M arch 2015 — V olume 27 N o . 36

Tribal code

Ask Donna

What actually matters in this document.

Text

The Absentee

Shawnee News

“Among The Shawnee”

M arch 2015 — V olume 27 N o . 36

I nside this issue ...

2-3

Executive Committee’s Report

Spotlight Employee

Title VI Menu & News

Election Commission & Tax

Collections

March Madness 5K Run

Health System Update

Big Jim Youth Award Info &

Application

20-21

March Birthdays

Building Blocks

Photo: Caitlin Baker (Red Cross), Linda Day (EM), Wanda

Shoppeese (Tribal Member), Edwina Butler-Wolfe (AST Governor)

P hoto-‐ Caitlin Baker (Red Cross) Linda Day (EM) Wanda Shoppeese(Tribal Member) Edwina

-‐Governor)

Photo-‐ Caitlin Baker (Red Cross) Linda Day (EM) Wanda Shoppeese(Tribal Member) Edwina Bu

February 26th, 2015, the Tribe’s Emergency Management

-‐Governor)

along with the Red Cross held an event to give away Weather

On February 26th 2015 The Tribe’s Emergency Management along with the Red Cross H

Radios.

This Rwas

done

help

ensure

families

get important

away Weather

give

adios.

This was to

done

to help

ensure families

get Important

information b

ebruary

015

ribe’s

mergency

anagement

long

ith

Cross

information

before,

during,

and

after

weather

events.

There

will

after weather events. There will another event if you did not receive one, please wed

atch

for Hpelo

give away Weather Radios. This was done to help ensure families get Important information befo

Complex.

another event if you did not receive one, please watch for

after weather events. There will another event if you did not receive one, please watch for postin

postings

Complex. at Tribal Complex.

Shoppeese(Tribal

Member) Edwina Butler-‐Wolfe (AST

Horse Shoe Bend

GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING

nagement along with the Red Cross Held an event to

30-31

, 2015

APRIL

families get Important information before ,during and

Foster Care

not receive one, please watch for postings at Tribal

10:00 AM

32-35

Campaign Letters

AST

CASINO

LITTLE

AXE

Princess Honor Dance

Cultural Preservation

38-39

2015 Miss, Jr. Miss & Little Miss

Indian OKC Registration Form

REMEMBER TO VOTE!!! MARCH 21ST

Executive Committee

Edwina Butler-Wolfe

Governor

Issac Gibson

Lt. Governor

Vera M. Dawsey

Secretary

Leah Bates

Treasurer

Kenneth Blanchard

Representative

General Council Meeting · April 4th, 2015 · 10:00 am · AST Casino in Little Axe

Monthly Executive Committee meetings can be watched online at astribe.com

Governor’s Report

Hello my friends, neighbors and fellow Tribal members!

This month has been a busy one. I continue to attend local and statewide education meetings that focus on educational reform and state

budgetary constraints. The state faces many challenges in addressing the needs of our Native American students and to retain qualified Native American teachers.

Prior to coming into the role of Governor I served as an educator for over 15 years and during that time saw the many need(s) within the Oklahoma public school

system. I became concerned about our Native American students within our public school systems based on the alarming nationwide statistical data I have seen.

It shows victimization, bullying, cyber-bullying, racial tensions, substance abuse use, gang activities and the need for additional safety measures for both student

and teacher. It is my hope that changes can and will be made through joint collaborative efforts between public school systems and tribes. In the state of Oklahoma

we need to have a focus on: when and how testing is occurring within our school systems; are the teaching materials adequately representative of tribal historic/

cultural relevant information and are school systems and their teaching staff aware of events that are culturally sensitive to us as a people. By ensuring that Native

American teachers are hired within the state we can begin this sensitization. However, in order to do that we, as a state, need to look at what our teachers are being

paid as it compares to the nation and give them fair market salaries. It is a major concern to me that our state is one who pays their teachers the least. Poor pay does

not attract teachers to our state and to our public school systems. Nor does it keep or attract Native American teachers who go through four years of education,

complete a pre-internship and internship program and then pass the standardized test in order to teach. We need to put legislation into place in our state that gives our

future generations hope when considering a career in teaching and our students a ‘right’ to have relevant cultural history provided to them in a sustainable, learning

environment. In order for this to happen it will require us as a tribal people to ask for that and to make the state aware we expect it. I and other tribal leaders across

Oklahoma are working to advance this effort and we are seeing small successes. About three months ago the City of Oklahoma City took an unprecedented stand by

removing the culturally offensive ‘Oklahoma land run’ event from their school structure and making their community aware of what it means to tribal youth; another

school system removed a long running Native American mascot. These are steps. We need more. I have been taking part in these discussions and believe that as a

people we are contributing to the learning curve being initiated by certain key individuals within the state system and if voted in I will continue. (I am attaching the

Testimony I gave nationally so that you are aware of these issues.)

If you are wondering about our own tribal specific issues they are still present

and unaccounted for. To resolve these it will take constitutional changes, Code of Billie Thompson,

Conduct & Ethic implementation and ethical and honest leadership being put into AST Governor

Office that wants to advance the needs of the people. The Representative and I are

Edwina Butler-Wolfe,

but two people and it will take more than us.

This month there has been a noticeable improvement made around the Brianna Ponkilla

Governor’s building and for that I am most appreciative. It is my hope that the

Maintenance department will extend their efforts throughout the campus and

begin to take ownership of our grounds by making these landscaping changes a

continuous process. The Maintenance department has over 35 staff, a large budget

which includes $15,000 for cell phones so communication should not be an issue.

I also saw in the Maintenance budget that a few roofs on the campus were to be

replaced. I look forward to the roof replacements as many of our buildings have

long needed this.

Please do not forget to get out and vote during the March primaries! Your vote

can make a difference within the tribe.

Conclusion

I have 3 months to go. My door is always open (unless I am in a meeting or at

a meeting) and I welcome your visits.

Help me to make a difference – stand beside me and Let’s Build for the Future

(BFF) - united and together!

Thank you for your support.

Lt. Governor’s Report

Secretary’s Report

Greetings all, I hope you all have been well and are staying warm during

this cold weather. I would like to thank those of you who were in attendance

at the informal meeting on Friday, February 6th. The Secretary, Treasurer and

I called for a Special Executive Committee meeting in accordance with Article

XVI- Meetings, Section 4- Special Meetings of the Executive Committee, of our

constitution:

“Special Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Governor

as necessary with advance individual written notice. Any three (3) members of

the Executive Committee may call a special meeting of that body by presenting a

written notice to all members of the Committee. If the Governor fails to attend, the

highest ranking of those who called the meeting shall be empowered to conduct

the meeting, provided a quorum is present.”

The Governor filed a Temporary Restraining Order against us, to prevent the

meeting from happening, citing various assumptions in her court filing unrelated

to calling a Special Executive Committee meeting. The TRO was granted prior to

the constitutionally called meeting and a court date has yet to be determined. So

our constitutionally called meeting turned into an informal meeting. Ironically,

our court system has heard a similar case in 2006, where one Executive Committee

member sued the remaining Executive Committee, calling Special Meetings held

in May of 2006 invalid and unconstitutional.

In Absentee Shawnee Supreme Court Case ASSC-06-04, the Absentee

Shawnee Supreme Court ordered the injunctions against the resolutions passed in

meetings held on May 3, 23, 25 of 2006 and any future meetings of the Executive

Committee be vacated and set aside. The Supreme Court also ordered there is

no minimum advanced notice requirement, just written notice, in accordance

with Article XVI, Section 4 of our constitution; and reaffirming the Governor or

any three members of the Executive Committee can call a special meeting upon

written notice to all Executive Committee.

All-in-all, the Executive Committee has a right to call for Special Meetings,

as provided in our constitution. Since the Governor has a temporary restraining

order against the Executive Committee, she has violated our constitutional right

to call Special Meetings and has violated the constitution by filing the temporary

restraining order. Nowhere in our constitution does it state we are governed by

a dictatorship, as it was clearly shown in the December 2014 Regular Executive

Committee meeting.

The Executive Committee also has a right to amend meeting agendas to include

items we feel deem important and need to be addressed. At the December 2014

meeting, a motion was made to amend the agenda to include the health budget,

but was denied by the Governor for the only reason of “I am the Governor!”

William Norman of Hobbs, Strauss, Dean and Walker advised the Governor that

she does not have to accept the motion nor amend the agenda, even though a

member of the governing body had made a motion. Again, a display of a nondemocratic form of government we are currently operating under.

Lastly, I am writing this article in hopes it reaches you unedited and

uncensored. Several months ago, the Governor, her Special Projects Coordinator,

and the Media Director put together an “Editorial Board” to allegedly edit articles

for grammar and spelling. It is odd how the Media Director never mentioned a

need for this type of board, while Media was under my oversight. The “Editorial

Board” was handpicked from employees working only under the Governor’s

oversight. The only exception is our Executive Director of Health was buffaloed

into being part of the “Editorial Board”. Executive Committee members were not

asked for input about this board and it is not an Executive Committee approved

board.

If you have noticed, the Governor’s articles include denials on issues from

assumptions she believes the other Executive Committee members raise

beforehand. Meaning, she is provided with what other Executive Committee

members are writing and she writes or has her article written to address topics

within the others’ articles. I was comfortable putting my article in the newsletter

until I saw how our articles are being handled. As an elected leader, I believe

our articles need no content editing and any changes to anyone’s article is a

form of censorship. We are trying to provide you with a picture of the activities

happening within our tribe in our own voices. Sometimes that picture is distorted

or embellish when only one is allowed to provide uncensored information and

the others are not.

Respectfully,

Isaac Gibson, Jr.

Lieutenant Governor

Hello Everyone;

I sincerely pray that everyone in the tribe is doing well; I know that these past

few months have been very hard on everyone, because of the allergies, flu, and

various other childhood diseases that we thought to be gone. I got very excited

when the weather man on TV stated that we would have snow and sleet, I thought

that it would help my allergies and kill off all bugs, fleas and ticks, if you live out

in the country, you know what I mean.

I agree with the tribal members, when they say that nothing is getting

accomplished talking about each other and having each other investigated, filing

petitions, all I can say is “WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND”.

I did not run for office so that I could fight and argue every day; I had one of

those kinds of relationships and it is for the birds. My department have worked

very to be of assistance to the people of the tribe and in some cases according to

our grants, they have to serve non-natives also. The ICW department does what

they can to help our tribal children as far as the law will allow, and the Domestic

Violence department works well in the community in assisting the clients that

come to them for help. The Social Services department works diligently to help

our people with their energy bills, burial, clothing allowances for the children.

All of the employees that works with myself in the various departments, and

that work with me in my office do their very best that can do to serve our tribal

members. My main goal was to help in any way I can to makes lives better for

our people. I may not like what the governor, Sherman Tiger, Lesa Shaw and the

Police chief say about me or any one in these departments, but these employees

are my “Employees of the Month”, every day of the year.

All of the mobile homes are set in place except two, one a loaner and one is

waiting on a pad, which will be finished soon. I do not know if there are going

to be anymore coming in but, my office is setting up a waiting list for future

reference.

In the month of January the 26th through the 29th, I and two people from

my office and the Self-Governance Coordinator, Scott Miller attended the Self-

Governance Strategy Session in Washington D.C. I am adding some parts of the

Strategic Plan and Priorities for 2014-2016. (See pages 11-12)

Thank you all for your input and support, God Bless.

Representative’s

Report

Greetings Fellow Triba l Members

I am happy and proud to inform you, the tribal membership, that I have repaid

to the tribal treasury the amount of funds due to overpayment.

The tribal court affirmed the overpayment to tribal officials above the

recently enacted Salary Wage law by the general council on June 21,2015.

Discussed progress with the architect of the youth park. Kenny Jones agreed

that it should be attractive to the tribal members as well as the public. The next

phase involves continuing the site work and core drilling.

To contact me at the Tribal Complex, please write to Representative Ken

Blanchard, 2025 S. Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, Oklahoma 74801, or by

phone at 405/275-4030 ext. 6287.

Respectfully,

Ken Blanchard

No report submitted from Treasurer’s Office

GOVERNOR’S SPOTLIGHT EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Leslie Tanyan

Leslie Tanyan became the Executive Director of the AST

Gaming Commission on January 5, 2015. Mrs. Tanyan brings

with her extensive knowledge in the accounting and Indian

gaming field and has strong organizational skills.

Mrs. Tanyan’s educational background is as follows:

Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) with an emphasis

in accounting; holds a Master of Business Administration

(M.B.A.) with an emphasis in accounting.

Mrs. Tanyan has been married for 20 years and has a girl and

boy and she currently resides in Oklahoma City.

Let’s Build For the Future (BFF)!

GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT EMPLOYEE

Governor Edwina Butler-Wolfe will be working with the six program department that she has oversight over and will monthly select an employee that

is deemed to have contributed to their program and to the Absentee Shawnee tribe. The attributes to be considered are: Contributions to the community

and the Tribe; leadership; performance and work ethic; teamwork. It is the intent of the Governor to recognize tribal employees who do a remarkable

job and might not otherwise get recognized for their contributions. This special employee recognition program will be highlighted under my Office as

the SPOTLIGHT EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH program.

AST ELDERS BINGO

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Brendle Corner - Located on

Highway 9 & Harrah/Newalla Rd.

Starts at 1 p.m.

Everyone Welcome

Come support the AST Elders

REMINDER: ELDERS MEETING · MARCH 14TH · 10:00 A.M.

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Chef Salad

w/Chicken

Eggs, Cheese

Cottage Cheese

Peaches

Pork Chop

Mac & Tom

Bread

Mixed Fruit

Wednesday

Salmon Patty

Coleslaw

Veggies

Plums

Thursday

Baked Potato

Chili, cheese, onions

Veggies

Pears

Friday

Saturday

Biscuit

Sausage Gravy

Scrambled Eggs

Chicken Salad

Lettuce, Tomato

Grapes

Hamburgers

Lett., Tom., Onions

Potato Salad

Mandarin Oranges

Spaghetti

w/Meat Sauce

Salad Bar*

Green Beans

Garlic Bread

Wieners & Kraut

Green Beans

Bread

Fruit

Chicken Fry Steak

Mashed Potato/Gravy

Corn Niblets

Roll

Hoagie Sandwich

Mac Salad

Fruit Cocktail

Shepherd’s Pie

Cobbler

NOT GOING TO BE HOME???

CALL AND LET US KNOW AT (405) 275-‐4030

EXT. 6227 or 6270

OR NOTIFY YOUR DRIVER

Pork n Beans

Orange

Steak Fingers

Mashed Potato/Gravy

Brussel Sprouts

BLT

(Bacon,Lettuce,Tomato)

Soft Taco

Lett., Tom., Cheese

Refried Beans

Chips/Salsa

Sliced Ham

Sweet Potato

Veggies

Bread/Fruit

Pork N Hominy

Turnip Greens

Crisp

Roast

Red Potato

Carrots

Roll/Cake

Beans w/Ham

Steak Fries

Cornbread

Pears

Cereal

Ham

Muffin

Biscuit

Sausage Gravy

Scrambled Eggs

Waffles

Bacon

LUNCH SERVED MONDAY-‐THURSDAY 11AM TO 1PM

BREAKFAST SERVED FRIDAYS

9AM TO 11AM

March 8th, Set your clocks UP one hour!!!

March 20th,

March 17th,

St. Patrick’s Day

SPRING BEGINS!!!

MARCH IS WHEN THE SCHOOL KIDS HAVE SPRING BREAK!!!

SO LET’S BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU’RE OUT AND ABOUT!!!!!

Basketball fans get ready for

We have new extension numbers which is on the menu also. If you have any questions or concerns,

please call us at (405) 275-4030, Ext 6227 (office) or Ext. 6270 (dining room).

FROM THE ELECTION COMMISSION:

Tribal Members:

The Primary Election will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2015. The voting polls will be at the Little Axe Resource Center located on Peebly Road

and at the Police Department building on the Tribal Complex in Shawnee,

Oklahoma. The polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at both

locations.

A sample ballot is below.

APPROPRIATE POLL BEHAVIOR

According to the Election Ordinance Article VIII Section 1 – The official

polling sites and adjoining Tribal Grounds are neutral grounds, therefore,

there shall be no campaigning or loitering on Election Day by any person.

It shall be the duty of the Election Commission to request that Tribal police, be present at each polling place and be responsible for maintaining

order, prevent campaigning, and loitering during the election process.

Tear Off 

In order to comply we suggest that you do not campaign in any fashion.

For Examples:

No: “vote for. . .”sticker on cars;

campaign clothing;

disbursement of campaign material;

counseling as to who to vote for.

BALLOT

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA

PRIMARY ELECTION

MARCH 21, 2015

Do not loiter at poll site:

1. Arrive;

2. Register;

3. Vote;

4. Exit.

Unless there is a line each voter should be at the poll no more than 10

minutes, outside of

voter booth. Each voter may take all the time they need to read the ballot

to vote in the private booth but should not “visit” with Commissioners or

other voters at the poll site.

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: Cast your vote by placing an [X] or [] mark next to the candidate of your choice.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

GOVERNOR

Sabrina Little Axe -----------------------------------------[ ]

Jeff Gibson--------------------------------------------------[ ]

Any visiting of voters must occur outside of the Poll Site and adjoining

Tribal grounds.

