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is the most recent effort to change how the Tribe determines who should be enrolled. Meetings about the amendment are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 and Wednesday, Nov. 20 in Tribal Council Chambers. To register for Zoom attendance, visit grandronde.org/constitutional-amendment-on-lineal-descent/. Discussions about the latest constitutional amendment began in 2019. After a series of workshops and community meetings, an advisory vote in 2023 showed that 65.3% of the Tribe’s members …

By Danielle Frost

Smoke Signals staff writer

After 29 years with the Tribe, Librarian Marion Mercier is trading in her library card for retirement adventures.

“It’s time,” she says. “I’m looking forward to visiting libraries, museums and small towns across the state, and doing some rock hounding.”

A lifelong Oregonian, Mercier, 64, grew up in Grand Ronde and began working for the Tribe’s Social Services Department in 1990 as a caseworker. Her tenure puts her among some of the Tribe’s longest-serving employees.

“I was going to retire at 62, but our library patrons are wonderful and I feel like I have the best job at the Tribe,” she says. “But it’s time for new things.”

After three years with Social Services, Mercier transferred to the Education Department, where she served in several roles before becoming the librarian. She helped plan the library building’s construction while serving as the Tribe’s Education manager.

“It was a big change when the library moved here (in 2002),” she says. “Prior to having a location, the library collection was very limited and mainly used by employees and Education Department students.”

During those past 16 years, the library has been expanded and remodeled, and its collection has grown from 800 to 18,000 items.

After five years as Education manager, Mercier started working as the librarian in 2006 when the Tribe began funding the library.

“I enjoy the people that come into the library the most and I also enjoy the collection we have here,” she says. “This is a great work environment and has been an awesome experience. We get a lot of support from our Tribal Council.”

Although Mercier has enjoyed her time working for the Tribe, especially as a librarian, she wants time to pursue other passions while she is still young and healthy enough to do so.

“I feel like I have been working since I was 9 years old,” she says. “I’m tired of being on a schedule and am ready to do some other things I have put off doing. It will also be nice to visit family more. Even though I live in the local area, we don’t get together the way we used to. Just dropping in on people is a thing of the past. When I was growing up in Grand Ronde, we did that a lot.”

Mercier is the daughter of Rose (Reznicsek) and Marion Mercier. Her grandparents were Agnes (Leno) and Arthur Mercier, and Myrtle (Robson) and Adam Reznicsek.

She has two children, Candi Buswell, who works for the Tribe’s Adult Foster Care lodges, and Anthony Henry. She also has two grandchildren, Ava Buswell and Josh Henry.

Although Mercier acknowledges it will take some getting used to, she is excited about the prospect of sleeping in on the weekdays if she feels like it, and having the time at home to do projects such as organizing and painting.

Her favorite memories of being a librarian are having all of the youth groups come into the library and listening to the volunteer readers tell stories to groups of children.

“They each bring their own personality, and it is fun to listen to different people read about different things,” Mercier said.

She has several favorite books, which range from classics to children’s stories. Some of these are “The Giving Tree” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein, “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell, “Treasure Mountain” by Evelyn Sibley Lampman, “The Last Yoncalla” by Dean Baker, “Reservation Blues” by Sherman Alexie, “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Words Under the Words” by Naomi Shihab Nye, “Wild About Books” by Judy Sierra, “Duck on a Bike” by David Shannon and “Someday” by Eileen Spinelli.

“If it’s a fun topic and somewhat inspirational, I love that book for kids,” Mercier says. “Young kids need something fun and meaningful. I also like the classics, poetry and good stories in general that keep my attention and have enough details.”

When Mercier retires Jan. 31, Recreation Specialist Harris Reibach will serve an interim librarian. He has been training with Mercier to learn the ins and outs of library work.

“I truly believe this is the best job at the Tribe,” she says. “I believe that because when people come in here, they want to be here. That makes a real difference.”

She advises her successor to remember that people come first in the job.

“When you are working at the library, you are there to provide a service,” Mercier says. “You want people to feel welcome so they can accomplish what they need. We are there to serve and I hope the library always remembers that is a priority.”

Mercier is also grateful for the Tribe’s Restoration in 1983, which has allowed her to work in Grand Ronde.

“It’s been nice to stay in our community and have a job that allowed me to be here and raise my family, and not have to move away,” she says. “Being a part of the Tribe is such a blessing and our library patrons are wonderful.”  

variants and side bets. Additional training in Pai Gow, Baccarat and Pitch is required after class completion to maintain employment. Nuttman has been teaching the dealer school since 2008. He said the best part of his job is seeing the “lightbulb moment.” “When we’re working and I’ve given the information and they’ve had time to absorb it and all of the sudden it’s like, ‘Oh, I get it.’ Something just clicks. Dealing is not easy. A lot of people see dealers and they think, ‘Oh, that’s easy. I could do …

Contest Powwow that organizers cannot replicate no matter how hard they try. A total solar eclipse. The 2017 Grand Ronde Contest Powwow was one of the better attended in years, attracting 275 dancers competing in 26 dance categories. Attendance burgeoned from 2016’s total and organizers credited several things – renowned host drum Blackstone, increased prize money and the eclipse, which occurred the day after the powwow’s conclusion. Attendees were allowed to stay overnight at Uyxat Powwow Grounds …

video: Visiting the sites of three federal Indian boarding schools in Oregon Share On Facebook Share On Twitter Share Article Link Subscribe Subscribe to our Newspaper for latest updates: Subscribe To Our Newspaper For Latest Updates: …

. Tribal Council member Lisa Leno was absent. Finance Officer Chris Leno said he received 26 written comments regarding the proposed purchases from the membership and they were all positive. During the supplemental budget hearing, former Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno called the purchase “one of the worst decisions the Tribe will ever make.” He also asked why the Tribe is not investing the money in Grand Ronde for Elders, education and veterans. Tribal Elder Les Houck also said he was “totally …

with the ballots without the administrator in the room,” she said. DeLoe announced that Kennedy and Jon A. George were re-elected and that Brenda Tuomi was elected to fill the seat being vacated by Tribal Council Secretary Toby McClary. When DeLoe finished briefing the membership on the election results, she turned over the floor to Tribal Elder Steve Bobb Sr., who briefed General Council on the latest happenings with the Veterans Special Event Board. Bobb introduced board members and the Color …

last hosted the Mid-Year Convention in May 2010. For more information about ATNI and the convention, visit www.atnitribes.org. Share On Facebook Share On Twitter Share Article Link Subscribe Subscribe to our Newspaper for latest updates: Subscribe To Our Newspaper For Latest Updates: …

Ordinance. To view the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Government tab and then Videos. Share On Facebook Share On Twitter Share Article Link Subscribe Subscribe to our Newspaper for latest updates: Subscribe To Our Newspaper For Latest Updates: …

Culture Watchlist: ‘Indigenous In Plain Sight’ 08.12.2021 Kamiah Koch Watchlist By Kamiah Koch Smoke Signals social media/digital journalist Gregg Deal introduced himself as a husband, father, artist and activist during a TEDx event he spoke at in Boulder, Colo. A video of the event was published to YouTube on June 26, 2018, and has since amassed more than 135,000 views. In his talk, called “Indigenous In Plain Sight,” Deal uses the TEDx platform to talk about the Native American topics his …