ke ne we ke se fe wa (2018)

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Text

August

THE

ke ne we ke se fe wa

Absentee Shawnee News

August 2018

•

www. astribe.com

•

li si wi nwi

Volume 29, No. 08 “Among the Shawnee”

Chairman Chaudhuri of the National Indian Gam- INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ing Commission visits Absentee Shawnee Tribe

2-7 EC Reports

L to R: Tribal Representative Atheda W. Fletcher, Tribal Secretary John Johnson, GAST

Governor Edwina Butler-Wolfe, Lt. Governor Kenneth Blanchard, NIGC Chairman

Jonodev Osceoloa Chaudhuri, Tribal Treasurer Phillip Ellis.

On July 2, 2018 the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians

of Oklahoma had Chairman Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri of

the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) come to

visit our tribe. Jonodev is a member of the Muscogee (Creek)

Nation and was nominated by President Barack Obama and

unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in April,

2015. Prior to this, Chairman Chaudhuri was appointed to the

Commission by interior Secretary Sally Jewell, and served

brief terms as Vice Chairman and Associate Commissioner

before being designated as Acting NIGC Chairman by the

President in October 2013.

Before joining the NIGC, Chairman Chaudhuri was Senior Counselor to the Department of the Interior’s Assistant

Secretary for Indian Affairs where he provided guidance and

assistance on a wide range of national policy issues including

Indian gaming, economic development, energy, Alaskan affairs, and tribal recognition.

The Executive Committee; Lt. Governor Kenneth

Blanchard, Secretary John Johnson, Treasurer Phil Ellis and

Representative Atheda Fletcher, and I met with Chairman

Chaudhuri for a round table discussion on updates of Indian

Gaming. Anthony Wheeler, Region Director, for the Compliance Division-Oklahoma Region, National Indian Gaming

Commission, Dana Dinkins, Senior Compliance Officer for

the Oklahoma City Region of the United States Department

of the Interior, National Indian Gaming Commission, Titus Carter, Acting Executive Director of Absentee Shawnee

Gaming Commission, and William Norman and Kirk Kickingbird of Hobbs, Strauss, Dean and Walker, attorneys for the

Absentee Shawnee Gaming Commission met with the Chairman and his staff of NIGC.

The tour started at the Shawnee Thunderbird Casino on

campus with a walk through and discussion of our facility.

Chairman Chaudhuri was pleased with what he had seen. We

then proceeded to the Thunderbird Casino in Norman where

we had lunch and met up the staff; Sam Caruso, General

Manager, Che Downs, Financial Officer, Jeff Harjo, Compliance, and James Factor, Director of Operations. As we

toured the Casino in Norman, General Manager Caruso and

Chairman Chaudhuri had a lengthy discussion as we walked

through the casino.

After leaving the Casino we proceeded with a tour through

the After Care and Health Clinic facilities. The Chairman was

very surprised of all the care that we give to the Absentee

Shawnee People and to the Community. I would like to thank

Victor Flores from Finance for leading the tour at both health

facilities.

See photos on page 37.

Election Commission

AST Health Update

Author Visits AST

Back to School Health & Safety

Wellness Calendar

Birthdays

Celebrations

Shawnee History

Youth Camp

IndigiNerds Strike Back!

Cultural Preservation

Human Resources

Elder’s Corner

Title VI Menu

Building Blocks

Services

Tax Collections

Enrollment

Emergency Management

Kids Zone

DON’T MISS OUT!

Community meeting

recordings available

at www.astribe.com

Government

2 ne se we

August 2018

Executive Committee

Edwina Butler-Wolfe

Kenneth Blanchard

John Johnson

Phillip Ellis

Atheda Fletcher

Governor

Lt. Governor

Secretary

Treasurer

Representative

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

Governor’s Report

By AST Governor Edwina Butler-Wolfe

405 275-4030, Ext: 6308

405 481-0397 Cell Number (tribal)

Hello Absentee Shawnee Tribal Members!!

I hope everyone is staying cool in this hot Oklahoma weather. I want to congratulate

Lt. Governor Kenneth Blanchard, Treasurer Phillip Ellis and Representative Atheda Edwards Fletcher for their win in the June Election. Treasurer Ellis officially took office on

Monday, June 25, 2018, after receiving his Oath of Office on Friday, June 22, 2018. Lt.

Governor Blanchard and Representative Fletcher officially took office on Wednesday,

June 27, 2018 after their Oath of Office took place at the Resource Center in Little Axe

on Tuesday evening, June 26, 2018.

As Governor, I want to discuss three meetings that I have attended over the last few

weeks; State Question 788 – Medical Marijuana, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance –

VITA, Shawnee Forward, and the AST Community Meeting – June 30, 2018.

OKLAHOMA STATE QUESTION 788 – MEDICAL MARIJUANA

As everyone knows, the State Question 788 did pass by the Oklahoma Voters to legalize Medical Marijuana on June 26, 2018. The latest is lawsuits have been filed. The

State Attorney General is needing clarification, and the attorney for the Oklahoma Health

Department is facing criminal charges for creating a false threat she sent to herself that

alleges the people in support of SQ 788 are threatening violence. I won’t say anymore

until there is solid news to pass on to you (tribal membership).

We, the Executive Committee are working on the packet for the License that will be

needed to become a State dispensary.

VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE – (VITA)

VITA is an IRS- sponsored program that provides underserved communities with free

tax filing assistance, using IRS-certified volunteers. Since the Program’s origination, emphasis has been placed on expanding the VITA through increased recruitment of various

religious, social, non-profit organizations, involvement of the military on a national level

and development of specialized training materials and expansion of assistance to the

limited English-speaking community.

The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income people who cannot

prepare their own tax returns, including the elderly, the disabled and those having limited

English proficiency. We, as a Tribe can offer the VITA program to our tribal membership.

We will need to have potential volunteers sign up and they will need to go through training. Volunteers will receive a list where to go for training.

Glenna Jones, Governor Assistant and Diane Ponkilla, Lt. Governor Assistant will be

heading this program up for the next tax season that starts in January 2019. We would

like to start a list of volunteers that would be interested in helping our tribal membership

with their taxes. Call 275-4030 Ex. 6307 or Ex. 6267 to volunteer.

SHAWNEE FORWARD

A luncheon at the Gordon Cooper Vo-Tech was held Friday, July 20, 2018 hosted by

the Shawnee Forward Organization. The guest speaker was Damon Lane and Michael

Armstrong from the TV Channel 5 Crew. Damon Lane spoke on the weather equipment

in the making in the near future for pin pointing the exact location of when bad weather

will hit in areas of Oklahoma.

The Shawnee Forward Organization is in place to lead the Shawnee area and surrounding region, in both community and economic development efforts. Shawnee Forward

brings together the resources, commitment, and energy of both the chamber and economic development organizations. This will be the lead marketing and business attractions/

retention entity of the community. In addition to business attraction and retention, Shawnee Forward will work to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem to

support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent, and act as a

unified, collaborative voice to all of the businesses that calls this community home.

AST COMMUNITY MEETING – JUNE 30, 2018

The Executive Committee wants to thank Tribal Members for coming to the Community Meeting on Saturday June 30, 2018. We had approximately 30 to 40 tribal members

in attendance. The Meeting was held at the Absentee Shawnee Health Multi-Purpose

Building on the AST Campus. The next Community Meeting will be held at the Little

Axe Resource Center on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 10:00 am. The purpose of the Community Meetings is for tribal members to bring their concerns to the Executive Committee or if tribal people have issues with the tribes programs. Also this gives the Executive

Committee an opportunity to give the peoples updates on what the tribe is facing in

Indian Country and the local, state, federal Government.

GOVERNOR’S MEETINGS AND EVENTS MONTH OF JUNE AND JULY

JUNE

25th

10:00 am Special Executive Meeting

26th

9:00 am Meeting with IRS- VITA Program

August 2018

27th

10:00 am Special Executive Committee Meeting

29th

9:00 am Cannabis Meeting

30th

10:00 am Community Meeting

Government

ne fe we

JULY

2ND

10:30 AM Chairman Jonadev Chaudhuri, National Indian Gaming

Association – Washington DC

4th

Tribal Office CLOSED

6th

9:00 am Meeting with the Executive Committee

7th

Worked in Office (Saturday)

9th

9:00 am Meeting with Executive Committee

13th

1:00 pm AST Health Fair, Little Axe Clinic

16th

9:00 am Monthly Program Directors Meeting

Departments that did attend:

Media, Building Blocks III, Building Blocks II, Social Services, Police,

Absentee Shawnee Housing, Grants, Education, OEH, Domestic Violence, ICW,

MIS, Cultural Preservation, Enrollment, Finance, CCDF/After School Program,

Health, Self-Governance, Maintenance, Reality.

Executive Committee Members: Lt. Governor Blanchard, Secretary Johnson,

Representative Fletcher, Governor Butler-Wolfe.

Chairman Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri of the NIGC stops in to talk to

summer camp.

Departments not in attendance:

Procurement, HR (report was given by Representative Fletcher), Courts, Tax/Tag,

Executive Committee: Treasurer Ellis

Following the Directors Meeting there was a meeting with the Executive Committee.

17th

8:30 am Health Board Meeting at the Little Axe Health Meeting

18th

9:00 am Charter School Presentation

10:00 am Regular Executive Committee Meeting

1:30 pm Indian Education Consultation at Choctaw-Nicoma Park

20th

11:30 am Luncheon at Gordon Cooper Vo-Tech, Shawnee, Oklahoma

EXPRESSIONS:

For those families who lost a loved one this month, I offer my sincere condolences to you

and your family on your loss.

CONCLUSION:

I appreciate the tribal members that have come by my office or called with their concerns.

My door is open unless I am in a meeting or attending a meeting elsewhere.

Help me make a difference - - stand beside me and Let us Build for the Future (BFF) United and together!

Damon Lane of News Channel 5 meets with Governor Edwina BullerWolf at Gordon Cooper Vo-Tech.

4 ne ya we

Government

From the office of the Lt.

Governor

Keneth Blanchard

AST Lt. Governor

The first days in office began with setting up offices for the Lt. Governor, Administrative Assistant and the BIA Specialist in Building No.

2. Sharing space with Governor Edwina Butler-Wolfe makes it easier to

communicate on a daily basis.

Enrollment was relocated to Building No. 1 in the second floor offices

where the previous Representative was housed.

We are familiarizing ourselves with the processing of work orders and

have had a steady flow of request for assistance from our tribal members.

Communications were disrupted until the telephone and computers were

relocated. Care for items that were in process from the last administration took priority. The past practice of many activities had few and no

policies to provide assistance to tribal members. We are drafting policies

and procedures for the Executive Committee to review and pass by resolution to assure fair and equal treatment is done. These types of Service

Policies will assist in the 2019 budget planning and will continue the

services to our elder tribal members.

In closing, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the families

who have lost loved ones in these past few weeks.

Regards,

Kenneth Blanchard

August 2018

Board Vacancies

Available

HEALTH BOARD VANANCY

1 POSITION

QUALIFICATIONS:

Tribal members must have health care experience.

All other directors must have sufficient professional

experience in various fields (business, accounting,

public service, law administration to contribute productively to the Board).

Appointees shall have a background check and may

not be a staff member or employee of the health care

system.

Please submit Resume and Letter of Interest to:

Secretary John Johnson Office

2025 South Gordon Cooper Drive

Shawnee, Oklahoma 74801

405 275-4030, Extension: 6289

Johnraymond.johnson@astribe.com

THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT CENTER,

INC. (TEC)

2 POSITIONS

QUALIFICATIONS:

Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Marketing, Law or an equivalent Field (Bachelor’s degree or higher);

Minimum three (3) years’ experience in business management;

Minimum two (2) years’ experience in casino

operations; or

Knowledge of federal Indian law, the Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act, and related statutes and regulation.

Please submit Resume and Letter of Interest to:

Secretary John Johnson Office

2025 South Gordon Cooper Drive

Shawnee, Oklahoma 74801

405 275-4030, Extension: 6289

Johnraymond.johnson@astribe.com

GAMING COMMISSION

2 POSITIONS

QUALIFICATIONS:

Never been convicted of a felony, gaming offense or

Government

crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude.

Not have a direct or indirect financial interest in the

gaming facility.

Be at least twenty-five (25) years of age

Not be a member of the Executive Committee or Election Commission or related to any member of the Executive Committee or Election Commission by blood

or marriage within the second degree, however, a

Gaming Commissioner, who has been qualified and is

serving a term of office, shall be allowed to complete

his or her term of office in the event that a person related to the Gaming commissioner.

Not have had his/her surety bond forfeited or been

criminally convicted or found civilly liable for any

breach of fiduciary duty to the tribe or have been impeached or removed from Tribal office.

Is a lay member of the tribal community or a non-tribal

member closely associated with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, or an individual who possesses gaming regulatory experience.

Gaming Commissioners will have to do a strict background investigation before gaming license will be

issue.

Gaming Commissioners are prohibited from participating in any aspect of gaming in any of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe gaming enterprises and facilities

during the term of their office.

Please submit Resume and Letter of Interest to:

Secretary John Johnson Office

2025 South Gordon Cooper Drive

Shawnee, Oklahoma 74801

405 275-4030, Extension: 6289

Johnraymond.johnson@astribe.com

PLEASE SUBMIT RESUME AND LETTER OF

INTEREST TO SECRETARY JOHN JOHNSON

OFFICE BY:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

ne ya li ne

July 2018 –

Brief update

from the Tribal

Secretary’s Office

Little Axe C-Store:

Recently the C-store was having issues with the use of credit

cards. The explanation for this is

that the internet server was down

for two days, in which all the

credit card machines were down

causing the store to be cash only.

The servers were restored and the

store is back up and running.

Kooler Ice Machine

The Kooler ice machine is doing very well for the summer

months. The sale of ice has increased quite a bit, generating

over $5,000.00 in sales.

Enrollment

Enrollment numbers for the

month of July are as follows:

New enrollees: 13

Rejections: 0

Relinquishments: 0

Total Number of Members (July):

4363

Number of New (blue) cards

printed (July): 30

Enrollment’s new location will

be in the main building on the

second floor.

