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. – Grand Ronde Tribal member Gene LaBonte has always thought of himself as an entrepreneur. “I’ve had small side businesses that have been profitable,” he says on Saturday, May 22. “They paid for things like gas money and other extras, but I wanted to create something that would really be profitable.” While Gene was off work last spring after the pandemic shuttered Ilani Casino in Ridgefield, Wash., he began looking for something to fill his time. Instead of sitting indoors, he chose to be outdoors …

was a way to stay engaged in things that already interested me,” Flanagan says. “The way I got into the park service is that I had buddies who were in search and rescue. That is how I fell into that work and found it very satisfying because I could use my knowledge in a way to help others. ... I’ve had an interest in natural resources, Tribal and cultural issues since my time as an undergrad.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Prescott College in Arizona and a juris doctorate from …

emergency preparedness coordinator, for helping him bring the Tribe’s Emergency Services Department to fruition. “We felt it was best to make a move to serve this community out here and be partners to our surrounding neighbors,” Warden said. “We got the foundation laid and here we are today. Out here we believe in our people and ourselves. We work very hard to take care of our community. My only wish is that I would have started (working) here a long time ago. I love this place and the people out …

from toddlers to adults joined him. After Grand Ronde Royalty and Veterans Royalty members introduced themselves, Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy welcomed the crowd to a day of celebration. “How great is this (to gather in person)?” she said to claps and cheers from the audience. “This is a wonderful time. It’s such a great time to get together, to celebrate what Restoration means to us. It was not a small accomplishment. It was a great accomplishment. We were just ordinary people …

a place in our homelands and further our own recognition and persistence,” Harrelson said. “Indigenous Place Keeping work can be a unifier as it informs the very identity of places and practices no matter a person’s connection. “I have immense gratitude to the Grand Ronde Tribal Council, our funding partners, Meyer Memorial Trust and Oregon Community Foundation, as well as our artist residency partners: Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology and Oregon State University’s Patricia Valian Reser Center …

an exhibit of Indigenous artists from the Pacific Northwest came up about a year and a half ago, Boulay said. “It kept getting bigger and bigger; he was like, ‘wait, what if it wasn’t just one time,’” Littlebird said. “The language we got really excited about is biennale,” Boulay said. “It’s the Italian word for biannual, but in the art world, a biennale is the big thing; it’s like the Superbowl of the art world. … It elevated it from an exhibition — and we consider this a major exhibition, and we …

member Anthony Quenelle gave the invocation, then he and Reibach performed a drum and rattle song. Reibach took a moment to acknowledge all who had come out for the event, and noted it was the first time they had invited primary contractors for various Oregon Department of Transportation projects that employ TERO workers. “We’re really excited to have them here,” he said. Reibach introduced employees in the TERO program, which include Compliance Officer Duke Kimsey, Training and Development …

to 25 students in the coming school year. “We are very grateful for the funding and the opportunity to partner with the Spirit Mountain Community Fund on this important project,” Vickery said. The fire tower is part of the Sheridan School District’s efforts to expand its educational options with its planned Barbara Roberts Career Technical School, the first of its kind in rural Oregon. The Community Fund grant application noted that according to the Oregon Report Card, just 82.8% of Sheridan …

take this opportunity to learn about the Tribe. We’re still trying to tell our story to the general public and it’s not something that a lot of people know.” Curriculum Specialist Cheyanne Heidt told attendees it was OK and encouraged to ask tough questions. “We want you to ask the hard questions,” she said. “As long as you’re coming at it from educational perspective, it isn’t offensive.” Heidt added that everyone in the room was part of a community that had dedicated their free time to learn …

as opposed to the 40 percent that was mentioned in the beginning, which I never did believe would ever happen, means that our people at the casino worked hard and I think council at that time worked hard to prepare and now we’re in a really good position to deal with that competition.” “I think today the effect is pretty much minimal when you think of a major player in the industry opening a mega-resort in your market, you’d expect to be devastated,” Dillon says, acknowledging the dire double-digit …