Yesteryears -- Sept. 1, 2011

2006 - Nysayka Ikanum -- Our Story, an ongoing virtual experience of the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department debuted online on the Tribe's Web site. Created by Portland-based ISITE Design, sections cover the Tribe's past, present and future with hundreds of Web pages. "Nothing will ever be taken down," said then-Cultural Collections Coordinator Lindy Trolan. "It will only be added to."

2001 - Tribal members Cristina Lara and Teresa Henry, two Willamina High School seniors, were the first to work as interns at the American Museum of Natural History. The internships evolved following the Tribe's legal negotiations with the museum for ownership of the Tomanowos, the Willamette Meteorite.

1996 - Groundbreaking for the Grand Ronde Health and Wellness Center occurred on the cusp of powwow weekend. Human Resources Division Manager Cheryle A. Kennedy broke ground on the site with a backhoe.

1991 - The seventh annual Contest Powwow was held, drawing approximately 5,000 people. The annual Royalty Pageant crowned Deana Gardner as 1991-92 Miss Grand Ronde and Courtney Galligher as 1991-92 Junior Miss Grand Ronde.

1986 - The Tribe held its second annual Contest Powwow, which attracted more than 450 people for dinner. In addition, it was announced that Tribal Council is beginning to cautiously develop a Tribal Court system for fiscal year 1987.

Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year increments through the pages of Smoke Signals.