Yesteryears -- July 1, 2014

2009 - Tribal Elder and Vietnam War-era Navy veteran Gene LaBonte was elected chair of the nine-member Governor's Advisory Committee on Veterans Affairs. He was appointed to a four-year term on the committee in 2008 by Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

2004 - Tribal member Perri McDaniel's elaborate regalia and horse trappings won second place in the Best Individual Native or Costume category during the Portland Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade.

1999 - The Grand Ronde Tribe celebrated the return of the peregrine falcon to Portland with its float entitled "Soaring Spirit." The float won the Sweepstakes Award in the Grand Floral Parade and featured members of Royalty - Ali Holsclaw, Halona Butler and Stephanie Duran.

1994 - A $45,000 donation by Harold Blair purchased a mini-bus for Senior Services transports and excursions. Blair, an Elder himself, lives near the Reservation and spent much of his life logging and working in the woods. The donation came after he sold some of his land to Hampton Lumber.

1989 - Tribal Council voted to proceed with putting the Tribal Cemetery and Depot properties into trust. Nelson Witt, Siletz superintendent, was requested to attend the next Tribal Council meeting to discuss the process for putting land into trust.

1984 - The Tribe's Constitution and bylaws were completed and sent to Washington, D.C., for approval by the Secretary of the Interior.  Once approved, they will be sent back to be approved by the general membership. Upon that approval, the Tribe will be governed by those documents.

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