M a s h k i i z i i b i i N a t u r a l Re s o u r c e (2019)

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MNRD Warden HOTLINE

M a s h k i i z i i b i i N a t u r a l Re s o u r c e

Call 715-682-7123 Ext. 1560

The Warden Hotline provides the tribal membership with the opportunity to confidentially report suspected wildlife, recreational and environmental violations.

These violations may include fishing, or hunting out of season, deposit of harmful substances in lakes

or rivers or illegal storage or disposal of hazardous waste. All these violations seriously affect the natural resources of our reservation.

Information received on this line will be relayed to a Mashkiiziibii Conservation Warden for investigation. You don’t have to leave your name when reporting a violation. However, it is often helpful to an

investigation if a Conservation Warden can follow-up on your report to verify essential facts. If you provide, your identity and any information that may identify you, that information will be protected and

kept confidential.

If response is needed immediately please feel free to call or email one of the following Wardens:

Gerald White

715-292-7822

chiefwarden@badriver-nsn.gov

Brad Bigboy

715-979-1181

brnrwarden@badriver-nsn.gov

Megan Mihalko

715-292-1902

brwarden@badriver-nsn.gov

Helpful info when reporting a violation

Who is the violator? Describe the people, including their physical description and clothing

What is the violation?

Where did this violation take place? (be as specific as possible)

When did this occur?

If possible, please take pictures, and license plate numbers, anything to help identify the suspects.

~MISSION STATEMENT~

Mashkiiziibii Natural

Resources Dep ar t ment

72682 Maple Street

PO Box 39

Odanah, WI, 54806

Phone: 715-682-7123

Fax: 715-682-7118

Email: NRDOutreach@badriver-nsn.gov

The Department strives for resource management which both conserves the natural resources

for the future generations and provide for the

needs of the present. The departments existence

reflects the importance the Bad River Tribe

places on its right and ability to exercise sovereignty, self-determination and self-regulation in

the area of natural resource management.

We’re on the Web!

! WEBPAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION !

Visit www.badriver-nsn.gov

Naomi Tillison, NRD Director

I

n 2019, the Natural Resources Department

(NRD) revised the format of our

department meeting agendas to

reflect the long-term goals identified in the Bad River Band's 10Year Strategic Plan adopted by

the Council in 2018. The first

goal listed in the Band's Strategic

Plan is to prioritize language and

culture by promoting and incorporating traditional Anishinaabe

beliefs, values, spirituality, and

traditions. As we were discussing

ways that staff had used or were

planning to use the language at

Special points of interest:

our July

23, 2019,

Department

meeting,

Ed Leoso

(Hatchery Foreman) suggested

that we call ourselves Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department instead of Bad River

NRD. The NRD team was excited about Ed's idea, and after a

quick debate on how to spell our

new name, we brought the request in front of the Tribal Coun-

• We changed our Department

Name

• NRD Polar Express at Community Christmas Party

• POWTS Program Updates

• Forestry News

cil in October to officially change

our name to support the Tribe's

goal to prioritize language and

culture. We're excited to

acknowledge and respect the true

name of what is currently called

the Bad River. Please join us in

celebrating our new Department

name – Mashkiiziibii NRD!

• Thoughts & Prayers to

Lemieux Family

• Ma’iingan Symposium

• MNRD Warden HOTLINE

Inside this issue:

Indoor Air More Polluted than

Inside Air?

2

Climate Change Article &

POWTS Update

3

Lease Office & NRD Polar

Express

4

A Miskwaabikaa is installed in

Bad River Watershed

5

New Staff Introductions

6

Ma’iingan Symposium

7

Brownsfield Public Record

9-11

News from MNRD Forestry

Program

12

Special Condolences to the

Lemieux Family

13

& families to enjoy at the Annual

Manoomin Article

14

Christmas Celebration on Saturday

Warden HOTLINE

16

Berthea Olby, NRD Outreach Coordinator

T

his year the Bad River Natu-

ral Resources Departments dedicated staff constructed, painted, and

decorated this wonderful Polar Express themed Hay Ride for the kids

December 7th. During this celebra…Continued on page 4

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COMMON GROUND

Page 15

Indoor Air more Polluted than Outdoor Air?

