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— pg. 12
june 15, 2023
‘She was a true warrior’
Public memorial service
honors Kathryn Harrison
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
S
everal hundred people, including federal, state and
Tribal government leaders, attended a public memo-
rial service for Grand Ronde Tribal Elder Kathryn
Harrison held Sunday, June 4, at Spirit Mountain Casino’s
Event Center.
Harrison, who walked on May 21 at the age of 99, was
instrumental in the Restoration efforts of two Oregon Tribes
– the Siletz and Grand Ronde. At the time of her passing,
she was the Grand Ronde Tribe’s eldest Elder and a revered
figure for her work on the Restoration effort in the early
1980s, as well as for 17 years of service on the Grand Ronde
Tribal Council between 1984 and 2001.
The more than two-hour service was segmented to honor
Harrison’s myriad influential roles throughout her life. There
were tributes from two nieces, fellow Restoration workers
with both the Siletz and Grand Ronde Tribes, from federal
and state leaders regarding her service on Tribal Council
and her work on Tribal-state governmental relationships,
and from others regarding her community service.
“I’m here to welcome you and to thank you for honoring
our beloved Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison who many of
you have worked with for many, many years,” said Grand
Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy in
her opening remarks that occurred after the Veterans Color
Guard, Grand Ronde Singers and Veterans Royalty brought
in the flags and performed “The Lord’s Prayer.”
“Today, we gather here to bid farewell to our beloved
chairwoman. We pray that God, our Creator, rest her soul
and gather her in his bosom,” Kennedy added.
The stage featured a black-and-white portrait of Harrison,
her regalia, a blanket presented to her by the Corvallis
See HARRISON
continued on pages 8-9
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy speaks during the memorial service
for Tribal Elder Kathryn Harrison held at Spirit Mountain Casino’s Event Center on
Sunday, June 4. Harrison walked on May 21 at the age of 99.
Veterans Powwow
slated for July 7-9
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
T
he Marcellus Norwest Me-
morial Veterans Powwow
will return to Grand Ronde’s
Uyxat Powwow Grounds in July and
include a veterans resource fair,
Royalty coronation, food and lots of
dancing.
It will be the first year that Tribal
Elder and Vietnam War-era Marine
Corps veteran Steve Bobb Sr. will
See POWWOW
continued on page 7
If you go
Marcellus Norwest Memorial
Veterans Powwow
When: Grand entries at 7
p.m. Friday, July 7; 1 and 7
p.m. Saturday, July 8; and
noon Sunday, July 9. Royalty
pageant at 11 a.m. Friday with
coronation at 5 p.m.
Where: Uyxat Powwow
grounds, 9600 Hebo Road
Cost: Free
Grand Ronde Road repaving
began on Monday, June 5
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
G
rand Ronde residents and
governmental employees
started facing a summer
of repaving work on Grand Ronde
Road beginning Monday, June 5.
The start date is 10 days ahead of
schedule and the project is expect-
ed to wrap up by the end of Septem-
ber, according to construction signs
placed along Grand Ronde Road.
Tribal Engineering and Planning
Manager Ryan Webb sent out an
all-employee e-mail Friday, June
2, to give everyone a heads-up on
the impending road work.
“During this time there will
be single lane closures on Grand
Ronde Road,” he said. “As they ex-
cavate and replace the road section,
they will have flaggers to move
traffic through the work zone area.”
The first phase, which was ten-
tatively set to end Friday, June
9, began near the intersection of
Highway 22 and Grand Ronde
Road.
Polk County Public Works Direc-
tor Todd Whitaker said the project
is a “full depth” reconstruction that
See ROAD
continued on page 6