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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2019)
smok signflz JULY 15, 2019 9 Summer hoops Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez Tribal member and New York City resident Charlotte Weiss, right, was joined by fellow New Yorker Mary Forman, left, and Chicago native Anne Marie Puma at the First Foods Celebration held at achaf-hammi on Saturday, June 29. Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez Austin Carrasco, 11, tips the ball during a drill in the Grand Ronde basketball clinic held in the Tribal gym on Monday, July 1. The goal of the clinic is to provide children in the Youth Education Summer program with knowledge of nutrition, health and fitness. Temporary Recreational Coordinator Leo Ayala leads participants in stretching exercises at the start of the Grand Ronde basketball clinic held in the Tribal gym on Monday, July 1. Grand Ronde Housing Department Board seeks community input The Grand Ronde Housing Board is inviting Tribal members and Tribal housing residents to provide input to assist its mem- bers in carrying out its advisory role to the Housing Department and Tribal Council regarding policy guidance. The Housing Board meets at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of each month in the Housing Department conference room, 28450 Tyee Road. Its chair is Kristy Criss-Lawson. For more information, contact the Housing Depart- ment at 503-879-2401. ‘Helping out with cooking the food is my favorite’ FIRST FOODS continued from page 8 Mercier led a drum song to begin the event, assisted by Unger, Jon A. George, Tribal member Brian Kreh- biel, Kathleen George and Ross. Jon A. George welcomed everyone to the plankhouse. “What a wonderful group of peo- ple we have here today and a won- derful group of Tribal members and Elders to work with,” he said. “This is a great committee.” George recognized 95-year-old Elder and key Restoration figure Kathryn Harrison, who came to the plankhouse for the celebration. “We are so blessed,” he said. After a giveaway of ribbon shirts and skirts to Culture Committee members, lunch began with deer jerky, berries and nuts, followed by tables laden with food. Tribal youth Tasina Bluehorse, 12, and Mabel Brisbois, 16, helped serve wild grains, bear meatballs and venison meatloaf. Bluehorse also helped Smith prepare the fry bread. “Helping out with cooking the food is my favorite,” she said. “I like getting to see the reaction on people’s faces when they try new things,” Brisbois said. “The biscuit root is my favorite. It’s my candy.” Ross prepared a variety of teas for the First Foods medicine table. Each had a singular purpose, from helping with relaxation to combat- ing seasonal allergies. “It’s impossible to say which one is my favorite because they all have roles to play,” she said. “Each plant has its own life cycle and with climate change, you really need to learn to listen to them.” After lunch, those in attendance headed to the plankhouse to hear Ross recite a story and give a demonstration of how to tradition- ally cook acorn soup. “It warms my heart to see every- one making the time to come and learn about our foods,” she said. The soup was cooked over a fire in the plankhouse using hot stones and a variety of cooking utensils. “There is lots of training and planning that goes into this,” Ross said. Holding up a spruce root basket she had been gifted, Ross added, “The most important piece is the cooking basket. These can take years to create.”
