The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2015)
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WIIKWEDONG
DAZHI-OJIBWE
The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe
Gashkadino Giizis - Freezing Moon - November 2015 Issue 136
Tribal Council Members:
7TH ANNUAL CHELSEY LAFERNIER MEMORIAL WALK HELD
Warren C. Swartz, Jr. , President
Jennifer Misegan, Vice-President
Toni J. Minton, Secretary
Susan J. LaFernier, Asst. Secretary
Doreen G. Blaker, Treasurer
Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr.
Eddy Edwards
Randall R. Haataja
Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.
Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr.
Don Messer, Jr.
Picture by Lauri Denomie.
The 7th Annual Chelsey LaFernier was held
on Saturday, October 3, 2015, commencing at
the Ojibwa Senior Citizens Center. Participants
walked a two mile hike down Mission Road and
up M-38. They stopped at the corner of McGillan and Lyons Street for a moment to reflect: a
prayer ceremony was offered by Debbie Wil-
liamson. The group continued past the residence where Chelsey’s life was taken by her
domestic partner on January 22, 2009, and
continued through the Ojibwa Housing Project
back to the Ojibwa Senior Citizens Center. As
Continues on page nine.
KBOCC STUDENTS LEARN TO HARVEST WILD RICE
On September 12, 2015, KBOCC students Jolene DeCota and Raymond
Cadreaus traveled with Deanna Hadden,
KBIC Natural Resources Department, to
Mole Lake, Wisconsin, to participate in gathering wild rice. KBOCC was awarded a
grant from USDA to provide opportunities
for students in wild rice restoration to assist
the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in its
efforts for increasing wild rice production. Students will learn the long process of
gathering, drying, parching, hulling, and
packaging wild rice. They have also participated in planting 2500 lbs. of wild rice seed
purchased through the grant at Parent Lake.
Deanna Hadden, KBIC Tribal Natural Resource
Technician and Raymond Cadreaus, KBOCC
Student.
Jolene DeCota, KBOCC Student.
Donald Shalifoe, Sr.
SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:
7th Annual Chelsey
LaFernier Walk Held
KBOCC Students
Wild Rice
KBIC Receives Major Sponsor Plaque
KBOCC Environmental Science News
Harvest Feast Held
Ojibwa Senior Citizens News
Aainoojiiyens
Deepest Sympathy
Harvest
Raymond Cadreaus, KBOCC Student.
(1) Bezhig
OCTOBER 3, 2015 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING
The Regular Saturday Tribal Council
Meeting was held on October 3, 2015,
at the Marquette Community Center in
Harvey, Michigan. President Warren
“Chris” Swartz, Jr., presided over the
meeting with Jennifer Misegan, Toni
Minton, Susan J. LaFernier, Doreen
Blaker, Eddy Edwards, Randall Haataja,
Michael F. LaFernier, Sr., Gary F.
Loonsfoot, Sr. and Don Messer, Jr. present. Not present: Robert R.D. Curtis,
Jr. and Donald Shalifoe, Sr.
President Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr.
shared numerous Thank You and For
Your Information items addressed to
Council.
President Swartz welcomed the
Tribal Law and Government class in attendance from Northern Michigan University taught by the Honorable Violet
M. Friisvall Ayres from the Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community. Introductions
were made.
Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. gave the
President’s Report (page five), Toni
Minton gave the Secretary’s Report
(page four), and Doreen Blaker gave the
Treasurer’s Report (page three). Council passed Department Head Reports for
July and August 2015.
Under Recognized Scheduled Delegation/Individuals: Andrew Chosa, CEO
Aanikoosing, Inc. gave a short presentation. Ojibwa Express Convenience
opened on June 18, 2015. After some
initial changes, we now have an operational staff of one full-time manager who
is a KBIC Tribal member, one full-time
sales associate who is a KBIC Tribal
member, seven part-time sales associates (five of whom are KBIC Tribal
members), and we have two on-call
sales associates who come in on weekends or when someone is sick (one of
them is also a KBIC Tribal member).
Hours are 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. on
Saturday and Sunday, and we open at
6:00 a.m. during the work week. Our
busiest day is Friday. We are always
adding new hot food items. Michelle
Hoggard is our new manager, and she
was instrumental with the Ojibwa BP for
a period of time. Upon questions from
individuals present at the meeting,
President Swartz said, “The purpose of
this gas station was to get into the market and provide good service to not only
Tribal members but also other community members in the area. We are operating the Ojibwa Express Convenience
Store right now as any other gas station
runs. One of our goals is to place the
land into trust, and once that land is
placed into trust, there will be more opportunities.” Vice President Misegan
added, “The discount that you get at the
Pines or the gas stations on the reservation aren’t necessarily a discount. It is
the tax that we are not required to pay.
So once the gas station is put into trust
here; Tribal members will not be required to pay that tax. We did talk to
Andy and Aanikoosing about possibly
giving Tribal members some sort of discount as an incentive to get them there.”
It is not happening yet.
Sandy Carlson and Glen Bressette,
Sr. addressed the Council with a request to issue gift cards to the Marquette Seniors instead of financing a
(2) Niizh
Christmas Party. Forty people attended
the 2014 Marquette Senior Christmas
Party, 20 were senior citizens and 20
were guests. A number of people were
unable to attend due to being sick or not
being able to get to the party. Last year
Pat Brown requested $3,000.00. The
party was held at the Holiday Inn, and
the money went for room rental and the
meal. There was no dessert or any
gifts. There are 74 elders residing in
Marquette County of which 14 or 16 reside on the trust land. To make it fair to
all these elders, Carlson suggested the
Christmas fund be split equally, and
each elder receive a gift card instead of
a party they may or may not be able to
attend. Council will ask the Marquette
County elders when the Christmas
checks are distributed what their preference is.
Sandy Carlson spoke about the
snowplowing being done at 2:00 a.m.
last year and if it could be done at a different time this winter. Additionally the
Harvey trust land roads need to be
sanded. Last year six elders fell on the
icy roads and were hurt. Council said
they will make sure it gets taken care of
this year.
April Lindala, Director of Center of
Native American Studies (CNAS) at
Northern Michigan University (NMU) addressed the Council. April said, “We
(CNAS) have been working with the
Michigan Indian Education Council Critical Issues Conference Planning Committee, and it looks like we will be hosting Winter 2017 Conference. We would
like to extend an invitation to KBIC for
whomever might like to help us with any
kind of planning for that conference.”
