All You Need To Know About The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (2008)

GIIKENDAAM

CHIWIIKWEGAMAG

All You Need To Know About The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Abita—Niibini Giizis - Midsummer Moon - July 2008

Issue 49

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES HONORED

Tribal Council Members:

Warren C. Swartz Jr., President

Susan J. LaFernier, Vice-President

Toni Minton, Secretary

William E. Emery, Asst. Secretary

Jennifer Misegan, Treasurer

Larry J. Denomie III, CEO

Doreen Blaker

Elizabeth D. Mayo

Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.

Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews

Jerry Lee Curtis

Frederick Dakota

Left to right, (front row) — Charlotte Loonsfoot, Cheyenne Crebessa, Clarissa Duschaine, Olivia Rajacic, Courtney Swartz,

Jessica Picard, (middle row) — Travis Rajacic, George Gauthier, Christopher Loonsfoot, Alexander Tilson, Stacey Rolof,

(back row) — Mitchell Durant, Joseph Jossens, Jaren Forcia, Zachary Gougeon. Missing from photo — Sheena Friisvall,

Tom Paquin, and Loryssa Wiideman.

The Keweenaw Bay Tribal Education Committee

held their Annual Senior Banquet on Friday, May 30,

2008, at the Big Bucks Bingo Hall. This year eighteen

KBIC students were honored for earning their high

school diplomas. Terri Denomie hosted the evening

event with the assistance of Lynn Haataja (opening

prayer), Robin Roe (introduction of the guest speaker),

Vicki Emery and Dawn Alexander (presentation of certificates). President Warren C. Swartz Jr. gave the

Council address and presented the graduates with a gift

on behalf of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

Charles Loonsfoot Jr. and William Seppanen Sr. presented the graduates with gifts on behalf of the KBIC

Educational Committee. Ronald Spruce, Vice President

of the Ojibwa Senior Citizens, presented the graduates

with a gift on behalf of the Ojibwa Senior Citizens. Cody

Blue, Diane Charron and Toni Minton presented the

graduates with gifts on behalf of the KBIC Cultural Committee.

Christopher Gerard, (shown below), KBIC Weed and

Seed Coordinator, was the guest speaker at the evening

event. Gerard spoke to the new graduates, “Obtaining

your high school diploma is the first step in the beginning of the new life ahead of you. You all have worked

extremely hard to get to this point and now you get the

opportunity to start fresh in what I call the ‘Game’ of life.

I refer to life as a ‘game’ because it really is. There are

a lot of ups and downs, and at times it’s going to feel

like a roller coaster ride. During the next few years and

for the rest of your life for that matter, you are going to

experience some tough and challenging times. It’s important that you have goals and work as hard as you

can to reach those goals. To this point, most of you

have had someone looking over you to guide you in the

right direction, make sure you had the things that you’ve

needed and also

be your financial

support. Some of

you will continue

your education by

attending college,

some of you will

join the military

and some of you

will jump right into

the ’real world’

and join the workforce. No matter

which path you take, someone will more than likely be

there to continue to make sure you have the things you

need; however, that is not going to last forever, eventually it is going to be up to you. This is why the choices

and decisions that you make today and in the next few

years will impact you for the rest of your life. No matter

what path you decide to take, make sure that in the

end, you do something that you will enjoy. There are

many opportunities out there, and I guarantee you;

there is something for each and every one of you.

Sometimes finding the right fit for you can be challenging. That is why you need to keep an open mind and

keep an open eye on the ‘big picture.’ By that I mean

don’t make decisions that will be good today, but not

tomorrow. Don’t jump into things without thinking about

how the decisions you make today may affect you in

five to ten years down the road. You are going to cross

paths with many people throughout the rest of your life.

Some of them you will see once and never again, and

some of them you will see over and over. Remember

that the first impression that you make on someone

may be the only opportunity you will ever have. I have

met a lot of people in my life and have come to the realization that the world is actually a pretty small place. I

cannot begin to tell you how many times I have run into

someone I met before, no matter if it was through athletics, my college days or my law enforcement career.

That new person that you meet tomorrow may just be

the same person sitting across from you during that

interview for your first job, two, three or four years down

the road. You are about to begin your new life at a

tough time. During a tough economy where there are

not as many job opportunities as there were when I

was sitting in your position. The job market is extremely competitive and for those of you that aren’t already employed, it is going to be a challenge. This

doesn’t mean you should give up, it just means you

may have to work a little harder. Don’t ever give up!

Think about what kinds of career opportunities that interest you, research those opportunities and find something to talk to about them. Remember to keep an

open mind and don’t be afraid to try new things.” Chris

Gerard, a KBIC member, was born and raised in

Baraga County and graduated from Baraga High

School in 1996. He attended Lake Superior State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in

Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement. Gerard was involved with athletics in high school and was a student

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

•

June 7, 2008, Tribal Council

meeting

•

Senior Banquet, KBIC

Graduates

•

Dakota New Dean of Students Services—KBOCC

•

Ojibwa Housing Authority

News

•

KBIC Participates in Economic Development Assessment and Market Analysis

•

New Employees

•

Aabinoojiiyens

•

Ojibwemowin

President Warren (Chris) Swartz Jr., as he

presented the Council address at the Senior Banquet.

Continued on page six.

(1) Bezhig

June 7, 2008 — Tribal Council Meeting

The Tribal Council held their regularly

scheduled Saturday Tribal Council meeting on

June 7, 2008, in the Chippewa Room of the

Ojibwa Resort Motel in Baraga, Michigan.

Warren C. Swartz Jr. presided over the meeting with Susan LaFernier, Toni Minton, William

E. Emery, Jennifer Misegan, Larry Denomie

III, Doreen Blaker, Jerry Lee Curtis, Michael F.

LaFernier Sr., Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews,

Elizabeth D. Mayo and Fred Dakota present.

