# The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2012)

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Akeweenaw_bay%3A2a2330d8b3cb4182

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

WIIKWEDONG
DAZHI-OJIBWE
The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe
Abita-Niibini Giizis - Midsummer Moon - July 2012 Issue 96
KBIC HOLDS SENIOR BANQUET, HONORING GRADUATES

Tribal Council Members:
Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President
Elizabeth D. Mayo, Vice-President
Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary
Jerry Lee Curtis, Asst. Secretary
Toni Minton, Treasurer
Robert D. (RD) Curtis, Jr.
Frederick Dakota
Eddy Edwards
Jean Jokinen
Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.
Carole LaPointe
Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews

SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:
Picture by Lauri Denomie.

KBIC’s Baraga Area School Graduates: Left to right (back) Daniel Alexander, Jr., Richard Alexander, Durwyn Chaudier,
Jeffrey Degenaer, Otis Malmgren, Tyler Rasanen, William Ross-Geroux, Kyle Soli, (front) Paige Chosa, Savannah Dakota, Corey Pietila, Rachel Sutherland, Alisha Tilson, and Dustin Teikari.











Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

KBIC’s L’Anse Area School Graduates: (Left to right) Sierra Ayres, Angelica Bodga, Cody Haataja, and Deena
Misegan.

KBIC’s Community Schools Graduates: (left to right)
LeRoy Gauthier, Shani Shelifoe, and Michael Shalifoe
Richard.

The Keweenaw Bay Tribal Education Committee
held its Annual Senior Banquet on Friday, June 1,
2012, at the Big Bucks Bingo Hall. Twenty-one
KBIC high school graduates were honored for their
achievements. KBIC member Jessica Koski was
chosen as this year’s guest speaker. Jessica
graduated from Rhinelander High School in Wisconsin in 2005. She is a graduate of the Ojibwa
Community College, Michigan Technological University, and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies where she recently received her
Master’s Degree in Environmental Management.
Her work experience includes: internships with
NASA, the U.S. House of Representatives, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service. For the past year, she has been employed full
-time as KBIC’s Mining Technical Assistant addressing mining issues in the Lake Superior Basin
and Ojibwa Ceded Territory. Jessica has also
served as an adjunct instructor at Ojibwa Community College, teaching Contemporary Native American Issues for the Spring 2012 semester. She is
also helping to coordinate a KBIC Oral History Project through KBOCC.
When Ms. Koski spoke to the graduates and
said, “When I was your age, opportunities just came
and doors opened. But not all opportunities fall into
our laps. I had to keep trying to overcome fears. It
takes courage to get out of your comfort path. Follow your passions. Always remember where you

come from, and you’ll never get lost. Everyone of
our members should take advantage of the Michigan Tuition Waiver; our people need doctors, lawyers, and leaders.”
The graduates received gifts from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Council, the
KBIC Education Committee, the Ojibwa Senior Citizens, and the KBIC Cultural Committee.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Each receiving a $1000 Education Committee Scholarship were Alisha Tilson from Baraga (left) and Deena
Misegan from L’Anse (right).

June 2, 2012 Tribal Council
Meeting
KBIC Holds Senior Banquet
KBIC High School Graduates
Congrats to our College Grads
Kuemmel Runs for a Cause
Retirees—Changes in Tax Laws
Nominelli Speaks on behalf of
KBIC’s Proposed Gas Station
REZHEADZ coming to KBIC
34th Annual KB Maawanji’iding schedule announced

CONGRATULATIONS TO
OUR KBIC GRADUATES
Baraga Area Schools

Daniel Alexander, Jr. is the son of Dawn
and Dan Alexander. While in high school, Dan
played varsity football for four years and was
named All-Conference Linebacker during the
2010-11 school year. He also played basketball and was in track. He participated in Copper Country power lifting. Dan was on the
Honor Roll and achieved Perfect Attendance
numerous times. He was named the Daily
Mining Gazette’s Student of the Week. His
hobbies are weightlifting, swimming, basketball, and spending time with family and friends.
Dan’s future plans are either to attend Bay
College majoring in General Studies or to join
the military.
Continues on page six.

(1) Bezhig

JUNE 2, 2012 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING
The Tribal Council held their regularly
scheduled Saturday Tribal Council meeting
on June 2, 2012, at the Ojibwa Casino Resort Conference Room in Baraga, Michigan.
President Warren C. Swartz, Jr. presided
over the meeting with Elizabeth D. Mayo,
Susan J. LaFernier, Jerry Lee Curtis, Toni J.
Minton, Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr., Fred Dakota, Eddy Edwards, Jean Jokinen, Michael
F. LaFernier, Sr., Carole L. LaPointe, and
Elizabeth “Chiz” Matthews present.
Council was addressed at length by a
number of law firms and concerned Tribal
members regarding strategies on the legality of the mining permits issued to Kennecott
by the MDEQ/MDNRE. All parties made it
clear that the opponent/enemy here is Rio
Tinto. Jeff Loman, a KBIC member and a
Special Senior Adviser to the Secretary of
Interior at the Bureau of Ocean Management in Alaska, traveled from Alaska to address and offer suggestions to the Council
on a plan of action for the future. Loman
had concerns about mistakes made by past
attorneys in the fight against Rio Tinto and
the Kennecott Eagle Minerals. Loman recommended since a vast majority of legal
work to file an appeal with the Michigan
Court of Appeals has been completed,
Council should continue with current legal
counsel until such time that KBIC learns
whether or not the Court will hear the appeal. If the Michigan Court of Appeals
agrees to hear the case, he recommended
that KBIC retain new legal counsel who specialize in environmental law and who have a
proven record of success in representing
Indian tribes. Loman felt the Tribe’s current
counsel, a business law firm, does not have
the expertise to handle the Tribe’s best interest to protect our resources. Loman offered suggestions of law firms who specialize in environmental law to Council.
Eric Eggan of Honigman, Miller,
Schwartz & Cohn (current legal counsel)
addressed Council with a power point presentation of how past representation was
split. Eggan reviewed what his firm has
done on behalf of KBIC for the past five
years, and he stressed that his firm does
specialize in environmental law issues. Mr.
Baker (KBIC’s former lead attorney) had
participated in discussions with a study
group and had discussed with Tribal Council
the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species
Act, and the River and Harbors Act. The
lawyers involved with this group, who represented all the challengers including KBIC,
decided it was more appropriate to challenge the cases in State Court first then proceed to Federal Court because Federal
Courts defer to the State Court’s process.
Eggan said, “There were and are issues
that are unique to the Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community involved in this case. This was
a proposed mine that was not on reservation land. I know Mr. Baker had consultation with the Dorsey Law Firm about Native
American issues, but the Honigman Firm
was not asked.” The issues were divided
into three areas to question the legality of
the permits. Eggan indicated that his firm

represented Part 31 Ground Water Permit,
and the firm wrote and presented the briefs.
The Part 632 Mining Permit and Air Use
(Discharge) Permit team consisted of Michelle Halley of the National Wildlife Federation and Bruce Wallace of the Huron
Mountain Club. They wrote all the 632
briefs and argued the 632 issues and operational issues. Eggan expressed a concern
on the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit issue.
Attorney Michelle Halley of the National
Wildlife Federation spoke of her firm’s involvement in the Part 632 Mining Permit.
She handed out an excerpt from Petitioner’s
Brief in Support of Petition for Review
(Nonferrous metallic mining permit-Part
632) that a mine requires a NPDES Permit
for discharges to the East Branch of the
Salmon Trout River. She stated that the
implementation of the Clean Water Act is
delegated to the State of Michigan,
(MDNRE) and the MDEQ failed to apply the
standards to the mining operation. She also
indicated that she had spoken with Susan
LaFernier, Council member, some time
back regarding the Federal Court versus
State Court issue.
Attorney Skip Durocher of the Dorsey &
Whitney Law Firm spoke of very limited involvement of their firm. Dorsey & Whitney
has represented the Tribe on many issues
but was not assigned to work on the Kennecott Mine issue. They were asked only to
write two memos in regards to the issues in
2007 to Mr. Baker. Council took no action,
and President Swartz indicated Council will
need to make a decision on how to proceed.
President Warren C. Swartz, Jr. shared
numerous Thank You and For Your Information items addressed to Council.
President Warren C. Swartz, Jr. gave the
President’s Report (page two), Secretary
Susan J. LaFernier gave the Secretary’s
Report (page three), and Larry Denomie III
gave the CEO Report (page five). Council
passed the Department Head Reports for
April 2012.
The 3rd Reading of Proposed Limited
Liability Company Code 2011-03 was held.
Eddy Edwards explained the code was prepared for us by Lance Morgan and his law
firm. The code was designed to provide an
opportunity for Tribal members to incorporate their businesses under Tribal Law so
they can protect their personal assets. It
also authorizes the formation of whollyowned Tribal business entities for managing
the Tribe’s economic activities separate
from the general affairs of its Tribal Council.
It was stated that the KBIC attorneys reviewed this code briefly yesterday and offered suggestions. Fred Dakota motioned
to approve the Proposed Limited Liability Company Code 2011-03, supported by
Eddy Edwards. Eddy Edwards motioned
to amend Section 1.13, Execution by Judicial Act, to read “Any person who is
adversely affected by the failure of any
person to execute and file any articles or
other document to be filed under this
Code may petition the Tribal Council to

