Yesteryears -- May 15, 2017

2012 – The Grand Ronde Tribe’s efforts to continue improving the local community received a $500,000 boost from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The federal grant will be used to a build a new, more accessible food bank capable of handling and meeting federal Department of Agriculture commodities program requirements for the local community.

2007 – Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski visited Grand Ronde and met the oldest living member of the Tribe, Nora Kimsey. In addition to meeting with Tribal Council, the governor visited the Health & Wellness Clinic, the Tribal Library, Education Complex and made a surprise visit to Tribal Elder Hubert Mercier.

2002 – The eighth annual Government-to-Government Summit was held in Grand Ronde at Spirit Mountain Casino. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber made what many believed would be his final appearance at the summit. He spoke about Executive Order 96-30 that mandated state agencies develop relationships with Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes.

1997 – Spirit Mountain Community Fund made its first grant: $174,000 to enhance Life Flight Network’s ability to save lives in medical emergencies that occur in rural Oregon. The grant will help implement a state-of-the-art satellite navigation system and will help pinpoint exact accident locations and flight routes, and help provide medical rescues in bad weather.

1992 – The Elders meal site dropped its meal price in half to $1.50 for anyone who is not an Elder in an attempt to increase attendance. Of course, Grand Ronde Tribal Elders continued to eat for free.

1987 – Tribal and urban Indian representatives attended a luncheon meeting with Gov. Neil Goldschmidt. Tribal Council Chairman Mark Mercier represented the Grand Ronde Tribe and reviewed the progress being made on the Tribe’s Reservation Plan and updated the governor on timber company concerns relating to exporting timber from the proposed Reservation.

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