Yesteryears -- Jan. 1, 2019

2014 – Jan Looking Wolf Reibach released his new album, “Tamanawas,” with High Spirit Records based in Arizona. The multiple Native American Music Award recipient recorded melodies that he had stockpiled during his more than 10-year career, as well as a few new songs. This move allowed Reibach to return to the subdued, organic flute playing that launched his career in the early 2000s. “Because this was the last record with the label, I really wanted to put my heart into it,” he said. “My own heart and spirit more than ever, and have it represent me more personally than the other albums.”

2009 – An arctic blast that moved into the Pacific Northwest the week before Christmas buried the Grand Ronde area beneath several blankets of snow and shut down the Tribal campus for a week. Several Elders were transported to Spirit Mountain Casino, where 30 rooms were set aside for emergency use. Some residents reported snow depths of almost three feet in their yards. “It was the worst snow event I’ve experienced,” Director of Tribal Operations John Mericer said.

2004 – Grand Ronde Station opened its doors with a dedication ceremony featuring Tribal leaders, staff and Tribal members. The station, which employed 35 people, featured a convenience store, gas and propane service, and a 24-hour car wash.

1999 – A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held during the grand opening of Spirit Mountain Lodge on Monday, Dec. 21. Community members and staff dropped by the new hotel to hear Spirit Mountain Board of Directors Chairman Mike Larsen dedicate the facility. Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno thanked all of the different groups of people who made building and opening the lodge possible. “Spirit Mountain Lodge will add to the success the Tribe has had here,” Leno said. “We have a very successful gaming operation and this will make it an even greater attraction.”

1994 – Tribal Council adopted stricter criteria for all individuals applying for enrollment. The change was in response to Tribal membership swelling from 862 to 3,393 members in the 10 years since Restoration. All members enrolled prior to Jan. 1, 1994, were not subject to the new regulations. The new eligibility requirements were that enrollees must be descended from a Grand Ronde Tribal member, possess at least 1/16th Indian blood of a federally recognized Tribe, and must be accepted as a Tribal member by demonstrating social and economic ties to the Grand Ronde Tribe.

1989 – The Grand Ronde Tribe signed a six-month lease agreement with Southwestern Washington Hospitals Inc. for the former TurnAround Treatment Center in Keizer. The Tribe planned to use the facility to operate the American Indian Residential Treatment Center to provide youth with substance abuse recovery services. The Tribe decided to set up a youth residential program after developing an action plan on alcohol and substance abuse. The planning process identified the need for such a program, according to Health Director Cheryle A. Kennedy.

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