direct the execution and filing of the articles or other document. Nothing in this
Code, however, serves to waive any aspect of the Tribe’s sovereign immunity,
and any waiver, thereof, must be provided explicitly in the LLC’s Articles or
Organization and/or Operating Agreement.”
All references should be
changed from Tribal Court to Tribal
Council, and the effective date will be in
six months, supported by Susan J.
LaFernier, eleven supported, 0 opposed,
0 abstained, motion carried. Vote on
Fred Dakota’s motioned to approve the
Proposed Limited Liability Company
Code 2011-03, supported by Eddy Edwards, eleven supported, 0 opposed, 0
abstained, motion carried.
The Education Committee has four seats
open. After discussion regarding the May
31, 2012 meeting motion, President Swartz
said, “Those people who met the deadline
for applying for the Education Committee
should be considered for the other three
seats that are available.” Eddy Edwards
motioned to reconsider the Education
Committee nomination, supported by
Robert D. (RD) Curtis, eleven supported,
0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion carried.
Elizabeth D. Mayo motioned to approve
Terri Denomie, Lynn Haataja, and
Charles Loonsfoot, Jr., to the Education
Committee and to post for one more position of an individual with a child in
grades K-12, supported by Eddy Edwards, ten supported (Mayo, S.
LaFernier, J. Curtis, Minton, R. Curtis,
Dakota, Edwards, M. LaFernier, LaPointe,
Matthews), one opposed (Jokinen), 0 abstained, motion carried.
Elizabeth D. Mayo brought forth a policy
regarding press coverage of Council meetings (recordings). Reporters will be required to sign a request to record meetings
which will include an agreement not to release recordings in accordance of the Tribal
Council’s By-laws, which states they are
only to be released by the Tribal Council
Secretary, who in turn, will get permission
from the Tribal Council. Elizabeth D. Mayo
motioned to adopt the policy for press
coverage of council meetings, supported
by Fred Dakota, seven supported (Mayo,
S. LaFernier, J. Curtis, Minton, Dakota,
M. LaFernier, Matthews), one opposed
(Edwards), three abstained (R. Curtis,
Jokinen, LaPointe), motion carried.
Treasurer Toni Minton presented donation requests for June 2012 to the Council
for their consideration. Susan J. LaFernier
motioned to approve $500 for L’Anse Eagle’s Club, $250 for KBOCC Student
Gov’t & AISES, and $185 donation for
Sydni Voakes to attend band camp, for a
total of $935, supported by Carol LaPointe, eleven supported, 0 abstained, 0
opposed, motion carried.
Council adjourned with no closed business on the agenda.
~ submitted by Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2012
The following is a list of activities that occurred in the office of the President for the
month of May 2012:





I attended the first ever Tribal Mining
Forum at the Niiwin Akeaa Center
(Ojibwa Community College) Gymnasium. The purpose of this forum is to
educate the Community on mining in
order to increase awareness of its historical and contemporary impacts within
the Lake Superior basin and Ojibwa
ceded territory.
I participated in an economic prosperity
meeting held at Northern Michigan Uni-

(2) Niizh

versity wherein economic leaders and
stakeholders identified obstacles in the
way of economic prosperity in the U.P.
as well as to identify specific solutions to
allow for long term sustainable growth.
Over 60 people gathered to help Governor Snyder’s request to meet. The goal
is to deliver a guidance paper that provides a list of perceived opportunities
and obstacles to economic growth and
development in the UP and offers action
items to help the UP prosper as a region
taking the opportunities and obstacles
into account.





I was informed the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced that they formally approve of
Orvana's project in the western Upper
Peninsula. Other permits for air emissions, wetlands/streams, and water discharges are still under review for Copperwood Project.
The status of the Clean Water Act/
Treatment as a state continues to move
forward. The Director of the Natural Resources Department submitted the application to the Attorney’s office for review. Once the application materials
Continues top of page three.









are finalized, a legal opinion on the
Community’s ability to perform the functions as a state will be needed. Due to
our current situation in the Attorney’s
office, we decided to use the law firm of
Dorsey and Whitney to do the legal
opinion. They were low bidders and
have experience in Indian law including
experience in doing these types of applications.
The Community received a resolution of
support from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indians supporting its two
part Determination and respectfully requested the Governor for the State of
Michigan to promptly concur with the
positive determination made by the Secretary of Interior and to sign a concurrence letter in support of the KBIC’s
Gaming application to place land in trust
for gaming purposes in Negaunee
Township, Michigan.
Through the advice of Jeffrey Loman,
the Community requested governmentto-government consultation with Dr.
Hedman from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This will
serve as an opportunity to negotiate an
agreement by which EPA, and not the
State of Michigan, demand (issue an
Order) that Rio Tinto obtain a NPDES
permit. We received notification from
Dr. Hedman that her department is willing to sit down and discuss the issues
raised in our letter. We are awaiting
contact from that office to schedule the
consultation.
We are waiting on a decision from the
Michigan Court of Appeals whether or
not that Court will hear our mining case.
The record is so extensive that the attorneys do not believe any additional paperwork will have to be filed, and the
Court may not even want oral argument.
(The record is probably in the neighborhood of 200,000 to 500,000 pages
long.)
I was reading a report in the US News
that ranked schools according to Math
and English proficiencies. In that report,
I noted that Baraga scored low. I contacted Baraga Area School board member, Bill Jondreau, regarding the report.
He informed me that he would address
these concerns at a Board meeting. After a meeting of the Board, Bill noted



that these areas have been identified by
the school administration based upon
various testing components, and the
school matrix and testing methods are
being adjusted to address the concerns.
On Thursday, May 17, as President of
the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, I
met with Professor James Anaya, the
United Nations Special Rapporteur on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, at the
11th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in
New York, New York. Also in attendance for this meeting were KBIC Tribal
member Jessica Koski, Professor Nicole
Friederichs, and her student Lillian from
the Suffolk University Law School Indian
Law & Indigenous Peoples Clinic.
 During our consultation, I raised
awareness of the serious threats to
our lands and waters posed by mining activities on our ceded territory
where we retain subsistence and
cultural rights to hunt, fish, and
gather. I highlighted immediate issues concerning the Rio Tinto Eagle
Mine that is currently under construction on the Yellow Dog Plains at
our sacred site, Eagle Rock. We
provided a brief overview of the case
history, aerial photographs of the
site before and after construction,
and maps showing the extent of Rio
Tinto’s mineral interest on our ceded
territory that expand westward and
reach to within our permanent reservation homeland on allotted lands at
the “BIC” site. I explained that these
activities are being permitted by the
State of Michigan without federal
regulatory protections, and without
meaningful consultation and our informed consent -- which are internationally recognized rights endorsed
in the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples.
 I asked the UN Special Rapporteur
what actions he can take to help address the issues we face with mining
on our territory. He said that he may
be able to include information from
our recently submitted Statement of
Information on mining activities, in
collaboration with the Bad River
Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, in
his official country report following

his official visit to the United States
from April 23 through May 4. He
also selects specific cases to investigate in more detail, and ours is an
urgent issue that he may choose to
consider. He may also issue specific recommendations to the United
States.
 I sent out a letter seeking interested
Tribal members to submit their letters to
apply for three open seats to our newly
created Tribal Business Corporation.
Those interested in being on the Board
of Aanikoosing, Inc. should exhibit exemplary experience in business, be responsible, and express integrity, as well
as good judgment. I decided to send
out letters instead of using the local media because the cost to send letters to
Tribal members were significantly lower
than using local newspaper ads.
 Earlier in the month, the economic developer and I met with a number of governmental officials in the Marquette area
to discuss an opportunity for them to
submit a letter to Governor Snyder supporting the Casino in Negaunee Township near the old airport. The meetings
went well, and we look forward to their
letters to the governor.
 A power grab threatening the livelihood
of small farmers across the state and
the ceded territory was brought to the
attention of the KBIC Council. The
Michigan Department of Natural Resources is using the state Invasive Species Act to expand its jurisdiction beyond hunting and fishing to farming operations. We heard from Joseph
O’Leary and Brenda Turunen regarding
a license for her and decided to issue
her a farming license from the Community, so she could continue to raise her
pigs.
We believe this is a treatyprotected right to farm from both a sovereignty standpoint and an economic
development standpoint. The Tribal
Council decided to donate $25,000 to
the Farm-to-Consumer legal defense
fund.
This concludes my report.
Respectfully submitted,
Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President

SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR MAY 2012
Activities reported by the Secretary, Susan
J. LaFernier, for the month of May 2012.
ANIN! We honor the greatness in you.
Remember: “Indian Country Counts” and
“Our People, Our Nations, Our Future.”
We continue to recognize the richness of
Native American contributions, accomplishments, and sacrifices to the political, cultural, and economic life of Michigan and the
United States.
NATIVE VOTE 2012—every vote and
voice count. NCAI (National Congress of
American Indians) President Jefferson Keel
stated in his State of Indian Nations Address that our Native vote can have a significant impact on the upcoming 2012 elections and challenged Indian Country to turn
out the largest Native vote in history. There
are more than one million eligible voters in
Indian Country who are not registered! We
need to get out and vote not only to have
Native voices heard but also to ensure that
U.S. leaders understand Indian Country and
that Indian Country matters, especially in
Michigan. Attached is more information regarding voting in our national, state, local,
and Tribal elections. Our goal for Keweenaw Bay is to have 100% of our eligible
members vote! Here are five challenges
that can make a big difference: 1) Get your-

self registered to vote TODAY! You can do
it online. 2) Think of three people you care
about. Make sure they are registered and
challenge them to reach out to three more
people they care about. 3) Our Native Vote
Community Coordinator is Jennifer Misegan. 4) Volunteer to make calls encouraging others to register and vote. 5) With less
than six months to go until Election Day,
spread the word. Also see the website NativeVote.org. August Primary: Tuesday,
August 7, 2012. November General Election: Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The President and I continue to hold
update/informational Mining meetings each
month with Chuck Brumleve, Jessica Koski,
and Todd Warner. I attended the Tribal
Mining Forum on Friday, May 11, at
KBOCC which was hosted by the KBIC
Mining Outreach & Education Initiative. Our
thanks to Jessica Koski, NRD Mining Technical Assistant, for facilitating the forum. It
was interesting to hear from Tina VanZile,
the Director of the Mole Lake Sokaogon
Chippewa Community Environmental Department, that for many, many years their
Tribe spent all of their funds on the fight
against the Crandon Mine. They had nothing else, and only today are they beginning
to grow with new programs and businesses.

She also stated that they never talked to the
mining companies, and we have a tougher
battle here in Michigan. Because of the
state laws, it is easier to get a mine.
The list is very long for a special thank
you to everyone who remembered, prepared, and presented on Memorial Day.
We invite you to visit the cemeteries during
the Summer. The Pinery Cemetery is beginning to recover after the fire, and the lake
in the distance is beautiful. Remember that
Earth Day is every day, and please don’t
litter.
The employee W.H.I.P.P. (Wellness,
Health, Intervention, Prevention Program)
Task Force and volunteers continue to have
monthly meetings. It is never too late to encourage and begin positive lifestyle changes
to help us live longer, healthier, happier
lives. Mino-Bimaadizin “Live Well.” Remember everyone should participate in at least
30 minutes of physical activity, five times a
week, to stay fit. The 3rd Annual “Walk Your
Way to Wellness” challenge is underway
until August 12, 2012, and new this year is
the Fourth of July Lumberjack Days 5K Liberty Run/Walk and Youth 1 mile fun run!
See the flyer and register. Saturday, June
23, is the Denise Marth Fun Run. There are
many fun summer activities.
Continues on page four.

(3) Niswi

Secretary’s Report Continues:
The Drug Tip Line number is 353-DRUG
or 353-3784.
The yellow banners are
around the reservation with this drug tip line
number displayed. The Drug Task Force
holds monthly meetings, and their Mission
Statement is: “To promote education
through public awareness with the specific
objective to eliminate the use of ‘illegal
drugs’ for the betterment of the health, welfare, and safety of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and our neighboring Communities.”
Continue to pray for each other as well
as to honor and remember all of our veterans, service men and women, and their
families. Remember those who are ill, our
economic struggles, and all who have lost
loved ones. Thank you, God and Creator,
for the great blessings of our land, loved
ones, and friends. Let us continue to be
thankful for our beautiful area. We pray for
peace in the world. Remember to honor
your fathers on June 17, both here on Earth
and in heaven.
During May 2012, the Tribal Council held
one Regular Tribal Council Meeting on May
5, 2012. This meeting is covered in the
June 2012 Newsletter. Tribal Council held
five Special Council Meetings. Following
are the unapproved motions from May.








At a council meeting held May 17, 2012,
the following actions were taken:







At a council meeting held May 3, 2012,
the following actions were taken:



Approved the July 9 and July 14, 2011
Tribal Council meeting minutes;
Approved John Gervais for the Casino
Restaurant lease per the recommendation of the General Manager.



At a council meeting held May 10, 2012,
the following actions were taken:














Approved the July 21 and July 28, 2011
Tribal Council meeting minutes;
Tabled the Director of Fire Management
job description and have the Firefighting
Committee review the job description,
review the Fire Prevention Technician’s
position and have a recommendation
from the Committee in two weeks;
Denied another request from Paul Smith
for the LIFE subscriptions;
Approved the former Weed & Seed office space for the Youth Department,
three rooms at the Four Seasons Motel
for college office space, and the use of
any other space in the new Pre-Primary
building that is available;
Approved to overturn the CEO’s termination decision on case #007-12, give
her back pay, and return the sick and
annual leave she used for the EAP sessions;
Approved to encourage management to
implement the recommended changes
received from Energy.3 energy efficiency reports and recommendations;
Approved to adopt proposed Ordinance
2012-03, 3.2025 Temporary Lodging
and Travel: an Ordinance of the KBIC
adopted under the authority of the Constitution and By-Laws of the KBIC for
the purpose of amending 3.20, Sex Offender Registration Code, of the Tribal
Code to bring it into compliance with
2012 federal statutes and guidelines,
and incorporate it into the Tribal Code,
thereby repealing and replacing the existing version of 3.2025 Temporary
Lodging with Ordinance 2012-03. It is
further requested as part of this motion
that Ordinance 2012-03 be codified as
3.2025 of the Tribal Code and be submitted to the Secretary of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs for approval in accordance
with the requirements of Article VI sec. 1
(l) and (n) of the Constitution;
Approved Resolution KB 1889-2012 BIA
IRR Referenced Funding Agreement
pursuant to KB’s IRR Program Agree-

(4) Niiwin

ment;
Approved the bid from U.P. Concrete &
Pipe for $37,200.40 for culverts for the
fish passage projects (Department of
Public Works);
Approved the bid from Midwest Security
Systems, Inc. for $4,245 for the security
system for the Ojibwa Senior Citizens
building;
Approved the CVS Caremark Pharmacy
Network Provider Agreement-2011
Medicare Part D Services/Addendum;
Approved to hire Mariah Dunham as the
Summer Youth Coordinator.













Approved medical travel reimbursement
to Eleanor Nieskes and Danny to Milwaukee, WI on May 1, 2012, for
$338.11;
Tabled Raeanne Gauthier’s request for
softball equipment purchase for more
information until the next meeting;
Approved $1,764 from the youth budget
for a youth basketball tournament on
May 18, at Peshawbetown, MI per the
Youth Trip Policy;
Approved to amend the motion adopted
at the May 10, 2012 meeting which
reads: “to overturn the termination in
case #007-12 and give back pay from
the date of termination and return the
annual and sick leave used for EAP sessions that were mandated and move to
withdraw the return of back pay from the
date of termination”;
Approved the James Nankervis Professional Services Agreement to provide
architectural
design
services
(preliminary design) for future renovations of the Pressbox Bar and kitchen
areas;
Approved the KBIC Treaty Rights Farming License for Brenda Turunen d/b/a
Ma Hog Farm;
Approved the Professional Services
Agreement with Pine Beach LLC to prepare an environmental assessment for
the BIA application for the fee-to-trust
for the three acre property near the City
of Marquette and change the term of the
agreement to 90 days for completion;
Approved Ed Janisse’s General Manager/Radio Stations Employment Agreement for one year;
Approved the Aanikoosing, Inc. Board of
Directors posting;
Approved the applicants for the Economic Development Committee
(Anthony Veker, Sr.) and post for two
seats; Health Board (Cheryl Bogda, Carl
Rasanen, Kerry Picciano) and post for
three seats; Substance Abuse Advisory
Board (Melissa Koepp, Janice Shalifoe,
Anthony Veker, Sr., Jennifer Almli) and
post for two seats;
Tabled the background investigations
revisions until the next meeting;
Approved the updates to the ACH
Agreement Exhibit D with Superior National Bank (for direct deposits);
Approved to add the New Day Treatment Center Medicaid reimbursement
issue (letter) to the agenda;
Approved to have the New Day staff review the Medicaid issue with the Director by tomorrow and decide whether
they will appeal and have the letter written by the deadline.