S

Dan Wiggins , Air Quality Technician

to keep out the irritating, itchy chaff. He

danced the rice in stocking feet to prevent any unnecessary breakage.

cientific studies have proven

some indoor environments are

more polluted than any outdoor

environment, which health concerns can

vary from home to home, can be related

to allergies or asthma, and can cause cancer and even death.

Indoor air pollution is sometimes not

contributed solely by one source, but rather a combination

of sources or factors. There are a variety of things that can

contribute to indoor air pollution and is usually associated

with sources that release gases or particles into the air. It

can be related to specific use of certain chemicals and

cleaning agents or traced back to a malfunctioning gasappliance, such as a furnace. Other issues can be directly

related to how the home was built or the deterioration of the

structure overtime. “Leaky” homes have a tendency of being less energy efficient and may allow excessive moisture

to enter, eventually contributing to moisture damage and the

development of mold.

Controlling or eliminating sources to minimize can improve

indoor environments; however, locating and identifying

these sources are not always simple. Reading labels and

understanding proper usage of cleaning agents or other

household chemicals should be done before use and may

help limit some pollutants. Allowing an adequate amount of

outdoor air to be introduced into the home can often avoid a

build-up of many indoor pollutants.

Other pollutants may be more difficult to control and may

even require a sort of testing to identify. Radon is naturally

occurring, odorless, cannot be seen, and may cause the development of lung cancer. A test kit placed in the home is

the only way to determine the indoor radon concentration.

Depending on the recorded level of radon a home may require radon reduction system to be installed to lower the

levels. Other pollutants, such as carbon monoxide are also

odorless, cannot be seen, and can cause death. Maintaining

and understanding the proper usage of gas appliances can

help avoid a build-up of CO and CO detectors are important

in every home and building to avoid being present during

threshold levels.

Methamphetamine usage has brought to light additional

indoor air issues. Previous homes used as “meth labs” or

from the “use of methamphetamines” may still contain residues and chemicals that can contribute to indoor health concerns if breathed in or come in contact with.

Health effects associated with certain pollutants are more

difficult to pinpoint. With multiple household chemicals

being present in today’s homes, along with each person reacting differently to certain pollutants, establishing precise

concentrations related to the development of certain symptoms are drastically harder to determine. Regular wheezing,

colds, and irritation of asthma can often be signs of elevated

pollutants. It is important to notice time and place of symptoms and if they lessen or go way once leaving the home.

Not all indoor pollutants will be noticed immediately, which

exposure to some pollutants overtime can contribute to cancers, respiratory illness, or heart disease. This is why it is

important to identify pollutants, such as radon. The United

States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has this

and additional information that can be found related to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/

index.html. Information can also be found on the Bad River

Tribes website at http://www.badriver-nsn.gov/tribaloperations/natural-resources/nrd/air-nrd.

TEST YOUR HOME FOR RADON!

FREE RADON TESTING

From December 2019 to April 2020

Radon does cause lung cancer and can be prevented if addressed properly. The Tribal Air Office offers free radon testing and IAQ monitoring

services every year. It is easy and takes only a very short period of time

to test your home for radon. If you would like to schedule testing please

use the contact information below and set a date to test your home.

Daniel Wiggins, Air Quality Technician

72682 Maple Street

Odanah, WI 54861

Phone: 715-682-7123 ext. 1553

Email: Air1@badriver-nsn.gov

My mother would then take a

large birch tray and shake or “winnow”

the rice. I can still picture her in the

back yard as she shook the rice in the

cool shade of the house while the gentle

winds removed the excess chaff. For the

rest of the season and throughout the

long, cold winter evenings, we could

pick the husks off the kernels to ready it

for cooking. I will always remember the

small of the rice. Its unpleasant, pungent odor permeated our home for

months. I used to hate that smell; now I

long for it.