Edwina Butler-Wolfe--------------------------------------[ ]

Ricky Little Axe--------------------------------------------[ ]

Kathy Deere-------------------------------------------------[ ]

Policies and Procedures states:

There shall be no campaigning on property of polling site. This includes

signs, person to

person, clothing, etc. or within 200 ft. of the polling site. (On Election Day

all signs must be over 200 ft. away from the edge of tribal property that

contain poll sites.)

SECRETARY

Sacha Almanza----------------------------------------------[ ]

Leonard Longhorn------------------------------------------[ ]

John Raymond Johnson------------------------------------[ ]

Vera Dawsey------------------------------------------------[ ]

Twila Parker-------------------------------------------------[ ]

Paulette Blanchard------------------------------------------[ ]

FY-2014

YTD TAX COLLECTIONS

(thru 1/31/15

RUN DATE:

02/17/15

FY-2015

YTD TAX COLLECTIONS

(thru 1/31/15)

RUN DATE:

02/17/15

TAX

CATEGORY

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Sales (6%)

Gaming % of free cash

Employee (1%)

Severance (8%)

Motor Vehicle

Tobacco Refund

$1,309.86

$164,284.00

$41.05

$7,199.15

$11,660.98

$0.00

$1,309.86

$164,284.00

$41.05

$7,199.15

$11,660.98

$0.00

TOTAL TAXES

$184,495.04

$0.00

$184,495.04

Miscellaneous

$305.00

$0.00

$305.00

0.17%

$184,800.04

$0.00

$184,800.04

100%

TOTAL COLLECTIONS

NOTE:

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

NOVEMBER DECEMBER

YEAR-TO-DATE

TOTAL

% OF TAXES

COLLECTED

0.71%

88.90%

0.02%

3.90%

6.31%

0.00%

$184,495.04

$184,800.04

The

Absentee

Shawnee

Diabetes

and

Wellness

Program

The Absentee

Shawnee

Diabetes

andand

Wellness

Program Program

The

Absentee

Shawnee

Diabetes

Wellness

Represent youryour

favorite

basketball

team

in the 2015

March

Madness

5KMarch

Represent

your favorite

basketball

team

the

March

Madness

5K Madness 5K

Represent

favorite

basketball

team

in 2015

the

2015

Run. Wear

your

favorite

basketball

apparel

From

ANY team

and team

Come

enjoy

Run.favorite

Wear

your favorite

basketball

apparel

FromFrom

ANY

and

Come

enjoy

Run.

Wear

your

basketball

apparel

ANY

team

and Come enjoy

morning of of

physical

activity!

Hats, activity!

jerseys,

t-shirts,

jackets,

socks,

a morning

of physical

Hats,

jerseys,

t-shirts,

jackets,foam

socks,

foam socks, foam

aa morning

physical

activity!

Hats,

jerseys,

t-shirts,

jackets,

fingers

are

welcome.

Come

and

the

ultimate

fan!

Best

dressed

fan

fingers are welcome.

andbe

be the

the ultimate

fan! Best

dressed

fan dressed fan

fingers are welcome.

ComeCome

and

ultimate

fan!

Best

contest

will follow

the

2015

March

Run!

contest

will

the Madness

2015 March

Madness

Run!

contest

will

the

2015

March

Madness

Run!

SATURDAY,

MARCH MARCH

28th,

2015

SATURDAY,

MARCH

28th,

2015 2015

SATURDAY,

28th,

8:00 A.M.

Start

Time

8:00

A.M.

Start Time

8:00

A.M.

Start

Time

1-Mile 1-Mile

Fun 1-Mile

WalkFun

Fun Walk

Walk

Registration

FromRegistration

From

Registration

From

BEST DRESSED

Begins Begins

at 8:05

A.M.

Begins

at 8:05

A.M.

8:05

A.M.

7:00

a.M. 7:00

a.m-7:50 a.M.

7:00a.m-7:50

a.m-7:50

a.M.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST!

Little

Axe Axe Little Axe

Little

WIN A MEDAL!

Health

Center

Health Center

Health

Center

SUPPORT YOUR

Pre-Register

Pre-RegisterPre-Register

FAVORITEFAVORITE FAVORITE

Now!

TEAM!!!

For

questions,

please

contact

Buster

For more information

or questions,

contactcontact

Buster

For more

questions,

please

Buster

For more

more information

information

or information

questions,

please

contact

Busterplease

Bread/Chrissy

Wiens at

at 405-364-7298

Bread/Chrissy

Wiens

405-364-7298

Bread/Chrissy Wiens

Wiens

at 405-364-7298

405-364-7298

Parent/Guardian Consent Form and Liability Waiver

Participant name:_______________________________________ DOB:____________

Parent/Guardian name:__________________________________ Phone:___________________________

Age on race day:____ Male:___ Female:___ __5K RUN or __1 Mile Fun Run

I, , grant my child, , permission to participate in the Absentee Shawnee March Madness 5K. In consideration of the acceptance of this entry I

waive all claims for myself, my child, and my heirs against the sponsors, co-operating and coordinating groups and any individuals associated

with this event and will hold them harmless for any and all injuries which may result from my participation. I hereby give my permission to the

media to use my name and photograph in the AST newsletter without limitation or obligation. I certify that I am physically fit for this event

and understand the risks involved by participating in this event.

______________________________________________ _________________________

Signature

Date

BIB#____________

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE TRIBAL HEALTH SYSTEM IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE

NATIVE AMERICAN U.S. DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PARTNERSHIP

NOW ACCEPTING VETERANS HEALTH BENEFITS!

Schedule Your Appointment Today!

» Basic Medical Eligibility

» Behavioral Health Services

» *Service-Connected Disabilities

» *Dental Services

» *Vision Services

CDIB required

*Veteran must be VA Service-Connected

Annual Required VA Hospital Visit must be current!

VA disability assessment and annual VA hospital visit

must be scheduled at a VA facility

LITTLE AXE HEALTH CENTER

Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System

15951 Little Axe Drive

Norman, OK 73026

405.447.0300

www.asthealth.org

www.va.gov

The AST Health System values ALL feedback.

We will listen....

*Patient Advocate Jim Robertson

405-447-0300

*Customer Service Line

405-701-7623

*Patient Questionnaire located in each of our

clinics or on our website

www.ASTHEALTH.ORG

SHAWNEE CLINIC

Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System

2029 S. Gordon Cooper Dr.

Shawnee, OK 74801

405.878.5850

Shawnee Clinic

Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System

2029 S. Gordon Cooper Dr.

Shawnee OK, 74801

405-878-5850

Little Axe Health Center

Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System

15951 Little Axe Drive

Norman OK, 70326

405-447-0300

Low Rent Housing

Our low rent housing program is provided to families in need of

housing in the Shawnee and Tecumseh area. Rental houses are

furnished with kitchen appliances, central heat and air, and mini

blinds all throughout.

In the Shawnee area, the Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority

has two elderly/handicap communities. These areas have fully

and partial handicap accessible units. A laundry facility is located

in the community for tenant use only.

Tenants in our rental program are provided services through our

Maintenance Department; if any maintenance issues should arise

you would contact the Housing Authority and a crew member will

come and do the repair.

Introduction

The information being provided is to help families

understand what programs are offered through the Absentee

Shawnee Housing Authority and how to apply.

Our programs target low income Native American families

who need housing assistance. The programs currently

being provided are Rental, Lease to Own and Down

Payment Assistance.

Application Process

Our process begins with the completion of our housing application.

When completing the application be sure and answer all the

questions that pertain to you and sign all attached forms. If you

should have any questions regarding the application; call or come

by our office and ask our staff in the Programs & Admissions

Department and they would be glad to assist you.

The application will also require documents to be attached in order

to complete the process; which are:

 Photo I.D.

 CDIB Card

 Social Security Card

 Birth Certificate

 Marriage License/Divorce Decree/Custody Decree (if applicable)

 Declaration of Section 214 (form is included with application)

Each household member must provide a birth certificate, social

security card and CDIB card (if enrolled in a federally recognized

tribe). The Housing Authority will conduct a criminal background

check and credit check on all adult household members over the

age of 18. A home visit is the final step in completing your

application.

The Lease to Own Program is available for any Native

American family who has met our requirements and would like

to purchase a home through the Housing Authority. The

Subhead. Subhead.

Subhead.

homes offered are ones currently in inventory and owned by

the Housing Authority.

This program is designated for income eligible families who

107 N. Kimberly

have been renting but now feel they are ready for the

Shawnee, OK 74801

opportunity to purchase their own home. The application is

P.O. Box 425

the same as the rental; accept the income requirements are

Shawnee, OK 74802-0425

different.

Be sure and specify when completing your

application, that you are applying for the Lease to Own

Phone: 405-273-1050

Program. If you have substantial rental history and meet the

Fax: 405-275-0678

income requirements, your name may be placed on the

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

waiting list.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Eligibility for each program

has income requirements;

please be sure and review

the current income limits on

your application.

We will not be able to

process your application if

you do not meet the income

criteria.

This program offers a one-time grant of up to $20,000 to assist

with down payment and/or closing cost to purchase a home and

is designed to make home mortgage payments more affordable

Eligibility Requirements

•

Applicant must be eighteen (18) years of age

•

Must be Native American enrolled in a Federally

Recognized Tribe, with priority given to enrolled members of

the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma to apply

•

Applicant must qualify as a low-income family, and

must meet minimum income guidelines

•

Applicant must be first-time homeowner

•

Primary residences only

•

Must be approved for home loan

•

Dwelling Unit must pass environmental inspection

All applicants are required to attend a

counseling class conducted by our

Resident Counselor before signing a

lease.

Annual Recertification are required

for Rental/Lease to Own programs

Inspections are performed on our

homes annually

MONTHLY RENT IS CALCULATED BY YOUR INCOME

OUR LOW RENT UNITS HAVE 1, 2, 3, & 4 BEDROOMS

LEASE TO OWN HOMES HAVE 3 & 4 BEDROOMS

Waiting List

A letter will be mailed out once your application has been

approved notifying you of the date your name was placed on the

waiting list. It is very important to stay in contact and notify the

Housing Authority anytime changes occur in income, household

composition, or contact information.

In the event that your name is next in being offered a home; you

will be notified by letter or phone.

Annual Updates required to remain on the waiting list.

Applications are now being accepted for families that are over the

income limits for our IHBG funded programs. Please contact our

Programs & Admissions Department for further details.

NOTE: There is limited homes available for this program.

Fix-A-Leak

Week Week

Fix-A-Leak

Housing

Absentee

Shawnee

107

North

Kimberly

Authority

The Housing Authority

of the

P.O. Box

425Absentee Shawnee Tribe is seeking proposals for Architectural

Shawnee, OK 74802-0425

and Engineering

services for the construction of twelve new homes in a Planned Unit

Phone (405)-273-1050

Development in Fax

the (405)275-0678

City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Indian Preference will be given according

to NAHASDA regulations and 24 CFR 1000.52; but Proposals

will

e open

to the

all vEPA’s

endors.

During Fix

A bLeak

WaterSense

ProgramPartne

 During

Fix

A Week,

Leak

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the

EPA’sPartnership

WaterSense

Other preferences will be given to minority owned or woman owned businesses as well as

encourages Americans

to take the initiative to fix all of their

encourages

Americans

services provided, length of time that the company has

been in business,

references, to take the initiative to fix all

household

leaks.or Native American

portfolios and if the company has worked with HUD funded

projects

household

leaks.

entities. Proposals will be available on January 26, 2015

ill

ack in our office

by the Absentee Shawnee

As a promoter of ue

thebWaterSense

Program,



promoter

the

WaterSense

Program, the Absen

This program is to provide Over-Income

Absentee

Shawnee

Tribal

members

February 2enrolled

7, 2015

at 3:00pm.

Late

submissions

will not be considered unless an insufficient

Tribe

Office

Environmental

Health

and

Engineering

would like to

only with affordable homeownership financing oppportunites. The Over-Income Down

number

roposals

eceived.

nterested

ubmitting

roposal

his

Tribe

Office

Environmental

Health

and

Engineering

Payment Assistance will include payment of reasonable closing cost associated with the

encourage

you

take

part

this

program

well.

first mortgage and the ASHA’s

secondpmortgage

with the B

remainder

of the money

going

project,

lease contact

ob Sheppard,

Development

Manager, at (405) 273-‐1050, Monday

encourage you to take part in this program as well.

toward the down payment. The maximum amount for each homeowner is $5000.00.

through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

 Doing so, you can save clean drinking water and also save on your

March 16-22,

2015 16-22, 2015

March

Down Payment Assistance Program for

Over Income AST Tribal Members

Eligibility

•

Applicant must be eighteen (18) years of age

Must be enrolled members of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe with gross incomes over

100% of the median income adjusted for family size to apply

Applicant must be first-‐time homeowner

Primary residences only

Property must be located within the state of Oklahoma

Must be approved for home loan

Dwelling Unit must pass all Housing Quality Standards inspection as well as

Environmental Inspection

 Doing so, you can save clean drinking water and also

water bill.

For more Program Information, please contact Kimberly

Vermillion at Ext. 260.

FYI: Contract Health Service News

Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health

The AST Contract Health Services Team are here to assist you

... follow the CHS Guidelines!

Get a copy of the CHS Guidelines and update your information

Contract Health Services

for AST members

with Insurance

Contract Health Services

for AST members

without Insurance

Emergency

and

Urgent Care Services

CHS for a currently enrolled AST

member who resides in the defined

catchment area who has insurance such

as Medicare or Private Insurance:

CHS for a currently enrolled AST member

who resides in the defined catchment area

who does not have insurance:

CHS for a currently enrolled AST member

who resides in the defined catchment area

who needs emergent or urgent care:

Complete CHS Patient Update form

and update all information every 6

months.

Call the On-Call nurse at

(405) 447-0300 option 9 for “triage”.

Notify CHS at least 48 hours

prior to appointment date for a (COB)

Coordination of Benefits to be sent to

provider

Notify CHS on the next businesss day

or within 72 hours after the ER visit.

Notification does not assure

authorization of payment. However

if you do not notify CHS within 72

hours, your bills will not be paid.

For AST members with no insurance

evidence must exist that the visit was

medically necessary. Medical priorities

have been established for determining

which referrals can be authorized for

payment.

For AST members with insurance,

evidence must exist that a third party

resource has made determination such

services were “emergency care” or

“urgent care” (such evidence may

include payment from private insurance).

In the event that you receive a bill

from a provider, please provide a

copy to CHS. You may leave bills with

Rhonda Kaseca at the Shawnee Clinic

and Glendine Blanchard at the Little

Axe Health Center.

You must apply for any alternate

resources for which you may be

eligible - Medicare,Medicaid,

SoonerCare, insurance, etc.

Complete CHS Patient Update

form and update all information

every 6 months

Inform Provider/HealthFacility that

AST CHS is secondary payer/payer of

last resort.

You must utilize the services provided

within the AST health clinics prior to

being referred out.

In the event that you receive a bill

from a provider, please provide a

copy to CHS. You may leave bills with

Rhonda Kaseca at the Shawnee Clinic

and Glendine Blanchard at the Little

Axe Health Center.

Referrals for outside services must

be sent to CHS. Services must be

medically approved by an AST Health

provider.

An appointment will be scheduled

and a COB will be sent to the outside

provider.

In the event that you receive a bill

from a provider, please provide a

copy to CHS. You may leave bills with

Rhonda Kaseca at the Shawnee Clinic

and Glendine Blanchard at the Little

Axe Health Center.

Flo Mann

Darla Gatzman

Contract Health

Direct Phone Line

405.701.7951

Debi Sloat

Glendine Blanchard

Sharon Ponkilla

Jayne Werst

From Secretary Dawsey:

•

National Tribal Self-Governance Strategic Plan & Priorities for 2014-2016

HONORING THE TREATIES & TRUST: MOVING SELF-GOVERNANCE

FORWARD"

APPROVED: January 22, 2014

Our Vision

Preserve and Protect Tribal and Indigenous Sovereignty, Culture, History,

Treaty and Self-Governing Rights.

Our Mission

Fully Implement and Advance Tribal Self-Governance Authorities.

Our Guiding Principles

•

Tribes are sovereign nations, and, as such, all relations between the United

States and Tribes are of a formal government-to-government nature;

•

As sovereign nations, Tribal governments have the inherent authority and

control over their territories, Treaty rights, natural resources and the welfare

of their citizens. Further, Tribal — governments have the authority to set

internal priorities (without federal interference); and, under Self-Governance,

may redesign programs and reassign federal funds to more efficiently meet

their local needs;

•

Tribal governments are accountable to their citizens and this is intrinsic in any

accountability model on the utilization of federal funds;

•

The devolution of federal funds and service delivery allows Tribal governments

increased programmatic and administrative responsibility and minimizes

federal reporting burdens, monitoring and oversight; and,

•

Tribes have the right to choose the institutional arrangement by which they

receive federally funded services. For Self-Governance Tribes, federal

agencies become advisors and providers of technical assistance rather than

day-to-day managers of service delivery. This principle is congruent with the

current Administration's directive for transparency and accountability.

Executive Summary

• Self-Governance is a Tribally-driven, Congressional legislative option,

whereby Tribal governments are authorized to negotiate annual appropriated

funding and assume management and control of programs, services,

functions and activities (or portions thereof) that were previously managed

by the federal government. Self-Governance represents the expansion and

growth of the historical legislation, P.L. 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination

and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA), in that it allows Tribes, as sovereign

nations, to exercise their right to be self-governing and to take program funds

and manage them to best fit the needs of their citizens and Tribal communities.

