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.”