It is now considered traditional for the Bad River Tribe to have a

Manomin pow wow to celebrate and

give thanks for the rice. This event usually takes place the third week in August.

Besides as a food staple, the

Ojibwe also used wild rice in their sacred ceremonies and storytelling. It is a

crucial element in the realm of the supernatural and in their interactions with

animals and humans. Allegory and symbolism often shroud the deep meanings

of tales in Ojibwe culture. Because of

this, some writers have ventured so far

as to assign wild rice the role of a

“mystique,” according to Tom Vennum

in Wild Rice and the Ojibway People.

My favorite story was about

the water spirits. They control the lakes

and rivers and can be dangerous if offended. Tobacco is offered to these

spirits out of gratitude and for appeasement. If they are ignored, it can affect

the rice crop. The worst danger would be drowning. My irrational childhood fear if the river still haunts me. I still cannot

swim -- however, I do offer the spirits tobacco…every year.

On certain days and in certain areas of the sloughs

it is said that the sound of the drums and signing can sometimes still be heard. They are like echoes from our past, reminding us this is a sacred place. In 1998 Marge Lemieux

was hired by the Bad River Band as a File Clerk. In 2000

Marge started working in the Band’s Realty office where she

served the Tribal membership for 19 years.

T

he Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department

would like to offer our sincere condolences to the

family of Marge Lemieux and express our gratitude

for Marge’s dedication and hard work (Miigwech!).

Page 14

Wildlife Staff Introduction

A

urora Conley joined Mashkiziibiing Natural

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COMMON GROUND

Page 3

B

oozhoo,

M

Resources team this fall, organizing and facilitat-

y name is Malita Smart and I am the

newly hired Administrative Assistant at the Natural

Resources Department. I have three beautiful children; Nashaya, Andrea and Noah, and I have lived

on the reservation for 26 years and I love this land

so much I am grateful my kids are able to grow up

next to Lake Superior in my backyard and can enjoy

all Bad River has to offer! There are so many learning opportunities here at Natural Recourses and I

hope to learn a great deal more! Before working here

I was an Assistant Teacher at the Bad River Head

Start where I loved teaching our future generation.

ing for the Ma’iingan Symposium being hosted by

Mashkiziibiing January 31st, 2020. Aurora is organizing the Symposium, bringing together Tribes,

Wildlife specialists, and State Representatives to

discuss and guide the status and future of

Ma’iingan. Aurora is especially excited to be a

part of a new network and experience for Bad

River- hosting and facilitating a Tribal Wolf Symposium. Aurora says “It (the symposium) hasn’t

been done before, and we’re excited to be able to

host and create a space for Anishinaabe to come

together for our Brother-Ma’iingan, and discuss

Aurora lives in Bad River with her two sons, serving

how we are to protect each other and co-exist,

the community in many capacities, serving the Edu-

survive.”

cation Board, the Environmental Protection Alliance

and Health Board.

Specialist, taught wolf calling and

wolf tracking. We had a great

pine of 3 foot or

time trying to call wolves in

so were prevalent

hopes of getting a response. This

on the tracks as

became somewhat of a competi-

the seeds have

tion as well. About a half hour

made their way to

before dark on Saturday night we

a sunny destina-

were able to hear the thrilling call

tion. As the for-

of our brother, Ma’iingan.

ester, it was en-

Throughout the weekend, and

especially on our Sunday morning

hike, tree identification was discussed, and kids were quizzed.

Regenerating (both red and white)

couraging for me

to see how thrifty

and regenerative the beautiful

nimishoomis and nookomis pines

are in the areas surrounding the

Potato River.

