Yesteryears: June 12, 2025

2020 — Tribal Council approved a temporary amendment to the Election Ordinance, to make the 2020 election for Tribal Council an absentee ballot process due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The change was intended to protect the health of Elders serving on the Election Board, as well as the health of people voting in person.

2015 — The Willamina School Board was scheduled to consider a revised policy on flag displays, to accommodate a parent’s request to place the Grand Ronde Tribal flag in the high school gym.

2010 — Tribal Council amended the Enrollment Ordinance, bringing it into compliance with the 2008 Constitutional amendment requirement potential members to have relinquished membership in another Tribe for five years; increasing the number of times the Enrollment Committee may meet about applications and making other changes agreed to in more than a year of work.

2005 — Spirit Mountain Casino nearly burst at the seams on Memorial Day, giving out more than half a million dollars in slot payouts, along with a $92,000 recreational vehicle, and served up to 11,000 guests. Many employees worked overtime, while others had to leave so that arriving shift employees could find a parking space.

2000 — Tribal members living in Willamina and Sheridan were warned that the Environmental Protection Agency had declared Taylor Lumber and Treating Plant a superfund site. According to the EPA, chemicals used in treating lumber were found in high concentrations in the soil, groundwater and drainage ditches around the facility, and chemicals of concern were found in water samples from the Yamhill River. Both posted a threat to human health and the environment from prolonged exposure, the EPA said.

1995 — Spirit Mountain Casino officials announced they would hire 850 employees for the casino, which was expected to open in October. Positions were available in casino operations, finance, facility services, food and beverage, guest services, human resources and management information systems.

1990 — Tribal Council met with the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department to discuss law enforcement on the Tribe’s reservation. After learning about the Yamhill County Timberland Owners Association, the Tribe authorized a $2,000 payment to join the association, which helped pay the cost of a full-time deputy to patrol timberlands on the lookout for fire, as well as other problems.

1985— Tribal Chairman Henry Petite reported that Tribal Council had been meeting with commissioners from Polk, Tillamook and Yamhill counties, along with area mayors, state legislators, congressional representatives and others, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, about developing a reservation plan. The effort had garnered widespread support.

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