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Tribal Government & News Record-setting service: Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy becomes longest tenured Tribal Council member 04.30.2020 Dean Rhodes Tribal Council Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy discussed her more than 21 years of service on council in her Governance Center office on Tuesday, April 21. (Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez/Smoke Signals) By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Sometime in April, while she was leading the Grand Ronde Tribe as it navigated its unprecedented …

Culture Tribal member is a top artist in international contest 02.14.2022 Danielle Harrison People , Art Grand Ronde Tribal member and Cultural Advisor Bobby Mercier recently was honored as being one of the top 10 percent of artists in the Respect the Artists international online competition for his head chief carving. (Contributed photo) By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer Grand Ronde Tribal member and Cultural Advisor Bobby Mercier is no stranger to creative undertakings. He has …

Marce Norwest was never far from this year's observance. Reyn Leno said he was a little uncomfortable emceeing without first asking Norwest about it. Tribal member Brent Merrill, who worked with Norwest in raising money for the memorial, invoked Marce's name as he asked the crowd to remember dozens of people without whose work the memorial would not yet be built. Oregon Congressman David Wu noted in a letter read at the event that veterans "willingly and eagerly (chose) service over self …

to honor the recent passing of her husband, Gene, who was "a wonderful, honorable man." Tribal member and Staff Sgt. Frank Hostler also came back to visit during the powwow. Stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington, he is recovering from a number of medical issues and also working with environmental concerns for the 21 Bravo combat engineers, where he is a squad leader. Hostler expects to be released from the Army within the year, after 19 years of service, and study urban planning. People from …

are a top priority for us. Therefore, we are moving forward with a limited closure of the Tribal government. We are closing the Tribal government campus at noon today, March 13, and will remain on limited closure through March 20. Essential personnel may be working remotely or reporting to work so that we can keep key services open. “The Clinic, Pharmacy, Emergency Personnel, Adult Foster Care, Security and a few others will be available, but with limited service. We are taking these actions …

Relations Consulting and worked for the Lincoln City News Guard as a city reporter and photographer. “Brent carried a lot of passion in his heart,” said former Grand Ronde Tribal Council member Toby McClary, who worked with Merrill as Smoke Signals’ photojournalist. “His family and his Tribe seemed to be at the top of his list. I remember working with him at Smoke Signals when I was about 10 years old, helping staple the pages together. Delivering Tribal news was important to him and he did just …

. After graduating, he moved back to Oregon. He opened his first storefront in Lloyd Center in November 2018, and hopes to continue growing a reputation for not just providing warm, top-of-the-line customer service, but also a unique experience for customers. “That's where I see retail going in the next five to 10 years,” Douglass said. “It's those that know how to create that amazing experience. For us little guys, that's everything. You get to share a little piece of your heart and soul with your …

, something that couldn’t be done during the shutdown. “Hiring is one of my top three priorities right now,” he said. The other two are visiting all 45 Tribes in the BIA Northwest region, which includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Montana, and improving Tribal self-determination. Mercier said the most interesting part of his new job so far is the variety and the toughest part is the size of the bureaucracy. “I am working on the culture within the BIA and trying to build on that,” he said. “I …

candidates. Bailey finished with 420 votes and Montano finished with 349. “I want to thank all the people that supported me this year,” Bailey said. “Though the results weren't what I was hoping for, I'm still looking forward to the future and will continue to provide service to our people in other ways. Congratulations to the winners and I am hopeful that they will lead us with wisdom and compassion.” “I would like to congratulate this year’s winners,” Montano said. “This was a great learning …

. Agencies were ordered to restore any funds that had been paused or withheld. On Thursday, Feb. 6, the Tribe received a letter from Department of Health and Human Services Acting General Counsel Sean Keveney, stating that in late January, the Indian Health Service had asked whether the executive order imposing the funding freeze applied to programs serving American Indians and Alaska Natives. It does not, he said. Keveney wrote that “First, the order, by its plain terms, does not apply …