President Swartz shared numerous Thank You

and For Your Information items addressed to

Council. Council approved the Department

Head reports for April 2008 and meeting minutes of October 27, 2005, and November 4,

2005.

Doreen Blaker addressed those present to

clarify some incorrect information that was recently mailed to individual’s homes in the form

of an unsigned anonymous document that is

not affiliated with the Keweenaw Bay Tribal

Government by any means. This document

criticized the Tribal Council Recording Secretary, Peggy Minton, indicating that her work on

minutes was lax. The truth is that Peggy does

a wonderful job on her minutes which are completed in a very timely fashion (within weeks).

The minutes that have been approved from

2005 are minutes which were the responsibility

of an employee that is no longer employed by

KBIC.

The CEO’s Secretary, Janice

Halverson, has volunteered to work on the

2005 minutes. Janice was not even employed

when these meetings were held, and she is

doing a good job transcribing them. If these

people, who choose not to sign their mailings,

choose to attack the Council that is one thing,

but they should leave our employees out of it.

Additionally, those anonymous mailings aren't

getting the facts right and (the writer’s) must

be listening to individuals who do not know

what they are talking about and evidently don’t

attend the meetings. Please do not listen to

these blatant lies.

Michael LaFernier Sr. wished to thank the

community members who cleaned up the reservation, including the youth club and community service workers. The Assinins and Pinery

Cemeteries looked very nice for Memorial

Day.

Warren “Chris” Swartz Jr. gave the President’s report. During the month of May, President Swartz participated in several meetings

and conference calls regarding hunting and

fishing rights, Bills on Capitol Hill, how to maximize the native vote in the upcoming election,

Tribal ID Cards, land and natural resources,

and tribal education. Regarding hunting and

fishing rights, President Swartz attended a

VOIGT task force and a Board of Commissioners meeting with the Great Lakes Indian Fish

and Wildlife Commission where he told both

boards that we need to continue to move forward our law here in KB regarding home territory. The GLIFWC Board promised we would

schedule a meeting to discuss home territory

issues. Lake Superior Bands who are interested include Bad River, Mole Lake, Lac Du

Flambeau and Lac Vieux Desert.

The purpose of the Tribal Government

Revenue Sharing Act’s bill is to use tribal tax

withholding contributions paid to the federal

government by successful gaming tribes to

help meet the needs of needy tribes. Under

the present law gaming per capita payments

are treated as individual income and are taxed

at the prevailing personal income tax rate.

Tax revenues received by the IRS are then

deposited into the U.S. Treasury for use by the

United States Government. Many of the tribes

that are the poorest are unfortunately not able

to generate significant gaming revenue. It

would further the purposes of the Federal Indian Self-determination Policy and IGRA to

dedicate the federal tax revenues levied upon

Indian gaming per capita payments to a treasury fund for tribal education, health care, economic development and infrastructure for the

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tribal governments in need of assistance. The

Tribal Government Revenue Sharing Act

would authorize the Secretary of Interior to

establish a system for distribution of funds

from the tribal gaming revenue sharing fund.

Federal spending makes up the core of the

federal trust responsibility to Indian Country

and once again one of the goals for the 110th

Congress is to increase appropriations to

tribes. For more than a decade, federal

spending for tribes has declined in most departments. The programs at the heart of the

self-determination and self-governance policies, like TPA and contract support costs,

have failed to keep up with inflation, and given

some of the major reductions in the 90’s, TPA

is below the FY 1994 level. Although Congress may not finish appropriations this year,

they are still laying out priorities. President

Swartz urges Tribal members to voice support

for increased appropriations to tribes, especially with the Chairs of Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittees (Rep.

Mollohan and Senator Mikulski), Agriculture

Subcommittees (Rep. DeLauro and Senator

Kohl), Interior Subcommittees (Rep. Dicks and

Senator Feinstein), Labor-HHS (Rep. Obey

and Senator Harkin).

Regarding IRS Audits of Tribal Benefit

Plans; over the past two years, the IRS has

initiated 139 audits that focus specifically on

the use of tribal net gaming revenues to provide benefits to tribal members. In a letter to

the Senate Finance Committee, the IRS has

identified tribal benefit programs as

“problematic tax avoidance schemes.” Under

the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, gaming

proceeds may be used for several authorized

purposes, including the funding of tribal government operations, the general welfare of the

tribe, and per capita payments to tribal members. The KBIC has a long history of sponsoring general welfare programs, such as housing

assistance, educational assistance, health

coverage and death benefit programs to name

a few. These programs were introduced to

address the harsh conditions resulting from

decades of poverty and as general welfare

programs should not be subject to federal tax.

Regarding the Tobacco Tax Legislation;

there are several major bills under consideration in Congress that will significantly affect the

taxation and regulation of tobacco sales. Each

of the following bills is seeing significant movement in Congress. Each is intended to generally regulate tobacco sales and contain both

specific tribal provisions and general provisions that will apply to tribes. President

Swartz encourages tribal members and representatives to review this legislation and consider how it may affect tribal interests. 1) The

Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S. 625 and H.R. 1108) would give the

Food and Drug Administration broad authority

to regulate the sale, advertising and manufacture of tobacco products and to enforce state

taxation of tobacco under the Contraband

Cigarette Trafficking Act. The legislation contemplates that the FDA may contract with

states for enforcement. KBIC should request

provisions that would protect tribal jurisdiction

from federal delegation to states and object to

a broad expansion of state enforcement powers. 2) The Smuggled Tobacco Prevention

Act (H.R. 5689) would amend the Contraband

Cigarette Trafficking Act to establish a system

for requiring codes on packages of tobacco

products for tracing tax collection through the

distribution system. Manufacturers would be

required to print a unique serial number on all

packages of tobacco. The bill would also require “Each package of a tobacco product that

is sold on an Indian Reservation…shall be visibly and prominently labeled as such.” 3) Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (S. 1027 and

H.R. 4081) has been reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is pending in the

House Judiciary Committee.

