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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2018)
DECEMBER 1, 2018 S moke S ignals 11 President signed Restoration Bill in 1983 RESTORATION continued from front page push us forward.” After Termination, many Tribal members were forced to relocate from Grand Ronde to survive. “Termination took away our place as being recognized as a Tribe in this country,” she said. “Today, we have members who have survived that. I know what it is was like to no longer have that identity, not to be eligible for health care or Bureau of Indian Affairs scholarships, or to sit in my homelands. It was all stripped away.” On Nov. 22, 1983, everything changed when President Ronald Reagan signed the Tribe’s Resto- ration Bill into law. Kennedy acknowledged longtime Tribal Council chairwoman and key Restoration figure Kathryn Harri- son, who attended Sunday’s event. “She served the Tribe for many years and helped lead this fight,” Kennedy said. She then asked everyone in the audience who had been helped by the Tribe’s health care plan, col- lege tuition funding or housing as- sistance to stand. Nearly everyone in the room did so. “I am doing this to recognize that none of these ser- vices would have been provided for you had we not been restored,” she said. Kennedy also thanked Grand Ronde and Veter- Kyoni Mercier leads the Canoe Family dancers in the ans Royalty mem- Paddle Dance during the 35th Restoration Celebration bers for their hard held Sunday , Nov. 18 , at Spirit Mountain Casino. work representing the Tribe at various events in Ore- chair. gon, as well as departments within After a short video created by the Tribal government and Tribal Tribal Deputy Press Secretary Sara Elders. Thompson detailing the Tribe’s “Being respectful and dignified successful efforts at constructing is the way of the Grand Ronde a fishing platform at Willamette people,” Kennedy said. Falls in October, Jon A. George In addition to Harrison, Kenne- gave an invocation and a catered dy thanked former Tribal Council buffet lunch was served that includ- Chairman Mark Mercier, who was ed baked salmon, chicken breast, instrumental in the passage of the pot roast, garlic mashed potatoes, Grand Ronde Reservation Act in wild rice pilaf, roasted butternut 1988, as well as longtime Tribal squash, green salad, fruit salad, Council member Reyn Leno, who rolls, mini huckleberry pies, cheese- served five years as Tribal Council cakes and Nanaimo bars. Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George , left , and Tribal Council member Steve Bobb Sr. announce a winner in the raffle during the 35th Restoration Celebration held Sunday , Nov. 18 , at Spirit Mountain Casino. Most who attended Restoration received a gift box with salmon, beef jerky, a note pad, magnet and salmon-shaped gourmet chocolates. During lunch, raffle prizes in- cluding backpacks, purses, Tribal blankets, Pendleton coffee mugs, stuffed animals, body pillows, a 43-inch flat screen TV, N7 hats and shirts, gift bags filled with goodies and other items were given away. After lunch concluded, Jon A. George announced that a life-sized, bronze statue honoring Kimsey, Provost and Holmes would be cre- ated by Bobb and placed in front of the Governance Center. He then unveiled a preliminary sketch of the statues. Bobb is a lifelong artist who also created the sculpture at the West Valley Veterans Memorial, which features a man and woman dressed in traditional Native regalia reach- ing toward the sky surrounded by four black pillars representing the branches of the armed forces – Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Air Force. “It is an extreme honor for me to be able to contribute to this,” Bobb said. “We have talked about doing it for several years and so far we have everything in motion to make it happen. Margaret, Marvin and Merle kept everything going and never gave up.” Former Congressman Les Au- Coin, who introduced the Grand Ronde Restoration Bill in the House of Representatives in 1983, was presented with a canoe paddle by Tribal Council. The paddle was created by Tribal Artisan Brian Krehbiel. “I remember the hard work your leaders went through,” AuCoin said. “Creating Restoration, then a Reservation and a gaming facility … The work you do here, there is good that has been accomplished and it will live on without end. It is wonderful to come together with you and see from your Trail of Tears to now and march with you on this great trail of success.” AuCoin’s former Press Secretary John Atkins gifted Tribal Council with a 1/24th replica of the 15.5- ton Tomanowos meteorite, which crashed to earth some 13,000 years ago and eventually came to rest outside of what is now West Linn near Willamette Falls. The meteorite collected water that the Clackamas Chinooks be- lieved was invested with divine qualities. It became a sacred site for western Oregon Indian Tribes, who believed it was sent to Earth by the Sky People. The meteorite is currently housed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Atkins collaborated with the West Linn Chamber of Commerce to create the scale replica, which included scanning an image of the meteorite and then using that in- formation to create a mold of plastic with iron inside. “It is close to the same coloration and all of the crevices and fissures are exact,” Atkins said. Kennedy thanked him for the gift, See RESTORATION continued on page 13 Fancy dancer and Spirit Mountain Casino Marketing Director Shawna Tom , center , and fancy dancer Perry Thompson , right , Navajo , were the lead dancers for the powwow grand entry held during the 35th Restoration Celebration on Sunday , Nov. 18 , at Spirit Mountain Casino.