Since initiation of the first Self-Governance agreement more than two

decades ago, the number of Tribes and the amount of programs and funding

managed under this legislation has steadily increased. Today there are

254 Self-Governance Tribes within the Department of the Interior - Indian

Affairs - Office of Self-Governance (DOI-IA-OSG). There are 106 Funding

Agreements totaling approximately $386 million. Within the Department of

Health and Human Services - Indian Health Service - Office of Tribal SelfGovernance (DHHS -IHS-OTSG), there are 84 Title V compacts, funded

through 109 Funding Agreements, totaling approximately $1.6 billion. These

compacts represent 341 Tribes - more than half of all the federally-recognized

Tribes.

Development of the Strategic Plan

• Each year, Self-Governance Tribes conduct their Strategic Planning Session

to review and identify top priorities for the upcoming year. These priorities

are further discussed and advanced in the quarterly meetings of the DOI

Self-Governance Advisory Committee (SGAC) and the IHS Tribal SelfGovernance Advisory Committee (TSGAC), the Annual Self-Governance

Conference and other workgroup and committee meetings.

• The 2014-16 National Tribal Self-Governance Strategic Plan and Priorities

for the 113th Congressional Session (hereafter referred to as the Strategic

Plan) is intended to be fluid and the issues and strategies will be updated as

needed by Tribal leadership. The Strategic Plan includes 3 main objectives:

•

Objective #1: Advance Self-Governance Policy, Budget & Legislative

Priorities

Objective #2: Strengthen Self-Governance Advocacy Efforts

Objective #3: Implement and Track Goals/Actions in the Strategic

Plan

Top Priorities - (2014-2016)

In October 2013, the Self-Governance Tribes held their annual Strategic Planning

Session in conjunction with the SGAC and TSGAC quarterly meetings in

Washington, DC. During the strategic plan, a series of White Papers provided an

overview of the top issues and proposed actions for Tribal leaders’ consideration.

Based on these papers, group discussion and input, the following top SelfGovernance issues were identified:

• Enact Title IV Self-Governance Amendments

• Expand Tribal Self-Governance to agencies within the Department

of Health and Human Services and the Department of Interior

Full Funding of Contract Support Costs (CSC) and Timely

Settlement of Past Claims

Halt Lowering of the Discretionary Budget Caps

Exempt Tribal Programs from Sequestration

Enact Advance Appropriations for Indian Health Service

Enact Title IV Self-Governance Amendments

• Amending Title IV of ISDEAA has been a top legislative priority for SelfGovernance Tribes for more than a decade. Over the past thirty-five years,

the ISDEAA has been one of the most successful mechanisms allowing Tribes

to develop the capacity for government-building activities. However, Title IV

of the ISDEAA, the Self-Governance program within DOI has serious gaps

and problems. As such, Self-Governance Tribal leaders continue to advance

the vision of the ISDEAA by working to amend Title IV of the ISDEAA to

create consistency and administrative efficiency for Self-Governance Tribes

between Title IV Self-Governance in the DOI and Title V Self-Governance in

HHS.

Expansion of Tribal Self-Governance within the Department of Health and

Human Services and Department of Interior

• The expansion of Self-Governance within Title VI of the ISDEAA would

greatly aid Tribes in serving their citizens. In 2000, P.L. 106-260, Title VI of

ISDEAA required HHS to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of a

demonstration project extending Tribal Self-Governance to HHS agencies

other than the Indian Health Service. The HHS study submitted to Congress

in 2003 determined that a demonstration project was feasible. Expanding this

Self-Governance tenet translates to greater flexibility for Tribes to redesign

programs that provide critical social services within agencies such as the

Administration on Aging, Administration on Children and Families, Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and Health Resources and Services

Administration. In addition, Tribes could reallocate program funding with

provisions of Title VI legislation to better meet the needs of their citizens.

• Expanding Self-Governance to programs outside of the Bureau of Indian

Affairs (BIA) also would provide Tribes the opportunity to streamline

community service programs and general governmental operations such as

law enforcement, transportation, and community planning. Like expansion

within HHS, demonstration projects could be developed within agencies

where there is a high degree of Tribal interest and capacity for program

administration.

Full Funding of Contract Support Costs (CSC) and Timely Settlement of

Past Claims

• Obtaining full funding for CSC has long been a top priority of Self-Governance

Tribes. The remaining challenges fall into three main categories: (1) obtain

fair compensation for past CSC shortfalls; (2) ensure full CSC funding moving

forward while opposing reactive measures by the Administration to cut off

Tribal contract rights; and, (3) ensure an open and inclusive process for any

changes to agency policies and practices.

Halt Lowering of the Discretionary Budget CAPS

• Federal funding for American Indian and Alaska Native programs is largely

made up of discretionary, rather than mandatory funds, despite the legal and

moral obligations to Indian Country. Tribes recognize that these programs

remain a high priority for the Obama Administration, and were protected in

the President’s most recent Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request to Congress.

However, caps in discretionary budget authority arbitrarily limit the ability of

Congress to identify priorities and protect underfunded AI/AN programs.

Exempt Tribal Programs from Sequestration

• Last year, Congress failed to enact legislation negating the implementation of

a government-wide sequestration of FY 2013 appropriations. As a result, the

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) FY 2013

budgets to^k an across-the-board cut of $353 million dollars. Congress is now

on a path to a similar result for FY 2014. The disparity in historical funding to

Tribes continues to grow at an alarming rate. Funding increases for the BIA

over the last 10 years have lagged far behind the other Interior Bureaus. An

additional lack of budget equity occurred when Tribal budgets incurred a 16%

General Reduction in 1996, when Across-The-Board Rescissions totaling

another 8% were made from FY 2000-2013, and finally when Sequestration

reductions of 5% were incurred in 2013. Today, BIA spending power is now

$.60 on the dollar.

In FY 2013, the Budget Control Act spelled out how sequestration would work and

left open that even exempt accounts could be sequestered. What happens in the

next several months will greatly affect the BIA/IHS and Self-Governance Tribes

ability to provide quality services and health care to Alaska Native and American

Indian people, and at this point the outcome is far from certain. Regardless of the

path taken, the Federal trust obligation to Indian Tribes must be honored and vital

Tribal programs sustained.

Advance Appropriations for Indian Health Service

• Considering that Congress has enacted appropriations by the beginning of

the fiscal year once since 1998, funding IHS one fiscal year in advance,

otherwise known as advance appropriations, would go a long way to allow

the IHS and Tribal health providers adequate planning time to deliver health

care to Tribal citizens. Legislation in support of this budget option has been

introduced in both chambers (HR. 3229 and S. 1570). This strategy stabilizes

Preserve and Protect Tribal and Indigenous Sovereignty Culture,

History, Treaty and Self-Governing Rights

Vision

Principles

Government to

Government

Accountability to

Tribal Citizens

Inherent SelfGoverning Authority

Tribal Government

Control

Stakeholders

Objectives

DOI'BIA Goals

Strategies &

Action Items

Self-Governance

Tribes

Office of SelfGovernance

Indian Affairs

Department of the

Interior

Advance Self-Governance

Policy Priorities

Advisory

Committee

SGAC Technical

Workgroup

Advance Self-Governance

Legislative Objectives

Advance Self-Governance

Budget Priorities

♦ Strengthen Meaningful Tribal

Consultation & Communication

♦ Remove Barriers to SG

Implementation

♦Increase in non-BIA Agreements

♦Monitor Cobell settlement ♦Advance

implementation ofMAP-21 and Hearth

Act

♦ Budget Equity for SG Tribes

♦ Full Funding CSC & Resolve claim

♦Fixed Costs (Pay Costs)

♦Tribal Priority Allocations

♦Road Maintenance ♦Judicial

Funding for TLOA ♦Fire

Supression

♦Title IV Amendments

♦P.L 477 Program

♦ Enact a clean Carcieri-fix

♦ Obtain an administrative or legislative

fix to the Patchak case

♦ Clarifv FACA for Tribal exemption

♦VAWAfor Alaska

♦Conduct SG Training- Senior Officials

♦ Invite Senior Staff to Annual SG

Conference, SGAC Meetings, Calls

♦Tie federal performance to increase in

non-BIA agreements

♦Identify Tribal Shares (CO & Area)

♦ Engage Tribes in process for

implementation of Cobell. Tribal

Transportation

♦Exempt BIAfrom budget sequestration ♦

Request a SG Seaf! be included on the

Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBCj

♦Invite OMB to SGAC Meetings ♦Include

SG in all funding increases ♦Use statute

to justify budget equity ♦Return Law

Enforcement to TPA ♦Include Tribes in

complete budget development process

♦ Title IV - Advocate for passage

♦ 477 - Complete negotiations &

implement a reporting system

♦Carcieri/Patchek - Encourage Tribes

to send letters to Congress

Updated: October 2013

National Self-Governance Strategic Plan (2014-2016)

Department of Health & Human Services/Indian Health Service

Vision

ffffffrrrffrfffrrfffffffffffffffffff

Principles

Government to

Government

Preserve and Protect Tribal and Indigenous Sovereignty, Culture,

History, Treaty and Self-Governing Rights

Stakeholders

Objectives

HHS/1HS Goals

Strategies &

Action Items

Serf-Governance

Tribes

Inherent SelfGoverning Authority

Health & Human

Services

Tribal Government

Control

Accountability to

Tribal Citizens

Indian Health

Service

Office of Iribal

Self-Governance

TSGAC Advisory

Committee

rSGAC Technical

Workgroup

Advance Self-Governance

Policy Priorities

Advance Self-Governance

Budget Priorities

Advance Self-Governance

Legislative Objectives

♦Strengthen Meaningful Tribal

Consultation

♦ Finalize updates to CSC Policy

♦Clarification of FACA

implementation

♦Include CHS in VA Agreement

♦Advance IHS Appropriations ♦Move

IHS to HHS Appropriations

♦Mandatory Funding for IHS ♦Full

Funding CSC & Resolve Claims ♦Full

funding to support ACA/IHCIA

♦ On-going ACA/IHCIA Implementation including

Health Exchanges & Medicaid Expansion

♦ Expansion of SG in HHS

♦ SDPI Re-Authorization

♦ Expansion of Medicare-Like Rates

♦ Streamline the Definition of Indian in the ACA

♦Conduct SG Training for HHS

♦Invite Senior Staff to Annual

SG Conference ♦Ensure SG

representation on all HHS/IHS

Committees ♦Convene CSC

Workgroup ♦Develop report on

FACA

♦Exempt the IHS from sequestration

♦Advocate for OMB Asst. Director for

Native American Programs ♦Ensure

SG representation at all HHS/IHS

Budget Formulation Mtgs. ♦Invite

OMB to TSGAC Meetings. ♦Prepare

reports/analysis on IHS

appropriations

♦Active involvement of SG Tribes in

ACA/IHCIA Regulation and Policy

Involvement

♦Establish a Tribal/Federal Team to

draft Title VI Legislation

Updated: October2013

ccrruPS.

AST Health System Update - March 2015

The AST Tribal Health System welcomes Dr. Johnny Johnson, Internal

Medicine, to our team of outstanding providers! We are excited to have Dr.

Johnson on board to assist us with increasing and improving our access to care

and services.

Also, we are having a “March Madness” 5K Fun Run on Saturday, March 28th,

hosted by the AST Diabetes and Wellness Program. The race will begin at 8:00

A.M. and we are asking all participants to show up ready to run in their favorite

basketball team apparel. There will be a best dressed contest at the conclusion of

the race. Any basketball team (pro, college, high school) may be represented.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Buster Bread or Ms.

Chrissy Wiens at (405) 364-7298.

•

The flu continues to hit Oklahoma hard, and we are seeing a lot of influenza strain

A & B in both the Shawnee and Little Axe Clinics. Please continue to monitor

your health, use good hygiene, as well as good sanitation, and hand washing

procedures in your home and while at work. The best prevention begins with you!

We are very proud of our outstanding star performers this month and thank

them all for their contributions to our patients, their fellow employees, and the

Tribe! Employee of the month for health was Ms. Brandy Dougan, Operator; the

team of the month was Health Procurement led by Ms. Sharon Shawnee and

our Health Finance team led by Ms. Jennifer Harmon. The special leadership

recognition award was presented to Ms. Nicole Zellner of health for her generous

help in assisting with end of year close-out and procurement processes. Great

going gang!

A few other key bits of information for this month:

• AST/Serviced Health System Native American Veterans: If you are

currently receiving services with the area VA Medical Center, please

with the AST Health System. We have been approved to begin our program

for Native American Veterans. We have two upcoming Veterans enrollment

events scheduled at the Little Axe Clinic on Wednesday, April 22nd and

at the Shawnee Clinic on Wednesday, May 20th. The events provide an

opportunity for you to visit with VHA Health and VBA Benefit enrollment

specialists. They will be able to see if you qualify for benefits or they can

help you explore your current VA benefit offerings.

• If you need CPR training, please contact the AST Health System’s Public

Health Office at (405) 447-0300 for scheduling and training opportunities.

• Contract Health Services (CHS) interactive phone menu helps patients

access the most appropriate service provider by calling (405) 701-7951. This

feature will speed up access to the patients seeking services and follow-up

to their care.

• The AST Health System continues to improve its Customer Service. The

Customer Service Line is (405) 701-7623. Please direct all complaints or

compliments to this line for appropriate attention and/or response. Please

be assured that this is the best way to have each situation addressed, with

consistent updates from our health staff. After the investigations of all issues

are complete, our Health Director or a Clinic Administrator will personally

contact you with updates, decisions, or question pertaining to your case.

• The AST Anti-Bullying Prevention “HOTLINE” is (405) 701-7987

during work hours 8-5, M-F, and for added confidentiality or after hours

you may contact Mrs. Dara Thorpe at either (405) 701-7992 or via cell

(405) 481-0815 to start intervention assistance for tribal youth. If it is an

emergency or someone is at risk of harming themselves or others, please

contact 911.

• The Affordable Care Act Decision Tool continues to be a valuable tool

with helping you decide what you need to do for compliance with the act.

Please see the ACA tab at the ASTHA Health Program’s Website: http://

www.asthealth.org/aca (Please visit our site today to find out what you need

to do to protect yourself and your family)!

• IRS Releases Tax Form and Instructions for Tribal Exemption from

Individual Shared Responsibility Payment: Shortly after the New Year,

the IRS finalized and released Health Coverage Exemptions 2014 Form

8965 and instructions for healthcare exemptions from the Individual Shared

Responsibility Payment. Native Americans who only utilized Indian

•

healthcare services in 2014 and who do not have their Native American

Exemption Number at time of tax filing may self-attest through their tax

preparer; or if you prepare your own tax return, you may self-attest on Part

III of Form 8965. Visit http://www.asthealth.org to access the form and

instructions or contact a Patient Benefit Advocate at Little Axe Health Center

or Shawnee Clinic for more information.

Emergency After hours Pharmacy Access: If you experience an emergent

issue after hours and receive a prescription that needs to be filled that

same evening, AST Health has provided access for tribal members at three

(3) approved Walgreens locations in Shawnee and Norman. You will need

to submit your prescription and it is mandatory to identify yourself with your

AST CDIB card and other appropriate ID. Then they shall fill your prescription.

You will have a 5-day limited fill on your prescription. Upon the first work/

business day, you can have the remaining balance of your prescription(s)

transferred to your AST pharmacy in either Shawnee or Little Axe, and

they will fill your remaining balance. The three (3) approved Walgreens

service locations are: 1427 North Harrison Street or at 600 Shawnee Mall

Drive, Shawnee, Oklahoma or at 100 12th Avenue NE, Norman, Oklahoma.

Ebola Public Health Messages and Updates: You can access this up to

date information today on the AST Health System webpage: http://www.

asthealth.org. Breaking news and information from the CDC and OSDH

are located on our webpage along with other pertinent information for you

to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Social Media: You can follow the AST Health System on Facebook and

receive the most current messages and announcements regarding your tribal

health care.

Women’s

Health

Ser v

at Sh es prov

ide

405.8 nee Clin d

Sche 8.4702

appo

intm an

ent

Little Axe Health Center

Women’s Health Services

Located in the Primary Health Care

Providing & Promoting Preventative Health

for All Women

Services include:

h Adult immunizations

h Breast & Pelvic Exams

h Mammogram Referral

h Bone Density Studies

Information about:

• Health Promotion

• Quitting Smoking

• Misuse of Alcohol and Drugs

• Nutrition

• Physical Fitness and Exercise

• Controlling Stress and Violence

• Prevention of Pregnancy

• AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Women’s Health Services

Little Axe Health Center

15951 Little Axe Drive . Norman, OK 73026

405.447.0300 . Fax 405.701.7605

www.asthealth.org

The Absentee Shawnee Diabetes & Wellness Fitness Center’s

Fitness Schedule

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE FITNESS

FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Classes

Circuit Training

6:10 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Zumba!

