Good Morning. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you on this very exciting day for Lane Community College. This is phase one of the realization of a long held dream to build a Longhouse at Lane. First, I would like to recognize a number of people who have joined us today:

Board Members, Elders, Tribal Chairs, Representative from Sen. Wyden’s office June Chada, Congressman DeFazio, Karmen Fore, House Representatives, Mayor

So the important question is: why is this important for Lane?

Lane is known for a strong Native American education program:

• Students at Lane represent each of Oregon's nine tribes and other tribes from across the country.
• Native American student coordinator, James Florendo, teaches leadership and skill building courses. He will oversee the stewardship of the Longhouse.
• Five Native American instructors teach nearly two dozen courses in American Indian Experience.
• The American Indian Language program is developing a first-year course in the Northwest trade language, Chinuk Wa Wa. Several Oregon tribes are considering formal adoption of this language. Lane is working to qualify the curriculum to meet the language transfer requirements at universities.
• The Native American Student Association provides social, cultural and academic opportunities, including the annual powwow in December which attracts more than 1,000 people from across the Northwest.
• Umista is an interdisciplinary summer program for Native American youth and is part of the Rites of Passage summer academy programs.
• Building a longhouse is the logical next step to enhance the Native American program as well as benefit all students on campus, and provide additional meeting space for local community groups.
• The longhouse will be the first on a community college campus that is not part of a tribal college in the entire nation.

I would like to thank all the funders of this project. I also want to mention Lane’s role. There are some who have questioned why Lane has allocated $250,000 from our capital improvement fund when we are at the same time reducing our operating budget and laying off staff. I think it is important to note that the college first committed to help with the Longhouse in 1995. This commitment was reaffirmed by the board in 2002 when they allocated this $250,000 and challenged us to raise the rest of the money. So while some question the timing and the expenditure, we believe that we must keep the promise we made in 1995. There have been enough broken promises to our Native American brothers and sisters, don’t you think? At Lane, we believe that following through on our promises is the right thing to do and is a part of the legacy that we leave in the community.

The Longhouse at Lane Community College will be a home for not only Native American students but all students - a place to share their values and cultures. It will also provide an educational resource for the curriculum as well as the physical campus.

The design reflects a symbiosis of traditional and contemporary construction methods, with materials that are derived from Mother Earth. Situated on a prominent site with axial relations to the cardinal directions, the building will provide a landmark for the campus and be a gateway introduction for visitors to the campus with the major ceremonial entry facing east, a story telling and teaching circle adjacent to the building is encompassed by carved cedar totems, honoring the armed forces of the United States. Entries, both east and west, lead to a circular Hall of Honor, a place to honor the nine tribes of Oregon. The Hall of Honor is an interpretation of a pit house or Hogan with the light source radiating from above through timber framing. Neighboring the Hall, the Longhouse Room is of traditional proportions and structure, representing a place that has familial, sacred and traditional modes. It will be a place of gathering on the college grounds. The "smoke hole" above provides focus and light to the room marking the passing of the day, while the longhouse roof reflects the patterns of the sky.

Support spaces for administration, classroom, restroom and storage are organized around the major uses, including a kitchen facility to enable sharing of food at gatherings and dressing areas off of the rest rooms for dancers to dress in regalia. As cultures adapt throughout time, the Longhouse will remain culturally sustainable, a constant home. The building will have a positive impact on the site as it exists in harmony with the environment through site sensitive design, water conservation, and the use of regional and natural materials.

The simple elegance of the building and site design is a container for the rich and diverse culture of the Native Americans. It will provide a space where our students can come together. It will be a place of the spirit, a place of learning and talking, a place of respect for those that have gone before, a place of hope for present day and a gift to future generations.

We are overjoyed that you are joining us here today as we take the first physical step to make this dream a reality.