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in 2005 and the repairs would bring the span back in its original style. Residents from nearby neighborhoods crowded under tarps to see what all the excitement was about during the closing ceremony. They tasted traditional Native foods offered by Grand Ronde Tribal members, the first peoples of the area. And it was raining again over the weekend of Oct. 14-16 when the Willamette Falls Festival honored the bridge's official re-opening and Grand Ronde Tribal members returned to also mark the event …

Culture Food Bank holds official grand opening 04.14.2015 Dean Rhodes Culture , Events By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Although it has been distributing food since December, an official grand opening event for the Grand Ronde Food Bank -- iskam m f k H m f k haws (“The house where you get food” in Chinuk Wawa) – was held on Thursday, April 9, to commemorate the new partnership between the Tribe and Marion-Polk Food Share in building and operating the site. The Tribe built the new Food Bank …

and expects to close on Deer Path West in January; Approved an indemnity agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the 6-acre Agency Block 1 property located northwest of Highway 22 and Grand Ronde Road; And approved enrolling one infant, enrolling four non-infants and re-enrolling one non-infant because they meet the enrollment requirements in the Tribal Constitution. In other news, Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier read aloud a statement from the council regarding the Elders Committee …

Tribal Government & News Beneficiaries receive more time to claim funds 11.28.2018 Dean Rhodes Tribal Council Designated beneficiaries will now have an extra six months to claim funds after Tribal Council approved amendments to the Member Benefit Fund Ordinance on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Previously, any benefits not claimed by a designated beneficiary within one year of a Tribal member’s death were returned to the fund for distribution. With the amendments, beneficiaries will now have 18 months …

row. For those who had gone with me before, they had been arranged either on the side, which is kind of under a sheltered area, or up in the balcony.” The Grand Ronde Tribe endorsed Kotek for governor after a Smoke Signals news story reported that she was the only gubernatorial candidate to commit to maintaining the state’s current policy regarding Tribal gaming – one casino per Tribe on Reservation land. The Siletz Tribe has applied to the Department of the Interior for permission to build …

as fraudulent. The online ads show actual pictures of the casino’s logo and tickets, but have no connection to Spirit Mountain, Mercier confirmed in an email. At least some of them appear to be originating in other countries. Casino Marketing Director Eric Larsen said in an email that scams targeting individuals online are becoming increasingly sophisticated and fake app promotions are one of the most prevalent tactics used by cybercriminals. “Unfortunately, Spirit Mountain Casino has not been …

the half-day K-3 program through fifth grade. Planning and Grants Development Manager Kim Rogers said, pending Tribal Council approval, the Education Department will apply for a $90,000 First Nations Language Immersion grant for curriculum development, facility planning/design and other education-related activities, and re-apply for an Administration for Native Americans grant. Year one would include hiring a teacher and an apprentice, and fine-tuning the fourth-grade curriculum. In year two …

Culture MMIP walk honors missing and murdered 09.11.2025 Nicole Montesano Murdered and Missing Indigenous People Riley Freeman, 13, left, and Tribal member Fabian Quenelle participate in Ampkwa Advocacy’s 2025 Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Walk at Riverview Park in Independence Saturday, Aug. 30. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo) By Nicole Montesano Smoke Signals staff writer It has been 26 years since Leona LeClair Kinsey (Puyallup) of La Grande, Oregon, joined the legions …

Tribal Government & News General Council hears from Cultural Resources, Ceded Lands departments 12.12.2025 Danielle Harrison General Council , Culture , Lands By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals editor Cultural Resources Department Manager David Harrelson updated Tribal members on the department’s various programs and accomplishments during a Sunday, Dec. 7, General Council meeting held in Tribal Council Chambers and via Zoom. That presentation was followed by one from Tribal Ceded Lands …

to assist those fighting the fire. The fire was declared 95 percent contained on Wednesday, Aug. 26, a week after it had started. Hazy conditions Fires farther away, however, posed a more immediate threat to the health and safety of residents living in the Grand Ronde community. When winds shifted on Saturday, Aug. 22, smoke from large fires in eastern Oregon and Washington state blanketed the Willamette Valley and hazy conditions in Grand Ronde made it almost impossible to see Spirit Mountain from …