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OCTOBER 1, 2021
Smoke Signals
‘I’m excited to represent the Tribe’
PAGEANT continued
from front page
after a family lost their 18-year-
old daughter, Victoria, to an opioid
overdose. They believe that by
Victoria’s death, thousands will be
saved through their foundation that
supports ways to reduce drug exper-
imentation, addiction and overdose.
“That really struck a chord with
me,” Frederick says. “I didn’t re-
alize it was that big of an aspect
in the event and that there was so
much community outreach. That’s
when I decided to think about doing
this. I wanted to get back to work-
ing with youth.”
As a teen and young adult grow-
ing up in Grand Ronde, she worked
for the Tribe’s Youth Education De-
partment and the Native Wellness
Institute as a facilitator, educating
other youth about healthy alterna-
tives to using drugs and alcohol.
“It really was such a passion of
mine, I thought that was the di-
rection my life would go, but plans
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Tribal member Brittny Linton Frederick was recently named Mrs. Washington
County and will be competing in the Mrs. Oregon America pageant in the
summer of 2022.
changed,” Frederick says. “I got
pregnant and had a daughter and
didn’t want to be away too much
at the time. That’s why I felt this
LIHEAP program open in service area
The Tribal Social Service’s LIHEAP – Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program – is open to eligible Tribal members in the six-county service area
and Clackamas County.
This is a first-come, first-served program and income criteria applies. LI-
HEAP is federally funded through the Department of Health and Human
Services and is designed to help low-income households with home heating
costs.
For more information, contact Social Services at 503-879-2034.
(pageant) was a good opportunity.
Community outreach is the biggest
part of the pageant and it really
inspired me.”
Frederick decided to apply for
Mrs. Washington County, the
first step to becoming Mrs. Ore-
gon America. She was accepted in
August and recently participated
in her first community outreach
charity event at Pumpkin Ridge
Golf Course.
The statewide pageant will be
held in July 2022, and involves
a panel interview, then a dance,
fitness, evening gown and onstage
TRIBAL VETERANS
SERVICE OFFICE
Ramona Quenelle, Tribal Veterans Service Officer, (TVSO)US Navy Veteran (IT2 SW)
Phone: 503-879-1484 | CTGRTribalVSO@grandronde.org
CTGR Social Services Department, Attn: Tribal Veterans Service Officer
9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347
VETERANS CRISIS LINE, CALL 1-800-273-8255 AND PRESS 1 OR TEXT 838255
VETERANS CORNER, September 2021:
SAVE THE DATE CALENDAR:
Check out our Facebook page: @CTGRTVSO
Sept. 2021 (Date/Time TBD-tentative)
Paint with a Vet event (only 22 spots available)
E-mail CTGRTVSO to register.
E-mail CTGRTribalVSO@grandronde.org to sign up for
important email updates, register for events and/or
training links!
Oct. 2021 (Date/Time TBD)
Native Wellness Behavioral Health Training #4
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August to December 2021
Coffee & Chat with the TVSO
The original plan was to take you out to coffee and
meet with you face to face. Due to the pandemic, that
isn’t possible and I do not want to risk anyone’s health
and safety. Because I still want to connect with you, I will
be reaching out to you via phone call to speak with you
about your benefits or other related veteran topics. In
return for your time the TVSO will send you a gift card as
a token of appreciation.
The Tribal Veterans Service Officer will call all
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Veterans to
review Veteran Benefits the Veteran might be eligible
for. Reviewing and applying for benefits can mean more
money in your pocket and/or more benefits that you
qualify to use. In some cases, spouses can also benefit in
case of the Veterans passing. Let’s chat!
(Via Zoom) Cultural Class #2 – Cattail Cordage
Video link, supplies, and instructions will be sent
upon request.
September 22, 2021 at 10 a.m.
(email TVSO for link to register)
Mindfulness Behavioral Health Training #3
Nov. 12, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.
Veterans Day Dinner
question portion.
Mrs. America was established
in 1976 to honor married women
throughout the United States. Each
of the contestants represents one
of the 50 states and the District of
Columbia, and participants range
in age from their 20s to their 50s.
Participants earn the right to par-
ticipate in the national event by
winning their state competition.
“I’m really looking forward to
the community outreach piece,”
Frederick says. “I’m excited to get
out there and talk to people, and
do some of my own events as well.
My goal is reduce drug exposure
to kids and teens, and encourage
other activities.”
She says she is nervous about
participating in the pageant itself.
“I’m a farm girl and grew up
wearing jeans and boots, not make-
up and gowns,” Frederick says.
“But I know it will all be OK. The
other women are very supportive
and it’s like a sisterhood. We’re
already getting really close. I’m
excited to represent the Tribe in
this way, too.”
Frederick’s Tribal roots come
from her father, Dennis Linton,
grandfather Thomas Linton and
great-grandmother Geraldine
“Toots” Mercier.
“The reason I decided to do this
is because of the experiences I had
growing up and what the Tribe
means to me,” Frederick says. “I’m
very proud to be Grand Ronde.”
Dec. 2021 (Date/Time TBD)
Veterans End of the Year Event
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SOUTHWEST ASIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS?
The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin processing
disability claims August 2, 2021 for asthma, rhinitis and
sinusitis on a presumptive basis based on presumed
particulate matter exposures during military service
in Southwest Asia and certain other areas – if these
conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying
period of military service. Contact the Tribal Veterans
Service Office to determine if your dates of service and
location of service fall within the qualifying dates.
you were on land, air or sea, you may be entitled to
compensation from the VA.
Blue Water Navy: Agent Orange Presumptive Exposure
in the Republic of Vietnam.
1. Are you a Vietnam veteran (includes military, naval,
or air service) who served in the Republic of Vietnam
between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975?
2. Did you serve aboard a vessel operating not more
than 12 nautical miles seaward from the demarcation
line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia?
3. Do you have one or more of the Agent Orange
presumptive conditions listed below: IHD, type 2
diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, respiratory cancers,
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple
myeloma, soft tissue sarcomas, prostate cancer, bladder
cancer, hyper thyroidism, etc.
Contact the Tribal Veterans Service Office for more
information.
IRAQ or AFGHANISTAN?
Did you serve in Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield,
New Dawn, Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom? The Open
Burn Pit Registry allows eligible veterans and service
members to document environmental exposures, such
as smoke from burn pits, oil-well fires, or pollution during
deployment, as well as record health concerns, through
an online questionnaire.
VIETNAM VETERANS - AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE?
The list of conditions presumed to be caused by Agent
Orange exposure has recently expanded. Whether
www.grandronde.org/services/social-services/veterans-services | www.benefits.va.gov/vso | www.facebook.com/CTGRTVSO
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