6
S moke S ignals
MARCH 15, 2017
General Council briefed on Cultural Resources Department
Smoke Signals editor
Student Union slates powwow
display.
Harrelson said the Tribe is cur-
rently hoping to have three items
loaned to Chachalu for display so
that Tribal artisans can examine
and learn from them.
Under British law, Parliament
must approve any permanent re-
linquishment of items held by the
British Museum.
After his presentation, Harrelson
fielded four questions and com-
ments from the membership.
In other action, it was announced
that the next General Council
meeting will be held at 11 a.m.
Sunday, April 2, at the Valley River
Inn in Eugene. The program will
be a presentation from the Tribal
Employment Rights Office.
Tribal spouse Bob Duncan and
Tribal Elders Dorothy Shortt and
Garry Williams won the $100 door
prizes and Tribal Elders Louise
Coulson, Russell Wilkinson and
Cherie Butler, as well as Dustin
Hawks and Hallie Brewly won the
$50 door prizes. Necklaces donated
by Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George also were raffled off.
Bobby Mercier, Eric Bernando,
Harrelson and George performed
the cultural drumming and singing
to open the meeting.
The meeting, in its entirety, can
be viewed on the Tribal website,
www.grandronde.org, by clicking
on the News tab and then Video.
Following the General Council
meeting, approximately 35 Tribal
members attended a Community
Input meeting facilitated by Gen-
eral Manager David Fullerton. The
meeting sought input from Tribal
members about possible advisory
vote topics.
The final Community Input meet-
ing will be held immediately after
the April 2 General Council meet-
ing in Eugene.
Canoe Family Meetings
March 11th
April 15th
May 13th
June 10th
July 8th
Free to sign up! Limited spots available.
Where: Grand Ronde Gymnasium
Time: 10am-12pm each day (Lunch provided)
Who can attend: 5th grade-12th grade
(Tribal and Non-tribal community members)
*30 spots available*
To sign up: Contact Harris Reibach - 503.879.1369
*Learn Valuable ball handling skills!
*Take your game to another level!
*From solid fundamentals, to advanced moves!
Recreation Department
Meetings will be at achaf-
hammi, the Plankhouse
from 12 to 2:00pm,
lunch provided
Canoe Journey
which are Cultural
Protection, Archae-
ology & Research,
Cultural Resources Department
Collections, Chacha-
Manager David Harrelson briefed
lu Operations, Cul-
the membership on the re-orga-
tural Education and
nized Cultural Resources Depart-
Cultural Interpre-
ment during the Sunday, March 5,
tation.
General Council meeting held in
Harrelson said
the Community Center in Grand
the Collections Pro-
Ronde.
gram has more than
“The Cultural Resources Depart-
600 Tribal baskets,
ment exists to ensure knowledge of
which are displayed
our ancestors and that our actions
on a rotating basis
are known today and into the fu-
at the Tribe’s mu-
ture,” Harrelson said. “I think of
seum and cultural
this like persistence. If we exist as
Photo by Dean Rhodes
center in the former
a department, what our goal and
Cultural Resources Department Manager David
Willamina School
what are we working toward is to
Harrelson made a presentation to the membership
District building at
make sure that we, as a people,
8720 Grand Ronde
persist and knowledge of us in the
during the General Council meeting held Sunday,
Road.
past and present is known in the
March 5, in the Tribal Community Center in Grand
In response to
future, as well as known today.”
Ronde.
Tribal Council
Harrelson said the department
member
questions,
Harrelson also
went through a re-organization
being named department manager.
discussed
the
recently
created
that started in June 2016 and saw
Harrelson displayed the depart-
$3.28
million
Cultural
Resource
the Lands and Culture Department
ment’s organizational chart during
Reserve Fund, as well as attempts
split into two separate entities.
a PowerPoint display.
to retrieve Grand Ronde artifacts
The re-organization lasted through
Harrelson broke down the differ-
included in the Summers Collection
September, resulting in Harrelson
ent areas in Cultural Resources,
housed in the British Museum in
London.
“As a part of that (reserve fund),
we will be working this year on
priorities and strategies for the use
of those funds,” he said. “Primarily,
EUGENE – The Native American Student Union at the University of Oregon
that intent would be to focus on
will be holding its 49th annual Mother’s Day Powwow on Friday and Satur-
those core functions, such as now
day, May 12-13, on the EMU Lawn. A community salmon bake also will be
that we have all of these objects
held on Sunday, May 14, at the Many Nations Longhouse, 1630 Colombia St.
within our collection, we have an
In addition, the Student Union will be hosting Native activist and rapper
obligation to take care of those
Frank Waln on Thursday, May 11, at a location to be determined.
things first.”
All events are free and open to the public.
The Summers Collection, gath-
The powwow will have more than $7,000 in prize money to be awarded
ered by a clergyman from myriad
in 14 dance categories.
Native Tribes on the West Coast
For more information about the powwow or to donate funds to sponsor
in 1870s and bequeathed to the
the event, contact Fundraising Chair Jordan Connell at 541-720-4012 or
British Museum, includes Grand
via e-mail at asuonasu@uoregon.edu.
Ronde items and the Tribe has
The Mother’s Day Powwow honors cultural heritage and celebrates the
been working for several years
mothers in the University of Oregon community.
on either getting those items re-
turned or loaned to the Tribe for
By Dean Rhodes