraged to view the items prior to placing a bid. To view an item please
contact Kevin Mueller@ 503-879-4548 or kevin.mueller@grandronde.org or Larry Leith @ 503-879-
2216 or larry.leith@grandronde.org. Items awarded and not sold will not be rebid.
CONDITION CODES
USABLE: Property which shows some wear, but can be used without significant repair
REPAIRABLE: Property which is unusable in its current condition but can be repaired
SALVAGE: Property which has value in excess of its basic material content, but repair or
rehab. Is impractical and/or uneconomical.
SCRAP: Property which has no value except for its basic material content.
Smoke Signals file photo
Grand Ronde Veterans Honor Guard members stand with veterans and other
Grand Entry participants during the 2015 Marcellus Norwest Memorial
Veterans Powwow at Uyxat Powwow Grounds last July. This year’s powwow
will be held Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10.
tion and a healing village.
Native Veterans Summit organiz-
ers and supporters say they have
three goals they hope to accomplish
in three days.
First, they hope to increase access
by veterans to Veterans Affairs
health care and benefits.
Second, they want to promote
economic sustainability by provid-
ing information about disability
compensation-related benefits, VA
home loans, GI Bill benefits and
veteran-owned small business op-
portunities.
The summit also will focus on
listening to Tribal leaders and vet-
erans residing in Indian Country
about their experiences with access-
ing VA health care and benefits.
Bentley said the summit will be a
success if it connects veterans with
their benefits.
Fullerton said the summit is im-
portant to the community for many
reasons and that Tribal resources
expended to provide the service to
veterans are well used.
“It puts us on the map as far as
what we’re trying to do and where
we place our veterans in impor-
tance of things that we do,” said
Fullerton. “Not only are you setting
aside a complete powwow to honor
your veterans, you are also saying
you don’t just want to honor your
veterans, but we want to help so we
added the summit as a resource. We
want to see if you can leave after
these days in Grand Ronde in a
better place than you were when
you got here.”
Tribal Council member Brenda
Tuomi, an Army veteran, said she
is happy to see many services pro-
vided to veterans at the summit
and powwow.
“I love that we have the Veterans
Powwow every year,” said Tuomi.
“I love that we’re doing the summit
now. I hope that we see even more
participants at the summit this
year.”
Bentley said the pairing of the
summit with the Marcellus Nor-
west Memorial Veterans Powwow
is beneficial to veterans and those
trying to provide services.
“The powwow is important because
of the timing,” said Bentley. “It is
held annually to honor veterans. It
is our hope that the veterans who
are attending the powwow will take
advantage of the Veterans Summit.
This is a popular Veterans Powwow
and draws a large crowd. Our main
goal is to connect veterans with their
earned benefits and services.”
In Grand Ronde, the Veterans
Powwow each year is also a time
to remember late Tribal Elder and
Army veteran Marce Norwest for
whom the powwow is named.
“I always try and remember
Marce,” said Leno. “He was a real
supporter of the veterans; of any
and all veterans like I am. I think
as a combat veteran he realized a
lot about what Vietnam veterans
went through because he came out
of Korea.”
Tuomi said she has fond mem-
ories of Norwest from her years
of serving on the Tribe’s Color
Guard.
“Marce has a special place in my
heart,” said Tuomi. Her husband,
Ron, is also an Army veteran.
“What I know about Marce was
he was a caretaker. He would look
after you. He would take you under
his wing and he made sure that he
looked after you. I’ve never met
anybody like Marce.”
Leno said the effort that goes into
putting on the summit and the pow-
wow each year fills him with pride.
“I think it goes right along with
our memorial out here,” said Leno.
“When you look at our memorial it
has over 2,300 names on it. I’m re-
ally proud as the Tribal chairman
and as a Native American to see
the honor that Native American
people provide for their veterans.”
The summit begins at 3 p.m.
Thursday with a pre-summit work-
shop and then general sessions at 9
a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The powwow begins with a grand
entry at 7 p.m. Friday, July 8, and
continues on Saturday, July 9, with
grand entries at 1 and 7 p.m. There
also will be a grand entry at 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 10.
The powwow will feature Men’s
Grass Dance and Women’s Jingle
Dress specials.
Cherokee Tribe of Oklahoma
member Nick Sixkiller will be
master of ceremonies and arena
director will be Carlos Calica of
Warm Springs. Bad Soul will be
host drum and Tribal Elder Deitz
Peters and his wife, Rose, will act
as head man and head woman.