At a council meeting held May 24, 2012, the
following actions were taken:




Approved to add arrests to Paragraph 4
Process: to the language revision to the
Personnel Policy Section 3.6 Security
Background Checks (Investigations);
Approved the revisions to the KBIC
Background Investigations Policy for























employees, volunteers, and others subject to the Indian Child Protection and
Family Violence Prevention Act and to
change the adjudicating panel to the
ICWA Committee;
Approved to hire George DeCota fulltime as the Fire Prevention Technician,
give him his accrued annual and sick
leave and back pay;
Approved to reclassify George DeCota
as the Fire Management Director and
that he be able to receive a full-time Fire
Administrative Assistant, so he will be
able to supervise fire crews when
needed;
Approved to change the final contract
ending date back to six months from 90
days for the Pine Beach LLC Professional Services Agreement;
Approved that the President sign the
letter to Judson S. Gilbert II, Chair of the
Tax Policy Committee, MI House of
Representatives that we do not oppose
House Bill 5609 regarding the transfer of
property to a Native American to avoid
property taxes;
Approved to continue the policy as is
regarding “eligible applicants” in the
CNAP (Community Needs Assistance
Program);
Approved Klas Robinson to do a Design
Study and business plan for $35,000
(per bid) for the proposed Marquette
Gas Station to be paid from the HUD
RIF (Rural Innovation Fund);
Approved the WIC Registered Dietician
Services (Agreement) with Hannahville;
Approved the purchase of 32mg Apple IPads for the Council, Recording Secretary, CEO, and Assistant CEO;
Approved up to $10,759.75 pending
available funds in the 655 budget for the
2012 Annual Kid’s Fishing Derby;
Approved the contract change order to
three years with Tri Matrix Laboratories,
Inc. (regarding the Brownfield Program);
Approved to amend the Flexible Work
Arrangement Policy: if an employee has
over 160 hours of annual leave, they will
not be eligible for the 10 hour work day
schedule;
Approved the RezHeadz Entertainment
Offer of Presentation Agreement for
$20,000 to be held July 16-17, 2012;
Approved the ASCAP Radio Station License Agreement for WCUP/WGLI for
2010-2016 (per court settlement);
Approved the John R. Gervais Casino
Restaurant Space Lease Agreement.

At a council meeting held May 31, 2012,
the following actions were taken:













Approved Mary Kaye Durant’s request
for an additional $228 for funeral travel
(prior approval of $1,000) pending verifications of enrollments;
Approved a donation of $25,000 to the
“Farm to Consumer Legal Defense
Fund” for the Brenda Turunen Hog Farm
treaty right case;
Approved the Services Agreement with
Rebecca (Mark) Panasiewicz to provide
group counseling services pending approval of the DOJ grant;
Approved the Argus Pharmacy Contract
and the MedImpact Pharmacy Agreement;
Approved the Cultural Committee applicants for three year terms (Diana Charron, Melissa Koepp, Gerry Mantila);
Approved to appoint Suzanne Kahkonen
and Robin Roe to the Education Committee for three year terms and advertise for the four remaining seats;
Approved the Diamond Talent LLC Contract for “Hunks the Show” male revue
on November 14, 2012, at the Pressbox;
Approved a new firework’s permit for
Jeremy Hebert for three months;
Continues top of page five.



Approved the revisions to the Drug Free
Workplace Policy.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary

CEO REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2012
The month of May 2012 included the following activities and reportable items:


KUEMMEL RUNS FOR A CAUSE—
PRESENTS DONALD LAPOINTE
MEDICAL CENTER WITH
PLEDGE CHECK







Lynn Kuemmel is definitely a player
you’d want on your team. Lynn, who has
rheumatoid arthritisf, runs to give assistance
to those in need. This heartfelt woman is an
employee of KBIC, employed as a pharmacist assistant at the Tribal Pharmacy located
in the Donald LaPointe Medical Center.
Lynn said, “I began running in 1999 in
Alaska. I was living in Illinois at the time but
became interested in a run in Alaska where
I raised $30,000 for a young boy who suffered from Leukemia. I wanted to assist him
and his family, so they could make journeys
to and from the hospital.” Lynn continued to
make runs to raise money for many organizations and individuals in need. To date she
has completed ten marathons and has two
more planned this summer and early fall.
Lynn said, “I do charity runs to assist financially for organizations and needy individuals, and I do so with all of my heart. People
pledge money for me to run in the name of
the organization or individual who I am determined to help. I once ran for pledges for
the Brain Tumor Foundation and the Marine
Corp Marathon in honor of my cousin, Mike,
who died from a brain tumor at the age of
50.”
Recently Lynn ran in the Baraga County
Lake Trout Festival held in Baraga County
on June 9, 2012. She raised over $1000
from pledges which she has donated to the
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Donald
LaPointe Medical Center. Because of her
medical condition, Lynn stated, “I didn’t
have a good day on Saturday’s run, but I
ran because I knew why I was running. I
ended up taking third in my age group.”
Lynn, who trains by running every other
night, plans to run a marathon in October
with pledges to assist funding at the KBIC
Donald LaPointe Medical Center and a
young “patient hero” who has arthritis.
Lynn, who now lives in L’Anse, MI, grew up
locally, moved to Arizona and Illinois, but
returned home when her mom took ill and
passed away.
Lynn said, “Running helps me relieve
everyday stress, and at the same time I am
helping people. It is a win-win situation.
The more I can run, the more I can give.”



As was mentioned at last month’s meeting, the $600,000 HUD ICDBG grant for
the Transfer Station Project was denied;
based on the fact they had scored an
already funded project. The agency has
agreed to score the proper application.
As of this past Thursday, the application
had not been completely scored and a
follow up call to Elton Jones will be
made this coming week to provide comment on questions they have before
they finalize the scoring process.
The energy efficiency reports and recommendations have been completed by
Energy .3. The reports provide the
Tribe with a number of ways to effectively save energy and provide savings
while reducing emissions. The recommendations include immediate plans as
well as future plans and have been distributed to affected departments to begin implementing them.
The former Red Apple Restaurant is
now leased to John Gervais and will be
called the Lucky 7’s Restaurant. He is
in the process of hiring staff and as of
Friday, is in the facility which will be fully
operational next week offering a full line
of menu items for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner.
On the 15th, the bi-monthly department
head meeting was held. Gregg
Nominelli, Economic Developer, provided the group with the upcoming plan
for reviewing the Tribes Comprehensive
Strategic Plan. Department heads will
be meeting with Council throughout the
next couple of months to update the
plan. Also provided during the meeting
to the group was the new format for
their monthly reports. They will begin
using it with the development of their
May report.
As was reported during my May 17th
weekly update, the Citizens Corporation, aka the CITGO, funding was not
awarded this year. Sarah Maki, Asst.
CEO and Janice Halverson, CAP Director, have been working on getting to the
bottom of the denial. The funds, in past
years, have been provided to LIHEAP

To be added to the mailing list or to correct your
mailing address, contact
the enrollment office at
(906) 353-6623 ext. 4113.











eligible applicants and provided just
over $200 in heating assistance funds.
The Tribe has filled the newly developed
Director of Fire Management position.
George DeCota has been reclassified
from Fuels Technician to the new position and will officially begin in the capacity on June 4th. The position will aid in
providing a more cohesive bond between the very successful Beartown
Wildland Firefighters operations and the
Tribe. The position will also be developing plans to take on the responsibilities
of emergency management for the
Tribe.
The Ojibwa Community Library is now
connected to the Great Lakes Digital
Library. The new program allows access to thousands of audio books and
ebooks by downloading them to your
computer, mobile device, iPod, or eBook
reader. Those wishing to use the program will need to acquire an Ojibwa
Community Library card. For more information stop by or call the library.
Plans are well underway for the 10th Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby. The
event will be held at the Tribe’s Sand
Point Recreation Area on June 30th.
This year’s event is being held in honor
of the Gauthier Family. Anyone wishing
to help can contact the Natural Resources Department.
The Tribe’s Summer Youth Employment
program will be coordinated by Maria
Dunham this year. She and three supervisors who have been hired will be
very busy over the next couple of weeks
preparing for the hiring of the summer
youth workers who will begin the week
of June 18th.
In a final note, our office has been overseeing and directing the activities of the
Natural Resources Department during
the absence of Todd Warner, NRD Director. It is anticipated that Todd will
return around the middle part of June.

As always, if anyone has questions, concerns, or issues that the CEO’s office can
assist with, please don’t hesitate to stop, email, or call.
Respectfully submitted,
Larry J. Denomie, III, CEO

All Tribal Veterans’ Meeting at the
Lighthouse, Sand Point, will be
held every third Wednesday of the
month at 1900 hours. All Tribal
Veterans Welcome!
(5) Naanan

Graduates continues:

Paige Chosa is the daughter of Brandy and Tom
Chosa. She played on the junior varsity and varsity
basketball all four years of high school. She was on
the Cross-Country team for three years and was a
Rez Runner with the Youth Program. Paige received
perfect attendance numerous times throughout her
high school career. Paige likes to attend mud drags
in the summer, and she enjoys reading, walking, playing basketball, and being with friends. She received
the Baraga County Whitetails scholarship and is the
alternate for the Baraga Fire Dept. and Auxiliary
scholarship. She will be attending Northern Michigan
University this fall to study environmental science.

