# The Official Newsletter of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aabsentee%3Ae577f268c01fbe7b ## Record - **Collection:** Tribal code - **Document type:** Tribal code ## Text March 2010 Vol. 25. No. 3 The Official Newsletter of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma ABSENTEE SHAWNEE News Li-Si-Wi-Nwi “Among the Shawnee” w w w . a s t r i b e . c o m MARCH Executive Committee George Blanchard Governor Dan Little Axe Sr. Lt. Governor Governor’s Report To Concerned Tribal Members: As everyone is now aware, the Ab- sentee Shawnee Tribe’s Government budget is in a state of deficit. If you are asking WHY, consider the following facts. 1. The Tribal budget for 2009 was adopted by the Executive Committee based on unrealistic projections from the past controller of the Tribe instead of basing the 2009 budget on actual revenues for 2008 as any knowledgeable business manager would have done. This total lack of business acumen resulted in a deficit of about $57,892.94. However, the 2010 projected budgets were based on actual revenues of 2009. 2. During the 2009 calendar year, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe has spent a total of $3,425,507.65 ($2,884,517.95 + $540,989.70) on the Joint Venture Clinic in LittleAxe. This WAS your money. This total also contains $540,989.70 of expenditures for the loan closing and Department of Interior bond guaranty fee of $468,000) 2 Alecia Onzahwah Representative Michelle Lopez Secretary in which a $600,000.00 loan was made for these expenses that the previous leadership approved to be used for these bond closing costs, the remainder of $2,884,517.95 was spent on construction due to the previous leadership authorizing the start of construction of the clinic before the loan agreement with BancFirst was finalized (very, very, very bad business practice). 3. The total deficit caused by what can only be attributed to total lack of any business sense of any kind would look like this. 4.a $57,892.94 deficit due to using unrealistic projections instead of actual proceeds from previous years. 4.b $3,425,507.65 spent on the clinic when NO AGREEMENT WAS IN PLACE TO REPLACE IT. $57,892.94= poor budget projections $3,425,507.65= needless spending on clinic ____________________________ $ 3,483,400.59= Unnecessary deficit to Tribe for 2009. 4. Of the $3,425,507.65 spent on Anita Chisholm r Treasure the clinic about 40% of this MAY be recouped from the issue of the bonds if the loan is finalized. However, this may not happen since the first bond rating was not approved. If the loan does not go through, the Tribe is out the total amount. (This money should not have been spent prior to the loan being finalized). 5. If the loan does not go through there is the possibility of litigation from the construction company for costs of materials ordered when they were given approval to start construction. These costs are unknown at this time. 6. All of the above was in place, and approved by the previous leadership before June 1st 2009. The present Executive Committee is forced to proceed with the venture in order to recoup ANY of the money needlessly spent on the clinic. Without the very bad business decisions made by the previous leadership in 2007, 2008 and 2009 there would not be this expense put forth for the joint venture project As a result of the 2009 budget projections, all General Fund programs have taken drastic cuts. The Elders program, The Veterans program, Title VI program, March 2010 Family assistance, Tribal Police, just about everything except child welfare has taken cuts due to the ineffective leadership shown by the previous leadership in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Everyone should be aware that the above figures should be public record for anyone wanting to see what checks were written, and who on the Executive Committee authorized the transactions. Just attend a Executive Committee meeting and ask your favorite member to produce the documentation. I, as your Governor would like to present all Tribal members with a more optimistic report on our financial future. I assure you all that the present Executive Committee is working to the best of our ability to correct the situation, and I want to personally thank all department heads for their diligence in operating under these unfortunate circumstances not of their making. Thanks to you all. George Blanchard, Governor of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Secretary’s Report Hello Tribal members. Hope all is doing well. It’s been awhile since I have submitted a newsletter article. Haven’t had much to report to you lately with all the budget cuts and the slow in progress. We the EC continue to have meetings on important issues but no decisions have been made. It seems like we meet to discuss, discuss, and discuss but no decisions. However we did meet with the Global Gaming Solutions “Chickasaw gaming Enterprise” last Friday and they presented us with their Recommendations. Most of the recommendations we are already doing at the casino and the others we already new like longer terms for elected officials for a more stable government and a high level action plan to implement a structure based on the governance model of the Chickasaws. Well I have always questioned why we would bring in our competitor to evaluate our casino, and to recommend to us how to run our government. Maybe it’s just me. I think of this as “Let’s give them all our trade secrets and our information and let them run with it.” Well it’s done now and we will see what happens in the future. Well with the new Organizational Chart I now have oversight of the following departments. Enrollment, Media, MIS “Management Information Systems”, Procurement and the Receptionist office. Each of these departments does a great job fulfilling their duties. These departments all send monthly reports to all EC members. Enrollment has been busy processing applications for enrollment, disenrollment due to insuffient blood quantum, Relinquishments, and the processing of CDIB cards. We have been dealing with a major issue in the enrollment department and will continue to try and do my job by cleaning up the rolls. I have brought this to the attention of the General Council back in October and in previous newsletters. Currently there are15 tribal members on the roll with insufficient blood quantum and enrollment has conducted the research, and we have sent out three different letters to these individuals notifying them of this action and scheduled hearings. Only three showed up for these hearings. We asked for any additional information that would help the research please bring it to the Enrollment Office and only one proceeded to furnish information. The enrollment office has researched this over and over again and came up with March 2010 the same answer not enough blood to be on the roll. I have presented this to previous and present EC members and still nothing has been done. I was elected to be the Custodian of the rolls and I am trying to clean them up. I have been threatened by lawsuits or have been told that I would be opening Pandora’s Box. I would like for the Members of the Tribe to step forward and give me some direction in this matter since the indecisiveness of previous Committees and present members of the Executive Committee feels that we should leave this alone due to some of the individuals are family members or they’re running for office. I’m asking for direction on this matter. I have been told that I am just singling out individuals to dis-enroll and this is certainly not the case. Yes, I realize this is a major decision on the part of the EC but if we don’t correct the Rolls now it may never be resolved. I have received several calls regarding these individuals allowed to remain then why can’t everyone be accepted . I would like for you to mail or email the entire EC with your comments. I feel it is my job to keep the roll straight for future generations to come. My email address is michellel@astribe.com. Look forward for your comments. Media is now ready to have their grand opening ceremony in a few weeks just waiting for the sign to get finished. They are now open to the public and will start advertising in local newspapers within in the next two weeks. If you would or need printing done please don’t hesitate to call upon LI-SI-WI-NWI Graphics and Printing located at 219 E. Walnut Tecumseh, Oklahoma 74873 Phone# 598-1279. MIS is constantly updating our website and researching new ways to help with broadband. The MIS department has been steadily working on various projects. Most of the projects have revolved around end user requests, but also includes some larger projects and goals of the department. Our ultimate goal is to provide a constant work environment 3 by keeping the computer system online and operational and by providing an “always on” networking environment for the end users to accomplish their day to day tasks. Randy Edge one of our MIS Specialist, attended a meeting in Fayetteville, North Carolina on broadband on Feb 9-11. He reported that there are several grants out there to help rural areas. The United State Department of Agriculture has funding available through the stimulus Recovery Act of 2009. The Federal Government granted $7.2 Billion to expand broadband access allocating $4.7 to Broadband Telecommunication Opportunities Program (BTOP) and $2.5 Billion to Broadband Initiatives Programs (BIP). In addition to the USDA the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) provides loans/grants to expand broadband services to rural communities who are underserved or limited. The Federal Government focus is to leverage the technology availability in order to sustain economic growth. Will keep you updated on this issue. Procurement is in charge of purchasing, travel and other duties that include working with the insurance companies in getting the Governors building remolded and other offices in the case of storm damage. The EC has been asked why there are no tribal members working on the building and it’s because of the insurance company is employing their own workers to do this job. Well I have taken up to much of your time and will close for now. If you should have any concerns or questions please call or come by my office. Thank you Secretary Lopez 4 Treasurer’s Report Well here it is the middle of February. Time is really flying by here at the tribal complex. I don’t know if you feel this way but the weather has really taken its toll on me as