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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2021)
sNok signflz MAY 1, 2021 Tribal students honored for academic success By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer It’s been a school year like none other and Grand Ronde Youth Ed- ucation celebrated those who had accomplished a variety of academic and personal goals during an online Student Success Night celebration. More than 80 Native students from the Willamina and Sheridan school districts were honored during the event held on Facebook and You- Tube on Thursday, April 15. “The Youth Education Depart- ment is excited to celebrate many Native students at the fifth annual Student Success event,” Youth Edu- cation Program Manager Tim Bar- ry said. “Students were recognized for their success with academic achievements for the first semester of the 2020-21 school year. It has been a school year like no other, and our staff are very proud of the students’ perseverance, creativity and what they have accomplished.” The video presentation featured Barry, Education Department Man- ager Angela Fasana, Guided Study Teacher Adam Langley, Academic Advisor Shane Thomas and Academic Coach Rachel Fluke, along with other Youth Education staff and Willamina School District Tribal Attendance Family Advocate Rebecca Arredondo. “Congratulations students on a job well done. This year has been so hard and you have done such an amazing job,” Fasana said. “We look forward to congratulating you in person next year. Keep up the good work and have a wonderful spring and summer.” “I know it’s been a hard year for a lot of us,” Langley said. “Congrat- ulations on getting through it and let’s hope next year will be better for all of us.” “I’m so pleased to be celebrating students tonight who have shown success in school,” Arredondo said. “Despite COVID, you’ve been able to rise above.” During the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, 42 elementary school students and 44 middle and high school students were honored for various academic accomplish- ments. Their names are not listed due to the Education Department not having parental permission to release them. A video of the event is available at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5lVjIveW4UY. Students were awarded Amazon gift cards and certificates for their accomplishments. Student Success Night is orga- nized by the Tribe’s Youth Educa- tion Program, with support from other departments including Pre- vention and Nutrition. War on drugs was used to subjugate minorities and their communities CONFERENCE contiued from page 7 The first speaker on Monday, April 19, was Dr. Lisa Marsch, di- rector for the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dart- mouth College. She spoke about the development of technological tools in addiction treatment. “Digital technology has trans- formed how our society works, and we wanted to know how we could leverage that in the treatment and management of a substance use disorder,” she said. The study found that benefits of digital technology included extend- ing clinicians’ reach, functioning as a 24/7 virtual therapist and expanding treatment access to those who live in rural areas or are otherwise homebound. “If digital therapeutics are de- veloped well, they are useful and acceptable to a diverse population,” Marsch said. The second speaker was Dr. Jessica Isom, who addressed crim- inality vs. medication in addiction treatment. She said the way society and clinicians view drug use over the years has changed: The view of ad- diction is driven by social, biological and economic value we assign to a particular group. Media portrayals have affected policies. Race can connect you to privilege or barriers, and a primary barrier is structural racism. She added that the war on drugs was used to subjugate minorities and their communities beginning under the Nixon administration. Many people have been separated from their families and loved ones for simple possession of drugs and given long sentences. Decriminalization of drug pos- session would remove one aspect of over-policing communities of color, Isom said. Decriminalization, howev- er, does not solve the structural rac- ism integrated into American society. The third speaker was Dr. Pier- luigi Mancini, project director of National Latino Behavioral Health Association, an organization that provides training and technical assistance to entities that are al- ready serving the Hispanic/Latino community. Absorbing all of this information has helped me rethink how to cover opioids and addiction in the future, something I hope will serve the Tribe and readers of Smoke Signals in the years to come. The Tribe recently opened Great Circle Recovery in Salem, the first Tribally operated medication-as- sisted treatment clinic in Oregon, and is due to open a second in east Portland in early 2022. I now have a much greater understanding of the science behind addiction and racial barriers to treatment, as well as innovative potential solutions. This will help enhance my reporting when writing about these clinics and their services. I’ll know when to ask questions, when to listen and, most importantly, what stories to tell. 9 Youth Council applicants sought The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon is seeking applicants, grades six through 12, who are interested in serving on the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s Youth Council. Youth who are enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, direct descendants of a currently enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, or an enrolled member of another federally recognized Native American Tribe receiving services directly from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are eligible to apply. The Youth Council acts in an advisory capacity to Tribal Council, the Youth Education Department, Youth Empowerment & Preven- tion as well as other Tribal departments and programs in identify- ing needs and developing priorities concerning Tribal youth and youth-related programs and activities. The Youth Council will consist of nine (9) voting members ap- pointed by Youth Council advisors. Youth Council members must be currently registered in school and in grades six through 12 at an educational facility. In selecting members of the Youth Council, Youth Council advisors shall give preference to persons who: 1. Have maintained good academic standing by carrying a mini- mum 2.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale. 2. Maintain healthy life choices. 3. Demonstrated leadership skills. 4. Are able to commit to attend meetings and Youth Council ac- tivities twice a month in Grand Ronde, and trainings and other activities as needed. Also able to travel when needed. Youth Council advisors will likely be selecting applicants for inter- views by May 15, 2021. All interested youth are encouraged to fill out an application and submit the application by e-mail to; yep@ grandronde.org or by mail to: CTGR Youth Council advisors Attention: Youth Council advisors 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, OR 97347 If you have any questions, please contact either Shannon Stanton at 503-879-1489, Vincent Chargualaf at 503-879-1479 or Angey Rideout at 503-879-4533, or by e-mail at yep@grandronde.org Sincerely, Shannon Stanton Vincent Chargualaf Angey Rideout Youth Council advisors