Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Tribal flag
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Enrolled members: 5200 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Oregon) |
|
| Languages | |
| English, reviving Chinuk Wawa | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity |
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (CTGR) consists of twenty-seven Native American tribes with long historical ties to present-day western Oregon between the western boundary of the Oregon Coast and the eastern boundary of the Cascade Range, and the northern boundary of southwestern Washington and the southern boundary of northern California. The community has an 11,288-acre (46 km2) Indian reservation, the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation, which was established in 1855 in Yamhill and Polk counties.
Because the people had lived near each other, and often spoke more than one language for use in trading, after they were grouped together in the 19th century on the reservation, they refined a creole language that became known as Chinook Jargon. Although long forced to speak English, the people are working to revive this as a native language named Chinuk Wawa. They have produced native speakers through immersion programs for young children.
The tribes who were removed to the Grand Ronde reservation are:
The community has an 11,288-acre (46 km2) Indian reservation, the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation, located in Yamhill and Polk counties of Oregon.
The Tribes employ around 1,600 people.
Since 1996, the tribes have generated most of their income by operating the Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde near the coastal Lincoln City, Oregon. Currently, it's the most successful casino in Oregon. It attracts considerable tourist traffic from the coastal beaches and resorts. It's said that 6 percent of the casino's profits goes to the Tribes' Spirit Mountain Community Fund. The fund supports and funds various organization in the following 11 western Oregon area counties: Benton County, Claskamas Country, Lane County, Lincoln County, Linn County, Marion County, Multnomah County, Polk County, Tillamook County, Washington County, and Yamhill County. Since 1997, the Spirit Mountain Community Fund has given more than $55 million to non-profit organizations, making it Oregon's eighth largest charitable foundation.
They also earn revenue from the management of their timber resources. They have developed "other tribal enterprises in construction and environmental management, real estate investment and inventory logistics services."
In the 21st century, the Grand Ronde tribes have opposed the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs plans to build an off-reservation casino in Cascade Locks, Oregon. They spent more than $800,000 trying to influence decisions on the issue by supporting certain candidates in the 2006 primary races for Governor of Oregon.
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Wikipedia