of lately. It seems all I want to do is snuggle in my warm house. The snow was beautiful? I wished I could have gone snow sledding or ice skating. I just read all the information in the newsletter about the candidates who are running for office. It quite exciting to hear about all the new people who are interested in running for office. I wish each of them well in their endeavors. You can rest assured that who ever win the position for Treasurer that my office will work with that person to ensure they have all the information needed about the finances of the tribe. I ‘ll set up a transition period of time where the newly elected Treasurer, the finance department and myself meet on a regular bases until that person is sworn into office in June or July. When I came in office of July 08 we started cutting back on our budgets and that continues up to the present time. We must continue this process if we are to get the tribe back on track financially. We’re not like the federal government where we can print more money and keep on spending. All the current EC members have been informed of our financial picture and appear to be willing to make the necessary changes to bring our tribe back to a sound financial foundation. I hope who every is elected as new EC members will have that the same commitment when they get into office and really know what the true picture is with our tribe. It is easy to say “we’re going to this or going do that” but when you face the “music” it’s a lot harder to do. Cutting budgets is hard to do!! We did end 08 and 09 in the black but with a small margin. Yes, all the administrations (EC) starting in 2005 up to the current EC need to figure out a way of bring more money into our tribal complex. The staff need to help with this as well. Many have helped by writing for funding for new grants/contracts with indirect cost which has helped a lot. When we get new funding in where we can charge for the indirect cost part we bring in new money to the tribe. We have hoped the ASEDA, Inc. And the board members would bring in new projects to the tribe. They have a project that could possible to do that in the future. The TEC board wanted to build a new casino on the tribal complex. One funding source after another has not materialize. Building new smaller casinos is one key to more funding for the tribe. The EC and TEC board need to work together on this issue. The Joint Venture effort for the new clinic still continues. There is so much information to share but will let the Governor do that in his timing. We are now at the stage where we are getting the “bonds” rated by Fitch. The Bonds should be rated and sold by the end of March. Hopefully, construction should be starting in the Spring. This project which was started back in 2007 and passed on to the current EC has had its “gliches” here and there but is back on track again. You may recall that the opening of the All Nations Branch Bank was stopped by the EC administration in the fall of 2005. What followed was the building has sat empty from 2005 to now 2010. The building has been utilized by staff for workshops and other meetings. During the year of 08 a suggestion was made to lease the building. Leasing the building would have been a small money maker and would have required a 5yr to 10 year lease. Leasing the building never transpired. We recently learned that the current officers of the All Nations Bank feel we can open the building on our complex as a branch sometime in 2010. Finally the tribe March 2010 will be able to utilize that building for what it was intended. The All Nations Bank is holding its own and has increased their portfolio in the loan department. The growth has been slow but that investment the tribe made back in the early 2000's is still there. The federally required audit of the Tribe is paid out of the Finance budget as is the Indirect Cost Proposal that in necessary so that we can charge federal dollars indirect cost fees to provide for the indirect cost pool and these expenses are budgeted at $150,000. Well that is my “two cents” for this month. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy working for the tribe and working with all the EC and staff members of this tribe. Talk to those candidates find how what they really mean about how they are going to serve the people. Make sure that each person is willing to serve in their position in a full time capacity. You deserve that type of representation. . The Finance department affects the entire Tribe. We handle all the bookkeeping for the Tribe, payments, recording, reconciling, storage of documents, and many other duties. In addition, we handle payroll for 170 employees; who will increase once the new clinic is completed and staffed. It is important to realize as well, that with the payment of invoices, the cost to cut a check is the same regardless of the dollar amount of the check – a $1.45 check cost the same to produce as a $100,000. We continually explore ways to reduce cost for example; utilizing petty cash for smaller purchases (having keys made, etc.). CONSTITUTION REVISION COMMITTEE The next meetings for the Constitution Revision Committee will be on: - March 6, 2010 @ 9:00 AM - April 19, 2010 @ 9:00 AM Meetings will be held at the Little Axe Resource Center. Please come and give your input. If you have any questions or comments, call Briana Ponkilla (405)275-4030x 131 or bponkilla@astribe.com. FINANCE DEPARTMENT MARCH 2010 There have been some questions regarding the Finance Departments budget. I hope this information with clarify the use of the finance budget. The Finance Budget takes care of many expenses that are Tribal wide. Utilities (water, electric, trash pickup, gas, are a few) for the Complex, Little Axe Clinic, Resource Center, etc are budgeted for approximately $250,000; and we will be adding the new day care building utilities this year as well. We have completed the books for 2009 and have closed the year. We expect auditors on sight March 8, 2010. We expect to have the audit completed by the end of May so that we can prepare our Indirect Cost proposal for submission by June 30 deadline. I would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU to all the entire staff of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe for hitting deadlines and for their understanding of deadlines/ timelines for accurate accounting of the finances. We would not be caught up if it weren’t for all of you helping and delivering information timely. THANK YOU, AGAIN!!!! For 2010, the Finance Department cut staff level by not replacing the third highest paid position, the Grants Accountant. Rather than higher a Grants Accountant to replace the previous Grants Accountant who was promoted to Assistant Controller, we opted to share the duties of the three positions between the Controller and Assistant Controller and hired a Staff II Accountant to handle some of the lower level accounting March 2010 functions the Controller and Assistant Controller were handling; thereby reducing payroll expense. In addition, to this change we have opted not to replace the recently vacant Benefits/Payroll specialist at this time. We are splitting the duties of this position between the Human Resource Department and Finance. The duties that remain with finance will be absorbed by current staff. The overall staff reduction for finance is approximately 1.5 persons. FINANCE DEPARTMENT JANAURY 2010 The Finance Office has made great progress in getting the day to day activities flowing efficiently and effectively through communication between our offices and the Programs. In working together, we have found the most time effective and cost effective process for transacting business. Thanks to the Executive Committee and all the programs for their support and understanding during this endeavor. Our 2008 audit was completed late August 2009. Accounting was caught up and financials were completed through June 2009 for the second quarter and then again for October 2009 for the third quarter. The Tribe has submitted the 2010 indirect cost proposal and expects an approved rate in March 2010. The Finance Department has begun preparation for the 2009 Audit. Once the 2009 Audit is completed we will begin the Indirect Cost Proposal for 2011. It is imperative the accounting / bookkeeping be caught up and continues to stay caught up so that audits go smoothly. Audits affect the ability to submit indirect cost proposals which affects grants. We expect the audit to be completed by the end of May so that we can prepare the indirect cost proposal; which is due by June 2010. After the interview process a selection 5 was made for an Assistant Controller. Genevieve Foster was selected. She has been with the Tribe since June of 2007 and she has held the position of Staff Accountant II/Cash management and Grants Accountant before her promotion to Assistant Controller. Genevieve has an accounting degree and has sat for the CPA exam. We are very proud to have Genevieve on our team. Congratulations, Genevieve! In the effort to cut costs, we are combing the Grants duties with the Assistant Controller duties and have hired a Staff Accountant II / Reconciliations - Journal Entries. We are proud to announce that we have hired a Tribal member for this position. The Absentee Shawnee Tribe’s Finance Department has a very hard working group of people and it is an honor to work with them and at the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. This department would like to extend a special thanks and note of appreciation to the Executive Committee for providing the tools, resources and support to enable the finance staff to accomplish what has been accomplished. A special thanks and note of appreciation to Program Managers and employees of the Tribe for their assistance and dedication in our group effort toward accomplishing our goal. Now that we are caught up, we are dedicated to continue our efforts in this direction. If you have any questions or needs, please call 405-275-4030 ext 162 and I will be glad to assist you in any way I can. Thank you, Belinda Collins, Controller Reprentative’s Report In previous articles I have expressed the need for a tribal Land and Water Conservation District and now I would like to take this opportunity to explain why I feel this is so important. If you will recall, in the February newsletter, I shared with you all a recent Tribal Water Rights resolution I presented to the Executive Committee for consideration, which was subsequently passed. The intent of this resolution was to notify the Governor of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Water Resource Board of our intent to assert and maintain our tribal water rights. The resolution along with a letter has been sent to Governor Henry and the OWRB. Again, this is to protect the tribal water rights of all water that borders, flows through and flows under tribal land. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Collier case, this case stemmed from a previous action many years ago in which the U.S. Government assigned or set aside approximately 259,000 acres for the Citizen Band Potawatomi tribe and then, the very next day, unbeknownst to us, the government then assigned or set aside the very same portion of land for us, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. In my opinion, this action was preposterous. Fast forward to many years later, the Collier case came about in which the Citizen Band Potawatomi’s won and the result being that we, the Absentee Shawnee, must obtain permission from them before we can place any land into trust within what is considered their tribal jurisdiction. This has been a barrier in terms of developing business in the Shawnee area. In time, this case may or may not be an issue as we also work to protect our water rights for water bordering, flowing through and under our tribal lands. In the meantime, we have taken a proactive measure in passing the AST tribal water rights resolution and forwarding it to the appropriate Oklahoma offices. In asserting and maintaining tribal water rights, tribes must create a water man- 6 agement and usage plan which outlines any present water usage but also must identify any tribal lands which may, at some point in the future, be irrigated for agricultural purposes as well as any traditional and industrial usage. Water has become a “use it or lose it” issue and there have been those situations in which individual non-Indian land owners water rights have been removed from them for lack of an initiation of planned water usage. Tribes however have distinct rights but we MUST continue to protect them. Equally important to managing tribal water is the creation and the execution of a land usage and management plan within a tribal land and water conservation district. When tribes work to develop tribal enterprise, there are often various challenges to overcome and I will attempt to explain a few of those challenges. It has been mentioned that our tribe needs to seek to develop alternative energy. While I agree with this, there are many factors that should be considered. Last year I attended a Senate Committee on Indian Affair’s tribal consultation on Energy Development in Indian Country and was able to learn more about the various challenges that tribe’s face when working to develop alternative energy such as wind, geothermal and bio-fuel energy on tribal lands. Unfortunately, tribes often face barriers when dealing with 1) bureaucratic federal policies, outdated and cumbersome regulations; 2) lack of tribal access to the transmission grid 3) difficulty in finding financing for tribal energy development projects. I reported on this issue in a previous article. These are factors that both tribal leaders and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs are working on. Until these barriers move toward resolve, it will be challenging for any tribe, including our own, to develop alternative energy; however, we should still prepare and plan for a time when the playing field for Indian energy development is accessible and March 2010 this plan should include accessing our natural resources, both land and water, and obtaining an energy audit so that we can determine which types of energy development, if any, are feasible on our tribal lands. Finally, another major reason it is important for us to consider a tribal Land and Water Conservation District is so that we can begin to address another issue that often comes to the forefront as tribes take into account the desire to develop their lands and that is the issue of fractionation. “Fractionation” is what happens to Indian land when an Indian land owner passes on “intestate”, or without a will, without clearly naming an heir to inherit that particular piece(s) of land that he/ she owns. As most of us know, when a person passes on, their estate, or property, must go to what is called probate, which is, in essence, a hearing of sorts, conducted in a probate court. If a person has a will, once it is determined the will is genuine, the wishes of the deceased are administered or carried out. Should an individual pass on without a will (intestate), the probate hearing will determine who will be your heirs (generally next of kin) and what percentage of ownership that heir will get. Herein lies the problem: When an individual Indian landowner passes on without a will, often this results in there being multiple heirs to that parcel(s) of land and those heirs who inherit that land end up owning percentages, or fractions, of that parcel(s) of land. The land has now become fractionated. This has happened time and again in many instances, resulting in many parcels of Indian land throughout Indian country being fractionated over a period of generations – an estimated 3.6 million acres. Some parcels may have hundreds of heirs with various percentages of ownership. I personally own a few parcels of land one which I own ½ of 1% of that entire acreage of land due to the multiple amount of heirs. March 2010 It is nearly impossible to develop fractionated property for any purpose due to the fact that there are multiple owners and all owners must be located and then agree to specific development of that parcel of land and give express consent for such. Unfortunately, this often leads to disagreements and ill feelings among percentage owners. More often than not, individuals will not attempt to complete this task as it is difficult to get those several other percentage owners to agree. Tribes face the same challenge. When working to develop leases of or purchases of tribal members land, tribes also face the issue of how to get all individual percentage owners to agree. So what is the solution to the fractionated land issue? This is one that has weighed heavy on the minds of both tribes and individual Indian land owners for years and thus far there is not an across-the-board-solution; however, there are options that our tribe may want to consider to include in any future Tribal Land and Water Conservation District, should one be developed. One tribe has developed a land consolidation plan that includes a Tribal Land Enterprise (a tribal corporation), or TLE. Under the TLE, individual Indian land owners are allowed to exchange their fraction interests on the land they hold in exchange for TLE Certificates (shares in the tribal corporation). These individuals who hold TLE Certificates may then “ 1) keep the certificates and receive dividends, with the tribe, from the use of the exchanged land interest 2) convert all or some of the certificates into cash 3) trade the certificates back to the tribe in exchange for a TLE land “assignment” to which they may rights of use and devise as long as only one beneficiary is designated.” It should also be kept in mind that tribes and tribal corporations can obtain funding to assist in consolidating land interests, or fractions, whereas individual land interest owners are generally unable to access such funding. I would also like to refer to the recent settlement of the Cobell case in which years and years of litigation was centered on the argument that the government mismanaged billions of dollars in oil, gas, grazing, timber and other royalties overseen by the Interior for Indian trustees since 1887. The settlement amount consists of a $1.4 billion payback to Indian plaintiffs involved in the case (which still must be approved by Congress), plus another $2 billion to go into a Trust Land Consolidation Fund to buy back fractured trust interests. It should also be noted that of the $2 billion, the settlement requires that a Secretarial Commission on Trust Reform be established paid for by money in the Trust Land Consolidation Fund. Tribes and individual Indian land owners must pay close attention to this issue for the consolidation would seek to consolidate all 128,000 individual Indian allotments into an Indian-owner-managed trust, this could include tribes and individual land owners as owners in common. The Secretary of the Interior could then be authorized to consolidate the estimated 3.6 million acres of fractionated Indian land interests into what the government believes to be efficient and beneficial. There are still other steps that must be completed before the Cobell settlement is finalized and until this is done, we should take it upon ourselves to engage in our own fractionated land solution through a Tribal Land and Water Conservation District, we must also consider establishing various codes of law such as Tribal Water Codes, Wild Life Codes, and Environmental Codes for the management and protection of our lands. Earlier in this article I touched upon the probate of a person’s estate, or property. Often, the probate of our loved ones take extended periods of time- sometimes years. Tribes do have the option to pursue establishing a tribal probate code so that we handle our own probates. This is yet another area that our tribe needs to consider at some point in time. This 7 8 Thank you for taking the time to read what I have shared in this article. 