Please contact April at the CNAS at
NMU if you are interested.
April Lindala said, “In regards to the
Decolonizing Diet Project, of which
Marty Reinhardt was the principal investigator, after putting it to test here for a
year of eating more indigenous foods,
we are putting out a cookbook soon.
We would like to share this cookbook
with your library and the college to remind Tribal citizens of the importance of
food sovereignty. What we put in our
bodies comes from the land.” They are
hoping to have the cookbook ready before Christmas.
April Lindala said, “I’d like to share
my gratitude with the Council for their
support. A historical vote took place in
the State of Michigan a few weeks ago
when the NMU Board of Trustees approved the First Native American Studies Major solely dedicated to the discipline in the State of Michigan. It will be
offered at NMU beginning the fall of
2016. KBOCC was very helpful and allowed me to come and talk in their
classrooms as we started a campaign
called Education is a Treaty Right. In
fact 147 of 371 treaties have an educational provision. Of the 40 plus Anishinaabe treaties, 26 of them have education provisions. Obviously it is important
to talk about hunting, fishing, water,
land, but we should also be talking
about education as a treaty right.”
Under Old Business: Larry Denomie,
CEO, introduced the New Casino Project. “Back in January of 2015, Council
came to an agreement to have Global
Marketing Advisors prepare a strategic
development for the tribe. Once that
plan was completed, the tribe considered getting connected with some firms
to provide us with conceptual work for
the casinos. The GMA report findings
for Marquette were: The tribe should
replace the casino that they operate
there now. It should be similar in size
with a new facility with the opportunity to
expand that by 25%. They also recommended that the facility have a branded
restaurant in it, and this is something
being explored as well. There was not a
recommendation to add a motel. We
have not explored that option for Marquette yet; moving forward that may be
a future phase we look into after we see
the feasibility for it. I5 Design did a
presentation in July – August, and
they’re more into doing renovations with
facilities and not necessarily building
new facilities. After their presentation,
there was discussion by Council that
this may be an option to consider for our
Marquette property. The tribe signed an
agreement with I5 to prepare a conceptual design for the Marquette project.
Although we most recently had some
discussions about the possibility of
building a new facility on this site; it will
take more work and more Council discussion.” Larry Denomie presented the
conceptual design work for the Marquette facility as a renovation option
with a PowerPoint presentation.
President Swartz said, “I’ve had an
opportunity to sit down with Dan
Leveque from Gundlach Champion just
the other day, and he indicated the
amount of money that we are spending
on the renovation of facility, which
comes out to be about seven or eight
million dollars, we just may want to consider building new. I believe this is an
option and want to talk with Council
about it more.
Leveque estimated
based on square footage and based on
the 25% increase of the current footage
now, that it would cost $240 - $280 a
square foot. He added if you’re going to
build new, estimating it at $300 a square
foot this would come to about eight million dollars. So we may need to consider this option that came in after this
GMA study was put into place.” When a
decision is made, it will be brought to
the people for a referendum vote.
When? It will depend on how soon a
budget can be developed for this project. Hopefully it will be ready for the
December election.
Susan J. LaFernier brought forth a
request of the Jimaganish Wadokaged
for a few days extension on their liquor
license. They did submit all of their information yesterday, but we have not
had a chance to review it. It expires today, October 3, 2015. Motion by Jennifer Misegan to extend the liquor license for Jimaganish Wadokaged for
one week, supported by Michael F.
LaFernier, Sr.
Nine supported
(Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier,
Blaker,
Edwards,
Haataja,
M.
LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, two absent
(Curtis, Shalifoe), motion carried.
Under New Business: Jeanne Em-
ery, Election Board Chairman, presented the list of eligible Tribal Members
who have submitted their names to be
placed on the Primary Election Ballot as:
Tribal Council in the Baraga District –
Thomas E. Chosa, Jr., Daniel Connor,
Fredrick Dakota, Sue Ellen Emblad, William W. Jondreau, Carole L. LaPointe,
Hope E. Laramore, Charlotte L. Loonsfoot, Gerald D. Magnant, Donald B.
Messer, Jr., Warren C. Swartz, Jr., and
Debra Williamson. Tribal Council in the
L’Anse District – Lyndon Ekdahl, Tracy
L. Emery, Jesse Forcia, Jeremy T.
Hebert, Jean Jokinen, Susan J.
LaFernier, Jennifer Misegan, Kevin Perrault, and JoAnne Racette. One candidate for Chief Judge: Bradley T. Dakota. Treasurer Doreen Blaker said,
‘“The Election Board met on Friday and
reviewed all candidates. The Board recommends approval of all Tribal Council
Candidates. A Primary Election is required in both the Baraga and L’Anse
Districts for the position of Tribal Council. The Judicial position of Chief Judge
does not require a Primary Election.”
Motion by Edward Edwards to approve the list of candidates for the
2015 Primary Election, supported by
Don Messer, Jr. Seven supported
(Minton, Blaker, Edwards, Haataja, M.
LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, two abstained (Misegan, S.
LaFernier), two absent (Curtis, Shalifoe), motion carried. Jeanne Emery
said, “The deadline date to request an
absentee ballot is October 9, 2015;
there is also a meeting for the Election
Workers on October 9, 2015; absentee
voting in Marquette will be held on
Thursday, October 29, 2015; homebound voting will be on Friday, October
30, 2015; and Primary Election will be
held on Saturday, October 31, 2015.”
Treasurer Doreen Blaker presented
the September 2015 donations requests. Cecelia Dowd is requesting assistance to attend a healing session for
the Bad River Fall Ceremony this upcoming week and requests $420.00.
Cecelia’s request was referred to the
budget within the Cultural Program for
ceremonial travel. Darrell Kingbird, of
the KBIC Language Program, is requesting $650.00 for fencing and materials for a horse farm. Horses will be
used in a therapeutic manner and for
cultural and language teachings. President Swartz said, “Darrell indicated that
he would put a proposal in on how he
will incorporate the cultural and language with the horses as he has been
very successful integrating the cultural
teachings and language along with the
horses in Minnesota and wants to move
them here to do the same.” Jennifer
Misegan stated, “I’m a little concerned
that he is not a tribal member but is in
the tribal language program; and we are
going to give him money to take care of
his horses. Do we do that for everyone?
