News for September, 1997

The big news is that of the Grand Ronde Pow-Wow. This was the first year that our Pow-Wow was conducted as a contest Pow-Wow. The people started arriving early in the week and many had camp set-up by Thursday evening. The dancers came from all over the west and many nations were represented. A complete listing would not be possible and to name only a few would be a slight. The listing of contest winners that follows will name some of those nations present but there were more here than that.

The encampment officially began Friday evening with the naming of the 1997-1998 Grand Ronde Royalty.

Saturday began with The Spirit Mountain fun run and the Grand Ronde Parade. Breakfast and lunch were served and Grand Entry took place about 1PM. The dancing went on all afternoon and into the evening. 10 PM was when the colors were once again retired and the great circle emptied. The drumming and singing went on around the camp grounds well into the night. Sunday morning was a time to relax and prepare for the 1PM Grand Entry. A full afternoon of dancing and final competition rounded out this year's encampment. The colors and eagle staff were retired for the last time and another Pow-Wow was past.

There is no real way to report or describe a Pow-Wow. It is in fact a gatherings of clans. A time to visit relatives, make peace with the past, re-tell the stories of the past and to tell the new stories. It is a family reunion. How many people were there? Who could count. The kids were off and runnin; the men were busy doing small chores; the women were tending camp; the young people had disappeared. The elders, maybe, could tell you. It is to them and around them that, at one time or another, all gather. But, if you need a number, ten thousand would be close.

The other news from our area is minimal. The resurfacing of highway 22 from Dallas to the Wallace bridge is finally complete. The summer run of steel head on the Salmon River is almost done and the fall salmon run will soon begin.  There have been a number of small cats and dogs disappearing. While Many believe its coyotes that are feasting on the local pets. I suspect it's the bobcat I saw a couple of weeks ago. These animals are rare, but not unheard in this area. I'm also sad to say that the hummingbirds are gone. This is a weather related cause and indicates that our summer has past. Most of the field crops are in, some barley is left and the corn has yet to finish maturing. I can't really say that the weather has turned. The nights are a bit cooler and we are getting a few more clouds off the ocean. But the days are still pleasant and sunny. The temperatures down on the flats are getting into the eighties during the day. So maybe summer will carry on for a few weeks yet.

I do want to add that on Sept 13 & 14 there will be an inter-tribal youth pow-wow at the Clark County fair grounds in Vancouver, WA. It's sponsored by Rattling Thunder junior youth group. Grand Entry is on Saturday the 13th at 2PM. This is a drug free event. You can call 503-624-0590 for more complete information.

The next big news is that of the tribal elections to be held this month and we will have those results. Also news from tribal council meetings, which resume this month.