6:10 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Circuit Training

6:10 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Cardio Kickboxing

6:10 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Circuit Training

6:10 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Low Impact Chair Exercise

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Buster Bread

Little Axe

Resource Center

Tai Chi

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Low Impact Chair Exercise

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Buster Bread

Little Axe

Resource Center

Tai Chi

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe

Resource Center

Circuit Training

5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Buster Bread

Little Axe

Resource Center

Circuit Training

5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Buster Bread

Little Axe

Resource Center

Circuit Training

5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Buster Bread

Little Axe

Resource Center

Circuit Training

5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Buster Bread

Little Axe

Resource Center

Chrissy Wiens

Diabetes and Wellness

Physical Activities Specialist

Buster Bread

Diabetes and Wellness

Fitness Manager

Location: 1970 156th Ave. N.E. Norman, O.K. 73071

(405) 364-7298

For more information please visit our website at:

http://www.asthealth.org/tags/fitness

Fitness Hours:

Monday 6:00 a.m.— 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday 6:00 a.m.— 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday 6:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m.

Thursday 6:00 a.m.— 7:00 p.m.

Friday 6:00 a.m.— 5:00 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday CLOSED

The Absentee Shawnee

Health System

is pleased to announce that

plans are being made to open

an Extended Hours Health

Clinic in 2015.

Coming

soon!

2015

The Extended Hours Health

Clinic will be located in the

“old” Little Axe Clinic in the

Casino Parking lot

15702 East HWY 9

Norman, OK 73026

Location:

Date/Time:

Come join us at the AST Resource Center!!!

Free tutoring in all subjects!

Games and activities!

Delinquency prevention!

Healthy lifestyles!

And much more!

OPEN TO ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS

Everything is offered at no charge….Little Axe School’s bus will

transport students to the AST Resource Center on Peebly Road and

parents are responsible for picking students up by 6:00 pm.

Duration: Starts September 2nd and will run through the school year.

Monday-Thursday, 2:45pm-6:00pm

For more information and to sign up please contact Blake

Goodman at (405) 364-‐7569.

First Meeting will be March 7th at 10:00 am.

Meetings vary in length, but usually last at least an

hour.

Participants /Ages:

6th grade to 12th grade. The Youth Council is open

to all students in this grade range.

Transportation:

Parents will be responsible for bringing and

picking up their child.

What is it? :

The Youth Council is a way for students from the

surrounding AST communities to work together

and bring to light things they need help with in

their school. It is also a way for students to work

and learn how they can create a difference for the

tribe and their own community. We explore

different prevention topics, volunteer in the

community, and also explore further educational

options.

Questions:

For Further questions please contact

Tresha Spoon at 275-4030, Ext. 121, or

Blake Goodman at 364-7569.

Coming

soon!

2015

The Extended Hours Health Clinic will be similar to an

“AM/PM” clinic for acute illness or injury needs. The

clinic will be staffed with a Physician, Physician Assistant,

or a Nurse Practitioner. This acute needs clinic is

designed to allow increased access to care for our

patients after the regular Primary Care clinic is closed

and on weekends. If you have an emergent condition

such as chest pain or suspected stroke, please call 911 or

go to the nearest ER. *The Extended Hours Health Clinic

will not be equipped for emergent care.

AST Complex Building 1

www.asthealth.org/patient-portal

New Patient Portal

Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System

Little Axe Health Center

Shawnee Clinic

Visit your app store and install

the Follow My Health app

- Improved access to your health information

- Communicate directly with your clinic

- Request an appointment

...and more!

for real-time access to your

health information

For more information on how you can register for the new AST “Follow My Health” Patient Portal,

contact Patient Registration at Little Axe Health Center - 405.447.0300 or Shawnee Clinic - 405.878.4702

Family of Alcoholics Support Group

Absentee Shawnee Behavioral Health Services

The Absentee Shawnee Behavioral Health Services is asking for participants to come to family of alcoholics

support group start-up meetings. The goal of these meetings is to bring people together whose lives are affected by

family members who are living with alcoholism and/or drug addiction. The goal of this group is to become an AlAnon group.

By adhering to the traditions of Al-Anon, this group will have to become fully self-supporting and leaders

(chairperson and secretary/treasurer) of the group will have to be identified and assigned to take care of the

necessary business to maintain the group adhesiveness. To start up this group the AST Behavioral Health will

support the group for the initial stages, but will have to let the group become fully self-supporting in keeping with

the traditions of Al-Anon. The group will have to establish a group conscious which will be the group’s set of

shared beliefs, ideas, moral attitudes, and mission.

Al-Anon was established on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our proposal is for this

family of alcoholics support group to evolve into Al-Anon first, to build a foundation to eventually have Alcoholics

Anonymous and Ala-teen groups to coincide so we can reach more people who are affected by alcoholism and drug

addiction. Please call John Soap and/or Richard Bennett at the Absentee Shawnee Behavioral Health at (405)

878-4716 to ask for more information. The initial meeting place will be in the employee committee/music room

house (yellow with brown trim) at the Shawnee location at 2025 S. Gordon Cooper. The meeting times will be

Thursday at 6:00 PM-7:00 PM. Initial Meeting will be Thursday, March 12, 2015.

AST PHARMACY NEWS

The Family of Walt Seber

would like to thank everyone for their help in

their time of need.

From the men in maintenance to the ladies who

cooked and family and friends.

Thank You/Nee yaw way!

Ø Upcoming Pharmacy Department closures are as follows:

ü October 1, 2013 for inventory

ü November 11, 2013 to observe Veteran’s Day

Ø Deliveries of controlled medications are not allowed.

Ø Both Shawnee and Little Axe pharmacy locations fill prescriptions for members

of all tribes, but outside prescription orders are restricted to Absentee Shawnee

Tribal citizens with established charts.

Ø If you would like to receive a text message to your cell phone when your

medications are ready for pick-‐up, please alert the pharmacy staff and provide

us with a current cell phone number.

Ø When requesting refills, please provide 24 hours’ notice until pick-‐up. We will

need your refill number, located above your name on the prescription label, or

the names of your medication in order to fill.

Ø Present insurance cards each time you pick up or drop off a prescription.

Ø Keep us informed of changes in address, phone number, and other contact

information (changes at registration do not flow to pharmacy).

If you have any questions at any time, feel free to call either Pharmacy or stop by

and speak with one of our Pharmacy staff. We are happy to assist you with your

pharmaceutical needs!

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

Heritage Resource Technician Paraprofessional Training

April 13 - 17, 2015

Hours of Operation:

Little Axe: 8am-‐5pm (& 7:30a-‐5:30p Drive-‐Thru) Monday -‐ Friday

• Phone -‐ (405) 292-‐9530

Shawnee: 7am-‐5pm Monday-‐Friday

• Phone – (405) 878-‐5859

REGISTRATION FORM

We are open through the lunch hour!!

**BOTH PHARMACY DEPARTMENTS ARE CLOSED WITH

THE CLINICS THE FIRST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OF

EVERY MONTH TO COMPLETE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES**

-‐Thank you,

Pharmacy Staff

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

Injury Prevention Program

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is pleased to sponsor a 40-hour, one week course in Heritage

Resource/Paraprofessional Archaeologist Training. The course will be conducted at Thunderbird Casino in

Little Axe, Oklahoma, in the Warrior Room, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on April 13 and concluding the afternoon

of April 17 with a banquet.

Training will be centered around one week of intensive classroom lecture and field exercises that will

conclude with a test. Participants that complete the course satisfactorily will receive a certificate stating

that they have trained in Phase 1 survey methodology and site documentation.

Upon request, a list of hotels will be provided for Norman & Shawnee OK. Participants will meet at 8 AM

in the Warrior Room (south side) at Thunderbird Casino, Little Axe Oklahoma. During the week of training,

lunch, drinks and snacks will be provided.

Participants must pay a $350.00 registration fee prior to the start of the training (checks should be

made payable to the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma – Cultural Preservation Department). AST tribal

members can call Ms. Tresha Spoon in the Education Department at (405) 275-4030 ext 6242 to see if they

qualify for payment assistance or scholarship. The fee should be mailed to:

The Mayo Clinic and the Center for Disease Control & Prevention

say that if you’re physically active it may help prevent you from

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

falling. The following activities: Walking, chair exercises and Tai

Cultural Preservation Department

Chi, can improve your leg strength, balance, coordination and

2025 S. Gordon Cooper Drive

flexibility. Remember to check with your doctor before starting any

Shawnee, OK 74801

of these activities!

Or with prior approval can be paid at the door on the starting date of the training. Please email Cecil Wilson

Here are some tips on how to stay safe

while getting back into the

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

at cecil.wilson@astribe.com or Joseph Blanchard at joseph.blanchard@astribe.com to notify that you plan

spring of things.

on attending the training.

warm-up P

andrevention

cool down when P

appropriate.

• Be

sure

Ito

njury

rogram

• Wear protective gear - i.e. bike helmets, wrist & elbow

The Mayoguards,

Clinic and

the etc.

Center for Disease Control & Prevention say that if

pads,

CERTIFICATION

you’re physically active it may help prevent you from falling. The following

• Rest,

especially

when your

muscles

areimprove

tired your leg strength, I certify that I am physically capable of walking short distances and working in an outdoors environment,

activities:

Walking,

chair exercises

and Tai

Chi, can

balance, coordination and flexibility. Remember to check with your doctor before

and I am committed to attending all classes and completing the Paraprofessional Archaeological Training.

• any

Prevent

“overuse”

starting

of these

activities! injuries (i.e. stress fractures, tendonitis,

or inflamed

joints)

by safe

not while

overdoing

Here are some

tips on how

to stay

gettingexercise.

back into the spring of things.

Business/Tribal Affiliation:

•

sure

warm-up

and

cool

down

when

appropriate

• Condition your body before jumping into new activities at

•

Wear protective gear – i.e. bike helmets, wrist & elbow guards, pads etc.

full force.

Applicant Name:

Signature:

•

Rest, especially when your muscles are tired

Prevent

injuries

(i.e. stress

fractures,

tendonitis,

or inflamed

For

more“overuse”

information

contact:

Rosie

Tall Bear

at 405-701-7601

joints) by not overdoing exercise.

Little Axe Health Center

Address:

Condition your body before jumping into new activities at full force.

For more information contact: Rosie Tall Bear at 405-‐701-‐7601 Little Axe Health Center State:

Zip Code:

Cell Phone #:

Date:

For more information, please contact Cecil Wilson at (405) 275-4030 ext. 6245 or Joseph Blanchard at (405)

275-4030 ext. 6310

Office of Environmental

Health & Engineering

• Tribal Housing Improvements Application

The Tribal Housing Improvement Program’s goal is providing sanitary,

safe, and decent housing for its members by utilizing the following

criteria to select the most “in need” tribal members with homes that are in

disrepair but are still suitable for rehabilitation. All applicants must meet

the eligibility requirements and criteria which is approved by the Absentee

Shawnee Tribe.

THIP list all applicants by a priority list:

Handicapped/Disabled and Elderly

Income

Family Size/Overcrowded Living Conditions

Condition of Home

Other Programs available:

• Sanitation Facilities Assistance Program

Applications need to be completed and all necessary documents

attached before the application will be processed.

Applications are available online on the website: www.astribe.com.

Submit completed application to:

Office of Environmental Health & Engineering

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr.

Shawnee, OK 74801

Absentee Shawnee Tribe Complex

Office of Environmental Health & Engineering, Building 13

If you have any questions, you can reach us by phone at (405) 214-4235

•

Are you at risk for diabetes, have diabetes or know

someone who does? Type 2 diabetes is the most

common type of diabetes and affects millions of

Native Americans. Many people are unaware

that they have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Native

Americans are twice as likely to develop Type

2 diabetes than others. Some common signs and

symptoms include:

Frequent infections

Blurred vision

Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal

Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet

Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections

Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms.

Some ways to prevent and manage diabetes is through healthy lifestyle

behaviors. One question that many people with diabetes or pre-diabetes often

ask is “What can I eat?”. The American Diabetes Association states that you

do not have to be deprived or restricted. The key factors are learning what

are the “superfoods”, how much of it you can have and how often. Getting

into the habit of eating a healthy diet helps you manage diabetes and prevent

complications caused by diabetes.

The following foods are listed on the American Diabetes Association web site

as” superfoods”. Try to incorporate as many of these foods into your daily meal

plan to enhance the nutrient content of your meals.

The foods listed have a low glycemic index (causes slower rise in blood glucose

after eating) and provide key nutrients that are lacking in the typical western

diet such as:

• magnesium

• calcium

• vitamins A, C, and E.

• potassium

• fiber

Beans,dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruit, sweet potatoes, berries, tomatoes,

fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, nuts, fat-free milk and yogurt.

To learn more about eating these superfoods and recipes visit diabetes.org and

Sidna McKane to sign up at 405 701-7977.

Source: American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org

AST Education Department: Big Jim Youth Awards

We will begin taking applications for 2014-15 Big Jim Youth Awards on January 1, 2015. High

school seniors of both genders within the 50 United States are eligible to apply for these awards for

the 2014-2015 school year. Applications will be accepted from January 1 to March 31, 2015 by US

AST Education

Department:

Big Jim The

Youth

Awards

mail or email, official

transcripts

must be mailed.

official

application form will be available in January

2015

www.astribe.com

under

the

Education

Department.

The

$1,000.00

award is in the form of a scholarship to the

We will begin taking applications for 2014-15 Big Jim Youth Awards on January 1, 2015. High

college

or university where the award recipient will attend for the fall 2015 semester. The scholarship must be used for the fall

school seniors of both genders within the 50 United States are eligible to apply for these awards

2015

semester.

for the 2014-2015 school year. Applications will be accepted from January 1 to March 31, 2015

We will

accepting

applications

for the

by US mail or email, official transcripts

mustbegin

be mailed.

The official

application

formfollowing

will be awards:

available in January 2015 at www.astribe.com

under the Education

Department.

The(Male

$1,000.00

Big Jim Academic

Achievement

Award

and Female)

award is in the form of a scholarship to the college or university where the award recipient will

Big Jim

Athlete

(Male

and Female)

attend for the Fall 2015 semester. The scholarship

must

be used of

forthe

the Year

Fall 2015

semester.

We will begin accepting applications for the following awards:

Individuals are encouraged

Jan. 1st –March 31st

Absentee

Shawnee

Tribe

Oklahoma

• Big Jim deserving

Academic Achievement

Award (Male and Female)

to nominate

high

Finalists announced:

Education Department

• Big

Jim Athlete

of themay

Year (Male and Female)

school

seniors.

You

May 2015

2025 South Gordon Cooper Drive

nominate yourself.

Please

(405)school

275-4030

(800)

256-3341 Fax (405) 273-7938

Individuals

encouraged tofor

nominate deserving high

seniors.Toll

Youfree

may

nominate

refer

to theare application

youthaward@astribe.com

yourself. documents.

Please refer toEligible

the application for required documents. Eligible nominations will be

required

judged by a panel

nominations

will of

be(non-AST)

judged byexperts assembled specifically for this purpose. The intent is to

an unbiased

group of□ experts

to evaluateBig

theJim

applicants

an impartial

and (Male)

$1,000 Scholarship

AcademicinAchievement

Award

a bring

paneltogether

of (non-AST)

experts

unbiased environment.

decisions

are final

with respect

to Academic

all mattersAchievement

concerningAward

these (Female)

□ $1,000

Scholarship

Big Jim

assembled

specificallyTheir

for this

awards.

Awards

will

announced

May

2015.

purpose. The intent is to bring □ $1,000 Scholarship Big Jim Athlete of the Year (Male)

together an unbiased group □ $1,000 Scholarship Big Jim Athlete of the Year (Female)

encouragetoALL

Absenteethe

Shawnee

High School

Seniors to apply.

STUDENT

INFORMATION

ofWeexperts

evaluate

applicants in an impartial and

Name:

___________________________________________________

Award recipients

will be recognized

the 2014-2015

Big Jim Academic Achievement Award

unbiased

environment.

Their as

(LAST)

(FIRST)

(MI)

winner or are

the final

Big Jim

Athlete

of the Year. In addition to this recognition

the award recipients

decisions

with

respect

receive

a $1,000.00

scholarship toEnrollment

be used towards

their education and the advancement of

towillall

matters

concerning

their

career.

these awards. Awards will be

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

announced in May 2015.

(CITY)

(STATE)

(ZIP)

Questions

these

awards

program

should

be addressed to: (STREET)

We encourage ALL Absentee

Shawnee High School Seniors Home Phone: (

)

Cell Phone: (

)

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

to apply.

Education Department

Award

recipients

will Email:

Tresha Spoon

be recognized as the 2014- HIGHc/o

SCHOOL

INFORMATION

2015 Big Jim Academic 2025 S. Gordon Cooper Drive

OK 74801

Achievement Award winner or HighShawnee,

School Name:

405.275.4030 Ext 121

the Big Jim Athlete of the Year.

youthaward@astribe.com

In addition to this recognition City:

State:

the award recipients will receive

a $1,000.00 scholarship to be

Phone #:

used towards their education Guidance Counselor:

and the advancement of their

career.

Position:

Questions on these awards Sport:

program should be addressed Coach:

Phone #:

to:

(FIRST)

(LAST)

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

Education Department

c/o Tresha Spoon

2025 S. Gordon Cooper Drive

Shawnee, OK 74801

405.275.4030 Ext 121

youthaward@astribe.com

Applications accepted:

All Absentee Shawnee High School Seniors are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Documents to be included with application:

□ Official High School Transcript

□ Letter of Recommendation (Educator/Coach)

□ Tribal Enrollment Card (copy)

□ Resume of Accomplishments and Activities

□ 500-word Essay: How do you feel your accomplishments (knowledge/training) will influence your future?

