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Free food for kids in
Grand Ronde — pg. 19
JULY 1, 2018
Nine vying for
Tribal Council
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
I
ncumbents Cheryle A. Kennedy,
Jon A. George and Brenda Tu-
omi will be seeking re-election
and face six other candidates in the
2018 Tribal Council election.
Tribal Council nominations oc-
curred on Sunday, June 24, in the
Tribal Community Center and
Tribal Election Day is Saturday,
Sept. 8.
Challengers will include Victor
Cureton, Kristina Helfrich, Brent
Merrill, Peter Grout, Jonathan R.
George and Steve Bobb Sr.
Kennedy, 70, is the current Tribal
Council chairwoman. She is seek-
ing her seventh consecutive three-
year term on Tribal Council and
was nominated by Logan Kneeland.
Jon A. George, 57, is the current
Tribal Council secretary and is
seeking his third consecutive term.
He was nominated by Jerry George.
Tuomi, 58, is seeking re-election
for the first time and was nomi-
nated by Tribal Council Vice Chair
Chris Mercier.
Steve Bobb Sr., 69, served on
Tribal Council from 2007-13 and is
the chairman of the Tribal Veterans
Special Event Board. He was nom-
inated by Tribal Elder and former
Tribal Council Chair Reyn Leno.
Merrill, 57, has worked for the
Tribe in several positions and has
run for Tribal Council thrice before
in 2013, 2009 and 2008. He was
nominated by Tribal Elder Joyce
Kirk.
Jonathan R. George, 52, works for
the Tribal Human Resources De-
partment as a compensation/HRIS
See CANDIDATES
continued on page 18
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Interpretive Coordinator Travis Stewart, left, leads the 18th private ceremony honoring Tomanowos at
the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Wednesday, June 20. The museum has been the
meteorite’s home since 1906. In 2000, the museum and Tribe entered into an agreement that allows the Tribe to
conduct an annual private ceremony with Tomanowos in exchange for letting Tomanowos remain in New York City.
Tribal delegation reconnects with Tomanowos
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
N
EW YORK CITY — It is said that Tribal
members who have interacted with the
meteorite Tomanowos are forever changed
by the experience.
That saying holds true for Tribal Elder Leonette
Galligher.
“This is the coolest thing I have ever seen,” she
said, emotion in her voice as she gazed at the 15.5-
ton meteorite. “It’s beautiful and amazing that
something like this can exist this way and we can
claim it as a part of our history. I wish more youth
could learn about this.”
Galligher was one of two Tribal Elders selected to
make the journey to visit Tomanowos at the Amer-
ican Museum of Natural History in New York City
and participate in a private ceremony on Wednesday,
June 20, with other Tribal members and family. Rick
Grout was the other Elder.
Galligher, who grew up on the Yakama Reserva-
tion, recalled that her mother had a saying whenever
children would misbehave.
See TOMANOWOS
continued on page 12
July kicks off with veterans’ events
Grand Ronde
Honor Guard
member and
Tribal Elder
Alton Butler,
left, and Wayne
Chulik lead grand
entry during
the Marcellus
Norwest Memorial
Veterans Powwow
at Uyxat Powwow
Grounds last July.
Summit, powwow set for July 5-8 at Powwow Grounds
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
O
Smoke Signals file photo
ne day after the Fourth of
July, four days of activities
in Grand Ronde will seek to
help and honor those who displayed
their patriotism by serving in the
U.S. military.
The sixth annual Veterans Sum-
mit, put on by the Native Wellness
Institute of Gresham, Veterans
Affairs Office of Tribal Government
Relations and the Grand Ronde
Tribe will occupy Uyxat Powwow
Grounds off Hebo Road beginning
at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 5, and
resume Friday, July 6, and then
segue into the annual Marcellus
Norwest Memorial Veterans Pow-
wow at 7 p.m. Friday with the first
of four grand entries.
The Veterans Summit will begin
under the powwow grounds arbor
See EVENTS
continued on page 10