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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2021)
4 SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 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 a continuing reaction to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Food Bank will hold September food box distributions on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “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. 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 is 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 17, using the Zoom teleconference application. Chair: Mia Prickett. 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. a look back... 2016 – Sixty-eight employees were honored for a combined 861 years of service to the Grand Ronde Tribe during a morning cer- emony held in the Tribal gym. A record 10 employees were honored for serving 20 years or more, led by Lead Groundskeeper Greg Leno, who hit the 28-year mark. Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Her- 2016 File photo nandez handed out certificates and checks, and in the case of employees reaching 10 years of service she also distributed Tribal Pendleton blankets. 2011 – The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde became the official owner of the eight-acre Grand Ronde Middle School property. The Tribe agreed to buy the land and 27,443-foot facility for $675,000 from the Willamina School District. The property was part of the Tribe’s original reservation given to it in an 1857 Presidential Order in exchange for ceded lands that included most of western Oregon. The property was zoned as Grand Ronde Public Assembly by Polk County, which allowed for a variety of uses. 2006 – Ntsayka Ikanum, which means “Our Story” in Chinuk Wawa, was launched online. It was an ongoing virtual experience created by the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department, and included sections covering the Tribe’s past, present and future. “Nothing will ever be taken down,” said Lindy Trolan, the department’s Cultural Collections Coordinator. “It will only be added to.” The project was close to two years in the making, according to Trolan, who developed content for the project along with Special Projects Coordinator Kim Mueller and Cultural Education Specialist Leslie Riggs. 2001 – The Tribal Housing Department was planning to construct a 36-unit family housing development across the street from Tribal offices on a 20-acre site. Construction of the homes was expected to start in the spring of 2002, with the street and site work to begin within a month. The completion date for everything was set for early 2003. Units included one- to five-bedroom options. Each home would include a yard with paths throughout the development. A main com- munity gathering area with picnic tables, benches and a fireplace also was being planned for the site. 1996 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Tribe’s new Health & Wellness Center was held with approximately 100 people in at- tendance. “All the land and everything mentioned in the treaties … we’re getting it now. But we’ve already paid in advance,” Tribal Council Vice Chair Kathryn Harrison said. A comprehensive health care facility had been a long-held dream for many Tribal members and leaders in Grand Ronde, both because of the need and to provide services for future generations of Tribal members. 1991 – The seventh annual powwow drew approximately 5,000 people who participated in a variety of activities. During the Roy- alty Pageant, Deana Gardner was crowned Miss Grand Ronde and Courtney Galligher was named Junior Miss Grand Ronde. Other activities included a parade, fun run and walk, and a plethora of Tribal drumming and dancing, including guest Native dancers from New Zealand. The Tribe provided a meal which included salmon, elk and fry bread. Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in- crements through the pages of Smoke Signals. 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: Harold Lyon. • 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. • 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. Dates vary. Contact Dana Ainam at 503-879-2037. Chair: Dana Ainam. • TERO Commission meets at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday 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.) Health & Wellness offering vaccinations The Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center is now offering COVID-19 vaccinations for youths 12 to 17 years of age, Health Services Executive Director Kelly Rowe announced on June 15. The Tribe is using the Pfizer vaccine for youths. To schedule an appointment, contact the clinic at 503-879-2032. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control recently expanded the emergency use autho- rization for the Pfizer vaccine to adolescents, meaning the two governmental organizations determined that clinical trials show the vaccine is safe and effective for children in this age range. According to www.grandronde.org, the Tribe has vaccinated more than 20,500 people since it started receiving the two-dose Moderna vaccine in late December with more than 9,950 of those people being Elders 55 and older.
