The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2012)

WIIKWEDONG

DAZHI-OJIBWE

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe

Onaabani Giizis - Crusty Moon - March 2012 Issue 92

KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY HOLDS

8TH WINTER TRADITIONAL POW-WOW

Anishinaabeg from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and

nearby communities gathered at the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Cultural Committee’s 8th Winter Traditional Powwow held Saturday,

January 28, 2012, at the Niiwin

Akeaa Community Center in Baraga,

Michigan. The day began as Doreen

Blaker, Cultural Committee member,

welcomed guests to the morning

ceremony “Honoring Our Tribal

Council.” A prayer was offered by

Rose Trudeau followed by an Nishnaabemwin Presentation given by

Rose and Linda Trudeau. As the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has

just celebrated 75 years of Federal

Recognition, Cultural Committee

Chair, Gerry Mantila, gave a summary of the 75 years of Tribal Council history, (see page ten), and the

2011 and current 2012 Tribal Council

members were recognized for their

representation and service to our

Community. Four Thunders offered

the Honor Song.

Head Veteran Dancer, Ted Shelifoe, led the KBIC Color Guard in the

1:00 and 6:00 p.m. grand entries.

Everett Ekdahl, Jr. and Hunter Captain served as Head Male and Female Dancers with Raistlin Awonohopay and Kirsten Nelson as Youth

Head Male and Female Dancers.

DySean Allen and Pumpkin Lussier

served as Junior Head Male and Female Dancers.

Four Thunders

served as host drum and provided

songs along with invited drums

Woodland Singers and Young Firekeepers. Stanley Spruce served as

Emcee for this year’s event and

Arena Director, George Gauthier,

with the assistance of Assistant

Arena Director, Robert Rajacic, kept

the arena running very smoothly.

The afternoon session included a

Memorial Dance/Giveway in honor of

Evelyn Holappa and Barbara Mantila, and a Pink Shawl Honor Dance.

The Cultural Committee honored

Miss Keweenaw Bay, Savannah

Seymour, and Tribal Elders: Isadore

“Blue” Misegan and Violet R. Friisvall. Participants enjoyed a wonderful feast between grand entries.

Honored Elders:

Violet R. Marksman Friisvall, 79,

of Zeba, was born on December 10,

1932, the daughter of Charles H.

Marksman and Susan (White)

Marksman, and the granddaughter of

Rebecca Marksman, and Samuel

and Hattie (Spruce) White.

Violet married Kenneth H. Friisvall of Elo, in 1952, and together

they had eight children: Virginia

Anderson, Theodore “Manny” Friisvall, Verna Comfort, Gerald (Angie)

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

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews

Fancy shawl dancers, (l) Elli Morin and (r) Shelia Halverson, enjoyed an afternoon of songs at the Midwinter Powwow.

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

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February 4, 2012

Council Meeting

•

KBIC 8th Winter Traditional

Powwow Held

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KBIC Holds Healthy Heart

Fair

•

Mining Updates

•

Whirl-i-gig Hosts Y101 Bowling Tournament

•

Pediatrician Hours Available

At Medical Center

•

Deepest Sympathy

Devin Connor, a young fancy dancer, enjoys time with the drum.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Pictured above is Miss Keweenaw Bay with head dancers (left to

right) Miss Keweenaw Bay, Savannah Seymour, Ted Shelifoe,

Everett Ekdahl, Jr., Hunter Captain, Raistlin Awonohopay, Kirsten

Nelson, (front) DySean Allen and Pumpkin Lussier.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Honored elders: Violet R. Friisvall and Isadore “Blue” Misegan.

Tribal

Friisvall, Dale Friisvall, Arlan Friisvall,

Daryl Friisvall, and Violet (Jason)

Ayres.

Violet has been blessed with 14

grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren. Violet’s grandchildren

include: Lee Anderson, Venus Ripley,

Ryan Comfort, Rebecca Comfort, Nathan Friisvall, Timothy Friisvall, Yvette

Friisvall, Matthew Friisvall, Sheena

Friisvall, Sondra Chapman, Dylan Friisvall, Tiia Friisvall, Sierra Ayres, and

Theodore Ayres.

Violet’s greatgrandchildren include: Robert Ripley,

Victoria Ripley, Pamela Smith, Velicity

Smith, Vanessa Friisvall, Blake Friisvall, Kiara Friisvall, Jace Friisvall,

Brendon Friisvall, Richard Geroux,

Harley Geroux, Octavia Geroux, Jax

Geroux, Bryce Friisvall, Iziah Friisvall,

Takoda Dunleavy, Leland Dunleavy,

and Leonna Pyykkonen.

Violet spent the early years raising

her family and caring for her parents.

After her children were grown, Violet

entered the work force working as a

Site Manager for the Community Action Agency. Later she was an accountant for the Keweenaw Bay Transit Authority and then the Director for

the Ojibwa Transit Authority. Before

retiring, Violet worked as a Nurse’s

Aide in the Home Health Care field for

13 years.

Continues on page ten.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2012 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING

The Tribal Council held their regularly

scheduled Saturday Tribal Council meeting

on February 4, 2012, at the Ojibwa Casino

Resort Conference Room in Baraga, Michigan. President Warren C. Swartz, Jr. presided over the meeting with 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. Elizabeth D.

Mayo was absent. 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 four), Secretary

Susan J. LaFernier gave the Secretary’s

Report (page five); and Larry Denomie III

gave the CEO Report (page three). Council

passed the Department Head Reports for

December 2011.

Howard Mattson and Floyd Crawford

presented the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, on behalf of the 1016th Keweenaw

Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, the Commander’s Award. This is the

highest award possible from the Marine

Corps League. It was a thank you as the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is one of

the largest donors to the Marine Corp

League’s, Toys for Tots drive, an annual

Christmas season fundraiser for families in

need.

George DeCota and Tom Chosa, on behalf of the Beartown Firefighter Committee,

requested the use of the Tribal Construction

building for their endeavors. Currently the

Beartown Firefighters have been using the

former tower building in the L’Anse Industrial Park for the Prevention Technician office and to store equipment. Equipment has

also been stored at the Baraga Village Fire

Hall. The program has grown, and the need

to have a central headquarters, to store

equipment and vehicles, has become a necessity. Eddy Edwards motioned to approve the Beartown Firefighting Committee’s request for use of the Tribal Construction Complex, supported by Jean

Jokinen, ten supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Mayo), motion carried.

Debra Parrish, Ojibwa Senior Citizens

Board Treasurer, presented Loretta Hugo

with a recognition award and gift. Loretta,

who is 75-years-young, has been an outstanding senior citizen in our community,

and she has done so much to benefit our

Tribal elders. In 1998, Loretta retired from

her work career. She had held several positions throughout these years with the BIA,

Baraga County Memorial Hospital, MI-InterTribal Program, and KBIC. As her Indian

name, Snow Squirrel, indicates, Loretta has

been involved in a flurry of activities

throughout her life such as: golfing, bowling,

horseshoes, softball (Bearwalkers) and

bingo. She has served on the Board of Regents for KBOCC, KBIC Election Board,

KBIC Enrollment Board, and the Elderly Advisory Board for the language program. For

the past three years, she has been an

Ojibwa Language Apprentice and has enjoyed storytelling for children in the PrePrimary program.

In the past 13 years since her retirement,

Loretta has volunteered her time and services to the Ojibwa Senior Citizens in all

facets of their program operations. She has

served on the Ojibwa Senior Citizens’ Executive Board for a number of years as their

President, Treasurer, and is currently the

Secretary. Loretta set up their entire office

procedures including a financial system, a

filing system, and the maintenance of records including bylaws and meeting minutes. She composes and sends out the

(2) Niizh

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Shown above, (l) Floyd Crawford, active Marine Corp

League Detachment member, presents (r) President

Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr., with the Commander’s

Award.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Shown above, (l) Loretta Hugo, (c) Darlene Genschow, and (r) Debra Parrish, as Loretta is presented

with an Ojibwa Senior Citizen’s Recognition award.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Shown above, (l) Jon Magnuson, Cedar Tree Institute, with (r) President Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. as

he accepts the Zaagkii Project Award for KBIC.

