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APRIL 1, 2019
S moke S ignals
Food Bank provides
boxes, seeks help
The Grand Ronde Food Bank – iskam mfkhmfk haws – is op-
erated by Marion-Polk Food Share, which has been leading the
fight to end hunger since 1987 because no one should be hungry.
Recipients of SNAP, TANF, SSI or LIHEAP assistance automat-
ically qualify for assistance at the Grand Ronde Food Bank, 9675
Grand Ronde Road. No one will be turned away in need of a food box.
“We believe that everyone deserves to have enough to eat,” Food
Bank Coordinator Francene Ambrose says. “You are welcome to get
a food box at each of our regular weekly distributions. No one will
be turned away in need of a food box.”
Upcoming food box distribution dates will be:
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 5;
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13;
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 19.
• 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 24.
People must check in 15 minutes before closing to receive a food
box. If you need immediate assistance, call 211 or visit 211info.org.
Those who are unable to pick up a food box can fill out an autho-
rized representative form and that person can pick up a food box on
your behalf. The authorization is good for one year.
In addition, the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center’s Commu-
nity Health Team will be setting up the mobile clinic at the pantry
on the first Friday of every month.
The Food Bank continues to seek volunteers to help with repacking
food, putting food on the shelves, handing out food boxes, end-of-
month inventory and picking up food donations at area stores.
Call to ensure someone is available to assist. People also can sign
up for a monthly e-mail for the Food Bank calendar and events, as
well as follow the Food Bank on Facebook.
The Food Bank is an equal opportunity provider.
Call Ambrose at 503-879-3663 or contact her at fambrose@mari-
onpolkfoodshare.org for more information or to volunteer.
Committee & Special Event
Board meeting days and times
Below is the most current information on the meeting days and times
for Tribal Committees and Special Event Boards:
• Ceremonial Hunting Board meets as needed. Chair: Marline Gro-
shong.
• Culture Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the
month at the Grand Ronde Food Bank/iskam mfkhmfk haws, 9675
Grand Ronde Road. Chair: Francene Ambrose.
• Editorial Board meets monthly at the Chachalu Museum & Cultural
Center conference room, 8720 Grand Ronde Road. Next meeting
is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, April 12. The public is welcome to
attend. Chair: Siobhan Taylor. Contact: Editorial.Board@grandronde.
org.
• Education Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of
the month in the Adult Education building. Chair: Tammy Cook.
• Elders Committee meets at 10 a.m. the third Wednesday of the
month in the Elders Activity Center. Chair: Penny DeLoe.
• Enrollment Board meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Center. Chair: Ann Lewis.
• Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday
of the month at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Chair:
Tyson Mercier.
• Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Tuesday of the
month in the Molalla Room of the Health & Wellness Center. Chair:
Bernadine Shriver.
• Housing Board meets at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of the month in the
Housing Department conference room. Chair: Kristy Criss-Lawson.
• Powwow Special Event Board meets monthly at noon at the Com-
munity Center. Dates vary. Contact Dana Ainam at 503-879-2037.
Chair: Dana Ainam.
• TERO Commission meets at 10 a.m. Monday, April 22, in the Em-
ployment Services building. Chair: Russell Wilkinson.
• Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Interim Chair: Jon
R. George.
• Veterans Special Event Board meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Tuesday
of the month in the old Elders Craft House. Chair: Raymond Petite.
To update information on this list, contact Publications Coordinator Dean
Rhodes at 503-879-1463 or dean.rhodes@grandronde.org.
2014 – Women’s Tran-
sitional House employees
were busy putting the final
touches on the facility before
opening ceremonies. The
house was three years in
the making, and was large
enough for eight women
and their children. It was
designed for women who
were leaving prison or res- 2014
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idential drug and alcohol
programs and needed a safe place to live while they learned skills
to be successful. “When you are released, you don’t know what your
next move is,” said Tribal Youth Mental Health/Alcohol and Drug
Counselor Nicole Estrada. “I really hope this home will give them
hope and something to strive for.”
2009 – Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy testified about
the “severe underfunding” of Contract Health Services and the sig-
nificant effects that it has on terminated Tribes before the House
Committee on Appropriations’ 14-member Subcommittee on Interior,
Environment and Related Agencies. “It is important to understand
that the CHS program does not function as an insurance program
with a guaranteed benefit package,” she said. “When CHS funding
is depleted, CHS payments are not authorized.”
2004 – Groundbreaking and foundation work for the five-story,
150-room expansion of Spirit Mountain Lodge was set to begin. The
addition was to potentially include a swimming pool and conference
center. The new facility would include shops for guests and rooms
were expected to be similar to the current offerings. Spirit Mountain
Casino was the No. 1 tourist attraction in the state and rooms were
booked at a 95 percent occupancy rate.
1999 – The U.S. government asked the Grand Ronde Tribe to waive
its right to more than $1 million in federal subsidies for Tribal pro-
grams, such as forest management, education and social services.
The request came on the heels of a congressional mandate that di-
rected Tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to come up with an
alternate way to allocate federal funds owed to the nation’s federally
recognized Tribes. For Congress, it meant divvying up the annual
Tribal Priority Allocations so less fortunate Tribes could catch up
with those doing better. For Tribes, it meant the government was
shirking its obligation to pursue a policy Tribes say would only make
them “equally poor.”
1994 – Dustin Leno captured his third straight state wrestling
championship. A junior at Willamina High School, he followed in his
brother Shonn’s footsteps, making him only the second wrestler to
have won three individual state championships in the school’s history.
Willamina High School also captured its third straight team title.
Dustin’s high school record sat at 100 wins, four losses and one tie.
1989 – Several staff changes and additions were made due to new
programs and needs within the Tribe. Jann Wyduch was selected
as the program director for Nanitch Sahallie located in Keizer. She
had worked in the field of chemical dependency for 10 years. The
clinical manager selected was Sidney Stone (Blackfeet), the former
executive director of the Native American Rehabilitation Association
of Portland.
1984 – A presentation about the history and Restoration of the
Tribe was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution in Sa-
lem. “The group had supported our efforts via their letter of support
during our struggle for Restoration and was certainly most helpful
to us,” Tribal Council Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison said.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.
