Grand Ronde: Artifact found in Salem is a biface - Micheaylaa Engman made a trade this week, much like what the Kalapuya people might have done more than 200 years ago. She traded a Native American artifact that she found in her front yard to The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in exchange for a modern arrowhead and a shell necklace made by tribal members, and a book and DVD about the tribes.

Grand Ronde: Tribal leader faces meth, assault case - Valorie C. Robertson, due to complete a three-year term on the Grand Ronde Tribal Council on Sept. 1, was arrested Tuesday by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on assault and drug charges. Robertson, 49, who also goes by the name Valorie Sheker, was charged with one count each of fourth-degree domestic assault, harassment and possession of a controlled substance/methamphetamine.

Grand Ronde: Trees Head To The Grand Ronde Tribe - 800 cedar and yew trees cut from the west end of the Sellwood Bridge to make way for the replacement bridge project are being given to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde under a 157-year-old treaty. The bridge is located in the tribe's traditional homeland, so they're getting the trees under the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855.

Grand Ronde: Generous backers dwarf community funding as Mary Nolan takes on Amanda Fritz for Portland City Council - It seems clear that the Democratic Party establishment is intent on replacing Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz. They have recruited a candidate, state Rep. Mary Nolan, and have funded her, as of last reporting, with more than $160,000 in campaign money, mostly from unions and special interests. As far as non-union donations are concerned, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have kicked in $7,500. With an eye toward future casino ventures, wouldn't the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde enjoy having a sympathetic ear on the council?

Grand Ronde: Telling the Story of Injustice and Peace / Grand Ronde Women – Our Story - The story of Grand Ronde women will be made available April 6th through May 28th at the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill when the exhibit shawash ill?í luchm?n – ntsayka ikanum: Grand Ronde Women – Our Story will show the importance of women to the Native community in western Oregon with photographs, handmade cultural treasures, murals and the living voices of these survivors. Bringing the tale of native peoples to Salem seems natural to tribal elder and Tribal Chair Cheryle Kennedy. “In our culture certain sites are known for gathering,” she told the Salem Weekly. “Salem is one of those important sites, because of our history with the river.”

Grand Ronde: General Council briefed on Tribe's Contract Health expansion effort - The Tribal membership was briefed on the Tribe’s continuing efforts to expand its Contract Health Service Delivery Area, which has the potential of saving a significant amount of Tribal dollars, on Sunday, April 1, at the General Council meeting held at the Monarch Hotel near Clackamas Town Center. In 2010, the Grand Ronde Tribe proposed adding 13 more Oregon counties and two counties in southwestern Washington state to its designated delivery area. Those 15 counties reflect the Tribe’s ceded lands. However, other Tribes – Coos, Coquille, Cowlitz, Cow Creek, Klamath, Siletz and Warm Springs – objected to the Grand Ronde proposal for expansion because it might affect their user populations and, hence, federal funding. Comment: The ceded lands of the Grand Ronde tribe do not include the territories of the several other tribes that the Grand Ronde tried to expropriate, and their effort would have adversely affected the members of all of the tribes listed above.

Grand Ronde: Terminated: 'Things weren’t the same after that' - In 1856, several tribes realized their own "trail of tears" when they were forcibly moved to the newly established Grand Ronde reservation. Nearly 100 years later, in an effort to assimilate Native Americans, the government passed a bill declaring the Grand Ronde tribe, along with several others, terminated. “It changed our lives,” said Margaret Provost, 80, who remembered being told she was no longer an Indian. "Things weren’t the same after that."

Grand Ronde: Plan calls for borrowing $16 million for bypass - The Yamhill County Parkway Committee unveiled its long-awaited local match plan Wednesday for Phase I of the Newberg-Dundee Bypass. The match plan calls for Yamhill County and the cities of McMinnville, Dundee and Newberg to augment an earlier contribution - $4 million pledged by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde - by borrowing $16 million through Oregon Department of Transportation's revolving infrastructure loan program.

Grand Ronde: Kennedy testifies before Senate in support of Reservation Act amendment - Grand Ronde Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy testified on Thursday, Feb. 2, before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in support of Senate Bill 356, which would amend the 1988 Grand Ronde Reservation Act to streamline how the Tribe takes former reservation land into trust. Also during her testimony, which was delayed by almost four hours because of 18 floor votes that occurred in the U.S. Senate, Kennedy testified against a bill that would expand the Siletz Reservation. She was joined by Robert Garcia, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, in opposing the Siletz bill.

Grand Ronde: Preserving a native tongue: Tribe works to maintain elders' language - A new dictionary, 14 years in the making, will help their elders' words live on for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. "Chinuk Wawa: As Our Elders Teach Us To Speak It" is the latest effort to revive the language that Northwest tribes used to communicate with each other and with traders. The last native speaker at Grand Ronde died in 2001.

Grand Ronde: Willamette installs president - Willamette University's G. Herbert Smith Auditorium was nearly full for Stephen Thorsett's inauguration ceremony Friday afternoon, and the crowd was rewarded with a retrospection on the community and the college. Bobby Mercier, language and cultural specialist with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, said the tribes look forward to continuing their relationship with the university.

Grande Ronde: Two Powwows - Here at Indian Country Today Media Network, we’re always thrilled to showcase incredible photography, which has the spirit behind our ongoing powwow portrait series. So far, we’ve yet to receive any photos that didn’t look professionally done, and in the case of the photos we received from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, they were professional. The Confederated Tribes include the Rogue River, Umpqua, Chasta, Kalapuya, Molalla, Salmon River, Tillamook and Nestucca Indians. Enjoy the photos, and please, if you’d like to see your stunning shots end up on Indian Country Today Media Network, please send them to editor@ictmn.com

Grande Ronde: The newest exhibit at the Willamette Heritage Center at The Mill views Oregon history through the lives of women - "Willamette Women: Our History Is Our Strength" opened Friday. The second annual Heritage Invitational features mini-exhibits from 21 other Mid-Valley museums, schools and organizations. It runs until March 10. The next show will focus on Native American women in the Valley. It's being curated by the Cultural Resources Department of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.

Grand Ronde: Tribal people get say in Table Rocks - Agreement giving tribe a say in how the Table Rocks will be managed is a step in healing the wounds of forced relocation. Basically, the agreement places the tribe as equals in future management of the Upper and Lower Table Rocks.

Grand Ronde-Siletz: The long fight for 'our country' - Part 1 - The slaughter of Indians at Little Butte Creek in October 1855 launched the nine-month Rogue River Indian Wars.

Grand Ronde-Siletz: Speaking out for American Indians - Part 2 - John Beeson risks his life to speak out against violence toward Indians: Beeson spoke out against the poor treatment of Indians by his fellow settlers after he and his wife, Ann, and their son Welborn arrived in Talent in 1853.

Grand Ronde: Floyd Charles Daniels - A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, December 9, 2011, at 1 p.m. at Wilson's Chapel of the Roses.

Grand Ronde: Obama initiative may give public more of Table Rocks

Grand Ronde-Siletz: City pays tribes for tax overpayment

Grand Ronde: Tribe vows $4 million to bypass

Grand Ronde: Find a chance to be awed by nature