It is largely

aimed at requiring Internet sellers of cigarettes

to comply with the state tax and age verification laws of the jurisdiction where the cigarettes are delivered.

President Swartz spoke of the Native Vote.

It’s that time again! 2008 is an election year,

and together we need to make sure our voices

are heard. When we unify, our voices are loud

and strong. Native Vote 2008 is Indian Country’s combined national non-partisan get-outthe-vote campaign. The goal of Native Vote is

to encourage everyone in our community to

register to vote and to get-out-to-vote on Election Day. To facilitate these efforts, President

Swartz indicated that he has appointed Carole

LaPointe as the Native Vote Coordinator for

our Tribe. She will be the point of contact for

the campaign and will help encourage local

efforts to get the Native community registered

to vote, educating them about all elections and

candidates, and ensuring they make it to the

polls on November 4, 2008.

In regards to Health Care & Family, the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act (IHCIA)

would modernize the Indian Health Services

and has been up for reauthorization for seven

years. The bill has provisions addressing

mental health and continuum of care, and was

developed by the National Steering committee

with representation from each region. The

passage of the IHCIA is one of Indian Country’s top legislative priorities. It must still be

passed out of the Ways and Means committee. President Swartz has been sending out a

letter weekly to Speaker Pelosi’s office telling

her how important this bill is to our Tribe.

Gaming: On May 20, 2008, the Department of the Interior released final “Section 20”

rules governing gaming on “lands acquired

after 1988.” Assistant Secretary Carl Artman

approved the regulations earlier last month.

The Indian Gaming regulatory Act allows for

gaming on lands acquired after 1988 under

special exceptions, and the new rules clarify

these exemptions.

Housing: As of May 23, 2008, NAHASDA

has passed both the House and the Senate.

The bills are slightly different and these differences will have to be reconciled in a

“Conference” between the House and the Senate.

Tribal ID’s and Domestic Flights (TSA):

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

announced on April 28th it will officially accept

Tribal Government ID cards as identification

for domestic flights. Tribal ID cards are not

accepted for international flights. Use tribal ID

cards with TSA when flying within the United

States. Tribal IDs and Border Crossing: All

Tribal ID cards (with a photo) will be accepted

for international land border crossing until

June 2009. After June 2009, each Tribe must

have an MOU with DHS for their ID card to be

acceptable for international land border crossing. President Swartz will be attending a

Michigan United Tribes Meeting and plans on

discussing this further at that meeting.

Mining:

On behalf of the Community,

President Swartz submitted an emergency

resolution to the full Executive Committee of

the National Congress of American Indians

(NCAI) on June 2, 2008. NCAI Resolution #

REN-08-036, “Support for the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community of its Opposition to the Proposed Sulfide Metallic Mineral Mine proposed

by Kennecott Eagle Minerals company

(KEMC), in the Traditional Lands of the Community which were Ceded to the Government

through the Treaty of 1842”, passed with

unanimous consent at the 2008 NCAI MidYear Conference and Tradeshow.

President Swartz reported that we have just

learned that former Michigan Gaming Control

Board (MGCB) employee Pat Devlin has filed

a lawsuit against Attorney General Mike Cox

seeking enforcement of state liquor licensing

Continued on page three.

Continued from page two.

laws against the tribes. President Swartz will

report as more information comes in.

A discussion occurred regarding a problem

which occurred last weekend. The Baraga

Fire Department purchased a Liquor License

for the Mud Drag which was held behind the

Casino. Two distributors refused to supply the

BFD with alcohol products and stated that they

were told that KBIC’s Liquor License was not

valid. President Swartz was instructed to call

these two suppliers to find out why they would

not honor the KBIC Liquor License as they

have in the past.

Susan LaFernier, Vice President, stated

she has completed the final draft of the personnel policies, and it is with the Attorney’s

Office. Regarding the Appellate Court, Vice

President LaFernier stated she has two

Judges from other reservations who have accepted an offer of presiding on KBIC’s Appellate Court. According to the Resolution, the

third Judge needs to be a lawyer. She believes that she has one who will be accepting

the offer and is expecting to hear from the lawyer in the next week. She will keep everyone

informed.

Larry Denomie III, CEO, gave a report for

May 2008. In an effort to step forward with the

new wage system, the Council approved moving employees onto the new grid through

grade six. Both the Enterprise and Government Personnel Departments are working on

the necessary paperwork to complete the task.

A memo to update employees will be processed in the next week. The grant application

for the new Early Childhood Education Center

is progressing. Staff has met several times to

aid in developing a layout and design plan,

and Gundlach Champion staff is providing assistance and will be completing the architectural design phase as well as construction

management should the project be funded.

Carole LaPointe has accepted the Health Administration position and began her duties on

June 2nd. Also thank you to the staff who

stepped forward in a time of need to aid in the

interim plan. Cherie Dakota, the former Health

Administrator, has accepted a position with

KBOCC as their Dean of Student Services,

and we wish her well in her new position. Tyler Larson has accepted an interim position as

the Youth Programs and Facility Coordinator

which Carole LaPointe previously held. This

position has been posted. Applications have

been submitted and will be reviewed with interviews to be scheduled. On May 10th, CEO

Denomie and Treasurer Misegan traveled to

Las Vegas to attend a conference on Tribal

Casino and Hotel Development. The conference covered areas related to financing, design and construction. The information gathered and presented will be very useful and will

aid in the projects the Community is involved

in, and will be shared with Council and our

new Economic Developer, Gregg Nominelli.