□ Video (optional): no more than 10 minutes in length

MARCH 2015 BIRTHDAYS

Alexander, Jason Thomas

Ellis, Leann Dee

Khalil-Qureshi, Maryam Anisah Nelson, Linda June

Switch, Faye Ramona

Alford, Michael Jason

Ellis, Mark Russell

Khalil-Quraishi, Sumiyah

Nuckolls, Larry Wayne

Switch, Redonna Lynn

Alford, Terry Wayne

Ellis, Renee June

Khan, Keyania Shaneil

Oney, Mattison Marie

Tahah, Everett Wade

Allen, Vanessa Olivia

Elsloo, Kasia Lee

Kickapoo, Collins Kristopher

Ongaco, Ariana D. Wilson

Tapia, Dakotah Cruz

Anania, Salvatore Westbrook

England, Adam Joe

Kirschner, Tony William

Onzahwah, Leroy Galin

Taryole, Newman Ryan

Anderson, Steven Brian

Fenner, Alannah Benae

Kisor, Alexzander Jordan

Ozeretny, Gary Lee

Taryole, Sydney Alixandra

Annis, Loraine Pearl

Ferree, Sierra N

Landrum, Avery Lynn

Panther IV, William

Tascier, Matthew Isaiah

Applegate, Richard Allen

Fife, Zachariah Everett

Leach, Melissa Louise

Panther, Ashlynn Nevaeh

Taylor, Lafonda Raye

Araujo, Bearen Demetrio

Fontenot, Teddy Lynn

Ledezma II, Roberto Bernal

Panther, Cyerra Lynn

Taylor, Scott Alan

Arms, Bruce Edwin

Foreman, Henry Jake

Lee, Catherine Stacey

Patten, Sherri Louise

Thapa, Sonya Shree

Arms, Drake Jagger

Foreman, La Donna Rochelle

Lemon, Toni Marie

Peetoom, Alexander R S

Thompson, Billie Gean

Augustine, Dezmond Solomon

Foreman, Merrilee

Leroy, Mary Denise

Pickering, Gertrude B Spybuck Thompson, Brandee Ian

Barnes, Bralynn Kierra

Foster, Gabriel Lee

Lewis, Katlyn Hope Cooksey

Powell, Terry Shane

Thornhill, Nathaniel Weston

Barnhill, Rachel Renee

Frazier, Andee Danielle

Lewis, Quinton DeWayne

Price, Judith Ann

Thorpe, Kimberly Clarice

Beaver Jr., Rodney Gene

Freeman, Retha Ann

Lindsay, Lila

Puckitt, Steven Ray

Thorpe, Mary Elizabeth

Bender, Liyahna Kyne

French, Jeffrey Martin

Little Axe, Dennis Robert

Rainey, Katherine Lydia Warrior Tiger, Anthony Michael Gene

Bernard, Carol Jean (Mohawk) Fuller, Rhealee Grace

Little Axe, Skye Keenan Patrick Rakestraw, Colton James

Tiger, Donna Jean

Bettelyoun, Isaac Phillip

Garretson, Stephanie Rae

Little Charley, Estelena

Respicio, Lucas Antonio

Tiger, James Scott

Bettelyoun, Taylin Hope

Garretson, Tanisha Marie

Little Charley, Gary Dean

Rex, Suzzy Jean

Tiger, Kelly Amanda

Bittle, Mona Jene

Gibson, Charles Arthur

Little Creek, Levi Kelly

Reyes IV, Jose Ysmael

Tiger, Raymond Gary

Blanchard II, Larry Dean

Gibson, Dylan Scott

Little Jim Jr, Webster

Richard, Eryxon Joe

Tucker, Brian O’Neal

Blanchard, Brayden Nicole

Gibson, Isaac Dean

Little, Benjamin Ray

Richey, Gunner Wayne

Tucker, Keely Marie

Blanchard, Izabel Marie

Gibson, Jaylan Chaunce

Little, Keith David

Rigney, Sean Librado

Turner, Terry Michael

Blanchard, Joe Henry

Gibson, Johnathan Caine

Little, Marysa Fay

Roach, Dustin Michael

Villalobos, Lena Lou

Blanchard, Russell Duane

Gibson, Joshua Lee

Little, Micco David

Roach, Dylan Lane

Walker, Morgan Baylee

Blanchard, Solomon Grant

Gibson, Phillip Craig

Littlebear, Trinedad Adam

Robbins, Joshua Dale

Walker, Vera N

Bowden, Rosada Lynn

Gibson, Toney Ellise

Littlecreek, Jade Marie

Robison, Jack Alan

Wallace, Christopher James

Bradley, David John

Grass, Ayson

Littlecreek, Jeremiah James

Rolette Jr., Larry James

Walley, Brian Jeffery

Brady, Dallas Dustin

Grass, Gavin John

Littlecreek, Sadie Rachelle

Rolette, Seth Allan James

Warrior, Shawna Kogee

Brannon, Tkeyah Monique

Gravel, Robin Renee

Logan, Priscilla Ann

Ruimveld, Vickey Lynn

Watkins, Melysha Raven

Brinson, Alexander Armando

Graves, Casey James

Longhorn, Bradley Lucky

Runsabove, Bryant Kent

Watson Jr., Theodore Randall

Brokeshoulder, Ashley M.

Grover, Michelle Renee`

Longhorn, Tommy Dale

Ryan, Ryder Lazaro

Watson, Bryeanna Renee Louise

Brooks, Amy Louise

Hall, Elizabeth Lynn

Longhorn, Vaun Marie

Sanchez, James Andrew

Watson, Martha Ruth (Tiger)

Brown, Charley

Hall, Kayla Collette

Longman Jr., Clyde Bennie

Schaal, Winnie Virginia

Wenholm, Jody Dawn

Brown, Monica Francesca

Harjo, Jacob Lee

Longman, Michael Ray

Scott, Denise Renee

Wesley Jr., Daniel Kenneth

Brown, Railynn Taylor

Harjo, Jimmie Dean

Lowe, Victor Shane

Self, April Jennell

Westberry, Casey LyDale

Bryce, Jerry Dale

Harjo, Sammy

MacK Jr., Thomas James

Self, Sheila Ann

Westberry, Hayley Morgan

Buckheart, Elysa Victoria

Harjo, Shirley Ann

MacK, Ryan Dale

Sevier, Jennifer Michelle

White Thunder, Shelsie Mae

Buckheart, Phillip Cruz

Harjo, Zerek Bishop

Mahtapene, Charlie Renee

Sloan, James B.

White, Calvin Lee

Burk, Harley Lynn

Harp, Emily Sue

Martinez, Alexee June

Sloat, Athenia Kayra

White, Raelynn

Cahwee, Yvonne Katherine

Haskins, Michael Truett

Masquat, Cameron Isaiah

Sloat, Christina Sue

Williams, Bryce Cameron

Carter, Taylor Wade

Herrera Jr., Rudy

Masquat, Nathaniel Gage

Sloat, Jeremy Clay

Williams, Cody Grant

Casteel, Rhaeanna Corinne

Herrera, Richard John

Maxwell, Kimber Leigh

Smith, Daleana Lee

Williams, Johni Kaleen

Caudillo, Herman Russell James Hilderbrand, Derek Mitchell

Mayo, Leslie Carol Garretson

Snake, Anna Grace

Williams, Kayce Brylin

Caudillo, James Adam

Hood, Richard Foster

Mayo, Michelle Marie

Snake, Steven Ray

Williams, Mark Henry

Clark, Carol Dawn

Hood, Ross Damon

McBride, Taylor Iralee

Soap Jr., Roger Eugene

Williams, Matthew James

Coddington, Koryne Shazity

Hooper, Michael Shayne

McBroom, Ashley Denise

Spoon, Alexander Jacob

Williams, Taree Renea

Coddington, Michele Cholena

Hubble-Kirschner, Skylur Nacole McBroom, Michelle Leigh

Spoon, Courtni Renee

Wilson, Annette Ponkilla

Cole, Carolyn Mary

Hunt, Lyndon Brandon

McCray, Ashley Nicole

Spoon, Elijah Gage

Wilson, Mitchell James Wayne

Cook, Jonathon David

Ibarra, Rosalee Brianna Lizzet McDoulett, Karen Susan

Spoon, Gracelynn Faith

Winter, Warren Patrick

Cook, Makylea Mae

Irvin, Catherine Ann

McGonigal, Peter Roygan Hodge Spoon, Isabella Lorraine

Witt, Adam Wayne

Coon, Justin Bo

Isaac-Robbins, Shirley Jean

McGuire, Kasi Lynn

Spoon, John Allen

Wolf, Bryne Andrew

Coon, Waylon Henry-Goliath

Isaacs, Leann Vachon

McKinney, Mahnee Zuri

Spoon, Robby Wayne

Wolfe, Leonard Wayne

Coriz, Clinton Eric

Johndrow-Boston, Mark Joseph McLovin, Alexander Charles

Spoon, Sherrie Dawn

Woods, Kathy Lynn

Cravens III, John Monroe

Johnson Jr., Hubert Dana

McMillen, Destenie DeAnne

Spriggs, Dakota Paul

Wright, Tasha Laquinta Suzanna

Creek, Felix Albert

Johnson Jr., Walter Mack

Merrell, Jason Andre

Squire, Jerry Wayne

Wyatt, William David

Cruz, Gregorie Thomas

Johnson Sr., Walter Mack

Miller, Louis-Renee Sarah

Starr, Jesse Lloyd

Yandell, Steven Joseph

Cuellar Jr., Leno

Johnson, Alexis Lynn

Miller, Patrick Michael

Starr, Lawrence Mitchell

Yates, Kylie Ann

Davis, Shawn E.

Johnson, John Daniel

Miller, Redena Kay (Blanchard) Stephens, Aubriana Nichole

Yeahpau, Roman Mausanap

Day, Linda G.

Johnson, John Pershing

Miner, Matthew Carl

Steves, Adam James

Zinn, Jenifer Coleman

Day, Rosanna Jolena

Johnson, Leam Edwin

Mohawk, Billye-Jo Ryleigh

Stewart, Stanley Allen

Deer, Alicia Kaye

Johnson, Pamela

Molina, Terry Randall

Stinger, Heather Ann

Deer, Christopher Jerome

Johnson, Shirley Renee

Montgomery Jr., Wendall Len Stone, Taylor Cheyenne

Deer, Makiyah Kaylind Anora Jones, Dennis Roy

Moore, Patricia Naomi

Straight, Lela Gale

Denson, Hilda Mae

Judkins, Charles Gary

Morgan, Katie Lynne

Stryker, Vikki Dawn

Eckiwardy, Alano Ezekiel

Kaniatobe, Tiffany Paige

Morton Jr., Jeremiah James

Stuckey, Zoee Ellori

Edgin, Laura Marie

Ketakea, Georgia Kay

Morton, Hannah Raine

Sutton, Mason Riley

Ellis, Andrew

Ketakea, Kayla Marie

Nakamoto, Lisa Marie

Sutton, Virginia Lee

Sherrie

Wishing you a very

happy birthday to

my dear lil sis.

May you enjoy many

more with your

beautiful children.

Love your

darling sister,

Creep (aka Babs Jo)

To My Handsome Grandson

Michael Jason Alford

I am so proud of you & I love you bunches!

Jay G-Low

To my niece Vikki Dawn Striker

Happy 44th Birthday Mom!!

You deserve this to be

the best day ever!!

Love your

kids,

We love

you so very

much!

You’re the best at what

you do - raising us!!

I love you!

Your Auntie Sadie

Joplin,

Jiliyan

& Justin

Happy Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter

Sherrie Dawn

Spoon

I am so proud of you,

you are an awesome

loving mother to your

children

Hugs & Kisses

and many many more

birthdays.

I love you,

Mom

To my Granddaughter

LeeAnn Huckaby

And to you and Mark...

I love you all,

Granny Low

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

Building Blocks C.D.C.

2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr.

Shawnee, Ok. 74801

P: (405)878-0633 F: (405)878-0156

Building Blocks News...

February was a busy month for Building

Blocks. We were able to re-open with a

significant decrease in illnesses in our

staff members, though it can never be

completely eliminated. We thank everyone

who was understanding and patient with

us while we worked through these issues

and took time to sanitize the center.

teachers

and

floaters

did

wonderful

job

planning activities

and parties for

Valentine’s

Day.

The

children

engaged in ageappropriate

activities

teach them about

friendship, sharing

and

feelings.

They also made

Valentine’s gifts for their parents.

In March, we will celebrate Dr. Seuss’

birthday and welcome the beginning

of spring. There is no doubt that our

activities will center around these topics,

as we prepare for spring break, which

is March 16th – 20th. Teachers will be

planning field trips during this time,

depending on the age group.

April will bring Easter and our annual

The kiddos had such a great time celebration at Building Blocks.

Once

celebrating the month of love! The again, each teacher will coordinate and

plan Easter egg hunts for their class, as

well as class parties.

Parents are always welcome to

attend field trips, class parties, and

other Building Blocks’ events with their

child(ren). It is not only a great help and

support during these times, but it fosters

a relationship between the teacher and

families. This relationship is important

to all of those involved and can help to

improve communication, understanding

and services. We thank all parents who

are involved in our activities each month!

Dates to remember:

Monday, March 2nd: Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

Thursday, April 2nd: Easter egg hunts

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.; Easter parties at

3:00 p.m.

Friday, April 3rd: Closed for Good

Friday.

Thank you,

Billie Thompson

Director

The following are current programs administered by the

Absentee Shawnee Tribe Education Department:

The following are current programs administered by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe Education Department:

These are brief descriptions of current programs.

Program guidelines are available in

hard copy at the Education Department office or for download at www.astribe.com.

These are brief descriptions of current programs. Program guidelines are available in hard copy at the Education Department office

• Academic (K-12) Program: assists with academic related expenses, and a

or for download at www.astribe.com.

portion of funds can be used for school-related athletic program expenses.

Program has a maximum funding limit for the academic year.

Zahn Program: established from a trust fund, program can help with some

graduation expenses, and awards two (2) incentives: one for GED recipients

and one for High School graduates. Program has a maximum amount of funding

for graduation expenses.

Job Training Adult Education Program: funds for vocational training at

accredited vocational institutions. Program has a maximum funding limit for the

calendar year or per program.

Higher Education:

Education Incentive Award Program:

funds for

undergraduate degrees, one associate or bachelor degree, at any accredited college

or university. Funding levels are determined based upon grade point average and

full-time or part-time status.

Graduate Scholarship Program: funds for one master’s degree or one doctoral

degree, and can fund one graduate admissions test. This program has funding

levels based upon full-time and part-time status.

• Academic (K-12) Program: assists with academic related expenses, and a portion of funds can be used for school-related athletic

program expenses. Program has a maximum funding limit for the academic year.

•

• Zahn Program: established from a trust fund, program can help with some graduation expenses, and awards two (2) incentives:

one for GED recipients and one

• for High School graduates. Program has a maximum amount of funding for graduation expenses.

• Job Training Adult Education Program: funds for vocational training at accredited vocational institutions. Program has a maximum

funding limit for the calendar• year or per program.

• Higher Education: Education Incentive Award Program: funds for undergraduate degrees, one associate or bachelor degree, at

any accredited college or university.

Funding levels are determined based upon grade point average and full-time or part-time

• Big Jim Youth Award Program: annual incentive for High School

Seniors for Academic Achievement and Athlete of the Year. Deadline for

status.

application submission is March 31st of each year.

• Graduate Scholarship Program: funds for one master’s degree or one doctoral degree, and can fund one graduate admissions test.

funding is based upon the availability of funds at the time of application.

This program has funding All

levels

based upon full-time and part-time status.

All applications and guidelines are available at www.astribe.com. Click on

• Big Jim Youth Award Program:

incentive

Servicesannual

and select

Education.for High School Seniors for Academic Achievement and Athlete of the Year.

Deadline for application submission

is March

31st

each

year.

For more information,

please

call of

Tresha

Spoon

at (405) 275•

4030, Ext. 121 or 1-800-256-3341 or email to

tresham@astribe.com.

All funding is based upon the availability of funds at the time of application.

All applications and guidelines are available at www.astribe.com. Click on Services and select Education.

For more information, please call Tresha Spoon at (405) 275-4030, Ext. 121 or 1-800-256-3341 or email to tresham@astribe.com.

Central Tribes of the Shawnee Area, Inc.

Head Start/Early Head Start Programs

ANNUAL REPORT

12/1/13 THRU 11/30/14

Prepared by: Tamika O’Neal – Head Start/Early Head Start Director

•

CTSA Head Start/Early Head Start is operated solely on Public Federal funds in the amount of $1,518,899 is the total amount of funds awarded after

the 5.27% Sequestration budget cut was reinstated. CTSA does not receive any private funds.

• Proposed Budget and Budgetary Expenditures

The proposed budget is prepared as a part of the grant application package. It is prepared by carefully considering all resources necessary to serve the

required number of children. We use the proposed budget as a guide for our budgetary expenditures. An explanation of the budgetary expenditures is

as follows:

1. Personnel Expenditures

We strive to meet all guidelines that are set forth for us in staffing numbers and qualifications. Maintaining a well qualified staff is expensive and represents the majority of our grant money. Staffing costs include salaries, employer paid Social Security and Medicare taxes, Workers Compensation

Insurance Premiums, Unemployment Insurance Premiums, Medical/Dental Insurance Premiums, and employer paid Retirement Benefits.