Indian Child Welfare (ICW):

The Indian Child Welfare department has went through some

changes in staff. The new staff

members are listed as followed:

William Star – ICW Director

Melissa Hill – CPS Worker

Paige Little Charley – PSSF

Worker

Aqua Herrera – Office Manager

Should you have any questions,

please contact my office at 405275-4030 ext. 6289

6 na ko ta wi fe

Treasurer’s Report

Phillip Ellis

Tribal Treasurer

First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for

your support and vote for electing me into

the office of the treasurer. Now, in the first 3

weeks of my term as treasurer my staff and I

have been diligently working toward a number of aim and goals that I set forth during my

campaign and also have refocused my departments towards a best-practices mindset. Prior

to me taking office, a number of projects were

put on hold or stagnated so now a large amount

of my time has been dedicated to re-engaging

and/or moving those projects towards completion. The primary focus areas I have immediately started implementing are as follows:

•

Financial Initiatives Related to Instituting Tighter Financial Controls and Processes

•

Education & Transparency on Budgets

•

Pushing Towards Economic Development

The financial initiatives related to financial

controls & processes include:

•

Hired a Procurement Director with a finance background that will ensure tighter controls on capital assets

•

Reviewing & revising the fraud prevention policy & procedure

•

Finance Policy & Procedures manual

•

Reviewing Electronic Accounts Payable & Electronic Purchase Order process to

reduce potential of check fraud

Education & transparency on budgets include:

•

Set up a BIA budget meeting with EC,

department directors and our BIA specialist

•

Set up mid-year Budget Review for

Tribal Departments, Health System and Casino

•

Re-introduced and implemented a department budget scorecard for departments

•

Streamlining the control and monitoring of grant budgets

Pushing Towards Economic Development

•

Reviewing current and previous economic development activity in order to learn

from past mistakes and drive action

Government

August 2018

•

Prioritizing economic development opportunities in Little Axe and in Shawnee areas.

C-Store Forensic Audit Update

As pledged, progress is happening with our C-store

forensic audit. Last month I briefly discussed the

draft C-store forensic report. By this publication,

we are expected to receive the final draft of the

C-store forensic audit on or around July 20th and

will submit it to the appropriate law enforcement

authorities to pursue potential federal prosecution.

The final draft will also be submitted to our insurance loss company for recoupment of our losses.

We are following this closely and will continue to

provide periodic updates.

Annual Audit Update

In addition to my focus areas, I also wanted to

report that the AST annual audit was completed

and submitted with no findings on Friday July

13th. The audit team will have met with Executive Committee (EC), health management team

and finance departments on July 31st to go over

the report.

Financial Reports Update

Attached you will find a copy of the AST Balance

Sheet (quarterly financial report). The EC re-

ceives a copy of our unaudited financial statements on a monthly basis and receives a copy

of the quarterly financials on a quarterly basis. As promised, I would like to share these

quarterly financials on an on-going basis. As

of June 30, 2018, The AST Net Position is

$64,061,669.84. The net position shows what

the AST government operations is worth (assets and liabilities). The net position amount

encompasses dollars that are spoken for and

are in the budgets allocated to all of our tribal

government entities and departments.

In my professional opinion, it’s essential

that our tribe begin to earnestly focus on reinvesting in sound, long-term economic development opportunities. Economic development will allow for more job opportunities for

tribal members, more services for our tribal

members and financial stability for our tribe.

Economic development is also essential in assisting our tribe to honor and preserve the traditional ways of life within our tribe. I welcome your continued support in helping me

lead our tribal government in this endeavor

to make sound business investments and decisions towards economic development that

will benefit both the Absentee Shawnee Tribe

and you.

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

BALANCE SHEET - Executive Committe Quarterly Report

As of 6/30/2018

GENERAL FUND

ASSETS

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Investments

Due From Other Funds

Other Receivables

Due From Tribal Enterprises

and Component Units

Grants Receivable

Inventory

Prepaid Expenses

Prepaid A/P Expenses

Total Prepaid Expenses

Capital Assets

Total ASSETS

LIABILITIES

Accounts Payable

Accrued Expenses

401 (k) Retirement

Payable-After Tax

Other

Total Accrued Expenses

Due to Other Funds

Deferred Revenue

Notes Payable

Total LIABILITIES

BIA

INDIRECT

GRANTS

ASTHA

11,976,024.67

3,730,994.28

27,248.29

1,487,067.74

2,257,693.54

7,882,916.05

0.00

(17,720.56)

0.00

394,318.68

0.00

231,870.58

346,353.26

250.00

964,347.92

0.00

(31,533.50)

3,374.47

0.00

27,068,403.03

0.00

(190,130.80)

178,240.03

0.00

284,487.92

0.00

146,010.43

1,646.05

0.00

19,480,674.57

65.98

0.00

7,865,261.47

31,764.80

0.00

1,004,557.32

(206.14)

0.00

1,220,470.67

19,074.42

2,686,952.41

29,908,549.52

18,407.21

265.00

45,279.85

9,055.92

30,328.49

0.00

92,043.93

0.00

1,805,705.92

1,916,157.06

28,955.86

0.00

6,089,972.43

0.00

6,119,193.29

73,623.46

0.00

118,903.31

57,833.85

0.00

167,971.48

0.00

234,861.25

146,522.24

0.00

176,850.73

17,581,644.05

905,342.80

292,931.32

762,192.42

18,380,073.35

0.00

(13,126.54)

17,568,517.51

0.00

840,725.38

1,746,068.18

0.00

592,722.69

885,654.01

0.00

223,417.00

985,609.42

0.00

11,351,625.44

29,731,698.79

19,484,674.57

7,865,261.47

1,004,557.32

1,220,470.67

29,908,549.52

FUND BALANCES - Net

Position

Fund Balance - Net Position

Current Year Activity

YTD INCOME

Other

Total Current Year Activity

Total FUND BALANCES - Net

Position

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND

FUND BALANCES - Net

Position

August 2018

Government

ne se wi fe

Representative’s Report

Atheda Fletcher

Tribal Representative

Dear Absentee Shawnee Tribal Members!

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported, voted and believed

in me for the Tribal Representative Leadership role. As I begin this new

journey and experience into tribal government, I want to assure you that

I will be readily accountable and transparent in all that I do. I will bring

my professionalism, experience, and leadership to the arena each and

every day. I will work diligently and aggressively to bring honest, hard

work to this leadership role.

It is a real privilege and pleasure to be able to represent your interests

in such a remarkable Tribe for the next two years. I will do whatever

is within my power to enhance the services, infrastructure and historic

and cultural heritage that help to make our Tribe a proud people. As

a member of the Executive Committee, I see that we will face many

challenges, but I am confident that our teamwork will propel our tribe

forward and put our tribe on a stronger path toward more success. I

encourage all tribal members to get more involved; voice your opinions

at our General Council meetings; demand that our leaders be productive

and work in the best interest of the WHOLE tribe, not the select few.

My goal is to work toward reducing waste, bureaucracy and inefficient

practices, improving services and delivering increasing value for money. I am very conscious of the fact that I have been elected by Tribal

Members who put their faith in my abilities. I will meet all challenges

head-on and always act in the best interest of the whole tribe. I guarantee that I will do my utmost to honor and respect this trust.

In the coming weeks, I will be doing research on the programs managed

by the Representative. My staff is fully engaged and is committed to

continually strive for improvement and growth in their respective areas.

I will work with my staff to set priorities, manages activities to achieve

key objectives, and help guide the direction of each department in response to an ever changing environment.

As I progress through my term, I will be working hard to fulfil my

promises made to tribal members. As promised, each of the areas that I

am responsible for have provided an update on their departments’ work,

Human Resources, Cultural Preservation, and Youth Camp Project. I

am proud of their work and want to share a snapshot of all that they do

and have achieved for the tribe. Each month, the plan is to publish reports to ensure that tribal members are kept informed. My desire is that

my staff provides as much information as possible to tribal members so

that they understand and appreciate the hard work that the staff brings

to the tribal work environment each and every day. I realize that change

cannot happen overnight, but I will approach each issue with much enthusiasm and hard work.

Once again thank you for all your support. I look forward to representing the Absentee Shawnee Tribe in a positive and productive manner.

Atheda W. Fletcher

Tribal Representative

8 fe wa se ke fe

From the Election

Commission:

At the recent June General Council, tribal

members were led to believe the Election

Commission had completely spent the

$50,000 budget allocated from General

Fund. The $50,000 is the operating budget used to “operate” the office located

on the Shawnee Tribal Complex. The

Election Commission, as of paperwork

received from Finance, at the last monthly meeting, has an operating balance of

$28,647.04.

The notification letter sent to the Executive Committee was to inform them the

“fees” collected from candidates to pay

for the election was depleted. Per the

Tribal Constitution, ART VI, Section 4

Fees, requires “fees” collected be used

to fund the elections.* When the “fees”

are exhausted, the Election Commission

is required to notify the Executive Committee that the fees are depleted and to request additional funds. This has process

has been exercised for the last several

years and the requested funds had been

provided. In 2009, finance set up a line

item called “Special Events” in the Election Commission’s General Fund budget

to accommodate the requested funds and

to disburse those very funds.

Government

two elections per year. With the passage by referendum of additional qualifications, the “fee” money must also

cover the cost of drug and alcohol tests,

driving records and background checks

both federal and state. Candidates pay

the extra expense of the additional

qualifications when they file for office

the cost is attached to the filing fee of

$125.00 and $500.00. If the cost of

the testing changes so will the expense

to run for office. The expenses of the

absentee ballot process which averages approximately $3.00 per person

(the total cost can vary from election

to election depending on the number

of absentee ballot requests the Election

Commission receives) is directly related to the cost of postage.

*Article VI, Section 4 Fees of the Tribal Constitution empowers the Election

Commission to collect fees from each

candidate filing for elective office and

Article III, Section 1, A & B of the

Election Ordinance determines how

the fees are to be used and for the Executive Committee or General Council

to allocate funds for the Election Commission.

The other alternative would be to raise

the filing fees to at least $1,300.00 per

candidate to cover the elections.

The shortfall of money to fund the elections is directly related to the number of

candidates who file for tribal office. The

“fees” collected must fund two elections

each year. The fee for each Election

Commission member (non-employee

position) is $125.00 and $500.00 for an

Executive Committee position (employee

position). Average cost of an election is

approximately $4,000.00 and two elections required by the Constitution equates

to about $8,000.00 per year for elections.

In closing, the Election Commission

must follow the AST Constitution and

the AST Election Ordinance. The election process is held in accordance with

the Constitution and Ordinance and to

run elections differently would mean

that the Constitution and Ordinance

would be violated. The current commissioners have all agreed changes are

needed but until the Constitution is revised and a new Ordinance is approved

by a vote of the tribal members the current Ordinance must be adhered to.

As we have less and less candidates the

cost of election expenses continue to increase. The judge’s expense is set by tribal contract and is $500.00 per election for

If you have any questions about the

election process, contact the Election

Commission office. The number is

(405) 275-4030 ext. 6271.

August 2018

ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS:

The Election Commission is requesting that anyone who would be interested in serving on the

Election Commission as an Alternate please contact the Election Commission Office at 275-4030

ext. 6271.

Please remember that you would have to meet

the same qualifications required when someone

runs for an elective office. Drug and alcohol tests

and background checks will be required.

August 2018

ASTHS July 2018 Monthly

Update

Health

ge yi ki te fe

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

Behavioral Health Services

Mark E. Rogers, MAL, FACHE, CMPE, CHC

Executive Director

The 5th Annual Health Fair was a huge success and well attended again this

year. We especially thank all of our vendors, employees, staff, and tribal

members as well as our patients who came out and made this another great

event this year! Special thanks to our EC elected leaders, the AST Veterans

Association, Tribal Dancers and Drummers, Mr. Anthony “Frog” Johnson

for his tribal prayer, and everyone else who came out to support their health

programs and attended the event. We especially thank also the tribal elders

for a huge turn out and for their unwavering support of the health programs!

Fall is right around the corner and summer will be coming to an end soon.

We’ll be getting ready for our Back to School event, the Zombie Run 5K

on the 25th of October again at the lake, and continue to expanding our services and access to health programs - all to serve you better every day! We

continue to add new specialists to the staff to make it both more convenient

to access specialty care on-site as well as save contract health funds in doing

so, allowing tests to be accomplished on-site and integration of the patient’s

ASTHS July 2018 Monthly Update

health record into the health system’s database. This allows the primary

care providers to The

better

manage

ofatheir

assigned

patients.

5th Annual

Healthcare

Fair was

huge success

and well

attended again

thisare

year.espeWe

especially

thank

all

our

vendors,

employees,

staff,

and

tribal

members

well

our

cially excited to welcome our new Dentist, Dr. Maricruz Martinez, who will

patients who came out and made this another great event this year! Special thanks to

be joining our dental

Thank

you

all Association,

for making

new

feel

our EC clinic.

elected leaders,

the AST

Veterans

Tribalour

Dancers

and staff

Drummers,

Mr. Anthonyand

“Frog”

his tribal

prayer, and

else who emergency

came out to support

their clinic

health

welcome

forJohnson

usingforour

services!

Aseveryone

a reminder,

dental

and attended the event. We especially thank also the tribal elders for a huge turn out and for their

isprograms

now

available

M-W-F

the

mornings

for

walk-in

emergency

dental

care

unwavering support of the health programs! Fall is right around the corner and summer will be coming to an

for

patients.

end established

soon. We’ll be getting

ready for our Back to School event, the Zombie Run 5K on the 25 of October

again

the

lake,

and

continue

expanding

our servicesresource

and access to -health

serve you betterto

The health system’sto most

valuable

ourprograms

people- all–tocontinues

every day! We continue to add new specialists to the staff to make it both more convenient to access specialty

display

excellence

our health

tribalfunds

health

system!

I’m

proud

of and

our

care on-site

as well as savefor

contract

in doing

so, allowing

testsextremely

to be accomplished

on-site

integration

the

patient’s

health

record

into

the

health

system’s

database.