In an effort to continue forward with the

Leadership Academy Training attended by supervisors and managers of the Tribe, meetings

with the General Managers took place. A review was conducted of the presentations

made by the attendees and the General Managers will meet with their staff to decide what

areas can be acted upon. On the Government

side, a department head meeting has been

scheduled for June 25. The trainer, Joe Constance, will be meeting with Council in July to

review information and provide a report. On

May 19th, CEO Denomie attended an Indian

Health Services consultation meeting with

Becky Tussing (Interim Health Administrator at

that time). The consultation was to acquire

input from Tribes regarding a recent court decision in the State of California. The case held

that IHS could not prohibit the Susanville Indian Rancheria Tribe from billing its members

for pharmacy services provided by the Tribe’s

Title V Annual Funding Agreement. IHS has

chosen not to appeal the district court decision

but is evaluating potential policy and funding

implications. The consultation was an oppor-

tunity to allow tribes to give comment prior to

IHS making changes to current policy. IHS

made it clear that their existing policy which

prohibits tribes from charging eligible beneficiaries remains unchanged. The Indian Health

Care Improvement Act reauthorization legislation S. 1200 recently passed by the Senate

does not include provisions that would give

Title V, Self-Governance Tribes, the option to

bill their Tribal members for services received

from their Tribal Health Program. The legislation is under consideration by the House, but it

is not clear if the bill will be considered. Most

of the tribes in attendance stated they wouldn’t

want to impede their ability to bill in the future

if it becomes necessary, considering the constant under funding of their health programs.

The Ojibwa Casino’s Marketing Manager has

submitted her resignation to move on to a new

position with the State of Michigan. Michelle

Schoth’s last day will be June 13. General

Managers have chosen Shelly Ball who currently works out of the Marquette Casino as

the Interim Manager. The Ojibwa Resort Hotel

Manager position is also under the interim direction of Sharon Kirchhofer.

Mary Lou

Jossens has accepted the position of Manager

for the Tribe’s new restaurant, the Migizi

Wadiswan (Eagle’s Nest). It is scheduled to

open on June 16. A major power issue occurred on Thursday, June 5th. Due to the several power surges and brown out conditions,

Dominic Picciano and his staff directed employees to shut down their power in an effort to

lessen damages to computers, servers, and

other equipment. After contacting the Village

of Baraga to see how long it would take to rectify the electrical problems, it was decided to

close many of the facilities which were affected by the power problems. The Casino

remained open as they are able to run on a

back up generator. Damage did occur to

power relays, fuses, etc., and fortunately it appears no major damage resulted from the

electrical problems of that day. Sarah Smith,

Executive Assistant has reported to the Council (as an attachment to the CEO Report), on

the Ojibwa Seniors renovation project. The

seniors are back in operation, and the building

is very nice. We all look forward to the open

house. The Old US 41 Mission Road water

main extension project is moving forward, and

Council will be receiving documents to review

in the near future.

Toni Minton presented the Secretary’s Report. During the month of May 2008, the Tribal

Council had one regular meeting and four special meetings. The regular Tribal Council

meeting was held on May 3, 2008, and is reported in the June 2008, Tribal Newsletter.

The following actions occurred during the special meeting held on May 8, 2008: approved

the meeting minutes of March 14, 2008 and

October 20, 2005; approved the Services

Agreement with Orchid Cellmark for Paternity

Testing Services for the Office of Child Support Services; approved Resolution KB16082008 Jerry Swartz Land Acquisition, Resolution KB1609-2008 Joyce Field Lease Modification from Recreational Lease to a Residential

Lease, and Resolution KB1610-2008 Joe Kirkish Residential Lease; approved payment of

HACCP Training in December in Brimley and

that the Tribe will cover travel costs for Tribal

members who wish to attend; agreed to send

out a letter of no objection for the proposed

water ski buoys that will be placed near First

Sands; approved the bid of Midstate Security

for digital surveillance equipment for both Casinos; approved the bid of All Purpose Dry

Wall for the hotel lobby, hallway and conference room walls at the Ojibwa Resort; approved the agreement with Gundlach Champion for the ICDBG grant application for an

Early Childhood Education Center; promoted

Becky Tussing to Interim Health Director and

approved the interim plan for staff and wages;

approved the job description for a full time six

month Temporary Health Department Secretary; and agreed to offer the Building Inspector

position to Joe Brazeau for a one year term.

The following actions occurred during the special meeting held on May 9, 2008: agreed to

issue Government Employee Badges with a

$10 charge to be covered by the department

that the employee works for; approved a donation of $300 for Keith Rolof for his college trip

to Estonia; approved the Independent Contractor Agreement with Chuck Brumleve; motioned to have the President appoint committee members based on Council recommendations; and approved the employment contract

of John Baker. The following actions occurred

during the special meeting held on May 15,

2008: approved the meeting minutes of October 20, 2005; approved the Liquor Licenses

for the Baraga Fire Department Mud Drags

and the UP Firemen’s Tournament; approved

Resolution KB1611-2008 to support the Grand

Traverse Band’s challenge to the IRS for tribal

tax exempt bond financing; agreed to have

President Swartz send a letter to Bart Stupak

requesting continued support of our land into

trust application; set the date of the July 2008

Regular Council Meeting to July 12; approved

the Services Agreement between the KBIC

and the Ojibwa Community College to provide

Business Development Training for the Anishinaabe Anokii Program; overturned the termination of the employee in Grievance Hearing

#003-08 and agreed to reinstate the employee

effective 05/15/08; and agreed to offer the

Health Administrator Position to Carole LaPointe. The following actions occurred during

the special meeting held on May 28, 2008:

approved the meeting minutes of March 20,

and March 27, 2008; approved the Spring

Cleanup Plan; approved a contract modification for the Sand Point Vegetation Planting

Project in the amount of $3313; approved the

business license of David Denomie for Dash’s

Taxi; renewed the Keweenaw Bay Outfitters

Fireworks License of Jerry Magnant and Kerry

Varline; renewed the business license of Timothy Mayo for All Purpose Drywall; amended

the Burial Program guidelines to allow unused

funeral expense funds be used for grave markers/headstones; agreed to an $800 sponsorship and Casino packages for the Michigan

Municipal League Region 7 meeting which is

being hosted by the Village of Baraga on June

4-6; hired Agnes Hueckstaedt as the Interim

Cook for the Ojibwa Senior Citizens; added a

safety section to the personnel policies; approved resolution KB1613-2008 Baraga 2%

Distribution and KB1614-008 Marquette 2%

Distribution; approved May donations totaling

$5900; approved a storage shed for the USDA

Office in the Industrial Park to be designed

and built by Tribal Construction for up to

$2000; approved the New Day budget for

funds 600, 615 and 08-20-231; agreed to adjust employees up to grade 6 to the new minimum wage approved by Council on 12/06/07.

