Yesteryears - July 1, 2016

2011 – After a two-year hiatus, the Spirit Mountain Stampede rodeo was back in the saddle again. Held continuously between 1996 and 2008, the rodeo was corralled in 2009 and 2010 as the Tribe tightened its collective belt because of the nationwide recession.

2006 – Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy helped with the groundbreaking of the new longhouse being constructed at Lane Community College in Eugene. The Tribe’s Spirit Mountain Community Fund contributed $100,000 to the project.

2001 – The top priorities identified by Tribal members during three Community Meetings included satellite offices, buying land near Grand Ronde, non-member spouse health coverage, equalization of benefits regardless of income or residence, youth and family recreation programs and facilities, tutoring and counseling children, review of enrollment policies, water development, increasing endowment funds, development of a Tribal bank, home health/assisted living care and scholarships and vocational training.

1996 – A trip for two to the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, a new Chevy Blazer, a trip for two to the 1997 Super Bowl and two Portland Trail Blazers’ season tickets were the grand prizes up for grabs as part of Spirit Mountain Casino’s four-day celebration of the grand opening of its new Phase II expansion over the July Fourth weekend.

1991 – Tribal member Mary Ring, who worked for the Klamath Tribe as its Community Services/Title VI director, graduated from the Native American Leadership Institute on Aging in Arlington, Va.

1986 – Tribal Council continued pushing for a Reservation Plan contract extension. The contract expired on June 30 and Tribal Council hoped to get the final paperwork processed in the “near future.”

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