Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2020)
4 DECEMBER 15, 2020 Smoke Signals Food Bank news yesteryears 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 automat- ically 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 continuing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Food Bank will hold December holiday box distributions on Saturday, Dec. 19, and Wednesday, Dec. 30. The Food Bank will be closed Christmas week, Dec. 21-25, and on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 31-Jan. 1. “We are asking clients to not come for a food box if they are hav- ing any symptoms or concerned about their health,” Ambrose said. “We are limiting our geographic service area to Sheridan to Otis on Highway 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 quarantined 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 is continuing the Farm Share Rx program with 35 farm shares being distributed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays. It is a first-come, first-served distribution until the shares are depleted. There will be no distribution on Dec. 23. 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@mari- onpolkfoodshare.org for more information or to volunteer. Committee & Special Event Board meeting days and times • 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 will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan 22, 2021, using the Zoom conferencing program. 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. a look back... 2015 – A Tribal swimming pool was the subject of discussion during a Grand Ronde community meeting. Planning Department Manager Rick George said 86 percent of those who filled out a survey supported the development of a pool in Grand Ronde. “We are going through the process of a feasibility study,” George said. “Your Tribal Council appropriated money to contract out with a very competent firm to help us go through this process.” A team comprised of Tribal members, staff members and a Tribal Council member were doing background work on different types of pool projects and would be developing a timeline to complete the study. 2010 – One of Grand Ronde’s warriors walked on. Russell Laverne Leno, 83, passed away in his home surrounded by family. Leno was a log- ger for most of his life and worked at the Tribal Cemetery for 30 years, and also served on an early post-Restoration File photo Tribal Council. He was a life- 2010 long Grand Ronde resident, a World War II veteran and a prime mover in creating the Tribe’s Veterans Powwow and also raised funds for the West Valley Veterans Memorial. 2005 – Tribal Elder Beryle Contreras was reunited with her friend Wilma Mankiller after more than 30 years. The two women became Native American activists in the late 1960s and participated in the occupation of Alcatraz. The occupation lasted 19 months with more than 5,600 Native Americans from across the country participating. Contreras lived for three months on the island. The occupation was organized by Native American students at Berkeley to make a stand for rights such as sovereignty, self-determination and respect for Native cultures. Today, the event is recognized as a pivotal event in Native American activism. 2000 – The National Indian Gaming Commission announced that the Grand Ronde Tribe was recognized for operating a self-regulating Indian casino. The Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin was the only other Tribal Nation in the United States to have that distinction. “This is something we have strived for, for many years,” Grand Ronde Gaming Commissioner Lynn Hillman said. “We far exceeded the highest levels required by the IGC for self-regulation. What this means is that the Tribe can regulate itself. We have the highest of standards and we passed the criteria with exceptional marks.” 1995 – The Tribe hired a new chief executive officer, Francis Some- day, a member of the Colville Tribe and former president of the Colville Tribal Enterprise Corp. He was instrumental in the development and funding of the Mill Bay Casino on Lake Chelan, owned by the Colville Tribe, and managed a Tribally-owned wood treatment plant. Someday was hired to fill the position left by former CEO Jim Willis, who worked for the Tribe for more than 10 years. 1990 – Tribal representatives from across the United States gath- ered in Portland for a three-day conference on Tribal history and culture. For many Oregon Tribes, including Grand Ronde, the event was the culmination of a two-year, self-study project. Funding for the project came from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, which allowed each Tribe to learn more about the various aspects of its history and culture. Conference sessions featured a variety of Tribal leaders and scholars covering topics such as Recovery of Heritage, Indian Oral Tradition in Oregon, Mistaken Notions and The First Oregonians Today. 1985 – The Tribe reflected on the recent second anniversary cele- bration of its Restoration. “As a staff member of our Tribal office, I can see firsthand how much time and effort the Tribal Council spends working for us,” Enrollment Clerk Margo George said. “I wish to thank the council and the other staff members for the hard work that keeps our Tribe functioning.” • Housing Grievance Board meets at 4 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. Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year incre- ments through the pages of Smoke Signals. 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 committee and special event board in-person meetings have been suspended during the Tribe’s reaction to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.) Are you frustrated with your diabetes control? Do you have questions about diabetes? Do you need help managing your diabetes? If so… Call the Medical Clinic today at 503-879-2002 To schedule an individual diabetes education appointment