This

allows

the

primary

care

outstanding star performers again this month, and thank them all for their

providers to better manage care of their assigned patients. We are especially excited to welcome our new

contributions

to our patients, their fellow employees, and the tribe! EmDentist, Dr. Maricruz Martinez, who will be joining our dental clinic. Thank you all for making our new staff

ployee

of the

Month

July As

fora reminder,

healthemergency

was Luis

Almanza,

Clinic,

feel welcome

and for

using ourin

services!

dental

clinic is now Specialty

available M-W-F

in the

mornings for walk-in emergency dental care for established patients.

for his incredible job performance on provider and patient support; Team

The health system’s

most

valuable

resource - our

people – continues

display excellence

for our tribal

of the Month:

Health

Fair

Planning

Committee,

forto another

well-planned,

health system! I’m extremely proud of our outstanding star performers again this month, and thank them all for

well-executed

community event; and the Special Leadership Award: Dr.

their contributions to our patients, their fellow employees, and the tribe! Employee of the Month in July for

Miller

and

the

Michael

Kuestersteffen,

forjob

making

access

easier

urgently

health was Luis Almanza, Specialty

Clinic, for his incredible

performance

on provider

and for

patient

support;

Team of the Month: Health Fair Planning Committee, for another well-planned, well-executed community

needed PlusCare patients needing dental services with other related health

event; and the Special Leadership Award: Dr. Miller and the Michael Kuestersteffen, for making access easier

issues.

The

health

employees

continue

to accomplish

outstanding

feats

for

for urgently

needed

PlusCare

patients needing

dental services

with other related

health issues. The

health

employees

continue

accomplish

feats forcare

our patients

andinternal

for each other,

care ofcusour

our

patients

andto for

each outstanding

other, taking

of our

andtaking

external

internal and external customers/patients. Thank you all for making an important difference in the lives and

tomers/patients.

Thank you all for making an important difference in the

health of all of our health system’s patients!

lives and health of all of our health system’s patients!

Health Employee Awards of the Month for July

Employee of the Month

Team of the Month

Special Leadership Award

Luis Almanza, Specialty Clinic

Health Fair Planning Committee

Dr. LaTonya Shelton-Miller & Michael Kuestersteffen

Mark E. Rogers, MAL, FACHE, CMPE, CHC

Executive Director

WHITE BISON, Inc.

A Cultural Approach to Personal Recovery

Substance Abuse

Wellbriety Group Meetings

Facilitator: John Soap, LPC

Every Thursday 5:30pm-6:30pm

Shawnee Multipurpose Building

(east of the Shawnee Clinic, Bldg. 16)

For further information, contact:

Shawnee Behavioral Health Services: John 405-878-4716

Little Axe Behavioral Health Services: Dara 405-701-7987

10 ma ti fe

Health

August 2018

Congratulations Abbe!!!!

• Lease to Own Homes

• Low Rent Housing

• Over Income AST member Down Payment & Closing

Assistance

• College Housing Assistance

• Home Rehab Program

August 2018

- Scheduled

Closings

• Storm

Shelter Assistance

• Transitional Housing

Locations: • Over-Income Rental Housing

Family of Faith Christian School

8th Grade Girls Basketball Team

OCSSA 2A STATE CHAMPIONS!

Date Closed:

Wed., Aug 1st

(1st Wed of Month)

Time(s)

Closed:

All AST Health facilities CLOSED

Noon to

- PlusCare & Shawnee Ext Hrs (walk-in) Clinics will OPEN at 5p-9p

5 PM INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SERVICES

FOR

(last patient accepted at 8:30p)

Fri., Aug 31st

All AST Health facilities CLOSED

All

Day

(405) 273-1050

COME

OUR

OFFICE

(AST Day) PLEASE CALL-PlusCare

Clinic OPENOR

holiday

hours

from

9a-5p

(last patient accepted at 4:30p)

Abbe Owings - 8Th Grade

Basketball Champ

possible

SHAWNEE,

AST health

Tribal

Member

Abbe

Owings, An 8th grad

ATweather

107 NORTH

KIMBERLY

* In the event of LOCATED

a predicted severe

forecast, please

call ahead forIN

system

closure

or delay:

♥Proud Momma, Dos Owings

of For

aith

Christian

School. On February 13th ,2016

Little Axe Health Center at (405) 447-0300, Shawnee Clinic at (405)878-5850

PlusCare

at (405)447-0477

February

13th, 2016,

basketball team On

won

the OCSSA

Abbe

WEBSITE:

WWW.ASHOUSINGAUTHORITY.COM

Owings and the 8th grade girls

class

2A Swall

TATE

CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

**Health closures/delays are posted on the Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health

Facebook

“Absentee

Shawnee

Health”,

basketball

team Tribal

took state

at the

Twitter @ASTHealth & on ASTHS website at www.asthealth.org

OCSSA 2A class state championship

Congratulations Abbe!!!!

PROUD MOMMA-‐Dos Owings

Honoring Our Past

With Promise for

Our Future

LIFE is Beautiful

Living Meth Free

Health

August 2018

ma ti fe ki-te ne ko te

C O N T R A C T H E A LT H S E R V I C E S N E W S

The AST Contract Health Services

Team is here to assist you.

Please follow the CHS guidelines.

Keep a copy on hand

and update your information.

EMERGENCY AND URGENT

CARE SERVICES

CHS for a currently enrolled AST member who

resides in the defined catchment area and needs

emergent or urgent care.

der at

amily

1. FCall

the On-Call nurse at 405.447.0300,

option 9 for triage.

6. The girls

2. Notify

CHS

on the next business day or within

72 hours after your 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.

3. For AST members with no insurance, evidence

must exist that your visit was medically necessary.

Medical priorities have been established for determining which referrals can be authorized for payment.

4. For AST members with insurance, evidence

must exist that a third-party resource has made the

determination such services were “emergency care”

or “urgent care.” Such evidence my include payment from private insurance.

5. In the event that you receive a bill from a provider, please provide a copy to CHS. You may leave bills

at the Little Axe Health Center CHS office or the

Shawnee Clinic CHS office.

CONTRACT HEALTH SERVICES

FOR AST MEMBERS

WITH INSURANCE

CONTRACT HEALTH SERVICES

FOR AST MEMBERS

WITHOUT INSURANCE

CHS for a currently enrolled AST member who resides in the defined catchment area and has Medicare or private insurance.

CHS for a currently enrolled AST member who

resides in the defined catchment area and does not

have insurance.

1. To complete existing CHS patient updates, please

visit Patient Registration at either the Little Axe

Health Center or Shawnee Clinic during regular

hours of operation.

1. You must apply for all resources available to you,

such as: Medicaid, Medicare, Worker’s Compensation, Vocational Rehabilitation, auto insurance and

other personal injury or liability coverage. CHS staff

and/or Patient Benefit Advocates can assist you

with the application process for alternate resources.

Failure to exhaust available or potentially available

alternate resources may result in denial of payment.

For new AST tribal members, to become established

for CHS services, please make an appointment to

see the New Patient Coordinator/PBA at either the

Little Axe Health Center or Shawnee Clinic during

regular hours of operation.

2. Notify CHS at least 48 hours prior to appointment

date for a Coordination of Benefits (COB) to be

sent to the provider.

3. Inform provider/health facility that AST CHS is a

secondary payer/payer of last resort.

4. In the event that you receive a bill from a provider,

please provide a copy to CHS. You may leave bills at

the Little Axe Health Center or Shawnee Clinic.

EASY ACCESS

Contract Health Services is conveniently

located in Little Axe Health Center and in

Shawnee Clinic, Building 16.

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday

Closed on Holidays

All facilities closed the first Wednesday of the month from Noon to 5pm.

2. To complete existing CHS patient updates, please

visit Patient Registration at either the Little Axe

Health Center or Shawnee Clinic during regular

hours of operation.

For new AST tribal members, to become established

for CHS services, please make an appointment to

see the New Patient Coordinator/PBA at either the

Little Axe Health Center or Shawnee Clinic during

regular hours of operation.

3. You must utilize the services provided within AST

health clinics prior to being referred out.

4. Referrals for outside services must be sent to CHS.

Services must be medically approved by an AST

Health provider and/or CMMR Committee.

5. An appointment will be scheduled, and a COB will

be sent to the outside provider.

6. In the event that you receive a bill from a provider,

please provide a copy to CHS. You may leave bills at

the Little Axe Health Center or Shawnee Clinic.

I M P O RTA N T C O N TAC TS

BILLING & PAYMENT INQUIRIES

Little Axe Health Center & Shawnee Clinic

REFERRAL MANAGEMENT

Little Axe Health Center

REFERRAL MANAGEMENT

Shawnee Clinic

Glendine Blanchard, CHS Coordinator

Darla Gatzman, CH Technician

Chelle Foreman, Medical Claims Examiner

Lena Carol, CH Technician

Kareena Deere, CH Technician/Medical Records

Debi Sloat, CHS Coordinator/RN

Sharon Littlecreek, Patient Care Manager/LPN

Jayne Werst, CH Specialist, Medicaid Patients

Kelly Armstrong, CH Specialist, IHS Patients/LPN

Jennifer Wells, CH Technician

Melinda Ferrell, PBA, Dental Referrals

Flo Mann, CH Specialist, AST Patients/LPN

Laurie Webber, CH Specialist, IHS Patients/LPN

Carrie Stanley, CH Specialist, Medicaid patients/

Medical Assistant

LITTLE AXE HEALTH CENTER CHS

SHAWNEE CLINIC CHS

405.701.7951 (Please follow voice prompts)

405.447.0300 (Secondary)

405.878.5850 (Primary)

405.878.4702 (Secondary)

HEALTH SYSTEM

Visits

the Absentee ShawneeLocal

Tribe

project that will be published next year. Her official w

Amy H. Sturgis grew up in Tulsa, earned her Ph.D. in Intellectual

August 2018

amyhsturgis.com.

History at Vanderbilt University, specializes in both Native Amerma ti fe ki-te ne se we

ican and Science Fiction Studies, and teaches at Lenoir-Rhyne

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author of four books and over sixty essays, as well as the editor

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visitors

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present

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intersection

fantasy

literature

American

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• Sales and/or any other trust land transactions must be authorized by theand

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special

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who

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in March. She is currently writing about the rise of Indigenous

Ph.D. inlist.

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Visits the Absentee Shawnee

Tribe

Realty Department

Author visits the Absentee Shawnee Tribe

and

over

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booksasand

over

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me of her works include a biography of Tecumher

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currently

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order

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by Native

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NOW Accepting Applications

For

Fall 2016

Deadline for applications is June 1, 2016

For more information, visit Haskell Indian

Nations University website at www.haskell.edu.

will be published next year. Her official website is amyhsturgis.com.

Should you have any questions, please contact Lea Tsotaddle at 405-275-4030 ext. 6248.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO SUBMIT AN AD OR ARTICLE:

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

or send us an e-mail to

stiger@astribe.com

ALL ARTICLES FOR THE NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE ARE DUE BY

THE 15th OF THE CURRENT MONTH

UnfortUnately, we can only accept one pictUre per birthday person,

not per birthday wish.

our

child

on the first day. Arrive early

to cut down on any extra

unnecessary

August

2018

ma ti fe ki-te ne fe we 13

Local

stick with it every night.

with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands,

Back to School

3. Have your child turn off all electronic devices

between your fingers, and under your nails.

well before bedtime.

c. Scrub your hands for at least 20-30 seconds. Need a

rides

the

bus,

find

child

from

your

neighborhood

with whom your child

Try

have

the

home

calm

and

quiet

timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning

Health & Safety

possible during sleep time.

to end twice.

5. Be aware of the recommended hours of sleep

d. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

bus.

Tips

your child needs.

e. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Backpack Safety

2. Make sure your child is current on immunizations

According to the American

Academy of Pediorientation

provided

at the

school

help

your

child

become

more are required

1. Choose a backpack with wide padded shoula. Each state

decides which immunizations

atrics, there are some simple steps that you can

der straps and a padded back.

for your child’s enrollment and attendance. These requiretake to help you and your child’s transition back

Remind

your

child

always

use

their

shoulments or exemptions may change or vary.

nvironment.

to school. Listed below are a few of these health

der straps. Slinging backpacks over one shouli. Talk to a school staff member to learn what vaccines the

and safety tips:

der can strain muscles.

school or childcare facility requires or contact your local

Make

Your Child’s First

Daythe

Easier end of the

d’s

teacher

day

assess

your

first day experience.

3. Lightly

pack backpacks.

Back packs

should child’s

Health Department

1. Discuss any special needs, questions or connever weigh more than 10%-20% of your child’s

ii. CDC also has a tool to help find more information about

cerns with your child’s school before their first

body

weight.

your

child

must

carry

heavy

your state’s school vaccination requirements. Visit:https://

outine

atconcerns

least

prior to school starting.

day. The bestschedule

time to address these

is at week

backpacks, consider using a rolling backpack (if

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/records-requirements.

least 1-2 weeks prior to the start of school.

2. Rehearse school routines such as pick up and

drop off with your child prior to school starting.

3. Point out positive aspects and experiences of

starting school to your child.

4. Drop off or pick up your child on the first day.

Arrive early to cut down on any extra unnecessary stress.

5. If your child walks or rides the bus, find a child

from your neighborhood with whom your child

can walk or ride the bus.

6. Attend any available orientation provided at

the school to help your child become more comfortable in the environment.

7. Check with your child’s teacher at the end of

the day to assess your child’s first day experience.

8. Start a sleep/wake routine schedule at least

week prior to school starting.

Develop Sleep Routines

1. Getting good sleep is critical to your child’s

success in school. Children who do not receive

enough sleep have a difficult time concentrating

and learning, have lower academic performance,

and have higher absentee and tardy rates.

2. Set a consistent bedtime for your child and

their school permits).

4. Adjust the backpack so that bottom sits on

your child’s waist.

Eating During the School Day

1. Provide your child with a nutritious breakfast.

Studies show that children who eat a nutritious

breakfast function better in school.

2. Pack your child’s lunch when the main course

offered by the school is one that is not preferable to your child. Most schools provide a schedule of the cafeteria menu.

3. Check to see if your child is eligible for free

or reduced lunch (if needed). Hunger will affect

your child’s performance in class.

4. Consider nutrition if you will be packing your

child’s lunch for school. Visit Choosemyplate.

gov for more information on nutritional recommendations.