2. Supplies Expenditures

The first of these is office supplies for program administration. Also, there are program supplies and food service supplies. Program supplies include all

necessary items for the classrooms and for the teachers to make and execute their lesson plans. Food service supplies are the items necessary to serve

and feed the children such as dishes, glasses, and silverware. The actual expense for food is covered with money provided by the USDA.

3. Audit Expenditures

This is for all costs related to the required annual financial audit.

4. Facilities Expenditures

These include Rent Expense for our facility in Norman, Oklahoma, and Maintenance Expense which is for all costs necessary to maintain the facilities.

5. Utilities Expenditures

This includes all electric, gas, water, telephone, and trash service expenditures.

6. Insurance Expenditures

This includes facility insurance, liability insurance, and vehicle insurance.

7. Travel Expenses

This includes gasoline and maintenance for all company vehicles.

8. Parent Expenditures

This includes two line items. The first is Parent Services which is used to give temporary assistance to parents for living expenses. For Parent Services,

we are always the payer of last resort. The other is Parent Activities. Parent Activities Funds are used to help with the cost of parent planned events.

9. Staff Training Expenditures

This line item is for sending staff to required trainings to ensure they have current knowledge in all areas. It is also used to help with the costs necessary

to assist employees in meeting the minimum education requirements of their positions.

10. Other Expenditures

This covers the three remaining line items. The first of these is Printing/Advertising Expense which covers any forms we use that need to be prepared

by a professional printer and any necessary advertising for employment vacancies, legal notices, enrolment, and retention. Next is Fees Expense. The

majority of these funds are used for required pre-employment screenings. The last of these is Classroom Substitute Expense. Because we are required

to maintain staffing requirements in each classroom we have to pay for substitutes when a regular teacher is absent.

•

Total number of children and families served during the dates above would be approximately 146 Head Start/Early Head Start children and families

and the average monthly enrollment was 99%. Since the beginning of the 2014-2015 school years CTSA has been consistently fully enrolled. All

applying children are eligible for services; however, the children with the greatest needs are selected first using a criteria ranking sheet approved by

Policy Council that follows federal guidelines.

•

CTSA was federally reviewed in March of 2014 and received a 100% compliant review. The results of the FY2013 Audit: there were no findings

and only managerial notes that were immediately addressed.

Approximately 83 % of the enrolled children were reported on PIR as up-to-date on their EPSDT and 83% dental exams in Head Start, and 71% for

both in Early Head Start on the programs Program Information Reporting (PIR).

•

CTSA operates 3 centers: Cushing, Norman and Shawnee – We encourage all our families to be involved with our program. CTSA offers a variety

of parent and family activities throughout the program year. These include activities like Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Parades, Children’s Programs, Muffins with Mom, Dad’s day, Trike- a-thons, as well as always welcoming parents and families to volunteer in the classroom. Additional

ways parents get involved is through creating Child and Family goals, Home Visits, Parent/Teacher Conferences, Policy Council and Parent Committees.

•

CTSA has School Readiness Goals which also include the Family Engagement aspect that are set to accommodate all ages including Infants and

Toddlers, individual goals are set for each child, with the input of the parent, to meet their appropriate developmental needs at that time. Each of

these goals aligns with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework as well as the State early learning guidelines. Children are

assessed 3 times a school year to monitor progress and assist in creating new child goals. CTSA strives to ensure that all efforts are made to prepare

children and parents for the Kindergarten experience, including transition activities/packets and/or field trips to the local public schools.

Horse Shoe Bend After School Program

March 2015

The Horse Shoe Bend After School Program continues to grow and now has 24 students. Each day we typically serve between

10 and 15 students. On days with outside activities, we often have more than 15 students.

THANKS TO THE OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY TUTORS

The tutors from Oklahoma Baptist University are very popular. Our young students enjoy talking and interacting with the

tutors. The tutors like these interactions too, since some tutors are far away from home and miss their own brothers and sisters.

Nine of the 12 first semester tutors returned for the second semester and we have added five new tutors since the Christmas

break. These tutors will soon start working with our students at the After School Program at the Absentee Shawnee Complex.

The tutors set their own schedules. Some are able to tutor all four days and some are only there for one or two days.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KATIE WILSON!

Katie received the Citizenship Award in her Third Grade class at North Rock Creek School. Katie has been enrolled at the

Horse Shoe Bend After School Program since starting kindergarten in the Fall of 2011. Katie gives a 100% effort to her studies

and her efforts are paying off. Katie is the daughter of Calvin and Annette Wilson. She has two brothers Michael and Ruben.

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS

April 1, 2015 Coloring Easter eggs for all after school students

Parents are asked to bring a dozen boiled eggs for the students to color

April 2, 2015 Easter egg hunt for all after school students

Parents may send snacks for the party and are welcome to attend

April 5, 2015 is the EASTER holiday!

I am so pleased with the progress the Horse Shoe Bend After School Program has made this school year. Programs such as

this are wonderful for our students and help our parents better manage their busy lives. If you have any suggestions for how

to make this program even better, or if you have questions or concerns, please call me at (405) 481-0397.

Thank you,

Edwina Butler-Wolfe, Governor

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE

TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

Recycling Program

RECYCLING MATERIAL THAT

WE ACCEPT.

ALL WHITE PAPER,

ENVELOPES, COLORED PAPER, JUNK

MAIL, FAX PAPER,

MAGAZINES,

NEWSPAPER, CARDBOARD, AND ALUMINUM CANS.

MATERIAL WE

DO NOT ACCEPT.

TONER, CARBON

PAPER, FOOD

WASTE, AND PLASTIC.

REMEMBER,

WHEN IN DOUBT

THROW IT OUT.

CONTACT

INFORMATION

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE

TRIBE OF

OKLAHOMA

OFFICE OF

ENVIRONMENTAL

HEALTH &

“To Establish a recycling program for municipal waste planning, reduction,

and Recycling”

The Office of Environmental Health and Environmental Program is

proud to announce the

start of a new recycling

program for the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. The

recycling center is located in the yellow

metal building adjacent

to the OEH Department. The Absentee

Shawnee Tribe (AST)

Recycling Program Program declares that waste

reduction and recycling

are the preferable to the

or processing of municipal waste, and that removing certain materials

from the municipal

waste stream will decrease the flow of solid

waste to municipal landfills. AST Recycling Program used the knowl-

edge and information

about recycling markets

and market demand as

well as information obtained from various publications and the internet

to comprise an analysis

of material the recycling

program will address at

the start of the program.

AST Recycling Program

Plan establishes a goal

that, by year’s end 2013,

at least 25 % of the recyclable material produced

by the Tribe will be recycled.

Recycling Containers Now Available

OEH now has recycling containers set up for public use. These recycle

containers, which are cardboard only containers,

are located on the south side of the Title VI

building at the main complex and the other

container is located at the northeast corner of the

Little Axe Clinic.

We also have our mobile recycle container

available behind the clinic here at the main complex. We are currently

only accepting cardboard in this container as well.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO SUBMIT AN AD OR

ARTICLE:

ENVIRONMENTAL

PROGRAMS.

2025 S. GORDON

COOPER DR.

SHAWNEE, OK

74801

PHONE: (405) 214-

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Give us a call at (405) 598-1279 or (405) 481-0558

or send us an e-mail to

stiger@astribe.com

4235

FAX: (405) 8784701

The AST recycling Program will initially focus

on the following waste

stream material; HighGrade shredded paper,

Assorted office paper,

Phone books, Magazines,

Cardboard, Newspaper,

and Aluminum cans. As

the program and market

develops, other recyclables will be sought.

There is a cost associated with recycling,

However, economic,

social, and environmental benefits exceed

these cost.

ALL ARTICLES FOR THE NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE ARE

DUE BY THE

OF THE CURRENT MONTH

Unfortunately, we can only accept one picture per birthday person,

not per birthday wish.

“Building Economic Prosperity”

2015 ASEDA Strategic Plan

A b s e n t e e S h a w n e e

E c o n o m i c D e v e l o p m e n t

Au th o ri t y

2 0 2 5 S o u t h G o r d o n C o o p e r

S h a w n e e , O K 7 4 8 0 1

P h o n e : 4 0 5 - 4 3 2 - 7 9 5 2

Personal Banking:

ASEDA Jumps

Leverages

Strategic

Partnerships

ASEDA

Starts

Its 2015

Activities!

AllNations Bank offers a wide range

Personal Banking:

identifies

investigates

opportunities

to seeks to build the

eeASEDA

Shawnee

Economicand

Development

Authority,

Inc. (ASEDA)

develop tribally-owned commercial businesses that can of products and services to meet today’s consumer

ty of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and its members. We identify and investigate

offers a wide range of products and se

demand including our

AllNations Bank Free Checking

provide job opportunities for our tribal members.

consumer

demand

including

velop tribally-owned commercial businesses

that can

provide

job opportunities for

Account; Savings Account; Certificate of Deposit

. We are pleased to report an opportunity

our AllNations

Bank an

Free Checking Account; Savings Account; Certificate of Deposit A

to acquire

AllNations Bank

Accounts; Individual Retirement Accounts; Money

established, successful business owned

by a tribal member.

Retirement Accounts; Money

Market;

Now

Accounts & Consumer Loans including Aut

Market;

Now

e The

completed

of the

economicASEDA’s

development

activities

ofAccounts & Consumer Loans including

Board aishistorical

exploringassessment

the business

following

AllNationsInOffers

Free

Card with

personal

account

that Free

can beATM/

used at

Auto, planning

Boat

and each

more.

AllNations

Offers

Due

Diligence

d 2015

business

enterprises.

WeReview

used thisChecklist.

information

to addition,

guide

ourATM/Debit

strategic

ASEDA

will partner

with Prosperity”

the CPA to Drive

evaluate

the financial

ument:

“Building

Economic

2015 Up

ASEDA

Strategic

Plan.

AtCard

thea wide

end

ATM.

In addition,

we offer

of Safe Deposit

Boxes

Debit

withselection

each personal

account

that for

canrent

beat

condition

current

and

prospective

businesses,

including

finalized business promotion materials to be used to market

the attax

and

used

ourContact

Shawnee

DriveAs

UpFollows:

ATM. In addition,

Us for

Details

those

operated

through

ASEDA

Enterprises

(Convenience

tages for commercial firms when they form business partnerships with

ASEDA.

we offerOffice

a wide

selection

Safe Smith

Deposit

Boxes for

- Gene

Davis of

or Dixie

405-893-2240;

Store, Restaurant and Smoke Shop) as well as the financial Calumet

rent at competitive

prices.

condition of the business described above.

114 E Main, Calumet, OK

is year, we plan to meet with the Executive Committee to present the assessment

and

to developthe

a partnership

withmembers

them formet

support

our

2015 economic

Shawnee

Office - Gene Davis or Eugene Stidham 405-273-0202;

In February,

ASEDA board

with ofthe

Calumet Office

cts.

After

that, weand

willa turn

our attention

to marketing

and outreach by attending

CDFI

Director

Consultant

to discuss

a partnership

2023 S. Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK

r for

Indian

Enterprise

Development

"RES

2015 new

Conference"Gene

in March.

Davis or Dixie Smith 405-893-2240

to American

identify and

apply

for federal

grants to

initiate

Business

Banking:

economic

development

activities.

annual

Indian

Country economic

summit bringing together thousands of Native

es and entrepreneurs.

Shawnee

Office

In addition to our Commercial Checking account,

AllNations

Bank offers a wide range

Recently ASEDA was notified by the Oklahoma State Tax

Gene Davis including

or Amber

405-273-0202

meet today’s business

allAlexander

types of Commercial

and Small

of a demandorfor

payment

w Commission

of business opportunities

have

an services

idea of

forunemployment

atotribally-owned

business, needs

please

2023 S. Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK

premiums

from a previously

owned

business.

Merchant

Services;

Night Depository Drop & More.

an insurance

begin exploring

the possibilities

with you.

After reviewing the Management Agreement governing

Us for Details As Follows:

the purchase and sale of this business, and consulting with Business Contact

Banking:

u the

andAttorney

your family

year

good

health,

peace

and

prosperity,

from

the

ASEDA

General, we have concluded that ASEDA has Calumet Office - Gene Davis or Dixie Smith 405-893-2240;

In addition to our Commercial Checking account,

no financial obligation in this matter.

114

E Main,

Calumet,

OKof products and

AllNations Bank

offers

a wide

range

Office

Gene today’s

Davis or business

Eugene Stidham

In her February

Governor

Edwina Butler-WolfeShawnee

Mr. report,

Dan Little

Axe, President

services

to -meet

needs405-273-0202;

including

reiterated one

her

campaign

promises,

“…

advance

our

Mr. Adam Proctor, Vice-President

2023

Gordon Cooper

OKLoans;

all types

ofS.Commercial

andDrive,

SmallShawnee,

Business

economic development…”(The

Absentee

Shawnee

News,

Mr. Eddie Brokeshoulder, Secretary

Banking

Hours:

February 2015, 2). ASEDA welcomes

this partnership.

We Merchant Services; Night Depository Drop & More.

met with the Governor in the Fall and

presented

the results

2023

S. Gordon

Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK 74801

of the 2014 Cost Effectiveness Analysis and described our

Calumet Office

strategic planning efforts and the goals

weHours

would 9:00

pursue

Lobby

AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday

Gene Davis or Dixie Smith 405-893-2240

in 2015.

Drive In Hours 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday

- Friday

114 E Main,

Calumet, OK

When the ASEDA Board members return from the “RES

Saturday: 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

2015 Conference” in March, we will invite the Governor

Shawnee Office

and other Executive Committee members to attend a

Gene Davis or Amber Alexander 405-273-0202

presentation on business networking activities identified

2023 S. Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK

during the conference.

We are pursuing all of these partnerships to provide

positive economic development results for the Tribe.

Respectfully the ASEDA Board Members:

Mr. Dan Little Axe, President

Mr. Adam Proctor, Vice-President

Mr. Eddie Brokeshoulder, Secretary

Banking Hours:

2023 S. Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK 74801

Lobby Hours 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday

Drive In Hours 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday - Friday

Saturday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

My name is Anthony Porambo, a proud member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe an owner of

My name is Anthony Porambo, a proud member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe an owner of a skate boarding

a skate

boarding company called, “Chief on a Board”. My company is based out of Durango,

company called, “Chief on a Board”. My company is based out of Durango, Colorado and specializes in cusColorado

and graphics

specializes

in cus- tomized

decks,

graphics

and an

accessories.

My company

tomized decks,

and accessories.

My company

features

graphics with

influence of Native

American

features

with

an influence

Native

American

designs

symbolicowned

messages

designs graphics

with hidden

symbolic

messagesof

that

help unite

us as one

nation.with

As ahidden

Native American

skate

company,

I wanted

youth As

to skate

and have

some fun. Aowned

chance to

get out

and enjoy some

fresh air

that

help unite

ustoasinspire

one the

nation.

a Native

American

skate

company,

I wanted

while bombing hills or carving the sidewalks with my collection of boards. The vision for the company is to be

inspire

the youth to skate and have some fun. A chance to get out and enjoy some fresh air

able to sponsor the first Native American pro skater in the X-games. I want to keep the dream alive that anything

while

bombing

hills

or and

carving

the As

sidewalks

with

myto collection

ofcollection

boards.ofThe

visionand

for

is possible

with hard

work

dedication.

the company

plans

launch it’s first

longboards

skateboards,

inspire

of youth

to bust

a moveAmerican

and enjoy thepro

ride.skater

Listed below

some links

the

companyI hope

is totobe

ablea generation

to sponsor

the first

Native

in theis X-games.

you cantofollow

some

of the alive

successthat

I have

had with is

thepossible

company. Follow

us on work

Facebook,

Twitter

I want

keepinthe

dream

anything

with hard

andInstagram,

dedication.

and YouTube at Chief on a Board. I wish all tribes across our nation the best in fighting for our culture, traditions

the

plans

to launch it’s first collection of longboards and skateboards, I hope to

andcompany

rights for our

people!

inspire a generation of youth to bust a move and enjoy the ride. Listed below is some links

you can follow in some of the success I have had with the company. Follow us on Facebook,

Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at Chief on a Board. I wish all tribes across our nation the

best in fighting for our culture, traditions and rights for our people!

Emergency Management

January/February 2014 Activity

Tribal Storm Shelter Program

As of February 1, there have been 18 shelters

completed for tribal members which began

in December. Once the shelters have been

completed, the homeowner will need to register

their shelter with their local fire department.

Notices will be sent to each homeowner as a

reminder to take this important step. If you need

help finding your local fire department contact

the Emergency Manager at 405-740-1562.

We can take 4 more applications from tribal

members and when we have those 4, the

application portion will be complete. The

priority is for those who were directly affected

by the May 2012 tornado who live in Cleveland,

Pottawatomie, and Oklahoma counties. If you

need an application, there is one available on

the tribal website, tribal complex administration

office or one can be mailed upon request by

email to lday@astribe.com or call Emergency

Manager 405- 740-1562.

Red Cross, Partnership

Plans have been made for Red Cross volunteers

to distribute free weather radios at the Little Axe

Tribal Clinic on Thursday, February 26 from 12

noon to 2:00 p.m. and lunch will be provided.

I will be meeting with the Red Cross liaison to

discuss our implementation plan for the MOU

which will target activities and timelines for

providing assistance to our tribal community to

promote readiness and resilience.

Community Outreach

The January ITEMC (Intertribal Emergency

Managers Coalition) meeting was hosted by the

Cherokee Tribe at Catoosa, OK to plan for the

Annual Emergency Management Summit.

