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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2021)
6 JUNE 15, 2021 Smoke Signals NATIVE AMERICAN WATCHLIST Watchlist: ‘Stolen Children: Residential School survivors speak out’ By Kamiah Koch Social media/digital journalist Black-and-white footage of Native children in residential schools shows the students to be smiling and enjoying their les- son in the classroom. However, we now know the reality of life in residential schools was very different. “CBC News: The National” published an 18-minute video in 2015 interviewing residen- tial school survivors and their children. All the survivors inter- viewed spent between three and 12 years in residential schools in Canada and recount their experiences being perpetually beaten, sexually assaulted and mentally abused. With the recent discovery of 215 child remains found at the Canadian Kamloops Indian Res- idential School, Smoke Signals thought this video was a timely recommendation for those unfa- miliar with Native residential schools’ histories. “Indian children … in the res- idential schools … die at a much higher rate than in their villag- es,” Duncan Campbell Scott, the deputy superintendent of Indian Affairs, said. “But this does not justify a change in the policy of this department, which is geared towards a final solution of our Indian problem.” The survivors’ descriptions of residential schools told in the video is what nightmares are made of. Alice Littledeer survived eight years in a residential school and recounted a little girl around the age of 6 dying beside her. She stated the parents of that child were never notified. Mike Loft, a child of a resi- dential school survivor, shared his father’s story not being able to play around the school or go outside, so to cure the boredom students would endlessly walk around in circles. Raymond Mason survived residential school for 12 years and shared his story of being beaten for speaking his Native tongue or trying to run away. He singles out receiving one horrible beating the time he hugged his sister when he discovered they had been in the same school and were unaware they had been liv- ing just down the hall from each other for a long time. The stories in the interview go on. Unfortunately, they are not unique to one school or person. Treatment like this was wide- spread in residential schools in the United States and Canada. And this abuse in residential schools has left its mark on Na- tive American life today. Sadly, the fear Loft’s father experienced in residential school was passed down to him and he admits he passed that fear to his children. Children of sur- vivors shared in the video how their parents’ loss of childhood and family and suffering years of abuse was often replicated and felt generations afterward. A term well-known in Native culture today as “historical trau- ma.” To watch the “Stolen Children” video, go to www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vdR9HcmiXLA or vis- it the Smoke Signals YouTube channel and click on the “Watch- list” playlist. Local school districts offering summer meals WILLAMINA – The Willamina and Sheridan school districts are once again providing free meals to children from 1 to 18 years of age during the summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture annually partners with local organi- zations to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer. Meals will be served Monday through Thursday at the following locations: Willamina and Grand Ronde (June 21 to July 29): Willamina Elementary School, 11:30 a.m. to noon; Raven Loop Park, 12:15 to 12:30 p.m.; and Tina Miller Park, 12:45 to 1 p.m. Sheridan (June 28 to Aug. 19): Sheridan High School, 10:30 to 10:45 a.m.; Faulconer-Chapman, 11 a.m. to noon; Sheridan City Park, 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.; and Open Door Church, 12:45 to 1 p.m. Meals will not be served on Monday, July 5. No income requirements or registration is needed for youth to pick up a meal. For more information, visit SummerFoodOregon.org or call 211 or text “food” to 877-877. More information also is available at the school districts’ websites. Tribal Council proposes one-year moratorium on disenrollments By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal Council sent a proposed amendment to the Enrollment Ordinance that would create a one- year moratorium concerning loss of membership in the Tribe out for a first reading at its Wednesday, June 2, meeting. The move will require the pro- posed amendment to be advertised in two editions of Smoke Signals and give Tribal members 30 days to comment. During the Tuesday, June 1, Leg- islative Action Committee meeting, Tribal Council member Kathleen George said the proposal is the result of the current enrollment hearings being held by the Tribe. In October 2019, Tribal Council hired Carefree, Ariz., attorney Robert Lyttle to research Tribal enrollment issues and conduct pub- lic meetings. The first meeting was held virtually on Wednesday, May 26, and attracted approximately 130 Tribal members and lasted almost three hours. The next meetings were sched- uled for Thursday, June 10, 17 and 24 with the June 10 and 24 meetings held in Grand Ronde with limited in-person attendance as well as Internet accessibility. Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Her- nandez said the in-person meetings will have a maximum of 50 people in attendance. Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy said that the purpose of the four enrollment meetings is to gain input from members and work toward an ad- visory vote that at least two-thirds of the membership would support. The Tribal Constitution requires any proposed changes to the Consti- tution be approved by 66.7 percent of those voting. The proposed disenrollment mor- atorium will not protect a Tribal member who is found to be dually enrolled in another Tribe, which is in violation of the Tribal Consti- tution. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved applying for two grants from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Invasive Species Program. Fish & Wildlife Program Manager Kelly Dirksen said the $125,653 grant for the Chankawan conservation property in Marion County would combat Scotch broom and the $25,520 grant for the Rattlesnake Butte conservation property in Lane County would combat Scotch broom and blackberries; • Approved applying for a maxi- mum $200,000 Tribal Wildlife Grant from the U.S. Fish & Wild- life Service that would replant 40 acres of the Chahalpam conserva- tion property in Marion County back to its original riparian hard- wood/floodplain forest status; • Approved appointing Denaee Towner to the Housing Grievance Board with a term expiring in March 2024 and re-appointing Kevin Schultz and Dennis Dins- more to the Grand Ronde Gaming Commission with terms expiring in June 2024; • And approved two timber sales for the Natural Resources De- partment. The Near North Sal- vage timber sale would harvest storm-damaged trees on approx- imately 134 acres and bring in a net revenue of approximately $31,000. The Coal Creek 2021 Right-of-Way timber sale would affect four acres and bring in a net revenue of about $14,000. Also included in the June 2 Tribal Council packet were authoriza- tions to proceed that approved a cultural significance letter for the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Pro- gram’s fiscal year 2023 proposals and approved a services agreement not to exceed $130,000 with the nonprofit Willamette Partnership. To watch the entire meeting, sign on to the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Government tab and then Videos. Lamprey harvesting season runs through July 31 The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife has established the Pacific lamprey harvesting season as June 1 through July 31 of this year. Harvesting is allowed Fridays through Mondays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is not allowed Tuesday through Thursday. Harvesting is confined to the east side of Willamette Falls and does not include the horseshoe area at the peak of the falls. Harvesters should avoid these areas. Gear is restricted to hand or hand-powered tools only. A permit is required, but Tribal members are allowed to use their Tribal enroll- ment card in lieu of a state-issued permit. In addition, Tribal members may harvest for distribution to other Tribal members as long as it is done free of charge. Commercial sale of lamprey and the use of lamprey as bait in fisheries is prohibited. A catch must be recorded on a harvest card available from the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department or by contacting the Clack- amas ODFW office at 17330 S.E. Evelyn St. All harvest cards must be returned by Aug. 31. Tribal members planning to harvest lamprey should contact Natural Resources to arrange for a packet at 503-879-2424. Due to COVID-19 protocols, an appointment is required to obtain onsite services from Natural Resources.