PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
Community Fund surpasses
$89 million mark in giving
— pg. 5
June 15, 2022
Floral Parade reblooms
Casino float ‘Returning to Our Roots’ depicts camas harvesting
By Dean Rhodes
P
Smoke Signals editor
ORTLAND — For
the first time since
June 2019, a Spirit
Mountain Casino float
trundled out of Veter-
ans Memorial Coliseum
during the return of the
Grand Floral Parade on
Saturday, June 11.
The parade was can-
celed, like so many other
events, in 2020 and ’21
because of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The casino’s float, “Re-
turning to Our Roots,”
featured a Native girl
wearing dentalium ear-
rings and harvesting cam-
as bulbs. On her back was
a large gathering basket
made of corn husks that
had been christened with
real camas seeds. On the
rear of the float were a Spirit Mountain Casino’s float “Returning to Our Roots” depicts a
mother and baby deer ob- young Tribal woman harvesting camas bulbs. The Grand Floral Parade
serving the girl’s activity. was held in Portland on Saturday, June 11.
Spirit Mountain Casi-
Leloo Quenelle, Veterans Junior Queen KaLea
no Public Relations Administrator Jocelyn
Liebelt and Little Miss Grand Ronde Ila Mercier
Huffman said the design of the float was
– walked in front of the float through Memorial
a collaboration with Cultural Resources
Coliseum and outdoors to the VIP seating area
Department employees Bobby Mercier and
before the float started unaccompanied on the
Travis Stewart, who provided 19th-century
parade route proper.
photos of Native women gathering camas.
However, Huffman said, the casino want-
See PARADE
ed the float to depict a modern woman to
continued
on page 7
reinforce the fact that Grand Ronde Tribal
members are still here.
From left, Veterans Little Miss Queen Leloo
Grand Ronde Royalty – Senior Miss Grand
Quenelle and Little Miss Grand Ronde Ila Mercier
Ronde Kaleigha Simi, Veterans Senior Queen
Tasina Bluehorse, Junior Miss Grand Ronde
lead the Grand Ronde Royalty as they accompany
Marie Quenelle, Veterans Little Miss Queen
the Spirit Mountain Casino float.
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Krehbiel elevating Native art in Oregon City
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
O
REGON CITY — Tribal arti-
san Brian Krehbiel is taking
his work to new heights –
literally.
The 42-year-old Grand Ronde
Tribal member has been commis-
sioned to paint his first mural near
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
a major intersection in downtown
Oregon City and directly across the
street from the Tribe’s property at
the former Blue Heron Paper Mill.
The 75-by-20-foot painting on the
outside of White Rabbit Books &
See MURAL
continued on page 10
Tribal member Brian Krehbiel works on a mural he was commissioned to
paint on the side of the White Rabbit Books & Black Ink Coffee building in
Oregon City on Thursday, June 9. The mural is across from the Blue Heron site
and is intended to be a mirror of Willamette Falls.