Yesteryears -- April 1, 2019

2014 – Women’s Transitional House employees were busy putting the final touches on the facility before opening ceremonies. The house was three years in the making, and was large enough for eight women and their children. It was designed for women who were leaving prison or residential drug and alcohol programs and needed a safe place to live while they learned skills to be successful. “When you are released, you don’t know what your next move is,” said Tribal Youth Mental Health/Alcohol and Drug Counselor Nicole Estrada. “I really hope this home will give them hope and something to strive for.”        

2009 – Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy testified about the “severe underfunding” of Contract Health Services and the significant effects that it has on terminated Tribes before the House Committee on Appropriations’ 14-member Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. “It is important to understand that the CHS program does not function as an insurance program with a guaranteed benefit package,” she said. “When CHS funding is depleted, CHS payments are not authorized.”

2004 – Groundbreaking and foundation work for the five-story, 150-room expansion of Spirit Mountain Lodge was set to begin. The addition was to potentially include a swimming pool and conference center. The new facility would include shops for guests and rooms were expected to be similar to the current offerings. Spirit Mountain Casino was the No. 1 tourist attraction in the state and rooms were booked at a 95 percent occupancy rate.

1999 – The U.S. government asked the Grand Ronde Tribe to waive its right to more than $1 million in federal subsidies for Tribal programs, such as forest management, education and social services. The request came on the heels of a congressional mandate that directed Tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to come up with an alternate way to allocate federal funds owed to the nation’s federally recognized Tribes. For Congress, it meant divvying up the annual Tribal Priority Allocations so less fortunate Tribes could catch up with those doing better. For Tribes, it meant the government was shirking its obligation to pursue a policy Tribes say would only make them “equally poor.”

1994 – Dustin Leno captured his third straight state wrestling championship. A junior at Willamina High School, he followed in his brother Shonn’s footsteps, making him only the second wrestler to have won three individual state championships in the school’s history. Willamina High School also captured its third straight team title. Dustin’s high school record sat at 100 wins, four losses and one tie.

1989 – Several staff changes and additions were made due to new programs and needs within the Tribe. Jann Wyduch was selected as the program director for Nanitch Sahallie located in Keizer. She had worked in the field of chemical dependency for 10 years. The clinical manager selected was Sidney Stone (Blackfeet), the former executive director of the Native American Rehabilitation Association of Portland.

1984 – A presentation about the history and Restoration of the Tribe was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution in Salem. “The group had supported our efforts via their letter of support during our struggle for Restoration and was certainly most helpful to us,” Tribal Council Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison said.

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