Yesteryears - Aug. 15, 2016

2011 – The Tribe mourned the passing of Mark Hatfield, the U.S. Senator from Oregon who played a pivotal role in ushering through Congress the Restoration of the Grand Ronde Tribe in 1983 and the Grand Ronde Reservation Act in 1988. He walked on on Aug. 7 at the age of 89. The Tribe flew its flags at half-mast in honor of Hatfield’s life.

2006 – Grand Ronde’s Canoe Family participated in its second Canoe Journey, starting the paddle in Neah Bay, Wash., and continuing on to Sand Point on Lake Washington with many resting points in between.

2001 – The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde established an Appeals Court. The rules governing cases going to the new Appeals Court became effective Aug. 1.

1996 – An overview of Tribal development included the construction of a manufactured housing park, recreational vehicle park at Spirit Mountain Casino and a Health and Wellness Center. The latter was scheduled to be complete in the fall of 1997.

1991 – The Church of the Nazarene was thanked for providing classroom space for the Education Program to conduct Family Math and Science classes, as well as the annual Honor & Recognition Dinner for all graduating eighth grade, high school and college Tribal members.

1986 – Chairman Mark Mercier reported that representatives from local timber companies and organizations were expressing concern about the Tribe’s Reservation Plan vis-à-vis timber export. “It has been the Tribal Council’s position to keep the timber available to the local sawmills, due to the fact we have Tribal members working there,” Mercier reported.

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