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OCTOBER 15, 2023
Smoke Signals receives five ONPA
awards for graphics, photos,
design and news writing
SMOKE SIGNALS
Outstanding cooperator
By Dean Rhodes
Publications coordinator
Smoke Signals received five awards – two firsts and three seconds
– during the 136th annual Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
Conference held Thursday and Friday, Sept. 28-29, in Gleneden Beach.
The awards in the Associate Member category were given for work
published in 2022.
Smoke Signals Graphic Designer Samuel Briggs III received a first-place
award in the Graphics category for an illustration tracing the Tribe’s
two-year anniversary of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic published
on March 15, 2022. He also took second place in the same category for a
graphic depicting where all of the Indian boarding schools were located
in Oregon that was published on June 1, 2022.
Smoke Signals Page Designer and Tribal member Justin Phillips took
second place in the Design competition.
Smoke Signals Editor Danielle Harrison and Social Media/Digital Jour-
nalist and Tribal member Kamiah Koch received a second-place award
for the series titled “Parenting From Prison” in the Best News Writing
competition.
Former Smoke Signals Photojournalist Timothy J. Gonzalez received
a first-place award in the Best News Photo category for a photograph of
Tribal Council member Jon A. George harvesting lamprey at Willamette
Falls that was published on Sept. 1, 2022.
Smoke Signals was once again the only Tribal newspaper honored in
the statewide competition. The newspaper finished second in the Associ-
ate Member competition behind the Salem-based agricultural newspaper
Capital Press for the most awards received for work published in 2022.
“Smoke Signals continues to deliver excellence as it champions the
independent free press in Indian Country,” said Grand Ronde Editorial
Board member Andy Jenness. “As a Tribal member and Editorial Board
member, I applaud the award-winning dedication of our staff.”
Earlier this year, Smoke Signals won six awards from the Indigenous
Journalists Association, including first place in the coveted General Ex-
cellence category in its circulation category.
Smoke Signals has now won 131 state and national journalism awards
since 2007.
Contributed photo
Grand Ronde Tribal Restoration Ecologist/FW Policy Analyst Lindsay
McClary accepts the 2023 Outstanding Cooperator Award from Polk
Soil & Water Conservation District Manager Kevin Porter during the
Conservation District’s Conservation Celebration at Salt Creek Cider
House in Dallas on Thursday, Aug. 31. The Tribe was selected for
the award due to its wildlife conservation efforts. McClary is also a
Conservation District board member. “The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde have been wonderful partners to work with and do so much
for conserving land in and around Polk County for wildlife habitat,”
Conservation District Outreach Coordinator Morgan Neil said. “We
value having representatives of the Tribe at the table to help guide the
work we do. We’re so grateful for your partnership and commitment to
conservation.” The Tribe last received this award in 2012.