FEMA personnel from Region VI made

presentations to the group regarding upcoming

training opportunities and to invite tribes to

the Regional Interagency Steering Committee

in Denton, TX February 24-25, 2015. Day

One will have Governor Chavarria of Santa

Clara Pueblo who will be speaking on their

Presidential Disaster Declaration and share

the Pueblo’s experience of the process. This is

of great importance as they are the first tribal

nation to submit a request for a declaration to

the President. The Agenda for day two will

include presentations on COOP (Continuation of

Operations Plan) and Devolution.

Training/Meetings

Intertribal Emergency Managers Coalition

Monthly Meeting January 13, 2015, hosted by

Cherokee Tribe in Catoosa, OK

Home

Composting

A simple way to contribute to a healthy

environment

• Have you ever been interested in creating a healthier environment,

or just wanted to minimize the amount of trash that you produce at

home? If so, then look no further than composting.

• Composting is basically the process of putting organic materials in a

container and letting nature do the work. Organic materials would be

any material from plants or animals, such as food, yard waste, and

even products such as paper and cardboard.

• When you put these materials into a composting bin, they are broken

down by bacteria, insects, and fungi. Once broken down, the waste

from these organisms becomes nutrient-rich compost which can be

used in your own yard for mulch, soil conditioner, and fertilizer.

• Another bright side to composting is the amount of waste that is

being diverted from landfills. According to the EPA, 70% of the waste

that is sent to landfills is organic matter. So when you compost,

you’re saving space at the landfill for all of the other waste that has

nowhere else to go.

• If you’re interested in learning more about composting, you can visit

any of the

following compost education websites.

• http://www.mastercomposter.com/purpose/compost.html

http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/compostingsoils/index.asp

http://www.cityfarmer.org/homecompost4.html

http://www.howtocompost.org/

Cultural Preservation Department

The AST Cultural Preservation Department

would like to pass along the following

information concerning updates to each of our

programs.

CULTURAL PRESERVATION

First, let me apologize for not putting an

article in this past month’s newsletter. The

submission date has now been changed to the

15th of the month. However, since one of my

program’s grant information was due, it was

more important for me to complete that task

to ensure future funding. Our department and

programs have been extremely busy this past

month. Each program completed and submitted

an End of Year (EOY) report to provide details

on the work that was completed in 2014. The

information will be reviewed then processed into

a format for the membership, to be included in

the Semi-Annual General Council booklet come

April.

Though there weren’t any cultural events

scheduled, we didn’t miss anything with the

extra Complex closings for weather and national

holidays. I do have an announcement I’d like

to make concerning our Cultural Advisory

Committee. It has been brought to my attention

we have available positions and I would like

for those interested in participating to follow

procedure and submit an application or resume

to the Secretary’s Office. These volunteer

positions have a service time length of 2 years

and provide advice and input on sensitive topics

related to our Culture, Language, Traditions, and

NAGPRA issues.

We have several activities scheduled during

March. To begin, we will travel to the University

of Oklahoma to participate in the Native

Crossroads Film Festival and Symposium to

watch the screen presentation of “Empire of

Dirt” on Friday, March 6th. In addition, there

will be a public information session presented

by the HRT Coordinator, Cecil Wilson, on

Paraprofessional Training, Wednesday, March

18th. As of today, we have set aside Saturday,

March 28th as a cultural event though the

presenter has not confirmed yet. Please call to

reserve your seat, as space is limited. If you have

questions about the skills classes or would like to

lead a demonstration, please call Joseph at Ext.

6310, or send an email to joseph.blanchard@

astribe.com

LANGUAGE

I attended a meeting on Sunday, February 8th,

to discuss our language program and to share

ideas on how other tribes have implemented

these with their membership. The discussion was

very fruitful and provided useful information I

will begin publishing over the next few months.

As I provided an update to oversight, I mentioned

the costs involved and the expectations needed

from our Tribe. Because we possess the majority

of ‘Fluent’ speakers amongst all three Shawnees,

our task is simple. I have been asked to schedule

appointments with our Elders who may want to

help in completing review of the data and share

their insight. A small stipend is being offered to

compensate for time and effort.

Previously, I mentioned there has been

discussion about restarting the Language classes

and I asked for those wanting to participate to

submit an email with your level of interest. If you

possess this capability, call our office to discuss

how you can become involved. I am still looking

for participants and those willing to lead the class

presentations. This is an important facet of our

Tribal heritage but I need all the assistance I can

get. It is my intent to start Shawnee Language

classes in the fall. The course will be taught in

a classroom setting, with a complete curriculum

of: lesson plans, activities, vocabulary, sentence

structure, and assessments. I want to thank those

who have already stepped forward to assist or

provided words of encouragement. Only through

collaboration and better communication can we

expect to reach our goals.

LIBRARY

We are planning an event during Spring

Break, March 16-20, for those youth not going

out of town. Unfortunately, our Library Tech

resigned unexpectedly and I’m reviewing where

she was at in the scheduling. So please check

the tribal bulletin boards and other public areas

for updated information regarding this activity.

Likewise, I will be posting online for the job

vacancy and hope to have a qualified person in

place within a matter of weeks. We still have

a variety of resources available for check-out

or your reading leisure including magazines,

newspapers, and journals. If you have any

questions, please call Ashley at Ext. 6243.

GIFT SHOP

The Gift Shop continues to make progress in

sales and new inventory as we concluded our

year with a bang. 2014 was our biggest year

since I came on board in 2012. The winter orders

have arrived and are doing well. For those who

have asked, Ms. Esther has been preoccupied

with her son’s health and recovery. She is set to

return later this month after he has been moved

back to Shawnee.

Again, keep a look out on the bulletin boards

and your email. We are planning an “Inventory

Reduction Sale” this month to make room for

the spring order. We will announce it once we’re

ready but some of the items include: Backpacks,

wind breaker jackets, long sleeve T-shirts,

sweatshirts, aluminum water bottles, and hats.

These are limited to stock on hand and are ‘first

come, first serve”.

Please come in and check out our selection

of CD’s in the Native style of music you prefer.

Don’t forget we carry other tunes for NAC and

stomp dance. If we don’t have what you like, let

us know. For inquiries, call Esther at ext. 6323 or

by email at elowden@astribe.com

THPO

Our THPO program continues to make

great strides and advancements by responding

to consultation requests from over 20 federal

agencies, representing 20+ states. In anticipation

of future agreements and more work, we

are already coordinating with Forest service

personnel to conduct a spring HRT Training to

be held April 13-17, 2015. Upon completion

of the HRT certification course, individuals

will become eligible for seasonal employment

as a paraprofessional. For questions related to

registration, please call Cecil Wilson at Ext.

6245 or by email at cecil.wilson@astribe.com.

In addition, there should be a form included in

the newsletter.

Recently, I attended a Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (FERC) training in

Memphis, TN. Upon completion, I received a

certificate of completion for “Environmental

Review and Compliance”. The sessions were

very informative as we now have two people on

staff to assist and complete reviews for all FERC

projects within our area of concern. The Tribe

will be happy to know there wasn’t a registration

fee and the only costs we incurred were for hotel

and gas.

Additionally, people may have noticed our

parking lot has become fuller. There are two

reasons for this increase:

1. The recent hire of additional staff, and

2. Recent vehicle purchase.

We completed the hiring process in February

to bring on two new employees. The main intent

is for these two ladies to assist in completing

Section 106 Review, using the TCNS system

provided to us by the FCC. In addition, they both

possess specific skills related to future expansion

of our THPO Program, more specifically:

National Archives and Records Association

(NARA) certification, Anthropology, GeoSpatial

Systems and NAGPRA. Due to their recent hire,

they haven’t had time to create a biography and

profile but it will be included in next month’s

issue.

Where the vehicles are concerned, as

Director, I have done my best to secure needed

assets necessary to complete our job tasks. By

finding other additional revenue resources, this

purchase didn’t interfere or create a hindrance to

existing Tribal funds. For those interested, you

may review the information and attachments

I presented in my recommendation to the

Executive Committee in passing Resolution

AST-2014-59. The basis of my argument is that

these cars be used by the Cultural Preservation

Department and to assist the HRT Program in

completing their associated tasks.

Your concerns are important to us. We know

everyone has important things on their agenda,

which is why we try to schedule activities well

in advance and publicize it to the membership

in order for them to put it on their calendars.

However, it is up to the individual to place a

priority on what they value and learn about their

heritage. We thank you for the continued support

of our department as we continue to make

changes to our programs, in order to provide

the best service to our Tribal community. If you

have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate

to call my office.

Thank you for your time.

Joseph H. Blanchard

Cultural Preservation Director/ Tribal Historic

Preservation Officer joseph.blanchard@astribe.

com (405) 275-4030 Ext. 6310

RESPONSE TO ACCUSATIONS MADE AGAINST GOVERNOR BUTLER-WOLFE

Recently, my qualifications as the Building Blocks Child Development Center Director have come under fire by some Executive Committee

members. They have insinuated I am unqualified to hold my position. Therefore, I would like to share a little of my background, education, and

qualifications with everyone.

I began working in childcare in 1996. I’ve worked as an assistant teacher in a childcare center and as a teacher in Head Start. In 1999, I opened

my childcare home and operated it for 12 years. For most of those years, my childcare home was a 2 STAR facility. I’ve taken care of children from

6-weeks-old to 12-years-old during my 15 years of working as a childcare teacher, owner, and operator.

I am registered with the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD) and have been certified as a Level 9 on the Oklahoma

Professional Development Ladder, based on my experience and education. Level 10 is the highest level that can be obtained. Additionally, I have my

Gold Director’s Credential from the CECPD, which is the highest level that a childcare center director can achieve. This is also based on my experience

and education. The CECPD is the only credentialing agency the Department of Human Services recognizes with regards to childcare employee

requirements.

I am a member of the Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA), the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma (ECAO), and the National

Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

In 1999, I obtained my Associates Degree in Psychology from Oklahoma City Community College. Within this degree, I have 24 college credit

hours in Child Development or Child Development related courses, to include Early Child Center Financial Planning and Management. I graduated

with a 3.76 GPA.

In 2005, I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Criminal

Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix

OKLAHOMA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES, INC. (OILS)

(OKC). With a 3.97 GPA, I graduated with Honors.

From February 2011 – December 2011, I was a

Attorneys from Oklahoma Indian Legal Services will provide free Will preparation services for

counseling intern at Crossroads Youth & Family in

eligible tribal members who own interest in Indian Trust or Restricted Land.

Norman. My counseling case load consisted of children,

adolescents, and families. I also worked with the children

at the Crossroads Youth & Family shelter. In 2012, I

obtained my Masters Degree in Professional Counseling

from Mid-America Christian University. I graduated with

a 4.0 GPA.

From November 2012 – December 2014, I worked

toward my Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

licensure by providing counseling services (under

supervision) to children, adolescents, and families while

also working a full-time job at times. In December

2014, I was approved for and received my LPC license

through the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health.

I continue to provide counseling services on a part-time

basis to this population.

It is unfortunate that those who have made accusations

regarding my qualifications, and other topics, have failed

to do their research prior to making false and slanderous

statements. It is truly a waste of tribal members’ time. I

am not interested in the political or personal agendas that

relentlessly pollute our tribal government. My job is to

ensure Building Blocks provides a quality service to all

of the children and families who enter our doors. I have

made great improvements to our program since I began

working as the Director in September 2013. I invite

anyone who is interested in speaking to me regarding the

Please call Norma (M-‐F, 8:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.) to register at:

Building Blocks program or my qualifications to contact

1-‐800-‐658-‐1497

me at (405) 878-0633 or by email at bthompson@astribe.

You must have an appointment to talk to an attorney.

com.

Respectfully,

______________________________________________________________________

Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Inc. is a nonprofit law firm funded principally by the Legal

Billie Thompson

Services Corp. For additional information regarding other legal services call Oklahoma Indian

Tribal Member & Director of Building Blocks, C.D.C.

Legal Services, Inc. 1-‐800-‐658-‐1497.

WILL PREPARATION CLINIC

DATE: MARCH 24, 2015

10:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE TRIBE

OKLAHOMA

2025 S. GORDON COOPER DRIVE

SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA 74801

FOSTER CARE

WHAT IS A FOSTER CARE WORKER? Why do we need Indian Child Welfare?

Foster care caseworker training involves completing a

bachelor's degree program in social work through a college

or university. Students take courses in psychology, abnormal

psychology, sociology, economics, ethics, child welfare

policies and complete a supervised internship.

The child’s Foster Care Worker needs to be a partner with

the foster parents to ensure that each child receives the

full spectrum of services provided and/or arranged by the

Department.

Some aspects of this relationship include the following:

• Sharing information on an ongoing basis regarding the

child’s individual needs, family situation and adjustment

to the foster home

• Encouraging the foster parents to participate in the

total service planning process

• Providing the foster parents the opportunity to

discuss the child’s progress and any unmet needs which

they assess

• Providing the foster parent with information, support,

guidance and referrals to other professionals on the

child’s behalf

• Helping the foster family, when necessary, to identify

and obtain services for the foster child; e.g., medical,

educational

• Ensuring that the foster family, on the child’s behalf,

has access to all financial resources available to the child

while in foster care.

A Foster Care Worker works in conjunction with Tribal

Courts, Tribal Law Enforcement, Bureau of Indian Affairs,

and other county services. Indian Child Welfare’s goal is to

ensure the safety of our tribal children when they placed in

foster care. The homes that our tribal children are placed

in must complete Child Welfare Background Check, OSBI

Background Check, Income Verification, Home Study, and a

Physical. Our AST foster homes are licensed by our Foster

Care Committee.

F o s t e r C a r e P ay m e n t s a r e a s f o l l o w s :

0-5 age $14.73 day $441.97 month

Why do we need Tribal Foster Homes?

Foster-Care System

Stretched Too Far

Recent news reports reported on July 2 that Sally Schofield,

the foster mother of Logan Marr, was found guilty June 25

of wrapping the 5-year-old's body with 42 feet of duct tape

during a "timeout," causing the little girl to suffocate.

Schofield could face up to 40 years in prison for the child's

death.

"The child-welfare system failed Logan Marr in every possible

way," said Richard Wexler, the executive director of the National

Coalition for Child Protection Reform. "They failed her … by …

ignoring her cries of abuse and they failed her by letting her

die in that foster home."

Six weeks before she was killed, Logan was on a visit to her

birth mother when, in the presence of a child-welfare worker

hired to supervise the visit, she complained that her foster

mother was hurting her. "She did this to me and I cried 'cause

it hurts me," the child is heard saying on a videotape, although

she isn't seen.

The truth is that we must protect our tribal children; we must

protect them from a system that is overworked and in desperate

need of an overhaul. We must have a voice in the child welfare

system for our tribal children. As tribal child welfare workers

there is not a day that goes by where we are not fighting for

the rights of one of our tribal children and working to make

sure that employees of the State are following OICWA and

ICWA. Silence will not ensure the rights of this generation,

or the next generation of Absentee Shawnee Children. The

Absentee Shawnee Foster Care Program is in need of tribal

foster care homes for AST children. A strong tribe must have a

system in place to protect the youngest of its members when

they need protection. If we do not have tribal foster homes,

our Absentee Shawnee children go into State homes. We have

not control over these homes; therefore, the children placed

in these homes are more vulnerable. Some will say that no one

can love their child as much as a parent, but when parents are

unable to care for their children properly, we as a tribe need

to be there for the children….We must love that child as their

parent.

6-12 age $17.12 day $513.57 month

We use a Native American tradition of the talking stick. You

sit and pass it around and whoever has the stick has to talk.

Some people just hold it. Others really share.

12 and over $19.30 day $579.13 month

I N ORDER T O R E C E I V E P A Y M E N T, A L L T HE A B O V E

M U ST B E M E T A N D T U R N E D I N T O T HE S T A T E .

O N C E PROCESSED S T A T E P A Y M E N T W I L L B E ISSUED .

This is just a little information on what type of work a foster

care worker performs on a daily basis. If you are interested

in becoming a foster home, please call 405-878-4030 ext.

133.

Let us be a tribe that protects the youngest of our tribal

members, let us just not say the words, but open our homes

to those children who need us to protect them and offer them

safety. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent please

notify:

Julie Wilson

AST/CPS/FOSTER CARE

405-878-4702

FOSTER CARE

Racial disproportionality is defined as the over-or under-representation of certain groups

(e.g. racial/ethnic, gender, age) relative to the group’s proportion in the general population.

Reports conducted in 2008 showed that, compared to other groups, Native American children

were:

• 3 times more likely to be referred to CPS

• 1.6 times more likely to be removed from their biological homes

• Twice as likely to remain in foster care for over two years

• Less likely to be adopted and more likely to be in guardianships

• Less likely to be reunited with their biological parents

The sad reality is that there are not enough culturally appropriate homes for these children,

resulting in the placement of Native American children in homes that do not share their cultural

heritage or traditions. We want to place “our tribal” children in our own homes, to do this we

need tribal members to open their homes and their hearts. Are you willing to open your heart?

Are you willing to open your home?

If so, please contact Julie Wilson ICW/FC/CPS 878-4702 (ext. 133).

