All You Need To Know About The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (2009)
Tribal code
Ask Donna
What actually matters in this document.
Text
GIIKENDAAM
CHIWIIKWEGAMAG
All You Need To Know About The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Gashkadino Giizis - Freezing Moon - November 2009
Issue 65
Tribal Council Members:
KBIC HOLDS CHELSEY LAFERNIER MEMORIAL WALK
Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President
Susan J. LaFernier, Vice-President
Toni Minton, Secretary
William E. Emery, Asst. Secretary
Jennifer Misegan, Treasurer
Elizabeth D. Mayo
Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.
Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews
Jerry Lee Curtis
Frederick Dakota
Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr.
Isabelle H. Welsh
SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:
Newsletter editor photo.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the KBIC held their first annual
memorial walk in honor of Chelsey LaFernier,
who was brutally murdered earlier this year on the
Keweenaw Bay Indian reservation.
Over 400 Community members participated in
the event which began with a pipe ceremony on
the corner of McGillan and Lyons Street near the
home where Chelsey LaFernier had resided. A
procession of walkers stretched over a quarter
mile as the participants walked the 1.8 mile
stretch to the Niiwin Akeaa Center where songs
by the Four Thunders Drum and Singers began
the program. President Warren (Chris) Swartz,
Jr., was asked by co-hosts, Carole LaPointe,
Health Director, and Wanda Seppanen, VOCA
Worker, to present gifts to the family of Chelsey
LaFernier. Harry LaFernier and Roberta Sheldon
(Chelsey’s parents) were both presented with a
Pendleton blanket, and Chelsey’s daughter,
Alexxus (and son DaVohn who was not present)
also received gifts from the Community.
President Swartz then presented the KBIC
Tribal Police Department with a plaque of appreciation for outstanding professionalism and service recognizing Officer Miranda (Voakes) Forcia,
Captain William (Chill) Seppanen, Sr., Sgt. Duane
Misegan, and Officer Anthony Loonsfoot for the
invaluable assistance to our Community stemming from the January 22, 2009, tragedy which
forever changed the lives of our members and
residents. These four law enforcement officers
were each presented with a certificate of appreciation for outstanding professionalism and service.
Certifications of appreciation for professionalism and service were also awarded to Michigan
State Police Troopers Robert Carter and Patricia
Butler, Baraga Village Police Officers Matthew
Gagnier and Chad Soli, Baraga Village Police
Chief Harry Miron, and to agents Leslie Hahn,
Clinton Morris and Jay Johnson, and to the Michigan Crime Lab, for their invaluable assistance to
our Community.
Lights were dimmed and candles were raised
Continues bottom of next column.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Newsletter editor photo.
(left to right) Carole LaPointe, Health Director, Harry LaFernier
and Roberta Sheldon (Chelsey’s parents), Wanda Seppanen,
VOCA Worker, and (front) Alexxus DeCota (Chelsey’s daughter).
•
•
•
October 3, 2009, Tribal Council meeting
Even Start Open House
OCC Achieves Candidacy
Status
KBIC Receives Weed & Seed
Grant Funding
KBIC Harvest Feast
DHHS Superior Spirit Award
KBIC DHHS Selected To Test
National Accreditation Program
American Diabetes Month
KBIC Leads The Way Again,
Receives Title IV-E Plan Grant
Deepest Sympathy
Newsletter editor photo.
Newsletter editor photo.
(left to right) Officer Miranda (Voakes) Forcia, Sgt. Duane
Misegan, Officer Anthony Loonsfoot, President Warren (Chris)
Swartz, Jr. Missing for photo, Captain William (Chill) Seppanen, Sr.
as Sally Brunk, a member of the community, read a
poem she authored against domestic abuse entitled,
“What Price?”
Carole LaPointe, Health Director, announced
“KBIC has just received word that we have been
Continues page two.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community extends this
plaque of appreciation for outstanding professionalism
and service to the Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police
Department and especially to Officer Miranda Forcia,
Captain William Seppanen, Sr., Sergeant Duane
Misegan, and Officer Anthony Loonsfoot for the
invaluable assistance to our community stemming from
the January 22, 2009 tragedy which forever changed
the lives for our members and residents.
Given this 9th day of October, 2009, at the Niiwin
Akeaa Community Building in Baraga, Michigan.
Warren “Chris” Swartz, Tribal President
(1) Bezhig
October 3, 2009 — Tribal Council Meeting
The Tribal Council held their regularly
scheduled Saturday Tribal Council meeting on
October 3, 2009, at the Marquette (Harvey)
Community Center. Warren (Chris) Swartz,
Jr., presided over the meeting with Susan
LaFernier, Toni Minton, William E. Emery, Jennifer Misegan, Jerry Lee Curtis, Fred Dakota,
Michael F. LaFernier, Sr., Gary F. Loonsfoot,
Sr., Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews, Elizabeth D.
Mayo, and Isabelle Helene Welsh present.
President Swartz shared numerous Thank You
and For Your Information items addressed to
Council. Reports were given for September
2009, by President Swartz (see page three),
Vice President Susan LaFernier (see page
four), Secretary Toni Minton (see page five),
Treasurer Jennifer Misegan (see page four),
and CEO Larry Denomie (see page eight).
Council passed Department Head Reports for
August 2009.
Pat Brown addressed the council under
open business regarding three matters. First,
Ms. Brown requested financial assistance for
the Marquette Seniors’ Christmas Party in the
same amount received last year plus the $328
that she refunded after last year’s party. Plans
are being made to hold their party on December 5, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. Council took the request under advisement and will take action
on a later date. Second, Ms. Brown inquired
why there was no summer youth employed in
the Marquette area. After some discussion the
reason became apparent that there was no
available staff to supervise the youth in Marquette. Pat Brown graciously offered her assistance to supervise youth in the Marquette
area for this coming year. Council will forward
the offer to the Summer Youth Coordinator.
Thirdly, Ms. Brown requested a raise in this
year’s Christmas gift checks. Although an
amount was not given, Council did state that
because of the increased profit from cigarette
sales sold by the Tribe, members will definitely
see an increase in this years Christmas gift
checks.
Debbie Parrish, Ojibwa Community College
President, gave an update on OCC’s accreditation review committee’s visit from a meeting
she attended in Chicago on September 14,
2009. Fantastic news was received as the
review committee has recommended OCC for
candidacy status for accreditation. OCC received the official letter/notification on October
5, 2009, and will begin to move forward with
their plan for additional funding which includes:
BIA money, HUD/Tribal College University
Program funds, and they will seek the assistance of the American Indian Higher Education
Consortium for the Dept. of Ed and other funding. Candidacy status will allow OCC to gain
full membership into AIHEC and become eligible to receive funding from the American Indian College Fund for various types of funding
including operating funds ($100,000), restricted funds from donors ($50,000), and student scholarships. President Parrish plans to
attend the AIHEC meeting in two weeks being
held in New Hampshire, where she will make a
request for OCC to become a full member of
AIHEC. OCC will also be applying for the
TEACH program from the Michigan 4C Association. Those employees of Head Start will
be eligible for tuition assistance from that program to attend the college once OCC is approved by the Teach Fund Program. President Parrish has notified local universities and
will be updating the transfer credit agreements
with Northern Michigan University, Finlandia
University, and Michigan Tech, and will continue to work on the video conferencing system with NMU which will be in place later this
year for interactive video classes. Parrish
stated she had been notified yesterday by
Senator Levin’s office that they will be providing a letter of support for OCC’s Broadband
Technology Opportunity Program proposal, a
(2) Niizh
1.9 million dollar expansion to the college.
Parrish stated of their future plans, “OCC
plans on bringing back a Business Degree,
Two-year Native American Studies Degree,
and an Informational Systems Degree. In addition, OCC is working with the Tribal Historical Preservation Office on the mapping for the
Pinery Cemetery. Tribal Construction will be
providing OCC with information for OCC’s
Woodshop Technology class held in the Industrial Park who will be rebuilding some of the
spirit houses at the Pinery Cemetery. They
will also work on rebuilding some of the
crosses at the Assinins Cemetery.” Council
thanked President Parrish, OCC staff and faculty, and the OCC Board, for obtaining candidacy status and the hard work they have done
to do so. The candidacy status is for four
years and there will be another comprehensive
visit in two years to prepare for full accreditation. President Parrish thanked all of the
Council for their continued support as this has
been a long endeavor and appreciates their
understanding of what the process entailed.
Diana Chaudier, Election Board Chairperson, presented the Council with a list of individuals who have submitted their names for
the primary election to be held on October 31,
2009. In the Baraga District for Tribal Council—Robin
Chosa,
Jerry
Lee
Curtis,
(incumbent), John Davis, Gary A. Mayo (a/k/a
Gary Magnant), Debbie Parrish, Sandra L.
Pittsley, Donny Shalifoe, Sr., Warren (Chris)
Swartz, Jr. (incumbent), and Debi Williamson.
In the L’Anse District for Tribal Council—
Colleen DeRoche, Joe A. Dowd, Eddy Michael
Edwards, Monica Emery Kohn, Susan J.
LaFernier (incumbent), Jennifer Misegan
(incumbent), Rose (Missy) Picard, JoAnne
Racette, Evelyn Ravindran, and James Welsh.