Take Steps to Prevent the Transmission and

Spread of Disease

1. Teach your child about proper handwashing

a. Wet your hands with clean, running water

(warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

b. Lather your hands by rubbing them together

html

1. Select your state under “Grantee” options. Select your

child’s level [childcare, kindergarten, middle school,

or university/college].Click “Get Results” to view your

state’s vaccination requirements

Get Routine Health Screenings

1. Well child checks, dental exams, vision screenings,

hearing screenings and/or sport’s physicals

For more information contact ASTHS Public Health Department at (405) 447-0300. To establish care or schedule

an appointment, ask for Primary Care.

Sources: www.Healthychildren.org , www.cdc.gov

s critical to your child’s success in school. Children who do not receive

difficult time concentrating and learning, have lower academic

ave higher absentee and tardy rates.

time for your child and stick with it every night.

off all electronic devices well before bedtime.

e as calm and quiet as possible during sleep time.

ommended hours of sleep your child needs.

14 ma ti fe ki-te ne ya we

Local

August 2018

Local

ma ti fe ki-te ne ya li ne

16 ma ti fe ki-te na ko ta wi fe

Health

Chrissy Wiens

Physical Activities Specialist

Buster Bread

Fitness Manager

Brandon Goodman

Fitness Technician

August 2018

The AST Diabetes and Wellness Fitness Center provides state of the art fitness equipment to help you reach your fitness

goals. The AST Fitness Center is available to AST Diabetes Program patients, all Native Americans and their household

family members, and the AST employees. Our goal is to provide appropriate and educational fitness training to all AST

diabetes patients while promoting a safe, fun, and positive experience. Take some time to come by and visit the Diabetes and

Wellness Fitness Center today! For more information, please contact Buster Bread or Chrissy Wiens at (405) 364-7298.

McKenna Watson

Fitness Technician

AST Diabetes and Wellness Program

The goal of the diabetes and wellness program is to provide a supportive resource to tribal members who are currently diagnosed

with diabetes, or at risk and seeking information and/or support for diabetes and personal health. The program will offer guidance

on healthy lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, exercise tips including workout classes with our two certified trainers, and keys

to reducing stress.

The AST Resource Center fitness room hours are:

Monday-Friday

6:00am - 9:00pm

Saturday

9:00am - 3:00pm

Sunday

CLOSED

For more information on the many exciting opportunities available for our tribal community please call our clinic at 405-7017977 or visit our website at www.asthealth.org (Then navigate to our Diabetes and Wellness section under the services section.)

Health

August 2018

ma ti fe ki-te ne se we fe

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

CLASSES

Zumba Fitness

6:15 a.m.-7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe Resource Center

Strength Circuit

6:15 a.m.-7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe Resource Center

Cardio Kickboxing

6:15 a.m.-7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe Resource Center

Strength Circuit

6:15 a.m.-7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe Resource Center

Zumba Fitness

6:15 a.m.-7:00 a.m.

Chrissy Wiens

Little Axe Resource Center

Kickboxing Circuit Wednesday

12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m.

Chrissy Wiens

LITTLE AXE HEALTH FACILITY

Chair Exercise Friday

2:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Buster Bread

LITTLE AXE HEALTH FACILITY

Strength Circuit

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

Buster Bread

Little Axe Resource Center

Aerobic Circuit

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

Buster Bread

Little Axe Resource Center

“KB Circuit”- This hardcore workout blends elements of boxing,

martial arts and traditional aerobics all in one intense exercise

routine.

“Circuit Training”- A time efficient training system aimed at

developing strength through pre-determined training stations.

“Chair Exercise”- Learn how to build strength using a variety of

strength exercises that can be performed in a chair. This session

is great for those who have joint pain or low-fitness levels.

“Cardio Kickboxing”- Aerobic training using kickboxing

techniques to engage and strengthen the cardiovascular system.

Free Music Lessons

Guitar • Bass • Piano • Drums

Available to all Native Americans w/CDIB#

For details, call Absentee Shawnee Behavioral Health • 405-878-4716

18 ma ti fe ki-te fe wa se ke fe

Health

August 2018

AST Diabetes and Wellness Fitness Tips

Summer is here and I know many of us been longing for summer exercise! Whether it is at the lake

skiing, tubing, walking, biking at the park, playing sports, or even working in the garden, it is important

to prepare yourself for the heat. Exercising in the heat can be risky if you are not careful. Heat Stress

can be very dangerous and can cause problems with your health. If your body isn’t use to the heat try to

slowly adjust to the heat by gradually increasing the time you spend in it. Below are some real heat

stress issues to pay attention to, such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and some other less

Severe, but preventable health problems such as heat cramps, fainting, and prickly heat rash that may

also occur while exercising in the heat.

Heat Stroke:

(Medical Emergency)

Heat Exhaustion:

(Medical Emergency)

Dehydration:

Heat Cramps:

(Mild Disorder)

When heat stroke occurs the

body’s heat regulating system

breaks down under stress and

sweating stops. Unless the

person receives quick

treatment, death could occur.

Symptoms:

• No sweating (or may be

sweating profusely)

• High body temperature (105˚

or more)

• Hot, dry, flushed skin

• Confused, delirious behavior

• Loss of consciousness or

coma

First Aid:

• Immediately call for medical

help, and then begin first aid

treatment

• Move the victim to a cool

place

• Cool the victim quickly by

giving a cool bath (sponge with

cool water and by fanning).

• Treat for shock

• Offer a conscious person half

a glass

of water every 15 minutes

This is a serious disorder that

develops when the body loses more

fluid through sweating.

Symptoms:

• Sweating profusely

• Weakness

• Clammy Skin

• Dizziness

• Pale or flush face

• Nausea

First Aid:

• Move the person to the shade or a

cool place.

• Have person lie on their back with

feet elevated.

• If conscious, give half a glass of

water every 15 minutes.

• Get medical help

• Rapid heartbeat and breathing

Dehydration occurs when you lose

more fluid than you take in and your

body doesn’t have enough water to

carry its normal functions. If you

don’t replace lost fluids, you may

become dehydrated.

Mild Symptoms:

• Dry, sticky mouth & thirst

• Sleepiness or tiredness

• Headache, dizziness, feeling

lightheaded

• Decrease urine output or

constipation

• Dry skin

Severe Symptoms:

• Little or no urination

• Sunken eye’s and no tears, if crying

• Shriveled or dry skin

• Low blood pressure

• Fever

• In serious cases, loss of

consciousness or delirium

A good rule is to drink a

half glass of water every

15 minutes for an hour if

you experience this.

Fainting:

This happens when your

body is having trouble

coping with heat. This can

be very dangerous

because you can get hurt

by falling down.

• Always have a person

with you when you

exercise in the heat.

• Always bring water and

a light snack

• If you have health issues

like diabetes or heart

problems, wear a medical

alert bracelet so other

know how to help.

Prickly Heat:

Is a rash that develops

when sweat cannot

evaporate. Sweat ducts

become clogged and

sweat glands become

inflamed.

So continue to exercise and do outdoor activities but just be aware of Heat Stress because you may not

realize any of these symptoms until it’s too late. Heat Stress can alter your coordination, lessen

concentration, reduce strength and alertness, and make you very irritable. Drink 10-16 ounces (a glass)

of cold fluid 15-30 minutes before working out. Continue to do so every 15 minutes during exercise,

and maybe even add a small beverage with some electrolytes, potassium, or even a little sodium if you

seem to be sweating a lot to prevent dehydration.

August 2018

Health

A B S E N T E E S H AW N E E T R I B A L H E A LT H SY S T E M

FREE DENTAL AND VISION SCREENINGS AND FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS

4-6 P.M. THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 • LITTLE AXE HEALTH CENTER

15951 Little Axe Drive • Norman, OK 73026 • 405.447.0300

It’s that time of year again. At LAHC, we’re helping out with free dental and

vision screenings, and free sports physicals for all kids under the age of

18. This event is open to ALL RESIDENTS of the Little Axe community.

Enjoy refreshments and goody bags for attendees (supplies are limited).

So get here early, get the kids ready to go and let us take care of you!

W W W. A S T H E A LT H . O R G

ma ti fe ki-te ge yi ki te fe

How to Dispose

of Medicines

Properly

DON’T: Flush expired or unwanted prescriptions and over-thecounter drugs down the toilet or

drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so.

DO: Return unwanted or expired

prescription and over-the-counter

drugs to a drug take-back program

or follow the steps for household

disposal below.

1st CHOICE: Take Back Events

To dispose of prescription and

OTC drugs, call your local police

department or pharmacy and ask if

a take back program is available.

Some counties hold collection

days or have a central location

for proper disposal. In Oklahoma

EVERY county has at least one

location you can safely dispose of

your medication at.

2nd CHOICE: Household Disposal Steps

1. Take your prescription drugs

out of their original containers.

2. Mix drugs with an undesirable

substance, such as cat litter or

used coffee grounds.

3. Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as

an empty butter tub, or into a zip

lock bag.

4. Conceal or remove any personal information, including RX #, on

the empty container by covering it

with a marker.

5. The sealed container with the

medication and empty drug container can now be placed in the

trash.

Drug Take-Back Event

For more information or if you or

someone you know is in need of a

medication lockbox contact 405701-7993.

20 ne se wi pe ti ke

Celebrations

August Birthdays

Aguinaga, Joanna Stevens

Alaee, Deena Shabnam

Alford, Brandon Wayne

Alford, Donald John

Alford, Dylan James

Alford, Janene Flora

Allen, Zachary Jerald

Almanza, Favian Dae

Almanza, Lucy Jeslene

Altman, Colson Charles

Anderson, Dakiah Ali

Anderson, Jared Russell

Atwara, Hawana Rain

Atwara, Rae Lynn

Backiel-Vance, Adriana Esperanza

Balch, Tasha Jamie Renee

Ballard, James Wesley

Barbosa Jr., Francisco Lazaro

Barbosa, Natalie Cadence

Barnes, Alvina Lynn

Barnes, Jonna Kay

Barriga, Calib Jay

Barriga, Dana Michelle

Barriga, Joshua Deen

Beachem, Lois Marie

Bella-Heim, Katherine Ann

Benish, Hailey Grace

Berry, Michael Wayne

Billie, Gabriel Lamont

Blackbear, Kyler Jesse

Blancett, Tina Marie

Blanchard, Caileah Ann

Blanchard, Christopher Ray

Blanchard, Henry Benjamin

Blanchard, Jackson Jonathan

Blanchard, Jessica Marie

Blanchard, Kaylee Dawn

Blanchard, Kenneth Leland

Blanchard, Leadra Danae

Blanchard, Luann Delores

Blanchard, Ruth Evelyn

Blanchard, Sandra Lynn

Blanchard, Stacie Faye

Blocker, Steven DeWayne

Blood, Jeffery Lee

Bond, James Phillip

Boston, Sheila Marie

Boston, Sheldon Shannon

Bosworth, Donna Sue White

Box-Kessler, James Steven

Bradshaw, Karsyn Marie

Brady, Crystal Sue

Bread, Eli Emery Michael

Bread, Kiley Madison Michael

Breeding, Taylor Mae

August 2018

Jimerson # 11490-078, Dante Romain

Johnson Jr., Robert Anthony

Johnson, Carrielynn Melissa

Britt, Nathan Scott

Felton, Kai Neal Blaze

Johnson, Christina Michelle

Brocksmith, Nicole Leeann

Felton, Wyatt Cooper

Johnson, Crystal Faith

Brokeshoulder, Riley Ann

Finch, Courtny Shea

Johnson, Darrell Ray

Brokeshoulder-Drags Wolf,

Fixico, Angela Rochelle

Johnson, Desiree Cathonel

Whirlwind

Foreman Sr., Leonard DeJohnson, Diana Kay

Brooks, Rosalind Janelle

wayne

Johnson, Nicholas Ray

Brophy, Conri Kaleido

Fowler, Sofia Evelyn

Johnson, Robin

Brown, Teresa

Frazier, Kendell Terese

Johnson, Ronnie Gene

Brown, Tracy Lynn

French, Joseph Lee

Johnson-Banks, Airen Nicole

Buckheart, Phillip Paul

Frye, Michele Renia

Johnson-Stephenson, Bryon Darius

Burggraf, Kyra Joanee Joann

Galyon, Joyce Ann

Johnson-Stephenson, Marissa Kaitlynn

Byers, Dallas Landry

Garretson, Shawnelle V.

