Yesteryears -- March 15, 2020

2015 – Thirty-four people attended the Tribe’s Community Emergency Response Team training class. It was the first time the training had been held at the Tribe in an effort to be prepared for potential or man-made disasters. The class dealt with a mass casualty event. Previous classes in the series dealt with preparedness, fire safety and suppression, disasters, medical emergencies, terrorism, light search and rescue, and disaster psychology.

2010 – The Tribe feted for the first time ever two employees who had reached the 25-year employment anniversary mark with the Tribe. Tribal Elder and Tribal Wellness Manager Bonnie Mercier and Tribal member and Tribal Health & Wellness Business Office Manager Tresa Mercier both reached the silver anniversary mark almost simultaneously.

2005 – The Grand Ronde Tribe continued negotiations with MAGNA Entertainment about the possibility of the Tribe purchasing Portland Meadows horse racing track and incorporating a “racino” on the existing site. “We have to pursue all viable options if the rules of gaming in Oregon are about to change,” Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy said. “If the governor is going to allow off-reservation gaming, and he repeatedly said in recent months that he is about to for the Warm Springs, we have a responsibility to our 5,000 members to continue to sustain our economic self-sufficiency.”

2000 – In an effort to honor the past and recognizing the importance of sharing the Oregon Trail of Tears story with future generations, the people of the Grand Ronde Tribe relived an important piece of Tribal history by hosting the first Trail of Tears Commemorative Walk. It featured youth, Elders, Tribal Council members and the community. The group walked from Grand Ronde Grade School to the Tribe’s Governance Center.

1995 – The Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Needs Assessment summary report was complete and available to all Tribal members. The report presented an analysis of the findings from a recent housing survey. “As part of the Tribe’s long-range planning, it has recognized the importance of evaluating current and future housing needs of Tribal members,” an article stated. “One of the preliminary findings from the Tribe’s strategic planning process has been the desire on the part of the Tribal members for housing assistance programs.”

1990 – Tribal Council members Mark Mercier, Kathryn Harrison and Candy Robertson traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with officials from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services and legislative representatives regarding youth services, child welfare, health services, forestry and other issues affecting the Tribe.

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