Ojibwa Senior newsletter and prepares flyers for events. Loretta also coordinates all

travel arrangements, business parties, and

other senior outings. She organizes fundraising events such as: pasty sales, bake

sales, taco sales, etc. Loretta also is involved with the Michigan Indian Elder Association, formed in 1997, to address the

needs of our Tribal elders in Michigan. The

purpose of MIEA is to improve the economic, social, health, and spiritual wellbeing of elders through a forum where elders can speak, learn, grow, and exercise

control over their environment. Loretta was

presented with an award plaque and gift in

appreciation for her years of service and

dedication to the community.

Jon Magnuson, of the Cedar Tree Institute, presented President Warren “Chris”

Swartz, Jr., with the Zaagkii Project Award

from the U.S. Forest Service Eastern Division for KBIC’s efforts in raising and planting species native to the community. The

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has the

first Native American plants greenhouse

east of the Mississippi. KBIC has worked

with the Cedar Tree Institute since 2004.

Mr. Magnuson, on behalf of the Cedar Tree

Institute, requested the tribe’s support and

participation to continue in 2012 and plans

to plant 10,000 Northern White Cedars this

summer. Magnuson presented a Resolution for the tribe’s consideration. Susan J.

LaFernier motioned to approve Resolution KB1877-2012, supported by Elizabeth “Chiz” Matthews, ten supported, 0

opposed, 0 abstained, one absent

(Mayo), motion carried.

The 2nd Reading of Proposed Ordinance

2012-01 Title 27 Chapter B “Tribal Enterprise Corporation Code,” was held. This

ordinance would be similar to a charter corporation. Council heard and recorded comments from Council and KBIC members

who were present.

Eddy Edwards brought forth a Resolution

and Articles of Incorporation for Anikoosing,

Inc. which would be a stock corporation.

After hearing from the community today, Mr.

Edwards and Council suggested to have a

public meeting to discuss just this topic because it is so complex, and we need to better educate our membership about what

these are and what we can do. Eddy Edwards motioned to table the Resolution

and Articles of Incorporation for

Anikoosing, Inc. until a meeting is held

with the Community, Lance Morgan, and

Attorneys from Dorsey & Whitney, supported by Jerry Lee Curtis, ten supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Mayo), motion carried.

Jessica Koski brought forth a request for

an Advocacy Letter to the United Nations.

Jessica was looking for the support of the

Tribe to move forward with her work with

United Nations as it relates to the rights of

indigenous people. She feels this avenue

may allow the KBIC and other tribes legal

grounds to fight issues involving archaeological and historical sites. Part of the UN

declaration validates indigenous peoples’

cultural, spiritual, and traditional rights; and

the right to maintain and develop archeological and historical sites. “Indigenous

peoples have the right to manifest, practice,

develop, and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs, and have access

in privacy to their religious and cultural

sites.” Council thanked Jessica for her efforts in this matter and would be glad to look

at the letter when it is composed. Regarding the Eagle Mine Project, President

Swartz stated, “We currently are trying to

exhaust our remedies in the State Court.

We are working with the National Wildlife

Federation, the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, and the Huron Mountain Club. We

have spent more than $4 million on this issue. Two weeks ago we received Judge

Manderfield’s decision, and it wasn’t good

for the Community. The Council had filed

for a leave to appeal, and we are going

through that right now in the State Court

system. Before we get to Federal Court,

and that is where the treaty rights are going

to come up, we have to exhaust all our

remedies in State Court prior to going to

Federal Court. That is the next step that the

Community has to decide whether or not if

they are going to appeal to the Sixth District

(Supreme Court), and it is going to cost

money.”

Treasurer Toni Minton presented donation requests for February 2012 to the

Council for their consideration. Carol LaPointe motioned to have the Secretary

phone Mark Blaker and find out what his

needs are for his travel request, supported by Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr., ten

supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one

absent (Mayo), motion carried.

Jean

Jokinen motioned to approve $1500 for

John LaFernier, Jr.’s funeral expenses

for his wife, and $1500 for Mark Blaker

travel expenses, supported by Eddy Edwards, five in favor (J. Curtis, Edwards,

Jokinen, R. Curtis, Matthews), two opposed (Minton, Dakota), three abstained

(M. LaFernier, S. LaFernier, LaPointe),

one absent (Mayo), motion carried. Eddy

Edwards motioned to approve a $500 donation for U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow

Reception, to come out of the March

2012 Donations, supported by Michael

Continues on page three.

LaFernier, Sr., nine in favor (S. LaFernier,

J. Curtis, Minton, R. Curtis, Dakota, Edwards, Jokinen, LaPointe, Matthews), 0

opposed, one abstained (M. LaFernier),

one absent (Mayo), motion carried.

Eddy Edwards motioned to go into

closed session at 11:44 a.m. and open to

Tribal members, supported by Robert

R.D. Curtis, Jr., ten in favor, 0 opposed, 0

abstained, one absent (Mayo), motion

carried.

~ submitted by Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

KBIC Youth Program Activity

Fund Guidelines

Each fiscal year, a per-child amount is approved by the KBIC Tribal Council. The

amount is currently $250. The fiscal year

begins on October 1. The fund services

the following counties: Baraga, Houghton,

Ontonagon, and Marquette.

A separate

Activity Fund Request Form must be completed for each child.

To qualify for the fund:

1. The child must be an enrolled KBIC

member or a child of an enrolled KBIC

member and both the child and parent/

guardian must reside within the same

household within the service area .*

2. The child must be age 0-17 or in high

school.

3. You may be required to provide proof

to the Youth & Facilities Coordinator

that you have physical custody for the

child you are submitting receipts for

(court document or signed consent by

other parent).

4. Requests that will be paid must fall under one of the following criteria: organized extracurricular activity fees, athletic fees, in or out of school (example

– basketball, gymnastics, skating,

hockey, skiing, swimming, football,

etc.), athletic equipment (to be used for

team sports), camps (sports, bible, and

culture), school-related activities (such

as: Band, Youth in Government,

Driver’s Education, and school pictures), and school clothes. Educational

travel is funded, and the funding can be

banked through the eligible child’s high

school (7-12 grade) career (banked

means each year’s funding can carryover and be used in the following year

(s)).

5. It is the parent/guardians responsibility

to keep track of how much is spent for

each child. An original receipt for a

qualifying purchase must be submitted

for all funding reimbursements.

6. Submit the original receipt for purchase

made within the past 90 days and completed Activity Fund Request Form to

the Youth & Facilities Coordinator who

will complete a purchase request form

and forward the documents to accounting for processing (processing takes

three-five days). The Youth & Facilities

Coordinator will contact the parent/

guardian to make arrangements for issuing the reimbursement check.

* The other (11) Counties in the Upper

Peninsula of MI are eligible for the

funded services for KBIC Member children only (approved by Council

12/02/10).

(Approved/Amended by Council

12/02/2010)

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.

CEO REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2012

The month of January 2012 included the

following activities and reportable items:

• KBIC’s Eagle Radio is adding a new

programming venue to its line up. The

country station, 105.7, will broadcast

talk radio on Saturday and Sunday

mornings featuring the Best of Bill

Press, Thom Hartmann, and Stephanie

Miller with political overtones.

• The wellness challenge, Maintain Don’t

Gain, was once again a huge success.

Thirty-four employees participated over

the holidays and 28 of them either maintained or managed to lose weight for a

total of 98 pounds. The New Year New

You challenge is underway and again

encourages employees to live healthier

lives. The final details are being worked

on for this year’s Healthy Heart Fair. It

will take place on February 14th.

• On the 17th, the bi-monthly governmental department head meeting was held.

Bonnie Nelson of Employee Benefits

attended to review training opportunities

available through Ceridian who provides

our Employee Assistance Program.

Several topics were rated by the departments which will then be narrowed to

the formal training which will take place

late March or early April of this year.

The program provides for two trainings

per year and last year they conducted

one session in Baraga and at the Harvey casino on the same topic. This year

we are working with Debbie Parrish of

the Ojibwa Community College in setting up teleconferencing for the two

training topics for employees from Harvey to Baraga.