Chief Judge seat—Bradley T. Dakota
(incumbent) and Paul Smith. There will be no
primary election held for the Chief Judge seat
since there is only two candidates. The Election Board met and recommended approval for
all nominations for candidacy with the exception of John Davis in the Baraga District. Mr.
Davis did not physically reside in the Baraga
District for at least one year immediately preceding the primary election. Motion by Gary
F. Loonsfoot, Sr., to approve the list of candidates as presented with the exception of
John Davis for the primary election, supported by William E. Emery, eight supported (Minton, Emery, Dakota, M.
LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Matthews, Mayo,
Welsh), 0 opposed, three abstained (S.
LaFernier, Curtis, Misegan), motion carried.
Motion by William E. Emery to approve the
voters list as presented for the 2009 election, supported by Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews, eight supported (Minton, Emery, Dakota, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Matthews,
Mayo, Welsh), 0 opposed, three abstained
(S. LaFernier, Curtis, Misegan), motion carried.
Jerry Lee Curtis requested on behalf of the
NASA 9th Annual First Nations Food Taster
four deer tags which NMU student, a KBIC
member, Mitch Bolo has agreed to hunt on
their behalf; two deer for the Food Taster (held
in November) and two deer for the NMU Powwow (held in March). Motion by Jennifer
Misegan to approve four deer tags, supported by Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews,
eleven supported (S, LaFernier, M.
LaFernier, Minton, Emery, Misegan, Curtis,
Dakota, Loonsfoot, Matthews, Mayo,
Welsh), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion
carried.
Motion by Jennifer Misegan to introduce
the 1st Reading Introduction for Amendments to Gaming Commission Proposed
Ordinance 2009-04 and the 1st Reading Introduction for Amendments to Gaming
regulatory Proposed Ordinance 2009-05
and to waive the first reading for both, supported by Toni Minton, ten supported (S,
LaFernier, Minton, Emery, Misegan, Curtis,
Dakota, Loonsfoot, Matthews, Mayo,
Welsh), one opposed (M. LaFernier), 0 abstained, motion carried. The second reading will be scheduled within 30 days and an
informal review will be held with the Gaming
Commission prior to the second reading.
Jennifer Misegan presented a request by
Lori Muhlig, Michigan Tech Native American
Outreach Coordinator for financial assistance
in the amount of $8,000 for MTU’s 14th Annual
Spirit of the Harvest Powwow and Speakers’
Forum to be held October 23-24. Motion by
Jennifer Misegan to donate $8,000 for
MTU’s 14th Annual Spirit of the Harvest
Powwow and Speakers’ Forum, supported
by Michael LaFernier, Sr., eleven supported
(S, LaFernier, M. LaFernier, Minton, Emery,
Misegan, Curtis, Dakota, Loonsfoot, Matthews, Mayo, Welsh), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion carried.
President Swartz informed the Council that
he had approved emergency funding in the
amount of $550 to have a tree removed from
tribally owned property which was an immediate threat to the residents at the Cheryl Bogda
home.
Jennifer Misegan brought forth a suggestion for the Council to meet with the Ojibwa
Housing Authority Board to clearly define roles
and responsibilities, and address other problems. Misegan stated, “It may be helpful to
have a mediator present. If this continues, it
will only hurt the members. I’m not willing to
ignore this problem. It needs to be corrected
because it needs to stop being about who is
getting credit and start being about what is
better for the Tribe.” Motion by Gary Loonsfoot, Sr., to table this meeting until he can
meet with the Housing Board, supported by
William E. Emery, five supported (Welsh, M.
LaFernier, Emery, Loonsfoot, Misegan), six
opposed (Dakota, S. LaFernier, Minton,
Curtis, Matthews, Mayo), 0 abstained, motion defeated. Motion by Jennifer Misegan
to set a date to meet with the Housing
Board to discuss the problems that we are
currently having and to define our roles
and responsibilities, and the authorities of
each body, supported by Fred Dakota,
eleven supported, (S, LaFernier, M.
LaFernier, Minton, Emery, Misegan, Curtis,
Dakota, Loonsfoot, Matthews, Mayo,
Welsh), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion
carried. President Swartz will schedule this
meeting date.
President Swartz presented a request of
the Smithsonian National Museum of the
American Indian for a KBIC Flag to display.
Motion by Gary Loonsfoot, Sr., to give the
Smithsonian National Museum of the
American Indian a KBIC Flag to display,
supported by Susan LaFernier, eleven supported (S. LaFernier, M. LaFernier, Minton,
Emery, Misegan, Curtis, Dakota, Loonsfoot,
Matthews, Mayo Welsh), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion carried.
Council moved into closed session with
Jerry Lee Curtis, CEO Larry Denomie, and
President Swartz on the agenda.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk continued:
awarded two Office of Violence Against
Women (OVW) grants totaling $878,000. One
project goal entitled, Dancing in the Rain Violence against Women’s Project is to reduce
the number of domestic violence crimes and
discourage sexual assault committed against
Indian women on our reservation.
Continues on page three.
Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk continued:
We intend to accomplish this goal by enhancing and increasing services available to
provide to the family and children, holding offenders accountable for their actions and providing appropriate and confidential advocacy
and support.” LaPointe added, “In 2008,
KBIC’s VOCA Worker had a case load of 329
survivors, 252 of these women were unduplicated. This is tremendous as there are only
365 days in a year. We had 252 unduplicated
calls for help because of domestic violence!
Some of these grant dollars will create three
new positions in Youth and Family Services - a
therapist, a second VOCA Worker, and an Administrative Assistant. Some of these grant
dollars will go to try to change the rules on the
reservation, so we can look at abuse in a different manner and that it is not acceptable.
We have to say no to violence, any form of
violence, be it domestic abuse, child sexual
assault/abuse, or elder abuse, to name a few.
The KBIC Dancing in the Rain Project will significantly improve our ability to provide a curriculum and risk reduction activity for the ability
to assist all Tribal members in improving their
overall life. Beginning today, we are all going
to work towards change, and I hope that you
are all there to join us.”
Ruth Oja, Hannahville’s VOCA, was the
evening’s guest speaker. “What an amazing
sight,” Oja began her speech. “The idea that
so many of you came together to walk and to
remember the life of one of our warriors is just
amazing. I know that every single one of you
did not do that walk and is not sitting here be-
Newsletter editor photo.
Ruth Oja, Hannahville VOCA, shown above with the shirt she
brings out every October during Domestic Abuse Month.
cause you don’t care, and it is amazing that
you are here in the numbers that you are.
This is probably the biggest first event that I
have ever attended. Your community, like any
community, is technically going to have the
level of violence that its citizens are willing to
tolerate. Domestic violence is not going to end
because the judge sends somebody to jail.
Domestic violence is not going to end because
you have a dedicated police force. Domestic
violence will end in your community when we
will not allow a perpetrator of domestic violence to live amongst us in our homes. When
a perpetrator of domestic violence is allowed
to live in a community that has values different
than them, they don’t understand that they’re
not supposed to harm people. If you can remember and hold Chelsey in your heart and
make that pledge tonight for this program
which now has awesome funding coming in,
you can make a difference in this community,
and perpetrators will not want to live here.
Perpetrators want to stay in and function well
in communities that don’t care. If you make it
hard to be a perpetrator in this community,
you’re going to put the biggest end to domestic
PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2009.
Activities Reported by the President, Warren
(Chris) Swartz, Jr., for the last few months.
•
Signed a letter on behalf of the Community
to Senator Levin’s office asking him to seriously consider a Native American from the
State of Michigan for an appointment to
the U.S. District Court, Western District of
Michigan or the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Sixth Circuit, stating, “Given the importance of Federal Indian Law and a Federal
Judgeship, the Community would like you
to consider Matthew L.M. Fletcher for an
appointment to the Federal judicatory.”
•
I signed a letter of support for improvements to the Baraga Marina at the request
of Baraga Village Manager, Roy Kemppainen.
ο Executive Order 13175 — Consul-
ο
tation and Coordination with Indian
Tribal Governments, was issued by
President Clinton on November 9,
2000. The Executive Order was
required by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, and is
the companion to E.O. 13132—
Federalism—which applies to state
governments.
Although E.O.
13175 was created during the Clinton Administration, it is rooted in
the longstanding relationship found
in the U.S. Constitution, the Indian
treaties, and the federal trust relationship.
Although there has been a great
deal of discussion, Tribal concerns
can be boiled down to two points.
1) The E.O. is viewed by federal
agencies as merely a procedural
requirement with no focus on the
substantive goals of Tribal selfgovernment and fulfillment of the
federal trust responsibility. Tribal
leaders spend a great deal of time
and resources engaging with a federal agency and receive little response directed toward Tribal recommendations. 2) On some occasions, federal agencies will ignore
or refuse to carry out their responsibilities under the Executive Order,
and there are no mechanisms for
accountability. Although these are
serious concerns about the consultation process, Tribal leaders also
generally acknowledge that the
E.O. is a useful tool for informing
federal officials about the FederalTribal relationship, and that some
consultation processes work well
and have positive results.