Richard Alexander is the son of Dawn and Dan
Alexander. He participated in track for three years.
He also played junior varsity and varsity football. He
was also involved in the power lifting program at the
Baraga school. Richard recently competed in the
power lifting competition and won the following medals: Three 1st place, two 2nd place, and one 3rd
place. He has been a KBIC Summer Youth worker
and was a member of the Rez Runners basketball
program.
Richard’s hobbies include weightlifting, watching
tv, and spending time with family and friends. He
plans on joining the Navy after graduation.

Savannah Dakota is the daughter of Cherie and
Brad Dakota. Some of her activities include Honors
band, bowling, golf, SADD, High Five Mentoring, Local History Smackdown, High School Bowl, and Michigan Tech University’s Engineering Olympics. She
was a Camp Nesbitt counselor, a member of the
Baraga County Community Foundation, and was the
President of her class every year since the seventh
grade. Savannah also represented the KBIC at the
National Intertribal Youth Summit in New Mexico in
2011. She has been in the National Honor Society
since 2011, and has been consistently on the Honor
Roll throughout her school career.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, singing, stargazing and the company of her friends and
family.
Savannah is the class of 2012’s Valedictorian.
She was selected as an Outstanding Senior by the
Baraga High School faculty. She received the Russell
J. Osterman Scholarship, the Michigan Competitive
Scholarship, and numerous other awards. She will be
attending the University of Michigan in the fall majoring in education.
Durwyn Chaudier is the son of Aimee Emery and
Durwyn Chaudier. While in high school, DJ participated in basketball and football for four years. He
was an All-Conference second team pick his senior
year along with an All-U.P. honorable mention in basketball. DJ was a High-Five mentor and a counselor
at Camp Nesbitt. He has helped with Young Author’s
Day at P.L.E.S. for the last two years. He was a Rez
Runner and employed as a KBIC Summer Youth
worker.
His hobbies include weightlifting, basketball, and
spending time with family and friends. He was selected as an Outstanding Senior by the Baraga High
School Faculty. DJ will be attending Northern Michigan University this fall majoring in elementary education.

Corey Pietila is the daughter of Juliet Goyen and
Chuckie Pietila. She has played junior varsity and
varsity volleyball. She received Honorable Mention
for her two years of varsity volleyball. Corey played
basketball for seven years, beginning in the fifth
grade. She was a member of the varsity track team
for two years and also played Rez Runner basketball.
In her free time, Corey enjoys swimming, bowling,
and bonding with family and friends. She will be attending Grand Valley State University in the fall.

Jeffrey Degenaer is the son of Ann and Patrick
Degenaer. He has played football since the seventh
grade. He played basketball for four years. In his
senior year, he joined the Baraga/L’Anse bowling
team. He has achieved Perfect Attendance and has
been on the Honor Roll. He worked for the KBIC in
the Summer Youth Program. His hobbies include
hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, and being with friends.
Jeff’s plans are to attend college with an undeclared
major.

(6) Ningodwaaswi

Otis Malmgren is the son of Kathy Malmgren and
Neil Malmgren. While in high school, he completed
the Auto Tech class offered in Hancock and the Vocational Construction class in Baraga. He was very
involved in the construction class and was the lead
carpenter on building sites including a garage. Otis
has been an outstanding student in the carpentry
class, and his instructor speaks highly of him.
His hobbies include hunting, fishing, four-wheeling,
racing, mudding, and volleyball. He also likes to collect and haul metal.
Otis will be attending Gogebic Community College
this fall majoring in Automotive Technology.

Tyler Rasanen is the son of Jodene and Jim
Rasanen. He has been on the track team for three
years and on the Cross Country track team for one
year. He has achieved Perfect Attendance. His hobbies include making CD’s and video libraries for
friends, running, weightlifting, and spending time with

friends and family.
He will be leaving for Army Basic Training in October. He plans on attending college while in the Army
and to continue his education after the Army.

William Ross-Geroux is the son of Janet Ross
and Bruce Geroux. He has played basketball for four
years. He also ran track for four years participating in
both field and running events. He was on the CrossCountry team in his junior year. He received athletic
letters for sports including track, cross country track,
and basketball. He was selected to be the Daily Mining Gazette Student of the Week.
William enjoys skating, skiing, basketball, playing
the piano, four-wheeling, and playing his X-Box.
He plans on working for a year and then will attend
college to earn a degree in aviation mechanics.

Kyle Soli is the son of Michelle St. George and
Mark Soli. He has been in the construction trades
class and was a participant in this year’s Construction
Trades Challenge at Northern Michigan University.
He has assisted many students in his shop class with
their projects.
He enjoys hunting, fishing, construction, and working. Kyle’s plans are to work for a year and then attend Northern Michigan University.

Dustin Teikari is the son of Sarah Mayo. He has
played basketball every year since the seventh grade.
He also played football in junior high and the tenth
grade. He received varsity letters for basketball and
track. He was on the basketball team that was district
champions and made it to the regional championship.
He enjoys being with friends, bowling, softball, and
swimming.
Dustin’s plans after school are to join the United
States Army.

Alisha Tilson is the daughter of Allison and Dana
Hietikko and Tim Tilson. She was a cheerleader, a
member of SADD, and the yearbook committee. She
was her class vice-president and was the president of
the National Honor Society. She has consistently
been on the Honor Roll and finished off her high
school year with all A’s. She has received Perfect
Attendance numerous times. As an advanced art
student, Alisha painted a mural in the school of a famous castle. She received the Copper Country Student Leadership award, was the Daily Mining Gazette
Student of the Week, was Miss Congeniality for the
Lumberjack Days Queen contest, and her artwork
was selected for the Student Note Card Contest.
Her hobbies are reading, writing, photography,
traveling, working with children, and video editing.
She was selected as an Outstanding Senior by the
Baraga High School Principal. She received the
Robert Reed Memorial Scholarship and several other
scholarships.
She will be attending Northern Michigan University
this fall majoring in Digital Cinema.

Sierra Ayres is the daughter of Violet and Jason
Ayres. In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society, International Travel Club, Drama
Club, Varsity Cheerleading, Pep and Symphony
Band, and the 2012 MSBOA District XIV Honors
Band. She was cast in the 2011 Copper Country AllSchool Musical “Annie” and performed in the 2011
and 2012 District and State Solo and Ensemble receiving top scores in trumpet solo and trio pieces.
She volunteered in High Five mentoring, Adopt a
Highway, KBIC Youth Club, and she was the Varsity
Volleyball statistician. Sierra has been an elected
Class Officer since the sixth grade serving as Historian and Treasurer. She was the 2011 KBIC MidWinter Pow-wow Head Female Youth Dancer and
represented her tribe as a delegate at the 2011 National Inter-tribal Youth Summit in New Mexico. She
has received the annual Honors Convocation every
year since the fourth grade and was on the Honor Roll
every quarter. Sierra received the Ina McClintock
Been Scholarship, the Michigan Competitive Scholarship, and the Presidential Distinction Award given to
graduates with a GPA higher than 3.8. She graduated sixth in her class.
Her hobbies include reading, playing the trumpet,
singing, walking, camping, and spending time with her
family and friends. Sierra has worked as a math tutor,
barista, Pre-Primary worker, and independent intern
for the Tribe’s Natural Resource Department.
Sierra will be attending the University of Michigan
this fall to study Actuarial and Financial Mathematics
and Music, and she has been accepted into the Michigan Community Scholars Program at U of M.

Angelica Bogda is the daughter of Cheryl Bogda.
While in high school, she was involved in basketball,
cross-country, and Health Occupations Students of
America. She has been on the Honor Roll. She knew
she wanted a career in the medical field and participated in the Nurse’s Aide class at LHS. She was the
vice-president of the KBIC Youth Club. Angelica took
two classes at Ojibwa Community College and received a Scholastic Achievement Award from the college for obtaining a 4.00 GPA.
Angelica spends her time taking care of her son,
Blake, plus shopping, computers, four-wheeling, hunting, and being with her family. She has worked at the
Pre-Primary program, the Pines, and the Youth Center.
After graduation, she plans on attending Finlandia
University to study Phlebotomy and obtain a degree.
She would like to continue her education to make a
better life for herself and her son.