Eugene Bigboy, POWTS Inspector

( Private On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems)

ur POWTS Program currently

has twenty (20) tribal members in various

stages of our program. Some are just starting

out, others are working with their applications, some are working on land leases, others are scheduled in for construction next

spring/summer. Wherever you are in the

process, the winter off season is a good time

to complete as much as possible in this process. I keep mentioning the process because

that is exactly what it is. The applicant must

complete the application and have their land

claim/lease/ownership papers complete before IHS will even begin to consider their

application for funding. This is just the start,

our tribal environmental departments, consisting of WQS, Wetlands, THPO, Invasive

Species, Forestry, Leasing, POWTS, Environmental and more, must all complete their

project reviews of the applicants site.

Often, times there are many inspections

and assessment visits to evaluate each

site, and some sites require special permits. This all takes time and there are a

lot of unforeseen problems and issues that

come up. Finances/money is a major one

for the homeowners it takes a lot of money to set-up housing. The actual construction of installing a well and sewer mound

can be usually completed in a week if

everything goes right. If there is to be

considerable ground clearing, tree cutting,

ground disturbance that will naturally

take more time. The POWTS Program is

not an emergency repair program. If you

should suffer a breakdown such as a water or sewer pump going out, we will

O

troubleshoot the problem, and repair if

possible otherwise the homeowner must

bear the expense. However IHS will repair/replace any of their work that goes

down within a one (1) year “grace period” from the time of the final inspection

date. Our POWTS Office is located in

the Chief Blackbird Center, Mashkiiziibii

Natural Resources Dept. Office hours are

8:00 am. to 4:30 pm. M-F Telephone #

715-682-7123 ext.1663 or cell #715-6858727.

Gene Bigboy Jr

Bad River POWTS

Happy Holidays To All!!!!

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COMMON GROUND

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tion you had the opportunity to enjoy a nice

ride on the Polar Express around the community, decorate ornaments, frost cookies,

family filled day , surrounded by laughter and

picture with Santa, plus Hot Dogs and Hot

joy. We want to say a Huge “Miigwetch”

Cocoa for after the Polar Express! The

to the other Departments that helped make

MNRD is grateful to be apart of such a fun,

this event a success! “Miigwetch!”

Miigwech to the family of Marge

Lemieux for allowing us to reprint

Marge’s writing about manoomin and

the Sloughs.

Wild Rice of the Bad River

Sloughs

by Marge Lemieux

In dreams we have learned how everything given us is to be used; how the

rice is harvested and the animals hunted. So that we would learn all the

crafts, once a pair of humans was taken

from the earth and brought to a place

where they learned everything that the

Indians know, even how you follow the

[dictates] of dreams and honor the spirits. The two thought they had been gone

for eight days, but it was actually 8

years.

-Bill Johnson, Nett Lake, 1947

Bad River Leasing

Chief Blackbird Center

P.O. Box 39

Odanah,WI 54861

715-682-7111 x 1588

lease@badriver-nsn.gov

Patti J. BigBoy

Manomin is an Ojibwe word for

wild rice. It means “good berry” or “good

seed”. It has been a traditional staple accompanying their other food for almost three

centuries. It is one of the most nutritive single foods which the Indians of North America consumed. Rice combined with maple

sugar, wild berries, venison and other meats

is probably healthier than that of the average

American family of today. Rich in carbohydrates and low in fat, it quickly converts to

energy in the body and also contains protein

essential to growth. Rice is easily digested

and also rich in thiamin, riboflavin, and

vitamin B.

August is the traditional month for

harvesting. To ensure a good harvest there

must be plenty of rainfall and long searing

days to ripen the rice on its long, slender

stalks. Germination of the rice seed actually

begins with snow melt and spring run-off

from mid to late April. During the first part

of July the stalk finally emerges. The rice

field looks almost like an emerald grassy

meadow at this point. Their blossoms are

pale yellow-green and delicately shaded

with reddish-purple. (Wild Rice and the

Ojibway People, Tom Vennum, Jr)

The Bad River Kakagon slough

area where tribal members gather rice is

located at the northern tip of the reservation.

