Smoke Signals podcasts Dean Rhodes

Grand Ronde Tribal Council Secretary Micheal Cherry recently attended the Tribal Elected Official Training at the ilani Casino Resort in Washington. Cherry sat down with the Smoke Signals podcast to share her take-aways from the three-day training.

Smoke Signals Editior Danielle Harrison and Social Media/Digital Journalist Kamiah Koch sat down with Tribal Council member and Indian Gaming Association Tribal delegate Denise Harvey to discuss her recent trip to London for the International Casino Exhibition.

Visitors to the Spirit Mountain Casino have long been able to purchase Tribal memorabilia from the gift shop. Jewlery and beaded items made by Grand Ronde Tribal members sits in a display box next to the cashier for interested buyers. On another wall in the gift shop offers a rotating display of visual artwork and drawings from regional artists for interested buyers. Although there are several Tribal artists from the Grand Ronde Tribe, none of thier visual artwork was available in their own Tribal gift shop. That was until the casino noticed TwahnaCreation.

The Grand Ronde Tribe hosted its first Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Dinner on Friday, Dec. 1. Smoke Signals was permitted to record the full panel discussion as a part of our Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness series, following MMIP Resource Coordinator Amanda Freeman and Great Circle Recovery Operations Director Jennifer Worth's awareness efforts.

Upcoming MMIP awareness events:
Jan. 13, 2024: Self-defense class
June 1, 2024: MMIP Awareness Walk at Salem Riverfront Park
*More details on these events to be released soon and can be found on the Smoke Signals calendar.*

Tribal member Amanda Freeman has been working on a photography project for several years, with the goal of raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous people. In the last few months it has reached new heights with the help of the Tribe’s Great Circle Recovery Operations Director Jennifer Worth. Together, along with collaboration from Spirit Mountain Casino, they installed a new billboard along Highway 18 with the words, “How many must go missing before you start to listen?” Smoke Signals talks with Freeman about the story behind this billboard and what she hopes to achieve.

Upcoming MMIP awareness events:
Jan. 13, 2024: Self-defense class
June 1, 2024: MMIP Awareness Walk at Salem Riverfront Park
*More details on these events to be released soon and can be found on the Smoke Signals calendar.*