100% $78,410.36 March 2010 NOTE: $78,410.36 TOTAL COLLECTIONS $795.00 $795.00 Miscellaneous $77,615.36 $77,615.36 1.01% 8.20% 65.78% 13.51% 1.71% 9.79% % OF COLLECTIONS Tax Collection TOTAL TAXES As a quick update, I would also like to say that we have completed the interviews for new staffing for the new daycare center and are awaiting clearance on backgrounds checks, etc. While there have been some unforeseen delays, the daycare will be opening very soon. I think you all will be very proud of the new center. One highlight that I have been impressed with is that each classroom with have the hi-tech “Smart Representative Onzahwah $6,427.61 $51,581.00 $10,591.43 $1,337.71 $7,677.61 There are often factors that contribute to some of the concerns that we may have about our programs from time to time and I feel it is important that we communicate this so that we all have a better understanding of why things occur. I also want you to know that there are good things on the horizon developing in our health programs, as well as other programs within our tribe, but these things take time. I have encouraged our health programs to share these things with you as time goes by and they have assured me that they will be submitting articles for this purpose to highlight some of these projects and achievements. Respectfully, $6,427.61 $51,581.00 $10,591.43 $1,337.71 $7,677.61 Finally, I would like to share this: I have had various concerns shared with me over our tribal health clinics. With this in mind, I posed a few questions to our Executive Health Director, Mr. Chris Walker, Clinic Administrator – Modina Waters, and Dr. Boren. One inquiry was the question of why do we sometimes have long wait times or difficulty getting a walk-in appointment when at times it I have posed this question to our health program staff and they have provided me with some insight on how no-call/ no-shows can affect the flow of services at our clinics. I think it is very important that we understand this and that we do our part to avoid being a no-call/ no-show. I encourage us all to help decrease the no-call/no-show situations by keeping our appointments or by calling the clinic should an unforeseen event happen that may prevent us from keeping an appointment. I have asked Mr. Walker, Dr. Boren and Modina Waters to submit an article explaining this to you. Please see the health department’s article in this newsletter edition for more information. As you read it, please take note that the Little Axe clinic had more than 700 visits in October 2009. That is astounding in itself. Sales (6%) Gaming % of free cash Employee (1%) Severance (8%) Motor Vehicle I have emphasized the need for our tribe to pursue establishing a Tribal Land and Water District and I wanted to take this time to explain why I feel this is so important for our people for the years to come. I hope that I have been able to shed some light on the various challenges we face but I also hope that I have been able to offer some solutions to consider for our future. Boards” for teaching the children. An opening will be announced soon. TAX CATEGORY What other reasons are there for establishing a Tribal Land and Water Conservation District? A tribal conservation district provides the means for the tribe and the United States Department of Agriculture to work together. The U.S.D.A. is a very large department of the U.S. government with 29 agencies within it. Establishing a tribal conservation district and an Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S.D.A. would assist the U.S.D.A. in providing direct access for tribes to those 29 agencies and the various programs within those agencies that may be beneficial to the tribe and tribal members. Some examples of resources that would be more accessible would be: Assistance with community infrastructure and business development, assistance with management of natural resources and environment and financial assistance for those who may wish to farm or ranch. appears we are not fully booked at our health facilities. FY-2010 YTD TAX COLLECTIONS (thru 1/31/2010) YEAR-TO-DATE JANUARY TOTAL may allow the process to go a little more timely while yet again strengthening our sovereignty. Thus far, to my knowledge, the Standing Rock Sioux and the Umatilla tribe’s are the only tribal nations to establish and implement such tribal probate codes. There may be a few more since I last visited this issue. The following are Resolutions passed during the month of January 2010 EXECUTIVE RESOLUTIONS: E-AS-10-01 01/06/10 Amends Executive Resolution No. E-AS-2009-51 (formation of the Office of Self Governance) and dissolves the position of Director; EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. E-AS-10-02 01/06/10 Amends Legislative Resolution No. L-AS-2006-16 (formation/budget of the Veterans Affairs Department) and dissolves the position of Coordinator/ Director; EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY; and E-AS-10-03 01/06/10 Rescinds Executive Resolution E-AS2001-23, approved on February 28, 2001, attached in its entirety, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. (Absentee Shawnee Burial Trust Fund Agreement) E-AS-10-04 01/06/10 Rescinding Executive Resolution E-AS2001-33, approved on April 4, 2001, attached in its entirety, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. (Motor Fuels Distribution Plan) E-AS-10-05 01/06/10 Authorizes the application submission to the U.S. Department of Treasury for allocation of Tribal Economic Development Bonds. E-AS-10-06 01/20/10 Adopting the organizational chart, attached and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A” effective immediately, which supersedes all previous organizational charts. March 2010 E-AS-10-07 01/20/10 L-AS-10-03 Approves and accepts Dawn Marie Wallis, Amber Elisabeth Kitchen and John Eric Matthew Petty as enrolled members of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma as of the date of this resolution. E-AS-10-08 01/20/10 Rejects the application of Josiah Elias Garcia for membership in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe due to Insufficient Blood Degree. E-AS-10–09 01/20/10 Authorizes and consents to the conveyance of a 1.25 acre tract within Absentee Shawnee Allotment AS-S 490-F. E-AS-10-10 01/20/10 Adopts the Absentee Shawnee Tribal Complex Cafeteria Flexible Benefit Plan in the form presented to the Executive Committee, which Plan is effective as of February 1, 2010 LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS: L-AS-10-01 01/06/10 01/06/10 Authorizes and approves the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Budget for calendar year 2010 in the amount of Two Million Two Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Nine Dollars and No Cents ($2,288,909.00) as reflected in the attached budget document, “Exhibit A”, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. L-AS-10-04 01/06/10 Authorizes and approves the Indian Health Services (IHS) Budget for calendar year 2010 in the amount of Eight Million One Hundred Forty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety-One Dollars and No Cents ($8,143,791.00) as reflected in the attached budget document, “Exhibit A”, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. L-AS-10-05 01/06/10 Rescinds Legislative Resolution L-AS2000-51, approved on August 11, 2000, attached in its entirety, effective immediately. (Absentee Shawnee Education Trust Fund) L-AS-10-06 01/20/10 Authorizes and approves the General Fund Budget for calendar year 2010 in the amount of Two Million Two Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand Three Hundred Seven Dollars and No Cents ($2,284,307.00) as reflected in the attached budget document, “Exhibit A”, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. Amends L-AS-2010-01, the General Fund Budget for calendar year 2010, to the amount of Two Million Three Hundred Eight Thousand Three Hundred Forty-Eight Dollars and No Cents ($2,308,348.00) as reflected in the attached budget document, “Exhibit A”, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. L-AS-10-02 L-AS-10-07 01/06/10 Authorizes and approves the Indirect Cost (IDC) Budget for calendar year 2010 in the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Eighty Thousand Forty-Seven Dollars and No Cents ($2,580,047.00) as reflected in the attached budget document, “Exhibit A”, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. 01/20/10 Amending L-AS-2010-02, the Indirect Cost (IDC) Budget for calendar year 2010, to the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Eighty-Two Thousand Four Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars and No Cents ($2,582,447.00) as reflected in the attached budget document, “Exhibit A”, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. ***************************** 9 CANDIDATE LETTERS My name is HisoWik-Kimse, Betty Mahardy Watson, and I am a candidate for Representative. I cannot stress enough it is critical Betty Watson you exercise your right to vote on March 20. Do not let someone else pick the candidates for you to vote on in June. We, the General Council members, do not know all the facts concerning what is actually happening within our tribal government and cannot get the real truth behind questions we have concerning the true financial condition of our tribe, Executive Committee salaries, casino revenues, and the joint venture health project. We have questions when the General Council voted by Referendum and the Referendum vote of General Council are not followed by the Executive Committee members. For example, the higher salaries being paid to Executive Committee members when we, the General Council, voted the salary increased down twice by Referendum (tribal law), and they continue to get the high salaries. Another example we, the General Council, voted NO to he Joint Venture to build the new clinic and incur indebtedness in the amount of $25 M, but the Executive Committee crafted a scheme to go around the vote of the General Council. Please understand one thing, when the General Council votes by a Referendum, that becomes tribal law and cannot be circumvented by the Executive Committee by them passing a Resolution. The Tribal Law cannot be changed except to take the issue to the General Council for another vote. They did not do this and now the Executive Committee is in the processing of securing a loan to build the JV clinic in the amount of $26 Million, even though the General 10 Council Voted NO. These are major issues and concerns I have as a tribal member and I plan to address should you elect me as your Representative. I know some of the issues have been going on by elected officials past and present, but because it was done in the past does not make it right. I cannot emphasize enough that the stakes are very high for the future or our Tribe. Our finances are in a state of emergency, our tribal government has not been responsible in taking care of our assets and affairs and have made some bad business decisions concerning the financial future of our people. One cannot single out a particular person or administration to blame as this has been continuing for several administrations. And, we all share in the blame by not holding certain individuals responsible and accountable. They did not plan for another business or commercial projects to generate income for our Tribe other than the casino and we do not realize the income that we once relied upon to support our tribal programs. Our Tribe is in a