• Keith Rolof is interested in preparing

KBIC seniors 55 and older tax returns

again this year. We are finalizing an

agreement which will be presented for

approval at Council’s February 9th meeting. Keith is no longer in the area but

will travel to Baraga to meet with seniors at the Ojibwa Senior’s Center beginning the weekend of February 17th.

A flyer is being developed and will be

distributed to seniors, so they are aware

of the schedule and details.

• I attended the January Health Board

meeting. One topic of discussion related to the Pharmacy and streamlining

of the prescription filling and refilling

process. Health Department staff developed a system which is hoped to aid

in speeding up the process of refilling

and thwarting confusion by patients.

Patients are to call 353-4555 for refills

and will be prompted to follow the options available through the call-in number.

• The ANA Language Preservation Grant

was submitted by the deadline of January 31st. The three year request for

funding would continue efforts identified

by staff and the Community in revitalizing and preserving our native language.

We expect to hear late summer whether

or not our application has been funded.

• On the 26th, Council approved accepting

the HUD Rural Innovation Fund grant

which provides $800,000 toward the

development of a Tribal Business Corporation. Work on finalizing details related to it will continue in the coming

months.

• The office of the CEO participated in a

meeting with representatives of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Reservation

Roads program. The Tribe receives

funding just over $1MM through the program but may soon be cut drastically.

Pending changes would switch the formula used in allocating the funding and

the result for KBIC could be around a

50% reduction in future cycles. The offi-

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cials we met with are not in support of

the change and are encouraging Midwest Tribes to lobby against the change.

As I had reported at a prior Special

Council meeting, work is beginning on

the development of a Tribal wide customer service training program. In the

next two weeks a team will be formed to

work on the program and by the end of

April, the program will be implemented.

New and current employees will be

trained and retrained on an ongoing basis to provide for a consistent level of

customer service throughout the Tribe’s

enterprises. The training will start with

management and supervisors who will

set the example for front line staff. They

will also be trained on how to monitor

and then use the program to retrain staff

who are not providing the level of customer service expected.

The new Tribal municipal license plates

are being issued to fleet vehicles

throughout the Tribe. The new plate

identifies the vehicle as a Tribal Government vehicle.

The Tribe’s Weed and Seed program,

directed by Police Commissioner, Dale

Dakota, and managed by Liana Loonsfoot, has been extended to the end of

April. The grant was to end in March.

Proposed changes to the programming

funded by the grant are still awaiting approval by the Department of Justice.

In a final note, and not a very good one I

might add, the Tribe’s Head Start/Early

Head Start building in Zeba suffered significant major damage over the January

27th weekend. A coupler on the hot water tank’s water line cracked which allowed water to run throughout about a

third of the building for an unknown

amount of time. The center section, former bingo hall, suffered the major damage. Classes have been cancelled tentatively through mid February. Damage

assessed so far includes the necessity

to replace flooring, wall covering, and a

lot of the inventory used in the classrooms. A plan to reopen the center and

work on the building is being prepared.

I will provide updates as they become

available.

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!

Great News!

The Dept. of Health & Human Services

and KBIC Tribal Council are pleased to announce the services of Dr. Sherry Gilliland,

Pediatrician, (pronounced gilly - land) at

the KBIC Medical Center. Hours will be

Wednesday mornings, from 8:00 - 12:00

and Thursday afternoons from 12:30 - 4:30.

Spread the word...and get your appointment(s) set up today! Remember to register your child at the Patient Registration office for all visits and be sure to bring proof

of insurance, birth and tribal enrollment information for first visit. Stop by Patient

Registration to update all information on

each visit! If you are transferring care from

another provider, you will need to obtain a

consent for release of information from the

clinic your child is currently at to transfer

the records. Any questions please call

(906) 353-8700.

(3) Niswi

PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2012

The following is a list of activities that occurred in the office of the President for the

month of January 2012:

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On Thursday, January 5th, I attended a

VOIGT Inter-tribal Task Force meeting

in Red Cliff, WI. First order of business

was the election of officers. We decided

to keep the executive office the same as

last year. There was an update on the

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

We discussed the steps necessary to

move towards final ratification of the

proposed General Agreement comprising Tribal-National park service relations

concerning the Apostle Islands National

Lakeshore. Staff is in the process of

finalizing the agreement, dotting the i’s

and crossing the t’s. The feds haven’t

signed the agreement yet. The Task

Force was informed about a planned

roundtable discussion with Governor

Scott Walker, DNR Exec. Assistant

Scott Gunderson and Wisconsin’s Deer

Trustee Dr. James Kroll regarding deer

management issues in Wisconsin. The

Green Bay Sportsmen Roundtable will

be held on Tuesday, Jan 10th, at Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in

Green Bay. We authorized James Zorn

to participate in the roundtable. We approved the draft meeting minutes between the Tribal/Forest Service MOU

annual meeting. We discussed a forest

service meeting where the topic of discussion of road closures and reserved

camping sites came up. We approved

two changes to the Voigt Inter-tribal

Task Force Committee. The changes

are to expand the member tribe eligibility to include signatory tribes located in

the 1854 ceded territory and that the

VITF Committee shall hold its annual

meeting in January of each year. We

discussed a proposed development of a

veterans resort on Radigan Flowage in

Douglas County. A group of individuals

is proposing to develop and operate a

large veteran retreat on the south shore

of the Radigan Flowage in Douglas

County. Impacts to the lake are likely to

be minor. We got an update on the

Federal Ma’iingan Delisting for the western Great Lakes. The final rule varied in

two ways from the initial proposal that

was published May 2011, in that: it concluded that wolves in the Midwest are

gray wolves, not a mixture of gray

wolves and eastern wolves; and it separated out a second decision regarding

the status of eastern wolves, to be acted

upon in the future in a different action.

The FAQ summary is likely to address

many of the questions one may have.

On Monday, I had lunch with Joe DeRocha at Humboldt Township. About 30

people attended and there were also

reps there from Negaunee, Marquette,

and Humboldt. This was an informal

meeting. We discussed the infrastructure at the old Marquette airport and the

community’s proposed gas station in

Marquette, (police, fire, zoning, etc).

Marquette would like to sit down and

talk about the gas station in Marquette.

Humboldt Township would like the Community to consider opposing the Severance Tax Bill proposed by Huuki. Marquette Township says the Bill would result in millions of dollars of losses for the

community and school districts. Negaunee Township would also like to sit

down and discuss the casino project.

They would like to discuss infrastructure

issues.

Tom Chosa and I have been brainstorming regarding the firefighting program.

We discussed the Tribal Construction

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building as a place to store the equipment and to centralize a location for the

firefighters.

Will Wiggins and Tom

Chosa have talked with me regarding

the need for a full-time position for the

firefighters? Will said, “It’s becoming a

huge operation, and there is a need for

a full time position.” Tom indicated all of

his life he wanted to be into firefighting,

and this is his passion. I told Tom that I

had talked to Will about this and suggested to Will that Tom would be a perfect fit for the position. I further stated

we’d have to present this idea to Council

and asked Tom to put together a document justifying the position to present to

Council.

I met with Julie Ricci regarding the debit

card Snafu that occurred over the weekend. I asked her to come and make a

presentation to Council on how we can

shore up the security features, so this

doesn’t happen again. She said she

would work on it and come back with

some options for Council. She had an

apology letter titled to me regarding the

incident. I asked her to rewrite the letter

and address it to our Secretary Susan J.

LaFernier. Ms. Ricci stated she would

contact me when she’s ready with her

presentation.

I’ve signed that I reviewed a mechanical

fuels treatment plan for the Zeba Ball

field. The work will take place around

the Zeba Tribal Housing. The crew will

work a number of hours a day, four days

a week until the project is done or the

funding runs out. This is about a sixweek job and will provide jobs for tribal

members.

Todd Warner, Susan J. LaFernier, and I

met with Roger Turunen. We listened to

his concerns regarding the burning of

railroad ties in L’Anse near the L’Anse

Warden Station. He said they have no

containment set up and the runoff goes

right to Lake Superior. Mr. Turunen said

that they grind at night. Also, residents

of L’Anse should bring their concerns to

the L’Anse Township or Village. However, they are afraid to raise the issue

due to their jobs. He also said that this

is the only place the railroad companies

can dispose of their railroad ties. They

are coming from Canada and all over

the U.S. Todd is going to contact Jennifer Manville from the EPA and see what

can be done, and he is going to focus

on the scientific and regulatory portions.

