S moke S ignals
JUNE 15, 2018
5
Harvey appointed to NIGA board
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
2013 – Using Bonneville Power Administration funding, the Tribe
acquired 338 acres on the North Santiam River southeast of Salem in
Marion County. The Chahalpam property was valued at more than
$3.5 million and means “place of the Santiam Kalapuya.” Chahalpam
is within the traditional homelands of the Santiam Kalapuya, one of
the ancestral bands that formed the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde. The property had been farmed for decades and was acquired
through a Willamette Wildlife Habitat agreement.
2008 – Tribal mem-
ber Stephanie Wood re-
searched Native baskets
at the University of Or-
egon’s Natural and Cul-
tural History Museum.
Wood, a senior, focused
on baskets made when
her grandmother, Tribal
Elder Opal Davidson, was
young. Wood was majoring
2008
File photo
in cultural anthropology.
The 250 baskets she was
studying came from Tribes living in the Willamette Valley in the
1800s and early 1900s and were part of the university’s collection
housed on the campus.
2003 – The first Native Youth Co-ed Basketball Tournament was
held in Grand Ronde. The community came out to support the youth
during a weekend of “fun, togetherness and basketball.” The event
was sponsored by the Tribal Youth Prevention Program and featured
teams from Washington and Oregon. The Grand Ronde team was
coached by Dustin Harmon.
1998 – Spirit Mountain Casino and the Grand Ronde Tribe came
away with an award-winning float at Portland’s Grand Floral Parade.
The more than 35-foot-long float “Adventures of the Spirit” featured a
storyteller dressed for a powwow in northwest Native regalia telling
the story of Coyote. Amidst the sound of traditional drumming, the
mountainous figure rose to nearly 30 feet tall, stretching his arms
outward over the waving Tribal Royalty members who accompanied
him on his journey.
1993 – Tribal member Angela Leno was named a U.S. National
Collegiate award winner in the justice and sociology division. The
award recognized only 10 percent of college students nationwide and
was described as “a prestigious honor.” Leno is the daughter of Reyn
and Liz Leno of Willamina and attended Portland State University.
The award came with recognition in the U.S. Achievement Academy
Official Collegiate Yearbook.
1988 – Congress repealed the decades-old Termination resolu-
tion. The 1953 policy, which led to the government terminating
federal recognition of some Indian Tribes, including Grand Ronde,
was described as “both morally and legally indefensible.” Before
the resolution was passed, Termination had become increasingly
unpopular and was rejected by Congress through several statutes
and by at least two presidents, but the policy itself had never been
officially rejected. Most of the Tribes terminated under the policy
in the early 1950s had been restored, including the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde in 1983.
Denise Harvey is the first Grand
Ronde Tribal member to be ap-
pointed to the National Indian
Gaming Association board.
Her appointment as the Pacific
Northwest delegate alternate was
confirmed at the Affiliated Tribes of
Northwest Indians conference held
in May in Toppenish, Wash.
She was selected at the NIGA
tradeshow and convention held
in Las Vegas in April. The Grand
Ronde Tribal Council member
served on the Grand Ronde Gam-
ing Commission as a member and
chair from March 2004 through
September 2013.
“I’m honored to represent the Pa-
cific Northwest Region as a board
member for the National Indian
Gaming Association,” Harvey said.
“I believe I’m not only the first from
the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde, but also from Oregon to be
appointed. I’ve learned a lot about
gaming in 15 years and greatly
appreciate my experience of being
on the Gaming Commission for 10
years.
“I’ve built some great relation-
ships and gotten to know the
gaming industry well, but most
importantly the people in Indian
Country.”
The NIGA board is comprised of a
chairman, vice chairman, secretary
and treasurer, as well as 12 region-
al delegates,
four at-large
delegates
and two
non-voting
associate
members.
Harvey will
serve for two
Denise Harvey
years.
B o a r d
member duties include approving
or rejecting applications for as-
sociate membership, serving as a
regional representative for gaming
matters and casting a vote on each
matter submitted to the board of
directors.
According to its website, NIGA is
an interTribal association of feder-
ally recognized Tribes working to
protect and preserve Tribal sover-
eignty and the ability of Tribes to
be self-sufficient through gaming
and other forms of economic devel-
opment.
The organization works with the
federal government and members
of Congress to develop policies and
practices, and to provide technical
assistance and advocacy on gam-
ing-related issues.
Harvey started working for the
Tribe in 2002 in the Human Re-
sources Department as the Mentor-
ship and Workforce Development
coordinator, a position she held
until 2010. She has been a Tribal
Council member since 2013.
Sewing class participants wanted
The sewing classes that have been held at the Elders Activity Center have
been canceled due to lack of participation. Classes could resume if at least
six people commit to attending. To commit or find out more information,
contact the Elders Activity Assistant at 503-879-2233.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.
Natural Resources sets
traps for invasive insects
The Natural Resources Department’s Silviculture/Fire Protection Pro-
gram has erected traps to catch invasive insect species around the Grand
Ronde community.
The work is being done in coordination with the state departments of
Forestry and Agriculture.
“Over the next few weeks and months, we will be assisting with the
monitoring and data collection of the traps,” said Colby Drake, Silviculture
& Fire Protection manager.
If you see a large, purple rectangular box hanging on an ash tree, its
purpose is to attract and catch emerald ash borers. The boxes have insect
pheromones attached and are sticky.
The other traps are smaller, orange rectangular boxes that are tied to
the trunk of an oak or other hardwood tree. These traps are designed to
attract and catch European and Asian gypsy moths.
For more information, contact Drake at 503-879-2384 or colby.drake@
grandronde.org.
Ad created by George Valdez