AST 477 & AST Language Program's Sweetheart Social/Stomp Dance (2026)

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THE ABSENTEE

SHAWNEE NEWS

Volume 36, No. 03

March 2026

AST 477 & AST Language Program's Sweetheart Social/Stomp Dance

On Saturday, February 7th, the AST 477 & AST Language Program co-sponsored the “Shawnee Sweetheart Social/StompDance” held at the Thunderbird Event Center. The

dances were social dances that take place during stomp dances at the three ceremonial grounds during summer. This was a learning and teaching opportunity for the AST

youth and adults, who may not have seen or participated in the social dances. There were also various vendors selling hard to find handmade items during the day. A stomp

dance continued into the evening where raffles, a cake plate drawing, and contest for furthest distance traveled, longest married couple, and best dressed couple was held. Fun

was had by all. Although we used this opportunity to teach different Shawnee social dances, we encourage our youth and adults to participate in these dances during stomp

dances in our ceremonial season. All of our dances are vital to our Shawnee culture and we must not lose them. We encourage everyone to do their part in keeping our culture

alive. The proceeds from the event were donated to the AST ICW Program before the February Executive Committee Meeting.

Ne yi wa! Gi ke la ko te yi qa

96th Semi-Annual General Council Meeting - April 11, 2026 - 10:00 AM

AST Multi-Purpose Building - Shawnee, OK

2A www.astribe.com

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

GOVERNOR’S REPORT

John Johnson, AST Governor

GOVERNOR

John Johnson

Hello All,

March is here, it’s about time to get your

gardens ready for spring, that way when

spring does get here you will be ready to

plant.

Have you been on campus lately? The

new admin building is moving along as

planned. Dirt is being moved and cleared

out; soon the foundation will be laid. I’ll

say it again, we’re looking forward to this

new building we desperately needed it.

Ms. Kryste Carter has been working on

the 5 year strategic plan for the tribe. She

held a two day session for all directors to

give their input. She also gathered the in-

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Misty McGirt, AST Secretary

Lt. GOVERNOR

Diane Ponkilla

Greetings Tribal Members,

I hope everyone and their family has

been having a good start with these first

months in this year. My office has been

busy with monthly meetings, planning

events, and assisting tribal members

and the community with tax preparation. General council date has been set

to April, 11, 2026 at the Multi-purpose

facility in Shawnee at 10:00am. I hope to

see everyone there it’s always a great time

to see everyone and visit with our tribal

members we don’t see all the time. Our

annual AST Easter event is set to be April,

TREASURER’S REPORT

Joseph Blanchard, AST Treasurer

SECRETARY

Misty McGirt

TREASURER

Joseph Blanchard

Hello AST Family and Friends,

I hope all is well. Can you believe it’s

March? My staff and I continue to truck

along, handling whatever obstacles or

problems arise. We’ve been so busy with

the beginning of the New Year providing advice and putting our best foot forward to take care of the Tribe’s business

as we begin 2026. I want to give a quick

“Shout Out” to the Lt. Governor’s office

and her multiple programs for their actions during late January’s Winter Storm.

While everyone else was enjoying the

safety and warmth of their homes and

days off, those staff members were on-site

in the cold, getting the grounds cleared

for when the buildings opened back up.

Plus, the animals in the Ag program still

needed to be watered and fed.

Since January, programs under my

oversight have been working to finalize

all paperwork and requirements to close

out the 2025 calendar year, amongst our

regular duties. I appreciate our different

work groups helping to fulfill our legal

obligations and delivering tax paperwork

for our vendors and employees. Preparations and other functions for the Annual Health Audit, followed by the Tribe’s

shortly thereafter have begun as we work

to complete tasks before deadlines. This

will be the first year I have concerns since

one of our more experienced and knowledgeable individuals has left the system.

However, the Business and Finance teams

at both locations are actively searching

for remedies to potential problems before

they arise. A common phrase I would

March 2026

put from tribal members. This collaboration will help the plan be successful. A

rough draft should be ready for review at

General Council in April. Look for this

update.