financial crisis with no plans for financial growth, I have several projects that are ready to go that will generate millions of dollars in revenues and jobs for our Tribe each year. I have plans for the land that is sitting idle and not making a single dollar for the Tribe. I have plans for the new Bank building that has been sitting empty for five years that will start bringing in money to the Tribe. I want to identify the education, housing and health needs of our tribal members. I would like to see that all of our members no matter where they live be covered for health care and hospitalization, dental, optical services and prescriptions. Education, I want to see every child have access to a computer in their homes. I want every student to have the opportunity to go to college or achieve a skill or trade that will help them to have a quality life. I want a leadership training and internship program for our tribal college students to work closely with our elected officials to learn about tribal governments and sovereign issues so they would be ready and informed to accept leadership of our Tribe. These are the future leaders of our Shawnee People!!! This is a very ambitious plan and I know I can fulfill the majority of these goals, but I have to have your help in electing me as your Representative. I also need your help in electing qualified and dedicated leaders on the Executive Committee, who have the vision and who will work together to make our Tribe a success once again!! Our Tribe needs you to vote March 20! Thank you. Betty Mahardy Watson Candidate for Representative P.S. Please come and join our Watch Party March 20, Little Axe at 10:00 am. We will have food and entertainment and there will be rides available to the polls if needed. WHEN THE LEGENDS DIE, THE DREAMS END; THERE IS NO MORE GREATNESS! TECUMSEH Kathy Deere Greetings Tribal Members, We are one of many different tribes here in Oklahoma. In order for us to exist and be known as a progressive tribe, we need always be on the watch for business opportunities and ways March 2010 to improve our service benefits for all our tribal members in state and out of state. I am proud to be an Absentee Shawnee and would like to serve you, our tribe, my family and friends to the best of my ability. I feel that as an Executive Committee member, we are elected to use our educations, knowledge and experience to develop and promote good business for our tribe. We are a sovereign nation and we need to be a leader once again in progressions. Proposed Goals and Objectives: *Explore new business opportunities and restructure current businesses. *Examine current assets. It is being utilized and profitably? *Limit the unnecessary training and travel of all personnel. *Prevent excessive, frivolous, and wasteful spending. *Out of state tribal members receive same benefits as in state tribal members. *Elders and Youth have their own large facilities for meetings, conferences, ect. *Tribal Employees benefits include: rehired (count previous dates worked) and longevity is an honorable trait, we should recognize them with award/certificates, pin, ect. I ask you to consider me when you vote in the Primary Election on Saturday, March 20, 2010. If you have questions or would like to offer comments, please call me at 405-816-7874 or 405-447-1247 or email shwneturtle56@hotmail.com. Blessings to all, Kathy Deere March 2010 ELDERS COUNCIL The Absentee-Shawnee Elders held their regular monthly meeting at the VFW Hall at 811 East MacArthur, Shawnee on Saturday, February 13, 2010. A shout out of appreciation goes to Commander AL Wright for accommodation our short notice request to use this facility. Three officers were present with Vice-President Mary Birdtail conducting the meeting in the absences of President Gene Parker who was absent due to her sons illness. Secretary Cynthia Longhorn made copies of the January 16, 2010 meeting minutes available and they were approved with one noted spelling error. Treasurer Kathy Deere presented the financial report for the month ending January 31, 2010 with a tribal budget of $11,511.00 and a Council balance of $1,344.31. The report was approved as presented. Birthdays for the month o February were recognized for Dan Little Axe, Sr., Lee Roller and Gerry Roller, Serena Daugherty, Helen Wilson, Reta Harjo, and Cynthia Longhorn. Don Schulenberg announced that the AST Veterans Association Honor Guard will be presenting the colors at the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game on Sunday, March 14 at the Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City. The Thunder will play the Utah Jazz. Elders and Veterans may get a reduced group ticket rate if enough tribal members respond (quickly) and arrangements can be made for purchasing suck. Wynoon Coon informed those present of the recent passing of tribal elder Harold Brokeshoulder. Dan Little Axe reminded everyone of the Special General Council set for Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Resource Center in Little Axe. Secretary Longhorn pointed out to those present of the requirement to review Guidelines for the Council and requested addresses for those did not have copies in order that copies could be mailed to them. Proposed changes will be voted on at the March 2010 monthly meeting. Woody Wilson, brought up the subject of the annual Elders sponsored Veterans pow wow which led to suggestions for fund raising for the event. A previously discussed topic of a fund raiser golf tournament was brought up by Jenifer Sloan. Officer David Haskins of the AST Police had discussed this in the past and a motion for Secretary Longhorn to again contact Officer Haskins for details and the possibility for having this event was made by Jenifer Sloan and seconded by Emily Longman. Secretary Longhorn informed those present that she had learned at the Veterans Association meeting held on February 10th of the need to establish a list of elders who may need help during bad weather such as the recent ice/ snow conditions. She asked that if elders themselves desired this service or knew of someone that they could submit names/addresses/ phone numbers to be turned over to Linda Day at the AST complex. Items such as water, candles, blankets and packaged individual meals or other emergency items could be available. There were questions heard about voting on Outstanding Elder and Volunteer, items obtained from pow wows and donations to the Council and discussion was held. A motion to adjourn was made by Joann Walker and seconded by Barbara Wilkerson. The meeting adjourned at 11:05 a.m. The next meeting is sched uled for Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Resource Center in Little Axe. Meeting time is 10:00 a.m. Come and bring a covered dish. 11 My apologies to tribal members in not having a monthly article for our newspaper but the deadline for submitting articles is usually AFTER our usual third Saturday meeting date so by the time I can submit an article, the information is already very old. This particular article is being included in this edition in order to publicize the Elder Council sponsored forum for candidates in next months tribal primary election. We had a good turn out with only two candidates not making an appearance, those being Jeffrey Gibson and Isaac Gibson, Jr. A special Thank You goes out to the Election Commission staff person, Emily Longman, who contacted candidates and advised them of the forum. I am especially grateful to the Media Department for their cooperation "hold the presses" and allow me the time to submit this article. Elders listen to the presentations made by candidates following the regular monthly meeting which, this month was held at the VFW Hall in Shawnee. Representative candidate, Betty Mahardy Watson, waits to give her presentation to the Elders Council. Behind her (L to R) Luvenia tiger, Margaret Ellis and Reta Harjo listen. To the far is incumbent Treasurer, Anita Chisholm who listened to comments and from time to time, offered comments as well as explanation on department or Executive Committee operations. Representative candidate, Roy Larney, attentatively listens while awaiting his turn to give his presentation. Respectfully, Cynthia Longhorn Secretary of the Elders Council 405-273-4137 Candidates who also attended the meeting Alecia Onzahwah, current Tribal Representative and candidate for LT. Governor, attended the Elders Council meeting and addressed those present at this important forum. Scott Miller Treasurer Candidate Scott Miller Dan Little Axe Sr., current Lt. Governor and candidate for re-election, was present for the Elders Council meeting and made a presentation at the forum following the meeting. Brianna Ponkilla Treasurer Candidate Briana Ponkilla Kathy Deer Treasurer Candidate Tribal elders Delores Carter and Howard Wilson listen to candidates give their perspective on tribal issues while to the far right, “Woody” Wilson appears to be giving deep thoughts to presentations. Kathy Deere 12 March 2010 Says fot the month Hello everyone, here are our sayings for the month: 1. Do you know how to swim? hi ke - wi ko ti - hi se - li fa no yi le 2. Can you drive? hi ta pe - ka pa ma - se ki 3. Do you know how to sew? hi ta pe - ka pa ma - se ki 4. Can you sweep my floors? hi ta pe- ka ge kit e – ta ko 5. Get the leaves raked. he ne – me sa se ke – ka ma ke ni wi 6. Cut the grass. Ka ke se ko ti wa 7. Burn the leaves. Fi ke fi wo – he ne – me sa g eke 8. Burn the trash. Yi kit e we – ka fi ke fi 9. Everyone gather wood for a fire. Gi ke we yi fi – yi mi ne fa ko 10. Stack the wood. Ka ho wa se fa to ni – he ne – ho fa ko 11. Lets cut some wood. ka pi ke se ki pa – ho ta ko 12. Cut only dry wood. Ka ki k eta ke – ho ta ko – pa he – ka ke se ki ni That’s it for this month. Remember, the more you practice, the better you will speak our language. Sue and I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to all of the friends, neighbors, and family for their support for David Lee Johnson Sr. during our fund raiser for him ion February. Again, many thanks. George Blanchard, Governor of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma March 2010 MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH During National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association reminds everyone an easy way to focus on eating better is to start with the basics: Build Your Nutrition from the Ground Up!! Ways to build your nutrition from the ground up: 1. Focus on fruits and vegetables- Add a serving of fruit or vegetable to one meal each day and increase over time. 2. Start a garden or look locallyStarting a garden in your back yard or adding porch fruit/ vegetable plants is a good way to increase fruit and vegetable intake. Another way is to look at your local farmers market. You can freeze many of the fruits and vegetables grown from your garden or purchased in season. 