AUGUST 15, 2018
S moke S ignals
5
Smoke Signals posts eight
candidate podcasts
2013 – A longtime Grand Ronde Tribal employee saw the return of
cherished jewelry she lost 12 years before. Tammy Garrison, admin-
istrative assistant for the Tribe’s Social Services Department, lost a
silver and amethyst ring when the department’s offices were housed in
a modular. It was found during demolition of those buildings and sub-
sequently returned to her. “You have to understand, the few months
leading up to losing the ring I had lost my mom, divorced, been in a
car accident and was currently on crutches after being in an accident
at home. I had lost so much already and was tired of being on, what
felt like, the losing end. So in a way, that ring became even more
valuable to me, and it felt like one more piece of me was gone, too.”
2008 – The Grand Ronde Tribal Council authorized applying to the
Federal Transit Administration for a $393,142 Tribal Transit grant to
help fund commuter transit service between Grand Ronde and Salem.
The planned Salem service was focused on employee commuters, but
also open to the general public. Service was set to begin in the fall of
2008, using current Tribal Transit funding to begin.
2003 – The Eagle Beak
drum group was featured
as members prepared to
perform at the upcom-
ing Grand Ronde Contest
Powwow. Group members
didn’t think of their drum
as just a thing to create
music. The drum was like a
grandfather to them. “The
drum watches over us,”
2003
File photo
Bobby Mercier said. “It’s
just like your grandpa or
grandma.” The group had been listening, learning and doing what
their Elders taught them since it was formed in 1994. Original mem-
bers were Mercier, Shane Harmon, Dustin Harmon and Joe Hostler.
1998 – After a series of membership input meetings, Tribal Council
decided to prioritize Elder pension, education and health security. The
forums were the first to be held outside of Grand Ronde in more than
two years. “I like going there and meeting the people,” Vice Chair Ed
Larsen said. “We came out of the meetings with a lot of good ideas
we had not thought about. Of course, we’ll still be waiting for those
write-ins from people who were not able to attend the meetings.”
Council also noted how the majority of members voiced support
for paying into stable, more comprehensive services and long-term
investments over whittling away Tribal revenues through member
benefit disbursements.
1993 – Grand Ronde Executive Officer Jim Willis was appointed
to the Oregon Board of Higher Education by Gov. Barbara Roberts.
The appointment was then approved by the Senate Rules Committee
and then the full Senate. The appointment was set to begin in 1994
and end in 1997.
1988 – Tribal Council member Kathryn Harrison was awarded a
medal for her years of outstanding service in Indian Country at the
National Indian Board on Alcohol and Drug Abuse conference in
Minneapolis, Minn. Representing the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde were Social Services Program Director Mary Ring, Harrison
and Youth Representative Mychal Childers, among others. The con-
ference covered topics on drug and substance abuse, and prevention.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.
Police Department has
non-emergency text line
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department has created a non-emer-
gency text line.
“We learned in our last school meeting that kids would like a different
way to communicate with the police if they have a non-emergency situ-
ation,” Tribal Police Chief Jake McKnight said. “We all know kids love
to text so my officers and I decided this would be a great tool to utilize.”
The new text number is 541-921-2927.
“Even though this is mostly designed for children, I don’t want adults
thinking that they can’t use it as well. If you have a non-emergency situ-
ation or question, feel free to contact my officer via text through this line.
When one of my officers receives the text, they will call you back when
they have time.”
McKnight said that emergency situations still require people to call 911.
For more information, contact McKnight at 503-879-1474. 
Still unsure about who you will
vote for in the Sept. 8 Tribal Council
election? Smoke Signals can help you
decide!
Eight Tribal Council interviews have
been posted at www.spreaker.com,
Smoke Signals’ podcasting host web-
site. The interviews can be found by
searching for “Smoke Signals podcasts”
or by clicking on the links added to the
newspaper’s Facebook page.
Tribal incumbents Cheryle A. Kenne-
dy, Jon A. George and Brenda Tuomi and challengers Kristina Hel-
frich, Steve Bobb Sr., Victor Cureton, Brent Merrill and Jonathan
R. George all sat down with Smoke Signals Editor Dean Rhodes
for 20- to 25-minute interviews.
Candidates discussed such issues as this year’s advisory votes,
enrollment issues, the Multnomah Greyhound Park property in
Wood Village, possibly building a grocery store in Grand Ronde, a
Tribal free press and the size of Tribal government.
For more information, contact Rhodes at dean.rhodes@gran-
dronde.org or call 503-879-1418. 
Smoke Signals offering
e-mail version to read
Want to be one of the first Tribal members to receive Smoke Signals?
Want to receive the Tribal publication on your computer instead of
waiting for it to arrive in the mail?
Want to get up-to-date and in-the-know about the Grand Ronde Tribe
before anyone else?
Well, here’s your opportunity.
In an effort to be more efficient and reduce costs, Smoke Signals sub-
scribers can have a PDF (portable document format) version sent to them
instead of a newsprint version sent via the mail. All you need on your
computer is Adobe Acrobat or another program that can read a PDF and,
viola, you’re set.
Why would you want to do that? The PDF version is available before
the newspaper is sent to our Salem printing contractor. You can read the
paper on your computer or print out a copy or individual pages yourself.
And you will receive Tribal news much faster than the current standard
mailing employed by the Tribe.
If you would like to receive an e-mailed PDF version of Smoke Signals
and stop receiving a mailed newsprint version, send your e-mail to esub-
scription@grandronde.org. 