Unless he comes forward on how he is
going to use it in the program, I think we
should wait for that. What about the liability?” President Swartz replied, “So
noted.” Motion by Toni Minton to approve the donation related to the
horses and its therapeutic value and
helping with the language, supported
by Edward Edwards.
Eight supported (Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker,
Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier,
Loonsfoot, Messer), one opposed
(Misegan), 0 abstained, two absent
(Curtis, Shalifoe), motion carried.
Isabelle Welsh, Tribal Social Services Worker, addressed Council with a
financial request regarding a language
opportunity. Isabelle has the opportunity to attend a Language Summit with
the Lakota, Dakota Nation which will be
held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, next
week. She is both Anishinaabe and Lakota Nation. She would like assistance
to attend this conference which all our
nations are invited to attend. Isabelle
said, “Gary Loonsfoot, Jr. had told me
that his THPO budget could pay the
$250.00 registration.” Motion by Edward Edwards to approve up to
$800.00 donation for Isabelle Welsh
to attend this language preservation
opportunity, supported by Doreen
Blaker. Nine supported (Misegan,
Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, two absent (Curtis, Shalifoe),
motion carried.
Council moved into closed session
with three items on the agenda prior to
adjournment. 1) Eddy Edwards with a
Tribal member’s issue; 2) Update on
Casino Project; and 3) Andy Chosa with
Aanikoosing, Inc. update.
~ submitted by Lauri Denomie, Editor
KBIC RECEIVES PLAQUE AS
OMEGA HOUSE’S MAJOR SPONSOR
Treasurer’s Report
July – August - September 2015
The Treasurer’s Report was given
verbally and transcribed by the Editor
with approval of the Treasurer.
The Council, CEO’s Office, and Directors have been busy with the 2016
budgets. Since we finished the 2015
budgets in March and April 2015, there
was not much of a break for the CEO’s
office and the Directors, and I give them
a lot of credit for starting right up on
task with the next year’s budget. They
brought forth budget formulation, indirect costs, health care, and raises to the
Council looking for which direction to go
on those particular issues. These directions were given to the Directors, who
then submitted their budgets, which
were then reviewed by the CEO’s office
and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). I
actually was not a part of this process
as I was not here during the month of
August. In September, the Directors
came forward and presented to the
Council. After the budgets were presented, Council then had to go through
them and balance the full budget. It
takes time to go through these budgets.
We look at what could possibly be done
next year or perhaps an added position
may not be able to be funded. KBIC
has always balanced their budgets; we
do not run in the red. We have to live
within our means is basically the way
we think. We have a future that we
have to think about also; there has to
be something within our financial foundation for the future also. Council is in
the last stages of balancing the budget
and hopefully will be done with it at
Thursday’s meeting.
On another note, I ended up in a
slight communication error. When it
comes to our legislative process, a
council member presents the legislation. I am supposed to be presenting
the medical marijuana legislation today,
but I will not be doing it today. I will present the First Reading on our Introduction to Medical Marijuana at the Thursday meeting if anyone would like to attend.
Respectfully submitted,
Doreen Blaker
Left to right: Ray Weglarz, Omega House Community Development Director, Susan J.
LaFernier, Tribal Council Assistant Secretary,
and Dennis McCullough, M.D.
Ray Weglarz and Dennis McCullough, M.D. visited and toured the Donald A. LaPointe Health Center with
Carole LaPointe, Health Director, and
Kathy Mayo, Assistant Health Administrator, at which time they presented a
plaque to KBIC - Omega House salutes
the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
and Tribal Community as a “Major
Sponsor” of our 10th Anniversary Celebration, September 19, 2015. Miigwech,
Omega House (a final gift of home).
Dr. McCullough was the keynote
speaker at their celebration and also
presented KBIC with his signed book
“My Mother, Your Mother” in which he
wrote, To the KBIC and Tribal Council: In the spirit of caring for our Elders
and Mother Earth, may slow medicine
become a part of your medicine. Slow
medicine is a compassionate approach
to caring for our aging loved ones.
NEWS FROM THE OJIBWA
SENIOR CITIZENS
November:
November 12, 12:15 p.m. Senior Meeting. Alpha Tours will be
making an informational presentation on a possible New
York trip for fall 2017.
December:
December 9, 12:15 p.m. Senior
Meeting.
(3) Niswi
Secretary’s Report — August and September 2015
In August 2015 the Tribal Council
held one Regular meeting and four Special Council meetings. Actions taken
were:
August 6, 2015
Council Meeting
Special
Finance
Approved the bid of Copper Country
Ford for a Ford F-250 for Eagle Radio in the amount of $32,200.00.
The truck approved in July was no
longer available.
Approved $15,000.00 for the Baraga
Enterprise picnic.
Loaned the Housing Department
businesses up to $219,000.00 to
cover the HUD CD’s that were
wrongfully used as collateral by the
former Ojibwa Housing Authority.
Approved a temporary wage increase for Attorney Danielle Webb
effective the date the Tribal Attorney
resigned.
Approved $10,000.00 to have I-5 develop a conceptual design for a renovation of the Marquette Casino.
August 8, 2015 Regular Council Meeting
Approved the President’s and Secretary’s July reports.
Approved the June 2015 Department
Head reports.
Approved the meeting minutes of
October 23 and November 7, 2014.
Approved the meeting minutes of
June 4 and June 25, 2015.
Approved the first amendment to the
Professional Services Agreement
between the KBIC and the Baraga
County Memorial Hospital.
Approved the 2015 Primary and
General Election timelines.
Approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the KBIC and
L’Anse and Baraga Area Schools for
the Language Program.
Approved Tribal Police use of ATV’s
at the Fostering Family Fun Day
event.
August 13, 2015 Special Council
Meeting
Approved the Clinical Affiliation
Agreement between Simmons College and the KBIC Office of Violence
Against Women.
Agreed to move Tribal Employees
Jeanne Emery and Diana Chaudier
back to their former positions.
Approved the Affordable Care Act
proposed changes to the health coverage of part-time and full-time employees and included the changes in
Section 8.2 Employee Benefits.
