S moke S ignals
APRIL 1, 2018
9
Tribe ‘active and involved’ with Metro
MEETING continued
from front page
and six councilors who are elected
by district every four years in non-
partisan races. The Metro Council
works with community leaders and
constituents across city and county
boundaries to shape the future of
the greater Portland area, accord-
ing to its website. The area was
ceded by the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde in the Willamette
Valley Treaty of 1855.
“We recognize our role as a re-
gional movement dedicated to
responsibility and stewardship of
natural and economic resources (is
similar) to yours and we want to
strengthen our relationship,” Met-
ro Council President Tom Hughes
said.
“It’s great to be here,” Tribal
Council Chairwoman Cheryle A.
Kennedy said. “I am pleased that
you included in your opening re-
marks that you are interested in
a meaningful partnership. The
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde expands to a vast area. …
Our history is well known within
us but not so well known to other
Oregonians. … When we all get on
the same page, it motivates us to
form meaningful partnerships and
all move in one direction. … We can
bring something to the table that
no one else can because we know
the land. We are very interested in
opportunities that might unfold.”
The meeting opened with Ken-
nedy giving an invocation. Tribal
Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier,
Secretary Jon A. George, and Tribal
Council members Denise Harvey
and Brenda Tuomi also attended.
Additionally, Tribal Attorney Rob
Greene, Tribal Council Chief of Staff
Stacia Hernandez, Tribal Cultural
Resources Department Manager
David Harrelson, Environmental
Resources Specialist Meagan Fli-
er and Administrative Assistant
Meghan Zimbrick attended.
Harrelson gave a brief cultural
presentation about the history of
the Grand Ronde Tribe and the
263-mile Trail of Tears march in
1856 from the Table Rock Reserva-
tion near Medford to Grand Ronde
during which eight Tribal members
died and eight were born on the
arduous journey.
The Grand Ronde Reservation
was formed in 1857 by executive or-
der of President James Buchanan.
“When I talk about the story of
our people, it is an Oregon story,”
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Cultural Resources Department Manager David Harrelson gives a brief
history of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde during a joint meeting
between Grand Ronde Tribal Council members and the Metro Council during
Metro Council's meeting held at the Metro Regional Center in Portland on
Thursday, March 22.
Harrelson said. “This is the story of
the land and it is not just our story,
it is all of our stories. We are still
here. … We incorporate the under-
standing our ancestors had to our
understanding of place today.”
Harrelson also said that the Trib-
al leadership structure looked very
different than the typical patriar-
chal society of the 1850s.
“We had women as leaders and
men as leaders,” he said. “People
identified based on what villages
they came from. With the signing of
the treaties, different people were
raised up. … Our constitutional
form of government didn’t begin
until the 1930s.”
Kennedy said that the Tribe has
been “active and involved” with
Metro for several years on various
regional projects, such as the Blue
Lake Regional Park Tribal carvings
in 2005, Wilsonville’s Graham Oaks
Nature Park interpretive signage
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in 2008 and the Willamette Falls
Legacy Project, where Tribes with
historic and cultural ties to Willa-
mette Falls are acting as advisers
with the project to open the falls,
which have been closed for more
than 150 years to the public. Plans
include creating a public walk
alongside the Willamette River and
laying the groundwork for down-
town development.
“It will be a wonderful thing when
citizens and visitors can enjoy the
beauty of the area,” Kennedy said.
“It will be flagship place to come
and enjoy. … Our staff have en-
gaged with your staff, and we want
to extend a hand of friendship and
meet regularly. We would like to
see a memorandum of understand-
ing established to put words to
paper of what the areas of interest
might include.”
Hughes said that Tribal and Met-
ro staff have been in discussions
about that very topic.
“There are many areas where
we have and will benefit from your
wisdom,” he said. “The largest,
most expensive and most dramatic
project will be Willamette Falls. …
A written agreement is probably a
good idea, but I also like the ideas of
meeting regularly and sharing food.”
Metro District 3 Councilor Craig
Dirksen talked about plans for the
proposed Chehalem Ridge Nature
Park, which would include 1,200
acres on top of Chehalem Mountain
between Newberg and Hillsboro.
“Parks and open spaces are near
and dear to my heart,” he said.
Metro is working with the Tribe
to identify opportunities to collab-
orate on the future of the park.
Ideas include the development of
interpretive content and public art.
“We are hoping to turn it into
public access,” Dirksen said. “As
our region grows, it becomes more
and more important to have those
spaces preserved.”
District 5 Councilor Sam Chase
said he appreciates the Tribe’s long-
term thinking approach regarding
land use.
“We need to take care of future
generations so that they will find
a place that they can succeed and
thrive,” he said. “It’s not just a way
of preserving nature, but access
and opportunity for future genera-
tions to value it.”
District 4 Councilor Kathryn
Harrington said history is not only
being remembered, but also being
lived from the past to the future.
“We are blessed to be thinking out
50 odd years,” she said. “Thanks for
reminding us of where we are and
our sense of place. I am looking for-
ward to continuing our partnership
as we move bravely and boldly into
the years and decades ahead of us.”
Kennedy said she was very in-
terested in knowing when there
are construction plans underway
or being planned.
“We can make sure to give advice
about location and a heads up to
see if it fits in with our cultural
constraints,” she said. “We are also
very interested in displaying our
art, and the Willamette River and
its cleanup.”
Mercier mostly sat and listened,
but did jokingly refer to himself as
the “food guy in Grand Ronde.”
“Government-to-government in-
teractions are great, but they don’t
always have to be formal because
it is at social gatherings where our
story gets told,” he said. “We have a
First Salmon ceremony in May and
I think inviting you guys to events
like that would be useful.”
The First Salmon ceremony is
held at the McLean House in West
Linn, which is within the Metro
region.
George described efforts to pro-
mote the Tribe as more than just
Spirit Mountain Casino as involv-
ing “constant education.”
“It is the telling of who we are and
who our people are,” George said.
“It is important we volunteer our
time to sit on different boards and
commissions. In those meetings, we
may see Tribal members and other
Indian organizations. It is really a
part of educating people that we are
not just a casino.”
Harvey said she values the oppor-
tunity to serve on various boards
and attend community events.
“People are always very inter-
ested in learning our history and
I value and appreciate the oppor-
tunities, and take a lot of pride in
attending the events,” she said.
After the meeting concluded,
the two governmental representa-
tives exchanged gifts. Metro gave
Tribal Council a framed photo of
Willamette Falls and Tribal Coun-
cil gave a series of historic photos
and paintings of Willamette Falls,
a framed map of the Tribes’ ced-
ed lands and necklaces made by
George. n