3. Make calories count- Focus on foods with one or more vitamins and nutrients. There are no good or bad foods, it is all in how you consume the foods. 4. Test your taste buds- Try a new recipe or reduced fat way of preparing a favorite food. 5. Trick yourself with treatsYou don’t have to deny yourself the foods you love. Alternate fruit or yogurt with your favorite dessert or trail mix or nuts. Source: American Dietetic Association Please note: This information was as current as we could make it on the date given above. But medical information is always changing, and some information given here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor.org, the AAFP patient education Web site. Diabetes: What You Need to Know What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't use insulin the right way. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use sugar (glucose) for energy. Because your body has a problem with insulin, sugar builds up in your blood. Your body can't use it for energy, and some of the sugar passes out of your body unused in urine. What are the different types of diabetes? There are three types of diabetes: Type 1 (also called insulin-dependent) diabetes Type 2 (also called non insulin-dependent) diabetes Pregnancy-related (also called gestational) diabetes Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young adults. It is treated with insulin. Type 2 diabetes is much more common and usually develops in older adults. Type 2 diabetes is treated with diet, exercise, pills or insulin. Some women develop diabetes during pregnancy. Although this type of diabetes goes away after pregnancy, 13 women who have had it may develop type 2 diabetes later in life. What health problems can diabetes cause? Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage your eyes, blood vessels, nerves and kidneys. Damage to your blood vessels increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Besides the long-term health risks of high blood sugar levels, diabetes can also cause episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and ketoacidosis. Hypoglycemia occurs when your blood sugar falls too low--when you have too much insulin in your blood or haven't eaten enough. Hyperglycemia occurs when your blood sugar level is too high--when you don't have enough insulin in your blood. Ketoacidosis occurs when you don't have enough insulin in your blood and your body starts breaking down fats for energy instead of using blood sugar. This process leaves behind wastes called ketones. Ketoacidosis is a risk for people with type 1 diabetes. How will my family doctor treat my diabetes? The goal of treatment is to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible. To do this, your doctor may give you pills or insulin. Sometimes diabetes can be controlled without medicine if the person loses weight, eats a healthy diet and exercises. Your doctor will also watch your blood sugar level closely by checking your blood and urine. Your doctor will want to see you regularly to check for other problems (complications) caused by your diabetes, such as foot or vision problems. How do I know if I am controlling my blood sugar level? 14 Checking your blood sugar regularly can help you control it. By monitoring your blood sugar you can see how food, exercise, medicine and insulin affect your blood sugar. It also can signal if you need a change in your treatment plan. How do I check my blood sugar level? Follow your doctor's advice and the directions that come with the test strips. Here are the basics of how to check your blood sugar: Take one test strip from the bottle or box. Use an alcohol pad to clean the finger that you're going to prick. Prick your finger with a lancet or spring-loaded device (these are ways to make a small cut in your finger) to get a drop of blood. Put the drop of blood on the test strip. Wait for the length of time it says on the package. When the strip changes color, compare it to the box or bottle. This will give you a number for your blood sugar level. (If you are using a glucose meter, skip this step.) If you are using a glucose meter, put the strip in the meter. The meter will give you a number for your blood sugar level. How often should I check my blood sugar? Check your blood sugar as often as your doctor suggests. You may need to do it more often at first, during times when you feel sick or stressed, during pregnancy, or when you're changing your medicine or insulin dose. How does what I eat affect my diabetes? When you eat, you put sugar in your blood. Making wise food choices can help you keep your blood sugar at the right level. What you eat can also affect your overall health. Some people have high cholesterol levels and need to watch how much fat and cholesterol they eat. Other people may need to lose weight and must limit the number of calories in their diet. Your doctor will help you find the right nutritional plan for you. Will exercise help? Yes. Exercise can help the body better use the insulin it has, resulting in a lower blood sugar level. Exercise is also good for your heart, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight--all factors that affect your risk of heart attack and stroke. Talk with your doctor about starting an exercise program. Women’s Heart Health Luncheon Absentee Shawnee Healthy Heart program took part in 8th Annual Women’s Healthy Heart luncheon on February 9th held at the Shawnee Expo Center. Attendees were treated to a healthy meal, while listening to professionals such as nutritionist, personal trainers, and doctors. Of the attendees enjoying this year’s luncheon was AST Tribal citizen Mary Birdtail. She stated, “I liked it a lot…we were all there for one reason to get some information on getting healthier.” Heart disease is not a just a man’s disease. In fact, a woman dies from heart disease every 34 sec- March 2010 onds. According to the American Heart Association, Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle. Everyone was treated to pedometers as an avenue to start or begin a walking program. Walking is a good way to get physical activity in your daily routine and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. To start a walking program and get a pedometer, call 878-4702 and ask for Patricia. George Foreman & Healthy Heart A patient diagnosed with diabetes has increased risk for heart disease. The AST Healthy Heart program provides one-on-one case management to patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Though the Healthy Heart program is based in Little Axe, it has a satellite office at the Shawnee Clinic. Incentives are provided to Healthy Heart participants meeting goals and objectives of the program. These goals and objectives have proven to have a protective effect on our health status. Healthy Heart participants are provided gas cards to meet with a case manager at either clinic. Other incentives include water bottles, crock pots, cookbooks, and jackets. The most popular incentive is the “George Foreman” grill. These are provided to Healthy Heart participants for grilling products to prepare healthier foods. Recently, George Foreman was presented AST literature, as well as Health Heart jacket to recognize his impact on aiding AST Healthy Heart patients in preventing heart disease. If you would like to become a participant in the Healthy Heart program, please contact either: Buster Bread, Healthy Heart Recruitment/Retention Specialist or Leah Bates, Administrative Assistant at 405-360-0698. March 2010 15 day that they are sick while continuing SHOW impact to our health system CVS/pharmacy to have clinic growth by adding new pa- when appointments are not rescheduled Cancels Contract with tients from all tribes. The plan is to see timely. Little Axe Clinic had 1075 NO AST patients within two weeks and SHOW appointments, and Shawnee AST Health Programs new still be able to get new non-AST patients Clinic experienced 675 NO SHOW apThe Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health Authority has received a Contract Termination letter from CVS/pharmacy, Inc. effective February 25, 2010. The Health Programs staff was informed by CVS that the volume of AST citizens failing to provide pharmacy insurance coverage information to the Norman and Shawnee pharmacies was to high. Therefore, Health Programs are requesting that all patients using CVS for their chronic and routine prescriptions contact their physician to write a new prescription and provide it to the AST Shawnee Pharmacy. We are working to contract with another pharmacy company in the area, and moving forward the utilization of this service will be for filling prescriptions related to Urgent Care and ER visits requiring a fill after hours or over a weekend when our pharmacies at Little Axe and Shawnee are closed. Health Corner News Maximizing Access to Care The winter season was particularly challenging for the AST clinics. Over 700 patients were seen at the Little Axe Clinic alone in October 2009. The new H1N1 flu strain was a major factor causing a larger than normal patient load. However, the most recent patient numbers have been more manageable. In order to maintain access for the tribal citizens and also continue to add new patients to the clinic schedule, we have been aggressively reviewing our current policy and are in the process of revising it. Our goal is to be able to see all sick AST patients on the same 16 in without having them wait for over a month. Trying to balance these objectives will be challenging but doable. AST patients can help by participating as follows: 1. If you are unable to come in for a scheduled (Don’t Be A NO SHOW), call the clinic at least the day before or as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment, so that we can offer the time slot to another tribal member. 2. When sick, call in as soon as possible for an appointment so that you can be seen that day, or by the next morning. 3. Showing up on-time for an appointment is extremely important. Not showing up for an appointment on time can begin to strain the patient flow and interfere with the ability to see new or other patients. 