ο Recommendation #1—Refocus
the Executive Order on Tribal
sovereignty, the trust responsibility and the goal of building
consensus between nations.
ο Recommendation #2—Develop
new accountability provisions.
ο Recommendation #3—Create
opportunities for both formal
consultation on developed proposals and early informal scoping on Tribal issues.
•
Continued working with OCC President
with the efforts to obtain candidacy status
from the Higher Learning Commission.
•
We received notice that we were awarded
a grant by the Office On Women Against
Violence from the Department of Justice.
•
I attended a Swine Flu Conference in
Lansing, Michigan, with Heath Director,
Carole LaPointe. We attended this conference to try and understand how other jurisdictions are dealing with this pandemic.
We want to be proactive.
•
At the conference, I was informed by
Health Director of the Healthy Nations
Community Initiative. This is designed to
empower grassroots level people to participate in discussions on health and wellness
issues and then teach the Community and
work to resolve issues of concern. There
are four leadership retreats available per
year.
•
I participated in a listening session in
Washington D.C.
Two of President
Obama’s key campaign commitments to
Indian Country were that he would meet
with Tribal leaders on an annual basis and
that his Administration would respect the
Nation-to-Nation relationship with Indian
Tribal governments.
ο Recently, the White House Domestic Policy Council sent an invitation
to Tribal leaders for two listening
sessions on August 31, 2009, in
Washington D.C. The purpose of
the sessions is to bring together
Tribal leaders and White House
• We continue to work together on drafting a
staff, led by Senior Policy Advisor
resolution regarding the exercise of off resfor Native American Affairs, Kimervation treaty rights in our home territory.
berly Teehee, to engage in an informal dialogue on the process of • I submitted the AARA IRR Maintenance
Work Plan that Jason Ayres developed
Tribal consultation. These meetbased on the most recent observations of
ings are intended to prepare the
needs required to maintain Tribally owned
Obama Administration to address
roads. This work plan must be submitted
Tribal Consultation and the Nationprior to execution of our AARA Mainteto-Nation relationship.
nance Contract.
ο Recommendations on Tribal Consultation and Government-toRespectfully submitted,
Government Coordination.
Warren (Chris) Swartz, Jr., President
violence on this reservation that you can. If
you see domestic violence, if you hear about
it, as a responsible citizen you should report it.
Because if you’re not reporting it, the next victim may be your niece, your sister, your grandchild. Perpetrators of domestic violence don’t
stop because they don’t have to. We all have
to learn what is the power inside of us to make
that difference.” Oja, wore a t-shirt bearing a
picture of a domestic violence victim from her
reservation, a woman named Loretta, who was
killed in June of 2007. Oja brought with her
another shirt that she states, “I bring out every
October, because in the 23 years that I have
been saved, this is the number of people who
have been murdered whom I have known,
talked to on the phone, or been friendly with.
This is what we’re trying to stop. It’s each one
of you who has to say we are not going to tolerate it anymore. The violence has got to
stop.”
A feast and giveaway concluded the Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk Program which
was sponsored by: VOCA, Weed and Seed,
the Office of Violence Against Women, and the
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The event
was planned by the KBIC Women’s Survivor
Group “niimi gimiwang” with assistance from
KBIC DHHS OVW Grant, IHS Public Nurse
Grant, KBIC VOCA, KBIC Dept. of Health &
Continued on page seven.
(3) Niswi
SEPTEMBER 2009
TREASURER’S REPORT
VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2009.
The Council met and reviewed ten donation
requests for the month of September. The
following were approved:
Activities Reported by the Vice President,
Susan LaFernier, for the month of September
2009.
•
We all need to commit to do our part to
make a difference to protect our environment
and change the world. I hope that you have
been learning how to save and conserve energy to protect our Earth if you are able. I will
continue to emphasize that every month is
“Energy Awareness Month” and our theme for
the year will be a “Commit to Conserve” Campaign. There are simple, everyday conservation measures we can all easily commit to.
There are also everyday measures we can do
to reduce air pollution, conserve water, reduce/reuse/recycle/re-buy materials, and prevent pollution in general. All of this information
is available on the EPA.gov and energy.gov
websites.
Thank you to everyone who cares and protects our earth and water everyday. “It is our
responsibility: Tribe’s, residents, municipalities, businesses and visitors to protect and
restore the quality of Lake Superior’s (and all
of our lakes) water, land, and wildlife. The
lakes have always been and always will be
important to the quality of our lives.”
On September 1, 2009, I attended a round
table discussion facilitated by Vicki Dompier/
Eddy Edwards at the Ojibwa Housing meeting
room with our various services providers (13
invites/10 attended) to begin working on the
what/where/who/when in regards to the supportive housing concept. Thank you to Vicki
for her work and care in regard to the needs
and welfare of our people. Thank you also to
Larry Denomie, Debbie Picciano, Carole LaPointe, and Jean Jokinen for their work, and
watch for developments with this new concept.
The paraprofessional training session
through our THPO department was held on
September 21-24, and included the mapping
process for the Pinery Cemetery. We are now
hoping to begin the actual process in October
and will be inviting interested persons to come
and help. They also received information
about the importance of historic properties and
the types of historic properties found on the
reservation and trust lands of KBIC. We are
asking if anyone has information regarding
forgotten graves and information on graves
that do not have any identification to please
call me or Summer Cohen. The changes
there have already been amazing with the new
vegetation and growth after the May 20, 2009
fire.
We are now having monthly meetings with
our employee wellness group and our Blue
Cross representative. Thank you to this new
group; they have been enthusiastic and have
many great ideas that employees will be seeing in the near future, such as healthy cooking
recipes, weight management and stress re-
•
•
•
•
American Red Cross (water safety program)— $100.
National American Indian Court Judges
Association (sponsorship of annual conference)—$200.
L’Anse Township (replacement of fencing
on softball field)—$5,000.
Native American Student Association (9th
Annual First Nations Food Taster)—$500.
Keweenaw Land Trust (grant match for
purchase of two parcels on the Lake Superior Shoreline—$1,000.
Much of our time in the month of September was spent in budget review meetings.
We continued to hold these reviews in closed
session, but open to Tribal members. To date
we have not approved a budget for fiscal year
2010. With the weak economy and the desire
to provide excellent programs and services
for our members, this has been an extremely
difficult budget process. We will be meeting
on Monday, rolling up our sleeves and continuing to work on balancing it before approval.
As far as I know we have not received a
settled agreement for the ATM’s back from
the Superior National Bank. Once we do, I
assume our attorney will bring it forward for
Council’s approval.
Next week I will be traveling to St. Ignace
along with President Swartz, Councilman Dakota and John Baker to meet with representatives from the State of Michigan Treasury Department as well as the Governor’s office to
discuss our Sales and Use tax issues, pending refund claims and 8% offsets.
Our
stance has always been that Tribal members
are exempt and should not be required to pay
sales and uses taxes on the reservation. We
will be making a full report of the meeting to
the membership.
We will be sending out care packages to
five Tribal members who are active duty service members presently deployed overseas
on Monday. Council members – please remember to bring in your items.
As always if there are any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to give
me a call, e-mail or stop by.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Misegan, Treasurer
OCC ACHIEVES
CANDIDACY STATUS
On October 5, 2009, OCC President Debbie Parrish received official notification from
North Central Accreditation-Higher Learning
Commission for the granting of initial candidacy status for accreditation.
In April, a four member review team visited
Ojibwa Community College to conduct an onsite accreditation review for initial candidacy.
The team met with students, faculty, staff,
Tribal Council, Board of Regents, and community members. In their Report of a Visit, the
team recommended candidacy status. The
process then included a meeting with a six
member Review Committee of the Higher
Learning Commission which was held in Chicago on September 14. This meeting was attended by President Parrish and Treneice
Marshall, Assessment/Accreditation Coordinator, to answer questions regarding the College’s response and the team’s report. The
Review Team concurred with the visiting
team’s recommendation for candidacy status.
The final step in the process was formal ap-
(4) Niiwin
proval and validation by the NCA Board of
Trustees which was done October 1, 2009.
President Parrish stated, “Candidacy status
gives credibility to the College and will ease
the transfer of credits for our students with
MTU, Finlandia, NMU and other institutions. It
also opens the door for accessing other funds
including federal financial aid, operations, student services, and facility construction.”
Currently, we are working on the application
with the Department of Education to participate in the federal student financial aid program. We will be submitting our feasibility
study to the Bureau of Indian Education for
funding under the Tribally Controlled and
Community College Act. Federal financial aid
should be available with the Fall 2010 semester.”
Parrish said, “OCC will also be eligible for
funding from the American Indian College
duction programs, fitness memberships/
discounts and healthy options in our vending
machines. We are also having a wellness program naming contest in the next few weeks. It
is never too late to encourage positive lifestyle
changes that will help us live longer, healthier,
happier lives.
I participated in an interview with the Detroit
News on September 10, 2009, regarding Kennecott’s proposed mine. As we know, we
have been informed of a decision on August
18, 2009, from the administrative law Judge
Patterson in our contested case hearing regarding the Kennecott’s mining permit and
groundwater permit for the Yellow Dog Plains.