Jordan, Betty Jean

Camp, Sarney

Garretson, Zachary

Josytewa, Daniel Dakota

Cardwell, Wyatt David

Gibson Jr., Roy Gene

Kaseca, Lynnlei Renee

Cargo, Elijah Lee

Gibson, Ethan Leroy

Kastl, Richard Dean

Cargo, Jada Cleo Mae

Gibson, Morgan Lee

Keith, Jaime Lee

Carlson, Adrianno McBride

Gibson-Hicks, Leila Kay

Kennedy, Rebecca Lea

Carter, Rosa Lee

Gillmore, Tammy Kay

Kennedy, Willie James

Casteel, Serenity James

Gilmore, Cynthia Jayden

Kernell, Noah Lee

Chambers, Diana Lynn

Gonzalez-Freed, Alexia Faith Kilmer, Gregory Keith

Chisholm, Anita Sue

Goodman, Brandon Thomas Kinnamon, Alisha Dawn

Citty, Daniel Keith

Gouge, Marissa Janell

Kinnamon, Dustin James

Citty, Rachel Danece

Granstrom, Brandon Thomas Kirby, William Anthony

Ciulla, Kayla Rena

Gray, Dora Estelle

Koster, Keeleigh Jenifer

Clark, Autumn Marie

Greenfield, David Glenn

Lamb, Weston Bobby Clayton CHarley

Clinesmith, Jamie Lenea

Griffin, Armani De`jour

Larney Jr., Nathaniel Roy

Cody, Kristen Renee

Griffin, Corrine Sue

Larney, Santana LaRay

Conley, Nicole Lynn

Haney, Carolyn Ann

Larney, Tava Dionne

Cope, Vincent Michael

Hanson, Melody Leann

Latham Sloan, Stone Tecumseh

Copeland, Matthew Kyle

Harjo Jr., Victor Ray

Lee, Christopher Ashton

Cottrell, Lindsay Russell

Harjo, Jason Michael

Leedom, Daniel Clayton

Crowley, Aleycia Nicole

Harjo, Kolbie Lee

Liles, Tammy Gayle

Crowley, Isabel Deanne

Harjo, Theresa Michelle

Little Axe, Angela Renae

Crowley, Parris Rae

Harman, Serenity Leilani

Little Axe, Barbara J

Cruz, Briel Lashelle

Hart, Ashley Nicole

Little Axe, Chastity Lynn

Cruz-Larney, Famela GuadaHarvey, Jaron Scott

Little Axe, Jamison Sloan

lupe

Hastings, Michael Dakota

Little Axe, Kimberly Jolene

Curtis, Kenda Janae

Heatley Jr., Abraham Lee

Little Axe, Mikah Dean

Davis, Barbara Ann

Hendricks, Rachel Anne

Little Axe, Panther Sky

Davis, Darrol Everett

Powell

Little Charley, Eldon

Dawsey, Vera Mae

Hernandez, Alicia Marie

Little Charley, Tyera Nicole

De La Campa, Ginger Leanne Herrera Sr., Ruben Pilar

Little Jim, James Allen

Deere, Montana Christian Alex Herrera, Jennifer Marie

Little Jim, Lorene Little Axe

Dees, Travis William David

Herrera, Renee Christine

Little, Earl Lynn

Delodge, Cheyenne MacHelle

Herrod, Lucas Andrew

Little, Mark Anthony

Dodds, Clayton Robert

Hill, Scotty Lee

Littlebear, David Allen

Dominguez, Valerie Rose

Holderness, John Lennon

Littlebear, Patrick Dale

Downey, Sheila Ann

Hood, Iyon Joseph Weslon

Littlecreek, Cameron Joseph

Draper, Daria Dawn

Hood, Steven Mark

Littlecreek, Richard Lloyd

Durmon, Patrick Duane

Houston III, Gary Dean

Littlehead, Montana Dane

Edgmon, Kimberly Ann

Houston, Jacob Lee

Locke, Ericalee Dawn

Elkins, David Preston

Huckaby, Richard Allen

Logan, Kathleen June

Ellis, Sydney Jean

Irvin III, William Jetson

Longden, Marilyn Sue

Elmore, Braden Lee

Jackson, Amanda Christine

Longhorn, Gabriel Allen

Embery, Lisa Marie

Jackson, Josiah Nicholas

Longhorn, Keith Warren

England, Randall Blake

Jackson, Keauntre Darnae

August 2018

Celebrations

Longhorn, Patience Bruce

Rapp, Michelle Lauren

Longman, Kirstain Page

Rich, Sonia Elaine

Lossie, Amy Laverne

Rickard, Keely Danielle

Lovins, Jo Ann

Ridenour, Lesley Paige

Lowe, Trenton James

Robison, Noah Alan

MacK, Devin Lee

Rodas, Owen Benjamin

MacK, Kylan Cole

Rojas Jr., Antonio

MacK, Trenden Derrick Lee

Rolette, David Wayne

Mann, Cecil Ray

Roller, David Lee

Mann, McCann Allen

Roller, Susan Margaret

Mann, Michael Ray

Ross, James Edward

Mann, Stacy Diane

Ross, Randall Lee

Marquez II, Felipe Herrera

Rudloff, Derek Chace

Marquez III, Felipe Herrera

Runsabove, Brock Allen

Marshall, Briana Michelle

Ryan, Cullen Patrick

Marshall, Laura Lee

Salazar, Catherine Lynn

Martinez Jr., Jose Martin

Sallee, Melanie Rachele

Martinez, Goodchief Justice

Sampson, Ayden Lee

Martinez, Tecumseh Joaquin

Sampson, Layla Ann

Masquas, Zariyah Jade

Sanchez, Janna Lee Anne

Masquat, Cheryl Ann

Sanchez, Luisa Raquel

Masquat, Lindsay Marie

Sanchez, Steven Mercedes

Maxwell, Darrell Wayne

Sanchez, Trevor

McBride, Caroline Sue

Schwarz, Shawn Sigmund

McBride, Michael Andrew

Scraper, Margaret Alice

McPherson, Elana Rose

Serena, Shawn Lee

McPherson, Joshua Alan

Sevier, Jackson Kyle

Megehee, Hunter Buck

Shawnee, Jaylee Anne

Megyesi, Kevin Charles

Shawnee, Lyndell Grant

Miller, Stacy Elaine

Shawnee, Lynessa Gail

Miller, Tommy Dean

Shawnee, Sabian Cole

Minesinger, Kenneth Scott

Sinks, Daniel Ray

Moody, Megan Marie

Sloan, Taya Adalysa Marie

Moore, Amanda Rene`

Sloan, Virginia Michelle

Moore, Brian Keith

Sloat, Brett Marshall

Moore, Christian Glenn

Sloat, Christopher Douglas

Morris, Nikolai William

Sloat, Lorraine Gail

Mossbacher, Myles Anthony

Smith, Saydi Leigh

Myers, Jerri Annette

Snake, Amber Larae

Neese, Krystal Ann

Spoon Jr., Steven Paul

Nelson, Korey James

Spoon, Alexis Cheyenne

Neugent, Victoria Ann Louise

Spoon, Alyssia Shylarae

Neugent, Zaleah Vee

Spybuck, Thomas Matthew

Novick, Roman Christopher Alan Squire Sr., Kenneth Dale

Olivas, Lily Tiger

Squire, Suzetta Ann

Ortiz, Syla Loumae

Starr, Ashley Ann

Owens, Alisha Janae

Starr, Esella Mia

Panther, Jessalynn Rae Ann

Starr, Jamie Dawn

Parsons, Trysten Nathaniel Lee Still, Jessica Ann

Pearl, Roger Allen

Stoliby, Allen Monroe

Peetoom, Stephanie Dawn

Strain, Susan Elaine

Perkins, Troy Dylan

Stricklin, Olivia Sayson

Presson, Elizabeth Ann

Sullivan Jr., Thomas Lee

Puckitt, Ryan Paul

Susko, Kelly Anne

Ramirez, Angel Renee

Swenson, Londyn Alayne

Ramirez, Librado Bryan

Swenson, Owyn Cruz

Ramirez, Sirene Angel

Switch, Cara Cameron

Ramsey, Tycilla Renee

Switch, Melpherd Dewayne

ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te ne ko te

Tallchief, Sierra Marie

Thompson, DeKaylie Talara

Thorpe, Keaston James Guthrie

Thorpe, Kyra Nicole

Tiger Jr., Leonard Gene

Tiger, Cierra Alayne

Tiger, Linda Kay

Tiger, Mary Louise

Tiller, Presley Renee

Tolbert, Jayvaughn Charles

Tolbert, Jocelyn Renee`

Tucker, Wessie Carmen

Tucker, Xavier Mega

Tullius, Ashley Nicole

Turner, Aryana Janaye

Vaughn, Sandra Kay

Velez, Carol Ann

Villalobos, Enrique Ivan

Wahpekeche, Joaquin Noah

Wakley, Brianna Morgan

Warrior Jr., Manuel Anthony

Warrior, Isaac Necon

Warrior, Lydia Annelise

Warrior, Samuel Adrian

Watson, Gregory Doyle

Wenholm, Tyson Riley

West, Randall Aaron

White, Darrel Lee

White, Michael Brooks

Whitten, Mikayla R. A. C.

Whitten, Tina Louise

Williams Jr, Robert

Williams, Charlotte Virginia

Williams, Deana Michelle

Williams, Derrick Heath

Williams, Jennifer Lee

Williams, Kaysa Lyn

Williams, Linda Lee

Williamson, Jeanie Oldham

Wilson, Anthony Eugene

Wilson, Asa Lynch

Wilson, Cheyenne Michelle

Wilson, Debra Ann

Wilson, Deja Lea

Wilson, Espernsi

Wilson, Mya Rose

Wilson, Sarah Madisen Jane

Wilson, Terry Blaine

Wilson, Tiffany Michele

Winrow, Myia Lashea

Wolfe Jr., Zachary Paul

Woods, Kaitlin Marie

Woodward, Anthony Emmett

Woodward, Blake Anthony

Yates, Trevor Todd Thomas

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Vocational

Rehabilitation (ITOVR) Program has

provided vocational services to Native

Americans consumers since 1994, and

transition services to students since 2004.

For years, our goal has been to empower

Native American with disabilities, consistent

with their individual strengths, resources,

priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities,

and informed choice, to prepare for the

transition from school to work or postsecondary school.

You design your own customized Individualized Plan of Employment (IPE) with our

help.

Transition Services help Native American

high school junior and seniors with disabilities continue their education, train for a job

•

ITOVR provide their services to any

member of a Federally recognized tribe

residing in the seven counties as shown

in this image.

•

Are you an enrolled member of a

federally recognized tribe?

Are you a Junior/Senior in High School?

Do you reside in our services area?

Disability documentation from a Doctor,

Physician or Mental Health Provider

noting disability and impediments?

An IEP or 504 Plan may bev accepted

as proof.

• Counsel and Guidance about Training

and Education after H.S.

• Assistive Devices (Hearing Aids, Walkers,

Eyeglasses, Learning Devices, etc.)

• Tuition Assistance

• Testing Fees (ACT/SAT)

• Work Clothing for New Jobs

• Career Assessments

• Physical or Mental Evaluations

• Resume Building, Interview Etiquette,

etc.

• Other Various Services

22 ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te ne se we

Happyy!

Happy 2nd Birthday

Keeleigh Jenifer Koster.

We love you so much!

Love, Momma, Mimi,

Poppy, Grandma Christie,

and Grandma Jenifer.

Happy

21st

Birthday!

To my son,

Mikah Little Axe

Celebrations

August 2018

Happy 3rd Birthday,

Alexia!

We love you!

Mommy & Daddy

Happy Birthday

August 3rd - Ken Blanchard

August 30th - Leadra Blanchard Tackett

From the White Thunder Crew & Bryson

August 31st - Happy Birthy to Sis Blanchard

White Thunder

From the Fambam

August 31st - Happy Heavenly Birthday to Aunt

Margaret Starr Ellis

August 2018

Local

ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te ne fe we

Three Absentee Shawnee Members Contribute to 2018 NABI Division II Championship Team

2018 NABI Division II Champions left to right with name, school

and tribal affiliation in front: Seth Harjo, Okemah High School,

Mvskoke (Creek) Nation; Elijah Factor, Latta High School, Chickasaw Nation; Cedric Scott, Dale High School, Mvskoke (Creek)

Nation; Gabe Gouge, Dale High School, Mvskoke (Creek) Nation; Brady Johnson, Dale High School, Absentee Shawnee

Tribe; Ty Shields, Tecumseh High School, Absentee Shawnee

Tribe; Anthony Billy, Tecumseh High School, Comanche Nation;

Tyson Micco, Weleetka High School, Mvskoke (Creek) Nation;

Coach Sonny Johnson, Absentee Shawnee Tribe.

Team Indigenious won the Division II

State NABI Championship at Talking

Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on July 14, 2018. All members of

the team came from various parts of

Oklahoma, and competed with teams

from around the world. Three members of the team are Absentee Shawnee

members: Ty Shields, Brady Johnson,

and Sonny Johnson. Ty Shields is the

son of Darren Shields and Susan Larney, and the grandson of Jenifer and

Jerry Sloan, Dave and Leora Alford,

and Rocky Larney. Brady Johnson is

the son of Brady Johnson and grandson to Steve Johnson. The team was

coached by Sonny Johnson who is the

son of Amy Johnson and the grandson

of Steve Johnson.

The NABI Tournament has become

the largest all Native American Basketball Invitational, and the first all

Native American Basketball Tourna-

ment sanctioned by the NCAA (2007).

Most importantly, it has awarded over

$250,000 in scholarship funds, as it is

an organization about more than basketball, yet an educational platform

that provides Native American youth a

vehicle to succeed beyond the court.

L to R: Ty Shields, Sonny Johnson,

Brady Johnson.

Congratulations Shelsie White Thunder!

Love, Mom and Dad

2018 PROGRAMS

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SERVICES

PLEASE CALL (405) 273-1050 OR COME BY OUR OFFICE

LOCATED AT 107 NORTH KIMBERLY IN SHAWNEE, OK.

WEBSITE: WWW.ASHOUSINGAUTHORITY.COM

24 ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te ne ya we

The “Fort Ancient” Cultures: The

Pre-Contact Ancestors

of the Shawnee

By Stephen Warren

Associate Professor of American Indion Histories and Cultures

University of Iowa

Earlier this June, on a visit to Oklahoma, Sherman Tiger

asked me if I could write a series of history articles for

the Absentee Shawnee newsletter. Doing so is an honor.

Ever since my first visit to Little Axe, in 2001, Absentee

Shawnee citizens have been helpful to me. I have always

felt great deal of appreciation for Ken and Serena Daugherty, Jennifer Onzawah, Scott Miller, and Andy Warrior.

From my very first visit, Ken and George Blanchard

have gone out of their way to talk with me about Shawnee history and culture, and they have changed my life

and the lives of my students for the better. Even so, I am

a non-Native historian. The short histories I will share reflect a more or less conventional, scholarly knowledge of

Shawnee history and culture. They are not meant to substitute or challenge family history or the ceremonies that

have defined what it means to be Shawnee for millennia.

My hope is that this brief history, and the histories that

follow, will complement the traditional knowledge of the

Shawnee people. Please accept them as a token of my

gratitude to the Shawnees I have met, and hope to meet,

in the years ahead. If you have comments or suggestions,

I hope that you will contact me at Stephen-warren@uiowa.edu Niyaawe.

Archaeologists have long associated the “Fort Ancient” cultures of the Middle Ohio Valley with the three

federally-recognized Shawnee tribes. Stretching from

the western slope of the Appalachian Mountains in West

Virginia to the falls of the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, more than twenty generations of Fort Ancient

peoples lived in what is now the American Midwest.

Even so, most archaeologists argue that we lack definitive proof of a connection between the Fort Ancient and

Shawnee; between the pre and post contact worlds of

Native Americans from Ohio and Kentucky. As a result,

the states of Ohio and Indiana, in particular, continue to

label upwards of 80% of the pre-contact human remains

and associated funerary objects in their possession as

“culturally unidentifiable.”