I attended an informal meeting with Dr.

Susan Headman from EPA Region 5 out

of Chicago. The meeting was well attended by concerned citizens as well as

a delegation from LVD. I talked to her

about the Community’s concerns regarding the mining at Eagle Rock. I also

informed her about all of the railroad ties

at the L’Anse Warden Station. Our concern is the lack of containment and the

Cuprinol inside the railroad ties. She

told me she would have her staff look

into it.

I signed a claim for refund of prepaid

sales tax on gasoline in the amount of

$74,580.94, diesel for $138.95, and motor fuel tax in the amount of $7,387.14

for December 2011.

This email is in response to Diane

Rosen’s (Midwest Regional BIA Officer)

letter, dated January 19, 2012, to the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, regarding the Michigan DNR’s FOIA request concerning the Community’s reservation boundaries. Please be advised

that we have the following corrections

and additions to the GIS information

contained in the CD that was enclosed

to the Community with January 19,

2012, letter:

∼ L’Anse Reservation – CORRECTION. The legal description of the

L’Anse Reservation that is contained

in the CD is incorrect and does not

comply with the legal description of

the L’Anse Reservation that was set

forth in the Treaty of 1854 which established the reservation. The BIA

legal description does not include

that portion of Arvon Township lying

westerly of Huron Bay. See Article 2

of the Treaty With The Chippewa of

1854, Paragraph “First.

For the

L’Anse and Vieux De Sert bands, all

the unsold lands in the following

townships in the State of Michigan:

Huron Bay [the westerly portion of

Arvon Township]”.

∼ We have attached a pdf of the correct township and range map of the

L’Anse Reservation.

•

•

Last week I received a call from Terri

Denomie who stated that there was a

water line break at the Head Start Building sometime during the weekend. There were no Head Start classes

on that day, so the leak wasn’t discovered until the cleaning ladies came there

that afternoon. Arlan Friisvall went to

the Head Start Building too. I told Terri,

I would contact our insurance company

as soon as possible. I called them and

had to leave a message with Becky

Zimmer at M3 Insurance. Becky called

me and said she forwarded my voice

mail to Eileen Beal for processing. Eileen Beal called me later that day. After

I told her what had happened, she said

she would call Tribal First and get back

to me within the hour with answers. I

called Head Start and spoke with Terri

Denomie and told her about my contact

with the insurance company and to wait

until I heard from them.

I attended a meeting in Petoskey. A

number of items were discussed at the

meeting including: online gaming, expansion of charity gaming in Michigan,

the tuition waiver, and union issues. We

also discussed transportation funding

under MAP-21, an acronym for Moving

Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century.

It has to deal with the Michigan Indian

Reservation Road Program and how we

are funded.

This concludes my report.

Respectfully submitted,

Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President

ATTENTION KBIC MEMBERS:

The following Committees/Boards

has vacant seats:

Natural Resource Committee –

Four (4) regular seats

Park & Recreation Committee –

Four (4) regular seats

Powwow Committee –

Six (6) regular seats

Please submit an application (located at

the Tribal Center in Kim Klopstein or

Peggy Minton’s office) by 4 p.m. on

March 23, 2012, to:

Warren C. Swartz, Jr. – President

16429 Bear Town Rd.

Baraga, MI 49908

SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR JANUARY 2012

Activities reported by the Secretary, Susan

J. LaFernier, for the month of January 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.

I hope that you listened to the 10th Annual State of Indian Nations address by

NCAI (National Congress of American Indians) President Keel on January 26, 2012,

on our radio station’s link. He addressed

more than 5 million Native people and the

566 Tribal nations of Indian Country and

stated that our nations are strong and that

strength will be defined by what we commit

to right now to make the state of Indian Nations even stronger in the years to come.

Native people are the first Americans.

Tribal nations are its first governments-one

of three sovereigns in the United States

Constitution. Our America is a place where

each member of the American family of governments contributes to a prosperous future. He thanked Native service members

and veterans who are serving and have

served to protect the sovereignty of the

United States and Tribal Nations of North

America. He also stressed 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. I will be giving more information in the coming months regarding voting in our national, state, local, and Tribal

elections. Our goal for Keweenaw Bay is to

have 100% of our eligible members vote!

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

that will help us live longer, healthier, happier lives. Mino-Bimaadizin “Live Well”. The

“Walk and Talk” Program (indoor walking

program) began on Monday, December 5,

2011, and continues until April 13, 2012.

Everyone should participate in at least 30

minutes of physical activity five times a

week to stay fit. We also have a great 2012

weight loss challenge with 145 employees

participating and the goal is to lose 5% of

your current weight. The “Crunch at Lunch”

will begin on February 7th at noon at the

community gym for one month and remember the Healthy Heart Fair on February

14th.

I attended the January 17th Department

Head meeting and a meeting with employee

volunteers will be set up to discuss a plan/

policy for the Tribe’s records retention. In

the coming weeks be watching for a newsletter special insert that will highlight our

Community’s departments and businesses

good work and accomplishments for 2011.

I was honored to present our Honored

Elders: my aunt, Violet R. Friisvall, and Isadore “Blue” Misegan at the 8th Winter Traditional Pow-Wow held on January 28, 2012.

A big thank you to our Cultural Committee

for all of their hard work presenting this

Powwow and also for “Honoring the Tribal

Council” before the Powwow began. The

2011-2012 Council was presented with

beautiful Pendleton blankets with the 75th

Anniversary KBIC Tribal Council emblem.

I reported in December that a 107 page

opinion affirming the granting of the Part

632 Mining permit to engage in sulfide ore

mining in Marquette County, Eagle Rock,

Michigan, was made on November 21,

2011, by Judge Paula Manderfield in the

30th Circuit Court for the County of Ingham

on our Contested Mining Case. The case

involved KBIC, the Huron Mountain Club,

National Wildlife Federation, and the Yellow

Dog Watershed Preserve v. the Michigan

Department of Environmental Quality and

Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company.

Judge Manderfield also issued a 75 page

opinion/decision on January 11, 2012, on

the Part 631 affirming the MDEQ’s decision

to grant the Groundwater Discharge Permit

to Kennecott. Please let us know if you

would like a copy of the decisions. The

Tribal Council did make a motion on December 3rd to appeal the judge’s decision

on Part 632 to protect Eagle Rock as a

place of worship along with the other

groups, and a motion was made on January

19th to appeal the judge’s decision on Part

631. There is also a public hearing scheduled on February 21st at 6:00 p.m. at the

Country Village Conference Center-1101

North Road-Ishpeming regarding the construction of the County Road 595 which will

impact 25.81 acres of wetlands.

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 during 2011. 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.

During January 2012, the Tribal Council

held one Regular Tribal Council Meeting on

January 7, 2012. This meeting is covered

in the February 2012 Newsletter. Tribal

Council held three Special Council Meetings. Following are the unapproved motions from January. Also for your information, a letter of apology was received from

Wells Fargo regarding the issuance of debit

cards to the Tribal Council members, and

Council met with the Assistant Vice President—Investments from Wells on January

19, 2012.