Jennifer Misegan presented the Treasurer’s

Report for May 2008. Council approved five of

twelve requests for donations for May: Jessica Koski/Washington Internship for Native

Students $300, Relay for Life/Sponsorship for

the team “Passionate about a Cure” $5,000,

Pittsley Racing/Stockcar Sponsorship/second

car $250, Lori & Bill Muhlig/Stockcar Sponsorship $250, Richmond Township/20th Annual

Fishing Derby $100. This month the first of

two yearly 2% distributions were made to local

units of government per our 1993 consent

judgment. The amount distributed for our

Baraga Casino was $133,437.06 and the Marquette amount was $171,423.24. The calculation is based on the net win of class III gaming

or slot machines. The breakdown is as follows:

BARAGA

Baraga County

$33,961.87

Baraga School District

$40, 886.57

Baraga Township

$13,680.82

Continued on page four.

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Continued from page three.

Baraga Village

$10,517.20

L’Anse School District

$20,406.53

L’Anse Township

$2,300.20

L’Anse Village

$1,683.87

Baraga County Road Commission $10,000.00

MARQUETTE

Charter Township of Chocolay

$70,000.00

Delta Co. Sheriff/UPSET

$10,000.00

West Branch Twp/Fitness

& Community Center

$20,000.00

Forsyth Township Police Department

$26,000.00

Skandia Twp./UP Trails

$10,000.00

Marquette Area Public Schools/Title VII Native

American Education

$6,050.00

City of Marquette/NMU Center for

Native Amer. Studies

$3,942.80

County of Marquette

$25,430.44

Our 8% payments were also made this month

which are pursuant to the 2000 Consent Judgment or stipulation that was entered into between the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

and the State of Michigan in order to keep our

Marquette Casino open.

The Marquette

amount was $685,692.96. The amount for the

Baraga Casino was $533,748.27, however

that amount was offset by $36,789.72 for the

vehicle use tax reimbursements. The amount

that was sent to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation was $496,958.55.

Treasurer Misegan wished to thank Peggy

Minton who assisted her while she was ill.

Treasurer Misegan attended a conference call

with our Economic Developer, Attorney John

Baker, CEO Larry Denomie, and Asst. Secretary Gene Emery regarding a business proposal. Misegan also attended along with Larry

Denomie the Tribal Casino & Hotel Development: Financing, Design and Construction Essentials conference which was held in Las Vegas on June 11-12. There were several excellent speakers and topics included:

Understanding Feasibility Studies; Initial Design and

the factors to consider; Breaking Ground to

Ribbon Cutting, Knowing when and How to

Expand as well as several others. Misegan

stated, one of the most informative for her was

”Financing Projects in a Tough Market: For

New Construction, Expansion and Improvements.” The panel of speakers included the

General Counsel of the Navajo Nation, a Senior Vice President of Corporate Development

for the Seneca Gaming Corporation, a Vice

President of Wells Fargo Debt Capital Markets

and a law partner in the firm Mayer Brown. A

large part of the discussion was explaining

how different it is to seek financing for large

projects in today’s economy. They touched on

the need for Tribes to have a Uniform Commercial Code, how important it is for the

Tribe’s leadership to understand just what is

going to be expected from them when they

seek financing for large, multi-million dollar

projects, how important it is to have stability in

Tribal Government, the importance of having

leaders and key employees who have clean

backgrounds and to have a good relationship

with the local & civic communities. They

stressed how the cost of capital has increased

in the last six-eight months and how much

more cautious banks and lending institutions

have become. We learned that depending on

economic conditions, feasibility studies are

only applicable for 12 to 18 months, how important it is to know what amenities will work

for your community, and how important it is to

make sure that your operating systems within

(4) Niiwin

your organization are functioning well before

moving them to a new facility. Another very

good session was “Where is the Future of Native American Gaming Headed?” This panel

consisted of two attorneys who represent

Tribes in California who were very involved at

the inception of Tribal Gaming, as well as Jason Giles, General Counsel for the National

Indian Gaming Association. We learned of

several threats to gaming - from the media to

pending legislation.

Giles spoke of which

presidential candidates that NIGA believes

would be best for Tribes. The panel was very

optimistic about the future of gaming even in

these trouble economic times.

Treasurer

Misegan and CEO Denomie met with a representative from a design build company for a

potential business opportunity for the Tribe.

Misegan provided Council with a copy “Ten

questions Tribal Council should ask before

borrowing money”. She also e-mailed

council members copies of the power point

presentations from the conference. Misegan also gave Council of Legislation at-aglance which contains information regarding

several bills that are of financial interest to us

and that we may be unaware of. The Tribal

Government Equality Act of 2007(S.1129)

which would allow Tribes to offer governmental retirement plans and the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act (H.R. 3413) which would exempt

Tribes from being subject to the National Labor Relations Board. Treasurer Misegan concluded her report with a statement regarding

the malicious edition of the Screaming Eagle

or shall we say the Native Enquirer which has

circulated the Community. “It is full of lies and

fabrications. It is obviously written by people

who don’t attend meetings, who listen to rumors, who don’t ask questions and don’t want

to see our Tribe change, grow and prosper.

Thank you to those of you who do come to

meetings, who are involved in our Tribe and

who seek answers when you have questions.”

If anyone has any questions for her, or comments or suggestions, please feel free to give

her a call or stop in the Enrollment Office.