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Foster Care News

ooking for dedicated individuals to contribute to

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Native American youth are facing a

crisis. These children are being removed

from their homes and placed into the

child welfare system at rates much

higher than any other population. Native

American children are often placed in

homes outside of their families, tribes,

and Native American culture and all

this contributes to significant social

problems. The story of Native American people is a complicated one

marked by significant trauma and atrocities. Often times this trauma

consisted of the removal of abuse which happened to these young and

vulnerable children in many of these schools resulted in overwhelming

intergenerational trauma and unresolved grief. This trauma which

interrupted the ability to parent has led directly to the most current social

problems that plague Native American communities today including

alcohol/drug abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual abuse and

parenting deficiencies. All of these problems have contributed to the

break-down of the family unit, leading to the removal of large numbers

of Native American youth from their families. The journey of healing

and breaking the cycles which have been put in place by the historical

trauma experienced by generations of Native Americans requires that

the cultural identity for so long denied to these children be returned.

Native American youth have two distinct influences, that of their family

of origin and that of their caregivers. Absentee Shawnee Tribal Foster

Care is in need of homes for children that are in our child welfare

system. Your participation in being a foster parent helps to ensure that

these children have positive connections to their culture which in helps

nurture a positive sense of identification as a Native American. By being

willing to do this, you can be a valuable part of the healing journey that

will help strengthen this next generation of Absentee Shawnee children;

in turn, helping those children become the parents that their children

will need them to be. Our children are our future, what will we have

our future be? Will you, as Absentee Shawnee member, do your part if

you are able? If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please

contact Juliann Wilson ICW/CPS/FOSTER CARE at 275-4030, ext. 133.

<<<NOTICE>>>

Currently there are three (3) openings on the Foster Care Board. If you are

interested in serving on the board, send your letter of interest to Secretary

Dawsey at the Tribal Complex, 2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr., Shawnee, OK 73801.

AST Tribal Members!

Bring the Family!

“Dedicated to Progress”

Meet the Candidate for 2015 Tribal Secretary

Sacha Almanza

Join us for FREE food!

A Moon Bounce for the kids!

Where: AST Resource Center, Little Axe

Time: 11am-‐2pm

Date: Saturday, March 14th

For questions call:

405.642.3302

“Let us form one body, one heart, and

defend to the last warrior our country, our

homes, our liberty, and the graves of our

fathers.” –Tecumseh

Ho’! Nila, yokoma, nahawelamaki. Greetings

relatives! We come from great leaders who were

servants to the People. They sacrificed and gave

of themselves unconditionally. Our ancestors

paved a way for generations to come. Every

action they made was for the betterment of our

people. Our grandparents carried our Nation

to this point in time. Today, the grandparents

that we have left are very precious to us and

are currently shedding tears because of the

dysfunction within our Tribe.

As a mother of four beautiful children, my

heart hurts because I wonder what will be left

for them when it is their turn to lead our Tribe.

For these reasons, I have dedicated my life to

the betterment of our people. By working for our

Tribe, I experienced firsthand many of the issues

our people face. For the early part of my life I

was raised around my Shawnee grandparents

and was able to witness unconditional love

expressed by my Gibson family. It was these

values and way of life that guided me to stay

close to our fireplace. I raise my children to be

kind and compassionate for others.

Chief Tecumseh made many expressions of

these kinds of teachings and dedicated his life to

not only unify our Nation of Shawnees but all of

our Native people in this land. He knew that as

a unified body we can accomplish anything and

would be able to prepare for future generations

to come. Recently, there have been issues that

are prevalent within our current leadership that

prevents our people from addressing issues that

are very important to the welfare of tribe as a

whole.

My beliefs in our traditional way of life,

education, work experience, and overall life

experience has given me the confidence to

stand up for what is right so that our children’s

children will have a future. My education and

work experience has given me the insight to use

all the opportunities to resources that exists in

this modern society. At one time our Tribe was

leading the way for all tribes and we had a strong

working government that received national

recognition for addressing many issues involving

all native people. We should be self-sufficient as

a people and utilize all resources available as a

people. I firmly believe our elders are valuable

assets and deserve the best.

I am dedicated to serving our people and will

be very grateful for an opportunity to serve as

your Tribal Secretary. I have wanted to serve our

people for many years and made the conscious

decision to complete my Master’s degree so

I would have something to offer our people.

I made this promise to my late grandmother

Cleona (Gibson) Mann that I would complete

my higher education as this was something that

she wanted for me. So with love and admiration

for my grandmother, my four children, and our

Tribe, I pushed through to achieve it. I’ve listened

to our people talk about what they would like to

see in our leadership and without a doubt I know

this is what I was meant to do. Times change and

the know how to achieve real progress is reliant

on education. I also believe that with education

comesa sense of ethics and professionalism that

some of our past leaders greatly lack. Furthermore,

during election time it is a common practice for

promises to be made and never fulfilled. I will

never make false promises but there are a few

things I am certain I CAN promise you. I will

strive to make my involvement in meetings

including Executive Committee meetings a top

priority (I WILL ATTEND); I will implement

record keeping measures for all the dealings

done in the Secretary’s office including detailed

record of contacts made with tribal members and

what resolution was made if necessary in order

to achieve a higher level of transparency, as well

as increase your satisfaction in leadership.

In addition to that, I will work to be a

mediator with other leaders rather than having

public disputes. After 5 p.m., I will still be your

Secretary, your leader, and represent you and vow

to uphold the constitution and conduct myself

accordingly. Throughout my educational journey

I have learned how build a strong business

foundation, along with the abilities to sustain a

business and progressively flourish. I have many

ideas for the programs that fall underneath the

duties of Tribal Secretary. There are tremendous

opportunities to revitalize our current businesses

and future businesses through assessment

and proper strategic business planning. It is

important that we seek out solutions where they

may have seemed impossible and explore new

opportunities for growth.

I am organizing a lunch and will provide

an opportunity to meet me personally for any

questions or comments on March 14th at 11 a.m.

at the Little Axe Resource Center. I look forward

to meeting you. I am also on FaceBook for those

who wish to contact me on through social media

(“Sacha Almanza for Absentee Shawnee Tribal

Secretary 2015”). I am aware that tribal elders

may not have access to fb, so for this reason I

am offering elders an opportunity to contact me

personally (405.642.3302). I am dedicated to

serving you and thank you for this opportunity.

Nya Weh Shalanokii, noki, kanola!

My name is John Raymond Johnson.

I’m running for the secretary position for the

tribe.

I’m asking for you to vote for me in the

March 21st primary election. As a business man

I have been in the optical business for 35 years

in which I owned and operated my own optical

dispensary for over 20 years. I recently sold my

business and now have the opportunity to apply

my business knowledge to work in the tribal

government. I graduated from Norman High

School and attended Murray State College. I’m

a former member of the Norman rotary club and

Norman Business Association.

Sabrina for AST

Governor

2015

Tribal Members,

Hello. My name is Jeff Gibson.

I am the son to the late John Gibson Jr. and

Elsie Wynona Blanchard. Both of my parents

are Traditional Absentee Shawnee members

and belong to the Old Ground in Little Axe,

Oklahoma. I am a firm believer of our tribal

culture, heritage and religion of the Absentee

Shawnee, as it gives us an identity unique to

other tribes and people.

Greetings Absentee Shawnee citizens, relatives

and friends,

As the primary election gets closer, I would

like to share further information about myself for

those that may not already know me. I was born

in northern California and raised both there and

in Shawnee. I moved back here permanently in

2000 to be close to and care for my grandmother,

Cecilia. I lived with her in Shawnee for a few

years and then she came to live with me on

Garrett’s Lake Road by Horseshoe Bend

community. I now live in Little Axe.

I am a mother of two grown daughters.

Chantel is married to Charles Bates and they

live in Shawnee raising my grandson Dean.

Alexa is a university sophomore in California

studying communications. I am 44 and live with

my best friend and fiancé Mark, who is enrolled

Cherokee. I live on a small farm where I garden,

care for my horses and other animals. I own a

small construction company.

I researched the job description for the

position of secretary and believe I would

complement the tribe in the position. I have

skills, education, experience and the ability

to perform a job professionally without taking

business personally. I have no bitterness or spite

in my heart for anyone and work hard to find

balance and compromise in what I do. I will not

participate in nepotism or favoritism, as I will

put the greater needs of the tribe ahead of my

own.

I read the constitution closely and possess

the experience and comprehension to adhere

to its parameters. We have intelligent and

educated people in our tribe that can interpret the

constitution if there are questions, yet, they are

often not asked. Knowing this, it is time to quit

allowing outsiders to influence our decisions

while charging us to do it.

It is obvious that our tribe is in need of

leadership the community trusts. We need leaders

that have the best interest of the entire tribe

in what they do, and the decisions they make.

We need unity to be successful and this takes

involvement and support from our community.

We have sovereignty to decide how to manage

our tribe, and with good people in the right

positions this is possible. If you want a quality

secretary that will listen to everyone and hear his

or her problems, ideas and successes, then I am

that person.

If chosen to represent our community as

Secretary I would work as a team with the EC

towards: transparency, budget management,

and completing the external audit in order to

understand the tribe’s fiscal situation-WITHOUT

attorneys. I would create the agendas for the

meetings early enough to post and share with the

EC and community. I would also work to support

the enrollment department to update its systems

and record so the information is current and

efficient. I would be available for the community

needs.

I have some questions that I would seek to

answer. Why do we subcontract out so much

work instead of getting our own citizens trained

in the skills to provide services in? Where does

our money go and why do we not see progress?

How much debt do we carry and what does the

community want to do to change it? Where is

our accountability and who is responsible? It

is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work

because there’s a lot of work to be done.

As secretary I hope to push for more

community meetings in order to provide a

platform to better voice tribal concerns and work

towards productive solutions. I want to cut the

excess; if we cannot afford it, don’t do it. If it

doesn’t work or costs more than it produces, get

rid of it. If it hurts our community, stop it. Also,

there are serious questions and concerns about

grant monies and the overall sustainability of our

tribe. As secretary I would work diligently with

the rest of the EC and AST community to address

and answer these concerns and questions as I am

passionate about our tribe’s survival, success,

and sovereignty.

We need each other because our tribe is

falling apart fast. The choices made have ripple

effects. Now is the time to decide how we can

repair our Absentee Shawnee government back

into something we are proud of and this involves

and includes each one of you. It is because of

both my great respect for you, the citizens of

the Absentee Shawnee and my own desire for

a better-run government that I humbly ask for

your vote in the upcoming election.

NiYaWay,

Paulette Blanchard

paulettelblanchard@gmail.com

I have filed as a candidate for the position

of AST Governor to be voted on in the primary

election next month, March 21, 2015. It

was a pleasure working for you as the Tribal

Representative from June 2010 to June 2014.

During that time I educated and familiarized

myself with the different levels of issues that

concern and affect our tribal government. It

was also a gratifying experience in assisting

tribal members, with any issues they had, when

possible.

I have continued my education of our tribal

government working as a Project Coordinator

for the Secretary’s office. During these past 8

months, I have assisted a couple of EC members

in gathering information, interpreting data and

working with them to make sound decisions,

based upon our constitution, to benefit the tribe

as a whole. By doing this, it has allowed me

to have a working knowledge of the issues,

problems, concerns and obstacles that are in

place that challenge our tribal government.

The following are just a couple of points I’d

like to elaborate on:

Culture, Heritage and Religion are identity

traits that are high on my priority list. I am a firm

believer in our tribal customs and believe they

are what make us Absentee Shawnee people.

I believe that our government and religion

should not overlap nor overshadow the other.

The Preamble of our Constitution contains the

following: “…; to protect our culture, heritage

and religion;” Also, in the oath that the elected

officials take upon entering office states:

“I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will

support, obey, and defend the Constitution

of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of

Oklahoma and their traditions and laws…” The

leadership of this tribe should always take into

consideration the fact that we are representing a

group of people that possess unique culture and

religion and that our decision making affects the

tribe as a whole. Not specific people or portions

of the tribe.

Leadership is a quality I would like to share

and return to the entire Executive Committee

in accordance to the Constitution. It takes all 5

members to provide a stable work environment

so that we can assure that professional services

are provided to our tribal members. We, the

Absentee Shawnee Tribe, have opportunities to

take advantage of in order to build a future for

us now, as well as our future generations. I look

forward to making that happen as your elected

Governor.

Economic Development is an issue that

concerns us all. Each year, the dollars that

we receive from the Federal Government are

reduced, even though our tribal enrollment may

increase or stay the same. Even the saturation of

casino’s in the state of Oklahoma is a concern, as

there are well over 100 casinos in the state. We

all know that in the city of Shawnee there are 5

gaming facilities fighting for the same regional

consumer dollars. I feel the need to start looking

at different avenues to venture down in order to

create a wide variety of revenue that the tribe

could use to supplement the on-going cuts in

federal and gaming dollars. The

business

ventures and revenue that we, as a tribe, could

create would enable us to keep our money in our

own hands and decide how it’s going to be spent

in providing services that we see as needed.

Health Programs have been moving forward

and the future looks great. I know we will always

have some issues, but the Health Director and

the Health Boards have been working to provide

you with the best services possible. I am glad to

say that this is an area this is progressing with

good numbers and high potential. I am hoping

I can assist in future developments to provide

better services for the tribal people who live in

the area. Also, I would like to work with the

Director and Health Board on seeing what we

could do for our people who live outside the

DHS designated service area.

Collier Ruling. I have educated myself to

some degree on this issue by actually reading

the US Supreme Court Ruling, research, talking

with BIA officials and Law Attorneys since

June of 2010. As we all know, the world isn’t

making any new land. I truly believe anytime

the tribe has an opportunity to buy land in our

service area, we should buy it at a reasonable

Kathy Deere--Candidate for Governor

LISTEN, LEARN & LEAD

Most of you know me. I served four (4) years as your elected treasurer. Maybe you didn’t know that I am

dedicated to high moral and ethical standards of conduct and I will conduct myself with honesty, integrity

and a strong commitment to compliance with all applicable laws, especially tribal law and the Code of

Conduct and Ethics established by General Council through referendum vote.

As elected officials, we need to be examples of the highest level of ethical conduct, honesty, reliability and

trustworthy leaders to address local, state, and national issues and I feel I can be an asset for our Tribe.

In the past, I attended a few conferences, symposiums, and workshops where I have been the only tribal

leader there and sometimes the only tribe representing Oklahoma. I will provide our Tribe with a good

reputation, reverence, and respect.

If elected your Governor, it is my commitment to do my best to meet all obligations to all who have a

personal, professional, or financial stake in what the Absentee Shawnee Tribe does, including all

committee boards, tribal membership, employees, suppliers and host communities, etc.

All the Tribes’ Departments necessitate a successful, collectively environment with an open door policy for

their employees. These departments have various functions that they need to perform their duties with no

interference of politics, nepotism, or conflict of interest should be tolerated. It will be the sole responsibility

of all departments to observe and comply with their department’s policies and procedures. I do not want

employees to feel coerced, vulnerable, intimidated, or feel insecure and not happy while employed with

the tribe. If employees have problems, they need to know they can talk with someone. So I will try to find

the right solution to help these employees.

I understand the will and interest of General Council on issues they put to referendum vote. I will not

challenge them if passed; but try to work together to make sure there is no conflict to our constitution,

tribal codes and laws, legality, agree to gather information needed, and implement action, as soon as

possible.

As elected officials, we can come to agreements together through discussion on any problem and work

things out. We can be a better people tomorrow if we all work together. We have to think about our future

generations. We want to leave them with future legacies, not burdens. May God Bless and thank you!

If you have questions, Call, email, or text me at 405/816-7874, shwneturtle@gmail.com

“LEADERSHIP IS BASED ON INSPIRATION, NOT DOMINATION; ON COOPERATION, NOT INTIMIDATION.”

William Arthur Wood

VOTE KATHY DEERE---AST GOVERNOR

market value. Then we should test the Collier

Ruling and see if the Citizen Pottawatomie’s

will place the purchased land into Trust Status.

The ruling has never restricted the Absentee’s

from increasing our land base, just how we go

about putting the land into trust. If the Pott’s

deny us this service, then we would have an

opportunity to approach the Secretary of Interior

and Congress for assistance.

These are just a few points that I feel are

necessary to address, as they are components of

our tribal government and services that weigh

heavily. But there are a lot more issues and

concerns that we as a tribal government and

elected officials will always need to address on

a daily basis.

I would like to visit with whoever might

have some questions about my views, outlook,

personal concerns and the direction I would like

to steer this tribe as the elected Governor of the

AST. Please feel free to contact me after 5 pm

in the evenings or on the weekends if you’d like

to visit.

Please allow the 4 years as Tribal

Representative and the last 8 months as a Project

Coordinator to serve as the experience needed

to be the candidate elected, with the knowledge

of the issues, concerns and obstacles already in

place, as the Governor of the Absentee Shawnee

Tribe.

Ne Yi Wa!

My Absentee Shawnee people,

Who I am

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Twila Parker and I am

running for the Office of Secretary.

The Office of Secretary is one that

is given great responsibility as it

records and maintains the minutes

of all our Executive Committee

meetings and ensures that timely

enrollment for the Tribe occurs.

I am a veteran and served in the

Air Force receiving an honorable

discharge in 1980. Shortly after

that I began my professional

career. I worked for Indian Health

Service (IHS) here at the former

IHS run Shawnee Service Unit,

shifting to Tinker Air Force Base

in Midwest City and retiring from

the United States Postal Service

after 30 years of civil service

work.

In 1976, I began my educational

efforts. I went through the

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