Here before, here after

Tribes mark Oregon’s statehood with Gathering of First Nations’ events honoring Native presence since time immemorial

By Dean Rhodes and Ron Karten Smoke Signals writers

The state of Oregon officially turned 150 years old on Saturday, Feb. 14.

However, many Native American societies existed in what became Oregon before Feb. 14, 1859.

To honor that irrefutable fact and stress current Tribal sovereignty issues, the five federally recognized Tribes of western Oregon – the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, Coquille Indian Tribe, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Confederated Tribes of Siletz – banded together and put on a well-attended two-day celebration Jan. 30-31 in Salem to celebrate the state’s 150th birthday while symbolically reminding residents that Oregon’s history started long before admission to the Union.

Events started at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30, at the State Capitol as Gov. Ted Kulongoski read a proclamation naming Jan. 31 Oregon Tribal Nations Honor Day.

Before reading the proclamation aloud in front of more than 100 Tribal representatives, Kulongoski praised Oregon’s pre-statehood Tribal nations for being good stewards of the land.

“The celebration of the State of Oregon’s 150th year of statehood acknowledges Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, the first people and their rich heritage, traditions and stewardship of cultural and natural resources, residents on these lands from time immemorial,” the proclamation says.

“Tribal governments existed here before there was a State of Oregon and stand side by side with the State as continuing and viable governments in Oregon today.”

Grand Ronde Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy, Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno, Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen Jr. and Tribal Council members Wink Soderberg, Kathleen Tom, Valorie Sheker, Steve Bobb Sr. and Chris Mercier attended the proclamation reading. Other Tribal members in the crowd included Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson, Tribal Elder Carol Logan and Tribal Executive Officer Chris Leno.

Also in attendance were representatives from the other four western Oregon Tribes, including Tribal Chairs Bob Garcia, Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw; Sue Shaffer, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua; Ed Metcalf, Coquille; and Delores Pigsley, Siletz. Representatives from several eastern Oregon Tribes also attended.

After reading the proclamation, Kulongoski mingled with Tribal representatives, posed for numerous photos and shook hands with Tribal dignitaries.

At 1:30 p.m. Friday, the five western Tribes unveiled a 55-minute video at the Oregon State Fairgrounds that tells the combined history of the Tribes. Cow Creek’s Creative Images created the video, which was supervised by video producer Carl Metzler. Tribal member and Cultural Resources Department Manager David Lewis supervised the Grand Ronde Tribe’s section.

Kulongoski attended the premiere, as did many political figures, including State Sen. Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day), newest member of the Oregon Commission on Indian Services; former Gov. Vic Atiyeh; and representatives from the congressional offices of Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio.

Shaffer, who introduced the video, stressed the talking point “Before Oregon” to the approximately 150 people in attendance. Grand Ronde Tribal Council member June Sell-Sherer attended the video’s debut along with the aforementioned members of Tribal Council.

Grand Ronde Tribal Elder and former Tribal Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison was featured in the video’s introduction dressed in regalia before the film broke into five segments, telling the individual and intertwined histories of the five western Oregon Tribes.

“I loved it,” Kennedy said. “It was just excellent.”

After the video was shown and received a round of applause, Shaffer said that Kulongoski had requested a copy.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, about 5,000 people watched and participated in the Gathering of Oregon’s First Nations Powwow held at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion in Salem.

“The intent of the five western Oregon Tribes was to educate Oregonians about the Oregon Tribes, and to say that they were here for thousands of years prior to Oregon statehood. And that we are still here,” Kennedy said.

A group of representatives from the five western Oregon Tribes worked on organizing the event since early in 2008. Kulongoski appointed Shaffer to spearhead the western Oregon Tribes’ effort to celebrate the state’s 150th birthday. Kennedy, Lewis and Grand Ronde Tribal Public Affairs Director Siobhan Taylor took lead roles in representing the Grand Ronde Tribe on the organizing committee.

Nine drums representing urban, rural and Tribal communities included Eagle Beak from Grand Ronde, Round Stone from Siletz, Star Horse from Warm Springs, Red Hawk Canyon from Umatilla, Thunder Water from the Cow Creeks, 4 Directions from Portland, Red Nation Singers from Salem and Chemawa Indian School, Signal Butte from the Eugene/Springfield area, Dancing Spirit from Ashland and Southern Oregon, and Stagger Butte, a Klamath Tribe group from Chiloquin.

Tribal Elder Bob Tom shared announcing duties with Fred Hill, a General Council Interpreter with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

“It is really nice that all of the Tribes are here together,” said Grand Ronde Tribal Council member Kathleen Tom. She added that she looks forward to a gathering one day of all American Indian nations.

“I felt so good because we all worked together,” Shaffer said. “So often you’ll see jockeying for position. I saw none of that. Everybody was so helpful in our mission of showing our beautiful homeland, and that we are sovereign nations.”

The Oregon 150 DVD “Before Oregon” played continually in a room set aside for the project.

“Hopefully, through the video, Oregonians will become knowledgeable that we continue to live today,” said Kennedy. “My hope is that Oregon schools will include this in their history lesson about the Tribes.”

“This is a once in a lifetime thing,” said Grand Ronde Tribal Elder Kathryn Harrison, who participated in the 1 p.m. grand entry with Kennedy and Tribal Elder Donna Casey.

“This was my very first grand entry,” said Casey. “I was proud to be there.”

Grand Ronde Tribal members and employees played a big role in the event, with the Tribe’s Prostar Security team augmenting State Fair security.

“They did such a good job,” said Taylor. “They understand powwow and grand entry, and they work so well with Tribal people.”

The Grand Ronde/Chinook Canoe Family opened the day with a paddle song and dancers.

Grand Ronde craftspeople and merchants, including Tribal members and brothers Bobby and David Mercier, Greg Archuleta and Tribal Elders Pat Allen, Charlotte Gray, Linda Bean Olson and sisters Violet Folden and Gladys Hobbs, were among the many vendors on the floor.

Taylor led a group including Tribal members and Cultural Resources Department Manager David Lewis, Public Affairs Administrative Assistant Kristen Ravia and Public Affairs temp Janele Gutierrez-Riggs, who helped answer questions and distribute materials at the Grand Ronde Tribe’s information booth in the pavilion’s lobby.

The event started at 10 a.m. and the pavilion was filled up by noon. The powwow lasted until 11 p.m., with a second grand entry occurring around 6 p.m.

“The 150th Oregon birthday celebration was thrilling. It was fulfilling. It was a mark in history,” said Kennedy. “It warmed my heart to witness over 5,000 citizens of Oregon who came together joining us, the five western Oregon Tribes, at the Oregon First Nations Powwow.

“It was a very good day.”