That decision was 178 pages long and the
process of preparing our written exceptions/
comments regarding these decisions were
sent yesterday, October 2, 2009, and were
379 pages for the Part 631 mining permit.
They were sent directly to Steven Chester,
DEQ Director, who will now consider our comments and then make his final determination
and order. Please continue to call/write your
elected officials and tell them that the short
term benefits are not worth the harmful long
term effects on our health, rivers, Great Lakes,
and wild places because of the great potential
for acid mine drainage. Please call me or
write if you would like to review the National
Wildlife Federation’s DVD “Mining Madness,
Water Wars: The Great Lakes In The Balance.”
I walked in the Parade of Nations with the
Michigan Tech AISES group and our youth
group on Saturday, September 19, 2009, in
Hancock/Houghton.
Chiz’s daughter, Lori
Muhlig, does a terrific job helping to organize
this event each year. It was another great parade.
The Council has been very busy the past
few weeks reviewing the 2010 budgets and
meeting with department heads. We hope to
finalize and approve the budgets next week. It
certainly has been and will be a challenge in
these difficult economic times to prepare for
the coming year.
Remember to continue to pray for and
honor all of our veterans, service men and
women, and their families. Also remember
those who are ill, have lost loved ones (there
have been many in the last year) and for our
economic struggles. Let us be thankful for our
beautiful area and the warm fall days as we
prepare for winter. We also continue to recognize the richness of Native American contributions to the political, cultural, and economic life
of Michigan and the United States.
Remember the Drug Tip Line number is 353DRUG or 353-3784.
Miigwetch,
Susan LaFernier, Vice President
Fund for student scholarships and new programs for first year freshmen, professional development opportunities, academic assessment training, and general operating funds.
OCC will also be eligible to apply for facility
funds under the Housing and Urban Development program for Tribal Colleges and Universities. With the aide of the Tribal Council and
Senator Levin’s office, the College will also be
seeking Land Grant status under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Senators Carl Levin
and Debbie Stabenow have also sent letters of
support for OCC’s efforts in obtaining Recovery Act funds for construction of a public computer center adjacent to the College.”
Parrish said, “The hard work our faculty,
staff, and Board of Regents invested in this
process has now been recognized.” A ceremony will be held in November (Native American Heritage Month) to celebrate this major
Continues on page eleven.
SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2009.
In September 2009, the Tribal Council had
one Regular Tribal Council Meeting, four Special Council Meetings, and seven Finance
Budget Meetings. The Regular Council Meeting was held on September 12, 2009, and is
covered in the October 2009 Tribal Newsletter.
At the council meeting held September 3,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Approved the meeting minutes of May 14,
21, 28, and June 4, 2009:
• Approved a liquor license for the Softball
Tournament and waived the fee;
• Approved the Tubcraft Facility Lease between the KBIC and the Ojibwa Community College;
• Approved Resolution KB1708-2009 Ojibwa
Housing Authority Commercial Lease;
• Approved slot participation games removals and installations in the Baraga and
Marquette Casinos;
• Agreed to move forward with the Michigan
Cancer Registry Project;
• Approved a donation of $2,000 to the
Baraga Flag Football Program;
• Reviewed the Services Agreement with
Stephanie Pinnow for data collection and
analysis training at the Health Department.
At the council meeting held September 4,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Approved the Funny Business Agency
Contract for the Eagle Radio Comedy
Shows;
• Established the following criteria for children to be served at the KBIC Pre-primary
and Head Start:
1. Enrolled KBIC children or children
under one year of age who are eligible to be enrolled;
2. Direct descendants (children of
KBIC members);
3. Other KBIC descendants;
4. Members of other Tribes;
• Directed the CEO office to notify the Head
Start Policy Council and ITC Board of our
criteria and to have the President, the
Grant Department and the CEO apply for
the Head Start funding to come directly to
the Tribe;
• Agreed to allow Negaunee Township to
use $4,000 of 2% funds for an easement
for a waterline;
• Agreed to use the USDA Rural Development Water Project excess contingency
funds in the amount of $100,000 on four
projects in Baraga and seven projects in
Zeba.
At the council meeting held September 8,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Reviewed the Budgets of the Ojibwa Casino Resort in Baraga and the Ojibwa Casino in Marquette.
At the council meeting held September 10,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Approved the meeting minutes of June 6,
2009;
• Approved an Easement request from the
Village of Baraga;
• Approved Resolution KB1709-2009 IRR
2009 Cooperative Agreement for Road
Projects;
• Approved Resolution KB1710-2009 Charlie Gauthier Recreational Lease;
• Approved Resolution KB1711-2009 Conner/Miller Residential Lease Sale;
• Continued review of the Casino and Enterprise Budgets;
• Approved the Services Agreement with
Kevin Birchfield to paint the tower in
Houghton;
• Approved the Services Agreement with
Harlan Downwind for Traditional Teachings and Healing;
• Approved the WUPPDR CEDS list.
At the council meeting held September 11,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Denied the business licenses of Superior
Pizza, J&K Pawn and Superior Water
Sales;
• Began budget review with department and
Committee Heads;
• Approved the Consultant Agreement with
Cynthia Stiles for archaeological consulting
services.
At the council meeting held September 14,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Budget review continued with various department heads and committees;
• Council approved the contract between the
Ojibwa Casino and the Men of Playgirl Revue;
• Amended the Emergency Fund Policy to
include septic tank cleaning.
At the council meeting held September 15,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Council continued budget review with department heads.
At the council meeting held September 17,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Approved Resolution KB1712-2009 Kathy
Malmgren Residential Lease;
• Approved the Services Agreements with
Barbara Nolan and Rose Trudeau for the
Language Program;
• Approved the Consultant Agreement with
John B. Anderton for a Field Survey of
Prehistoric and Historic Properties;
• Approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the KBIC and Bay Mills
Community College for the Immersion Program;
• Appointed Stacey Koski, Interim Child
Support Services Director;
• Continued budget review with department
heads;
•
Cancelled the 2nd Reading of Proposed
Ordinance 2009-03 Amendment to Ordinance 2004-001 KBIC Hunting, Fishing
and Trapping, and Gathering Code.
At the council meeting held September 18,
2009, following actions were taken:
• A phone poll was conducted and the
Council agreed to donate $300 each to
Jean Rolof, Keith Rolof, and Robin Roe for
medical travel.
At the council meeting held September 24,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Amended the motion to reimburse members for taxes on motorcycle purchases
the same as on cars if the member’s name
is on the title effective January 1, 2000;
• Agreed to issue each KBIC Veteran one
Veteran plate at no cost;
• Agreed that the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act is not applicable on the Reservation and to place this statement on our job
applications and in our Personnel Policies;
• Approved the bid of Ojibwa Builders in the
amount of $6,375.36 for the Even Start
basement remodeling project;
• Approved September donations totaling
$6,800;
• Approved the Memorandum of Agreement
with IHS for a solid waste transfer station;
• Approved the WIC Agreement;
• Approved the Service Agreement with Larson Well and Pump for the abandoned
wells;
• Accepted the USDA Lease on a month to
month basis;
• Agreed that the annex in Zeba can be
used by the Child Care Center;
• Agreed to discuss the Tribal Licensed purchases of beer, wine and liquor from
wholesalers with the Michigan Liquor Commission.
At the council meeting held September 28,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Continued budget review.
At the council meeting held September 29,
2009, following actions were taken:
• Continued budget reviews;
• Agreed to donate $600 for snuff and postage for the Council Care Packages to the
Troops;
• Approved a donation of $3,000 for the
Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk;
• Approved the First Amendment to the Services Agreement with Kevin Birchfield for
painting the tower in Houghton;
• Approved the Professional Services
Agreement with Lynn Ketola for evaluation
services for Even Start.
Chi Miigwetch!
Respectfully submitted,
Toni Minton, Secretary
KBIC RECEIVES WEED & SEED CONTINUATION GRANT FUNDING
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community received a $142,000 continuation grant for year
three of the Weed & Seed Initiative. KBIC
Weed & Seed started year three on October 1,
2009, and that budget will continue through
September 30, 2009. Chris Gerard, Coordinator of the Weed & Seed Program, reports,
“The scheduled amount of funding for year
three was originally set at $275,000 for each
Weed & Seed site; however, due to significant
budget cuts over the past two years, that number has dropped to $142,000. Each of the
nearly 350 Weed & Seed sites receive the
same amount of funding, and we are one of
the smallest sites, if not the smallest site in the
country, so we are able to function without too
many drastic changes. KBIC also received a
one year extension on their year two budget.
The year two budget was due to expire on
September 30, 2009. This will allow KBIC to
continue spending any funding that was not
used up by the expiration date. Again, we are
a small site and have had some trouble spending out all of the supportive funding. The
Weed & Seed grant rules are very specific and
detailed which means we cannot spend money
on anything we want. We received an extension on the year one grant as well, so everything has been a little behind right from the get
go. The year two budget extension is great
news because we are going to be able to fund
a few upcoming activities that we would not
have been able to without utilizing the year
three grant money.”
