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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2018)
PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 700 Tribes support legislation to address sea lions — pg. 6 AUGUST 15, 2018 Tribal Council ends relationship with Wells Fargo By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Food as medicine Farm Share Rx program aims to heal people through better diets W ith the approval of two agreements during its Wednesday, Aug. 8, meet- ing, Tribal Council officially ended the Tribal government’s banking relationship with Wells Fargo. Tribal Council voted in October 2017 to end the Tribal government’s financial relationship with the bank and Tribal staff in the Finance and Legal departments have been negotiating agreements with Columbia Bank ever since. Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kenne- dy cited three reasons for the Tribal government ending its financial relationship with the bank, including Wells Fargo’s involvement in the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline project in North Dakota, creating millions of fake bank and credit card accounts for customers and forcing unnecessary auto collision insurance on more than 800,000 clients. Columbia Bank, based in Tacoma, Wash., with more than 150 branches in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, becomes the Tribal government’s new banking partner with the approval of the bank- ing services and depository pledge agreements. The Tribal government’s accounts with Wells Fargo were used to hold money only for short periods of time, Tribal Finance Officer Chris Leno said. The Tribal government first employed Wells Fargo for banking services from 1996 to 2005 and then rehired the bank starting in 2013. The Tribe started re-assessing its relationship with Wells Fargo in early 2017 when the Finance Depart- ment issued a request for proposals for banking services and Tribal members complained about the bank’s involvement in the pipeline project. The loss of Tribal business will cost Wells Far- By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer I n traditional Tribal culture, food is more than nourishment: It is medicine and can help prevent a plethora of ailments. However, with the nearest grocery store to Grand Ronde more than 10 miles away, regular access to fresh fruits and vegetables that can help people heal themselves is difficult. Enter Food Share Rx, a pilot program at the Grand Ronde Food Bank — iskam mfkhm- fk haws — that matches Health & Wellness Center clients with weekly fresh fruits and vegetables in an effort to begin healing through healthy eating. Clients are referred by the Health & Well- ness Center and receive a free, weekly distri- bution of seasonal produce from Osprey Farm in Willamina for 14 weeks between June and September. “Fresh fruit and vegetables are a huge benefit out here,” Food Bank Coordinator Francene Ambrose says. “Meat is our number one re- quest at the Food Bank, followed by fresh fruit and vegetables. The local corner stores don’t usually offer those and if they do, it is at a high cost. We don’t have a farmer’s market yet, so this is the cornerstone to building clientele who will use it.” Additionally, Oregon State University Exten- sion Service’s Food Hero program offers on-site weekly recipe ideas and tastings that feature vegetables in the distribution, as well as a se- ries of cooking classes. Ethel Taylor, a Shawnee Tribal member, Graphic created by George Valdez See TRIBAL COUNCIL continued on page 12 See FOOD SHARE RX continued on page 9 Canoe Journey brings Tribes together in Puyallup Tribal Cultural Collections Specialist and Grand Ronde Canoe Family member Nick LaBonte plays ball with is son Oliver at Canoe Family’s camp at the 2018 Canoe Journey “Power Paddle to Puyallup” on Tuesday, July 31. By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer P Photo by Michelle Alaimo UYALLUP, Wash. — Days spent out in a canoe, paddling for nine hours at a time and camping together can bring people closer or amplify personality differences. Sometimes it does both, but through it all Grand Ronde Canoe Family mem- bers strengthen their bonds. For the approximately 115 Grand Ronde Tribal members, staff, fam- ily and friends who participated in Canoe Journey, a mix of emotions accompanied the end of the journey and subsequent week of protocol from different U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations, who paddled more than 100 canoes to the event. This year’s “Power Paddle to Puyal- lup” was hosted by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and marks the 20th journey. This year’s theme was “Honoring Our Medicine.” It is the second time the Puyallup Tribe has hosted a canoe jour- ney, which involves months of prepa- ration, coordination and thousands of volunteers. “My favorite part of being on the wa- See CANOE JOURNEY continued on page 13