Yesteryears -- April 1, 2014

2009 - Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy testified about the severe "underfunding" of Contract Health Services and the significant effects that has on terminated Tribes before the House Committee on Appropriations' 14-member Subcommittee on Interior, Environmental and Related Agencies.

2004 - Groundbreaking and foundation work for the five-story, 150-room expansion of Spirit Mountain Lodge was beginning. With occupancy rates at 95 percent at the lodge, the new rooms are needed.

1999 - The federal government asked the Grand Ronde Tribe to waive its right to more than $1 million in federal subsidies for Tribal programs, such as forest management, education and social services. The Bureau of Indians Affairs request came on the heels of a congressional mandate for the BIA and Tribes to come up with an alternate way to allocate federal funds owed to the nation's 557 federally recognized Tribes.

1994 - Dustin Leno captured his third straight wrestling championship, following in his brother Shonn's footsteps, making him only the second wrestler to have won three straight state championships in Willamina High School's history. His record in high school was 100-4-1.

1989 - Tribal Council members Mark Mercier, Candy Robertson and Kathryn Harrison testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, seeking additional funding for the Tribe's Forestry Program. "In order to maintain a sound forestry program capable of intensively managing the resource, additional start-up monies are needed," Mercier said. The Tribe also needed additional funds to manage the transition from BIA-managed timber sales on the Reservation to those managed by the Tribe.

1984 - Because of a new state law requiring all children under the age of 5 be seated in some form of a car safety seat, the Tribe was offering six infant car seats for Tribal member use.

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