I recently visited with Mr. Lincoln McCurdy with TCA. He is currently working with Hanover College to bring more

scholarships programs to Native Students. He would like to partner with the

Absentee Shawnee Tribe and bring these

scholarships to our tribal youth. I will be

sharing all information received to the

Education Department. I would like to

take advantage of this and let our tribal

members benefit from these scholarships.

Treasurer Blanchard, Gary Pitchlynn

and myself made a quick trip to Washington DC. We scheduled an in person

meeting with the newly elected Asst. Secretary of the Department of Interior, William Kirkland, III. This meeting was to

give updates on the fee to trust issues we

continue to face. We wanted Mr. Kirkland to see how important this matter is

to us and how many challenges we face

economically. I think by making these

special trips to visit him and his office he

sees how detrimental this is for our tribe.

Should you have any comments or concerns you may call or email myself or my

assistant at the emails listed below.

18, 2026 from 10:00am-12:00pm at the

Multi-purpose facility in Shawnee. This

event is always one I look forward to seeing the kids, elders and everyone having

a great time. The Language and culture

department had a great turn out for their

sweetheart stomp dance February 7 proceeds were donated to the ICW department. I attended the Veterans meeting

Saturday February 14. It was a good meeting long time commander Jason Bender

has stepped down to let the younger generation take lead. He served our AST Veterans committee well over the years along

with many other veterans. The next veterans meeting will be March 14 at 10:00 am

at the veteran’s trailer located on the AST

campus in Shawnee. Our Agriculture department had their first meat distribution

for our elders February 27th it went very

well this is a start to many distributions

we will be looking at for the future. Our

agriculture department is partnered with

many other departments within the tribe

such as the building blocks facilities, food

pantry and many others. During our tribal ceremonies the meat rations given is

from our herd as well. I hope all goes well

for everyone this month that is all I have

to report at this time if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to

contact my office 405-275-4030 Ext. 3505.

Ne yi wa!

Secretary McGirt

hear in my younger days was “adapt and

overcome”.

In February, I attended the NCAI Executive Winter Session in Washington, D.C.

with Governor Johnson. While there, I

was able to participate in several opportunities to obtain updates on Taxes, Budgets and Revenue; meet with Directors

and staff of various Federal agencies; network with other Tribal leaders; and the

most important activity, visit with various

members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

Of the 5 meetings, 3 were with members

from the House of Representatives and 2

from the Senate. I appreciate Reps. Cole

(OK), Davids (KS), Moore (WI) plus Senators Shumer (NY) and Sullivan (AK)

for them or staff taking time out of their

schedules to visit about pressing needs in

Indian Country.

I was able to lead 3 of the conversations to express concerns from an Oklahoma perspective but shared the time

frame with Tribal leaders from other

U.S. regions. The main topics of discussion involved affirmation of Treaty rights

and Self Determination; the recent ICE

situations in California and Minnesota;

problems with proposed changes and/

or removal of language in previously approved Senate and House bills; problems

with proposed changes and/or removal

of language in upcoming proposed Senate and House bills; the removal of previously approved funding and cuts to existing budgets; and the lack of proper and

timely consultation with Tribal Nations.

The main emphasis we attempted to get

across is Tribal Nations help States and

Federal government across the country.

As Sovereign Nations, our success, how-

ever great or small, means fewer dollars

the U.S. has to spend to take care of our

citizens.

As I think about the last several years as

Treasurer and as a member of two EC’s,

we hear the comments about no growth

or lack of this or that. Then I look around

the AST Complex and our communities

in Little Axe and Tecumseh. There are

4 completed projects with the 5th just

beginning on campus; 4 projects in Tecumseh with the 5th (new Clinic) projected to be done by Fall; 3 purchases that

increased the Tribe’s land holdings by

370 acres; and the employee base has increased to approximately 650 staff. That

number increases to almost 900 if we add

the folks from the Bank, Casino, C-Store,

and Housing. If projections are correct,

we may surpass 1000 once the new Clinic

is complete later this year.