L’Anse Area Schools

Rachel Sutherland is the daughter of Lynelle
Lussier and Curtis Sutherland. She has participated
in junior varsity basketball for two years, track for four
years, cross country for two years, cheerleading for
three years, and bowling for one year. Rachel received All-State honors in track and cross country and
was on the West-Pac first team in cross country. She
has been on the Honor Roll every quarter.
She enjoys reading, writing, running, being at the
lake, and spending time with friends and family.
Rachel will be attending Grand Valley State University majoring in English.

Cody Haataja is the son of Cindy and Leslie
Haataja. While in high school, Cody played football.
He received the First Team Defensive line All WestPac award and Defensive Lineman of the Year team
award. He has been on the Honor Roll and has had
Perfect Attendance.
He enjoys hunting, fishing, weightlifting, and fourwheeling. He has worked as a cashier at BP and has
worked for the Summer Youth Program. Cody plans
on attending college or joining the military.
Continues on page twelve. (7) Niizhwaaswi

ATTENTION RETIREES
Changes to Michigan’s Tax Laws Could Cost You
As of January 1, 2012, Michigan is taxing
pension and retirement benefits at the standard rate of 4.35%. Some pension and retirement plan administrators are automatically withholding this tax from your distributions.
If you are a Tribal member whose income is exempt from state taxes, you
MUST ACT to prevent the state from taking
this tax out of your retirement distributions.
Contact your tax advisor to find out if your
distributions have been subject to state income tax withholding in the past and if this
new tax should apply to you.
There is a form (MI W-4P) to claim exemption from the tax. The form must be
completed by you and filed with your retirement plan administrator. For a copy of the
form go to www.michigan.gov/taxes, and
click on the link under Highlights for
“Withholding Information for Pension Recipients”. This will take you to the page with
the MI W-4P form and instructions. You
should check Box 1 if you believe you will
not have any balance due on a Michigan
income tax return.
If you find out that this tax has already
been taken out of your retirement distributions and you are exempt from Michigan
income taxes, you may have to file a Michigan income tax return at the end of the year
to get your money refunded. Please contact
your tax advisor to find out how this new tax
has affected you and how to protect your
exempt income from future taxation.
EMJAY Participants: Phil Giuffre, our
contact with the EMJAY Pension Plan, sent
letters to all those recipients who were affected by the new tax laws, along with a

copy of the MI W-4P form. Those who do
not want this tax withheld from their distributions must complete the form by checking
box 1, and return it to EMJAY in the enclosed envelope as soon as possible.
For more information please see the following excerpt from the 2012 Pension Withholding Guide below:
Effective January 1, 2012, Michigan’s tax
treatment of pension and retirement benefits
will change, and these benefits will be subject to income tax for many recipients.
Michigan law now requires the administrators of pension and retirement benefits to
withhold income tax on payments that will
be subject to tax.
Under Michigan law, qualifying pension
and retirement benefits include most payments that are reported on a 1099-R for federal tax purposes. This includes defined
benefit pensions, IRA distributions, and
most payments from defined contribution
plans. Payments received before the recipient could retire under the provisions of the
plan or benefits from 401(k), 457, or 403(b)
plans attributable to employee contributions
alone are not pension and retirement benefits under Michigan law and are subject to
withholding.
Beginning in 2012, pension and retirement benefits will be taxed differently depending on the age of the recipient. For
couples, age is determined using the age of
the older spouse. Military pensions, Social
Security benefits, and railroad retirement
benefits continue to be exempt from tax.
For recipients born before 1946, the law
remains the same as it was prior to 2012.
Those born before 1946 may subtract all

qualifying pension and retirement benefits
received from public sources and may subtract private pension and retirement benefits
up to $47,309 if single or married filing
separate, or $94,618 if married filing a joint
return. Withholding will only be necessary
on taxable pension payments (private pension payments) that exceed the pension limits stated above for recipients born before
1946.
Recipients born during the period 1946
and 1952 will be able to deduct $20,000 in
pension and retirement benefits if single or
married filing separate or $40,000 if married
filing a joint return. This exemption does not
apply to payments from 457 plans, 401(k)
plans, 403(b) plans or any other elective
deferral plans if only the employee made
contributions to the plan. If the benefit will
be less than the deduction amounts, no
withholding is required unless the recipient
requests withholding by submitting an MI W4P. If benefits are paid other than monthly,
withholding is only due on the amount that
exceeds the recipients’ deduction amount.
Recipients who indicate on the MI W-4P
they are married (withhold as single) should
have withholding computed as if they are
single.
For recipients born after 1952, all pension and retirement benefits are taxable.
The entire 2012 Pension Withholding
Guide is available at the following web address: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/
taxes/2012_Pension_Withholding_Guide_3
65268_7.pdf. More information regarding
Michigan tax laws can be found at: http://
www.michigan.gov/taxes.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KBIC’S COLLEGE GRADUATES
The Education Department is pleased to
announce the following nineteen KBIC college graduates for the 2011-12 academic
year:























DeAnna Hadden, Northern Michigan
University, Auto Service Technology
A.A.
Angela Loonsfoot-Pearson, Ojibwa
Community College, Liberal Studies,
A.A.
Patrick Madden, Bay de Noc Community College, Criminal Justice A.A.
Kim Maki, Ojibwa Community College,
Early Childhood Education, A.S.
Nissa Morningstar, Ojibwa Community
College, Early Childhood Education,
A.S.
Laura Mayo, Gogebic Community College, Business/Medical Coding & Billing
A.A.
Ashley Soli, Ojibwa Community College,
Early Childhood Education, A.S.
Nicole Arens, Michigan Technological
University, English, B.A.
Leonard Beaudoin, Northern Michigan
University, Criminal Justice, B.S.
Leslie Haataja II, Northern Michigan
University, Electrical Engineering Technology, B.S.
Melissa Kruse, Alverno College, Nursing
B.S.N.
Lisa Madosh, Northern Michigan University, Criminal Justice, B.S.
Joshua Mayo, Michigan Technological
University, Scientific and Technical
Communication, B.A.
Candice Rajala, Northern Michigan University, Personal Financial Management, B.S.
Paul Smith, Northern Michigan University, Criminal Justice, B.S.
Sarah Welch, Central Michigan Univer-

(8) Ishwaaswi



sity, English, B.A.
Brigitte LaPointe-Tolonen, Northern
Michigan University, Graduate Certificate, Performance Improvement.
Angela Badke, Michigan Technological
University, Rhetoric and Technical Communication, M.S.
Andrew Chosa, Northern Michigan University, Business, M.B.A.

Congratulations to all of our graduates.
We are very proud of you and your accomplishments!

CREBESSA GRADUATES
WITH BSN DEGREE

KBIC Tribal Member, Melissa “Crebessa”
Kruse graduated from Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI, with a BSN Degree in May
2012. Melissa is the daughter of the late
Jerry “Yogi” Crebessa and granddaughter of
Lois and Roger Bodga of L’Anse. She will
be applying at the Veterans Hospital in Illinois were her husband and brother will be
attending college.
To place an ad, submit an article, or
relate information or ideas on possible
articles contact: Lauri Denomie at
(906) 201-0263, or e-mail
newsletter@kbic-nsn.gov.

SORNA
MEETING
ATTENTION
KBIC MEMBERS
A meeting to discuss the Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community’s participation in
the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) will be held on
Wednesday, July 18, 2012, in the Ojibwa
Casino Resort Conference Room from
2:00 p.m. until approximately 4:00 p.m.
This meeting is designed to educate
Tribal members and residents living within
the L’Anse Reservation about the current
status of KBIC as a SORNA registration jurisdiction. Any questions regarding how sex
offender registration and notification works,
the requirements for registration, and the
reasons why someone may or may not be
on the sex offenders list can be answered
or looked into at this meeting. In addition,
there will be a session covering the KBIC
sex offender public website, where anyone
interested can register to receive e-mail notices when changes to the public registry
occur. For more information, please contact Chuck Miller, SORNA Coordinator –
KBIC Tribal Police, at 353-6626 or cmiller@kbic-nsn.gov.

