Yesteryears -- April 15, 2017

2012 – Tribal members were preparing to vote on a constitutional change that would institute a primary election process. The proposal would create a primary election if the number of nominated Tribal Council candidates in late June exceeded 10. If adopted, the top six candidates in the primary would move on to the September general election.

2007 – Tribal Elder Sanda “Sam” Henny and Tribal member David DeHart were in charge of the new Tribal Career Development Program that tried to find the right career paths for Tribal members. “The program is for retention of Tribal employees,” Henny said.

2002 – Thirty aspiring archaeologists took part in a five-day, 40-hour course that familiarized them with cultural site preservation in Grand Ronde. Jeff Van Pelt, program manager of the Umatilla Cultural Resources Department, brought a team of specialists in Native cultural preservation to teach the course.

1997 – Construction projects occurring in the Grand Ronde included a gravel addition to the Tribal Cemetery parking area, transferring the Grand Meadows property to trust status and ongoing construction at the Health & Wellness Center and Natural Resources facilities. Also, plans for an administrative building to replace the modulars on Grand Ronde Road were coalescing.

1992 – Tribal members Dustin and Shonn Leno won state wrestling titles. Dustin, 14, was a freshman at Willamina High School while Shonn was a 16-year-old junior. They wrestled in the 2A Division.

1987 – Tribal Council approved rules regarding identification cards, including that they will be issued to enrolled members 11 or older, no hats or sunglasses will be allowed in ID photos and that there will be a $2 fee for replacement cards. However, there will be no fee for replacement cards issued to Elders 55 or older.

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