August 20, 2015 Special Council
Meeting
Approved a budget of up to
$1,662.00 for the Sacred Water
Walk.
Agreed to move forward to the contract negotiation stage with the lowest qualified bid of Blue Terra and
Homeland Energy for the installation
of solar electric arrays at New Day
and the Health Center funded by Indian Health Services
Donated $300.00 each to Cecelia
Chosa and Anita Chosa for Midewin
Travel.
(4) Niiwin
Approved Hiring Policy changes presented by the CEO.
Approved a Liquor License renewal
for Jimaganish Wadokaged contingent upon their report being in good
standing according to the Non-Profit
Code.
Approved the purchase of slot machines through the lease purchase
option with WMS Gaming at the end
of the lease agreements.
Approved the Memorandum of
Agreement between the Indian
Health Service and the KBIC for the
Zeba Infiltration and Inflow Study.
Approved a Business License for
Gerald Jondreau doing business as
Traditional Treasures.
Approved a Business License Renewal and business name change
for Michael Beck doing business as
M-B-A (Michael Beck Auto).
Approved the Memorandum of Cooperative Agreement between the
Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan and
the KBIC for the implementation of
the Healthy Start Initiative.
Council consensus to move forward
with Darrell Kingbird’s request to add
the cultural component to his curriculum in the schools.
Council consensus is that since no
tribal funds are allocated for the
Ojibwa Seniors’ trips, eligible participants are at their discretion.
Council consensus to allow Christmas Check Advances for funeral expenses.
Approved the bid from Big Valley
Ford for a 2015 Police Interceptor in
the amount of $28,552.00 pending
the funding agency.
Agreed to sign the Save the Wild
U.P. Letter to four agencies to deny
the proposed mineral lease sought
by Eagle Mine LLC for forty acres of
State owned land.
August 27, 2015 Special Council
Meeting
Conducted Gaming Commissioner
interviews.
Extended the deadline to January 1,
2016, for employees to utilize their
excess annual leave and require
each person to develop a use plan
and submit it to the CEO.
Agreed to request that Beth Koski
investigate the need and cost of a
wheelchair lift van for all seniors/
disabled use and report back to
Council.
Council received HIPPA training.
Mandated all entities within the Tribe
affected by HIPPA attend training.
Approved the bid of Rhinelander
Well Drilling for the Kivi well installment and well abandonment in the
amount of $10,522.50.
Approved the Business License Renewal and business name change of
Dale Goodreau doing business as
Salon 41.
Approved the bid from DP Construction in the amount of $11,900.00 for
the curbing and slabs at the Rez
Stop.
Approved OASIS training and travel
expenses.
Appointed Elizabeth “Popcorn” Mayo
to a three year term on the Gaming
Commission.
Approved the 2014 meeting minutes
of October 30 and December 6, 11,
18, and 19.
In September 2015 the Tribal Council
held two Special Council meetings and
four Finance/Special Council meetings.
Actions taken were:
September 3, 2015 Special Council
Meeting
Granted a 30 Day Short Term Liquor
License to Jimaganish Wadokaged.
The annual renewal license will be
granted after they submit their annual report and obtain a Certificate of
Good Standing.
Approved a Tier III Services Agreement with Rhinelander Well Drilling
for Well and Water System Installation and Well Abandonment for IHS
Project
no.
BE-11-G61
for
$10,522.50.
Approved a Tier III Services Agreement with DP Construction for the
Rez Stop curbs and slabs for
$11,900.00.
Approved the meeting minutes of
July 2, 16, 18, and 30, 2015.
Approved a budget of $25,500.00 for
The Solar Thermal and Electricity
Project with funds to come from the
Indian Housing Block Grant and the
priority to be the low income seniors.
Approved Resolution KB-041-2015
Methamphetamine Suicide Prevention Initiative Indian Health Services
Grant Application.
Approved having all employees enroll in direct deposit of payroll.
Approved Resolution KB-043-2015
Chocolay Township Trust Application.
Overturned the Assistant CEO’s decision in Appeal of Dismissal Hearing
Case #014-15 and to grant back pay.
Approved moving forward with
Gundlach Champion for management services for the Baraga and
Marquette Casino projects for the
Master Planning and preliminary designs of the casino and hotel properties.
Approved the employee reclassification of the Director of Cultural Resources.
September 8, 2015 Finance/Special
Council Meeting
Approved up to $10,000.00 for the
Marquette Casino employee picnic.
Held FY 2016 Budget Reviews with
Individual Department Heads.
September 9, 2015 Finance/Special
Council Meeting
Budget Reviews continued.
September 10, 2015 Finance/Special
Council Meeting
Budget Reviews continued.
September 17, 2015 Finance/Special
Council Meeting
Approved the Memorandum of
Agreement between the KBIC and
Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan for
the WIOA Adult Program and the
WIOA Summer Youth Program.
Approved the Provider Group Affilia-
tion Agreement between Blue Care
Network of Michigan and the amendment BCN Service Company and the
addendum for Indian Health Care
Providers Model QHP.
Approved the USDA Conservation
Program application to fix the Walleye pond.
Approved the Services Agreements
with Linda Trudeau and Mable Lewis
-Hill for the Bay Mills Community
College Immersion Classes.
Amended the Alcoholic Beverage
License of the Pines.
Donated $1,000.00 to the MTU Parade of Nations, $500.00 to the Special Olympics, $240.00 (and an overnight stay) to the 1st Annual Mike
Hazen, Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament, and $500.00 to Bay Cliff
Health Camp.
Continued Budget Review.
September 21, 2015 Telephone Poll
Approved Tribal Attorney Danielle
Webb to represent the Executive
Council in the lawsuit filed by
KBOHCDC.
September 24, 2015 Special Council
Meeting
Approved the meeting minutes of
August 6, 8, and 13, 2015.
Included the Court Clerk as a signatory authority for the Child Support
Services checking account.
Approved the Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc. Proposal and Agreement for providing professional services for the Ojibwa Casino in
Baraga.
Accepted the resignation of current
Housing Director Vicki Dompier and
agreed to allow her to return to her
former position. She will remain in
the Director position until it is filled.
Upheld the decision of the CEO in
Appeal of Dismissal Case # 015-15.
