Yesteryears - March 15, 2024

Yesteryears

2019 – Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy became the fourth Grand Ronde Tribal leader to lobby for adequate and stable federal funding of terminated Tribes’ public safety efforts when she appeared before the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee’s subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in Washington, D.C. In her prepared testimony, Kennedy called federal funding for police services for Terminated Tribes “grossly inadequate.” She said, “Grand Ronde’s inability to secure recurring federal funding for its Tribal police force is one of the continuing impacts of Termination.”

2014 – Tribal member April Campbell was honored for her position as the Oregon Department of Education’s Indian Education specialist. She was presented with a Pendleton blanket and a framed powwow poster that was signed on the back by members of Willamette University’s Native American Enlightenment Association during her honoring at the 12^th annual Social Powwow at the university in Salem.

2009 – Tribal member and Sheridan High School senior Denny Linton continued his family’s tradition of winning Oregon wrestling titles at the 2009 3A State Championships. His older brother, Tribal member Brandon, won two straight state titles in 2007 and 2008 for Willamina High School while Denny won state championships as a freshman and sophomore at Willamina.

2004 – Members representing the Tribe’s 14 committees met at Spirit Mountain Casino for the second annual Committee Summit. “We look to you to tell us what’s happening with the membership,” Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy told committee members.

1999 – The ad hoc committee to create the Tribal Veterans Memorial held its first meeting with the Grand Ronde Veterans Committee. The ad hoc committee decided to meet regularly to discuss progress on building a Veterans Memorial. The committee was tasked with creating several subcommittees responsible for different aspects of the creation of the memorial. They included fundraising, design, location and research.

1994 – The first Life Skills for Independence seminar took place in Grand Ronde for many Tribal members and JOBS participants. The four-week seminar covered a variety of topics including career planning and job search, personal development and support services. Coordinated through a program at Chemeketa Community College, all participants received college credit for attending the seminar.

1989 – The Powwow Committee was sponsoring a contest for a poster design to use to advertise the Tribe’s fifth annual powwow. A $50 honorarium was awarded for the selected design.

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