Gone are the days of 1 account, 1 budget, and less than 50 employees. As we

continue to grow and prosper, I am grateful to our former leadership and Elders

for their advice, guidance, and support. A

couple weeks ago, I received an unexpected “Thank You!” for handling a situation

and taking charge to find solutions for our

problem. Sometimes, it really is the little

things that will turn your day around and

make you feel good about your part in the

process. Should you have any questions,

please do not hesitate to ask by sending

me an email, setting up a time to have an

in-person visit, or call to have a phone

discussion.

Next month I will report on my trip to

the Annual Realty Conference.

Assistant, EJ Ruiz, obtained her certification in Tribal Governance from the Tribal

Leadership Council. In February, our office attended the two day strategic planning meeting for the tribe. Thank you to

Kryste Carter from Finance, who led us in

our strategic planning. Should you have

any questions or need assistance, please

contact my office:

Thank You

John Johnson - 405-275-4030 ext. 3500

governor@astribe.com

Alvina Barnes - 405-275-4030 ext. 3501

alvinab@astribe.com

Respectfully,

Joseph H. Blanchard

REPRESENTATIVE

Anthony Johnson

REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT

Anthony Johnson, AST Representative

Hello Tribal Members,

I hope everyone is having a good spring.

My office has been busy since the start of

the New Year. In January, my Executive

Phone: (405) 531-3512.

Email: adjohnson@astribe.com

Sincerely,

Anthony “Tad” Johnson,

Tribal Representative

March 2026

www.astribe.com 3A

MEDIA RELEASE

February 17, 2026

2026 PRIMARY ELECTION CANCELLED

FROM: The AST Election Commission

There were no filings for the Open Positions on the Election Commission during the Filing Period in January 2026. The Primary Election scheduled for March 17, 2026, is

hereby cancelled.

Election Commissioner James C. Spybuck, Jr., met with John Johnson, Governor of the AST Executive Committee, to inform him of the AST Election Commission's

decision to cancel the Primary Election for March 17, 2026. We understand this change may raise questions, and we want to assure you that the current members will continue

to serve the community's interests.

The Election Commission will continue to serve with its current elected Members and appointed Alternates per ARTICLE VI-ELECTIONS, SECTION 6 Alternates, and

ARTICLE VIII – VACANCIES, SECTION 2, of the Constitution. Your ongoing support and trust are appreciated as we maintain stability and service to the community.

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with the Election Commission Office at (405) 273-4030 ext. 3537 or email election.commission@astribe.com. You

can also visit our Election Commission website, https://www.astribe.com/election-commission, for the latest updates on election matters.

AST VETERANS

ASSOCIATION

MEETING

AST VETERANS

ASSOCIATION

NEW OFFICERS

March 14, 2026

10 AM

AST VETERAN TRAILER

2025 S GORDON COOPER DRIVE

SHAWNEE, OK

The Absentee Shawnee Veterans Association held a meeting

on Saturday January 31, 2026 at Golden Corral

in Norman and elected new officers.

Election of Officers:

Commander-Taren Williams

Executive officer-Bill Bayliss

Operations Officer-Elijah Foreman

Admin-Fin.-Twila Parker

First Sergeant-Adam Trammell-Lane

Chaplain-Raymond Tiger

SPRING BREAK

Melokami Youth Camp

Open to ALL YOUTH

6th-12th Grade

any youth who attended

summer camp 2025

Space is

Limited

Location: Brendle Corner

19200 E Robinson St, Norman, OK

(Located off of Highway 9, just East of 192nd)

Date/Time: March 16th-20th, 2026 / 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Transportation: Tecumseh/Shawnee area youth will be picked up at the AST

Complex @ 8:30 am SHARP. We will return to the complex @ 4:30 pm.

Sign-Ups: Youth must be signed up by Friday, March 13th.

Contact Information:

Blake Goodman: bgoodman@astribe.com

Shay Fixico: sfixico@astribe.com

TYP Cell: 405-617-6231

2026

ELDERS COUNCIL MEETING DATES

DATE

TIME

LOCATION

Saturday, January 17, 2026

10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

AST Multi-Purpose Building, Shawnee, OK

Saturday, February 21, 2026

10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.