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JUNE 1, 2023
Smoke Signals
Spring Celebration fetes relationship between state and Tribes
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
SALEM 3 For the orst time since
2019, the Legislative Commission
on Indian Services9 Spring Celebra-
tion returned to the Oregon State
Capitol in Salem, but with a new
twist: It was held outdoors instead
of the Capitol Rotunda due to on-
going construction.
<It's good to be here on this land,=
Legislative Commission on Indian
Services Vice Chair and Coquille
Tribal Chair Brenda Meade said.
<This is blessed land and we are
blessed to live here in this place
that we call Oregon. We have been
working a lot this season. It is
spring and a time for our Tribes to
go out and prepare for the seasons.
But it is also important to be here
today.=
Almost 49 years ago, the state of
Oregon established the Legislative
Commission on Indian Services.
Next came an executive order
creating a govern-
ment-to-govern-
ment relationship
between the state
and its nine fed-
erally recognized
Tribes. The rela-
tionship is cele-
brated with the
Spring Celebra-
tion, which is held
biennially to co-
incide with when
the Legislature is
in session. This
year9s event was on Thursday,
May 18.
Meade said she was pleased to
see so many Tribal leaders in at-
tendance.
<Many, many bills are running
through that building, right behind
me, that are going to impact the
Tribes and our communities forev-
er, and we shouldn't take it lightly.
I do not believe the Oregon Tribes
do. & The Legislative Commis-
sion on Indian Services allows our
Tribal leaders to come together to
talk with our legislators and to talk
about how it impacts our people and
to think about how best we should
make these decisions together.=
Representatives from seven of the
nine federally recognized Tribes
attended. The Siletz and Klam-
ath Tribes were unable to attend.
Tribal information tables were on
display as they usually are, only
this time it was at Wilson Park,
adjacent to the Capitol.
Grand Ronde9s table was staffed
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council member Jon A. George speaks during the Legislative
Commission on Indian Services9 2023 Spring Celebration held in Wilson Park
on the Oregon State Capitol grounds in Salem on Thursday, May 18. Tribal
Council members Brenda Tuomi, left, and Denise Harvey, middle, also spoke
briefly.
Tribal Council
member Brenda
Tuomi carries
the Grand Ronde
flag during the
procession to start
the Legislative
Commission on
Indian Services9 2023
Spring Celebration
held in Wilson Park
on the Oregon State
Capitol grounds.
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by Tribal Council Chief of Staff
Stacia Hernandez. It included
chocolates, lapel pins and folders
of information on the Tribe.
The celebration began with Tribal
government leaders bringing in
their respective Tribal nags. Also
included were the American nag,
Oregon nag and POW/MIA nag.
Tribal Council member Brenda
Tuomi carried in the Grand Ronde
nag. Other Tribal Council members
in attendance were Jon A. George
and Denise Harvey.
Warm Springs Tribal Council
member Carlos Calica gave the
invocation and sang a prayer song.
Afterward, Tribal leaders were
given the opportunity to speak to
attendees. George, Harvey and
Tuomi each said a few words and
cultural
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George drummed and sang.
<It's an honor to stand up here
today to address each and every
one of you,= he said. <We thank you
for this. We stand upon the lands of
our people, the Santiam Kalapuya.=
Added Harvey, <I want to wel-
come you all here. It9s an honor to
be here. Enjoy your day, get all the
information you can.=
Commission Director Patrick
Flanagan also welcomed attendees
to the Spring Celebration.
<Thank you for being here,= he
said. <These connections are how
relationships are built.=
Senate President Rob Wagner
said he has an appreciation for
LCIS and all the work it does to
advocate on behalf of Oregon9s nine
Tribes.
<I want to give my deep appreci-
ation and thanks to LCIS,= he said.
<It9s a joy to be spending just a few
minutes with you this morning.
I know this celebration typically
happens in the Capitol Rotunda.
But spending this early summer
morning on our beautiful grounds
is a pretty darn good substitute. &
<One of my biggest responsibili-
ties here is to listen. People come
into our ofoces and the Legislature
every day to discuss topics of crit-
ical importance to them and their
communities. And it is our duty,
all of us, to hear them and truly
work to understand these diverse
perspectives and this is particularly
true when I get the opportunity, the
blessing of meeting with Oregon9s
nine federally recognized Tribes.
Each is unique and special. The
Tribes have knowledge and wisdom
that we all in the Capitol space
must listen to.=
After the speakers onished, at-
tendees perused the Tribal infor-
mation tables, enjoyed fry bread
from Portland9s Native American
Rehabilitation Association, and got
an up-close view of a canoe carved
from a western red cedar, which
was brought by the Confederated
Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and
Siuslaw.
Harvey said it felt great to be
back at the event, especially with
the outdoor component added.
<I9ve been coming here for more
than 20 years and it9s the orst time
we9ve done it outside,= she said. <It9s
nice to see all of the Tribes and ev-
eryone enjoying themselves.=
It is the orst Spring Celebration
for Flanagan, who took over as di-
rector in 2021.
<It9s great to go to the committee
meetings and attend the annual
Tribal summit, but this is a nice
opportunity for Tribes to get to-
gether and chat with the commu-
nity and legislators as they pass
through. There9s good attendance
and participation, and that9s one
of the huge benefits to having it
outside. Encouraging relationships
and understanding is what this is
all about.=
Acting Secretary of State Cher-
yl Myers closed the ceremony by
reading a proclamation declaring
May 18-25 as American Indian
Week. þ