Thankfully, new research conducted by the Shawnee Tribe, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe’s sister-tribe,

into the ceramic traditions of the Fort Ancient peoples

has strengthened the link between the Fort Ancient and

Shawnee. Ben Barnes, the Second Chief of the Shawnee Tribe, has partnered with scientists at the University

of Missouri to learn more about the exact source of the

clays, and mussel shells, that Fort Ancient potters used

to make their cooking pots. Archaeologists at the University of Kentucky and the Glenn Black Laboratory

of Archaeology at Indiana University are now working

with the Shawnee Tribe to strengthen the connection between the Shawnee and their ancestors. This research has

enabled Shawnee citizens to make pottery from the late

Local

Fort Ancient period (roughly 1400-1680 C.E.) for the

first time in three hundred years. Led by Richard Zane

Smith, the award-winning Wyandotte ceramicist, the

Shawnee Tribe hosts workshops that have connected

Shawnee people to their ancestors by making pottery

just as their ancestors did. Ben’s research and Richard’s artistry make it look easy, even fun. However,

beneath the camaraderie lies hundreds of hours of archival and archaeological research.

The Shawnee pottery project has already had a

far-reaching impact. Their work is removing the

façade of “culturally-unidentifiable” human remains.

The Shawnee tribes are now better able to protect their

ancestors in their former homelands. Tribal citizens

are engaging with the material world of their ancestors

in new ways.

Of course, more research is necessary. And because

the US government makes the laws, the Shawnee

tribes have to fight to protect their ancestors according to the criteria established by the Native American

Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1990). These

federal standards hinge on Western science rather than

traditional knowledge. Federal rules of engagement

necessitate ongoing partnerships between tribal citizen-scholars and academic institutions. Fortunately,

Native scholar-activists are now asking the questions,

assembling the research teams, and sharing their research with Native audiences as never before.

To learn more about the Fort Ancient pottery project, please contact Marnie Leist, the director of the

Shawnee Tribe Cultural Center @ director@shawneeculture.org or via phone at 907.512.7578.

August 2018

CCSG August

Report

By Kathy Deere, Chairman

shwneturtle@gmail

Phone: 405-637-8248

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE STUDY

GROUP (CCSG)

(FORMERLY CONSTITUTION REVISION

COMMITTEE)

CORRECTION: JUNE ASTCRC newsletter, meeting date should have been SUNDAY,

APRIL 8, 2018, not April 22, 2018. Sorry for

the wrong date in the June newsletter.

CCSG Monthly meeting will be held monthly

every fourth Sunday. Next meeting will be August 26, 2018, Little Axe Community Building,

AST members are welcome to attend. We appreciate all the questions and comments!

CCSG website will be available soon. The intent is for the AST members to ask questions,

informational, updates on the progress of the

revised constitution, and community meetings

dates, etc.

CCSG meeting, JUNE 24, 2018, at the LA

Community Center in Little Axe, OK, and

west of AST C-store. We had a total of SIX (6)

members and one (1) pending appointee was

present. Due to various reasons, three (3) members were absent.

The following items were discussed:

Pending appointee, Wynona Coon to

the CCSG.

Establishing guidelines for the Constitution Committee Study Group.

BIA telephone discussion with Ms.

Sherry Lovin.

Legislative tour with the Chickasaw

Nation in September.

Tentative

Informational

CCSG

Community Meetings set for the following

dates: August 16, Thursday, 6:30pm, Health

Multi-purpose Bldg; Thursday, August 23, 6:30

pm, AST Resource Center, Little Axe, OK; and

Thursday, September 13, 2018, 6:30pm, Glenpool, OK.

Referendum Vote on removing the

BIA, Secretary of Interior, Two (2) articles in

the constitution. This needs to be done to revise the AST Constitution to separate the Legislative and Executive branches.

Election of CCSG Officers

August 2018

Local

ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te ne ya li ne

Absentee Shawnee Youth

Camp Progress Report

By Ken Jones

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe received a Housing and

Urban Development (HUD), Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) in FY13 for the development of a Youth Camp located on 200 acres in Cleveland

County. An overall preliminary master concept plan was

developed for the 200 acre camp site. The preliminary

master concept plan was proposed to be developed in

multiple Phases. The Tribe was awarded an $800,000

HUD-ICDBG Grant for the construction of Phase I.

The Youth Camp grant and concept is an economic development activity for the Tribe

beyond its use for the Absentee Shawnee Tribal Youth. Once Phase I and Phase II are completed, it will be opened to the community for lease for activities such as company employee

team building activities, local daycare facility outings, weddings, family reunions, youth

activities within other tribes along with many other functions.

Phase I of the Camp was for the development of the infrastructure that included the water

system; a water well, well house, elevated water storage tower, a water service line and the

wastewater treatment and electrical services lines to service a Community Facility / Dining

Hall Building that was also part of Phase I funding. We have completed all components of

the grant obligations for Phase I and are now finishing up punch list items and cleanup of the

Community Facility / Dining Hall Building. We will be closing out Phase I this next month.

In April of 2015 the Southern Plains Office of Native American Programs (SPONAP) conducted their standard on-site monitoring review of the Tribes Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program. The purpose of the review was to insure the ICDBG

recipient (Tribe) has carried out program activities substantially as described in its approved

application and if it has made substantial progress in implementing its program. The review

identified no findings as per HUDs report. In HUDs monitoring report the Tribes ICDBG

Program was mentioned and later given HUD’s best practices for its commitment to preserving the environment by cleaning up the Youth Camp site under the AST Brownfield Tribal

Response Program. Also for Utilizing Government Services Administration (GSA) excess

equipment at no cost that created cost savings for the grant and the overall Youth Camp Development. HUD also recognized the Tribe for its work with Education Department, Tresha

Spoon, Blake Goodman, Brandon Goodman and their summer youth program by conducting

the youth camp innovative design gate entry design competition held at the University Of

Oklahoma, College of Architecture.

In 2017 the Tribe was awarded another HUD-ICDBG Grant in the amount of $800,000

for the development of Phase II. Phase II is for the construction of a parking lot around the

new Community Facility / Dining Hall Building, six (6) cabins, a bath house facility with

laundry, water service lines, wastewater facilities, and electrical service lines to the cabins

and bath house. Phase II includes building the Camp Entry Gate that was designed by the

Tribal Youth at the University of Oklahoma School of Architecture. The Tribal Youth was

able to build models of their designs to compete for the winning youth camp gate design.

Phase II will be constructed as a Design Build project. The required Environmental Assessment has been updated, the Request for Release of Funds posted and approved by

HUD’s-Southern Plains Office of Native American Programs (SPONAP). Construction

Specifications are being developed at this time to place Phase II out for construction bids.

As the Camp Phases are being constructed the tribe has a small crew clearing underbrush

and some trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service will be working with the tribe by giving technical assistance for the development of an

approximately 5 acre lake. The lake will provide activities such as fishing, swimming and

canoeing.

Phase II construction work is expected to begin around September, 2018 with a completion target date of fall 2019. As we move through various stages of this project, we will keep

tribal members updated on the progress.

As representatives of the Changing Winds Cultural Society, the three Miss Indian

(Kickapoo),

Johnnie Diacon (Muscogee-Creek),

and Roy Boney Jr (Cherokee);

August and,

2018

Local

ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te na ko ta wi fe

Oklahoma

City princesses opened the IndigeNerd!

event with three songs performed

two renown Oklahoman cosplay groups JediOKC and DC-Marvel League.

Native

American Sign

Language.

The

IndigeNerds!

Strike

BackThey chose to perform the “Lord’s Prayer”, the

As representatives

of the American

Changing

Winds and

Cultural

Society,

threeEpitomes

Miss Indian

Oklahoma’s

second(“Star-Spangled

Native

comNational

Anthem

Banner”),

“God Bless

the the

U.S.A.”

con and

boasts

bigger

turnoutthe

and

continued

Oklahoma

City

princesses

opened

the

IndigeNerd!

event

three songs

grace

native

beauty—

Miss

Indian

Oklahoma

Citywith

princesses

were performed

delightful

success

after

its 2017 debut

Native

American

Language.

They

chose

to perform the “Lord’s Prayer”, the

toinwatch

and

eager to Sign

take pictures

with

event

goers.

Devon Frazier | July 5, 2018

National Anthem (“Star-Spangled Banner”), and “God Bless the U.S.A.” Epitomes of

Q&A

Panel highlighted personal experience

grace and

native

beauty—

the last

Miss

Indian

Oklahoma City princesses were delightful

NORMAN,

Oklahoma—

After

incredible

debut

year,

the

Absenourtee indigenous

artists inDepartment

their creative

outlets

Cultural

hosted its second-annual

toShawnee

watch

andPreservation

eager to take pictures

with event goers.

IndigeNerd!

Native Arts and

Festival &

Comic ConEach

on Saturday,

June 30th,

wing,

writing,

music.

talented

Miss Indian Oklahoma City princesses, L to R: Jarissa Redbone, Perla

2018 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Thunderbird Casino Event Center in

Gunville, and Anjelica Gunville.

Q&A

Paneldiscussion

highlighted

personal

Norman, Oklahoma.

The communitywith

outreach

event wasexperience

free admission,

nformative

panel

questions

open to all ages, and encouraged participation from tribal and non-tribal

our

indigenous

artiststhein attending

their creative

outlets Miss Indian Oklahoma City

families.

Frazier,

and from

audience.

IndigeNerd! welcomed several special guests and groups, including: the

wing,

writing,

and

music.

Each

talented

princesses (From L to R: Redbone, P.

ment

work

inspirations

to the

dreaded

Missand

Indian

Oklahoma

City

Princesses,

Jarissa

Redbone

(Apache),

Perla Gunville (Seminole), and Anjelica Gunville (Seminole); native artists

informative

discussion

with

panel

questions

Artists

Panel offered

knowledge,

Gunville, A. Gunville.)

Tom FarrisQ&A

(Otoe-Missouria/Cherokee),

Arigon

Starr (Kickapoo), wit,

Johnnie Diacon (Muscogee-Creek),

and

Royattending

Boney Jr (Cherokee);

and, two

Frazier,

and

from

the

audience.

for

their

chosen

profession.

addition

renown Oklahoman cosplay groups JediOKC and DC-Marvel League.

Asand

representatives

the Changing Winds

Society, the three

ment

work

inspirations

toCultural

the

dreaded

DC Native Artists Q&A Panel. (From L to R:

e Miss

artists

had

individual

vendor

booths

to sell

Indian Oklahoma City princesses opened the IndigeNerd! event

hour-length

Native

Artist Q

with three songs

performed

in Native

American

Sign Language. They

Artists

Q&A

Panel

offered

knowledge,

wit, The

Boney,

Starr,

Diacon,

Farris.)

Native

Artists

Q&A Panel.

L to R:and

Boney,

Starr, Diacon, and Farris.

chose to perform the “Lord’s Prayer”, the National Anthem (“Star-Spangled Banner”),

and “God Bless

the U.S.A.” Epitomes

grace and native

for

their chosen

profession.

In ofaddition

to and offered advice from our fou

the Miss

Indian its

Oklahoma

City princesses

delightful

ebeauty—

vendors

than

yearwerewith

over

eewatch

artists

hadto take

individual

vendor

and eager

pictures with event

goers. booths to sell

Native Artists from

Q&A Panel.

(From L to R: drawi

painting,

ise The

ranging

from

rock

art,

crochet

crafts,

hour-length

Nativeslate

Artist Q&A

Panel

highlighted

personal

expe- ranging

. rience and offered advice from our four indigenous artists in their cre- Boney, Starr, Diacon, and Farris.)

jewelry,

comicwriting,

books,

stickers

ative outletsup-and-coming

ranging from painting, drawing,

and music.

Each individual participated in an in

talented

individual

participated

informative

discussion

with

panel

vendors than

its previous

year

with

over

Preservation

and and

event

volunteers

questions from AST employees

librarian, Devon Frazier,

from the

attending aulibrarian,

Devon

IndigeNerd!

included

the Warrior

Room

and outdoor

activities.AST

The Warrior

Room had been

dividedF

dience.

Topics from

youth encouragement

and

work

inspirations

to the from

dise

ranging

from

slate

rock

art,

crochet

crafts,

aftdreaded

booth,

Pendleton blankets raffle booth,

DC or Marvel debate, the Native Artists Q&A Panel offered

rate

spaces

for

video gaming and for

free

group

discussions over DC/Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and

knowledge, wit,

genuine humor and passion

their

chosen profession.

Topics from youth encourageme

jewelry,

up-and-coming

comic

books,

stickers

ceIn addition

houses.

The

department

supplied

two

to participating

the panel, three artists

had

individual vennes.

Two video

gameintournaments

were

scheduled

and

dor

booths to sell theiremployees

artwork and

comic

books.

lghout

Preservation

and

event

volunteers

Vendor Booth of Adam Youngbear.

materials—

yarn,

foam

construction

paper,

Vendor

booth of Adam

Youngbear.

Marvel

debate,

the Native A

IndigeNerd!

with

Call

Duty

WWII:

Zombies

IndigeNerd! also boasted more vendors than its previous year with

raft

booth,

Pendleton

blankets

raffle

booth,

overEach

fourteen

booths

with merchandise

ranging

from

slate

rock art,

cro18.

tournament

winner;

Trace

Pack

(Absenteeduct

tape,

etc.—

at the

kids’

craft

chet crafts, face-painting, silver and stone jewelry, up-and-coming comic genuine humor and passion fo

JaVonte

Yargee

(Menominee/Creek);

received

a two

$25

nce

houses.

department

supplied

books,

stickers

andThe

canvas

art

Cultural

Preservation

employees

booth,

allpieces.

could

have

an opportunity

to assemble a handmade costume to

and event volunteers

also worked

a free

kids’ craft booth,

Pendleton

blanGameStop.

to the

bounce

houses,

Cultural

participating

inblanket

the panel,

foam

Vendor

of Adam

Youngbear.

at yarn,

IndigeNerd!

The

winners

of the

twobooth

Pendleton

raffles three

were

ketsmaterials—

raffle wear

booth, outdoor

concession

andconstruction

bounce

houses.

The paper,

departpartnered

with

MyDNA

program

to host

ment supplied

twothe

tablesAST

of colorful,

miscellaneous

materials—

yarn, a

duct

tape,

etc.—

the

kids’

craft their artwork

Patty

Kishketon

(Star

Wars)

and

Ace

(Harryand

Potter.)

