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Grand Ronde hosts
Tribal-State Summit
— pg. 10
DECEMBER 1, 2018
Restoration reunion
AuCoin joins Tribe as it fetes 35th anniversary at Spirit Mountain Casino
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
he Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde’s Res-
toration is a gift — one
which should never be taken
for granted.
That was the message from
Tribal Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy to the
approximately 400 attend-
ees at the 35th Restoration
Celebration held at Spirit
Mountain Casino on Sunday,
Nov. 18.
“The Tribe has come a long
way,” Kennedy said in the
Event Center. “It is truly
amazing and a gift from the
Creator to us. For all of those
gathered here, and to those
who can’t be here, this is a
blessed day.”
The celebration began
shortly after 11 a.m. with
singing and drumming by the
Grand Ronde Canoe Fami-
ly as the Veterans Honor
Guard brought in the colors,
followed by Tribal Council,
Royalty and Youth Council
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
members.
Vietnam-era veteran and Former Congressman Les AuCoin , left, talks with former Tribal Council Chairwoman Kathyrn Harrison during the 35th
Tribal Council member Steve Restoration Celebration held Sunday , Nov. 18 , at Spirit Mountain Casino. AuCoin was instrumental in helping the Grand
Bobb Sr. gave the invocation Ronde Tribe achieve Restoration by introducing the Grand Ronde Restoration Act in the U.S. House in 1983.
and Royalty members per-
formed “The Lord’s Prayer.”
All Tribal Council members at-
tended the Restoration Celebra-
tion. They are Kennedy, Vice Chair
Chris Mercier, Secretary Jon A.
George, Kathleen George, Lisa
Leno, Jack Giffen Jr., Bobb, Mi-
chael Langley and Denise Harvey.
“(Restoration) is an effort that
began with three people,” Kennedy
said. “They are Margaret Provost,
To listen to audio excerpts
Marvin Kimsey and Merle Holmes.”
from the 35th Restoration
The three key Restoration Elders
Celebration, go to
have since walked on – Kimsey
www.spreaker.com and
and Provost earlier this year – and
search for “Smoke Signals
Kennedy urged young people to talk
podcasts” or click on the
to Elders who experienced Termi-
link at the Smoke Signals’
nation by the federal government
Facebook page.
in 1954.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t men-
tion those Elders,” she said. “They
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy looks at a scale model
are always standing behind us to
of Tomowanos , the Willamette meteorite , presented by John Atkins
during the 35th Restoration Celebration held Sunday, Nov. 18 , at Spirit
See RESTORATION
Mountain Casino. Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George looks on.
continued on page 11