Yesteryears -- July 1, 2017

2012 – Tribal voters approved a primary election amendment to the Tribal Constitution, but it fell 13 votes shy of the required two-thirds approval to institute the measure that would have created a primary election whenever 10 or more Tribal members are running for Tribal Council. The approval rate of 64.7 percent was 2 percentage points below the constitutional requirement of 66.7 percent for any proposed amendment to take effect.

2007 – Tribal members flew to New York City for the annual visit to Tomanowos, the Willamette meteorite, which is housed in the American Museum of Natural History. Tribal Council member Jack Giffen Jr. led a contingent that included Elders Monty Parazoo, Gladys Hobbs, Sharon Hanson, Louise Medeiros, Violet Folden, Anna Hannah and Kathryn Harrison.

2002 – More than 200 riders competed for more than $14,000 in prize money at the Spirit Mountain Stampede. It was the second time that the event was held on the Tribe’s permanent rodeo grounds.

1997 – The Grand Ronde Tribe and Spirit Mountain Casino announced a $100,000 grant from Spirit Mountain Community Fund to the Portland Art Museum to underwrite a landmark exhibition of Native American art, the first stage in the museum’s plans for a permanent installation.

1992 – Tribal youth Celeste Wolf, Willie Mercier, Crystal Tonihka and Peggy Brickell attended the National UNITY Conference held in St. Paul, Minn. There were approximately 1,000 Native American youths who attended. Adviser Camille VanVleet accompanied the youth.

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