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JANUARY 1, 2024
Food Bank news
The Grand Ronde Food Bank – iskam mfkhmfk haws – is operated
by Marion-Polk Food Share, which has been leading the fight to end
hunger since 1987 because no one should be hungry.
Recipients of SNAP, TANF, SSI or LIHEAP assistance automatically
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 January 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 fill 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 email for the Food Bank calendar and events, as well as
follow the Food Bank on Facebook.
The Food Bank is an equal opportunity provider. Contact Ambrose
at 503-879-3663 or fambrose@marionpolkfoodshare.org for more in-
formation or to volunteer.
Health & Wellness program report
scheduled for January meeting
MEETING continued
from front page
bers, designating regular meeting
dates, attendance requirements
and specifying nominations;
• Approved the agenda for the
Sunday, Jan. 7, General Council
meeting, which will feature a
program report on the Health &
Wellness Center and start at 11
a.m. in Tribal Council Chambers
and on Zoom;
• And approved enrolling four in-
fants into the Tribe because they
meet the requirements outlined
in the Tribal Constitution and
Enrollment Ordinance.
To watch the entire meeting, visit
the Tribal government’s website at
www.grandronde.org and click on
the Videos tab.
Committee & Special Event
Board meeting days and times
• Ceremonial Hunting Board meets as needed. Chair: Marline Gro-
shong.
• 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
a.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at the Tribal Governance Center: 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 Gover-
nance Center. Chair: Debi Anderson.
• Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday
of the month at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Chair:
Reyn Leno.
• 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 Com-
munity Center. Dates vary. Contact Dana Ainam at 503-879-2037.
Chair: Dana Ainam.
• TERO Commission meets at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday of the month
in the Employment Services building. Chair: Russell Wilkinson.
• Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Interim Chair: Jon
R. George.
• Veterans Special Event Board meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Tuesday
of the month in the old Elders Craft House. Chair: Rich VanAtta.
To update information on this list, contact Smoke Signals Editor
Danielle Harrison at 503-879-4663 or danielle.harrison@grandronde.org.
SMOKE SIGNALS
yesteryears
a look
back...
2019 – The Tribe’s
Health and Wellness
Center hosted a town
hall, bringing in national
and local experts on the
opioid crisis, treatment
options and to share the
latest information. Or-
egon Health Authori-
ty data showed Native
Americans had the
highest overdose rates
File photo
of prescription opioids. 2019
Audit results released by
Secretary of State Dennis Richardson revealed Oregon to have the
highest national rate of senior citizens hospitalized for opioid-related
issues. The Tribal community also heard about medication-assisted
treatment for addiction and abstinence-based recovery programs.
2014 – Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Kathleen George
announced $396,635 in fourth-quarter grants to 27 area nonprofits,
bringing total grants for 2013 to almost $3 million. Tribal Council
Chair Reyn Leno said that the membership was very supportive of
the program. The new grants went to five program areas including
education, the arts, health, public safety and environmental pres-
ervation. The largest grant recipient was A Family for Every Child
in Eugene, which received $50,000 from the Tribe.
2009 – A pre-Christmas winter storm of nearly record-breaking
proportion shut down the Tribal campus and local schools for more
than a week. Twenty inches of snow followed by freezing rain hit
Grand Ronde by Christmas Eve, canceling important seasonal Trib-
al events, and giving Willamina students an extended three-week
Christmas break. Roads and Tribal campus parking lots were cleared
for emergency vehicles first, and 30 rooms were set aside for Elders
at Spirit Mountain Casino in case of emergency.
2004 – Back-to-back snow and ice storms hit Oregon between
Christmas and New Year’s, knocking out power and shutting down
Tribal offices for most of the week. Portland General Electric person-
nel said Grand Ronde was one of the worst-hit areas in the state. As
much as a foot of snow caused falling trees and downed power lines,
closing roads between Salem and Grand Ronde. Tribal members
checked on Elders to ensure their safety.
1999 – A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held during the grand open-
ing of Spirit Mountain Lodge. Community members and staff dropped
by the new hotel to hear some words of dedication from Tribal Council
member and Spirit Mountain Board of Directors Chairman Mike
Larsen. Travis Benoist, who blessed the new hotel and the Hall of
Legends earlier in the week, gave an opening invocation.
1994 – Tribal enrollment increased from 862 to 3,393 members
in the 10-year period since federal recognition of Tribal status was
restored in November 1983. In response, the Tribal Council adopted
stricter enrollment criteria for 1994, limiting enrollment to people
descended from a Grand Ronde Tribal member, possessing one-six-
teenth minimum Indian blood of a federally recognized Tribe and
those who were able to demonstrate social and economic ties to the
Grand Ronde Tribe.
1989 – The Tribe leased a residential treatment facility in Keizer to
house and operate the American Indian Residential Treatment Cen-
ter to provide substance abuse treatment for up to 42 Portland-area
Indian youth. The planning process identified the need for a youth
residential treatment program, according to Health Director Cheryle
A. Kennedy. The Tribe worked to get federal and state funds set
aside for drug and alcohol treatment, and planned to purchase the
building by the end of the six-month lease.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.