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At long last, ceremonial first digs.


Byline: Greg Bolt The Register-Guard

LONGHOUSE longhouse

Traditional communal dwelling of the Iroquois Indians until the 19th century. The longhouse was a rectangular box built out of poles, with doors at each end and saplings stretched over the top to form the roof, the whole structure being covered with bark.
 

A promise made more than a decade ago is on its way to fulfillment ful·fill also ful·fil  
tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils
1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises.

2.
 as construction begins on a long-awaited longhouse on the Lane Community College campus.

At a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday, Native American elders blessed the site and performed traditional songs as college and tribal officials turned over the first dirt.

The 6,200-square-foot building will be the first Native American longhouse ever built on a community college campus that is not on tribal land.

LCC (Leadless Chip Carrier, Leaded Chip Carrier) See leadless chip carrier, CLCC and PLCC.

1. LCC - Language for Conversational Computing. Written at CMU in the 1960's.
 President Mary Spilde said the project will mark the fruition fru·i·tion  
n.
1. Realization of something desired or worked for; accomplishment: labor finally coming to fruition.

2. Enjoyment derived from use or possession.

3.
 of a dream that began 13 years ago, when local elder Frank Merrill Frank Dow Merrill (born December 4, 1903 in New Hampshire – died December 11, 1955 in Fernandina Beach, Florida) is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional), in the Burma Campaign of World War II.  first suggested the project.

The college formally committed to it in 1995 and in 2002 set aside $250,000 from its capital construction fund for a longhouse.

Spilde said some have questioned that commitment given the financial struggles the college has faced over the past five years. But she said it is important to move forward.

"We believe that we must keep the promise we made in 1995," she said. "There have been enough broken promises to our brothers and sisters, don't you think?"

The $1.2 million building will provide a home for the growing number of Native American students and programs at LCC as well as be a gathering place for other students and the community at large, Spilde said. LCC enrolled more than 650 Native American students this year, up from just 50 in 1991. That is more than any other community college in the country and the most of any college or university in the state.

In keeping with tradition, the longhouse will face east with an east entrance for traditional ceremonies. Outside that entrance will be a teaching and story circle marked by six hand-carved totems totems (tō·tmz),
n.
.

Inside, the building will feature a hall of honor to display the art and culture of Oregon's nine tribes. That will lead into the central longhouse room framed with cedar logs donated do·nate  
v. do·nat·ed, do·nat·ing, do·nates

v.tr.
To present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute.

v.intr.
To make a contribution to a fund or cause.
 by area tribes.

Other features include changing rooms
For other meanings, see Changing room (disambiguation).
Changing Rooms was a British television entertainment DIY show broadcast on the BBC. It is the game show that began the DIY show fad of the late 1990s.
 for dancers to don traditional regalia for ceremonies and other events and an indoor/outdoor kitchen for community potlucks. Office and meeting space also is included.

In addition to the college's contribution, almost $300,000 has been raised from LCC students and staff, community members and area tribes.

Students also approved a $3-a-term building fee to be collected over a period of three years, which could bring in almost $300,000.

A variety of in-kind gifts of materials and equipment will help lower the cost of the building, and LCC facilities staff will handle construction to further cut costs. Student life director Barb Delansky said more money is needed and fundraising
"Contributions" redirects here. For information about the Wikipedia user contributions log, see .
Fundraising
 is continuing but that the project is close to meeting its goal.

James Florendo, the Native American student program coordinator at LCC, noted that the breadth of contributors to the project is an example of how many lives the longhouse will touch.

"This is truly a community project," he said. "Everybody has pitched in for 13 years to make this happen."
COPYRIGHT 2006 The Register Guard
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2006, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:Higher Education; Native American elders bless the site for the highly anticipated longhouse during groundbreaking at LCC
Publication:The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
Date:Jun 22, 2006
Words:509
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