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PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Tribe to celebrate 33rd Restoration anniversary
By Brent Merrill
If you go
33rd Restoration
Celebration
When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 22. Canoe Fam-
ily and program at 10 a.m.,
meal at noon and powwow at
3 p.m.
Where: Tribal gym, 9615
Grand Ronde Road
More info: RSVP to Public
Affairs at 503-879-1418 or
publicaffairs@grandronde.org.
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
he Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde’s annual cele-
bration of Tribal Restoration
will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 22, with
a Canoe Family performance and
program, meal and powwow held
in the Tribal gym in Grand Ronde.
This year marks the 33rd anni-
versary of Restoration to federally
recognized status following Ter-
mination in 1954. The Tribe was
restored in 1983 when President
Ronald Reagan signed the Grand
Ronde Restoration Act on Nov. 22,
1983.
The federal government also re-
turned 9,811 acres to the Tribe as
a Reservation land base on Sept.
9, 1988, also during Reagan’s ad-
ministration.
“We should have never been
terminated,” says Tribal Council
Chairman Reyn Leno. “When you
hear the word ‘Restoration’ it is
almost automatic to all of us who
lived here during Termination that
the first word that pops into your
mind is ‘Termination.’ We were
restored because it was the right
thing for the government to do. We
never did quit being Grand Ronde
Indians.”
The effort to achieve Restoration
began in the 1970s. One of the first
acts taken by Tribal members to-
ward Restoration happened when
Tribal members Marvin Kimsey
and Merle Holmes testified before
Task Force 10 of the American In-
dian Policy Review Commission in
Salem on March 13, 1976.
The commission was created to
gather information about the state
See RESTORATION
continued on page 13
Grand Ronde ends
legal challenges to
Cowlitz decision
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
he Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
has decided to not seek Supreme Court
review of a July 29 U.S. Court of Appeals
ruling that allowed the Cowlitz Tribe to keep its
new 152-acre Reservation and continue building
a casino 15 miles north of the Portland-Vancou-
ver metropolitan area.
Tribal member and lobbyist Justin Martin said
the change of plans occurred because the Tribe
decided to focus on other economic opportunities
in the Portland area.
“Grand Ronde has elected not to appeal the
Cowlitz case to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Martin
said. “Although La Center is outside the his-
toric lands of the Cowlitz Tribe, Grand Ronde
has decided to direct its current resources to
completing the remodeling of Spirit Mountain
Casino on its Reservation and future resources
to the development of projects in Grand Ronde’s
homelands and around Portland.
“We’ve made it a priority to fund our endow-
ments and essential government programs for
the benefit of our members. We will continue
with these objectives and look to other opportu-
nities that allow us to maintain and build upon
those goals.”
The ruling handed down by the Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected
arguments made by the Grand Ronde Tribe and
Clark County, Wash., during a March 18 appeals
hearing held in Washington, D.C.
At issue was a decision by District Court Judge
Barbara Rothstein that favored the Department
of the Interior’s decision to take land into trust
for a Cowlitz Reservation. The Tribe, city of Van-
couver and Clark County appealed Rothstein’s
December 2014 ruling.
The three-judge Appeals Court panel that
heard the case included Cornelia Pillard, Robert
Wilkins and Harry Edwards. The decision, writ-
ten by Wilkins, affirmed Rothstein’s decision.
See DECISION
continued on page 15
Halloween Boos
“Superman” Devin Doar watches the
bowling ball after throwing it down the lane
during Youth Education’s K-12 Halloween
costume bowling party at Walnut City Lanes
in McMinnville on Friday, Oct. 28. Lyliana
Rideout, left, ties Symphony Zimmer’s
bowling shoes as they prepare to bowl.
More photos on page 15.
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribe hosts History and Culture Summit
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
he Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s
annual two-day History and Culture Sum-
mit held on Wednesday and Thursday,
Oct. 26-27, in the Tribal gym continued the
Tribe’s ongoing examination of Tribal culture
and what constitutes culture.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Cul-
tural Continuity” and speakers discussed myr-
iad topics from how to better research Grand
Ronde Tribal history to climate change to new
Native media. Summit speakers and presenters
came from Tribal communities throughout the
Northwest to share their individual expertise
and wisdom with approximately 140 attendees.
“I’m excited to welcome you all here today,”
said Tribal member and Tribal Historic Preser-
vation Office Manager David Harrelson during
the Wednesday morning introduction session.
Harrelson said he was proud of the increased
number of Grand Ronde Tribal members at-
tending the summit this year and he thanked
the Elders before acknowledging Tribal Council
members present.
See SUMMIT
continued on page 12