The distance from the docking area is at

least three miles. This long ride is usually

undertaken in a boat with two to three rice

boats towed behind it. I can remember as a

child, the long, leisurely ride to the sloughs

which began at daybreak. At this time of the

season the area is bursting with wildlife,

ducks and birds of many kinds inhabit the

tall, grassy marshes. River bugs flitter merrily atop the surface of the river. The water

is very dark in color; it reflects the rich,

dark riverbed sediment. I remember the

thick, lush vegetation lining the shores and

growing beneath the water. Above the water

it danced and weaved in the warm summer

winds. But the tangled, thickly matted, underwater vegetation always made me uncomfortable as I was unable to swim -- the

thought of falling in was a terrifying one. The

smell of the river is still with me. Its fishlike

essence is unforgettable.

Ricing was once regarded as a family gathering and outing. Buyers lined the shore

to purchase this covered, traditional staple. To

the outer world it was considered a delicacy -to the Indian it was a necessity. There are

some families who still rice together today,

but not to the extent as when I was a child.

Once the rice is brought home, it has

to be dried. This task is done immediately. My

parents would lay out a canvas tarp and allow

it to dry naturally. Fresh harvested rice continues to ripen but it must have air, sun, and

sometimes the heat of a fire to rid it of moisture before roasting. While drying the rice is

picked over and cleaned of trash, leaves, rice

worms, etc. The drying and cleaning may take

a day or more.

The next step is scorching the rice.

A fire was made in our back yard and a large

wash tub placed over the fire at an angle. A

long, wooden paddle is then used to turn the

rice over and around the tub. If scorching is

not done for two days, the rice turns black. If it

is not done for three days, it has to be parched

quickly so it will not be coal black. If dried

and parched immediately, then the color of the

rice is a beautiful shade of green. We children

thought it great fun and we felt very important

to be allowed our turn with the rice.

It fell to one of my brothers to next

“dance” or jig the rice. This process is one in a

wooden barrel-type container. The purpose of

jigging is to crack the chaff and break it from

the kernel. Because it can take up to an hour to

dance one portion, the proper treading requires

strength, suppleness and endurance. My brother always wore long sleeves and long pants

that were tied at the bottom over heavy socks

Continued on page 15...

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(Tribal Soil Climate Analysis Network Station)

In May 2019, a detailed soil description of the site was completed

before Chris Borden (NRCS), Nathan Kilger, Daniel Wiggins Jr,

and Eric Andrews (Maskiiziibii Natural Resource Department) and

Phil Defoe (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) completed the installation of the TSCAN station.

Nathan Kilger, Mashkiiziibii Air Quality Specialist

Chris Borden, Natural Resource Conservation Service Tribal Liaison

I

The TSCAN station provides hourly data to the network. Data include solar radiation, temperature and relative humidity, precipitation, leaf wetness, wind speed and direction, and soil moisture at

four, eight, and twenty-inch depths. As part of this project, NOAA’s

Northeast Regional Climate Center assisted with programming the

units so that SCAN data can be ingested into the national NOAA

database. The data will be regionally useful due to the extensive

nature of the soil type in which the station was installed.

The website portal to look at these weather stations across the

country, as well as find the one in the Bad River watershed, head

over to this shortened link: http://bit.ly/tribalSCAN

Ryan Bevernitz, and Alex Gajdosik, and Tim Miland, Area Resource Soil

Scientist conducting a detailed soils description on site

Gena Abramson, Forestry Specialist

T

he last weekend in October was a splendid and sacred time for a small group of

youth and a small group of youthful

adults. Hiking 2 ½ miles west on the Potato River

Road Railroad grade to the tribe’s cabin on Vaughn

Creek, we got a good look at the woods. There was a

nice variety of aspen, young pine, balsam fir, birch,

and very mature pine to admire as we carried our

gear to our destination.

n 2018 the Bad River

Band of Lake Superior

Chippewa made a request to the Natural Resources Conservation

Service’s (NRCS) National Water and Climate

Center to fund the installation of a Tribal Soil Climate Analysis Network

(TSCAN) weather station. This was a part of an

initiative between the

NRCS and the Bureau of

Indian Affairs (BIA) to

combine their technical

and financial resources to

purchase and deploy thirty TSCAN stations to eligible Tribes and Nations

to support agricultural

and forestry operations

and enhance Science

Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics (STEM)

programming.