Approved the Independent Contractor Agreement with Lauri Denomie
for the Tribal Newsletter.
Approved the Traditional Healer Services Agreement between the KBIC
and Harlan Downwind.
Approved the Grant Services Agreement between the KBIC and the
Michigan Department of Health and
Human Services for Public Health
Emergency Preparedness.
Approved the Software License
Agreement between the KBIC and
Healthasyst for the Checkinasyst
program.
Approved the Memorandum of
Agreement with the Michigan Department of Education to establish
standards and criteria for determining competency of a person seeking
instructor approval in Native American language and culture for grades
K-12.
Approved the Tier III Services Agreement with Keweenaw Bay Renewable Energy Solutions to provide installation and supplies for solar furnaces for three homes.
Approved Resolution KB-042-2015
Article IX Judicial Branch which requests the Secretary of the Interior
call for an election to add Article IX
Judicial Branch to the Constitution.
Agreed not to support the Pig Farm
case.
Approved the Office of the Tribal Attorney to represent Council Members
named in a lawsuit by Edward Edwards.
September 30, 2015 Phone Polls
Authorized the President to sign the
Victims of Crime Advocacy grant application.
Approved the purchase of a truck
from Fox Negaunee in the amount of
$24,418.70 for the Real Estate Office.
Respectfully Submitted,
Toni J. Minton
President’s Report
August-September 2015
The President’s Report was given verbally and transcribed by the Editor with
approval of the President. The following
are a list of activities that occurred in the
Office of the President for the months of
August and September 2015.
The President’s Office has been very
busy with many consultations with
other units of government, including
a most important one with the Governor of the State of Michigan. I had
the opportunity, as well as the other
eleven tribes of Michigan, to participate in the Annual Tribal Summit
which gives the tribes the opportunity
to sit down with the Governor and
discuss possible issues. One important issue discussed this year at the
Summit was Enbridge’s Pipeline 5
underneath the Mackinac Bridge. A
number of tribes, including the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, are
very concerned about the safety of
this pipeline. Recently there was a
pipeline task force meeting which
has concluded. The task force allowed the Community to submit comments, as well as other tribes in the
State of Michigan. Most of the comments were taken into consideration
and included in the recommended
action plan for the task force committee. The biggest concern is what if
the pipeline breaks when there is
four or five feet of ice on top of it.
How will they respond to that? The
Governor ensured us that they are
working on a responsive action plan,
and they are aware of the potential
problems, and they are going to continue to work on it. However, KBIC
and a number of other tribes asked
him to shut it down because of the
old antiquated pipeline and the concern of breakage. Someone downstate they had a break in the pipeline, and it was the largest inland
break of crude oil in the United
States, so we are really concerned
about it. More importantly is the impact it will have on our treaty rights.
What I heard at the discussion table
was…oil and water don’t mix and
neither do treaty rights. If the pipeline does break, it will have an impact on our treaty rights. It is not like
our people can just pick up and
move; this reservation was reserved
for us into eternity by order of the
President of the United States. I
made the Governor aware of the im-
portance of clean water in our community and what it means to, not
only us, but to all the local communities and the next seven generations
to come.
Also during the month of September,
Council was involved with the
Budget process, and it has been a
long process. The expenses continue to rise, but the revenues have
kind of flat-lined. We are looking at
ways to raise additional revenues for
the Community to help support some
of the ongoing services we have. It
is an on-going battle, but I can assure you that we will meet those
challenges. We are almost there
and have a little more tweaking to do
before the fiscal budget for 2016 will
be passed.
I was involved in the budget process
with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and
Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) as
well. KBIC doesn’t get a lot of
money from this source, yet I wanted
to make sure we continue to get
those monies which are used for the
Court and the Registration station.
The Community has been involved in
the mining process and the mining
permit application. I received some
very bad news last week. It appears
we have come to the end, and we
have to make a decision.
Susan LaFernier said, “On September 16, 2015, the National
Federation, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Huron Mountain
Club, and the KBIC versus the
Department of Environmental
Quality and Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company received an Order from the Michigan Supreme
Court in Lansing which denied
our application for leave of appeal on the August 2014 Judgment of the Court of Appeal regarding the mining permit because they were not persuaded
that the questions presented
should be reviewed by that Court.
This was our last opportunity for
judicial review of these permits in
Michigan Courts. During 2001,
Kennecott began drilling on Migi
zii wa sin in the Yellow Dog
Plains. In 2002, they discovered
a sulfate ore body located directly
below the Salmon Trout River.
Sulfate when exposed to water
and air creates sulfuric acid that
contaminates the surrounding
natural resources and environment. On July 17, 2014, the
KBIC Council passed Resolution
KB-13-001 which found the Kennecott’s proposed mining deeply
offended the traditional and cultural values of the KBIC and the
gains from the mine are far outweighed by the potential for permanent and severe damage to
the natural resources of our Indian Community and state. Included are air, surface, and
groundwater damage as well as
the risks to human health from
the associated mine drainage for
generations and generations to
come. On December 27, 2004,
Governor Grandholm signed into
Continued on page eight.
(5) Naanan
News from the KBOCC
Environmental Science Department
The KBOCC Environmental Science Department recently completed a grant-funded
community survey regarding climate change
concerns and support for long-term planning
initiatives. This research will provide important
information on community perspectives to our
Tribal Council as they consider future planning
actions. The work represented a collaboration
between the college and the KBIC Natural Resource Department and Forestry Department.
Findings will soon be available in the form of a
summary report and an educational brochure.
If you would like a copy of the report, please
contact Andrew Kozich at 524-8303 or andrew.kozich@kbocc.edu.
The researchers
wish to express thanks to the Council for their
support for the project as well as the 189
anonymous survey respondents who shared
valuable insight. Three KBOCC students assisted with the research.
The Department recently received another
research grant through the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a one-year stream
monitoring project. We are teaming with the
KBIC Natural Resource Department to examine water temperature trends in reservation
streams that provide critical fish habitat. Findings will help guide fish-stocking efforts and will
provide baseline data for long-term studies of
stream health.
Fisheries Biologist Gene
Mensch and Water Resource Specialist Kit
Laux are leading a team of KBOCC student
research assistants who are earning college
credit and gaining valuable field experiences
through their contributions to this important
work. Updates on this project will appear in
future issues.
Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community Employment
Opportunities
http://www.kbic-nsn.gov/html/personnel.htm
Tribal Attorney (full-time) — open until
filled
Pharmacist — closes 11/03/2015
On-call positions: Pharmacy Technician, Facility
Attendant, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical
Nurse, Internal Sales Specialist, Pharmacist, Receptionist/Clerical Worker, Fill-in Receptionist, Board Operator, Cashier, Account Executive/Sales, Community
Service Supervisor, Unit Manager, Van Driver, Cleaning Person.
For current job listings, complete job announcements, applications, and closing dates contact:
KBIC Personnel Department, 16429 Bear Town
Road, Baraga, MI 49908-9210 or 906-353-6623, ext
4176 or visit: www.ojibwa.com.
To be added to the mailing list
or to correct your mailing address, contact the enrollment
office at (906) 353-6623 ext.
4113.
To place an ad, submit an article, or relate
information, ideas, or possible articles
contact: Lauri Denomie at (906) 201-0263,
or e-mail: newsletter@kbic-nsn.gov.
(6) Ningodwaaswi
(7) Niizhwaaswi
President’s Report continues:
law the new sulfide mining legislation which we also opposed.
This mining concern has been a
long journey for us. We met with
the Governor, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality,
EPA, other tribes, concerned citizens, the Rio Tinto Board of Directors, and spoke at the Obama
Administration’s National Ocean
Policy Task Force meeting. We
also testified in Court at all levels
and at public meetings. Miigwech to everyone for your support when we express our sincere
appreciation for the enormous
amount of time, effort, and resources that numerous groups
have invested. Please do not
give up; there is still much to do.
A very fundamental concept of
the Ojibwe people is: we guard
the preservation of our land, water, culture, and our way of life
requires that we continue to act
as guardians for the next seven
generations. Sulfide mining will
be the single greatest threat to
our land and our surrounding
lands in the future.”
We may have exhausted our remedies at the state level which is what
we planned to do. Now there is another decision the Council will have
to make - Do we want to take this
further up to the Supreme Court
level?
Traditional Anishinaabequays, the
traditional women, are the protectors
of the water, and we look to them to
take on that responsibility.
The
women of our tribe have taken that
responsibility seriously. They participate in a number of annual water
walks to raise the awareness of the
importance of clean water to the
Great Lakes, and we really appreciate that a lot of people are coming
together to take care of the water.
Regarding the renewable permit of
the L’Anse Warden Plant, the Community has a number of concerns
regarding the facility (L’Anse Warden
Plant). The various fuels utilized at
the facility, particularly the use of
treated railroad ties, and the levels of
control that it uses to safeguard to
protect human health and the environment. Recently one resident has
been complaining about the particulate matter (dust particles) being
blown around in the air. There are a
lot of dust particles and particulate
matter being emitted from the smoke
stacks of the L’Anse Warden Plant.
It is starting to accumulate in the areas nearby. In the winter time, the
snow should be white, yet close to
the L’Anse Warden Plant, the snow
becomes really dark and dingy. The
residents living near the L’Anse Warden Plant are concerned about
breathing this stuff and the effects on
their health. KBIC has let them know
that we are concerned about this.
Additionally the Community has expressed concern whether the controls and safeguards are adequate to
protect the health of the nearby residents. Within a two-mile radius there
(8) Ishwaaswi
are two elementary schools, one prekindergarten school, a daycare, and
an assisted senior living home. The
emissions from the burning fuels
identified in the draft of the renewable operating permit includes serious toxic air contaminations, several
which are persistently depositing in
the local ecosystem and often bioaccumulating within the food chain.
These persistent toxic chemicals endanger plant, fish, wildlife, and human health. Furthermore, the Tribal
Community bears a disportionate
burden to reliance on the local biotic
communities for food, medicine, and
cultural subsistence. Basically it is
saying that the smoke and the stuff
emitted from the pipe is having an
impact again on our treaty rights,
and if they are continued to be allowed to do it, we are the ones who
will have to suffer those consequences, so it is important they take
into consideration our concerns.
Recently a number of Council members are being sued by the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community Development Center, a Michigan Corporation. We are continuing to take
a look at the documents and prepare
for the cases, and I will keep everyone informed as the cases progress
through Tribal Court. We just received notification within the past
week, and we are working diligently
on responding to those Court cases.
Earlier last month a number of staff
from the Tribal Historical Preservation Office (THPO) including Gary
Loonsfoot, Jr., Audie Connor, Daryl
Kingbird, and Dante Loonsfoot had
the opportunity to bring some of our
ancestors home who were returned
to us from some colleges.
We
brought our ancestors’ remains to
Isle Royal from the main land in
Grand Portage by boat in the fog and
conducted a traditional ceremony to
return their remains to the earth.
Respectfully submitted,
Warren C. Swartz
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
Is your charitable organization planning on holding a raffle or selling raffle
tickets on the L’Anse Indian Reservation?
Federal law, through the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act, granted Tribes exclusive
right to regulate gaming activity on Indian
lands. Even if you or the members of your
organization are not tribal members, the
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Gaming
Commission has the authority to regulate
your raffle. It is unlawful to game without a
license.
Please contact the KBIC Gaming Commission Office at (906) 353-4222 or stop by
the office located at the Tribal Center for an
application and a copy of the rules and
regulations.
16429 Bear Town, Rd.
Baraga, MI 49908
Application deadline
for submission of ALL
Class I Drawings is 30
days and Class II Raffles is 60 days prior to
your event.
License
Fee will be waived
when the application is
received within this
timeline.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON
INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDPIR)
NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS*
(Effective October 1, 2013)
*The net monthly income standard for each household size
is the sum of the applicable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) net monthly income standard and
the applicable SNAP standard deduction.