4. Ensuring an appointment is kept; whereby any loss of revenue to the tribe can be avoided. 5. Compliance to these suggestions could avoid any detrimental impact to the health of other tribal members. pointments. Thank you, Chris Walker ED – Tribal Health Programs We appreciate your consideration. Your assistance is requested as we continue to strive to provide the best access to care to the patients we serve. The graph below provides the 2009 NO March 2010 The Little Axe Dental clinic has selected March 4, 2010 as “our day” for Give Kids a Smile. Please partner with us by calling and making an appointment for your child on this very special day as we try to increase the awareness and importance of oral health education in our own children close to home. Give Kids A Smile is an annual centerpiece to National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) and is observed every year on the first Friday in February, while NCDHM is celebrated during the entire month of February. National Children’s Dental Health Month focuses on providing oral health education to all children despite their economic status. Give Kids A Smile was designed to provide education, preventative and restorative care to lowincome children who do not have access to care. Give Kids A Smile started in 2000 as idea in the minds of a few community oriented professionals in St. Louis, Missouri, in response to the obvious need of the children of the area for dental care. Through the dedication of a multitude of volunteers and the support of schools, organizations, corporations, and individuals, Give Kids A Smile has provided comprehensive dental care to children since the first clinic in February, 2002. March 2010 Soon after beginning the Give Kids A Smile project in St. Louis, the American Dental Association adopted the GKAS concept and established a national clinic day each year in February where over a million children are cared for and over $100,000,000 in dental care is provided yearly. The Little Axe Dental clinic wants to participate in this annual event by designating an entire day to the treatment of kids. The national recognized day for this event was February 5th, 2010, which was the first of two days members of the AST Dental team donated their time in the 1st Annual Oklahoma Mission of Mercy. The first Oklahoma Mission of Mercy (OkMOM), co-sponsored by the Oklahoma Dental Association, the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation and the Oklahoma Dental Foundation, was held on February 5 and 6, 2010, at the Tulsa Convention Center. The two-day clinic allowed nearly 1,800 patients to be treated with a value pushing $1,000,000. Congratulation to the Little Axe 3rd grade boys team who finished the season's tournament with 2nd place trophies. Levi Colquitt, Haedan Denson-Hill, Aliya Hanna, Andrew Hanna, Jacob Ille, Daniel Jennings, Keegan Bates, and Dacoda McDowell. Again, please call the Little Axe Dental Clinic to obtain an appointment for your child at: (405) 307-9704. Thank you, Little Axe Dental Team Paige Little Charley On Making the Deans Honor Roll at North Eastern Oklahoma we are very proud and Love You Mom, Dad, The Megehee Family, and The Ferrell Family 17 Happy 10th Birthday Kylie Ann Yates From Uncle Nine Toes & Mama Seal Happy Birthday MANUEL HERERRA FROM Marvin & Sherry Happy Birthday Everett Tahah Love Uncle Marv & Auntie Sherry Happy Birthday Chelle Foreman From Sherry HAPPY BELATED 1st BIRTHDAY Eathan Ferrell We Love You, Aunt Becca, Uncle DD, Dakot, Hunter, and Willie 18 HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY "TESSIE" I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH LOVE "NANA" Happy 18th Birthday To "Our Princess" Shelby Lynn White Thunder! FEB.3,2010 From: Mom, Dad, Shelsie, and Sheldon HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY TESSA ON MARCH 9TH I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH LOVE MOM HAPPY BIRTHDAY TESSA WE LOVE YOU AUNT GINA, UNCLE RAY AND PAPA HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY REGINA GAYLE ON MARCH 30TH. WE LOVE YOU !! MOM, REVIS, TARA, RAY AND TESSA HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL NEICES CHELE WOMACK AND STEPHANIE GEISSLER I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY ON FEB 5TH AND 8TH I LOVE YA'LL BUNCHES AUNT RHONDA HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON FEB 1ST BRENT WATSON HAVE A GREAT DAY LOVE THE KASECAS AND FOREMANS March 2010 SayINg of tHE MOnth... THE MEDIA DEPARTMENT’S The best way to predict the future is to invent it. (Alan Kay) Haskell Indian Nations University hosting 2nd Annual BIE Youth Leadership Challenge Lawrence, Kansas - On June 6-12, 2010, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is sponsoring the second annual Summer Youth Leadership Challenge hosted by Haskell Indian Nations University. The Summer Youth Leadership Challenge is a week long residential summer program which provides an array of educational activities and events for the students participating in the event. The Leadership Challenge was launched by the leadership of BIE in 2009 to encourage and support the youth to facilitate and stimulate a desire in students to undertake their role as leaders in their community. The format will include presentations by tribal leaders, university officials, and other experts in the fields of health, education, and leadership and based upon a curriculum that will engage students on the historical, political, legal and social development of tribal governments. Additional activities that enhance knowledge and promote problem solving skills will be integrated into the program. The BIE SYLC program is open to students who are members of federally recognized tribes who will be in grades 9-12 during the 2010-2011 academic year. There is no cost to attend and students will be responsible for their travel to the host site. Students will be selected based on their academic achievements, social standing and overall leadership qualities. Last year students represented 17 states and 20 nations. The applications are to be received by March 1, 2010 (1st round - priority); and the second round of applications are to be received by March 15, 2010. All materials must be mailed in one envelope; no faxes are accepted. Applications may be accepted until May 1 (on a space available basis); please contact the office after May 1 to find out if spaces are open. Applications are available for download after December 15, 2009 from the website: www.haskell.edu For more information on this program contact Freda Gipp at (785) 749-8407 or fgipp@haskell.edu and for information on the College Fair Sharon Eagleman at (785) 749-8489 or seagleman@haskell.edu (application instructions on next page) March 2010 19 20 March 2010 Education Department The following are current programs administered by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe Education Department: • Academic (K-12) Program: assists with academic related expenses, and a portion of funds can be used for schoolrelated athletic program expenses. Program has a maximum funding limit for the academic year. • Zahn Program: established from a trust fund, program can help with some graduation expenses, and awards two (2) incentives: one for GED recipients and one for High School graduates. Program has a maximum amount of funding for graduation expenses. • Job Training Adult Education Program: funds for vocational training at accredited vocational institutions. Program has a maximum funding limit for the calendar year or per program. • Higher Education: Education Incentive Award Program: funds for undergraduate degrees, one associates or bachelors degree, at any accredited college or university. Funding levels are determined based upon grade point average and full-time or part-time status. • Graduate Scholarship Program: funds for one master’s degree or one doctoral degree, and can fund for one graduate admissions test. This program has funding levels based upon full-time and part-time status. All funding is based upon the availability of funds at the time of application. Attention: All applications and guidelines are available at www.astribe.com. Click on Services and select Education. There are no deadlines for the Job Training Adult Education Program, but you must submit your application documents at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the course to ensure funding is available and can be disbursed to the institution. For more information, please call Tresha Spoon at (405) 275-4030 ext. 121 or 1-800-256-3341 or email to tresham@ astribe.com. AST/EOC Tech contract courses still available: The Absentee Shawnee Tribe has an agreement with Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center to offer courses for tribal members and employees. More information is available on the tribe’s website at www.astribe.com. No online courses are covered in the contract. All courses are campus-based courses only. The contract covers tuition and books, additional supplies required for the courses are the responsibility of the tribal member. Eligible courses are short-term courses, no full-time programs. This contract covers up to $6,000.00 worth of tuition and books for tribal members, once this amount is depleted the agreement ends. A catalog of spring 2010 courses can be found at www.eoctech.org. We have been into this agreement for a couple of years and we need to fulfill this agreement as soon as possible. For tribal members interested in taking a course, the application is available for download or a copy can be picked up at the Education Department. Tribal members need to make an appointment to meet with the Education Director, Tresha Spoon, to complete the application process. Please bring your completed application and a copy of your tribal enrollment card. If you have any questions, please call Tresha Spoon at (405) 275-4030 ext. 121 or email to tresham@astribe.com. March 2010 21 PRESS RELEASE 9TH Annual “TO BRIDGE A GAP” CONFERENCE March 29-April 1, 2010 The Muscogee Creek Nation will be hosting the 9th Annual “To Bridge A Gap” Conference, in collaboration with the National Forest Service. This conference is designed to strengthen Government-to-Government relationships between the USDA Forest Service and federally recognized Tribal Governments with interests in our Forests. The Forest Service and Tribal Governments have a desire and obligation to establish Government-to-Government relationships where there are mutual interests in managing the cultural, natural, or social resources of the National Forests. The conference will be held at the Southern Hills Marriott Hotel in Tulsa, Oklahoma and will provide opportunities for Tribal and Forest Service leaders to share information about their respective missions, values, program activities, and interests. Topics for this year’s To Bridge A Gap will include: 1) GPS (Global Positioning System), and GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) for preservation. 