S MOKE S IGNALS
APRIL 15, 2017
19
'It’s all up to local control'
NATIVE ATTIRE continued
from front page
wrote in the second letter. “We fully
support policies allowing students
to outwardly wear items that honor
their unique cultures.”
Indian Education Adviser to
the Deputy Superintendent April
Campbell said the reason for the
letter is that Oregon doesn’t have
a written policy on what students
can wear during graduation cere-
monies.
“It’s all up to local control,” Camp-
bell said. “Typically every year we
get phone calls from parents or
students concerned that they were
told that they were not able to wear
regalia or eagle feathers. So for the
last few years since we don’t have
an offi cial state policy, Dr. Noor and
his predecessor, Rob Sexton, have
sent these letters out as a reminder
for the districts to encourage them
to hopefully do some outreach as
well as look at their internal pol-
icies and make any adjustments
needed.”
Campbell said the reason for
the state’s stance in allowing for
expression of a student’s heritage
and culture is simple from an ed-
ucational point of view — they are
trying to encourage students to go
to school and be successful.
Campbell also said they want stu-
dents to be able to celebrate their
educational achievements.
“We have a hard enough time just
getting a student to that milestone
in their life,” Campbell said. “We
know we have the highest dropout
rate of all ethnicities and so allowing
a student to celebrate, I think that
is really important. This is a cere-
mony and it’s allowing students to
“I’m disappointed every time
we have to rehash
the same arguments.”
~ Leslie Riggs
Tribal Education Department manager
embrace who they are during that
milestone.”
Campbell said the policy is for all
students.
“You wouldn’t tell a student they
couldn’t wear a necklace with a
cross on it,” Campbell said. “This
is really no different for me.”
Tribal Education Department
Manager Leslie Riggs said he
wishes people didn’t have to have
the same discussion on the subject
year after year.
“I’m disappointed every time
we have to rehash the same argu-
ments,” Riggs said. “I think any-
body graduating from any school
should be able to decorate their
mortar boards or their cap and
gown, and we have a fi rst amend-
ment right to free speech.”
Riggs said when he graduated
from the University of Oregon with
honors in Eugene that he loved
looking out over the crowd and see-
ing the diversity of the graduates.
“There were ethnicities from
all over the world,” Riggs said of
that milestone in his life. “It was
fantastic and I thought it was just
wonderful. I learned a lot.”
Sheridan School District Super-
intendent Dr. Steve Sugg said the
issue hasn’t come up in the three
graduation ceremonies that he
has been a part of since becoming
Tribal Veteran
Representative Training
May 9-11, 2017
The VA Office of Tribal Government, in collaboration with the Oregon State
Department of Veterans’ Affairs, is sponsoring a Tribal Veteran Representative/Tribal
Veteran Service Officer Training kindly hosted by The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde in Grand Ronde, Oregon. Training will be held May 9-11, 2017. This 10-
credit hour course will cover basic concepts, as well as advance the skills of
seasoned advocates in the field. The training is free of charge to those Tribal Veteran
Representatives within tribal communities who are helping Veterans and their family
members with VA benefits and services.
The training will be held at The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Education
Center. Lodging is available at the Spirit Mountain Casino for a discounted rate of
$69.00 per night (before taxes). A block of rooms has been reserved – please
mention “CTGR Veteran Service Officer Training” to receive the special rate. For
directions and other details visit their website: www.spiritmountain.com .
superintendent.
“If something came up we would
certainly work with the student
and the Tribe to fi gure out a way
to make sure everybody is happy
and felt supported,” Sugg said. “Our
kids decorate their mortar boards.
They decorate those however they
want because we don’t have any
set criteria.”
Willamina School District Super-
intendent Carrie Zimbrick said that
she also loves it when she witness-
es all the graduates and sees the
diversity of her district’s students.
Willamina’s enrollment is approxi-
mately one-third Native American,
many of those students are Grand
Ronde members or descendants.
“Looking out at our ceremony
that is what I think makes it unique
and special and something we can
all be proud of,” Zimbrick said. “We
are recognizing that diversity and
allowing students to make it their
own. Graduation is about the kids
and what the kids want to make it
for themselves.”
Zimbrick said Noor’s message
was one of encouragement and
acceptance.
“It’s a ceremony,” Zimbrick said.
“I think students should be able
to make that ceremony personal
for them. I believe as a district
we recognize that and appreciate
that as well. I think it makes our
graduation that much more special
when students can put their own
personal stamp on that ceremony
and I think it’s important as a com-
munity to recognize that and allow
for that.” n
Supreme Court denies
petition to hear Cowlitz case
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday,
April 3, that it would not hear an appeal regarding the U.S. Department
of the Interior’s decision to grant the Cowlitz Tribe a reservation 15 miles
north of Vancouver, sealing the deal for the Cowlitz Tribe and their un-
der-construction $510 million ilani casino.
The Grand Ronde Tribe, which fought the Cowlitz Reservation in the
courts for many years, dropped out of the legal battle after the U.S. Court
of Appeals ruled in July 2016 that the Cowlitz Tribe could keep its 152-
acre reservation near La Center off Interstate 5.
However, legal appeals continued from owners of cardrooms located in
La Center.
The Supreme Court’s ruling lets the Court of Appeals’ decision stand
and removes the last legal hurdle to the Cowlitz Tribe retaining its Res-
ervation and opening its casino. n
The medicine game
(The Medicine Game)
LACROSSE CLINIC
Where: CTGR Gymnasium
When: May 6th, 2017 / 10am-2pm
Who can attend: 5th-12th Grade
Only 30 spots available! (Tribal and Community members)
* Lunch provided– Drummers to bless the food
*Presentation on lacrosse culture and history + Healthy lifestyle choices.
Partnering with the Oregon State Beavers!
Please register for the event by contacting Terry Bentley at 541-440-1271 or email
at terry.bentley@va.gov and provide: name, title, tribe, and email, plus phone
number. Terry will send you the agenda and campus map for location of training.
Working Together to Better Serve Indian
Country’s Veterans
Contact Harris Reibach to
sign up: 503-879-1369
810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 915G
Washington, DC 20420
www.va.gov/tribalgovernment
700 Summer St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-373-2085
www.oregon.gov/ODVA
CTGR Recreation Department