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Elder Honor
Day — pg. 9
JULY 15, 2018
Poignant powwow
Veterans’ event remembers passing of Soderberg, Merrill
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
T
he recent walking on of two
high-profile Grand Ronde
community members and
veterans – Wink Soderberg and
Norris Merrill – instilled poignancy
to the annual Marcellus Norwest
Memorial Veterans Powwow held
Friday through Sunday, July 6-8,
at Uyxat Powwow Grounds.
Soderberg, a Navy veteran from
the Korean War era, walked on
June 25 at the age of 84. He was
active in the Tribe’s Restoration
efforts in the late 1970s and early
‘80s, and served two terms on Trib-
al Council from 2005 to ’11.
Merrill, an Army veteran who
served from 1958 to ’64, walked on
June 26 at the age of 82. He was
an active member of the commu-
nity, having served on the Tribe’s
Veterans Special Event Board, in
the Honor Guard and on the Rodeo
See REMEMBERS
continued on page 6
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder and Marine Corps veteran Reyn Leno, left, and Tribal Elder and Army veteran Raymond Petite, right, gift Army
veteran Ken Kraft with a Wounded Warrior Project blanket during the Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow
held at Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Saturday, July 7. Kraft lost a leg during a mortar attack in Baghdad in 2005. He was
also gifted a pillow and both were created by Tribal Elder Evelyn Seidel and her husband, Leo.
Lamprey harvest
September ballot to include
three advisory vote questions
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
F
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
From left, Tribal Council member Jack Giff en Jr., Tribal Fish & Wildlife Manager Kelly Dirksen and
Tribal member Matt Zimbrick load lamprey into a bucket while harvesting them at Willamette Falls
on Monday, July 2. The state Department of Fish & Wildlife designated lamprey harvesting season
as running from June 1 through the end of July. Tribal members and staff harvested about 125
lamprey, which will be stored at Natural Resources and served at future cultural events. Lamprey
are an important fi rst food of Pacifi c Northwest Native peoples, providing a source of protein and
fat in their diets.
or the second year in a row, Tribal voters
will be asked their opinions on three topics
when they cast their ballots for Tribal Council
during the Sept. 8 election.
Tribal voters will be asked the following three
questions:
• Should the Tribal Constitution be amended
to allow the enrollment of applicants who have
enrolled brothers or sisters by the same Tribal
parent(s) and who meet the pre-1999 constitutional
enrollment requirements?
• Should Spirit Mountain Casino offer additional
amenities to make it more of a destination resort?
• Should the Tribe look into offering fi nancial as-
sistance for education/training in areas not covered
by existing programs?
Although the results of the advisory votes are not
binding on Tribal Council, they do infl uence council
decision-making.
For instance, in 2017’s advisory votes the only
question that received overwhelming Tribal support
was creating market-rate housing for Elders, which
was supported 792-408. Since then, Tribal Housing
staff have worked on making market-rate housing
See ADVISORY
continued on page 5