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JUNE 1, 2023
Food Bank news
The Grand Ronde Food Bank 3 iskam mfkhmfk haws 3 is operated
by Marion-Polk Food Share, which has been leading the oght 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.=
The Food Bank will hold June food box distributions from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Fridays. In addition, there is a light food box (mostly bread
and produce) distribution from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays.
People must check in 15 minutes before closing to receive a food
box on both days. If you need immediate assistance, call 211 or visit
211info.org.
Those who are unable to pick up a food box can oll 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 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. þ
Drop box installed
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department, 9655 Grand Ronde Road,
has a medication drop box located in the front lobby.
Lobby hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The drop box is for any prescribed or over-the-counter medication.
If the containers are too large to ot in the drop box, please repackage
them in a zip-lock plastic bag. Tribal Police employees cannot handle
the medications so the person dropping them off must repackage them.
Needles and liquids are not allowed in the drop box.
Tribal Police suggest mixing liquid medications with cat litter or
coffee grounds and then throwing them away with the household trash.
For more information, call 503-879-1821. þ
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 will be held at 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 21, at Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center, 8720 Grand
Ronde Road. Chair: Mia Prickett. Contact: Editorial.Board@grandronde.org.
" Education Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. on the last 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: Carmen Robertson.
" Enrollment Committee meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Center. Chair: Debi Anderson.
" Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the
monthattheNaturalResourcesbuildingofHeboRoad.Chair:HaroldLyon.
" Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Tuesday of the month in
the Molalla Room of the Health & Wellness Center. Chair: Darlene Aaron.
" Housing Grievance Board meets at 4 p.m. the third Thursday of the month
in the Housing Department conference room. Chair: Shayla Myrick-Meyer.
" 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 Commissionmeetsat10a.m.theorstTuesdayofthemonthinthe
Employment Services building. Chair: Russell Wilkinson.
" Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the
NaturalResourcesbuildingofHeboRoad.InterimChair:JonR.George.
" Veterans Special Event Boardmeetsat5:30p.m.theorstTuesdayofthe
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.
Smoke Signals
yesteryears
a look
back...
2018 3 Tribal Elder Steve
Bobb Sr., 69, finally received
a Willamina High School di-
ploma during the class of 2018
graduation ceremony. Bobb was
on track to graduate 51 years
earlier, but dropped out three
months shy of earning his di-
ploma after he and two friends
were suspended for tampering
with a ore alarm. As a veteran,
File photo
Bobb was eligible to be award- 2018
ed the diploma and Willamina
staff worked with his wife of more than 50 years, Connie, to surprise
him.
2013 3 The Tribe continued its effort to amend the Grand Ronde
Reservation Act and streamline how the Tribe took land into trust
with Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno making his second appear-
ance in Washington, D.C., in less than a year to testify in favor of H.R.
841. The legislation was introduced by Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader
and sought to end the two-step process that required the Tribe take
each piece of former Reservation land into trust with approval from
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and then request the land be designated
Reservation land by Congress. The legislation would allow the Tribe
to streamline the process.
2008 3 The Memorial Day ceremony in Grand Ronde included a
keynote speech from then-Gov. Ted Kulongoski at the West Valley
Veterans Memorial. Approximately 50 Tribal and family members
and veterans from across the West Valley gathered for the event. It
was also the orst Tribal ceremony held with fresh ceremonial meat.
2003 3 Seven gates were installed to protect forests on the Grand
Ronde Reservation during high ore hazard days. <We9ve got $180
million plus worth of timber,= Natural Resources Manager Pete
Wakeland said. <We9re putting a lot of our timber resources at risk
if we9re not closing down during high ore danger.=
1998 3 Tribal Information Day was celebrated at the State Capi-
tol building with a proclamation presented by Oregon Secretary of
State Phil Keisling to kick off the day set aside for Oregon citizens
to learn orsthand about Tribal culture, history and community pro-
grams. Traditional dancers and drummers attended the event, and
Tribes also provided informational tables. Tribal leaders said that
the proclamation honoring Oregon Indian nations was a signiocant
recognition of Indigenous sovereignty
1993 3 The orst year of the Tribe9s Head Start program wrapped
up and was touted as the <orst of its kind= in Grand Ronde. It was
developed in conjunction with the Yamhill Community Action Pro-
gram of McMinnville. Nineteen children attended the program, which
was staffed by teacher Angela Bedortha, assistant teacher Mary Cook
and family services advocate June Olson.
1988 3 A harmful 1950s-era Termination policy, H.R. 108, was
repealed by Congress as part of an education reauthorization bill
passed by the House of Representatives and Senate. The 1953 pol-
icy led to an era of Termination amongst Native American Tribes.
Eventually, most of the Tribes that were terminated under the policy
were restored to their former status as federally recognized Tribes,
but the policy remained on the books for years longer.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in ove-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.
RABBI TRUST FUND AND MINORS9
CUSTODIAL TRUST FUND
This announcement is to inform you of the upcoming election
opportunity to recommend an investment option that best suits
your tolerance for investment risk. The election deadline is June
22,2023,andtheinvestmentperiodwillbeefectivefromJuly1,
2023,untilmodioed.
Recognizing that each Tribal member9s tolerance for investment
riskmaybediferent,parentsofminormembersage17oryoung-
er having balances in the Rabbi Trust Fund and Minors9 Custodial
Trust Fund, or members age 18 or older can recommend that
thesefundsbeinvestedinoneoutofovepossibleinvestment
options.
Please e-mail deanne.norton@grandronde.org or call 503-879-
2215toreceiveyourInvestmentRiskAssessmentRecommenda-
tion Form. This is optional and open only to those who participate
in the Rabbi and Minors9 Custodial Trust Funds. þ