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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2023)
PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 700 december 1, 2023 Photo by Michelle Alaimo A 26,000-square-foot Child Development Center will be constructed where the current softball field is on the Tribal campus. The building will take approximately one year to construct and should be open in December 2024. Tribal Council approves contract to build Child Development Center By Dean Rhodes Publications coordinator T ribal Council approved a $16.3 million contract with Triplett Wellman of Wood- burn on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to construct a new Child Development Center on the Tribal campus. Engineering and Planning Man- ager Ryan Webb said during the Tuesday, Nov. 14, Legislative Action Committee meeting that the one-story, 26,000-square-foot building will include 12 classrooms, outdoor play areas, community room, large commercial kitchen, 16 administrative ofoces, break room, restrooms and other support areas. <It9s a big building,= Webb added. The building will be constructed where the current softball oeld is located adjacent to the old powwow grounds courtyard in front of the Governance Center. The area was recently fenced off in preparation for construction to begin. Webb said the building will take approximately one year to con- struct and should be open in De- cember 2024. Funding for the Child Develop- ment Center is a combination of American Rescue Plan Act monies, grants from foundations and Tribal dollars, Webb added. In other action, Tribal Council: " Approved the seventh supple- mental budget of 2023 to al- locate $2.94 million more for the construction of the Public Health/Vaccine Clinic building currently under construction at the entrance to the Tribal cam- See MEETING continued on page 5 Photos by Michelle Alaimo Tribal Elder and Ceremonial Hunting Board member Steve Rife shakes hands with Tribal member Vivyan Lopez as he and everyone else who worked on the Tribe9s memorandum of agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife are honored during the Tribe9s 40th Restoration Celebration at Spirit Mountain Casino9s Event Center on Sunday, Nov. 19. Celebrating 40 years of Restoration By Sherron Lumley Smoke Signals staff writer T he Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde celebrated 40 years of restoration at a banquet and powwow held at Spirit Mountain Casino on Sun- day, Nov. 19. <Today we rejoice and celebrate 40 years of being restored, from a one-room shack in the cemetery to what we have today,= Tribal Council member Jon A. George said. <We knew inside us we were Grand Ronde people.= Restoration Day celebrates Nov. 22, 1983, a major turning point for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and all generations to come. Through the efforts of Tribal Elders, restoration of Tribal status became a reality only after many long years of enduring hardship upon hard- ship, decimation, removal and the Western Oregon Indian Termination Act of 1954. The orst order of Restoration Day was honoring Tribal an- cestors. Tribal Council Chair- woman Cheryle A. Kennedy joined George, who led the atud- ship ceremony at the Grand Ronde cemetery that morning to commemorate those who have walked on and pray for commu- See RESTORATION continued on pages 10-11 Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy gives a welcome during the Tribe9s 40th Restoration Celebration at Spirit Mountain Casino9s Event Center on Sunday, Nov. 19.
