Yesteryears -- March 1, 2015

2010 – The Tribe received a $325,000 grant to help expand the Tribal Library from its current size of 1,390 square feet. The Indian Community Development Block Grant will help pay for the addition of 1,500 square feet, addressing one of the more pressing needs on the Tribal campus.

2005 – A satellite office in Eugene opened at 711 Country Club Road. Tribal member Brenda Tuomi led the local effort to find and lease the 1,200-square-foot office, which includes a large entry/gathering room, small conference room, computer lab and two offices.

2000 – Robert Watson was named interim chief executive officer and president of Spirit Mountain Casino. Watson was hired to lead the casino after Bruce Thomas resigned to work for Spirit Mountain Management & Consulting Inc., another Grand Ronde Tribal enterprise. Watson had to take a leave of absence from his post as chair of the Grand Ronde Gaming Commission.

1995 – Tribal Chairman Mark Mercier spoke at American University in Washington, D.C. He was invited as a guest speaker by the Washington College of Law chapter of the Native American Law Students Association. The topic of the symposium was “The Republican Congress: Federal Indian Policy for a New Millennium.”

1990 – Tribal Council members Mark Mercier, Kathryn Harrison and Candy Robertson and staff members Greg Archuleta and Jim Willis traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service and legislative representatives regarding youth services, child welfare, health service, forestry and other issues affecting the Tribe. As gifts, they took along Tillamook cheese, a Tribal calendar and smoked salmon prepared by Jim Butler.

1985 – Smoke Signals and Tribal archives do have a copy of the February 1985 edition.

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