2) We Are Distinctly Unique Peoples and Cultures 3) Tribal Consultation Best Practices 4) Tribal and NFS Collaborative Programs 22 5) Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and Vandalism Issues 6) Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) 7) GIS (Geographic Information System): Benefits for Preservation 8) Tribal Environmental Programs and Issues 9) National Tribal Historic Preservation Program: Updates and Application Process Guest Speaker will be Jefferson Keel, Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation and President of the National Congress of American Indian. Several federal and state agencies will be present including National Forest Service from various regions, Army Corp. of Engineers, State Historic Preservation Offices, National Park Service, and National Resources Conservation Service. The To Bridge A Gap Conference is a wonderful opportunity to discuss tribal relations and cultural preservation issues, and participate with others whom are dedicated to improving this relationship. For more information including registration forms, please contact Joyce Bear, MCN, Cultural Preservation Department at (918) 732-7731; or Johnnie Jacobs at (918) 732- 7835, johnniej@muscogeenation-nsn.gov Conference registration and hotel information can also be found on the Muscogee Creek Nation website at www.muscogeenation-nsn.gov under Bulletins on the homepage. Absentee Shawnee Tribe Veterans Association To find out more about the AST Veterans Association, schedule the Color Guard or request a Military Funeral Honor call: David (405) 245-4802 Walter (405) 683-1247 John (405) 401-9418 Next meeting will be held at Brendle Corner on Wednesday, March 10th at 7 p.m. *The AST Veterans Association meets the second Wednesday of every month and alternates between the AST-OEP bldg (corner of highway 177 and Benson Park Road) and Brendle Corner (highway 9 & Harrah Newalla Road.) astveterans@gmail.com OILS Oklahoma Indian Legal Services... will be here at the Court House again March 16, 2010 from 9am-12pm March 2010 NEED HELP IN ACET, Inc. has received an immediate request to provide assistance to the devastation from the recent earthquake that has befallen the nation of Haiti. We are looking for anyone interested in going to Haiti to help for a 3- 6 month period. There are no particular skills sets defined at this point, except the willingness to help wherever needed. We will be presenting folks and highlighting their unique skills and trade qualifications, so if the opportunity to help in your area exists - it will be noted and presented. As you can well imagine, any skill that you may have - can be of great help. If you are seriously interested or know of someone who would be interested - please email me back ASAP or forward this email, and I will provide more details for you at that time. This is a unique opportunity to make a difference to the people of Haiti! Onekqua Beverly Corporate Recruiter/Security Specialist ACET, Inc. 301-861-5023 (Office) 301-885-3199 (Fax) otbeverly@adamscomm.com Typical skill sets needed: Carpenters Masons Electricians Medical Personnel Communications Builders Heavy Equipment Operators Plumbers Logistics Etc. THIS IS NOT A VOLUNTEER REQUEST - you will be paid for the work you do. This is a temporary employment assignment that will include travel, expenses, remuneration with an understanding that housing accommodations will be very basic. All that is needed at this point is a passport or ability to obtain one ASAP. March 2010 23 Foster Parents Needed!!! Can you open your home and heart for a foster child.? Foster parents provide a temporary, safe home for children in crisis. Foster parents are partners with child welfare workers, lawyers and judges. It is not for everyone but if you have it in your heart - we need you. • Can you love and care for a child who comes from a difficult background? • Can you help a child develop a sense of belonging? • Are you secure in yourself & your parenting Skills? • Can you maintain a positive attitude toward a child’s parents? • Can you love with all your heart & then let go? FOSTER PARENTS PROVIDE A TEMPORARY, SAFE HOME FOR CHILDREN IN CRISIS. THEY ARE PARTNERS WITH WORKERS, LAWYERS, AND JUDGES. IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! CAN YOU OPEN YOUR HOME AND HEART FOR A FOSTER CHILD? Many children need a loving home and a family to help them through a very tough time. Please think about it and talk with your family before you become a foster home. They all need safe, supportive environments! If you find yourself and your family interested in Foster Care, please contact Melissa Lopez 405-275-4030 ext. 166. March 2010 25 Table Games Manager Must be energetic, customer orientated and dependable. Minimum 5 years Table Games Management experience required. Please apply with HR at Thunderbird We are located 17 miles East of Norman on Hwy 9 NEED A CAR, TRUCK OR SUV AS LOW AS $299.00 DOWN - WAC E-Z APPROVAL - LARGE SELECTION *FREE LIMITED WARRANTY* CALL EL DORADO MOTORS @ 405-526-4600 AND ASK FOR BIG LARRY OR LITTLE JOHN For More Information Call 405-414-7277 Owner/Broker FOR SALE OR TRADE Ideal for a tribal owned bank or financial institution! Federal National Bank Building 24 E. Main Street, Shawnee, OK  Three properties for the price of one! o Bank Building at 24 E. Main o Two ATM Drive-through locations: 1. Downtown Shawnee 2. North Kickapoo near I40 close to Lowe’s, Staples, and WalMart  Located in the area of five Indian Tribes with rich Native American heritage  Beautiful lobby and penthouse with apartment  Seven story building  Terrific tax advantages with former Indian Reservation Lands and Historic District  Priced @ $55 per square foot – well below replacement cost DRIVER’S LICENSE RE-INSTATEMENT Call Linda or Glenna today (405) 275-3432 Ask about the DUI Assessments and our next 10 hour DUI School! EVERYONE WELCOME! March 2010 Title VI would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Wear your green. March 14, move your clocks up one hour. If you have any questions, you can call me at 275-4030 ext. 169. Yvette Moore Title VI Coordinator March 2010 29 ABSENTEE SHAWNEE TRIBAL PHARMACY SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA The Absentee Shawnee Tribal Pharmacy (Shawnee Location) can fill prescriptions for enrolled tribal citizens only. The Absentee Shawnee Tribal Clinic Pharmacy in Little Axe can fill prescriptions for tribal citizens written by Physicians not located a Tribal Clinic under the following circumstances: an 1. The prescription is for an Absentee Shawnee Tribal citizen who has established chart at the Little Axe Clinic. 2. The prescription is on the formulary of approved medications and stocked in the pharmacy. The following are a few tips to help us deliver pharmacy services to you more efficiently; 4 Present insurance cards each time you pick up or drop off a prescription. 4 Keep us informed of all changes in address, phone number and other contact Services available to you information. 4 Let the Pharmacy staff know if the prescription is going to be picked up or needs to be delivered. 4 If you have any questions concerning your prescription please feel free to call and talk to our Pharmacist. They are here to assist you with your pharmaceutical needs. Office of Environmental Health & Engineering • Tribal Housing Improvements Application The Tribal Housing Improvement Program’s goal is providing sanitary, safe, and decent housing for its members by utilizing the following criteria to select the most “in need” tribal members with homes that are in disrepair but are still suitable for rehabilitation. All applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and criteria which is approved by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. THIP list all applicants by a priority list: a. Handicapped/Disabled and Elderly b. Income c. Family Size/Overcrowded Living Conditions d. Condition of Home Other Programs available: • Sanitation Facililties Assistance Program Applictions need to be completed and all necessary documents attached before the application will be processed. Applications are available online on the website: www.astribe.com. Submit completed application to: Office of Environmental Health & Engineering Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma 2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr. Shawnee, Ok 74801 Absentee Shawnee Tribe Complex Office of Environmental Health & Engineering, Building 13 If you have any questions, you can reach us by phone at (405) 214-4235 Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Little Axe Clinic • Little Axe Dental Clinic 15702 E. Hwy 9 Norman, Oklahoma 73026 Phone: (405) 447-0300 Fax: (405) 447-2250 Clinic Operating Hours Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Weekends/Federal Holidays Closed * Clinic and Pharmacy will be closed the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m Some services that are offered include: Business Cards Invitations Announcements Calendars Logo Designs Graphics Brochures Envelope Designs Copies Banners Absentee Shawnee Tribe PRSRT STANDARD MAIL U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 434 Shawnee, OK 74801 of Indians of Oklahoma 2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr. Shawnee, OK 74801 return service requested 2010 TRIBAL PHONE NUMBERS Tribal Complex (405) 275-4030 or 1-800 256-3341 OEP (405) 273-9966 Building Blocks (405) 878-0633 Health Programs (405) 878-4702 or 1-877-878-4702 Little Axe Clinic (405) 447-0300 Shawnee Clinic (405) 878-5850 Shawnee Pharmacy (405) 878-5859 Behavioral Health (405) 878-4716 LA Resource Center (405) 364-7298 or (405) 364-7569 LA Cultural Center (405) 447-3372 AST Police (405) 275-3200 or (405) 275-3432 OEH (405) 214-4235 AS Housing Authority (405) 273-1050 Thunderbird Casino (405) 360-9270 Or 1-800-259-LUCK AST Media Dept AST Media Dept (405) 598-1279 Fax (405) 598-1294 --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aabsentee%3Ae577f268c01fbe7b. Public record. Not legal advice.