And no

event

comic

books.

foam construction paper, duct tape, etc.— at the kids’ craft booth, so Greenwood

Humans

game

tag.

the

last

human

standing,

all could have an opportunity to assemble a handmade costume to wear

booth,

soawarded

all

could

have

an raffles

opportunity

assemble

handmade

costume

of the Zombies a

vs.

Humans

tag game,

ran by the AST

could

complete

without

a ofsouvenir

opportunity:

the

2018

IndigeNerd!

The winners

of the two a

Pendleton

blanket

were

ckat was

eventually

large

poster

her Participants

MyDNA Program.

Preservation partnered withLocal

the AST MyDNA program27t

KishketonAs

(Star Wars)

and Ace

Greenwood

(Harry Potter.) s

Zombies vs. Humans game ofPatty

tag.

the

last

human

And no event could be complete without a souvenir opportunity: the 2018 IndigeNerd! color-changing cup could be obtained at

Madeline Pack was eventuallythe concession

awarded

a oflarge

poster

stand with purchase

an ice-cream float—

which

was perfect for a hot July afternoon!

Other areas in IndigeNerd! included the Warrior Room and

choosing.

outdoor activities. The Warrior Room had been divided into two

August 2018

ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te ne se wi fe

separate spaces for video gaming and free group discussions over

DC/Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones. Two

video game tournaments were scheduled and planned throughout

IndigeNerd! with Call of Duty WWII: Zombies and NBA 2K18.

Each tournament winner; Trace Pack (Absentee-Shawnee) and

JaVonte Yargee (Menominee/Creek); received a $25 gift card to

GameStop. Next to the bounce houses, Cultural Preservation partnered with the AST MyDNA program to host a Zombies vs. Humans game of tag. As the last human standing, Madeline Pack was

eventually awarded a large poster of her choosing.

The final, and perhaps most anticipated, part of IndigeNerd!

were the cosplay contests with prizes of gift-baskets and tickets to

WizardWorld Gaming and Comic Con in Tulsa were up for grabs.

With no participants in the Tiny Tots category, the three winners

of the remaining categories were Mai-Lin Clardy as Steampunk

(Youth), Kendell Frazier as the Mad Hatter (Teen), and Paul Snyder as Captain Jack Sparrow (Adult.)

As the second event of its kind in Oklahoma, IndigeNerd! was

a five-hour spectacle packed with all the geeky wonderfulness its

planners could muster within their small budget. And as any event

coordinator can attest: the ulti-mate success is the enjoyment of

its patrons. Pictures of smiles and laughter were countless. In an

event that celebrated creative expression in pop culture, IndigeNerd! accomplished its goal of providing an atmosphere of indigenous art, fandom enthusiasm, and nerd comradery.

Share Your Nerd Herd had been this year’s slogan; and ‘shared’

it certainly was!

The final, and perhaps most anticipated, part of IndigeNer

the cosplay contests with prizes of gift-baskets and ti

WizardWorld Gaming and Comic Con in Tulsa were up for

three winners of the remaining categories were Mai-Lin Cl

Hatter (Teen), and Paul Snyder as Captain Jack Sparrow (Ad

As the second event of its kind in Oklahoma, IndigeNerd

wonderfulness its planners could muster within their small b

mate success is the enjoyment of its patrons. Pictures of smil

creative expression in pop culture, IndigeNerd! accomplish

‘

All cosplay contestants pictured on the Event Center stage.

28 ne se wi pe ti ke ki-te fe wa se ke fe

Cultural Preservation

The main focus of this department is to maintain

the traditions that are most important to the people of the tribe and preserve any historic resources

that are pertinent to our past, present, and future.

brary. From sewing

Our Tribal Library Technician, Dev- curtains to creating

GRANTS

bench covers,

on Frazier,

worked

THPO

Granthas

– funds

are provided

in ordershe

to has

prowith

the

Tribe

since

added

her

own

creative

tect and conserve important tribal, cultural, and

November

2016

historic

assets

andand

sites. touch during the rehas been a great addimodel of the library.

Funding Agency - National Park Service

tion to our department. She has added several

Grant

period

– Oct

1, 2017new

– Sept

30, and

2018combooks

Her main

goal

as LiGrant

award

$53,592.00

brary Technician is to

pletely reorganized the

entire library collecfocus on gaining a

Library

Grant

Funds

staff,

books,

any

tion.

With

our and

recently

better idea

of –what

ourlibrary

Tribal

members

needs

updated

catalog

softsupplies needed for the library. Funding Agency –

ware, checking

and wants

in the and Library

Institute

of are

Museum

Services books

and

out 2018

should be a

library.

She

happy

Grant Period – Aug. 1, 2017-Jul. 31,

breeze

thanks

to her

take

requests

for

Grant Award - $7,000

books, publications,

organizational skills.

and movies for the enTHPO

– TRIBAL

Devon is also

tire Tribe

to enjoy.HISTORIC PRESERVATION

the CONSTRUCTION

mastermind behind

OFFICE/ TCNS - TOWER

With assistance

NOTIFICATION

SYSTEMthe departments largest

IndigeNerd!

Nafrom

the

entire

departWe receive several letters,event,

emails

and notificative

Arts

Festival

ment,

she

has

been

tions each day regarding Section 106 of the

Comin Con. She has

able to bring a more

National

Historic

Act.

We have

done an

excellent

job

inviting feel

to the Preservation

licompleted nearly 400 Section 106 reviews since

January 2018. Each review takes a great deal of

time and focus in order to ensure the protection of

tribal lands.

Employee Spotlight

TRAININGS/CONFERENCES

CP staff continues to build their knowledge and

skills through various training programs and conferences. Striving to protect our tribal heritage

and culture in an ever changing environment is a

challenge and attending training is a key element

in keeping our staff informed, improves work performance and teaches new skills. We will provide pertinent information gained at these various

events in upcoming articles.

LIBRARY

IndigeNerd! Second Annual Native Arts Festival

& Comic Con was held on June 30, 2018.

Please see separate news article about this event.

GIFT SHOP

CP has implemented new software that helps with

tracking stock, inventory work and profit/loss re-

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

ports. As we build in this area, we will be looking

at merchandising techniques, analyzing data such

as pricing, sizing, new merchandise, and what sells

and what does not sell so that we maximize profit

are currently formulating ideas

in the

her shelves.

efforts toWe

coordinatea such

a family

for

notification

process that will allow CP to upfriendly

and fun

date

customers

onevent

special offers or upcoming sales.

for

our

Tribal

memAs we move through the second half of 2018, we

bers.beOur

department

will

planning,

purchasing and promoting our

staff is very happy to

AST goods. Please stop in to see CP’s new look!

support her during the

planning stages. We

OTHER

ACTIVITIES

are looking

forward to

•anotherCP

is currently

working with the U.S. Forgreat

event

est

nextService

year. to provide training to our tribal youth

August 2018

for employment opportunities.

•

February - Kyra Underwood and Ashley

Brokeshoulder, CP staff, read to children (ages 2-4)

at both Building Block Daycares.

•

March-May - CP staff helped with beading

class preparations.

•

March - Devon Frazier and Kimberlee Billie volunteered at the Melokami Youth Camp where

they played bingo using the Shawnee language for

different animals. An inventive way to introduce

our language to our children at an early age.

•

July – CP participated in the Little Axe

Clinic Healthfair and partnered with the purchase

of t-shirts for the healthfair.

Cultural Preservation

WHAT’S COMING NEXT……

Our next steps will be to continue with our Section

106 compliance, planning activities for

Native American Heritage month and organizing

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

language classes.

Please watch

forEmployee

upcoming events in Spotlight

our Tribal newsletter

and on theOur

web.

StopLiTribal

brary. From sewing

in brary

and check

us out!Dev- curtains to creating

Technician,

LetonusFrazier,

know how

has worked

bench covers, she has

theyou.

TribePlease

since

added her own creative

canwith

serve

Pictured

November

2016

and

touch during

the above:

recontact Devon at:

has been a great addi-

dfrazier@astribe.com

tion to our department.

Her main goalExt.

as Li405-275-4030

brary Technician is to

6243

focus on gaining a

better idea of what our

Tribal members needs

and wants are in the

Pictured to the left

library.

She is happy

take

requests

for

Absentee Shawnee Tribal

books,

publications,

Library

located

in the Cultural

and movies

for the

enPreservation

Building

at the

Shawnee

Complex.

tire

Tribe to

enjoy.

With assistance

from the entire department, she has been

able to bring a more

inviting feel to the li-

in her efforts to coordinate such a family

friendly and fun event

for our Tribal members. Our department

model of the library.

staff is very happy to

Absentee Shawnee Tribal memShe

has

added

several

support her during the

ber, Devon Frazier, at her graduanewtion

books

and

complanning stages. We

from Oklahoma Christian

pletelyUniversity

reorganized

in Maythe

2018. are looking forward to

entire library collecanother great event

tion. With our recently next year.

updated catalog softPlease watch

ware, checking books

for

upcoming

events in

in and out should be a

our

Tribal

newsletter

breeze thanks to her

and on the web. Stop

organizational skills.

in and check us out!

Devon is also

Let us know how we

the mastermind behind can serve you. Please

the departments largest contact Devon at:

event, IndigeNerd! Nadfrazier@astribe.com

tive Arts Festival &

405-275-4030 Ext.

Comin Con. She has

6243

done an excellent job

Pictured to the left

Absentee Shawnee Tribal

Library located in the Cultural

Preservation Building at the

Shawnee Complex.

Pictured above:

Absentee Shawnee Tribal member, Devon Frazier, at her graduation from Oklahoma Christian

University in May 2018.

August 2018

Human Resources

Monthy Report

By Elizabeth Snow

The Human Resource (HR) Department supports

and upholds the Absentee Shawnee Tribal goals by

fostering a positive and engaging work environment.

The HR Department work encompasses the building

and the shaping of the Tribal workforce around the

needs of each Tribal Department. The HR staff is a

diverse team of individuals dedicated to serving the

Tribe and are continually striving to improve em-

Human Resources

ne se wi pe ti ke ki-tege yi ki te fe

ployee and organizational effectiveness.

The Human Resource Department maintains a

multitude of functions for the Tribe and its employees. The HR staff assists applicants and employees

with all phases of the employment process. The HR

Department oversees recruitment, pre-employment

screenings, evaluations, trainings, benefits, disciplinary actions and daily departmental concerns.

Currently, The Absentee Shawnee Tribe employs

a total of 466 employees. This count includes the

Tribal Complex, Health Authority, Gaming Commission, and Summer Youth Program. In June, HR

on boarded 31 new employees and 14 of these new

employees were Tribal members.

The HR Department staff is working in conjunction with the Finance Department on a 401(K)

audit to evaluate the retirement plan and processes.

In the upcoming month, HR staff will also work

on a Worker’s Compensation Audit to evaluate risk

management for positions and coordinate safety

trainings and protocols. Over the next quarter, the

HR staff will work with the department supervisors

and Elected Officials to update the current policies

and procedures manual.

The HR Department is committed to ensuring

that the assets and integrity of the Tribe are protected. Further, the HR staff is committed to serving

our employees with kindness and professionalism.

If you have any questions regarding the Human

Resources Departmental processes, please feel free

to contact us by sending an email to HR@astribe.

com.

Local

30 ne fe wi pe ti ke

Elder’s Corner

Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

Title VI Department

2025 S Gordon Cooper Dr

Shawnee OK 74801

405-275-4030

By Atheda W. Fletcher

The hottest man-made temperature ever recorded

is 7.2 trillion (yes, trillion) degrees Fahrenheit! Now,

after reading that, I’m feeling real good about our 100+

degree temperatures! I hope that everyone is staying

cool in these extreme temperatures and taking special

precautions to guard against heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Remember, the Absentee Shawnees have the

best tribal clinics, if needed!

During the last month, the Elders have been making

plans for the remainder of the year. The Elders Council

is looking at possibly hosting an event at the Yellow

Rose some time during the holidays and we encourage

all Elders to participate and come to the meetings.

The first Movie Night was held on June 22. It was

a great night, the weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed the movie, Jumanji. If you have not attended

one of the Movie Nights held at the Little Axe Clinic,

I highly recommend that you do it at least once so that

you see the big screen—almost like the old time drivein movie places! The Elders Council hosted the concession stand and it was a successful fundraiser. A total of

56 individuals attended of which 12 Elders were there

to volunteer and help with the concession.

The Elders Council participated in the Little Axe

Clinic Health Fair. At our table, the members provided

information about the events and activities that the Elders host and did a little recruiting. The Elders Council

held a drawing for a door prize and also held a fundraising raffle.

Many of our elders have been participating in training youth as stomp dance leaders and as shell shakers.

It has been a real joy to see so many youth taking an

interest in the Absentee Shawnee traditions. The Gathering will be held once again and is scheduled for September 8 at the grounds behind the Little Axe Clinic.

As always, the Elders Council is engaged in the community and has made several donations to various

events. The members are committed to partnering with

our communities and helping others.

On a final note, I regretfully submitted my resignation as the Elders Council Secretary due to other

obligations. Although I will not be performing all the

assigned duties of the Secretary, I will still attend and

participate in the meetings. I look forward to passing

the baton to a newly elected Secretary.

Quote: People often say that motivation doesn’t last.

Well, neither does bathing. That is why we recommend

it daily!

August 2018

Grass Mowing Application

CDIB # _______

D.O.B.________

The Following are the requirements for this program:

Must be an Absentee Shawnee Member

Must be 55 years and older

Must be an Title VI Member (have an current intake form for the current year 2018

Handicap/Disabled

Must provide Proof of Residency (utility bill must be in applicant’s name)

NO RENTAL PROPERTY will be mowed

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe Maintenance Department will ONLY mow and weed eat applicant’s lawn.

Maintenance will mow every two (2) weeks, weather permitting. Also, the maintenance workers will

not trim trees or shrubs.

If you have any questions, please contact Dos Owings at (405) 275-4030 ext. 6227

NAME: __________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________________

CITY: _______________________

STATE:___________

ZIP: _______

HOME PHONE: ____________________ MESSAGE PHONE: ________________

EMAIL: ______________________________________________________

FINDING DIRECTIONS TO HOME:

___________________________________________________________________

*DISCLAIMER

Maintenance will not move any items that are in the way of them mowing your yard so if you

are able or can get some help in getting your yard cleaned, will be very much helpful in

maintaining your yard.