48 Contiguous United
States:
Household
Size
Use this
amount
SNAP Net
Monthly
Income
Standard
SNAP
Standard Deduction
FDPIR Net
Monthly Income Standard
1
$ 958
+
$152
=
$1,110
2
$1,293
+
$152
=
$1,445
3
$1,628
+
$152
=
$1,780
4
$1,963
+
$163
=
$2,126
5
$2,298
+
$191
=
$2,489
6
$2,633
+
$219
=
$2,852
7
$2,968
+
$219
=
$3,187
8
$3,303
+
$219
=
$3,522
Each additional member
+ $335
Alaska:
Use this
amount
Household
Size
SNAP Net
Monthly
Income
Standard
SNAP
Standard Deduction
1
$1,196
+
$260
=
$1,456
2
$1,615
+
$260
=
$1,875
3
$2,035
+
$260
=
$2,295
4
$2,454
+
$260
=
$2,714
5
$2,873
+
$260
=
$3,133
6
$3,292
+
$274
=
$3,566
7
$3,711
+
$274
=
$3,985
8
$4,130
+
$274
=
$4,404
Each additional member
FDPIR Net
Monthly Income Standard
+ $420
FDPIR Income Deductions—see 7 CFR 253.6(e)
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 nonhousehold member.
Child Support Deduction — Households that incur the
cost of legally required child support to or for a nonhousehold member are allowed a deduction for the
amount of monthly child support paid.
Medical Expense Deduction — Households that incur
monthly medical expenses by any household member
who is elderly or disabled are allowed a deduction in the
amount of out-of-pocket medical expenses paid in excess
of $35 per month. Allowable medical expenses are provided at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(3).
Home Care Meal-Related Deduction — Households who
furnish the majority of meals for a home care attendant
are allowed an income deduction equal to the maximum
SNAP benefit for a one-person household. In Fiscal Year
2014, the amounts are as follows:
48 Contiguous U.S. States
October 1, 2013—October 31, 2013 = $200
October 1, 2013—October 31, 2013 = $200
November 1, 2013—September 30, 2014—$189
For Alaska, please select appropriate link below.
November 1, 2013—September 30, 2014—$189
See 7 CFR 272.7(b) for area designations in Alaska.
Standard Shelter/Utility Expense Deduction — Households that incur at least one monthly shelter or utility expense are allowed a standard income deduction (see
chart below). Allowable shelter/utility expenses are provided at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(6)(ii).
FY2014 FDPPIR Standard Shelter/Utility Expense Deductions - Based on Region*
Region
States Currently with
FDPIR Programs
Shelter/
Utility Deduction
Northeast/
Midwest
Michigan, Minnesota, New
York, Wisconsin
$400
Southeast/
Southwest
Mississippi, New Mexico,
North Carolina, Oklahoma,
Texas
$300
Mountain
Plains
Colorado, Kansas, Montana,
Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
$400
West
Alaska, Arizona, California,
Idaho, Nevada, Oregon,
Washington
$350
*If the geographic boundaries of an Indian reservation
extend to more than one region per the identified regional
groupings above, then a qualifying household has the
option to receive the appropriate shelter/utility expense
deduction amount for the State in which the household
resides or the State in which the State agency’s central
administrative office is located.
Cheryl A. “Sherry” Massie
(March 27, 1949—October 13, 2015)
Cheryl A. “Sherry” Massie, age 66, of
Baraga, Michigan, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, October 13, 2015, at
Baraga County Memorial Hospital,
L’Anse. She was born in L’Anse, on
March 27, 1949, the daughter of the late
William “Bill” and Dorothy (Springsteen)
St. George.
Sherry graduated from L’Anse High
School in 1967. She married Robert
“Bob” Massie at Sacred Heart Catholic
Church, L'Anse, on May 16, 1970.
Sherry was a member of Sacred Heart
Catholic Church, L’Anse and Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community. She loved her
family and was their “protector.” Sherry
enjoyed rides including: going for coffee
and to the casino. She also enjoyed listening to music, especially Journey.
Sherry is survived by her loving husband Bob, children: Kristine (Bill) Kunick
and Denise Massie all of Baraga; grandchildren: Kayla, Derek, and Ella; great
grandchild Emma; brothers: Bill St.
George and Fred (Bev) St. George both
of L’Anse; sisters: Debbie (Jim) Bennett
of L’Anse, Brenda (Roger) Turunen of
Baraga, and Michelle (Steve) Synkelma
of Ironwood. Numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive. She was
preceded in death by her parents.
Funeral services for Sherry were
held on Friday, October 16, 2015, at the
Reid Funeral Service and Chapel,
L’Anse, with Father Corey Litzner officiating. The family greeted friends at the
funeral chapel prior to the service on Friday. Immediately following the funeral
service, the family invited friends to join
them for fellowship and a luncheon in
the Harrington Gathering room, located
at the funeral chapel. Internment took
place in the Baraga Cemetery. The
Reid Funeral Service and Chapel assisted the family.
Chelsey LaFernier Walk continues:
the two-mile walk. Alexxus DeCota,
Chelsey’s daughter, recited a poem she
chose for the event, and Lily Marcotte,
Chelsey’s sister, presented a slide
show, “Remembering Chelsey.” Mark
Panasiewicz of Hope Works Counseling
spoke on the topic “What We Don’t Talk
About”. Welcoming, honor, and farewell
songs were provided by Summer Cloud.
KBIC Veteran’s Honor Guard presented
the colors.
A pot luck feast was held for the participants. A raffle was conducted at the
conclusion of the event for prizes with
proceeds to benefit the Niimi Gimiwang
Transitional Home.
The event was sponsored in part by
Grant No. 2014-TW-AX-0004 awarded
by the U.S. Department of Justice Office
on Violence Against Women, the KBIC
Tribal Court, and the Keweenaw Bay
Indian Community.
Hunting Reminder:
Picture by Lauri Denomie.
Left to right: Alexxus DeCota and Lily Marcotte.
October is National Domestic Violence
Awareness Month, the annual event
named for Chelsey has been held every
October since her death. The event is
held to increase domestic awareness
within the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and surrounding neighborhoods.
Participants received purple teeshirts at registration. A limited balloon
release was conducted when returning
to the Ojibwa Senior Center, as the
youngsters had pretty much achieved
the releasing of the balloons throughout
All Deer, Bear, and Turkey shall
be registered with the License
Clerk or an Enforcement Officer
within seven (7) days of the taking.
Welcome Vada Darling Veker, born August 1, 2015, to Chalsea Smith and Anthony Veker, Jr., and proud big brother
Sonny Yettaw. Vada was 8 lbs 4
ounces and 20½ inches in length.