At a council meeting held January 12,

2012, the following actions were taken:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Approved the May 5, 2011 Council

meeting minutes;

Approved the new business license for

Zebing Solutions (engineering and construction services) for Arlan Friisvall and

Jeff Swartz;

Tabled the new business license for

KBO Cigarette Sales for Jerry Magnant;

Approved the renewal business license

for DaShack for Donald Messer, Jr. and

Jason Messer pending that the findings

in the IHS food report have been corrected;

Approved the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

list to be sent to Inter-Tribal Council of

Michigan to apply for grants;

Approved the USDA-NRCS multi-year

funding agreement for a 3rd walleye

pond construction at the Brewery Road

location;

Approved the Services Agreement with

Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Service for laboratory analysis of

samples from area white-tailed deer for

chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing;

Approved the Services Agreement with

Janet Keeney Marr to provide plant spe-

•

•

•

•

•

cialist assistance and assistance with

the development of the Wildlife Management Plan Phase II of the ANA grant

(Natural Resources Department);

Approved a change order to the Consultant Agreement with Fischer Biological Consulting, LLC for the brook trout

hatchery upgrade for the increase of

$3,650 to $14,000 total and to extend

the timeline to March 31, 2012;

Approved the lease agreement with

Shuffle Master for the Six Card Poker

table game (for the Baraga Casino);

Approved the (3) Affiliation Agreements

with Triton Radio Networks programs for

the Best of Bill Press, Best of Stephanie

Miller, and the Best of Thom Hartmann

(Eagle Radio);

Approved support for an amicus brief

with the Gun Lake Tribe in their casino

land in trust court case;

Approved the promotion of Dan Hueckstadt from part-time at the Pines to a full

-time maintenance position and approve the transfer of the maintenance

position from the Youth Center to Public

Works.

At a council meeting held January 19,

2012, the following actions were taken:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Approved the May 12, and May 14,

2011 Council Meeting minutes;

Approved to waive the 1st Reading of

the proposed ordinance 2012-01 Title

27 Chapter B Tribal Enterprise Corporation Code;

Defeated a motion to uphold the manager’s decision in the Government termination hearing grievance #001-12;

Approved to reverse the manager’s decision in Government termination hearing grievance #001-12, give her job

back, include a five-day suspension with

no back pay;

Approved the agreement with the Public

Works Department for the purchase of a

front end loader at $115,000 with six

years to pay back $20,000 annually;

Approved the Services Agreement with

Earl R. Otchingwanigan to provide language revitalization and preservation

services until September 30, 2012;

Approved the proposed amendment to

Personnel Policy 12.2 Leave Sharing

(clarified Leave Without Pay Status,

added a new paragraph: Partial Leave

Without Pay Status, and clarified

“Benefits”);

Approved the Nurse Practitioner position

announcement for the clinic;

Approved a motor vehicle inspection fee

at $50 per §16.303 Inspection of Motor

Vehicle;

Tabled TIC (Tribal Internal Control)

standard-Regulation 542.13 (r) Shipment Notification & Receipt Requirements for Council and Casino Management review;

Approved to seek leave to appeal to the

Michigan Court of Appeals regarding the

opinion to affirm granting the Part 631

(Groundwater Discharge permit).

At a council meeting held January 26, 2012,

the following actions were taken:

•

•

•

•

Approved Resolution KB1875-2012

which supports K.B. Ojibwa Community

College in establishing an Ojibwa Upward Bound Program for youth ages 1319;

Tabled Personnel Policy 6.5 Job Reclassification amendments for one week

for Department Head and Council review;

Tabled Personnel Policy (Government)

19.1 Appropriate Grievances and 19.2

Grievance Procedure amendments;

Approved Resolution KB1873-2012 canContinues page eight.

(5) Naanan

KBIC HOLDS HEALTHY HEART FAIR

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

KBIC’s Department

of Human Services

and the W.H.I.P.P.

Task Force held the

2012 Healthy Heart

Fair on Tuesday, February 14th. The annual

event was held at the

Niiwin Akeaa Center

and was well attended

with nearly 300 community members visiting. Participants were

able to enjoy chair

massages as well as

get blood pressure

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

screenings.

Health

educational booths distributed information and samples. Prize incentives were also raffled out throughout the afternoon.

To be added to the mailing list or to correct your

mailing address, contact the enrollment office at

(906) 353-6623 ext. 4113.

WHIRI-I-GIG HOSTS Y101 TOURNAMENT

The Whirl-i-gig in L’Anse (Zeba) held the 20th annual Eagle Radio/Old Milwaukee Y101 All-Star Bowling Tournament the weekend

of January 27-29th. Joining other bowling centers throughout the

Upper Peninsula, both the Ojibwa Pressbox/Lanes and the Whirl-igig sponsored their top five bowlers in each of the following categories: Major Women’s division, Major Men’s division, Senior Women,

and Senior Men.

The Ojibwa Senior Men, and the

Ojibwa

Major

Men’s team both

took first in their

divisions.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

All-Star Major Men’s Champs—Ojibwa Lanes. (l to r) Scott

Johnson, Chris Loonsfoot, Charlie Parrish, Todd Chosa,

Troy Nieskes.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

All-Star Senior Men’s Champs—Ojibwa Lanes. (l to r)

Wayne Neimi, Tom Racette, Tom Maki, Jack Robeson, and

Tom LaGault.

(6) Ningodwaaswi

Picture by Lisa Denomie.

(7) Niizhwaaswi

Secretary report continued:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

cels Lynelle S. Sutherland’s recreational

lease and issues to Catherine M. and

Shane A. Sanquist;

Approved Resolution KB1874-2012

cancels Virginia A. Jermac’s residential

lease and grants a residential lease that

is consistent with the terms and conditions contained in the “One Stop Lease”

HUD 184 Lease;

Approved Donald C. Carlson as the alternate to the Constitution Committee;

Defeated a motion to appoint Jeanne

Kauppila, Peggy Minton, and Kim Klopstein to the Election Board;

Approved Nancy Pawlowski, Jeanne

Kauppila, and Peggy Minton to the Election Board (ballot vote);

Defeated a motion to not meet on the

Thursday before a regular Saturday

meeting;

Approved to have a Thursday meeting

before the regular Saturday meeting if

needed as determined by the President;

Tabled the KBIC Amended and Restated Tribal Elders and Disability Pension Trust document for review until the

February 9th meeting;

Approved to recognize David J. Haataja

for all of his years of service (Ojibwa

Casino) and have the President nominate him as the extraordinary employee

for the Indian Gaming Magazine

(National Award);

Approved Resolution KB1871-2012 to

apply for a three year grant up to a

maximum of $300,000 with ANA under

the Category Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance

with a 20% cash or in-kind match

(Anishnaabe Multi-Media Production

Department);

Approved the Services Agreement with

Vanilla Gorilla Productions for the use of

production services on daily news intros, promotional announcements, and

liners, for the purpose of promoting

KBIC’s two radio stations;

Approved the amendment to Construction Contract and Indefeasible Right to

Use Agreement with Baraga Telephone

Company to add a fiber route from the

Donald A. LaPointe Health and Education Center to the Natural Resources

Department for $75,000;

Approved to accept the Rural Innovation

Fund (RIF) HUD grant for $800,000 (to

form a corporation);

Approved the License Agreement with

Michael Joseph for the right to use and

access online training materials (training

in gaming) for the Baraga Ojibwa Casino employees;

Approved the Application for Indian

Tribal Permit from the Michigan Liquor

Control Commission in compliance with

the 1993 Gaming Compact;

Approved the posting of the fill-in/on-call

Pharmacist at $68 per hour;

Approved the additional wage increase

of $2 per hour for 15 days for Debbie

Picciano, CAC, for her additional duties

as the RPMS Site Manager to allow the

Health Director to post for the interim

RPMS Site Manager;

Defeated a motion to approve the

Equipment Lease with Shawn Taisto

(for soil and truck rental) for the Public

Works Department and pay $5,000 and

to prepare a black list of people that

owe us $500 or more and attach to the

procurement policy;

Defeated a motion to approve $5,750

(balance due) for the Taisto bill.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary

(8) Ishwaaswi

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)

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.

Would You Like FREE Money?

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Housing

and Community Development Corporation

(KBOHCDC) is a currently offering an Individual Development Account (IDA) Program!

An IDA program is a matched savings

program in which we provide a 4 to 1 match

on funds deposited up to $ 5,000.00!!!

These funds are available to Tribal

members currently residing in the service

areas of Baraga, Marquette, and Ontonagon counties.

Funds may be used toward home purchase (down payment or closing costs),

education (books, laptop, and other supplies that are required of your courses and

are not covered), and small business start

– up or expansion.

If you are interested in this program and

would like more information please contact:

Angela Shelifoe

KBOHCDC Program Administrator

906-353-7117 X111

Angie@kboha.com

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Housing

and Community Development

Corporation

(KBOHCDC)

Home Improvement Loans

The KBOHCDC is currently offering low

–interest home improvement loans. These

loans are available up to $20,000.00

(depending on funds available).

