6
S moke S ignals
JUNE 1, 2018
Coming home
Tribal member Sara Thompson assumes new deputy press secretary role
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Accepting the newly created role
of the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde’s deputy press secretary was
more than just a career opportunity
for Sara Thompson.
The Tribal member also sees it as
a chance to come home.
“We’re raised in Indian Country
to serve our community and this
was an opportunity for me to do
that,” she says.
Thompson’s job will include at-
tending various Tribal functions,
drafting social media content,
working with the news media,
assisting the executive office with
media releases, quotes and other
press content, taking photographs
and community outreach, among
other duties.
Before accepting the job in Grand
Ronde, Thompson, 39, worked for
the Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission in Portland doing
public relations and media work
for12 years.
“My work was focused on salmon
policy and natural resource issues,”
she says. “I got to work with some
amazing folks on issues I adored,
but now I get to expand that.”
Thompson earned her bachelor’s
degree from Oregon State Uni-
versity in fisheries and wildlife
science, but realized late into her
major choice that she preferred the
human aspect of natural resources.
“But at that point, being so far
down that path, I wasn’t going to
start over,” Thompson says.
After taking a year off from school
post-graduation, she headed back
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Sara Thompson is the Tribe’s new deputy press secretary. Her job will include
attending various Tribal functions, drafting social media content, working
with the news media, assisting the executive office with media releases,
quotes and other press content, taking photographs and community
outreach, among other duties.
to Oregon State and earned her
master’s in natural resources and
Tribal policy in 2006.
Although Thompson enjoyed
the time spent with her previous
employer, she is happy to tackle
new projects and forgo the Portland
commute.
“This was an opportunity to not
only come home, but expand the
breadth of issues I get to work
with,” she says. “Education, hous-
ing, the Tribal museum, cultural
department and to tell those sto-
ries. That is really exciting for me.”
In her first few weeks working in
Grand Ronde, Thompson says she
has enjoyed seeing how the Tribe has
changed and evolved over the years.
tumwata lecture series
june 16, 2018 1 pm to 5 pm
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Organized by | The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
1726 Washington St, Oregon City, OR 97045
Hosted by| The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
greg archuleta
1:00 pm
| virginia butler | stephen dow beckham | david harrelson
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
native plants and tribal uses
in western oregon
archaeology of the
portland basin
the surprising adventures of george gibbs
in the oregon country
grand ronde tribal member
and lifeways instructor
professor and chair ,
dept . anthropology ,
portland state university
pamplin professor of history
emeritus , lewis and clark college
vanishing race , buried treasure ,
and the noble savage :
modern misconceptions
of native americans
cultural resources dept . manager
confederated tribes
of grand ronde
“It is nice re-acquainting with
home, spending time at the cul-
tural center, and just going back
and visiting memory lane to when
powwow was held in the gym at the
elementary school,” she says. “I’ve
enjoyed reconnecting with the com-
munity and getting to know folks.”
Thompson served on the Tribe’s
Fish & Wildlife Commission from
February 2000 to November 2003
and worked several summers for
the Natural Resources Department
while in college to help fund her
education.
One of the first things Thompson
did after starting her new job was to
look for her name among the plaque
on the Tribe’s list of graduates.
“I’ve used so many of these pro-
grams, such as education and hous-
ing,” she says. “This is a chance to
give back.”
Thompson is hoping to bring a
fresh set of eyes and new ways in
which to share the Tribe’s stories
with the media and community.
“I want to bring a fresh perspec-
tive,” she says. “There are amazing
stories to tell about work that we do
and the community that we are. I
can’t wait to tell them.”
Thompson says her biggest chal-
lenge so far is having several events
going on at once.
“There are so many things happen-
ing right out of the gate, but everyone
has been very helpful. … I don’t have
the institutional memory associated
with people who have been around
for years,” she says. “There are so
many big things going on but it
makes for an exciting time, too.”
When she is not working, Thomp-
son says she enjoys tropical vaca-
tions with husband, Rod, as well as
kayaking, hiking, yoga and diving.
The couple has visited locations
such as Mexico, Fiji and Belize with
plans to go to Hawaii soon. They
live in Keizer.
Tribal Police issue 26
citations as part of effort
The Grand Ronde Tribal Po-
lice Department issued 26 cita-
tions and 11 warnings and made
three arrests during its partici-
pation in a DUII High Visibility
Enforcement effort during the
weekend of May 25-28.
Tribal police officers worked
12 hours of overtime during the
Memorial Day weekend event,
which focused on stopping im-
paired drivers and careless,
reckless and other aggressive
driving habits.
Sixteen citations were issued
for speeding violations, five were
issued for driving while suspend-
ed, and five citations and 11
warnings were issued for other
traffic-related violations. One
subject was arrested for driving
under the influence of controlled
substances and transported to
the Polk County Jail in Dallas.
In addition, on the morning
of Monday, May 28, a Tribal
police officer assigned to the
traffic grant made a traffic stop
of a vehicle that was reported as
part of a driving complaint. The
two female passengers had valid
warrants for their arrest and
were arrested on the warrants,
as well as resisting arrest, inter-
fering with a police officer and
unlawful possession of heroin.
The male driver was issued a
citation for failure to drive within
lane and released.
Tribal Police Sgt. Rod McAllis-
ter said in a press release that
the intent of the heightened pa-
trols is to prevent deaths, injuries
and property damage caused by
DUII drivers by removing them
from the road.
“Grand Ronde Tribal Police
Department officers are trained
to look for signs of impairment
beyond just alcohol, as many
other substances, legal or illegal,
can impair a person’s ability to
operating a vehicle safely,” he
said. “The officers of the Grand
Ronde Tribal Police Department
are committed to making Grand
Ronde the safest community in
Oregon. Preventing, locating and
arresting DUII drivers is one of
many ways they are working to
accomplish this vision.”
Funding to support the en-
hanced DUII patrols is provided
by a High Visibility Enforcement
grant awarded by the Oregon
Department of Transportation.
Call 503-879-2123 to report
suspected DUII drivers in Grand
Ronde or anywhere in Oregon by
calling 800-243-7865.