S moke S ignals
MARCH 1, 2017
15
Linfield College hosts ‘Voices from Standing Rock’
By Bethany Bea
Smoke Signals Intern
McMINNVILLE — More than
100 people gathered in Pioneer Hall
at Linfield College in McMinnville
at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, to
listen to eight people share their
personal experiences from the
Standing Rock Sioux camps.
The events at the Standing Rock
Sioux Reservation in North Dakota
drew people and donations from all
over the world, including Grand
Ronde. Tribal Council passed a
resolution supporting the Standing
Rock Sioux and donated $2,500,
and numerous Tribal members fer-
ried supplies there multiple times.
One thing that everyone brought
home was a story.
Speakers sat in a half-circle while
behind them a projector displayed
photos from Standing Rock. There
were also two short videos and a
discussion on how social media
shaped the movement.
Four Grand Ronde Tribal mem-
bers attended: Tribal Elder Alan
Ham and his nephew, Joseph
Ham, Dustin Hawks and Logan
Kneeland.
The event, which had been sched-
uled for months, fell on the day af-
ter the evacuation deadline for the
largest Standing Rock camp, Oceti
Sakowin, occurred. Water protec-
tors were protesting the route of
the Dakota Access Pipeline, which
threatens the water supply on the
Sioux Reservation and downriver
on the Missouri. They were forcibly
removed by North Dakota police.
Andra Kovacs and Duncan Reid,
who organized the Linfield event,
said they were moved by the events
unfolding in North Dakota and felt
a call to action.
Kovacs, Reid and a group of Lin-
“It allows the mind to
open up to be thinking of
what are the problems of
the world, and what are
the solutions we can come
up with?” he said. “That’s
the reason why camps
like that, why the gov-
ernment wants to destroy
them as soon as possible.
Because it allows that.
That’s how revolutions
happen.”
The departure from reg-
ular habits was illustrat-
ed when all three men
struggled to remember
exactly when they were at
Standing Rock. “You for-
get all time when you’re
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
in there,” Kneeland said.
Tribal Elder Alan Ham takes a photo of the crowd at the “Voices from Standing Rock”
Alan Ham said he at-
event held at Linfield College in McMinnville on Thursday, Feb. 23.
tended the event in part
because of his nephew’s
journey, but also because he’s famil-
were that the old ways still have a
field students, after two weeks of
iar with that part of the country and
place in the modern world.
planning, piled into two of the col-
had been following the movement.
“We can go back to the old way
lege’s 12-passenger vans and drove
His late wife was from Pine Ridge.
of living, that simple way of living.
straight through to North Dakota,
He said the speakers’ enthusiasm
That was something that was prac-
changing drivers as they went.
when discussing how their views
ticed within camp all the time,” he
“We didn’t need two vans for the
had changed impressed him.
said. “Everyone helping out, help-
seating, but we had so many dona-
“The young people here are so
ing one another. Everyone was on
tions that we were taking with us,”
passionate in everything, and that
the same level playing field.”
Kovacs said.
really appealed to me,” he said. “I’m
The generosity of strangers was
Joseph Ham, Hawks and Knee-
a social worker, so I like working
something that was echoed among
land drove to Standing Rock togeth-
with people and I like seeing that
almost all eight speakers. Kovacs
er last fall along with Kneeland’s
passion in people.”
held back tears when recounting
father. They took two vehicles to
Even if these types of passion-fu-
her own story. The Linfield party
accommodate the large amount of
eled uprisings ebb, it’s still im-
ran out of water at the same time
donations that Grand Ronde Tribal
portant to look at these events as
some of its members fell ill. When
members sent with them.
a learning tool for future issues,
Reid went in search of water, of-
Kneeland said all three wished
Hawks said.
fering apologies, a man filled his
to thank the Grand Ronde mem-
“Similar things happen when
jug and offered the words, “Water
bership for their generous contri-
people gather like this,” he said.
is life.”
butions of blankets, clothes, money
“The same sort of political problems
Hawks said places like the Stand-
and first aid supplies.
come up. And we need to overcome
ing Rock camps cause intense
He said one of the most amazing
that if we’re actually going to get
feelings because the constraints of
things about the Standing Rock
free.”
daily life don’t exist there.
camps was how representative they
LIFEBOOK
SUPPLIES WILL
BE PROVIDED
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the
American Museum of Natural History are now
Accepting youth applications to participate in our
Annual Tamanowas Ceremony and Museum Internship Program.
Please join us for our
upcoming workshops
Please bring your
child's/teens:
Pictures
Creating a Lifebook
Artwork
Wednesday, March 8: 5:15pm - 8:15pm
Awards
Milestones
The Application Process is open to High School Females that meet the
Friday, April 7: 11:00am - 3:00pm
following qualifications:
Enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Current Sophomore, Junior, Senior in High School
G.P.A. of 2.5 or above
Oregon Resident
Meal & Childcare Provided
(must REGISTER for childcare)
Family History
Report Cards
Birth History
CTGR Community Center Building
Letters
9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR
& More!!
Feel free to attend one, or both!
Application Deadline is March 24th, 5pm
Application is available online at grandronde.org
Please contact Travis Stewart for further information at: travis.stewart@grandronde.org
What is a Lifebook? A Lifebook is a connection to a child’s past, a record
of the child’s personal history and a valuable tool for helping a child
understand the difficult transitions in their life.
To register or for more information please
call Amanda Mercier at 503-879-2039