ROAD CLOSURE

Harrah Newalla Road/192nd will be closed north of

Rock Creek Road between Indian Hills Road in different sections starting July 24, 2018. This is for culvert

replacement. Please share this with your contacts.

Title VI

August 2018

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Manwich

Pickles, Onions

Tator Tots

Mandarin Oranges

Chicken Fajitas

Bell Peppers & Onions

Tortillas

Plums

Salisbury Steak

Mashed Pot/Gravy

Veggies

Mixed Fruit

Beef Fingers

Mashed Pot/Gravy

Beets

Fluff

Smoked Sausage

Cabbage

Cornbread

Mixed Fruit

Spaghetti

w/meat sauce

Green beans

Garlic Toast/Pears

Ham & Chez

Sandwich

LTOP

Mac Salad/Jell-O

Burrito

Chili n Chez

Spanish Rice

Peaches

NOT GOING TO BE HOME!!!

CALL AND LET US KNOW AT 405-275-4030

EXT 6227 or 6270

OR NOTIFY YOUR DRIVER

ne fe wi pe ti ke ki-te ne ko te

Taco Casserole

Ranch Beans

Salad Bar*

Pineapples

Beef Tips

& Noodles

Veggies

Crisp

Chef Salad

Eggs, Chez, Ham

Peaches

Cottage Chez

Turkey

Sweet Pot

Dressing/Gravy

Chicken Salad

LTOP

Chips

Orange

Thursday

Baked Chicken

Veggies

Bread

Prunes

Baked Potato

Chez, Ham, Onions

Broc n Chez

Pudding

Brisket

Veggies

Roll

Cake

Friday

Beans

Cornbread

Steakfries

Mandarin Oranges

Cereal

Toast

Fruit

Boiled Egg

Toast

Sausage

Fruit

Scrambled Eggs

Sausage Gravy

Biscuit

Oatmeal

Bacon

Fruit

Scrambled Eggs

Sausage Gravy

Biscuit

Saturday

AST Day

LUNCH SERVED MONDAY-THURSDAY 11AM TO 1PM

BREAKFAST SERVED FRIDAYS

9AM TO 11AM

32 ne fe wi pe ti ke ki-te ne se we

August Building

Blocks II News

Elizabeth Crawford

Building Blocks II Director

Shawnee, OK

We have been very busy here at Building Blocks

II. We have been enjoying the summer months and

playing in the splash pad located at the center. The

children have learned about water safety and the importance of sunscreen and keeping hydrated while

playing outside. The 4’s&5’s have enjoyed so many

fun and exciting field trips. But now that the time

has come for us to say good bye to a few friend who

have been with us since they were in the toddler

rooms, they will be heading into Kindergarten. We

have enjoyed watching them grow and hate to see

them go but we know they are ready for their next

adventure!

We currently have 55 kids enrolled, with a few

more getting ready to start within the next couple

weeks. We are excited to welcome our new friends.

We have also added a few new friendly faces to the

BBII staff.

Building Blocks III

August Newsletter

Stacy Battige, Asst. Director &

Building Blocks III staff

Norman, OK

Building Blocks III has had one busy month

with many changes taking place. We have had to

say goodbye to our Director, Billie Thompson, as

she has moved on to another chapter in her life. I,

along with all of the staff here at Building Blocks

III want to wish Billie happiness and success as she

begins this new and exciting adventure.

In June, we held our annual Father’s Day event for

all of our dads. Our theme this year was fishing and

a barbeque. We had a huge turn out! We served our

families and staff a BBQ menu, which was fun, festive, and mighty delicious. The families were able

to play games and take pictures at the photo booth.

On June 22nd and 23rd we hosted training at our

center. Jana Cornelius from CECPD came out and

presented a Behavior and Guidance class that all

Building Blocks’ III teachers attended. I received a

Building Blocks

lot of positive feedback from the staff that attended. The class was informational and well presented. Jana was also able to bring some very exciting

news to us from the CECPD. Teachers who meet

certain criteria are now eligible to receive two separate bonus incentives. The Scholars coordinator

from Rose State College came out and visited with

several of our teachers who are looking to further

their education in Early Childhood Education and

Child Development. We wish them all great success!

A teacher from Goldfish Swim School came and

did a presentation for our 3’s and 4’s classes about

water safety. Bubbles the mascot was a huge hit

with the children. They learned about water safety,

how to avoid potential dangers in and around the

water, how to handle water crisis situations, and

were provided materials and information to take

home.

We were closed July 4th in observance of Independence Day. We hope everyone had a fun and

safe holiday and enjoyed the extra time off with

family and friends.

The 4’s and 5’s have attended many field trips

this month. They have been to the movies, The

Oklahoma Science Museum, Firelake Bowling,

and to the Splash Pad. There is so much learning

and growing taking place here every day. It is always exciting to hear stories from the children as

they return from all of their adventures.

The fire inspector came to our center on July 18.

We had a great report with just a few minor things

that we were able to correct immediately.

On July 26th we will have our first ever student and class picture day. The photographer will

be here at 7:00 a.m. and will stay until all photos

are taken. We invite our BBIII families to schedule

any siblings that may want to be photographed as

well or family portraits.

We have two additional staff members that will

be leaving our BBIII family. Lindsey Kennedy is

moving on to become a teacher and Angela Buckley will be attending college at UCO. We wish

them both the very best in their new endeavors.

Little Axe Public School resumes classes on August 13. We have several children that are moving

on to pre-k and kindergarten. We are wishing them

all the very best in their new adventures! BBIII will

be closed for AST Day on Friday, August 31.

In closing, we would like to thank Liz Crawford,

Briana Ponkilla, and Sharon Davis for all their help

and support during this transition. We cannot express just how much we appreciate everything they

have done for our center! We are looking forward

to many years of growing and lifelong learning as

our center moves forward.

August 2018

BUILDING BLOCKS

Dates to Remember:

Friday, August 31st

Closed for AST Day

Monday, September 3rd

Closed for Labor Day

Absentee Shawnee Tribe

of Oklahoma

Child Care Development

Fund Programs

2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr.

Shawnee, OK 74801

P: (405) 432-8411

F: (405) 878-0156

Services

August 2018

ne fe wi pe ti ke ki-te ne fe we

ABSENTEE SHAWNEE TRIBAL MEMBERS

APPLYING FOR TRIBAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE (T.E.A)

(A ONE TIME YEARLY PAYMENT OF $150.00, PER RESIDENCE)

ELIGIBILITY

ENROLLED ABSENTEE SHAWNEE TRIBE

18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER

UTILITY BILL IN YOUR NAME AND/OR SPOUSE’S NAME (SPOUSE MUST RESIDE IN HOME)

TOTAL RESIDENCE INCOME (MUST NOT EXCEED A MONTHLY NET PAY OF $2,800.00)

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION:

SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS (ALL MEMBERS RESIDING IN THE RESIDENCE)

CDIB CARDS (ALL MEMBERS RESIDING IN THE RESIDENCE)

CURRENT UTILITY BILL AND/OR DISCONNECT NOTICE

CURRENT 30 DAYS INCOME VERIFICATION (I.E. CHECK STUB, SOCIAL SECURITY,

UNEMPLOYMENT, TANF, ETC.)

UNEMPLOYED APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE SELF-CERTIFICATION FORM PROVIDED BY CASE

WORKER

APPLICATION ALSO ONLINE: wwwastribe.com

HAVE APPLICATION COMPLETED AND ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTATIONS BEFORE

SUBMITTING TO SOCIAL SERVICES

ATTENTION

OILS

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

Oklahoma

Indian

Legal Services

the Absentee

Shawnee

Tribe. will be at the Tribal Court House,

TRIBAL MEMBERS!!!

Bldg.

#3 each

month onin

theyour

2nd Thursday

from 9am-12pm.

When

mailing

application

for

THIP list all applicants by a priority list:

Handicapped/Disabled and Elderly

Income

Oklahoma

IndianSize/Overcrowded

Legal Services (OILS)

is a nonprofit

organization

Family

Living

Conditions

Condition

Home

that provides free legal services to low income Native Americans

any assistance through the Social Service Department, Please DO NOT send

Oklahoma.

To beavailable:

eligible for services you must fall within OILS

Other

Programs

original

CDIB,

Drivers

License

and Social

•Sanitation

Facilities

Assistance

Program

income

guidelines.

Applications need to be completed and all necessary

Security

cards.

Please

attachwillcopies

documents

attached

before

the application

be processed.

Contact

information:

of your

ID’s

only; ifonline

you on

aretheinwebsite:

the office

Applications

are available

www.astribe.com.

copiesOklahoma

will be

made.to:Absentee

ShawIndian Legal

Services (OILS)

Submit completed

application

neeOffice

Tribe

is not

responsible

for

lost ID’s

4200

Perimeter

Center

Dr.,&Ste

222

of Environmental

Health

Engineering

Tribe

of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

City,

OKany

73112

in the Absentee

mail.2025

If Shawnee

you

have

questions,

S. Gordon

Cooper

Dr.

Shawnee,

74801

Telephone: (405) 943-6457

please call

(405)

275-4030,

ext. 6225 or

Absentee

Shawnee

Tribe Complex

Telephone: (800) 658-1497

Office of Environmental Health & Engineering, Building 13

If6255.

you have any questions, you can reach us by phone at

Facsimile: (405) 917-7060

(405) 214-4235

THE OFFICE

STUDY

PUBLIC

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

& ENGINEERING (OEH&E)

HEALTH,

WELLNESS

AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN

TRIBAL COMMUNITIES

The principal role of OEH&E is to raise the

health status of our tribal members to the highest possible level

by providing services in the area of water and wastewater. To

qualify for a water well and/or septic system, the applicant must

be an enrolled Absentee Shawnee Tribal member and reside

within one of these six counties; Pottawatomie, Cleveland,

Oklahoma, Payne, Lincoln, or Logan, provide land ownership

by verification such as a Warranty Deed or Notarized Lease

The Absentee

Tribe

is supporting

Agreement

through Shawnee

the Absentee

Shawnee

Tribe Realitya

Department. Proof of income is not required.

grassroots

initiated research study on public safety,

The services we provide are: new water wells, renovation of

health

and wellness

affecting

Indian women.

This

a water wells,

new city or rural

water connections,

replacement

city

rural

water

service

lines,

new

wastewater

septic

research

was requested by Indian women and

systems, renovation of septic systems, new city sewer lines/

tribal

leaders

consultations

held systems

with the

renovation

of cityduring

sewer lines

and water treatment

needed.

are

not

funded

perform

annual

pumping

septic

U.S. Department of Justice and through separate

tanks. That service is considered part of home maintenance.

visits

toarevarious

congressional

These

If you

having water

or wastewaterdelegates.

issues or building

new

home

and

need

services

please

come

our

office

and

fill

advocacy efforts caused Congress to mandate the

out an OEH&E application for assistance.

National

Institute

(NIJ)

tohousing

conduct a

If your home

is underof

theJustice

management

of any

authority and

has not study

been paid

off, you do

qualifysafety,

national

baseline

focusing

on not

public

for assistance. Applications for this program are

public

health and wellness needs of Indian women

available online at www.astribe.com and at the

living

tribal lands.

OEH&Eon

building.

•

Taxes

Zahn

•

ahn

rogr

arog

estab

aAcad

•• : r

Academ

expenses,

and awards

and aw

and

portion

A fun and exciting program for your child to learn and grow! Our qualified

and School

School

graduates.

Prog

expe

Program

•

Job

•

Job

rain

ing

rain

ing

dedicated staff provide rich learning environments where parents are encouraged

vocational

institutions.

year.

• institut

Zahn

to volunteer! If you are interested in our program, please contact our office

program.

graduat

•

Zahn

•

Higher

•

Higher

Education:

Education

your area to complete an application.

34 ne fe wi pe ti ke ki-te ne ya we

August 2018

degrees,

one associate

oneand

asso

some

RUN

DATE:

levelslevels

are determined

are

determi

for

grad

GED

• you!

G•

radua

Gradua

te Sc

olSc

arsh

We look forward to sharing your child’s learning years with

07/20/18

•one

Job

can fund

one graduate

gra

maxi

time and

time

part-time

and part-time

statu

accredi

•

Job

In our Shawnee location, we have two available options: Early Head Start

calenda

•

Jiim

outh

train

(Birth to 3), & Head Start (3 up to 5). Both Norman and Cushing are strictly

Academic

•stAchiev

Higher

stAchievemen

fund

March

31each

of yea

eac

Head Start Programs (3 up to 5).

• undergr

High

%is

OF based

TAXES

AllYEAR-TO-DATE

funding

All funding

is based

uponor

upon

the

univ

If you would like more information regarding our programs or

for u

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

TOTAL

COLLECTED

full-tim

All applications

and guidelin

andaccre

to apply, please contact:

Services

and select

Education

Educ

• Gradu

Shawnee Main Office: Enrollment ManagerShawnee Center: Center Supervisorupon

Marsh

275-4870$0.00

Stacey

Osborne

(405)

degree,

$11,720.63 Sherry

$0.00

$0.00 (405)$0.00

$0.00

$56,765.60

3.83%

For more

For

information,

•please

Grad

878-5820

levels

3341 3341

or email

to tresh

toatm

re@

trb

$150,000.00 1535

$0.00 N McKinley,

$0.00

$0.00 N $1,100,000.00

74.14% one d

Shawnee

74801

1533

prog

McKinley,

$9,736.28

$0.00 Shawnee

$0.00 74801$0.00

$0.00

$73,247.15

4.94%

• Big J

sherrym@ctsaheadstart.org

Seniors

$690.38

$0.00

$15,213.47

1.03%

• applica

Big

Cushing

Center:$0.00

Center SupervisorNorman Center:

Center Supervisor$13,052.06

$0.00

$101,059.07

6.81% Scho

Wava Anderson (918) 225-1029

Amy Porter

$35,705.25

$0.00

$104,435.31

7.04%

Dead

All

funding

(405) 447-0381

FY-2018 YTD TAX COLLECTIONS (through 06/30/2018)

FY-2018

YTD TAX COLLECTIONS

(thru 6/30/2018)

TAX