Gerard met with Norm McKindles and Ray
Pasquali, Baraga and L’Anse Area Schools
Superintendents to introduce a new law enforcement officer school liaison program that
KBIC would like to implement during the 2009
school year. Gerard states, “Both Norm and
Ray thought this program would be beneficial
for their students and staff and agreed to allow
the new program in the schools.” The Teaching Educating And Mentoring (T.E.A.M.)
school liaison program was started by the
Michigan State Police and offers a seven lesson elementary curriculum that will be taught
to fourth and fifth grade students in Baraga
Continues on page eleven.
(5) Naanan
NOVEMBER
AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH
KBIC OFFERS A VARIETY
OF SERVICES FOR
THEIR PATIENTS
The KBIC Diabetes Program is located in
the Donald A. LaPointe Medical Facility and
offers a variety of programs to assist Community members who are pre-diabetic or have
been diagnosed with diabetes.
Heather Wood, Health Promotion Educator,
offers physical activity opportunities throughout the year which are open to program participants and community members. Heather is a
certified group exercise instructor and personal trainer. She offers one on one consultation, as well as a variety of group exercise
classes that have included: aquasice (water
aerobics), yoga, resistant training, and soon
will be adding stability ball classes and aerobic
classes.
Walking promotions are offered in a variety
of locations, dependant on the season. Summer months brings hikes utilizing numerous
trails in Baraga County, and winter brings indoor walking at the KBOCC gym and snowshoeing.
Kathy Mayo, oversees the Diabetes Program for KBIC, and as the Certified Diabetes
Educator, she actively meets with patients one
-on-one and in group settings, educating them
on how to prevent or treat diabetes. Kathy
also holds a monthly foot clinic where diabetic
people can get their toe nails trimmed and receive their yearly foot exam. She is constantly
trying to improve the health care and services
offered to the Community.
Dr. Dale Schmiesser, RD is the Diabetes
Program’s nutritionist. Patients are offered
appointments with “Dr. Dale” to increase better eating habits. From time to time, Dr. Dale
offers group education sessions, which usually
involves a great tasting healthy food choice.
Relatively new additions to the Diabetes
Program is the Public Health Nurse, Mary Linden, Public Health Nurse Secretary Kim Klopstein, and Epidemiologist Stephanie Pinnow.
This sector offers Diabetes case management,
services that include coordinating referrals for
eye, foot and dental care.
The Diabetes Advantages Program is an
incentive program for the participants of the
KBIC Diabetes program. Participants receive
an Advantages card and are able to earn
stamps/punches for an array of diabetes related actions, such as having a session with
the dietitian or the Certified Diabetes Educator, completing diabetic labs, and yearly foot
and/or eye exams, a diabetes education program, or participating in offered exercise programs. They can then cash their filled Advantages card in for a number of incentives; to
mention a few, exercise materials and pharmacy gift certificates.
KNOWLEDGE + FITNESS = A HEALTHIER YOU
Photo provided by DHHS Staff.
The KBIC Diabetes Program has teamed up with the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community Library to promote Knowledge + Fitness = a Healthier You. The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community Library will be holding a drawing to give away a pair of snowshoes for the months of November, December and January. Every time you utilize a library service during these months
you will be entered in the drawing. If you sign up for a library card you will be entered twice.
Drawings will be held at the end of each month for snowshoes. The KBIC Diabetes program
has recently donated materials to help update and expand the Library’s health section that includes cooking books and DVD workouts.
Pictured above (left) Librarian, Mary (Cubby) Bergerson and (right) Health Promotion Educator, Heather Wood.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
The DHHS Superior Spirit Award
Winner for October 2009
Kim Klopstein is
the DHHS Superior Spirit Award
Winner for October 2009.
Kim
was nominated by
a fellow employee
who stated, “Kim
is always friendly
and willing to help
others."
Kim received a
beaded
lanyard
for
her
name
badge, and is able to park in the spot specifically designated for the Employee of the
Month. Congratulations Kim!
Photo provided by DHHS Staff.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
2009 Marquette Youth and
Teenage
Christmas Parties
Planning and development takes people, time, and
planning. Please join in the effort
to make the 2009 Christmas Youth and Teenage Parties a
great success. Meetings will take
place at the Marquette Ojibwa
Housing Community Building located behind the Ojibwa Casino II
on Sunday, November 8, 15, 22,
2009, and Sunday, December 6,
and 13, 2009, 12 pm to 2 pm. Any
of your time is appreciated. If you
are not able to make any of the
meetings, your input can be heard
by calling Carrie Ashbrook (906)
250-1018 or e-mail me at:
carrieashbrook@yahoo.com.
KBIC HARVEST FEAST HELD AT BIG
BUCKS BINGO HALL
KBIC hosted their Annual Harvest Feast
on Saturday, October 17, 2009, at the Big
Buck Bingo Hall. Ginnyann Jermac coordinated this years event; delegating different
tasks to community volunteers. The KBIC
Youth baked numerous delicious apple pies
under the supervision of Alice Brunk, and
community members assisted in the making
of various dishes of cultural foods. President
Swartz welcomed the community, and Paul
Halverson gave the blessing. Four Thunders
Drum provided the music for the event.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
Newsletter editor photo.
(6) Ningodwaaswi
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Employment Opportunities
On Call positions:
* Community Service Supervisor
* LPN
* RN
* Unit Manager
* Account Executive/Sales
* Cashier
* Family Aide
* Receptionist/Clerical Worker
* Pre-Primary Teaching Assistant
* Youth Program & Facility Attendant
For current job listings, complete job announcements,
applications and closing dates contact: KBIC Personnel
Department, 16429 Bear Town Road, Baraga, MI 499089210 or 906-353-6623, ext 4176 or 4140 or visit:
www.ojibwa.com.
NOTICE
To all Tribal Seniors 55-years of age and
older, and permanently physically handicapped persons:
SNOW PLOWING REQUIREMENTS
1. Keweenaw Bay Tribal member;
2. Head of household;
3. Reside on reservation (Baraga Co.);
4. Address and phone number;
5. Proof of age and/or PERMANENT physical disability;
6. Sign up at the front desk at the Tribal Center with proof of each item listed above or
mail information to: Tribal Maintenance
Department, 16429 Bear Town Road,
Baraga, MI 49908.
LOST AND FOUND
Around October 1, found at the medical clinic,
a woman's gold ring, call Elvera Lantz at 3534537 and describe details to claim.
BUILDERS
Residential Building Specialists
353
353--7127
OJIBWEMOWIN
KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY
Gashkadino Giizis —
Freezing Moon—November
OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT
SERVICES
1
bishiki
giiwose
waawaashkeshi
waaboz
esiban
nika
mizise
makwa
Across:
1. Rabbit
2. Turkey
3. Bear
4. Hunt 3
427 N. Superior Ave. • Baraga, MI 49908
In Tribal Court Building
2
Phone: 906-353-4566 • Fax: 906-353-8132
• Email: ocss@kbic-nsn.gov
“Your Children…Our Priority”
We provide the following services:
3
2
4
• Establishment, Enforcement and
• Location of Custodial and
Modification of Child Support Orders
Non-Custodial Parents
• Paternity Establishment
• Community Education
tp://www.kbic-nsn.gov/html/ocss.htm
Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk continued:
Human Services, KBIC Tribal Council, KBIC Weed
and Seed Program, KBIC Personnel Office, KBIC
Pre-Primary, Pines Convenience Center, Ojibwa
BP, Ojibwa Gift Shop, Eagle Radio, KBIC Tribal
Police, KBIC Tribal Court, KBIC Youth Programs,
KBIC Veterans, Homestead Graphics, Unique Images/Joan and Jerry Bugni, Giikendaam Chiwiikengamag, and the L’Anse Sentinel.
Down:
1. Deer
2. Buffalo
3. Goose
4. Raccoon
4
~ submitted by newsletter editor
Bear - m _ _ w _
Raccoon - _ _ _ b a n
Deer - w _ _ w _ _ s h _ _ _ h i
Turkey - m _ _ _ se
Buffalo - b _ _ _ _ k _
Hunt - _ _ _ w o s _
Rabbit - _ _ _ b o _
Goose - n _ _ a
The language page was designed from
reference of “A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe” by John D. Nichols and
Earl Nyholm, and from the Freelang
Ojibwe/English on-line dictionary.
~ Designed by newsletter editor
Photo provided by Mary Durant.
BUILDING
SUPPLY
PLUMBING
& HEATING
For all your building supplies
For all your maintenance needs.
353
353--8850
es
Busin
New
s
353
353--6967
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Housing Authority
"Owned and operated by the
Ojibwa Housing Authority.
All proceeds go to
affordable housing activities
in our community."
Newsletter editor designed ad
(7) Niizhwaaswi
Our Deepest Sympathy
Edward D. Holzman
March 23, 1929—September 24, 2009
Edward D. Holzman, age 80, of Baraga, MI,
passed away on Thursday, September 24, 2009, at
the Omega House in Houghton following a lengthy
illness. He was born in Assinins, MI, on March 23,
1929, the son of the late Frank and Emma
(Mizegan) Holzman. Ed attended school in Houghton. He worked in Milwaukee, WI, as a commercial
baker for the Pork Pie Baking Company and retired
in 1975, from the Heinimann Bakery. Ed married
the former Elizabeth “Betty” Haataja in Baraga on
May 27, 2005. He was a member of Holy Name of
Jesus Church, Assinins, MI, and the Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community. Ed was an avid Green Bay
Packer, Tigers, and Red Wings fan. He enjoyed
camping and attending Pow-Wows.
