S moke S ignals
NOVEMBER 15, 2017
7
Chachalu is still under construction
Expected completion of
phase two is spring 2018
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
The fences may be coming down
and the cedar plank siding is up,
but eager visitors will need to wait
awhile longer before visiting the
expanded Chachalu Museum &
Cultural Center.
Tribal Cultural Resources Depart-
ment Manager David Harrelson said
that since most work on the large
exhibit hall and research room is
complete and fencing was removed,
it may look as if an opening date is
imminent.
“There are more contractors com-
ing in soon to work on the front en-
tryway, so fencing will go back up,”
he said. “But we’ll be open in spring
2018 when phase two construction is
complete. There’s a lot of excitement
in the community and it feels like
closure is on the way.”
Judging from the number of inqui-
ries received regarding community
and educational tours, that finish
line can’t come soon enough.
The project may be almost six
years in the making, but the desire
for the Tribe to have its own muse-
um and cultural center dates back
to before Restoration.
“This space has been called for,
worked for and desired by the com-
munity and Elders, some who have
passed on before seeing it com-
pleted,” Harrelson said. “It feels
satisfying knowing we are on track
to open.”
Julie Brown, Chachalu manager,
said that when Restoration efforts
were underway one of the top five
priorities, especially for Elders, was
having a museum.
“I was in my 20s at the time and I
remember those meetings,” Brown
said. “It was a very emotional time.
The Elders wanted a place where
they could tell our story. It was re-
ally clear that was very important
to them.”
The property at 8720 Grand Ronde
Road was purchased by the Tribe
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Carpet is installed in one of the offices in the newly renovated Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center on Wednesday,
Nov. 1.
A research room is included in the newly renovated Chachalu Museum &
Cultural Center.
in 2011 for $675,000. Before, it was
home to Grand Ronde Elementary
and then Willamina Middle School.
“The plan was always to devel-
op it into a museum and cultural
center, with a phased development
approach,” Harrelson said.
Ad created by George Valdez
Phase One, which was completed
in 2014, included curatorial spaces,
storage collections and a small ex-
hibit hall in the front of the building.
Phase Two, currently under con-
struction, includes a 5,000-square-
foot exhibit hall, research room,
classrooms, conference room, cul-
tural demonstration areas and office
spaces. On the building’s exterior,
cedar planks have been added. The
lumber, which comes from Willa-
mette National Forest, was donated
to the Tribe.
Expansion plans also call for a
larger parking lot in front of the
building along with a large vehicle
turnaround and bus stop. These up-
grades are important due to school
groups that will visit the facility.
“We have already had requests,”
Harrelson said. “We will be able to
use it for this, but cannot accommo-
date large groups until Phase Three
construction is complete.”
Phase Three will include a large
community room to accommodate
such groups, exterior landscaping
and programming. Other potential
ideas include an archives vault, am-
phitheater and playground.
“The community will still have the
chance to give input before Phase
Three begins,” Harrelson said. “That
is what I think is exciting. There
is still an opportunity even though
construction is underway.”
Those who have business to con-
duct with the Cultural Resources
Department in the interim can
still do so: They just need to go to
the back door until construction is
complete.
“To me, the excitement of seeing
an exhibit hall feels more like the
project is on the way to an end,”
Harrelson said. 
Ad created by George Valdez