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. “You won’t always know that someone who looks like me is so rooted in Tribal culture. Take the time to get to know your students.” She also thanked school district officials for inviting her to speak. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to talk to you all tonight,” Fasana said. “My grandpa always taught me that the only way to combat stereotypes is to talk about our culture and experiences.” Share On Facebook Share On Twitter Share Article Link Subscribe Subscribe to our Newspaper for latest …

Thompson and Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez also contributed. “We all worked really well together and I was so glad they were pleased with it,” Yazzolino said. “It means a lot to me that they trusted what we would do with the information.” Future plans for the Interpretive Center are to build an interactive plankhouse with a Tribal consultant and continue to develop the Abernathy-Green Land Claim exhibit to more accurately portray the history of the people who have been in Oregon since time …

Council members in attendance, which included Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy, Vice Chair Chris Mercier, Michael Cherry, Kathleen George, Lisa Leno, Denise Harvey and Jack Giffen Jr. “It’s important for me to note at these events that I am not a veteran and the closest I got to combat was going to the Civil War (football) game and dealing with Beaver fans,” Mercier said to chuckles in the audience. “I met Steve 20 years ago when I worked at Smoke Signals and then when I was elected …

to return to uyxat Powwow Grounds in Grand Ronde since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. Judging by the hundreds of attendees, it was a success. “It’s actually really hard to put into words what this means to me,” Grand Ronde Tribal Council member Michael Cherry said. “I feel a sense of happiness and so much gratitude for being able to be together again and see the joy on peoples’ faces.” The occasion also marked the first time Cherry participated in grand entry as a council …

in health care and Tribal public policy . Studying for advanced degrees and living abroad was far removed, both geographically and socially, from his experiences growing up in Salem, but Mercier has always had a desire to learn more about the world. “Education is key,” he said. “College is not just about school. It is also about the chance to experience diversity. I grew up in rural Oregon. It would have been easy to stay there, but going to different schools opened up the world to me.” Mercier has …

and to maintain a continuing assessment of the issue and needs confronting women and girls in Oregon.” October was first declared National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989. Since then, it has been a time to acknowledge domestic violence survivors and be a voice for its victims. The event was held the day after Murrell’s department hosted a “Take a Stand Walk With Me” awareness event on the Tribal campus, which attracted several Tribal and community members. “Anne and Danielle provide critical …

. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo) By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals editor While in elementary school, Tribal member Cohen Haller remembers a fellow basketball player that he really admired telling him he would never be a point guard. “He looked like he was ready to cry when I picked him up from school that day,” his dad, Tribal member Rich Haller, said. “He told me what had happened and I asked him a question. ‘Do you believe that?’” The answer was no. “Well, I don’t believe it either,” Rich said …

first place and the special was sponsored by Little Miss Veterans Queen Ulali Quenelle and her family. (Photos by Michelle Alaimo) “(I) go out into the arena and dance for me and my family, but also (take) the chance to be able to pray,” he said. “When I’m out there dancing, I pray for all my friends and family, and for everyone else.” Frank Scott John (Sioux) said he also dances the men’s traditional and has been dancing since he was 17. He was taught by his uncle Crazy Bull, and his father …

along ancestral waterways was pure joy; for others, it held a spiritual aspect. Seventeen-year-old Marie Quenelle, who serves the Tribe as Junior Miss Grand Ronde, said she had been feeling a bit off before the journey, but it had left her feeling rejuvenated. “It was a very spiritual reset for me,” Quenelle said. “I just would like to say that Canoe Journey has been a really good experience for me and probably a lot of other people, and I feel like I need to go on it every single year.” Ben …

and dear to my heart,” she said. “Working in the Human Resources department, we had all of these construction projects going on and I was like, ‘How are we tapping into our people and how are we getting jobs for our people?’ At that time, the HR director said she wanted me to oversee all of our construction projects and that’s all it took. I got involved with ODOT, with the union trades, and started looking at every opportunity pushing forward TERO.” That work resulted in the creation …