4
JUNE 15, 2020
Food Bank providing
boxes on Fridays in June
The Grand Ronde Food Bank – iskam mfkhmfk haws – is operated
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 automatically
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.”
In reaction to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Food Bank
will be holding June food distributions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays.
“We are asking clients to not come for a food box if they are having
any symptoms or concerned about their health,” Ambrose said. “We are
going to limit our geographic service area to Sheridan to Otis on High-
way 18 and Sheridan to Hebo on Highway 22. We are asking clients and
volunteers to wash their hands immediately upon entry to the building.
Our lobby is closed until further notice.
“Food box distribution is happening outside while maintaining a safe
distance between clients. We are sanitizing and keeping the food quar-
antined for three days before distribution. Pre-made boxes are available
on distribution days, limited to two days of food for two adults. Clients
within our geographic service area are still welcome to visit us weekly.”
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 authorized
representative form and that designated person can pick up a food box
on your behalf. The authorization is good for one year.
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@marion-
polkfoodshare.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 Groshong.
• 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. The next meeting has not been sched-
uled. 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 Committee meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Center. Chair: Debi Anderson.
• Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of
the month at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Chair: Bryan
Langley.
• 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 Grievance Board meets at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of the
month in the Housing Department conference room. Chair: Simone Auger.
• Powwow Special Event Board meets monthly at noon at the Community
Center. Dates vary. Contact Dana Ainam at 503-879-2037. Chair: Dana
Ainam.
• TERO Commission meets at 10 a.m. the first Monday of the month in
the Employment 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: Rich VanAtta.
To update information on this list, contact Publications Coordinator Dean
Rhodes at 503-879-1463 or dean.rhodes@grandronde.org.
(Editor’s note: All in-person committee and special event board
meetings have been suspended during the Tribe’s
reaction to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.)
Smoke Signals
yesteryears
a look
back...
2015 – The Willamina School Board was to consider a revised policy
regarding flag displays and salutes. The revised policy, developed by
Willamina School District administrators, would allow the display of
flags other than the U.S. and Oregon flag “from a federally recognized
sovereign nation located within district boundaries if the sovereign
nation requests and provides an appropriately sized flag.” Willamina
School District Superintendent Gus Forster said the revised policy
would protect the district from receiving requests “from everywhere”
to hang a flag inside school facilities.
2010 – Oregon Rep. Kurt
Schrader spoke of veteran sac-
rifices at the Tribe’s annual
Memorial Day observance at
the West Valley Veterans’ Me-
morial on the Tribal campus.
Tribal Elder and Tribal Council
member Steve Bobb Sr. and
2010
File photo Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn
Leno shared master of ceremo-
nies honors. The ceremony, which included the reading of names added
to the memorial, attracted more than 100 people.
2005 – Two Tribal members of the Willamina High School Class
of 2005, Amanda Thomas and Ashlee Merrill, were awarded Gates
Millennium Scholarships. There were only five scholarships given to
Northwest Native American high school students. The Gates Millen-
nium Scholarship covered 100 percent of a student’s unmet needs and
was renewable for up to nine years.
2000 – The Grand Ronde Community Resource Center Food Bank
received a grant to assist with purchases of a storage trailer, refrig-
eration unit, more nutritious food and a van for distribution and pick
up. The $15,000 grant was awarded by the Native American Hunger
Program in association with First Nations Development Institute and
Kraft Foods to help alleviate hunger among members of 17 Reserva-
tion-based programs in 11 states.
1995 – Spirit Mountain Casino officials announced that they would
be hiring 850 employees by the time the casino opened in October.
The hiring included positions ranging from casino operations to guest
services. To help people learn more about the jobs available to match
positions to skills and interests, Spirit Mountain was planning to
conduct a job fair in Grand Ronde. Attendees would be briefed on the
casino and job categories, and then have the opportunity to visit booths
for each area and talk with Spirit Mountain personnel.
1990 – Oregon gubernatorial candidates Barbara Roberts and Dave
Frohnmayer met with representatives of the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde at the Chumaree Hotel in Salem. Representatives of the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Burns Paiute Tribe also
were present to hear candidates discuss the issues.
1985 – Grand Ronde Tribal Council members Kathryn Harrison,
Merle Leno and Henry Petite met with Polk, Tillamook and Yamhill
County commissioners, as well as the mayors of Sheridan, Willamina
and McMinnville to update them on the Tribe’s Reservation Plan.
They also spoke with Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, Rep. Les AuCoin and
BIA Area Director Stan Speaks. “These people are all supportive of
our efforts for a Reservation Plan,” a Smoke Signals article stated.
“Our economic base will be timber revenues generated. Due to the
current slow timber economy in the Northwest, we need the support
of these influential people and others to help us get our Reservation
Plan passed in Congress.”
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year incre-
ments through the pages of Smoke Signals.
Tribe receives $750,000
federal housing grant
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde received the majority of $1.2
million in federal funding admin-
istered by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development
under the Indian Community Devel-
opment Block Grant program that
was awarded to two Oregon Tribes.
The Grand Ronde Tribe will use
its share of the funds — $750,000
— to construct a 2,000-square-foot
domestic violence addition to the
Tribal Community Center. The new
space will include four offices, an
interview room, child room, group
room and restrooms.
The other Oregon Tribe receiving
a share of the funds is the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua
and Siuslaw Indians, which will use
$450,000 to rehabilitate 10 housing
units.
The grants were announced on
Monday, June 1, in a joint press
release from Oregon Sens. Jeff
Merkley and Ron Wyden.
“I’m pleased that this funding
will help provide urgently needed
resources to victims of domestic
violence,” Merkley said. 