Yesteryears - March 15, 2012

2007 - Tribal Council members Cheryle A. Kennedy, Wink Soderberg, Kathleen Tom and Buddy West attended the inauguration of Dr. Thomas L. Hellie as Linfield College's 19^th president. At a reception following the inauguration, the Tribal contingent presented Hellie with a Tribal logo Pendleton blanket and welcomed him to the community.

2002 - Tribal members Steve Bobb Sr. and Brent Merrill completed the 265-mile walk from Table Rocks near Medford to Grand Ronde in 14 days. In the process, they also raised funds for the planned West Valley Veterans' Memorial in Grand Ronde. "Many years from now people can look at our memorial and think of Steve and Brent," Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno said at their homecoming reception in Grand Ronde.

1997 - Willie Nelson was presented with a plaque after his sold-out show at Spirit Mountain Casino on March 6. It honored the fact that Nelson was the fastest-selling concert in casino history to date.

1992 - The Tribal Dental Clinic opened on March 10 with Dr. Tammy McClung as the dentist, Tribal member Pam Wilson as the dental assistant and Rose Jimmicum (Makah) working as the dental receptionist. There were three treatment rooms, a lab, a sterilization area and two offices.

1987 - Tribal members Eula and John Petite celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary on March 7. Their daughter, Sister Kateri Petite, held a special Mass for them at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Grand Ronde with a reception that followed.

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