Dale Schmeisser, RD, sought approval to

share the data collected from the Women of

Wellness Program with Great Lakes InterTribal Council. He indicated it would remain

personally confidential and no individual’s personal data would be identified or shared. Motion by Jennifer Misegan to share the results from the Women Of Wellness program with GLITC, who wish to publish results, and for Dale Schmeisser to be authorized to share the results at the IHS

meeting to be held in Portland, supported

by Elizabeth “Chiz” Matthews, ten supported, 0 opposed, one abstained (M.

LaFernier Sr.), motion carried.

Larry Denomie brought forth a request to

amend the Tribal Court’s jail fees motion. Current motion states that fees are to be assessed for consecutive days stayed at the jail

at $35 for each of the first two days and $10

for every night thereafter. It is proposed that

when an individual is sentenced to serving

weekends (which is usually due to their employment) that it be considered as consecutive

days for fees assessed on them. Motion by

Larry Denomie to amend the original motion regarding jail fees assessed to include

individuals who are serving weekends on a

sentence are to be considered as consecutive days in regards to the fees assessed,

retroactive to 10/25/07, supported by Jennifer Misegan, ten supported, 0 opposed, one

abstained (Dakota), motion carried.

Eddy Edwards of Ojibwa Housing Authority

(OHA) requested approval of the Council to

submit to HUD the FY2008 Indian Housing

Plan—Housing’s Block Grant. It is a document/budget of how OHA plans to appropriate

the dollars they are awarded in the Block

Grant. Motion by Fred Dakota to authorize

the Tribal President to sign the OHA’s 2008

Indian Housing Plan Block Grant as submitted, supported by William “Gene” Em-

ery , eleven supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion carried.

Mr. Edwards gave an update of some of

the opportunities OHA has available to the

community. One of which is the eleven mobile

homes housing will be receiving from FEMA.

Applications were received, reviewed and

eleven individuals have been approved to receive one of the eleven units with specific conditions of having a site that has water/sewer/

electricity readily available and prepared for

the delivery. These mobile homes are new

two-three bedroom units that are completely

furnished. The cost associated to transfer

each mobile home from the South, and to

bring each unit up to code (roofing), and final

placement will be transferred to each of the

eleven approved tribal members who will be

receiving the mobile homes. In a sense, each

home will cost roughly in the area of $20,000,

which the tribal member will be required to secure financing for prior to closing. Each of

these individuals has been informed to contact

Jason Ayres at the KBIC’s realty office for

available lease land. In regards to the new

Bear Town Housing Division, specific grant

conditions require sites be utilized for new

home construction which means that manufactured homes are not acceptable on these lots.

Another program that OHA is offering a low

cost loan based on the federal funds rate,

which is currently 2%, in which individuals may

apply for home improvements. Loan applications can be requested up to $20,000 with up

to ten years for repayment at a low interest

rate of 2%. Conditions include creditworthiness status and the purchases must be made

from, or the contractor must be, an Indian

owned business. If anyone is interested in any

of these opportunities and for more information, they should contact Christine LaPointe or

Natalie Mleko at OHA, 524-5514.

Chief of Police, Dale Dakota, sought approval of Resolution KB1615-2008 COPS

grant. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office

of Community Oriented Policing Services

(COPS) have announced FY 2008 funding

availability of Federally-reorganized Indian

Tribes with established Tribal Police Departments, under the Tribal Resources Grant Program (TRGP), to address the Department of

Justice’s goal of assisting Tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence. TRGP

grants are provided directly to Tribal law enforcement agencies for items reflecting the

Tribe’s most serious law enforcement needs

that are not already budgeted through state,

local, Tribal or BIA funding, for law enforcement training, uniforms, standard issue equipment, department-wide technology and police

vehicles linked to the implementation or enhancement of community policing efforts. The

KBIC Tribal Police Department is eligible to

apply for TRGP funding in the Federal share

amount of up to $200,000 for community policing requests with no matching requirement.

Chief Dakota indicated that he would submit

the proposed budget early next week. The

COPS Grant is due the week of 06-09-2008.

Motion by Elizabeth Mayo to approve Resolution KB-1615-2008 COPS Grant, supported by Michael LaFernier Sr., eleven

supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion

carried.

A presentation on the KB Beartown Firefighter Program was presented in the form of a

power point presentation to Council by Doreen Blaker, George DeCota and Charlie

Gauthier. The program has grown quite rapidly and does employ some 30+ community

members at times, who assist with fighting

wildfire throughout the United States. One

draw back that the program has is lack of

transportation which limits their ability on being

called out more often. Their crews waste a lot

of time waiting for transportation. The group

suggests purchasing two E350 vans and one

F350 4X4 truck. It was the consensus of the

Council to move forward with their needs and

to seek bids.

Continued on page five.

Continued from page four.

Jennifer Misegan sought approval for a direct deposit system for the Ojibwa Enterprises

employees which will assist our enterprise employees with traveling for paychecks; more so

in the Marquette/Harvey area. Motion by

Larry Denomie to move forward with a direct deposit system for the enterprise employees, supported by Toni Minton, eleven

supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion

carried.

Larry Denomie requested a date be set for

an Employee Grievance Hearing; which was

scheduled for June 26.

Larry Denomie brought forth an EPA Grant

Application for a Transfer Station Project. The

grant is for one-half million with no match. Denomie stated the transfer station could be

housed in the industrial park. The project

would likely employ up to six community members if funded. Approval of this grant application was done by an e-mail consensus due to

time constraints.

Larry Denomie asked Council to create a

Tribal Energy Committee, which could include

community representatives as well as community members. Council agreed to put this on

the agenda for June 13.

Attorney John Baker presented an application for a new business license on behalf of

Todd Chosa—Chosa Electric, LLC Motion by

Larry Denomie to approve the business license of Todd Chosa for Chosa Electric,

but to talk with Todd Chosa regarding the

LLC status tax issues first, supported by

Michael LaFernier Sr., eleven supported, 0

opposed, 0 abstained, motion carried.

