Yesteryears: May 1, 2026

2021 — The Tribal campus was to remain closed for three weeks in response to an outbreak of COVID-19, following spring break and Easter family gatherings.

2016 — The Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission voted to allow the Tribe to conduct ceremonial fishing for spring Chinook and summer steelhead at Willamette Falls, partially restoring rights lost by the Tribe in the 1980s when it was seeking support for its Restoration plan.

2011 — An annual celebration of Tribal Government Day at the state Capitol was expected to feature a First Foods presentation with camas, lamprey, salmon, deer and elk among the offerings, as well as a Tribal leader panel presentation and a discussion about sovereignty and resources, to help educate state leaders and elected representatives.

2006 — After discovering a 2.2-pound piece of Tomanowos in a supply closet a year earlier, Willamette University held a ceremony to repatriate the meteorite fragment to the Tribe. Smoke Signals noted that numerous other pieces were traded around the country, including a 4.5-ounce piece purchased by Del Smith, founder of Evergreen Aviation International and the Evergreen Air Museum.

2001 — Representatives from the American Museum of Natural History in New York visited the Tribe to confirm Tribal Council’s planned visit and first blessing of Tomanowos. The Tribe had signed an agreement with the museum the previous summer. It included a provision that the museum be closed to all other visitors during the Tribe’s visit and blessing of the meteorite.

1996 — At the April 14 General Council meeting, Health Facility Architect Frank Whalen gave an update on the progress of the new clinic. The project was expected to begin in August and last for a year. The 29,000-square-foot building was to quadruple the department’s space, giving the Tribe the ability to add ambulance service, pharmacy, radiology, laboratory and maintenance departments.

1991 — Tribal Council Chairman Mark Mercier reported that the Tribe had settled on a payment agreement with Tillamook and Yamhill counties for revenue losses caused by the creation of the Reservation. The Tribe provided a one-time payment of $20,000 to the Yamhill County Commission and a one-time payment of $90,000 to the Tillamook County Commission. “This action closes another small chapter in the history of the rebirth of the Tribal community and the development of the Grand Ronde Reservation,” Mercier said.

1986 — Having consulted with timber companies and surrounding counties over its Reservation plan, the Tribe was still negotiating with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, asking Tribal members to write to their congressional delegates in support of the proposed legislation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington was reviewing the proposal.

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