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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