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Family Fun
Night held
— pg. 15
AUGUST 15, 2019
Contest Powwow set for Aug. 16-18
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
he Grand Ronde Contest Pow-
wow continues to be a popular
annual event. Last year, 337
dancers registered and organizers
are hoping for even better numbers
this year.
It seems like a reasonable goal,
given that attendance was higher
See POWWOW
continued on page 7
If you go
Grand Ronde Contest Powwow
When: Grand entries at 7 p.m. Fri-
day, Aug. 16; 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday,
Aug. 17; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug.
18.
Where: Uyxat Powwow Grounds,
9600 S.W. Hebo Road.
Cost: Camping, $5 with parking;
parking, $1 a day or canned food;
weekend passes, $3.
More information: 503-879-2037.
Tribal member Nacoma Liebelt competes in the Boys Traditional dance category
during the 2018 Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Contest Powwow held at
Uyxat Powwow Grounds. Liebelt placed second in the category last year.
Artistic
awakening
Tribal Elder Ann Lewis has paintings in two different exhibits
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
M
cMINNVILLE — Ann
Lewis has been an art
lover and collector for
decades, but never an artist
herself.
But last winter, she picked up
a paintbrush for the first time
during a “wine and art” class,
and was hooked. From there,
the Grand Ronde Tribal Elder
created her first few abstract
works using acrylics. Then, she
posted the images to her Face-
book page to share with family
and friends.
One of her works, “As My
Guitar Gently Weeps,” caught
the eye of Jonathan Oliveira,
winery ambassador at downtown
McMinville’s Willamette Valley
Vineyards tasting room.
“He asked me if I wanted to do an
exhibit at the tasting room for the
month of August,” Lewis, 60, says.
See ART
continued on page 6
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Ann Lewis poses with her painting “Without a Trace”
about missing and murdered Native American women
at Willamette Valley Vineyards’ tasting room in
McMinnville on Wednesday, Aug. 7. Lewis also will have
her work exhibited at the Washington County Museum
as part of the “This IS Kalapuyan Land” exhibit, which
will feature local Native artists for the next year to bring
unique indigenous perspectives.
Smoke Signals file photo
Forum attracts
more than 25
to hear candidates
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
M
ore than 25 Tribal members, spous-
es and children attended the official
Tribal Council Candidates Forum held
Wednesday, July 31, in the Community Center
and heard all seven council hopefuls talk about
why they should receive a vote in the Sept. 7
election.
Incumbents Kathleen George, Jack Giffen Jr.
and Denise Harvey were joined by challengers
Victor Cureton, Peter “Boon” Grout, Reyn Leno
and Lewis Younger at a long table where they sat
to answer questions.
George is seeking her second three-year term
on Tribal Council while Harvey is running for a
third term and Giffen is seeking his sixth term.
Leno, who served seven consecutive terms on
Tribal Council before retiring in 2017, is seeking
to rejoin the governing body after a two-year
hiatus.
Cureton and Grout are making their second
runs at Tribal Council, although Grout dropped
out of the 2018 race before last year’s Candidates
Forum was held. Younger is making his first run
for Tribal Council.
After forum attendees dined on a meal of teriya-
ki chicken, steak, rice broccoli salad and macaroni
salad, General Manager David Fullerton briefed
candidates on the rules.
Questions were drawn randomly from a bowl,
with the number of candidates answering each
one alternating between three and four. The
audience submitted the questions and selected
candidates had two minutes to respond.
The 10 questions posed to the candidates
covered a wide range of topics, including if they
See FORUM
continued on page 8