The Band applied to this

Angela Biggs, NRCS State Conservationist, Bad River Tribal staff Dan Wiggins (Air Quality Technician), Nathan Kilger

NRCS/BIA partnership

(Air Quality Specialist) and Eric Andrews (Climate Change Coordinator) in front of the nearly completed TSCAN Station

program to help all the

communities within the

Bad River watershed in several ways. This automated

Most importantly, this data will provide increased warnstation is located centrally within the 1,000 square

ing

when a heavy precipitation event incites possible

mile Bad River watershed and can be used to develop

flood

conditions and will monitor weather conditions

location-relevant environmental education curriculum

and wind patterns in an area far from the nearest

in the educational programs on the Bad River Reserweather station, helping to fill in an important data gap

vation and school districts.

for many agencies.

showed

us how

to build

fire

with

friction.

The weather was cool, but the boys were warned that

They

they’d get too hot if they attempted to wear their new

also

hunting coats on the way in. Some listened, some

showed us how to build emergency shelters out of forest

learned. Once we got there, they were eager to try

materials, like balsam boughs (or whatever is available).

out the pellet gun. There was some healthy competi-

Alyosha told us about a time when he had to use his sur-

tion over the weekend as we used targets to see who

vival skills to stay alive as he was stranded in the forest.

the best shot was.

Experience teaches a wealth of knowledge.

Alyosha Wilding and his Red Cliff companion, Nick,

Abi Fergus, Mashkiiziibii Wildlife

The station will also collect data that will help the climate change adaptation forestry pilot sites initiated

under the Bad River Band’s Seventh Generation Climate Change Monitoring Plan as well as obtain baseline data for future quantitative comparison. Information from the station can be used by agriculture

and forestry interests with similar soil types in the region.

Maskiiziibii Natural Resource Department staff in the air

quality and climate change offices worked with soils

scientists from the regional NRCS office to identify a

site on which to install the station. Then Bad River staff

worked with leadership at the Copper Falls State Park

to secure permits for the installation.

..Continued on pg. 14…..

Continued on pg. 12

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COMMON GROUND

Community Collaborations Needed to Protect and

Restore Manoomin

Naomi Tillison, MNRD Director

T

he Mashkiiziibii NRD

I(MNRD) hosted a

community meeting on October

29, 2019, to discuss the state of

the manoomin (wild rice) ecosystem on the Bad River Reservation. Twenty-nine (29) community members attended (not counting the community members who

are also part of the MNRD team).

MNRD team members took turns

presenting on our efforts to protect and restore manoomin

through an integrated ecosystem

approach, including harvesting

Wapato (a tuber of the arrowhead

plant) in October 2018 with Education and Food Sovereignty staff

and purchasing 385 acres of land

in the Sloughs through Great

Lakes Restoration Initiative funding. MNRD staff also highlighted

our Departments' next steps

planned for 2020, such as implementing surveys to better understand Wazhashk (muskrats), improving our common carp control

efforts, and creating a Manoomin

Specialist position to join the

MNRD team. We also distributed

copies of the draft manoomin

plan for the Sloughs, which was drafted in

2007.

Miigwech to Dan Wiggins for facilitating

the meeting and community discussion on

the next steps to move forward. The need

for more community action was repeated

throughout the meeting. This cry for action was not solely focused on MNRD

efforts. We need the community's help

and partnership to better protect and restore manoomin in this Lake Superior

coastal wetland system; we can’t do it

alone.

The MNRD team is committed to improving

our efforts to better protect and restore the

manoomin ecosystem, and the graphic

above highlights some of our 2020 commitments, including improving our communication about manoomin-related projects.

