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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2021)
8 MAY 1, 2021 Smoke Signals 61 first-quarter employees account for 728 years of service By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Although large indoor gather- ings are still prohibited at the Grand Ronde Tribe because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that hasn’t stopped the Human Resources De- partment from honoring employees on a quarterly basis for their em- ployment longevity with the Tribe. First-quarter honorees hired in either January, February or March were led by Procurement Assistant Kelly Leno, who reached 31 years of service to the Tribe. Records Administrator Kim Mueller and Gaming Commission Licensing Manager Julia Papen were honored for 26 and 25 years of employment, respectively. Other employees notching 20 or more years of employment with the Tribe include Health & Wellness Billing Supervisor Sunni Ulestad, 23 years; Purchased and Referred Care Supervisor Melody Baker, 22 years; Human Resources Employ- ment Manager David DeHart and Compensation/HRIS Specialist Becky Mode, 21 years each; and Spirit Mountain Community Fund Program Coordinator Angela Sears, 20 years. Employees with five or more years of service are honored quar- terly. In non-pandemic times, staff receives a breakfast in the Tribal gym and General Manager David Shawn Bobb. 15 years: Full- Charge Bookkeeper Debra Nolen and Em- ployment Specialist Toni Mercier. 14 years: Employ- ment Specialist Jessy Powley. 13 years: Health Information Super- visor/Privacy Officer Desiree Allen, Natural Resources Construc- tion Supervisor Bart Bryant, Dental As- Smoke Signals file photo sistant Rachel Clark, Tribal Records Administrator Kim Mueller, Enrollment Officer Nick LaBonte, Day photographed in 2019, reached the 26-mark of Shift Housekeeper working for the Tribe earlier this year. Rosie Saldivas, Gam- ing Commission Compliance Ana- Fullerton reads off the list of names lyst Tyrell Soderberg and Natural and employees receive a check, Resources Senior Administrative handshakes and occasional hugs Assistant Michele Volz. from Tribal Council members. 12 years: Purchased/Referred Other Tribal employees honored Care Health Care Specialist Kayla included: Leno, Groundskeeper Joseph Gram- 19 years: Grand Ronde Tribal mer and Hydrosystem Compliance Police Chief Jake McKnight, Tribal Specialist Lawrence Schwabe. Attorney’s Office Manager Kerrina 11 years: Adult Foster Care Se- Mishler and Information Systems nior Administrative Assistant Can- Web Administrator Willie Mercier. di Buswell, Shipping and Receiving 18 years: Higher Education Clerk Seth Mercier and Rental Program Coordinator Joshua Clift. Housing Coordinator Leon Ramos. 17 years: Social Services’ Port- 10 years: Employee Relations land Area Office Tribal Services Specialist Seth Barton, Chinuk Representative Lisa Archuleta and Immersion Preschool Assistant Ha- Early Head Start Family Educator lona Butler, Employment Program Manager Michael Herrin, 477/ Employment & Training Specialist Khani Schultz and Dental Hygien- ist Erin Muchmore. 9 years: Gaming Inspector Dal- ton Robertson, Historic Preser- Effects of intergenerational trauma can last through several generations MEDICINE continued from page 6 treatments similar to those for opioid use disorder.” Neurobiology, historical and intergenerational trauma and substance use disorders Dr. Carolyn Ross, of Numinous Enterprises Inc. in California, dis- cussed how ongoing research has documented the role that trauma plays in development of addictions, and how intergenerational trauma is also being explored in families of Ho- locaust survivors, African-Americans post-slavery and in Native Ameri- cans after violent colonialization. Ross said that understanding the effects of trauma provides a more thorough understanding of addictions and other related dis- orders, and cites trauma as being an important underlying factor in addictions. “Brain development is bottom up,” she said. “It begins with the survival center and ends with the executive center, which handles logic, reason and empathy. The brain has a lot of plasticity, but mostly at younger ages. What trauma ultimately can do is hijack a person’s potential in life. The problem begins even before birth, when a mother’s behavior has im- portant effects on brain growth and development. Healthy attachment at birth makes it more likely a baby will have healthy relationships later in life.” Additional factors, such as inad- equate nutrition and toxic levels of stress in the first 1,000 days of life, can reverberate throughout a person’s life, Ross added. “Trauma is the loss of an essen- tial part of yourself, your safety, security, place and vitality,” she said. “It doesn’t change the DNA, but changes the expression of cer- tain genes, and can take up to 20 years off a lifespan. The primary impact is to the brain. We can be- come hyper aroused or numbed out. We cannot reason ourselves out of being frightened or upset.” She said the effects of intergen- erational trauma can last through several generations. “Kids are especially prone to the trauma in resettling in a new culture,” Ross said. “It can lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions.” Historical trauma includes five factors: Being deliberately inflicted on a target population, not limited to a single event, events reverber- ating throughout the community, the population being stripped of its culture and identity, and the trau- ma inflicted with malicious intent. Both Native Americans and Af- rican-Americans were victims of historical trauma, which puts them at a higher risk of substance use disorder. “It can also be very difficult to get treatment,” Ross said. “There are a lot of suspicions of the medi- cal community and biases (toward patients).” vation Manager Briece Edwards and Behavioral Health employee Alexandria Warren-Masters. 8 years: 477/Employment & Training Specialist Tiny Gibbons, Child Abuse Investigator Shauna Hastings, Adult Foster Care Care- giver Brianna Leno, Risk Analyst Patricia Mercier, Vocational Reha- bilitation Administrative Assistant Angella Schultz and Swing Shift Housekeeper Sean Sell. 7 years: Tribal Police Officer Ty- ler Brown, Groundskeeper Joseph Kelley, Chinuk K-5 Immersion Assistant Jade Colton, Adult Foster Care Caregiver Pearline Metzker, Web Specialist Jordan Smith and Dental Secretary Whitney Va- nArsdel. 6 years: Tribal Police Officer Rod McAllister, Community Health Driver Stephanie King, Post Ele- mentary Chinuk Wawa Teacher & Outreach Coordinator Zoey Hols- claw and Housing Administrative Assistant Lacy Leno. 5 years: Staff Accountant Sher- eena Bates, Emergency Manage- ment Assistant Brandi Bishop, Nurse Jeannette Cavan, Commu- nity Health Driver Victor Cure- ton, Senior Help Desk Technician Mark Donahoo, Spirit Mountain Community Fund Grants Coordi- nator James Holmes and Cultural Resources Interpretive Graphic Specialist Teal Reibach. Employees receive certificates and bonus checks in appreciation of their increasing tenure with the Tribe. In addition, those reaching the 10-year mark receive a Tribal Pendleton blanket or an extra $100 in their bonus check.