Zeba Indian Mission
United Methodist Church
“We welcome each of
you to our worship
services, at 9:00 a.m.
each Sunday.”
Pastor: Rev. Stephen
Rhoades
Church office 524-7939
Parsonage 524-7936

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON
INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDPIR)
NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS*
(Effective October 1, 2011)
*The net monthly income standard for each household size is the sum of the applicable Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) net monthly
income eligibility standard and the applicable SNAP
standard deduction.
48 Contiguous
United States:
House
hold
Size

Use this
amount

SNAP Net
Monthly
Income
Standard

SNAP Standard Deduction

1

$ 908

+

$147

=

$1,055

2

$1,226

+

$147

=

$1,373

3

$1,545

+

$147

=

$1,692

4

$1,863

+

$155

=

$2,018

5

$2,181

+

$181

=

$2,362

6

$2,500

+

$208

=

$2,708

7

$2,818

+

$208

=

$3,026

8

$3,136

+

$208

=

$3,344

Each additional member

+ $319

Alaska:
Household
Size

FDPIR Net
Monthly
Income
Standard

Use this
amount

SNAP Net
Monthly
Income
Standard

SNAP Standard Deduction

1

$1,134

+

$252

=

$1,386

2

$1,532

+

$252

=

$1,784

3

$1,930

+

$252

=

$2,182

4

$2,329

+

$252

=

$2,581

5

$2,727

+

$252

=

$2,979

6

$3,125

+

$260

=

$3,385

7

$3,524

+

$260

=

$3,784

8

$3,922

+

$260

=

$4,182

Each additional member

FDPIR Net
Monthly
Income
Standard

+ $399

FDPIR Income Deductions—see 7 CFR 253.6(f)

NEWDAY DIRECTOR PRESENTS AT METH SUMMIT
New Day/KBIC was represented at the
Dept. of Justice (DOJ) Meth Summit in
Phoenix, AZ, this past May. Those making
the trip included KBIC Tribal Police Commissioner, Dale Dakota, Council Member
P o p c o r n
M a y o ,
K B I C
Tribal Police Officer, Matt Shalifoe, Jr. and
New
Day
Administrator/Council
Member, Jerry Lee Curtis.
Jerry Lee was invited as a Speaker/
Presenter on the importance of the cultural
aspect in a treatment setting and the history
and longevity of New Day.
In attendance at Jerry Lee's presentation
was Don Coyhis, Founder and President of
White Bison, Inc. Don is from the Mohican
Nation and has authored numerous books,
CDs, and DVDs that are or have been implemented into the recovery/treatment setting
throughout
I ndian Countr y.
New Day utilizes one of Don's books titled, "The Red Road to Wellbriety." Upon
the conclusion of his presentation, Jerry Lee
was approached by Don Coyhis, who stated
he was in "awe" of the methods of therapy
and how the cultural components are integrated into such at New Day.

Don also spoke in one of the Plenary
Sessions and in a Breakout Session. Jerry
Lee attended both presentations. During
his talks, Don referenced New Day and how
it has already instituted the cultural components into a treatment setting. That is exactly the message that Don wished to bring
forth to conference attendees, i.e., how important it is to have that cultural connection
or reconnection.
It was pretty humbling to hear such kudos from one of the main speakers of the
conference as Don referenced “New Day for
the work they do in serving those in the
strangleholds of addiction,” Jerry Lee said.
KBIC should be proud, yet humble, in knowing their treatment center is recognized at
the national level.
Jerry Lee attributed the longevity and
success of New Day to the past and present
staff and this awareness of the need for the
cultural component and how vital a role it
plays in getting the much needed balance
and harmony back into one's life while on
the road to recovery.
If one has any questions, please feel free
to call New Day at (906) 524-4411.

Earned Income Deduction — Households with
earned income are allowed a deduction of 20 percent
of their earned income.
Dependant Care Deduction — Households that
qualify for the dependent care deduction are allowed
a deduction of actual dependent care costs paid
monthly to a non-household member.
Child Support Deduction — Households that incur
the cost of legally required child support to or for a
non-household member are allowed a deduction for
the amount of monthly child support paid.
Medicare Part B Medical Insurance and Part D
Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums — Households that incur the cost of Medicare Part B medical
insurance and/or Part D prescription drug coverage
premiums are allowed a deduction for the monthly
cost of the premiums.
FDPIR Resource Standards—see 7 CFR 253.6(d)
$3,250 for households with at least one elderly or
disabled member.
$2,000 for households without any elderly or disabled members.

(9) Zhaangaswi

NOMINELLI SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF KBIC’S PROPOSED GAS STATION
by Mark Wilcox, Eagle Radio News Director
The pros and cons of plans by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to operate a
gas station near Marquette were presented
at a meeting of the Marquette Township
Board on June 5, 2012. A standing room
only crowd packed the small conference
room to lend support both to the Upper Peninsula Petroleum Association, which opposes the project and to KBIC.
The public forum was scheduled by the
Township Board after the UPPA asked to be
on the agenda to ask the board to oppose
construction of the gas station/convenience
store to be constructed on the former Los
Tres Amigos restaurant property just west of
Marquette on U.S. 41.
Brooke Ferns, President of the UPPA,
who with her husband owns three gas stations and a gasoline distribution business,
addressed the board. She said, “The issue
is the fact the proposed KBIC gas station
would not be subject to state sales tax. Because the mark up of gasoline is only five
percent, the omission of sales tax would
give the tribal-owned station an unfair advantage.”
Ferns said, “Because sales taxes are
used to fund education, tens of thousands
of dollars would be diverted from the Marquette Area School District which is already
financially strapped.”
“Also,” she said,
“Increased traffic in the area due to the station would result in an increase of traffic accidents and presumably fatalities.” She
cited the Pines Convenience in Baraga
which is owned by the KBIC saying lower
gas prices have caused businesses in that
area to suffer. She concluded by expressing her appreciation for what she called, “an
outpouring of support and a Tribal gas station that didn’t collect sales tax would be
devastating to Marquette area businesses
and the school system.”
Greg Nominelli, Economic Developer for
KBIC painted an entirely different picture.
2012 ANN MISEGAN MEMORIAL
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
AVAILABLE
The KBIC Education Department announced the availability of the 2012 Ann
Misegan Memorial Scholarship applications. The scholarship amount is $1,000
twice a year for up to six years and will be
awarded to a new student each fall. Applicants must meet the following criteria:







Enrolled Tribal member
Attending an accredited college/
university
Enrolled as a full-time student
Pursuing a degree in a Health Care
field
Resident of Baraga or Marquette
County

Eligible students must complete an application, submit an essay detailing their
interest in their chosen health field, and
submit a copy of their official transcripts
(high school or college).
For more information and to request an
application, contact Amy St. Arnold, Education Director at (906) 353-6623, ext.
4117 or at amy@KBIC-nsn.gov. The application deadline is August 1, 2012, at 4
p.m.

Nominelli told the board the issue is simply
about profits. Nominelli said, “I used to live
in Marquette, and I like the area a great
deal, however what I don’t like is the fact it
has the highest gasoline prices in the state.”
He said, “I understand the concern of the
UPPA that competition will cut into their
profits, but lower gas prices are good for
KBIC, its members, as well as residents and
businesses in the Marquette area.”
Nominelli addressed the concerns about the
loss of sales tax money by listing some of
the many contributions KBIC has made to
local units of government in Marquette and
Baraga counties.
He concluded by acknowledging those opposed to competition
are very vocal and urged those who support
lower priced gas in Marquette to make their
voices heard.
KBIC Tribal member Fred Dakota addressed a question from Board Trustee,
Pete Larue, on whether the Tribe would adhere to the township’s zoning and signage
ordinances because if the land were put in
trust the Tribe would not be bound by such
ordinances.
Dakota told Larue, “I’ve been on the
Tribal Council for 42 years and Chairman
for 21 … I think we can work together.”
After the presentations, Ferns spoke with
Eagle Radio news and explained why Marquette’s gas prices are so high. “In Marquette, we’re further away from fuel
sources, the nearest place to buy gas is
Green Bay,” she said. “We can’t put a fortyfive cent stamp on the gasoline truck; we
have to pay to get it here with fuel which is
very very expensive.”
Ferns said, “Obviously competitors in the
Baraga area have lowered their prices.
Otherwise there’s no way they’d get people
into their stores to buy things they can potentially profit from.”
Ferns defended her allegation, the Pines
causes businesses to suffer because she’s

2012 KBIC FORESTRY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE
The KBIC Education Department announces the availability of the 2012 KBIC Forestry
Scholarship applications. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has a vital interest in the
preservation of the land and forests on and near the reservation. The Tribal Council has
approved two scholarships for college students pursuing Forestry degrees. The scholarship
amount is $2,500 twice a year for up to four years. Applicants must meet the following
criteria:
 Enrolled Tribal member
 Resident of Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota
 Attending an accredited college/university in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota
 Enrolled as a full-time student
 Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry documented by their college
Eligible students must complete an application, submit an essay detailing their interest
in their chosen field, and submit a copy of their official transcripts (high school or college).
For more information and to request an application, contact Amy St. Arnold, Education
Director at (906) 353-6623, ext. 4117 or at amy@KBIC-nsn.gov. The application deadline
is August 1, 2012, at 4 p.m.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Head Start & Early Head Start will be accepting applications for the 2012-2013
school year. Applications are available at
the KBIC Health Clinic, KBIC Tribal Center, Ojibwa Community College, and the
Head Start & Early Head Start Center. You
may also have an application mailed to
you by calling Barb at 524-6626. All applications MUST be returned with a proof of
income! All applications with proof of income are due by July 6, 2012.