These loans are made available to

Tribal members living in the service areas

of Baraga, Marquette and Ontonagon counties.

Approval is contingent on a satisfactory

credit report.

For more information please contact:

Angela Shelifoe at 353-7117 X111

angie@kboha.com or

Natalie Mleko at 353-7117 X112

natalie@kboha.com

Childbirth Education Class

When: Tuesday, March 13, 2012,

and Tuesday, March 27,2012

6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Where: Donald A. LaPointe Health

Center, Conference Room

2nd floor

To Register call:

Laura Cladas RN at 353-4527

or Ruth Keller at 353-4543

Are you Pregnant???? We would like to

invite you and your birth partner to join our

two session Childbirth Education Class.

This class will help you through the process

of giving birth, including breathing and relaxation techniques. You will learn so

much more from Health Care during Pregnancy to Health Care After Pregnancy.

This class will cover a wide variety of topics

including prenatal care, physical and emotion changes during pregnancy, avoidance

of drugs and alcohol, nutrition, signs and

symptoms of labor, stages of labor and delivery, analgesia and anesthesia, types of

deliveries, your local hospital OB routines,

breastfeeding and infant feeding, immunizations, newborn bonding and attachment,

infant car seat use, postpartum physical

and emotional changes, exercises, and

family planning.

Again, you are welcome to come to

class. We look forward to seeing you.

Mining Updates, By Jessica Koski,

KBIC Mining Technical Assistant

Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula is

experiencing a modern-day mineral rush.

Kennecott Haul Road

Construction of a new mining haul

named County Road 595 (CR595) is being

proposed by the Marquette County Road

Commission. The permits for construction

are under review by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This

route, intended primarily to haul sulfidebearing nickel/copper ore directly from the

Eagle Mine to Humboldt Mill, was formerly

proposed by Kennecott Minerals (a subsidiary of Rio Tinto) as “Woodland Road.” The

proposed road is approximately 22 miles in

length, would cross 23 streams and rivers,

and would cross the headwaters area of

four separate watersheds. Federal agencies including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

objected to the project due to its significant

environmental impacts and its purpose as a

private mining related haul road.

The stated purpose of CR595 is “to connect and improve emergency, commercial,

industrial, and recreational access to a

somewhat isolated, but key industrial, commercial and recreation area and to reduce

truck travel from this area through Marquette County population centers.”[1] Kennecott partnered with the Road Commission to

prepare the CR595 application and has tentatively committed to funding construction if

construction can begin in 2012 or 2013.[2]

What would be the impacts of this road?

Located on lands in which KBIC has reserved treaty rights, the road would directly

impact about 25 acres of wetlands; disrupt

wildlife, aquatic life and habitat; introduce

pollutants to the surrounding land and waters; introduce invasive species; and likely

facilitate industry expansion of additional

mining and land-use alteration.

Want to get involved? The complete

CR595 application is available online at the

DEQ website. Written public comments will

be accepted until Friday, March 2nd and can

be mailed to DEQ, 420 5th Street, Gwinn,

MI 49841.

Orvana Copperwood Project

The mine permit review process for the

proposed Copperwood Mine by Orvana Resources US Corp. (a subsidiary of Torontobased Orvana Resources), is moving very

quickly. On February 17th, the DEQ issued

a proposed decision to permit this project

with conditions. A public hearing is stated

to occur on March 6th. After the public

comment period, the DEQ will then make a

final determination on whether or not to permit the project. For current updates and

documents related to this project, visit this

link: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7135-3311_4111_18442-262826--,00.html.

The January 2012 issue of Wiikwedong

Dazhi-Ojibwe detailed some of KBIC’s key

concerns with this mine proposal. These

concerns include impacts to water resources and Lake Superior, and a large permanent surface disposal facility for tailings

which would fill in a significant amount of

streams and wetlands. Watch for updates

regarding opportunities for public comment

on this proposal.

Back Forty Project

The next expected mine permit application to the State of Michigan is expected

soon from Aquila/HudBay for the Back Forty

project, located along the Menominee River

near Stephensen. This site consists of a

massive sulfide zinc-gold-copper-silver deposit. The companies propose a very large

open-pit mine and the use of cyanide in order to extract the gold from the other materials. This project poses concerns related to

metallic sulfide mining (Acid Mine Drainage)

and impacts on the Shakey Lakes Savanna

and historic Native American burial mounds

and gardens.

Keweenaw Peninsula Exploration

A more recent exploration project the

KBIC has become aware of is located within

the Keweenaw Peninsula. Highland Resources, Inc. is actively pursuing an $11

million dollar exploration campaign in the

Keweenaw Peninsula in the next three

years. Former mines, including Kingston

and Centennial, are targeted for their potential to be “re-mined” and new sites are being

explored for valuable copper-sulfide deposits (different from previous Native copper

deposits previously mined). Highland Resources’ September 2011 Report states that

“the current political administration is mining

friendly and is promoting mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”

Meeting with EPA

On January 26, 2012, the KBIC and Lac

Vieux Desert Ojibwa Tribes, environmental

groups and citizens met with U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator, Susan Hedman, in

Marquette. In a roundtable discussion format, tribal leaders and community members

expressed frustrations and concerns related

to mining and environmental review in

Michigan. Michigan is only one of two

states with delegated authority to oversee

several of EPA’s programs, including the

Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. This is

especially problematic for tribal consultation

requirements and protection of treaty rights

that are a federal trust responsibility.

Tribes and environmental groups meet with EPA

Regional Administrator Hedman on January 26th.

Upcoming Events this March:

• Wednesday, March 14th — Mining Impacts

on Native Lands Film Series Screening of “Four

Corners: A National Sacrifice Area?” will take

place at 12:30 p.m. at the Ojibwa Seniors

Center and 6:00 p.m. at the Ojibwa Casino

Chippewa Room. The evening showing will

begin with a community potluck at 5:00 p.m.

in the Chippewa Room in collaboration

with the Friends of the Land of Keweenaw

(FOLK) who will introduce the launch of a

Mining Education & Empowerment Project.

• Friday, March 23rd — The Lake Superior

Binational Forum is hosting a public meeting

on “Mining Impacts and Lake Superior: A Basinwide Approach.” It will take place from 12:30

-5:30 p.m. at the AmericInn Conference Center

in Ashland, WI. This event is open to the public.

Cancer Screening Saves Lives

According to the Indian Health Services,

Cancer is the second leading cause of

death among tribal populations. If you are

reading this article, it’s likely that you know

someone who has been affected by cancer.

While there are several things we can do to

help reduce our odds of getting cancer, it is

very important to follow your tribal clinic’s

screening guidelines in order to find cancer

early when it’s easier to treat. This article

focuses specifically on Breast and Colon

Cancer.

Things to reduce your risk for cancer include:

• Quit Smoking;

• Eating lots of fruits and vegetables;

• Exercise regularly;

• Maintaining a Healthy Weight ;

• Follow recommended screening guidelines.

For Breast Cancer, The American Cancer Society recommends:

• Yearly Mammograms for Women beginning at age 40;

•

Clinical breast exam (CBE) about every

three years for women in their 20s and

30s, and every year for women 40 and

over;

• Self Breast Exams starting at age 20;

• Talk with your doctor about your family

and personal health history and whether

you should have additional tests at an

earlier age.

For Colon Cancer, the American Cancer

Society recommends:

• Colonoscopy every 10 years begging at

age 50;

• Yearly Fecal Occult Blood Tests

( FOBT);

• The American Cancer Society recommends that some people be screened

using a different schedule because of

their personal history or family history.

Talk with your doctor about your history

and what colorectal cancer screening

schedule is best for you.

For more information, contact your local

tribal health clinic or the American Cancer

Society at 1-800-227-2345.

Helpful Links:

The Lake Superior Binational Forum recently launched a new comprehensive web

portal for mining throughout the basin,

check

it

out

at:

http://

www.superiorforum.org/mining.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife

Commission has created a number of maps

related to mining and exploration activities

in the ceded territories, available at http://

www.lic.wisc.edu/glifwc/maps/mining.html.

