Yesteryears April 1, 2018

2013 – A proposed Cowlitz Tribal casino within 15 miles of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area received a legal setback when U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein ordered the Department of the Interior to issue a new Record of Decision concerning its granting of a Cowlitz Reservation near La Center, Wash. In her 12-page decision, Rothstein said that the Department of the Interior violated the Administrative Procedure Act by unilaterally changing a Record of Decision after lawsuits had been filed. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde was one of the entities appealing a 2010 Record of Decision granting the Cowlitz Tribe a Reservation near La Center instead of closer to its traditional homelands in Cowlitz County.

2008 – Casino hearings regarding the Warm Springs Tribe’s proposal to build a casino in the Columbia River Gorge concluded with several Grand Ronde Tribal members, Elders and councilors testifying against the proposal. The final three hearings, held by the Bureau of Indian Affairs about the Warm Springs proposal to build a $389 million, 603,000-square-foot riverfront gaming destination in Cascade Locks, boiled down to debating environmental concerns against badly needed Tribal revenue.

2003 – Several Tribal members who served in the military during Operation Iraqi Freedom were featured. They included Second Class Petty Officer Tony Norton, E-4 Specialist Frank Grammer, E-4 Specialist Frank Hostler II, Chief Warrant Officer Archie Bly and Private Ira Harrison-Woolf. An editor’s note stated that victory in the war would depend on the strength and commitment of the military, and that no matter what one’s personal feelings were regarding the war to consider supporting the soldiers.

1998 – During an annual meeting of the Grand Ronde Community Water Association, an official reported that a lawsuit between the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the association could affect future operations. Tribal officials in attendance were surprised when the issue was mentioned, as it was not on the agenda for the meeting and there was no advance notification. After a discussion about the lawsuit, Tribal Executive Officer Francis Somday informed attendees that the Tribe had not filed a lawsuit against the water association and was unaware of any pending litigation involving the group.

1993 – Shonn and Dustin Leno made history when each won an individual state title in wrestling for their weight class, the only brothers to ever win back-to-back state titles in Oregon. Shonn, a senior, was also the first Willamina High School wrestler to win a title all four years, and Dustin was the first freshman to ever win a state title. The boys had been wrestling since they were 4, coached by their father, Reyn Leno. Their dream was to be a part of a future Olympic team.

1988 – Oregon Rep. Les AuCoin introduced new legislation creating a Reservation for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The AuCoin-Hafield Compromise Bill called for a 9,811-acre Reservation that restricted exports and purchase of timber for 20 years, and required that a minimum of 30 percent of timber revenues go toward economic development. Oregon Sen. Mark O. Hatfield said he would introduce companion legislation once the bill had passed through the House of Representatives. “This compromise is the result of input from hundreds of western Oregon citizens,” AuCoin said. “It’s something the entire Sheridan and Willamina area should support because we need self-sufficiency at every level of our community to ensure economic growth for all.”

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