Mr. Holzman is survived by his loving wife Betty,
step-son James (Norma) Kokko of Baraga, stepdaughters Rose Ann (Bob) Coen of Aura, Doris
(John) Mayo of L'Anse, and Pauline (Frank) Peters
of Ellaville, GA., seven step grandchildren, 11 step
great grandchildren, and cousin John (Carol)
Jacker of Baraga. He was preceded in death by
his first wife Delores in 2002, one brother and one
sister.
Visitation and a memorial service for Mr.
Holzman was held on Monday, September 28,
2009, at the Ojibwa Senior Citizens Ceremonial
Funeral Room with Father John Longbucco officiating. The Reid Funeral Home of L’Anse assisted
the family.
Joan Marie Bemis
July 18, 1930—October 16, 2009
Joan Marie Bemis, age 79, of Assinins, MI, died
on Friday, October 16, 2009, at Baraga County
Memorial Hospital. She was born on July 18,
1930, in Assinins, MI, to Lawrence and Leone
(Lacosse) Denomie. Joan grew up in Assinins and
graduated from Baraga High School and received a
degree from Michigan Technological University.
She married George Bemis in Davenport, Iowa.
She worked for the MESC as an interviewer for
about 20 years, retiring in 1990. Joan served on
the Commission of Indian Affairs for several years
and the KBIC Tribal Council for 16 years. Joan enjoyed goose hunting, fishing, and was an avid
Packer Fan. Joan is a member of Holy Name of
Jesus Church, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community,
and the Ojibwa Seniors.
Surviving are her son Ralph Bemis of Assinins;
brothers Robert (Marilyn) Denomie and Lawrence
(Ann) Denomie both of Assinins; sisters, Deloris
Eberl and Betty (Gordon) Villwock both of Milwaukee, Carlota (Joe) Beauprey of Assinins; four
grandchildren, David Bemis of L’Anse, Nicole
(Conrad) LaPlante of Baraga, Ralph (Joanna) Bemis of L’Anse, and James Bemis of Gwinn; six
great granddaughters; and several nieces and
nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents; husband George Bemis in 1992; and sister
Patricia Imig.
Visitation and a funeral mass was held on Monday, October 19, 2009, at the Most Holy Name of
Jesus Church in Assinins with Fr. Janusz Romanek
officiating. The Jacobson Funeral Home of L’Anse
assisted the family.
CEO’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2009.
Activities Reported by the CEO Larry Denomie for
the month of September 2009.
Fiscal year 2010 budget planning and review
meetings continued throughout the month. Council
has met, reviewed, adjusted and is near balancing
the budget. Although we have passed October 1,
which is the beginning of the new fiscal year, it is
anticipated that final approval will occur the week of
October 5.
The Wellness Task Force continues to work on
the development of a calendar for the upcoming
months. The task force has met twice this month
and is being aided by our benefits provider staff
member, Bonnie Nelson. Jim Nardi, Human Resource Director, Susan LaFernier, and I also met
with Blue Cross Blue Shield representatives to obtain more information and to see what they have to
offer KBIC in the development of our plan. I would
like to share one of the statistics we learned during
our meeting.
One of the main costs associated with the premiums the Tribe pays for its health care plan relates directly to the dollars spent on chronic health
conditions. Out of the approximate 800 individuals
covered by the plans, nearly 250 suffer from
chronic health conditions. That equates to 31% of
those covered. The national percentage for all
plans sold by our provider is 9.2%. As you can
see, the health of our employees and their families
is alarming. This just goes to show how important it
is to work as hard as we can to change those statistics. The task force is committed to developing a
plan that will work toward that goal.
Part of the solution is going to require a commitment by Council to not only realize the importance
of a Wellness program, and you have, but to also
commit funding a program that will work toward
improving the health of our Community and in turn
the financial well being of the Tribe. We are working as quickly as we can to propose a budget for
this cause and will submit one for consideration in
the next 30 days.
On September 1, I attended a KBIC Services
Providers Roundtable meeting sponsored by the
Ojibwa Housing Authority. Vicki Dompier who
works for the Housing Authority and also sits on the
Tribe’s Weed and Seed Committee and Drug Task
Force began looking into a program that has been
titled Sustainable Housing well over a year ago.
The roundtable was well attended by staff throughout the Tribe who currently offer programs and services to community members.
Sustainable Housing Programs are currently
offered out of our area. Staff from the Tribe and
Housing traveled to Minnesota this past spring to
tour facilities to gain insight on what the concept
could mean for KBIC. Vicki Dompier of Housing
coordinated the trip and is commended for bringing
the concept to KBIC for consideration.
On October 1, Council was given a presentation
by Debbie Picciano, Community Assistance Programs Director, which could be the first step in realizing the goal of having a facility located on our reservation which would serve individuals and families
who are in dire need of services relating to domes-
tic violence, skills building job opportunities, drug
court placement, and homelessness.
Two grants have been awarded to the Tribe totaling nearly $1M for Domestic Violence which
would be used to renovate an existing building to
accommodate up to five women and their families
who want to exit an abusive home. The grants also
provide for the hiring of an additional VOCA
worker, counselor, clerical person, and related expenses.
Existing programs, along with newly granted
programs through the Community Assistance Programs office, would provide funding and potential
housing for individuals and possible families experiencing difficulties due loss of job, lack of skills to
acquire a job or just need help getting on their feet
or out on their own. Many members have been
identified as being in a situation where they are
dependant on family and friends to meet their most
critical needs such as a roof over their heads.
Many of the programs offered through the Tribe are
income based and due to the fact that household
income has to be used, they don’t always qualify.
Having a facility to place them in will aid them in
qualifying for the many programs offered by KBIC.
The Tribal Court is also in the development
stages of putting together what is deemed as Drug
Court. The system that has been started to some
degree works closely with those suffering from drug
related offenses by offering close monitoring and
using other avenues to help the individuals clean
up their life instead of immediately placing them
into jail. This system has proven to work in other
areas and is hoped to work here also.
Project HOPE which stands for Helping Our
People Envision would provide for the needs of
many who just can’t seem to get on their feet and
may have lost hope. Individuals who are in the
Drug Court System will also be afforded the opportunity to take part in the programs described earlier.
Council has approved moving forward with the
project, and a meeting with all of the areas providing needed services to our members will be scheduled as soon as possible to better communicate
and collaborate our efforts in putting together a
successful plan. We will provide a follow up report
next month.
The Head Start and Early Head Start programs
will be expanding the number of slots available to
serve the appropriate age groups. Terri Denomie,
Director of the programs, informed me that the Inter
Tribal Council of MI received notice the end of September. They are still waiting to hear if the grant
which will upgrade the HVAC systems at the facility
in Zeba will be approved. With the approved funding notice for the expansion, we can put together a
report for Council to consider locating the wrap
around program which will include the Head Start
programs as well as the Pre-primary program in
either Zeba or Baraga as originally proposed.
As always if anyone has questions, concerns or
issues the CEO’s office can assist with, please
don’t hesitate to stop by, e-mail or call.
Miigwetch,
Larry J. Denomie III, CEO
KEWEENAW BAY Indian Community Dept. of Health & Human Services
Selected to Test National Accreditation Program
Test Will Help to Shape the Future of Public Health
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC),
Department of Health and Human Services announced it was selected by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) to participate in a test of
the new national voluntary public health accreditation program. As one of 30 public health agencies
selected from more than 145 applicants, KBIC
DHHS will work through the accreditation process
and will provide valuable feedback that will inform
the voluntary accreditation program’s national
launch in 2011. KBIC Department of Health & Human Services will receive technical assistance for
accreditation and quality improvement, funding to
support quality improvement projects, and funding
to cover the costs of providing detailed feedback to
PHAB. The beta test will begin in the fall of 2009,
and conclude at the end of 2010. The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will provide technical
assistance to the KBIC Tribal Health Department.
“We are pleased to be part of this ground breaking program,” said Carole LaPointe, RN, Health
(8) Ishwaaswi
Administrator. “We recognize that this is a unique
opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our services and also showcase the high
quality programs and services provided by the
KBIC Health Department. We are proud to have a
hand in shaping the national accreditation program
and advancing the quality of public health.”
“The National Indian Health Board is pleased
and extremely excited to work in partnership with
the Public Health Accreditation Board to raise
awareness and relevance of voluntary public health
accreditation in Indian Country,” said Stacy Bohlen,
Executive Director of the National Indian Health
Board. “Through this partnership, NIHB was able
to assist with the inclusion of three Native American health facilities to participation in the BETA
testing initiative. As health care delivery in the Native American/Alaska Native population is wholly
focused on the community, we are extremely
pleased that the sites selected will be strengthening the delivery of services through the work they
will undergo during the accreditation process. We
look forward to seeing the sites achieve their accreditation and set the bar for public health care
delivery in Indian Country.”