*This article appeared in Keweenaw Now

(http://keweenawnow.blogspot.com/).

—————————————

1.

State of Michigan Department of Environmental

Quality Public Notice for County Road 595. January, 23, 2012.

2.

Kennecott Transportation Plan.

(9) Zhaangaswi

Honored elders continued:

Violet is a member of the Zeba Indian

United Methodist Church and has been active in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in various capacities her entire life. She

has served as an election worker since

1978 in many elections and has served as a

member of the Election Committee. She

also served as a member of the Health

Board, Elder Language Advisory Board, and

member of the Title 2 & Title 4 Education

Committees. Violet currently serves on the

Election Committee and the Enrollment

Board where she has been a member since

its inception in 1995.

Violet’s many special interests include

genealogy, medicine, natural remedies, oral

history, historical record keeping, sewing,

shopping, and visiting with friends and family.

Of her many accomplishments, Violet is

particularly proud of her children and grandchildren, completion of her High School

education, and serving on the Enrollment

Board.

Isadore “Blue” Misegan, was born on

October 6, 1929, to parents John and Hattie

(Spruce ) Misegan in Zeba. Blue and his 11

siblings spent the majority of their childhood

at their birth place attending school at the

Zeba Foot School. In Blue’s teenage years,

he decided to serve his country and enlisted

in the US Navy sailing with the Pacific

Ocean Fleet. He served in Korea from 1950

-1952. After receiving an honorable discharge, he married the former Marie Salo in

Marquette, Michigan. Because of the lack

of jobs in this area, Blue and his wife relocated to the Lower Peninsula for work. Blue

attended school and received his Barber

License. Blue and Marie had four children:

Duane, Mark, Lynn, and John. He worked

down state until 1975, when Blue moved

back to the Upper Peninsula with his family

and worked at a barbershop at KI Sawyer

Air Force Base. Blue’s intentions were always to return home. In 1977, Blue did just

that and returned home to establish his own

WAYNE J. SWARTZ

(February 27, 1936—February 8, 2012)

WAYNE J. SWARTZ, age 75, of Baraga,

passed away suddenly at his home

Wednesday, February 8, 2012. He was

born in L’Anse on February 27, 1936, the

son of the late John and Clara (Knapp)

Swartz. Wayne graduated from L’Anse

High School. He served in the U.S. Army

during the Korean Conflict. He was employed as a truck driver for Pettibone Corp.

for many years. Wayne was the first manager for Big Bucks Bingo, working there

from 1981 until 1998. Wayne married the

former Ann Kunick in L’Anse, on October

23, 1980. He was a member of Zeba Indian

Mission United Methodist Church, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Baraga

American Legion Post #444, a lifetime

member of Am Vets, the L’Anse Golf Club,

and the Baraga County Bowling League.

Wayne currently served on the Keweenaw

Bay Indian Health Board, a post he had

held since 1989. He also served on the Keweenaw Bay Tribal Council for 12 years.

He was Vice President for seven years and

the CEO and President for three years retiring in 1999. Wayne served on the Baraga

County Hospital Board from 1987 until 1993

and was Baraga County Kiwanis Citizen of

the year in 1999. Wayne enjoyed golfing,

fishing, and hunting.

Mr. Swartz is survived by his wife, Ann;

sons: Wayne Jr., Fred of California, David

of L’Anse; daughters: Gail (Butch) Koski of

L’Anse, Melody, and Leslie of Baraga; 20

grandchildren;

33 great grandchildren;

(10) Midaaswi

barber shop until the mid 80’s. After closing

shop, Blue ventured into the casino business becoming a Slot Tech Lead at the

Ojibwa Casino until his retirement in 2000.

In 2000, Blue married Anne Durant and

gained two step-daughters: Carolyn and

Mary Lou Jossens. He is a grandpa to

Heather, Travis, Hannah, Jennie, Jake,

Deena, and Kristina. He also has three

great-grandchildren: Aleeyah, Destin, and

Allen.

His step-grandchildren include:

Emily, Luanne, Veronica, Jackie, Joey,

Jake, Abby, Anthony, and Johnny. Blue is a

member of the Zeba Indian Mission United

Methodist Church. He was a dedicated

member of the Tribal Council from 1988 to

2000 serving his Community. He is a member of the Ojibwa Senior Citizens and

proudly serves on the Keweenaw Bay Veterans Honor Guard. Blue is a hero as he is

a cancer survivor, having had five different

types of cancer. He enjoys playing bingo,

slots, and watching the Detroit Lions.

Recognition of 75 years:

1937—1st Tribal Council

Charles Picard, President

William Curtis, Vice President

John E. Thomas, Secretary

James St. Arnold, Assistant Secretary

Nancy Picard, Treasurer

Charles Cardinal

Walter LaFernier

Joachim Mataxagay

Emma F. Mitchell

Amos Pine

George E. Pine Sr.

William Schofield

1961—25th Tribal Council

Samuel L. Spruce, President

Nelson J. Crebassa, Vice President

Sarah Shalifoe, Secretary

Edward Monguse, Assistant Secretary

Helene C. Welsh, Treasurer

Isabelle Chosa

George E. Curtis

Percy Curtis

Mary Jondreau

William E. Jondreau

brothers: Bill (Ann) Swartz, Roland (Dodo)

Swartz both of L’Anse, and Ward (Nancy)

Swartz of Millington, MI; sisters: Pearl

Thoresen of L’Anse, Dolly Sapcut of

Baraga; sisters-in-laws: Sandy Swartz of

L’Anse, and Barbara Swartz of Baraga. Numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins also

survive. He was preceded in death by his

parents, daughter, Stephanie Swartz, stepson Tom Schlehuber, and brothers: Clyde

and Jerry Swartz.

Funeral services for Mr. Swartz were

held on Monday, February 13, 2012, at the

Reid Funeral Service and Chapel, L’Anse,

with Reverend Steve Rhoades officiating.

Interment will take place in the Baraga

Cemetery. The family received friends at

the funeral chapel on Monday from 11 a.m.

until the time of the service. Baraga County

area veterans, under the direction of the

Baraga American Legion Post #444, conducted military honors at the funeral chapel

on Monday at 12 noon. The Reid Funeral

Home assisted the family.

JOAN GAUTHIER

(September 25, 1945—February 14, 2012)

JOAN GAUTHIER, age 66, of Baraga,

MI, passed away on Tuesday, February 14,

2012, at Marquette General Hospital.

She was born September 25, 1945, in

Baraga, the daughter of the late Joseph and

Pearl (Nedeau) Loonsfoot. Joan graduated

from L’Anse High School in 1980, and then

received a CDA from Suomi College. She

married Leroy R. Gauthier on April 27,

1968, in Chicago. They moved to Baraga in

Joseph Loonsfoot

Helen Morin

1986—50th Tribal Council

Mark H. Perrault, President

Donald A. LaPointe, Vice President

Debra J. Geroux, Secretary

Joan M. Bemis, Assistant Secretary

Rosemary Haataja, Treasurer

Larry A. Asher

Robert P. Carlson

James E. Emery, Sr.

Virginia A. Jermac

Charles A. Loonsfoot, Sr.

Myrtle Tolonen

Helene C. Welsh

2011—75th Tribal Council

Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President

William E. Emery, Vice President

Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary

Toni J. Minton, Assistant Secretary

Eddy Edwards, Treasurer

Jerry Lee Curtis

Fred Dakota

Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.

Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr.

Elizabeth “Chiz” Matthews

Elizabeth D. Mayo

Isabelle Helene Welsh

1977. In 1993, Joan began working at the

Ojibwa Motel where she was a Supervisor.

Joan was a member of the KBIC and the

Ojibwa Seniors. She liked reading, cooking,

baking, picking apples and blueberries, family gatherings, spending time with her grandchildren and friends, and cooking for feasts

and powwows.

