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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2017)
4 S moke S ignals APRIL 1, 2017 Hatfield Fellow program seeking applicants 2012 – The Wil- lamette Heritage Center at The Mill in Salem was host- ing a Grand Ronde exhibit called “Grand Ronde Women – Our Sto- ry,” which was a celebration of west- ern Oregon Native women. The exhibit was scheduled to File photo run through May 28. 2007 – The Tribe decided to pass on purchasing Boise Cascade’s 13-acre riverfront complex in Salem, which also included 310 acres the company owns on Minto-Brown Island. Tribal Council members cited the unknown costs for cleanup, preservation and development as reasons for not making the purchase. “It had a lot of unknowns,” Tribal Council member Wink Soderberg said. 2002 – Willamina High School Principal Gary Anderson announced his retirement. He took Willamina High from being on the state Board of Education’s “unacceptable” list to being one of the most improved high schools in the state. 1997 – The Tribal Family Action Program was scheduled to make a presentation at the April 6 General Council meeting. Temporary Resource Specialist Linda Olson, Pam Warren and Sheila Elliot were scheduled to present information about eligibility guidelines and client/caseworker responsibilities. 1992 – The Tribe was preparing to hold a dedication ceremony for the Community Center, the first of a series of buildings planned on the Tribal campus, reported Tribal Council Chairman Mark Mercier. Oregon Sen. Mark Hatfield and Rep. Les AuCoin had been invited to the event. 1987 – Tribal Council Chairman Mark Mercier reported that Tribal Council would be meeting with the West Valley Chamber of Com- merce to discuss issues relating to the establishment of a reservation and that the Tribe was hoping to have the support of Tillamook and Yamhill county commissioners soon. After that? Meeting with the Oregon congressional delegation to see what else needed to be accom- plished to get a Reservation Bill introduced into Congress. The web-based application for the 2017-18 Hatfield Fellowship opened on Monday, March 13, for Oregon Tribal members and will close on Fri- day, April 28. Each year, Spirit Mountain Community Fund sponsors a congressional fellowship with a member of the Oregon delegation to enhance the mutual understanding between the federal government and Indian Country. Past fellows have served in a number of Senate and House congressional offices, including those of Sens. Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Gordon Smith and Reps. Kurt Schrader, Darlene Hooley, Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden. “The Hatfield Fellowship is a yearly investment in strengthening the understanding between Oregon Tribes and our congressional represen- tatives,” Community Fund Director Mychal Cherry said. “By spending eight months as part of a congressional office, these Tribal members come away with an invaluable understanding of how things are done in D.C. During the fellowship experience, working relationships are formed that will benefit the fellow throughout their career. The congressional staff also learn from a colleague about the realities in Indian Country and the huge potential for our communities. This is absolutely a learning exchange.” Fellows begin their time in Washington, D.C., in November with a month-long orientation with the American Political Science Association in Washington, D.C. The Hatfield Fellowship was created in 1998 to honor Sen. Mark Hat- field’s public service to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Additional information about the program is available at www.thecommunityfund. com/hatfield-fellowship. n Student Union slates powwow EUGENE – The Native American Student Union at the University of Oregon will be holding its 49th annual Mother’s Day Powwow on Friday and Satur- day, May 12-13, on the EMU Lawn. A community salmon bake also will be held on Sunday, May 14, at the Many Nations Longhouse, 1630 Colombia St. In addition, the Student Union will be hosting Native activist and rapper Frank Waln on Thursday, May 11, at a location to be determined. All events are free and open to the public. The powwow will have more than $7,000 in prize money to be awarded in 14 dance categories. For more information about the powwow or to donate funds to sponsor the event, contact Fundraising Chair Jordan Connell at 541-720-4012 or via e-mail at asuonasu@uoregon.edu. The Mother’s Day Powwow honors cultural heritage and celebrates the mothers in the University of Oregon community. n Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in- crements through the pages of Smoke Signals. Veterans want breast plate returned, no questions asked PLATE continued from front page After the Sunday afternoon Grand Entry, the breast plate was laid down near the announcer’s stand and it has not been seen since, Bobb said. Its disappearance did not become apparent until earli- er this year when the Grand Ronde Color Guard started looking for it as powwows were starting to be held at local universities. The breast plate was donated to the Tribe by the Oregon Vet- erans Motorcycle Association’s Eugene-Springfield chapter in appreciation for being allowed to use Kalapuya as its chapter name. “Somebody put a lot of work into that,” said Bobb, a Vietnam War- era Marine Corps veteran. “The importance of that is that they gave it to the council for the use of that name. It is important to the Tribe.” Bobb said Tribal veterans are not after anyone. They just want the breast plate returned, no questions asked. “We just want to know if anyone has information so we can get it returned. That’s all,” Bobb said. “People have looked everywhere. People have turned things upside down, and it’s just missing. That’s really all we know.” Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno, who is also a Marine Corps veteran from the Vietnam War era, concurred. “It was a gift to the Tribe,” Leno said. “You really can’t put a value on it. It doesn’t have a real value to anyone else but the Tribe. It’s part of our powwows and our opening ceremonies. We want it back, no questions asked, as far as I am concerned.” The missing breast plate case was turned over to the Grand Ronde Po- lice Department for investigation. So far, the department has no leads, Police Chief Jake McKnight said. People who might have informa- tion can contact Crime Stoppers at 503-823-4357 or the Grand Ronde Police Department at 503-879- 2123. n Ad created by George Valdez