In addition to NIHB, several other leading national public health organizations have partnered
with PHAB to support the test, including the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Association of Local Board of Health (NALBOH), and
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
In order to ensure that they represent a broad
cross-section of the U.S. population, the health departments selected to be part of the test vary in
size, structure, population served, governance,
geographic region, and degree of preparedness for
accreditation. For a complete listing of the 30 test
sites, please visit http://www.phaboard.org.
Continues on page nine.
Sand Point—An Outdoor Classroom For Area Students
Sand Point offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy and revel in the beauty of nature. The Sand
Point area is visited throughout the year by campers, fisher-kids and their families during the annual
Fishing Derby, ice fishing enthusiasts, various organizations for company picnics, and many family
celebrations. There have been other visitors this
year as well, including three school tours guided by
Wildlife Biologist, Pam Nankervis of the KBIC Natural Resource Department.
surveys, as well as duck box placement strategies.
They learned about the basic components of prime
wildlife habitat first-hand while walking along the
nature trail.
~ submitted by Todd Warner, KBNRD
~ submitted by Katie Kruse, KBNRD
CJ Sullivan Elementary School
A group of 60 second grade students from CJ
Sullivan Elementary School visited in May for a
wetland tour and learned about different types of
wetlands and special adaptations of wetland plants
and animals. They learned how to identify various
types of plants, animals and birds and completed a
checklist of things they saw along the way.
Sixth and seventh grade students from Stanton Township
Public Schools that learned about careers in Natural Resources while exploring Sand Point in October, 2009.
Hazardous Waste Collection
Event a Success
Half the second-grade students from CJ Sullivan wait
with Pam Nankervis for the others to return from their
walk on the nature trail at Sand Point.
A group of CJ Sullivan second graders pose for a photo
for their teacher Ms. Caroen while on a nature walk at
Sand Point in May, 2009.
Michigan Technological University and Keweenaw Bay Indian Ojibwa Community College
A group of 28 teachers attending a Forest Ecology Teacher Institute at Michigan Technological
University took a tour in June learning to identify
birds and ways to monitor habitat change through
bird surveys. They were fortunate enough to hear
two sora rail calling, sandhill cranes and various
warblers. Several students from a class at KBOCC
also joined the tour.
Teachers are the students during a Michigan Tech
Teacher’s Workshop in June, 2009. They learned to
identify birds while on a tour of Sand Point wetlands.
Stanton Township Schools
On October 1, a group of 30 sixth and seventh
graders from Stanton Township Schools toured
Sand Point as a way to see first hand what a wildlife biologist does. They were spending most of the
week exploring different careers in Natural Resources and really enjoyed learning about wildlife
management survey techniques such as track and
sign, remote camera survey, waterfowl and frog
the drain field and into the surrounding environment. Hazardous substances released to the environment will contaminate the water we drink, and
affect the fish and wildlife that depend upon these
waters. Hazardous substances in the soil can poison the land, and the plants that grow there. Do
not remove product labels, and do not remove
products from their original containers.
For more information about proper disposal of
hazardous waste contact the Natural Resources
Department at 524-5757.
KBIC Natural Resources Department conducted
a household hazardous waste collection event on
Saturday August 15, 2009, in Baraga and Harvey.
Over two thousand pounds of hazardous waste was
collected by WRR Environmental for proper disposal or recycling. Improper handling, storage and
disposal of hazardous products has the potential to
threaten human health and the environment.
Many products found in your home are potentially hazardous because of the chemical characteristics of the substance. These hazardous substances can poison people or animals, corrode containers, react with other stored materials creating
additional hazards, explode, or ignite easily when
mishandled or stored improperly. Household hazardous waste is the term for common household
chemicals and substances for which the owner no
longer has a use. Examples of household hazardous waste includes drain cleaners, oil based paint,
motor oil, antifreeze, fuel, poisons, pesticides, herbicides, fluorescent lamps, lamp ballasts, old thermostats and other old electronic switches, smoke
detectors, medical waste, cleaning chemicals, and
consumer electronics. Some hazardous liquids
such as antifreeze, which can cause death if ingested, are particularly dangerous due to their
slightly sweet taste that animals and small children
find attractive. Used hazardous liquids like vehicle
lubricants and oil can contain other toxins, like lead
or other heavy metals absorbed during use.
To be safe from potential hazards in the future,
simply not using hazardous products in the home is
the ideal situation. This can be done in many instances just by choosing non-toxic products. Before buying a product, read the label. Signal words
can help you decide which purchases to make.
With pesticides, DANGER means highly toxic,
WARNING means moderately toxic, and CAUTION
means slightly toxic. With household products,
POISON means highly toxic, DANGER means extremely flammable or corrosive or highly toxic,
WARNING or CAUTION means less toxic.
Never leave household hazardous products or
wastes within reach of children or pets. When possible, buy products with less harmful ingredients
(read the labels). When using a product, read and
follow the label directions, never mix it with other
products, and use it up entirely. Do not dispose of
household hazardous wastes in the trash, on the
ground, or in storm or sewer drains. Do not dispose
of hazardous products into a drain connected to a
septic system. Whatever is released into a septic
tank is eventually released by the septic tank into
These books have been added to the library's
collection: Retrieving Michigan's Buried Past: The
Archaeology of the Great Lakes State, Wonderful
Power The Story of Ancient Copper Working in the
Lake Superior Basin, and Strength of The Earth
(The Classic guide To Ojibwe Uses of Native
Plants).
The Diabetes Program has donated the following DVD's to the library: Chair Dancing, The Biggest Loser ( the Workout), No More Trouble
Zones, and Walking Down Your Blood Sugar.
They also donated the following cookbooks: Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two, The Complete Quick & Hearty Diabetic Cookbook, and FixIt and Enjoy-It! Diabetic Cookbook.
The Ojibwa Community Library hosted the
Michigan Tribal Librarians Consortium on Friday,
October 9, 2009. Librarians came from Bay Mills,
Hannahville, and Little Traverse Bay. Currently,
there are nine tribes in this consortium. The group
meets two times a year to exchange ideas and
problem solve. Sally Brunk treated the group to
readings of her published poetry, Lynn Aho explained the DESTINY program and Suzanne Dees
of UPRLC (Upper Peninsula Regional Library Cooperation) gave an overview of what is available to
libraries who subscribe to their services. Our next
meeting will be in Hannahville this coming June.
Every time you visit the library, remember to put
your name in for the drawing for a chance to win a
pair of snowshoes. The library and the Diabetes
Program are working together to provide you this
opportunity.
~ submitted by Mary Bergerson, Librarian
ANA LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
DINNER AND ANNUAL UPDATE
Newsletter editor photo.
Gary Loonsfoot, Jr., ANA Language Coordinator, held an informational dinner for the two sectors
involved in KBIC’s attempt to restore and revitalize
our Native language. Immersion instructors and
students, along with the Apprentices and their mentors, gathered with the ANA Language Coordinator
and Tribal Council members for an update on the
current ANA grant. The meeting was held on Friday, October 16, 2009, at the Ojibwa Resort Conference Room with buffet served by the Migizi
Wadiswan staff.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
KBIC DHHS Selected to Test National Accreditation Program continues:
PHAB is dedicated to raising the standard for
public health. With support from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, PHAB is working with leading public health experts from the field
to develop a voluntary national accreditation program that will help public health departments assess their current capacity and guide them to become even better providers of quality service, thus
promoting a healthier public.
~ submitted by Carole LaPointe
(9) Zhaangaswi
website: www.kboha.com
Mission: To provide affordable and attractive housing opportunities in a
safe and healthy environment to qualifying tribal members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, encourage self-improvement of the
community’s low income families, and provide employment opportunities.
Programs and Services provided by the KBOHA:
• Low income rental homes and apartments
1. 158 Homes/apartments in Baraga
2. 50 Homes in Zeba
3. 40 Homes in Marquette/Harvey;
• Supportive housing/transitional housing to help address family issues;
• New, custom built, super-insulated homes for homeownership on
Bear Town Road;
• Home buyer training to prepare members for home ownership;
• Financial literacy training to improve members’ financial skills;
• Home maintenance training to improve members’ ability to maintain
homes;
• Home rehabilitation program to improve the condition of memberowned homes;
• Home emergency assistance program to remedy negative conditions in the home;
• Individual development account program – a 4:1 matched savings
program for member goals that include:
1. Down payment assistance for home purchase;
2. College tuition and expenses for residents;
3. Business expansion/start-up expenses;
4. Home repair for member-owned homes;
5. Credit repair for homeownership;
6. Vehicle purchase for work/school.
•
Low cost home improvement loan program for qualifying Tribal
members;
• Low cost tax preparation program for residents and Tribal members;
• Surplus FEMA mobile home program for Tribal members;
• Stipend program covering mileage and child care expenses for
residents attending college;
• Affordable curbside trash service for residents and members;
• Prescription subsidy program to reimburse Tribal elders and disabled households for prescriptions purchased;
• Ojibwa Building Supply Do It Best—providing Tribal employment,
quality affordable building supplies and profits for housing programs;
• Ojibwa Builders Construction Company—providing Tribal employment, quality affordable construction, and profits for housing programs;
• Market rate rentals—five rental properties in Baraga and one in
Negaunee- providing profits for housing programs.
• Ojibwa BP, Car Wash and Laundry- providing Tribal employment,
superior products and service, and profits for housing programs.