Joan is survived by her son: George

(Erica) Gauthier of Baraga; daughters: Pearl

(Dan) Crusan of L’Anse, JoAnn (Randy)

Carlisle of Marquette, and Brandi (Dan) Peterson of Baraga; brothers: Charles

“Chuck” (Molly) Loonsfoot of Baraga,

Eugene “Cowboy” (Katie) Loonsfoot of

Baraga, and Bernard “Beaver” (Maria)

Loonsfoot of Chicago; sister-in-law Vicki

Loonsfoot of Baraga; 16 grandchildren: Eva

and Lana Lind, Justin, Jamie, LeRoy, Rebecca, Kyle, Tristan, and Destiney Gauthier,

Amber, Stefanee, Josiah, and Micaiah Carlisle, Sierra Heikkinen, and Kylie and Isaiah

Peterson; four great-grandchildren:

Michaiah Kingbird, Skyler Gauthier, Anik

Gauthier, and Aiyanna Gauthier; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death are her parents;

husband Leroy; brothers: Joseph

“Sonny” (Marlene) Loonsfoot Jr. and Anthony “Bags” Loonsfoot; sisters: Donna

(Wallace) Kinnunen and Jeanette

“Gally” (Fred) Stevens; and a great granddaughter: Vanessa Gauthier.

A feast was held in Joan’s honor on Friday, February 17th, at the Ojibwa Senior

Center in Baraga. The Jacobson Funeral

Home assisted the family.

MICHIGAN INDIAN ELDERS

ASSOCIATION

2011/2012 Student Incentive Program

A student incentive program is being

offered by the Michigan Indian Elders

Association (M.I.E.A.) to recognize students who achieve all “A's” for a marking period as well as students who

achieve perfect attendance for a marking

period.

There will be a minimum of $3,000

available to fund this program this year.

$25 will be awarded for each qualified

entry, up to the minimum available funds

in the Program. In the event that the

number of qualified entries exceeds the

funds available, the winners will be determined by lottery. Here are the conditions to qualify:

• The student must be an enrolled

member or be a direct descendant of

an enrolled member of one of the

M.I.E.A. constituent tribes/bands.

• The student must be in grades K-12

at a public or private school. (home

schooling not eligible)

• A student must be in grades 4-12 to

qualify for the straight “A” award. (A-,

A, A+)

• For a school system that uses a grading system based on numbers, the

equivalent to straight “A's” will be

acceptable.

• A student must be in grades K-12 to

qualify for the perfect attendance

award.

• Perfect attendance means exactly

that. A student must be in school or

at a school sponsored function each

day of the marking period. Excused

absences for anything other than a

school sponsored/approved function

do not constitute perfect attendance.

• • The first two marking periods of this

2011/2012 school year will be used to

determine the winners for this lottery.

• A student can qualify for both the

perfect attendance and straight “A's”

for both marking periods. For example, straight “A's” and perfect attendance for both marking periods

would mean four chances to win.

• A parent of the student must complete and sign the Student Incentive

Program Application Form in order

for the student to qualify for an

award.

• A copy of the child's report card

signed by the parent or a letter from

an administrator of the student's

school, must be submitted with the

completed application form to verify

the achievement of straight “A's” and

perfect attendance.

The drawing to determine the winners

will be held at the April, 2012 meeting of

the Michigan Indian Elders Association

hosted by the Lac View Desert Band of

Lake Superior Indians in Watersmeet, MI.

VERY IMPORTANT - NECESSARY !!!

You must follow these directions for

your child to be considered for an award.

The completed application form, a

signed report card or verification letter of

achievement from a school administrator, and copy of student's or parent's

tribal identification card must be received at the following address not later

than 5:00 PM on April 9, 2012:

Leah Fodor, c/o MIEA

PO Box 218, Dorr, MI 49323

Application forms can be downloaded at

http://www.michiganindianelders.org/

MIEA%20Students.htm or from your

tribal Education Department.

Any questions contact Mike Duschene

906-395-7346.

OJIBWA SENIOR CITIZEN’S

MARCH BIRTHDAYS

Wish our seniors a happy birthday:

Annabelle DeCota

Sybil LaFernier

Gene Emery

David Denomie

Michael LaFernier

Paul Mayo, Sr.

Lois Bogda

Beverly Lussier

Patrick LaPointe, Sr.

Walter Leinonen

Leo Durant

Colleen Morin

Nancy Edwards

Helen Tollefson

Cheryl Massie

Gary Robillard

Eugene Loonsfoot

Anthony Stark

1st

1st

4th

5th

5th

6th

8th

14th

15th

15th

16th

21th

22nd

26th

27th

28th

30th

31st

Note: Ojibwa Senior Gift Shop is open from

Monday thru Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,

however we need and would appreciate volunteers to be clerks. Contact Debbie Parrish to be added to schedule 353-4601.

MARCH 2012 Calendars Events

Mar. 2: Constitutional Committee Meeting,

1 pm, Council Chambers;

Mar. 3: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9 am,

Ojibwa Resort Conference Room;

Mar. 6: Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar

screenings at Ojibwa Sr. Center;

Mar. 8: Ojibwa Seniors regular scheduled

meeting at 12:30 p.m.;

Mar. 13: Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar

screenings at Superior View;

Mar. 14: Mining Impacts Film “Four Corners: A National Sacrifice Area: at 12:30

p.m. Ojibwa Sr. Center

Mar. 17-18: NMU’s Powwow;

Mar. 21: Veteran’s meeting 7 pm; Ojibwa

Sr. Pasty Prep at 1 pm—volunteers

needed;

Mar. 22: Ojibwa Sr. Pasty Sale today

(volunteers needed at 5:30 am).

Habitat for Humanity Accepting

Applications for Homeownership

Copper Country Habitat for Humanity is

accepting applications from families or individuals interested in becoming Habitat

homeowners. Applications will be accepted

through March 31, 2012, for a home

planned to be built in Baraga County in

2013.

The three criteria used in evaluating applicants are housing need, ability to pay,

and willingness to partner in building the

home. Applicants cannot have owned a

home in the past three years and must be

unable to qualify for conventional mortgage

financing. Habitat for Humanity is particularly interested in partnering with people

who are currently living in substandard

housing, which includes physically inadequate or overcrowded homes, and those

with excessively high heating costs

Applicants should have a stable income

of less than 60 percent of the Baraga

County median income (e.g. less than

$30,960 for a family of four) and must have

adequate income to afford a monthly mortgage payment.

To partner with Habitat, families must

agree to perform 200 hours of sweat equity

per adult in the household. They typically

help build a house for another family before

they start work on their own house. They

are also required to take classes as part of

their transition from renters to owners. These classes include financial management and home maintenance.

When the home is completed, the family

receives a “hand up,” not a “hand out” in the

form of a no-profit, zero interest mortgage.

This is not a give-away program. New

Habitat Homeowners can expect to pay

mortgage payments of approximately $325

to $440 per month, which includes the principle payment as well as escrow for homeowners insurance and property taxes. Mortgage payments fund the construction of future Habitat homes.

To learn more about the application

process to become a Habitat for Humanity

home owner, contact Copper Country Habitat for Humanity at 482-5376, email

cchfh@pasty.com, or visit their website at

www.coppercountryh4h.org.

We would like thank all who offered words of sympathy, sent cards, monetary gifts, flowers,

and food during the recent loss of our son, brother & father, Gerald Allen Shelifoe. Also

thank you to all who helped with the feasts, ceremonies, and everything else that went on

during his passing. Words cannot express our gratitude for all that was done. Miigwech.

The family of Gerald Allen Shelifoe *MUCKADAY WAGOOSH*

(11) Ashi bezhig

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:

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

• 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

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Employment Opportunities

http://www.kbic-nsn.gov/html/personnel.htm

:

ons

siti

o

p

l

Cal

On

* Community Service Supervisor

* Unit Manager

* LPN

* RN

* Account Executive/Sales

* Cashier

* Receptionist/Clerical Worker

* Youth Program & Facility Attendant

* Family Aide

* Van Driver

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 4140 or

visit: www.ojibwa.com.

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

ATTENTION — 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 the March 5, 2012, 5—8 p.m. session at the Chippewa Conference Room with special guest speaker, D/Lt. George Sailer of the UPSET Narcotics Team. You must register for this

session! Please call R.D. Curtis at 353-8121.

There will be nice prizes given away, but you must

be present to win them!

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 11:30 a.m.

353-6565

saintann@up.net