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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2020)
sNok signflz DECEMBER 1, 2020 7 History and Culture Summit wraps up virtual events By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer The Tribe finished its annual History and Culture Summit with a virtual presentation by two Tribal members on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Like every other large indoor event in Oregon, it was present- ed in Zoom this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fourth event, “StoryMap: Indigenous Naming of Creeks on Marys Peak,” was presented by Grand Ronde Cultural Policy Analyst and Tribal Elder Greg Archuleta, and Tribal member and Portland State University student Jesse Norton. It was followed by a moderated discussion panel led by Tribal Cultural Resources De- partment Manager David Harrel- son. The event proved to be quite popular, with more than 95 people logging in to attend. In 2018, 10 unnamed creeks on Marys Peak near Corvallis were approved for naming by the U.S. Geo- logical Service, and included words from three different Indigenous languages, which received broad local support and participation. The process was hailed as a success story among naming efforts nationally and served as an example of how Tribes can be engaged and represented. The project began after Marys Peak Alliance member Dave Eckert contacted the Grand Ronde Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department and asked if the Tribe would be interested in renaming the creeks. The process took approximately two years and involved input from several different groups. “We had the opportunity this summer to visit all of the creeks, walk through them and see what they were like,” Archuleta said. Smoke Signals screenshot Tribal Cultural Resources Department Manager David Harrelson discusses the Indigenous naming of creeks near Marys Peak as part of the final virtual presentation of the annual Grand Ronde History and Culture Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 18. “Since time immemorial, it has been culturally significant to the Grand Ronde and Siletz peoples. It’s a sacred mountain.” Archuleta and Norton showed various slides of their hikes to the different creeks and discussed the renaming process, which involved the Grand Ronde and Siletz Tribes, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, city of Corvallis, Starker Forests Inc., Oregon State University, Spring Creek Project and Marys Peak Alliance. “Naming these creeks makes it easier to conduct search and res- cue operations rather than if they remained unnamed, to conduct scientific studies and to honor the original stewards of the land,” Norton said. Added Harrelson, “Hopefully, this StoryMap can convey the meaning and help with understanding. … Naming also helps with planning efforts. We are really excited about this.” During a question-and-answer session afterward, the panelists were asked what they enjoyed most about the naming process. “It was great to connect with the land,” Archuleta said. “I like to visit the area and get a bigger picture of how the old stories connect to the landscape.” Norton agreed. “It was very special to explore Marys Peak,” he said. “Within the Grand Ronde Tribe, the Tribes that make up our confederation span such a vast landscape.” Harrelson said he appreciated the noncontroversial nature of the process. “With this project, we were nam- ing unnamed creeks, so we didn’t have to convince people to change a name. Also, this was built on relationships. Our homelands are 14 million acres. When it comes to naming things, we can spend the time and effort in many places. But if changing a name will cause harm to our communities, it probably isn’t worth it.” The first three presentations were held on Oct. 14, 22 and 26. Videos from the Oct. 14, 22 and Nov. 18 events will be available to view for three months at www.grandronde. org/history-and-culture-summit/. Snowmen bound CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND RONDE t ribal court INDIGENT DEFENSE PROGRAM The Tribal Court is actively seeking attorneys for our Indigent Defense Program to represent parents and children involved in neglect and abuse cases within the jurisdiction of the Tribal Court. If interested please contact the Tribal Court: Shane Thomas Tribal Court Programs Coordinator 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 Phone: 503-879-4623 Fax: 503-879-2269 shane.thomas@grandronde.org www.grandronde.org/government/tribal-court Ad by Samuel Briggs III Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez Tribal member Veronica Gaston sits with a small selection of her snowman collection in her Tribal Housing home on Monday, Nov. 16. Gaston’s collection is currently at 4,478. The Guinness Book of World Records for a snowman collection, as of March 2013, is 5,127 by Karen Schmidt of Coon Rapids, Minn. Gaston says she primarily obtains her snowmen at Goodwill stores in Dallas, McMinnville and West Salem where she is known as the Snow Queen.