10
S moke S ignals
AUGUST 15, 2017
Dakota Whitecloud walks on at 69
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Elder Dakota Rae Sangret-
ta-Whitecloud, a former longtime
Tribal employee and two-time Trib-
al Council candidate, walked on
Thursday, Aug. 10, at the age of 69.
Whitecloud was born Nov. 11,
1947. She was raised near Wood-
burn, Ore., and was a fifth gen-
eration member of the Holmes
family. Her mother was Pearl
McGee and her grandmother was
Theresa (Holmes) Zavadoski. Her
great-grandmother was Mary
Holmes and her great-great-grand-
father was Kalapuya Chief and
treaty signer Joseph Sangretta.
Her father’s side of the family was
Sioux and Apache (Wolf and Eagles
Clans, respectively).
According to her 2011 Tribal
Council candidate statement, she
lived in the Willamette Valley
most of her
life, but
she also
lived in the
Umpqua
V a l l e y
before re-
turning
home to
G r a n d
Ronde. She
worked for
the Tribe, starting in August 1989
and retiring in May 2011. At the
time of her retirement, she was
the sixth longest-serving Tribal
employee.
She worked in the Executive,
Legal and Finance offices before
going to work for Tribal Council as
its Relations Coordinator in 2004.
She was known for her encyclope-
dia-like knowledge of the Tribe and
her loyalty.
According to a 2011 Smoke Sig-
nals story about her retirement,
Whitecloud was instrumental in
bringing Travis Benoist (Cheyenne
River Sioux) to bless Spirit Moun-
tain Casino when it opened. She
also initiated the door prizes that
have been a hallmark of General
Council meetings ever since.
Whitecloud also wrote five ordi-
nances for the Tribe. “I’ve written
enough policy to fill this office,” she
said. “It needed to be done. I knew
how to do it. I just did it.”
After working for Tribal Council
for many years, she ran for a seat on
the governing body twice – in 2011
and ’10. Both times, she was nom-
inated by her daughter, Christina
Trevino-Jungers.
In both of her runs for Trib-
al Council, she supported better
long-range planning and broader
membership involvement in Tribal
government.
In addition to working for the
Tribal government, she was a
past-member of the Education,
Archaeology and Powwow commit-
tees, as well as the Election and
Housing Authority boards. She
also served as chair of the Veterans
Special Event Board.
“She was very much a traditional
Native woman,” Tribal Council
member Jack Giffen Jr. said. “She
knew where she came from and
never forgot that. She was rock
solid in her beliefs. She had her
opinion and it was from historical
teachings, and she stayed very
strong on those.”
Giffen said Whitecloud, who was
a distant relative, made his regalia
and gifted him her eagle fan, which
See PASSING
continued on page 21
Summer jobs
For another year, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde hired
Tribal youth for the annual Summer Youth Employment Program.
About 40 youth, ages 14-18, worked in various departments from June 5
through Aug. 18. The youth had to attend four mandatory Professional
Development Trainings as part of their employment. The program is
overseen by the Human Resources and Youth Education departments.
Summer Youth Employee Brandon Partridge puts
containers filled with ranch dressing away while working
at Grand Ronde Station’s Long Bell Diner on Wednesday,
Aug. 9. This is the third summer he has worked at the
station and the second working in the diner.
Summer Youth Employee Franklin Norwest waters plants while working in the
Tribe’s Community Garden on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Summer Youth Employee Risa Chrestensen folds paper with
information about the 2017 advisory votes in the Governance
Center Atrium on Tuesday, Aug.1. She was employed in the
Tribe’s Housing Department, but was helping Public Affairs
with the mailing that was sent to Tribal members.
Summer Youth Employees Kenzy, left, and Sydney Lawrence
make beaded necklaces during the Canoe Journey Gift
Making Event at the Tribal Community Center on July 27. The
sisters worked in the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department
and helped set up the event in addition to making necklaces.
Photos by Michelle Alaimo