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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2018)
OCTOBER 15, 2018 S moke S ignals 7 ‘We like to walk our talk’ SUMMIT continued from the front page “Today is an example of how sup- ported I am at work,” John said. “Mayor (Ted) Wheeler has backed me 100 percent and has a genuine commitment to Tribal people and Tribal nations.” Tribal government officials, Trib- al employees and Portland em- ployees also joined the opening ceremony as the canoes ferrying Wheeler and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly came ashore. Grand Ronde choose to partici- pate in the welcoming portion of the ceremony to ensure proper protocol was followed. Tribal Council Sec- Tribal member Nicolas retary Jon A. George, Atanacio, left, greets Interpretative Coor- Portland Mayor Ted dinator Travis Stew- Wheeler during the art, Cultural Advisor opening ceremony of Bobby Mercier, Cul- Portland's first Tribal tural Protection Nations Summit at Tom Specialist Nicolas McCall Waterfront Park Atanacio, Tribal El- on Friday, Sept. 28. der Greg Archuleta, Cultural Resources of assistance from the Manager David Har- nonTribal communi- relson and Cultural ty, and today we are Education Coordina- continuing to forge a tor Jordan Mercier good relationship with led the singing and Portland.” drumming. Chris Mercier added Bobby Mercier wel- Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez that with civility seem- comed the canoes in Siletz Tribal member Tammy Fisher, from left, Tribal Council ingly having “gone out Chinuk Wawa and Secretary Jon A. George, second from left, and Travis Stewart, the window” at the then English. national level, it was “I want to thank our center, sing and drum as canoes from the Warms Springs and refreshing to attend relatives for bringing Cowlitz Tribes come ashore at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on events such as this the canoes today and Friday, Sept. 28. Portland hosted its first Tribal Nations Summit. one. to bring them ashore “It is not a pleasant and have a good time time, but Tribes can be leaders in today,” he said. bringing civility and decorum back Also attending the waterfront to government,” he said. “We like to opening ceremony were Tribal walk our talk.” Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier, Wheeler said he enjoyed the ca- Tribal Attorney Rob Greene and noe ride to the beach and joked that Historic Preservation Manager hosting this event and our drum- he really appreciated those who had Briece Edwards. mers and singers who kicked this to tolerate his paddling. The riverfront delegates, flanked off,” Chris Mercier said. “Portland “The theme of this inaugural by members of the Royal Rosarians, is a part of our ancestral home- event is ‘Coming Together as One,’” came ashore for the second portion lands, and we have been coming he said. “This summit is a mon- of the ceremony, which included here long before this was known umental event built on a culture welcoming remarks from represen- as Portland. … After Grand Ronde, of trust and reconciliation. … Our tatives of the Grand Ronde, Yaka- Portland is our biggest concentra- time to deliver on a meaningful ma, Siletz, Cowlitz, Umatilla, Nez tion of Tribal members. When our relationship has come. Our hope is Perce and Warm Springs Tribes. Tribe was restored, we had a lot that this Tribal Nations Summit “I want to thank Portland for can rebuild trust between the city of Portland and Tribes.” After the open- ing ceremony concluded, Tribal representatives, including Grand Ronde Tribal Coun- cil members Kath- leen George, Jon A. George and Chris Mercier, met with city government officials to continue the summit. John, the city’s Tribal relations coordina- tor, moderated the summit. “I want to welcome everyone to City Hall,” she said. “Seeing all of you here is truly an amazing sight. … I want you to get to know what the city does and talk about oppor- tunities to partner with the city.” The morning session included presentations from Government Re- lations Director Elizabeth Edwards, as well as Eudaly, and directors from the city’s water, parks and recreation and finance bureaus. Jon A. George noted that as ur- ban areas expand, it is important to have opportunities to gather traditional Native plants. “With some of the Native plants, it is very important to have clean water so we can access Native foods,” he said. “If you develop an area, our Tribal Historic Preserva- tion Office should be contacted. If you remove items, there are oppor- tunities for us to gather these types of things so we don’t have to go into other areas. It helps us with cultur- al education projects and gives us opportunities to gather cedar for hats and basket making.” After the morning session conclud- ed, delegates took a trolley to the Portland Opera to enjoy a first foods luncheon that included salmon, bison, green salad, rice, succotash, elderber- ry teacakes and sweet grass tea. They were joined by approximate- ly 100 employees from the city who attended a Confluence Workshop at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in conjunction with the Tribal Nations Summit. Confluence is a community-based nonprofit connecting people to a broader story of the Columbia River ecosystem. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about the history of Tribes in the region and the Canoe Family culture. Grand Ronde Tribal member and Native history researcher David Lewis was one of the three guest speakers, which included Nation- al Indian Education Association President Patricia Whitefoot of the Yakama Tribe and Potlatch Fund co-founder Aurolyn Stwyer of the Warm Springs Tribe. Lewis said via e-mail that the panel discussed Native issues with city employees and that Wheeler attended part of the session. “Basically we discussed what the rivers meant to the Tribal people,” he said. “I discussed the history of the Grand Ronde Tribes, the Clack- amas people who lived at the falls and their removal to Grand Ronde, how deeply these removals affected all Native people and how we still feel that loss today even if we are now restored. The lack of rights to fish and practice our cultures was talked about a lot.” In the afternoon, Wheeler met with Tribal representatives back at City Hall. A closing ceremony and Tribal flag exchange were held at the end of the summit. The opening ceremony for the city of Portland's first Tribal Nations Summit was held at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Friday, Sept. 28. Members of the Grand Ronde, Cowlitz and Warm Springs Tribes participated in the summit.
