The Grand Ronde Indian Reservation in the Coast Range Mountains. (Oregon State Archives Scenic Images collection)
Contact
Address: 9615 Grand Ronde Rd., Grand Ronde 97347
Phone: 503-879-5211 or 1-800-422-0232
About
November 22, 1983
Number of Members: 5,623
Land Base Acreage: about 16, 967 acres
Number of people employed by the Tribes: 1,646
Economy
Spirit Mountain Casino, over 10,000 acres of forest lands and wildfire fighting crew
Points of Interest
Spirit Mountain Casino is one of Oregon’s top attractions, and the Tribe dedicates 6% of the profits to its Spirit Mountain Community Fund, which supports charitable organizations in an 11-county area of western Oregon. The fund has given more than $89 million to area charities since 1997. The West Valley Veterans’ Memorial, four granite pillars representing the four branches of the armed services, holds the names of tribal members and area veterans who fought and served their country. The tribe hosts a Veterans’ Powwow each July and a Competition Powwow on the third weekend of August. Fort Yamhill Heritage Area nearby tells the story of the relocation, transition and sadness for Grand Ronde’s people when they were forced from their ancestral homelands, which extended from the banks of the Columbia River to the Oregon–California border, on to the Grand Ronde Reservation under military guard
History and Culture
The tribes include Athabaskan-speaking Chasta from Rogue River and Upper Umpqua from southern Oregon. Molalla tribes are from the western Cascade Mountains, Kalapuya Tribes are from the Willamette Valley, and Chinookan-speaking Tumwater, Clackamas, Watlala and Multnomah are from the lower Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Chinuk Wawa became the tribes’ common language. Traditional basket making and weaving, skills still practiced today, were important tribal utility and cultural skills.
Tribal Council
2022: Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy, Vice-Chairman Chris Mercier, Secretary Michael Langley; Lisa Leno, Jon George, Kathleen George, Brenda Tuomi, Denise Harvey and Michael Cherry