Attorney John Baker recommended that a

business license for Dan Alexander—

Alexander’s Fresh Fish be denied at this time

due to the clause in the Ojibwa Housing lease.

Motion by Larry Denomie to deny the license for Alexander’s Fresh Fish until an

alternate location for the business to be

housed is located due to regulations within

OHA, supported by Michael LaFernier Sr.,

nine supported, one opposed (Matthews),

one abstained (Misegan), one absent

(Mayo), motion carried.

Fred Dakota presented a letter from the

Pelkie Fire Department requesting funding for

a new truck. Jennifer Misegan indicated that

she would call them regarding the 2% requirements and the request will be considered at

the next donation meeting.

Council moved into closed business with

Attorney Baker, Treasurer Misegan, President

Swartz and CEO Denomie on the agenda.

After closed session Jennifer Misegan

motioned to increase the Larry Asher

Emergency Fund by $25,000, supported by

Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews, ten supported,

one absent (Mayo), motion carried.

KBIC PARTICIPATES IN ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT AND

MARKET ANALYSIS

The week

of June 9,

numerous

d e p a r t ments, council members,

committee

members,

and community

members participated in an

Economic

Fred Dakota, Tribal Council member at Development

the Opening Session of the Economic Assessment

Development Conference, June 9.

and Market

Analysis facilitated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Community Capacity Development Office and Indian

Economic Development Initiatives partners. An

open session held on Monday morning, June 9,

explained the purpose of the Economic Development Assessment and Market Analysis which became apparent that information would be gathered

and assessed to identify steps to work towards further strengthening our economic development efforts. Fred Dakota, council member, gave a history

of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community at the

opening session. Fred Dakota has held a seat on

the Tribal Council for approximately 36 years and

for many of these years he held the seat of Tribal

Chairman. Dakota spoke of the three treaties

which affiliate the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, and he spoke particularly of the 1954 treaty

which created this reservation and gave us the

right to hunt and fish. The Indian Reorganization

Act of 1934 gave us the right to self govern; the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community formed a constitution in 1936.

The assessment team consists of Mark Roscoe

of DOJ, Norena Henry of DOJ, Tracey Fisher of

Oweesta, Bill Guevara of Oweesta, Kellie Jewett of

Oweesta, Dr. Ted Jojola of UNM and ASU, Ed

Gilliland of IEDC, Swati A. Ghosh of IEDC, and

Carrie Ridgeway of IEDC, who are focusing in the

areas of legal infrastructure, economic development assessment, indigenous planning and community development financial institutions. At the

wrap up session held on Friday, June 13, preliminary strengths were identified as: Public Management – separation of some tribally-owned businesses from tribal government, success in several

new business ventures, stable and effective tribal

governance structures (staggered terms with council and judges, and judges being elected officials),

tribal government undertook a strategic planning

effort; Social/Community/Public Health – strong

sense of community and values; small percentage

of violent crime. Education/Youth – presence of

tribal community college; vocational training opportunities for both youth and adult (welding); having

proximity to regional universities and technical colleges. Workforce – business driven regional industrial alliance focused on improving workforce skills.

Legal Infrastructure – separation of court from legislature; extent of tribal court maturity. Land/

Physical Infrastructure – waterfront green space;

readily available land and buildings for development in Tribal industrial park; working with EPA

and USDA to restore brownfield sites along waterfront; pristine environment particularly near the waterfront; little blight in housing; maintaining older

housing stock. Economy – gaming industry revenues; natural resources, lakes, etc.; competitive tax

incentives on tribal land; growth in manufacturing;

some resources and programs for small business

development & entrepreneurship; access to university and tribal community colleges; proximity to

smartzones and two incubators; wired for telecommunications. Challenges were identified as: Pubic

Management – lack of separation of tribal governance and business development; strategic plan

(lacks community awareness, has a weak economic development component), lack of reliable

data (demographic, labor, real estate), limited linkages with other Ojibwe tribes. Land/Physical Infrastructure – no town center and identity in Baraga,

scattered development throughout reservation, limited land use planning coordination (for tribal lands,

between tribal lands and Village of Baraga), presence of brownfields, lack of transportation infrastructure, remote location with limited transportation access, weak linkages between land use and

transportation/infrastructure planning.

Social/

Community/Public Health – community is concerned about prescription drugs and alcohol abuse

for adults and youth, teen pregnancy, break-ins of

elder’s homes, lack of provisions and services for

ex-offenders. Economy – high rate of unemployment; barriers in terms of business attraction is lack

of commercial code; lack of marketing/branding of

industrial park; limited destination attractions; limited, but increasing, cases of Tribal member owned

businesses; limited mentoring opportunities for entrepreneurs; lack of financial literacy; limited communication between tribe and external entities; Casino lacks visibility from highway 41. Education/

Youth – no formal relationship between Tribal College and Michigan Tech; lack of non-profit youth

organizations; limited youth activities; limited youth

involvement for programming. Workforce – limited

participation of tribal members with local manufacturing; lack of appropriate and on-going training

around staff development; brain drain; lack of management skills; job readiness issues; limited technical skills of local workforce. Legal Infrastructure –

lack of commercial and corporate codes; haphazard licensing system (limited regulations or sanctions). Opportunities were identified as: Strategic

plan forms a basis to coalesce; potential industries

(tourism/hospitality, renewable energy/biomass

(wind), destination attractions, value-added manufacturing, construction); tourism & hospitality poten-

tial (combine entertainment, dining, cultural, and

recreation options with gaming destination, attraction of waterfront); reinvigorate Ojibwe history and

culture awareness in business development; trade

& tourism opportunities with Canada; basis to expand trade network among Great Lakes Tribes;

higher fuel prices leading to greater reliance on

ship and rail; more youth participation; industrial

land in Marquette; financial literacy training; technical assistance resources for small business development; management training for all Tribal members; distance learning /online courses at tribal

community college. Threats identified were: national economy and rising gas prices – could affect

tourism; potential for receding lake; long term viability of gaming as economic development strategy; young people are drawn away from reservation; regulatory delays by BIA on trust status for

airport property; aging demographics; environmental pollution by potential mining operations;

further reduction in fishing supply.