Home ownership in the Beartown Development
The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Housing Authority has been developing
a home ownership plan for the Beartown development to benefit our
community. The plan involves using HUD funds to subsidize the cost of
construction of new, super-insulated, custom-built homes using local
Tribal member workers. The plan also includes using the USDA Rural
Development’s rural home loan program to provide further subsidies.
The USDA’s program offers subsidies on the mortgage payment for
those who qualify according to the USDA’s income guidelines. In addition, you have to also qualify for HUD’s construction subsidy using
HUD’s income guidelines.
These homes will be built according to the National Association of
Home Builder’s Green Building guidelines, and they will also be built to
meet U.S. Energy Star guidelines. We have enough grant money from
HUD to build ten homes. We have two Tribal members lined up already
for homeownership and we are in the process of lining up more Tribal
members who have been working with housing to improve their credit
scores and to save for down payments. We are looking for more Tribal
members to build homes for. Below you will see examples of how the
construction subsidy and the USDA subsidy can apply to provide Tribal
members with a custom built home for an affordable monthly mortgage
payment. If you are interested in new homeownership, call the housing
authority at 353-7117 and ask for the executive director, Eddy Edwards.
Example 1: (family of 2)
Price of home: $115,000.00 (with construction discount of $40,000)
Monthly income of family
$1,800.00
Mortgage pmt before subsidy
650.00
Mortgage Subsidy from USDA
300.00
Mortgage payment
$350.00
Example 2: (family of 3)
Price of home: $117,000.00 (with construction discount of $40,000)
Monthly Income of family:
$2,330.00
Mortgage pmt before subsidy
670.00
Mortgage subsidy from USDA
250.00
Mortgage payment
$450.00
Example 3: (family of 3)
Price of home: $118,000.00 (with construction discount of $40,000)
Monthly Income of family
$1,335.00
Mortgage pmt before subsidy
680.00
Mortgage subsidy from USDA
350.00
House payment
$ 330.00
EVEN START HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
KBIC Even Start Family Literacy Center held
an open house on Thursday afternoon, October
15, 2009. The Community was able to meet
and visit with staff of the Even Start Program
and toured their new “Dream Catcher” Family
Activity area. Sheri Davie, a representative of
Senator Stabenow’s office stopped in to visit
with the Community at Even Start’s open house.
As one of four Tribal Even Start Programs,
KBIC’s Even Start is the only Tribal Even Start
program in Michigan and is designed to serve
up to 20 families, with those most-in-need as a
priority. Their services to the KBIC Tribal community and all of Baraga County are free. Families with children under the age of eight or who
are expecting a baby, with at least one parent
needing to complete a GED or high school diploma may qualify.
The program is designed to help families enhance their ability to meet educational and life
goals, prepare their children for school success,
and strengthen parenting skills. Parents and
their young children (0-8) learn, laugh, and grow
(10) Midaaswi
Newsletter editor photo.
(left to right) KBIC President Warren (Chris) Swartz, Jr.,
Newsletter editor photo.
Sheri Davie, Representative from Senator Stabenow’s
Office, William E. Emery, KBIC Council’s Assistant Secretary, and Gail Juntunen, Coordinator of the KBIC Even A visitor at the Open house, October 15, 2009, Vicki
Shalifoe is shown above with her two young grandchilStart Family Literacy Center.
dren, Keonna and Kaden Mix.
together through events and activities designed to strengthen both adult and child literacy. Their goal is to strengthen the education
of the whole family.
The Even Start Program is located at
755 Michigan Ave., Baraga, MI. Interested
parties may call for enrollment procedures
at 353-8161.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
KBIC is Leading the Way Again
KBIC was one of six tribes awarded a two-year
Title IV-E Plan Development grant. Title IV-E is funding for foster care and other related programs. The
$244,542 grant will assist KBIC in developing a Title
IV-E Plan for submission to the Department of Health
and Human Services for Title IV-E direct funding.
Currently, KBIC has to Court Order “care, custody,
and supervision” over to the Michigan Department of
Human Services (DHS) to access Title IV-E (foster
care) funding for its children in out-of-home placements. The Fostering Connections to Success and
Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, allows Tribes to
apply for the Title IV-E funding directly from the Federal Government. The grant will allow KBIC to hire a
Foster Care Project Coordinator to be part of the
Tribal Social Services Department, as well as contracting with a Title IV-E Consultant, Jennie Weiger,
who has over 30 years experience working with Title
IV-E within Michigan DHS. In addition to the Title IVE Consultant, Advance Technologies, Inc. will be contracted with for computer programming services to set
up case management and data management systems
for KBIC Tribal Social Services. This is a great opportunity for KBIC, like the Title IV-D (Child Support)
program, we are leading the way for other tribes in
their efforts to access direct funding from the Federal
government for Title IV-E.
~ submitted by Judy Heath
KBIC RECEIVES WEED & SEED CONTINUATION GRANT FUNDING continues:
and L’Anse. Officer Tyler Larson from the Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police Department attended a
week long T.E.A.M. Officer training program in
June at the Michigan State Police Academy in
Lansing and will be the officer delivering the curriculum to area students. Gerard states, “This is
a perfect situation for all of us. Tyler coached
football at Baraga last year and served as the
youth director at KBIC before accepting his current position. He is well known by many students
in the area and has already built positive relationships with students which he will continue to build
on when he enters the schools. KBIC Chief of
Police, Dale Dakota is excited about the program
and for his department to be involved with impacting area youth in such a positive way. The elementary T.E.A.M. curriculum teaches students
basic safety rules such as bicycle and pedestrian
safety, the proper use of 911, fire and gun prevention, and being safe on the internet. The
T.E.A.M. program builds partnerships between
schools, parents, communities and law enforcement agencies which helps promote safety for all
children.
Gerard reports he has submitted a change of
scope - altering programmatic activities and a
budget modification for the year two budget in order to move some of the funding around to assist
with a few new programs. On October 9, KBIC
Weed & Seed found out the change of scope and
budget modification had been approved. Gerard
states, “This will allow us to provide funding assistance to the Baraga Youth Football League,
L’Anse Flag Football League and the KBIC Community Walk and Talk against Domestic Violence.
These programs were not specifically mentioned
in our current grants, so there were a number of
steps that we had to take to get them approved by
the Department of Justice.”
(ad by newsletter editor)
NOTICE
to continue Receiving the giikendaam
chiwiikwegamag by mail—
you must confirm your SUPSCRIPTION
by January 1, 2010.
∗ In an effort to reduce the cost of printing and distribution, as this publication
is fully funded by the Tribe, it is requested that you notify us if you wish to
continue to receive a monthly newsletter by mail. If you do not notify us, you
will be removed from the mailing list.
∗ You may do this by contacting the Enrollment Office at 906-353-6623, ext.
4113, or by e-mail to one of the following - dianas@kbic-nsn.gov,
jennifer@kbic-nsn.gov, or jeanne@kbic-nsn.gov and state that you wish
to continue to receive the Tribal newsletter by mail, please spell your name
and give your mailing address. Or just clip this ad and mail it to:
KBIC Newsletter Mailing List
Attn: Enrollment Office
16429 Bear Town Road
Baraga, MI 49908
~ submitted by Chris Gerard
OCC ACHIEVES CANDIDACY STATUS continues:
accomplishment. President Parrish stated, “I
would like to thank the Board of Regents, faculty
and staff for their dedication and hard work during
this process. In addition, chi’ Miigwetch to our
students, Tribal Council, and community members who showed enormous support for the College during the team visit.”
~ submitted by Debbie Parrish
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND ME THE GIIKENDAAM CHIWIIKWEGAMAG
BY MAIL MONTHLY.
NAME: _____________________________________
MAILING ADDRESS: _____________________________________
_____________________________________
(ad by newsletter editor)
(11) Ashi bezhig
Newsletter editor designed ad
November 2009 Calendars Events
Nov. 7 — Regularly scheduled Saturday Council meeting,
10 a.m.
Nov. 11 — Veteran’s Day, KBIC Gov’t offices closed.
Nov. 26 — Thanksgiving Day, KIBC Gov’t offices closed.
Nov. 27— National Indian Heritage Day, KBIC Gov’t offices
closed.
~ submitted by newsletter editor
Events occurring throughout KBIC are welcome to be listed on
the Calendar of Events. Contact newsletter@kbic.nsn.gov to list
your events. Some events are more detailed FYI within the newsletter. For up-to-date event listings, visit www.ojibwa.com and click on
calendar. For Youth events, see @ www.ojibwa.com, click on youth
club, or contact 353-4643/Main Office at Youth Club, or 353-4644 for
the facility attendants or the Kitchen/craft rooms.
To place an ad, submit an article, or relate information or ideas
on possible articles contact: Lauri Denomie at
newsletter@kbic-nsn.gov. or 906-201-0263.
To be added to the mailing list or to correct your
mailing address, contact the enrollment office
at (906) 353-6623 ext. 4113.
(12) Ashi Niizh
Permit No. 5
Calumet, MI
PAID
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
16429 Bear Town Rd-Baraga, Mi 49908-9210
U.S Postage
PRESORTED STD
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.