(9) Zhaangaswi
November 2015 Calendar Events
Nov. 2: Constitutional Committee Meeting, 10 am,
Tribal Center Bldg, Council Chambers (downstairs
conference room);
Nov. 7: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9 am, Ojibwa Casino Conference Room, Baraga;
Nov. 11: Tribal Gov’t Offices closed — Veteran’s Day;
Nov 26: Happy Thanksgiving, Gov’t Offices closed.
Nov 27: Native American Heritage Day, Gov’t Offices
closed.
Nov 28: Native American Craft Sale, Harvey, 10 am.
~ 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.
ANNUAL HARVEST FEAST HELD
Picture by Lauri Denomie.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community gathered together on Sunday, October 18, 2015, at
the Big Bucks Bingo Hall for the Annual Harvest
Feast. The event was sponsored by the KBIC
Cultural Committee, KBIC’s THPO, and the KBIC
Tribal Council. Summer Cloud provided the
honor song.
(10) Midaaswi
SMOKE FREE GROUND POLICY AT DONALD A.
LAPOINTE HEALTH FACILITY REVISED
On September 10, 2015, the KBIC Health Board approved a revision of the 2009 Smoke Free Grounds Policy. The revised edition
now includes e-cigarettes. Signs have been ordered to be placed
upon entrance to the parking lot/campus, so people are aware that
there is no smoking on the health center campus, as well as in the
building. The trash receptacles in front were replaced with receptacles without an ashtray to discourage smoking in the parking
lot. Signs are also posted within the building. Employees are permitted to smoke outside OFF of the health center campus (see picnic table just past south entrance); however, they are not allowed to
smoke in vehicles parked in our parking lot.
Counseling services are available for community members and
employees who smoke and want to quit. If you wish to quit smoking
or join a cessation group, please call the Health Center and ask
about our smoking cessation classes at (906) 353-4521.
Subject: DHHS Smoke Free Policy
REFERENCE
Department: Department of Health and
Human Services
Effective: 11/20/2009
Approved by: KBIC Health Board
Revised: 09/10/2015
Policy
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Department of Health & Human Services (KBIC/DHHS) is seeking to promote the wellness of
our employees, patients, and visitors by incorporating a smoke-free
and commercial tobacco-free campus, effective November 20,
2009. Updated 09/10/15.
Purpose
The health hazards of smoking and use of chewing tobacco have
been well documented as they impact both the user and the nonsmoker who is exposed to secondhand smoke. It is our intent to
provide all employees, patients, and visitors with a commercial tobacco-free environment conducive to good health and a productive
atmosphere. At this time use of Electronic or e-cigarettes have not
been studied enough to determine the risk of breathing in second
hand “vapors”.
Applicable to
This policy is applicable to all employees, contractors, patients, and
visitors while on the campus of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Department of Health and Human Services.
All employees, patients, and visitors are prohibited from smoking
cigarettes, pipes, cigars, using chewing tobacco or e-cigarettes on
the KBIC/DHHS campus. This includes the Donald A. LaPointe
Health Center building(s), parking lot, sidewalks, and property that
comprise the health campus and department vehicles. All smoking
materials will be extinguished and disposed of in appropriate containers upon entrance to the campus. Containers and signs indicating entrance into a smoke-free area are located at the North and
South entrance to the campus and at the main entrance to the
health center.
Procedure
Employees will be informed of this policy through signs posted at
the Donald A. LaPointe Health Facility and GSA vehicles, the policy
manual and orientation and training provided by their supervisors.
Visitors and patients will be informed of this policy through posted
signs at the North and South entrance of the campus, and within the
Donald A. LaPointe Health Facility. The policy will be posted in the
commons area of the health center and on the tribal website.
Enforcement
Monitoring and enforcement of the KBIC/DHHS smoke–free policy
is the responsibility of all employees. It will be the responsibility of
all employees to politely bring this policy to the attention of all persons observed violating the policy. Administrative personnel are
responsible for employee, patient, and visitor compliance. Any violation of this policy by employees will be handled through standard
disciplinary procedure.
Visitors and patients observed violating this policy will be politely
informed by administrative personnel of the smoke-free campus policy. They will be asked to extinguish any smoking material, put
away e-cigarette paraphernalia or dispose of chewing tobacco in
designated containers. If the visitor or patient refuses to comply
with the policy, an incident report will be completed per the KBIC/
DHHS policy.
The KBIC/DHHS community health staff will assist employees and
patients who wish to quit by facilitating access to recommended
smoking cessation programs and materials.
Exceptions
The KBIC/DHHS recognizes the importance of traditional and ceremonial use of tobacco in the tribal community. The use of tobacco
for ceremonial and healing purposes is allowed in designated areas
as determined by the Health Administrator.
(11) Ashi bezhig
National Indoor Air Quality Training for KBIC Staff
Training held October 13th educates Environmental, Housing and Health Department staff on Indoor Air Quality and Asthma
National Indoor Air Quality Training for the
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
On October 13, 2015, the American Lung Association of
the Upper Midwest (ALAUM) in partnership with KBIC Natural
Resource Department, hosted an Improving Health through
Indoor Air Quality training. This training is part of the national
Tribal Environmental Action for Children’s Health (TEACH)
and EPA-funded project that is working to building capacity
around performing indoor environmental assessments to remove asthma triggers in homes of children with asthma.
Asthma triggers that may include dust mites, pests, mold,
pets, pollens, cigarette smoke, VOCs, particulate matter, and
more.
KBIC is one of 18 communities the ALAUM is working with
on the TEACH project. Stephanie Kozich, Air Quality specialist for KBIC Natural Resource Department, is acting as the
project coordinator for the TEACH project. Stephanie will be
leading in-home assessments for children with asthma and
working with health and housing professionals to provide
asthma education, allergen-reducing products, and home
remediation to improve the health of children with asthma in
the community. If you have a child with asthma and will like
to learn more about the national TEACH project, you may
contact Stephanie at (906) 524-5757 ext. 28.
Saturday, November 28, 2015, 10:00 a.m. — 4 p.m., at
the Community Building (behind the Casino II), Harvey,
Michigan.
For more information contact: Sandy Carlson at (906)
273-0286.
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 STANDARD
(12) Ashi Niizh
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.