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the 2018 election, Kennedy set a record for the most votes received by a Tribal Council candidate at the time with 712 votes. That record was surpassed in 2020 when Lisa Leno received more than 1,000 votes. Kennedy has served as Tribal Council chair for 15 years, including the last four years. George, 60, is the current Tribal Council secretary and will be seeking his fourth consecutive three-year term on Tribal Council. During the 2018 election, he finished second to Kennedy. He has served …

for a five-year Tribal Personal Responsibility Education Program grant that would bring the Tribe at least $1.75 million over the life of the grant. The federal funding would help pay a full-time teen pregnancy prevention coordinator, staff trainings, and contracting with the Willamina and Sheridan school districts for the health education to teach the course and the purchase of curriculum. Also included in the July 14 Tribal Council packet was an approved authorization to proceed that OK’d …

Tribal Government & News 477 program nominated for BIA award 08.12.2021 Danielle Harrison Tribal employees By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer Grand Ronde’s 477 Employment and Training Program has been nominated by the Northwest Region Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Workforce Development Division for a specialist award. The award recognizes different 477 programs established by Tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. It is the first time Grand Ronde’s program has been nominated, Program …

the start of onsite work at the former Blue Heron Paper Mill site. The event is closed to the public. “This is a special time for our people as we bless the site and begin our work to heal the land as stewards of the falls,” said Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy in a press release announcing the event. “We are excited to take these initial steps toward real progress toward our vision for this site and re-introducing the general public to this special place.” The Tribe purchased …

season is a “fun time for the whole family.” It may take days for the family to catch a whale and boil and preserve the meat, but when the family harvests a whale, Nageak says the entire community celebrates and shares the catch. To signal to the community that maktak is available, a flag is flown on top of the house so people know where they can go to share their traditional food. To watch the video for yourself, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0iOo1wuNQw or find it in the Smoke Signals …

Heart High School and met the love of his life, Rose Didier. An avid homebody, family man and outdoorsman, Len and Rose raised their family of five boys where he taught them the essentials of hunting, fishing, harvesting the area’s bounty of seafood and plants, and how to enjoy the little things of life and family by just “going for a ride” in the woods or along the coast and spending time together. Leonard was a sports enthusiast and sports played an important role in his life whether …

dominated Pacific Northwest waters and has been harvested by Native peoples since time immemorial. Betsy Peabody, executive director of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, says in the video that the Olympia oysters’ historic core population had been reduced to just 4 percent by 2010. They attribute this decline to environmental damages and rising temperatures in the water. The video focuses on Liberty Bay near Poulsbo, Wash., and the efforts of several organizations, including local Washington Tribes …

. The vaccine mandate was announced in early September and employees were given a 40-day window in which to get vaccinated or lose their jobs. At the time, 54 percent of the casino’s 934 employees were vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus while the Tribal government reported that more than 85 percent of its employees were vaccinated. The vaccine mandate prompted a small protest in front of Spirit Mountain Casino on Friday, Sept. 10. Meanwhile, the Tribal government said that the Health & Wellness …

Reyes continues collegiate wrestling career in Buffalo 03.31.2022 Dean Rhodes By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal member Jordan Reyes, a two-time Oregon state champion in wrestling at Willamina High School, finished 1-3 in the 125-pound weight class at the University at Buffalo in New York, a Division I school, during the 2021-22 wrestling season. During his freshman year, Reyes started 16 duals and went 4-23 overall and 2-15 in duals. He was 1-9 in Mid-American Conference duals …

Specialist Chris Rempel, Cultural Policy Analyst Greg Archuleta, Lisa Leno, Kathleen George, Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez and Harvey. Afterward, Archuleta gave audience members a brief overview of the importance of the Corvallis area to the Tribe. “Our people have lived in this area since time immemorial,” he said. “Our lifeways included hunting, fishing and baskets made of natural materials from the area.” Kathryn Jones Harrison speaks during a ceremony at Kathryn Jones Harrison …