Since the community meeting, we've had

many conversations in MNRD about our

actions and commitments to better respect

the manoomin ecosystem. The MNRD

presented the draft position description for

the Manoomin Specialist to the Tribal

Council at the December 17, 2019, meeting for their approval and commitment of

funds to support this position; this new position will be posted soon. The MNRD recently hired a 4th Conservation Warden to

join our team (welcome to Stanlee!).

We also drafted recommendations for

the establishment of a Manoomin

workgroup - a group of tribal employees and community members who will

help move community initiatives forward. We're hoping to establish this

workgroup in January 2020 so stayed

tuned for more information about this

workgroup and other manoominrelated initiatives.

Miigwech to all the staff who helped

put together the Manoomin Community Meeting!

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COMMON GROUND

By Abi Fergus, Wildlife Specialist

S

ince the beginning of my employment in July as the Tribe’s

Wildlife Specialist, I’ve been hitting the

ground running. The Tribe filed its lawsuit

against Enbridge six days after I was hired,

and I was just picking up where we had

left off in planning a Ma’iingan Symposium before previous Wildlife Specialist

Lacey Hill-Kastern took a job with

WTCAC. I’m excited to report that thanks

to the dedication of our planning team and

of our event coordinator Aurora Conley,

we’re on track for an event that will bring

valuable knowledge to all people who

have a relationship with brother ma’iingan,

the wolf.

In 2017, Mashkiiziibii Tribal

Council called for a Ma’iingan Symposium and former Wildlife Specialist Lacey

Hill-Kastern wrote the following explanation of a Ma’iingan Symposium to the

Voigt Task Force:

“Last year in Wisconsin (2016),

there was a Great Lakes Wolf

Summit hosted by state Senator

Tom Tiffany. This Summit was

very anti-wolf. There should be a

counter to this. The Chippewa

Tribes should host a Great Lakes

Ma’iingan Symposium. This

Symposium would highlight the

Miigwetch to our former Brownsfield Specialist, MarKatie Mealy, for updating our public record.

significance of Ma’iingan to the

...continued on pg. 8...

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Page 9

ma’iingan, traditional stories and

light positive research that

teachings about ma’iingan, breakout

shows the important role that

groups to discuss ma’iingan’s rela-

Ma’iingan plays on the land-

tionship with livestock and people,

scape. Wisconsin Public

and a tribal working session to col-

Television has been working

laborate on a treaty or some other

on a documentary about

outcome that will express tribes’

Ma’iingan with both Red

support of and companionship with

Cliff and Bad River and this

ma’iingan.

symposium could also be a

and tribal organizations.”

great place to release this

Fast forward to 2019, Mash-

Working with Mashkiiziibii

since my initial internship in 2017

film. GLIFWC may be a

kiiziibii Wildlife Program has been col-

has taught me most of what I know

good organization to coordi-

laborating with Red Cliff and GLIFWC to

about ma’iingan, so its an honor to

nate this symposium in col-

host this event. Our agenda now entails

bring together people from all walks

laboration with other tribes

cutting edge scientific research about

of life to spread more knowledge.

oozhoo!

My name is Stanlee Kmiecik. My

ple syrup and wild ricing. It is crucial to

parents are Brook Kmiecik and Booj

harvest in a sustainable way. My love for

LaBarge. My Nokomis is Rae Ann

Natural Resources led me to pursing a

Maday. My Mishomis is Gary

degree that would allow me to fulfill my

Kmiecik. My great grandparents are

passion. I hope to be a mentor, teacher and

the late Raymond and Patricia Maday.

role model to the youth in the community.

I graduated on May 14th, 2019 from

I am honored to have this opportunity to

Vermillion College with an Associate

work for my tribe, as a warden for the Bad

of Applied Science in

River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Wildland/Wildlife Law Enforcement.

Indians.

I am an avid exerciser of my inherent

treaty rights as a Bad River tribal

member. I enjoy spring/winter spearing, snaring, hunting, processing maple syrup and wild ricing. It is crucial

Miigwech

Cut along this Edge

B

Cut along this Edge

Anishinaabe and also high-