S moke S ignals
FEBRUARY 1, 2017
Tribal Council approves new
Banks School District mascot
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Banks School District is
one step closer to retaining its
Braves mascot name and adopting
a more culturally appropriate Na-
tive American mascot image.
At its Wednesday, Jan. 25,
meeting, Tribal Council approved
an amended memorandum of
understanding with the Banks
School District that calls for end-
ing usage of a Native warrior’s
profile as its mascot image and
adopting a logo with mirrored Bs
that form the shape of an arrow-
head.
The Banks School District Board
of Directors approved the original
five-year agreement in June 2016
and held an image unveiling open
house on Jan. 4. The amended
agreement now goes to the State
Board of Education for approval
before it is formally adopted.
The new district logo was created
by Nike after it received input on
Oregon’s Native American Tribes
from Grand Ronde Cultural Re-
sources Department Manager Da-
vid Harrelson.
The agreement gives the Banks
School District five years to phase
out use of the current Brave profile
on uniforms, signs and equipment.
It also requires the Banks School
District to start using the Grand
Ronde Tribe-created Native Amer-
ican fourth- and eighth-grade his-
tory curriculums no later than
spring of 2017, as well as sponsor
a Native Club for all students in
sixth through 12th grades.
Banks Superintendent Jeff Leo
said that approximately 3 percent
of the district’s 1,100 students iden-
tify as Native Americans.
The Oregon Board of Education
originally banned the use of all
Native mascots by Oregon pub-
lic schools, but after sovereignty
concerns were raised by several
Oregon Tribes, including the Grand
Ronde Tribe, it allowed exceptions
to the rule in January 2016 if school
districts using Native American
mascots worked with a federally
recognized Tribe to create cultur-
ally acceptable mascot representa-
tions and usage.
Banks is the first school district
in Oregon to reach an agreement
with an Oregon Tribe to retain its
Native mascot.
Currently, the Grand Ronde
Tribe is working with the Molalla
and Scappoose school districts
regarding their use of Native mas-
cots.
At the Tuesday, Jan. 24, Legis-
lative Action Committee meeting,
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George thanked the Tribe’s Cul-
tural Resources Department for
working with Nike’s marketing and
design team to create a culturally
appropriate mascot image.
“I think that is one point that is
very important about us,” George
said. “When we go and sit on these
boards, it is about educating the
public about who we are.”
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Appointed Claudia Leno to the
Health Committee with a term
ending in March 2018;
• Approved three grant applica-
tions – two to the U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy Office of Indian
Energy and one to the state De-
partment of Energy – that, if
awarded, would help fund solar
energy improvements to Tribal
buildings and Spirit Mountain
Casino;
• Approved a contract not to exceed
$166,000 with MacKenzie for
project management services for
assisting in planning for redevel-
opment of the former Multnomah
Greyhound Park property in
Wood Village that the Tribe pur-
chased in late 2015;
• Approved a request to the Sec-
retary of the Interior to remove
one Tribal member from the Res-
toration Roll because submitted
documents prove that the person
had not met the requirements
for inclusion and approved the
enrollment of one infant into the
Tribe because the child meets
the requirements outlined in the
Constitution and Enrollment
Ordinance;
• Approved a 2017 crushed rock
purchases and dump truck ser-
vice contract that can exceed
$100,000 for the Natural Re-
sources Department;
• And extended the contract of
Tribal Court Chief Judge David
Shaw through March 31. His
contract was set to expire on Jan.
31, according to Tribal Court Ad-
ministrator Angela Fasana.
Also included in the Jan. 25
Tribal Council packet were autho-
rizations to proceed that OK’d the
Tribe’s matching fund commitment
on the Tillamook County Trans-
portation District’s application to
the Oregon Department of Trans-
portation for Network-Intercity
grant funds, approved submission
of an application to the Oregon
Rail and Public Transit Division
for $100,000 in rural transit funds
and OK’d the Tribe’s Records De-
partment creating a new section
in the Tribe’s online archives for
non-confidential directives, autho-
rizations to proceed and records of
instruction.
Tribal Cultural Resources De-
partment employees Jordan and
Bobby Mercier performed the cul-
tural drumming and singing to
open the meeting.
The meeting, it is entirety, can be
viewed on the Tribal website, www.
grandronde.org, by clicking on the
News tab and then Video.
15
Walking On...
Frank Eugene Kowing Jr.
April 1, 1944 – Sept. 24, 2016
Frank Eugene Kowing Jr., 72,
walked on on Sept. 24, 2016. He was
born April 1, 1944, in McMinnville,
Ore., to Frank Sr. and Myrtle (Por-
ter) Kowing.
He attended Sheridan and Ball-
ston elementary schools. After grad-
uating from McMinnville High
School in 1962, he attended Linfield
College, where he was the college’s
first art major, and participated in
the Naval Reserves. Frank graduat-
ed from Linfield in 1966. He joined
the Navy full-time, serving in the Pa-
cific (stationed out of Japan) during
the Vietnam War until 1968.
Frank studied painting at the Rieveld Academy in The Nether-
lands and subsequently obtained a Master of Fine Arts in painting
at Pennsylvania State University (1973). He was involved for several
years in New York with art galleries and his art. He served in the
Peace Corps in Tunisia, teaching art and living skills to developmen-
tally disabled students. He settled in Maryland for the remainder of
his life, where he continued his lifelong career in art, painting and
curating galleries and museums.
Frank was a painter whose work evolved from impressionist
paintings early in his career to found-object sculpture/painting,
political commentary artworks and abstract expressionist paintings
throughout his adult life. His later works combine elements of all of
these. He lived and traveled throughout the world, and his paintings
are owned by individuals in many countries as well as throughout
the United States.
Frank was divorced once and widowed twice. He was a proud mem-
ber and Elder of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. He liked
to travel and write about his adventures and thoughts, often working
these into his works of art and stories. His book “Monuments, New
and Selected Poems” was published in 2009.
Frank was pre-deceased by his father, Frank Sr., and his mother,
Myrtle.
He is survived by his sisters, Judith Nesbit of Rose Valley, Wash.,
and Nancy Earl of Homedale, Idaho; brothers, Bradley Kowing of
Prineville, Ore., and Terry Kowing of Middletown, Calif.; and son,
Joel Siemienczuk of St. Helens, Ore. Frank had many friends, cous-
ins, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces.
Frank’s advance directives included cremation with final inter-
ment and celebration of his life at the Grand Ronde Tribal Cemetery
on Saturday, April 1, which would have been his 73rd birthday. A
gathering of friends and family will follow.
Frank has finally come full circle. He was loved by many and will
be sorely missed.
Bike helmets available
The Tribe’s Social Services Department has bicycle helmets
available for distribution. Those needing a helmet need to visit the
department and sign a helmet application, as well as get fitted.
For more information, contact Social Services at 503-879-2034.
Native and Indigenous
Student Union
15th Annual Social Pow wow
Saturday March 11, 2017
Grand Entry 4pm
Men’s Fancy Dance Contest
Call 503.370.6265 for information