ATTENTION ATR CLIENTS
ATR clients who have one year in the program and have completed their phase
(either phase 1, 2, or 3), and did their six month follow up. You are eligible and encouraged to attend a special session on July 9, 2012, 5—8 p.m. at the Chippewa Conference
Room. You must register for this session! Please call R.D. Curtis at 353-8121. If you attended the March 5, 2012, session, you are not eligible. There will be nice prizes given
away, but you must be present to win them!
(10) Midaaswi

seen it first hand from personal experience.
“I drove to L’Anse yesterday to co-sign a
loan to keep my dealer in business because
he isn’t able to keep up with his fuel bill at
this point in time because of the prices he’s
forced to compete with.” She said, “It is a
real issue for a lot of people.”
Nominelli told Eagle News, “The reason
the price of gas is higher in Marquette is
simple … It’s all about profit. We all get gas
from the same terminal in Green Bay. We
all pay the same prices there. You can do
the math to figure out how much farther it is
to Marquette from Munising or from Houghton-Hancock or Baraga, and you can see
the difference in price. The price difference
isn’t about the cost of gas, or the taxes, or
not very much to the cost of transportation.
So what does that leave?”
The KBIC bought the property in 2010
and earlier this year had the former restaurant torn down. The Tribe is now waiting for
a decision from the Bureau of Indian Affairs
to put the land in trust. If the application is
approved, construction of the gas station
can begin.
Nominelli said, “While approval from
Marquette township is not required by the
federal government, support from local municipalities and the public is weighed by the
BIA when ruling on the application. The
Secretary of the Department of Interior will
have to make a determination that putting
the land in trust will be a benefit to the Tribal
Community and not a determent to the surrounding communities. So the question is,
‘is having a gas station with lower gas
prices detrimental to the surrounding communities or not?’”
The Township Board neither endorsed
nor opposed the plan. However, Supervisor
Dennis Liimitta, said, “Another public forum
may be held to gather additional comment.”

REZHEADZ events will be held at the KBOCC gym and are guaranteed to be an amazing event to be remembered by all.
July 16, 2012—Evening Event hosted by Dakota Black
6:20 pm—Introduction to Conference—Smoke
6:50 pm—Comedy by Dakota Black, Featured in: CSI-NY, Sons of
Anarchy, 1000 Ways to Die, Indian Island
8:20 pm—Live Musical Performance—Smoke & Mimi—Multiple
Award Winning—International Recording Artists
8:40 pm—Live Musical Performance—Cisko—Award Winning Recording Artist
8:50 pm—Live Musical Performance—Big Gemini—Billboard Top
10 Recording Artist
9:30 pm—Autograph Photo Session—All Presenters
July 17, 2012—Conference Agenda hosted by Smoke
9:00 am—Opening Prayer—Cisko
9:20 am—Introduction—All Presenters
10:00 am—T.E.A.M. Building Exercises—All Presenters—All Attendees
11:00 am— Workshop Rotation begins
11:10am—Gathering of Nations—Smoke, Mimi, & Cisko (Drug &
Alcohol Abuse)
12:00 pm—Lunch break
12:45 pm—Gathering of Nations—Smoke, Mimi, & Cisko
(Leadership, Bullying)
1:20 pm—Dakota Black—Culture, Comedy, & Motivation (Drug &
Alcohol Prev.)
2:00 pm—Brian “Cisko” Gower—Knowledge is Power (Positive
Choices)
2:35 pm—Lyrical Healing—Smoke (Expression & Identity)
3:10 pm— Break
3:25 pm—One on One with Big Gemini—(I believe in me)
4:00 pm—Open Panel—All presenters (Question & Answer)
4:30 pm—Closing Keynote Presentations—All Presenters
5:15 pm—Dinner

YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN REZ ROAD CLEAN UP
On May
26, 2012, a
group
of
K B I C
Youth took
time
to
clean
up
the Mission
Road
in
Baraga.
This project
gave KBIC
Youth
a
chance to
take part in keeping their community clean, and they were taught
the importance of a clean environment. A second clean up is
scheduled in June.
Pictured left to right: Brian Spruce, Abby Spruce, Steele Jondreau, Jaycie Forcia, Nikki Maki, Youth Director,Cheryne Clements,
Charlie Spruce, Kayla Szaroletta, Jailyn Shelifoe, William Jondreau,
Summer College Intern, Rebecca Rasanen, Ryan DesRochers,
Vanessa Beaver, Parent Volunteer, Sarah Beaver, and Jeani Aho.

Rezheadz is sponsored by KB Outpatient Services with donations
from the community. Please call R.D. Curtis at 353-8121 for more
information.

JULY 2012 Calendar Events
July 4: Gov’t offices closed for the
July 4th Holiday;
July 5: Gov’t offices closed for the
July 4th holiday;
July 6:
Constitutional Committee
Meeting, 1 pm, Council Chambers;
July 7: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9
am, Ojibwa Resort Conference Room;
July 9: ATR Special Session 5 pm;
July 16 REZHEADS, 6:20 pm;
July 17: REZHEADS, 9 am;
July 18: Sorna Meeting, 2 p.m.; Veteran’s meeting, 7 pm;
July 27: 34th Annual Keweenaw Bay
Maawanji’iding Grand Entry 6 pm;
July 28: 34th Annual Keweenaw Bay
Maawanji’iding Grand Entry 12 pm
and 6 pm;
July 29: 34th Annual Keweenaw Bay
Maawanji’iding Grand Entry 12 pm.
~ 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.
(11) Ashi bezhig

Deena Misegan
is the daughter of
Jennifer and Duane
Misegan. Her activities
in
high
school
included
SADD, Youth in
Government, Prom
Committee,
and
Health Occupations
Students of America. She was involved in the KBIC
Youth Group and
Rez
Runners.
Deena attended the
National Congress
of American Indians
as a Youth representative for the
Tribe.
She has
volunteered at Bayside Village, with the Little Brothers
Friends of the Elderly, at the flu shot clinics at Baraga
County Memorial Hospital, and for many activities with the
Youth Group. Deena has been on the Honor Roll every
marking period since the fourth grade and has been an
Honors Convocation recipient. She enjoys spending time
with her family and friends, shopping, and volunteering.
She has worked for three summers at the Early Head Start
Program through the Summer Youth Program and after
school at the Pre-Primary Program. She was a student in
the Certified Nurse’s Aid Class this year, and it helped her
to decide that Nursing is what she wants to do.
Deena received the Dr. Tamas Lanczy Memorial Scholarship and a Northern Michigan University merit award.
She will be attending Northern Michigan University this fall
to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing.

L’Anse/Baraga Community Schools
LeRoy Gauthier is the
son of Cathy LaBeau and
George Gauthier. While
in school, he played Junior High and Junior Varsity football and basketball. He also played Rez
Runner basketball for six
years. He was a member
of the Youth Club and
was Vice-president of the
Youth Committee.
He
also joined the Youth Advisory committee for
Baraga County and
served as Vice-president.
He attended multiple leadership programs in Ann
Arbor at the University of
Michigan. He achieved Honor Roll status at the time of his
graduation. He had a poem published in the Star of Hearts,
book of 2012. He has worked for the Summer Youth Program and at the Pressbox. His hobbies are playing X-Box,
being with friends, babysitting, and helping out others when
needed. He plans on moving to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to
work construction and is considering attending college in
the future.

Permit No. 62

U.S Postage PAID

Big Rapids, MI 49307

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
16429 Bear Town Rd-Baraga, Mi 49908-9210

PRE-SORT STARDARD

(12) Ashi Niizh

Michael Shalifoe Richard is the son
of Michael Shalifoe. While in high
school, he states that he worked very
hard and got good grades! His hobby is
playing basketball. He has worked in
maintenance and as a Beartown Fire
Fighter.
His plans after graduation are to find
employment.

Catholic Community of
Baraga County
Holy Name of Jesus
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
Pastor
Father John Longbucco
Father Antony Lukka

Confessions: Sunday before Mass
Sunday Mass 12:00 p.m.
353-6565
saintann@up.net

S h a n i
Shelifoe
is
the daughter
of the late
Brigitte Shelifoe
and
Robert Curtis
and her second
mom,
J e a n n e
Kauppila.
She
was
active in basketball
at
Baraga Area
Schools and
also played
for the Rez Runners. She was a member of the Youth Club
and traveled to New York City as a member of the Youth Entrepreneur group in 2008. Her hobbies include swimming, camping, traveling, and attending pow-wows. She was employed at
the Pre-Primary Program and Even Start for the Summer
Youth Program. Her future plans are to attend Northern Michigan University to major in Computer Science.

KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY

OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT
SERVICES
427 N. Superior Ave. • Baraga, MI 49908
In Tribal Court Building
Phone: 906-353-4566 • Fax: 906-353-8132
• Email: ocss@kbic-nsn.gov

“Your Children…Our Priority”
We provide the following services:
 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

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Akeweenaw_bay%3A2a2330d8b3cb4182. Public record. Not legal advice.