Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2021)
sNok signflz AUGUST 15, 2021 NATIVE AMERICAN WATCHLIST Watchlist: ‘Indigenous In Plain Sight’ By Kamiah Koch Smoke Signals social media/digital journalist Gregg Deal introduced himself as a husband, father, artist and activist during a TEDx event he spoke at in Boulder, Colo. A video of the event was published to YouTube on June 26, 2018, and has since amassed more than 135,000 views. In his talk, called “Indigenous In Plain Sight,” Deal uses the TEDx platform to talk about the Native American topics his artwork addresses. He shared he’s from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and displayed his artwork (some controversial) on the projection screens behind him. He said his artwork explores topics of Indigenous identity, historical consideration and decolonization. Deal introduced his varied artwork: from performance art address- ing blood quantum issues, murals in cities depicting Native youth identities and the type of art he focused on most in the TEDx talk, his gallery paintings. He used his paintings to broach his interpretations as a Native artist. He believes the value of Indigenous people is low in the eyes of America and American culture. He explained he finds that more often than not, if Native people don’t fit into the stereotyped version of them, they are not seen at all. He said in his experience, if Native artwork “fits what Western cul- ture expects” it has a better chance of selling and artwork that “isn’t informed by the Western buyer’s market” does not. He used one of his painting to explain. He displayed on the screen a painting of small boy standing with hunched shoulders and bloody elbows and knees. Deal explained it’s a story from a neighboring Tribe about a young Native boy who was forced to go to a residential school called Stewart Indian School in Nevada. When he entered the school they bathed him because they think he is dirty. He has dark skin so his elbows and knees have more melanin than the rest of his body. The woman bathing the boy assumed this is dirt and she scrubbed his elbows and knees until he was bleeding. This story was the inspiration for Deal’s painting, but he said be- cause the painting doesn’t fit the traditional type of artwork expected from Native people, he feels the reaction from non-Native people says, “These stories don’t matter.” He challenged the audience to take his artwork and the stories he told in the TEDx talk and do their own research if they aren’t familiar with residential schools or Native life. “Are you making spaces for Indigenous people in your home and in your workplace? Are you creating inclusion in those places?,” Deal said to the audience in the video. “Are you realizing that as you walk these lands that there are people who walked these lands before you? These are sacred and important things and Indigenous people are still here and we matter.” To watch the entire 13-minute video, go to www.youtube.com/ watch?v=s3FL9uhTH_s or visit the Smoke Signals YouTube channel and find it under the “Watchlist” playlist. Community Health Program Medical Transport Services Medical transportation services are available to Tribal members within the six-county service area when an alternate means of transportation is not available. Advance notice required. Please call 503-879-2078 to schedule a reservation. 13 Public Notice Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program American Rescue Plan Grant Application Proposal Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde On July 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De- velopment issued its Indian Community Development Block Grant – American Rescue Plan notice on how to apply for these grant funds to prevent, prepare for or respond to COVID-19 under their Imminent Threat section of the program. The application due date for Grand Ronde is Sept. 4, 2021. Notice was sent to affected departments that same day Grand Ronde received its invitation to apply. Departments reviewed options and suggested projects and Tribal administration is forwarding the proposed application activities to Tribal Council. Tribal administration is proposing activities that prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19. This includes health and emergency services. Among these improvements are the construction of public health offices and purchasing and equipping of an ambulance and outfitting personnel with protective gear. To comment on the proposed application, please contact Kim Rogers, Planning & Grants Development Manager, at 503-879-2250 or send your comments to him at kim.rogers@grandronde.org or at 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347. Written comments should be provided by 8:30 a.m. Aug. 24, 2021. Tribal Council will review comments collected to date at its Aug. 24, 2021, Legislative Action Committee meeting and again at its Aug. 25, 2021, Tribal Council meeting at which time Tribal Council will consider authorizing this application. Tribal Council also will consider comments provided by Grand Ronde community members in determining whether to make any modifications to the application. The resulting application will be available for review. Fee assistance available Enrolled Tribal members can request assistance with test fees (i.e. GRE, SAT, LSAT, ACT) and admissions application fees. Contact Higher Education for more information at 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2275.
