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reserved chairs, $25 reserved bleachers More info: www.rosefestival.org Brent Merrill Members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are a proud people who have overcome much to achieve Tribal Restoration and carve out a place of respect in Oregon. This year’s annual Portland Rose Festival will culminate three weeks of events on the riverfront in downtown Portland with the Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade and the Tribe’s pride in telling its story of achievement will be on full …

was surviving on Social Security disability payments and at a loss for how to better his life. Today, he is the owner of a successful construction business and plans to buy his own home soon. He achieved this significant turnaround in his circumstances through a combination of hard work, perseverance and help from the Tribe’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program within the Social Services Department. The program provides culturally relevant services to Grand Ronde Tribal members with disabilities …

Tribal Government & News DEQ expects early August decision on Tribe's Blue Heron purchase agreement 07.18.2019 Dean Rhodes Economic development , Tribal employees , State government , Natural resources , Environment Ceded Lands Program Manager Michael Karnosh makes a presentation about the history of the Willamette Falls area and plans for development during the Department of Environmental Quality public meeting on the Grand Ronde Tribe's proposed prospective purchaser agreement to buy …

.” At the time, McNeel’s children lived with her full-time and despite her addiction, she said they didn’t go without having basic needs met. “There wasn’t a problem with them,” she says. “I made sure they went to school every day, and were always fed and clothed.” Her secret lifestyle came to a screeching halt on June 6, 2020, after she and her boyfriend were arrested after stealing 17 guns from a sporting goods store, which they sold in Portland in a desperate attempt to buy heroin and keep from going …

a hard, glassy layer of ice, falling trees and treacherous roads. The Tribe was ready with its Emergency Operations Plan, which covers all areas of response. Tribal Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Brandy Bishop kept in touch with the state Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, conveying the information to the Tribal Interim General Manager Chris Leno. “We have shelter plans in place, which include the gym and Elder Activity Center,” Bishop said. “They were …

their management not just on obtaining revenue from logging, but on improving overall forest health. It requires a different approach, Trammel said, one that benefits trees, wildlife and Tribal cultural practices. That focus, he noted, has not hurt the Tribe’s ability to sell timber; if anything, it increases quality. “We have high demand,” he said, listing companies that buy as many logs as the Tribe will sell and ask for more. Footage from Smoke Signals' tour of Tribal lands with Tribal Timber …

Culture Two Tribal members nominated for 2011 Native American Music Awards 09.16.2011 Ron Karten People , Entertainment Perennial Native American Music Award nominee and Tribal member Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach has company. At the Oct. 7 Native American Music Awards ceremony to be held at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Tribal member Steve Hudson, performing under the name Hudson Dean, also will be a nominee for Best Country Recording for "The Old Road." Reibach …

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 …

on all of our programs,” he said. “Over the years, what we have found works best is to do an open house format with different tables people can visit.” Departments represented included Tribal Police, Emergency Management, Housing, Education, Recreation, Natural Resources, Geographic Information Systems, Planning and Grants Development, Cultural Resources, Tribal Court, Social Services, Tribal Employment Rights Office, Employment, Food Bank, Behavioral Health and the Health & Wellness Center …