The assessment team will continue with the

data collection and analysis. The recommendations will be presented by the team on August 14.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON

INDIAN RESERVATIONS

NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS FOR THE 48

CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES AND ALASKA

(Effective October 1, 2007)

48 Contiguous

United States

Alaska

Household Size

Income Limits

Income Limits

1

$ 985

$1,294

2

$1,275

$1,656

3

$1,565

$2,019

4

$1,864

$2,381

5

$2,178

$2,744

6

$2,492

$3,116

7

$2,782

$3,479

8

$3,072

$3,841

Each additional

member

+ $290

+ $363

Computation of Income Eligibility Standards — The income eligibility limits for each household size are based on the

sum of the Food Stamp Program net monthly income limits

and standard deduction amounts used for the appropriate

State.

Income Deductions—see 7 CFR 253.6(f)

Dependant Care Deduction — The current maximum allowable dependent care deduction is $200 for dependent children

under two years of age, and $175 for all other dependents.

Earned Income Deduction — Households with earned income are allowed a deduction of 20 percent of their earned

income.

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.

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.

* Can not be on foodstamps.

AFDO/Seafood Alliance HACCP

3-Day Training Course

HACCP training certification is required to obtain a

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community commercial

fishing license. There will be a certification course

offered in Brimley, Michigan, during December

2008. Registration fee is $90. A course agenda

may be obtained at the Keweenaw Bay Indian

Community Licensing Office or Natural Resource

Department. Registration and travel costs will be

paid for Keweenaw Bay Indian Community tribal

members who wish to attend this training, through

prior arrangement.

Course Information

Date:

December 9-11, 2008

Times:

8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. daily

Location: Bay Mills Community College –

Migizi Hall, 12214 W. Lakeshore

Drive

Brimley, Michigan

For registration please contact:

Ronald Kinnunen, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan

State University, (906) 226-3687. For more information please contact the Natural Resource Department at (906) 524-5757.

(5) Naanan

Continued from page one.

assistant coach for the men’s basketball program

at LSSU. After college, Gerard accepted a position

with a private investigation company in Grand Rapids, working on insurance fraud. He then attended

Northern Michigan University Regional Police

Academy and graduated in 2002. After graduating

from the police academy, Gerard accepted a position with the Meridian Police Department where he

served for five years. He was assigned to the road

patrol and eventually the Community Relations/

School Resource Unit. He also served as a defensive tactics instructor and hiring/background investigator for the Meridian Police Department. Chris

Gerard recently accepted the Weed and Seed Coordinator position offered to him by the Keweenaw

Bay Indian Community. The Weed and Seed Program, a community based strategy sponsored by

the U.S. Department of Justice is an innovative,

comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. The strategy involves a two pronged

approach: law enforcement agencies and prosecutors who cooperate in “weeding out” violent criminals and drug abusers and public agencies and

community based private organizations collaborate

to “seed” much needed human services, prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood restoration programs.

At the conclusion of the evenings event, Terri

Denomie presented the scholarship awards for

2008. The KBIC Education Department offers two

$1000 Scholarship for their graduates. This year

the Baraga Scholarship was awarded to Courtney

Swartz, and the L’Anse Scholarship was awarded

to Jessica Picard. The Dawn Louise Denomie Memorial Scholarship, on behalf of the Denomie family, was awarded to Clarissa Duschaine.

Members of the Keweenaw Bay Education

Committee are: Terri Denomie (Chairman), Lynn

Haataja (Vice Chairman), William Seppanen Sr.

(Secretary), Dawn Alexander, Vicki Emery, Charles

Loonsfoot Jr., and Robin Roe. Tribal Education

staff are: Amy St. Arnold (Education Director),

Peggy Dunn (L’Anse Tutor), Helen Jondreau

(Baraga Tutor), Beth Dix (L’Anse Tutor), Mike

Duschene (Baraga Tutor), Ty Curtis (Baraga Tutor).

(Continues next column)

Agatha Cardinal (right), Title IV, Baraga’s Native American Home/School Coordinator, was honored for her 12

years of service at this year’s banquet. Mrs. Cardinal

retired at the end of this school year. Terri Denomie

(left) Tribal Education Committee Chairman presented

Agatha with a Certificate/gift.

Ronald Spruce, Vice President of the Ojibwa Senior

Citizens presents graduates with certificates/gifts on

behalf of the Ojibwa Seniors.

(Left to right) Cody Blue, Diane Charron and Toni

Minton presents graduates with certificates/gifts on behalf of the KBIC Cultural Committee.

KBIC YOUTH SOCCER STARTS JULY 12 and will be held

on Saturdays from 10-noon at the field outside the College. It's for kids of all ages in the area that are interested

to learn and play soccer. We requiring a $5 fee for Tshirts. There is a sign up sheet at the NiiwinAkeaa Center, near the Youth Director's office. Please call Coach Jerry Jondreau at 3538894 or Youth Director Tyler Larson at 353-4643.

(6) Ningodwaaswi

(Left to right) Robin Roe, L’Anse Scholarship recipient—Jessica Picard, Baraga Scholarship recipient—Courtney Swartz, and Terri Denomie.

(Left to right) On behalf of the Denomie Family,

Lauri Denomie, Clarissa Duschaine (Dawn Louise

Denomie Memorial Scholarship recipient) and

Terri Denomie.

CONGRATULATIONS

GRADUATES!

Baraga Area Schools

C L A R I S S A

DUSCHAINE— is the

daughter of Darlene and

Robert Duschaine. While

in high school, she was on

the Honor Roll numerous

times and participated in

the following activities:

Yearbook for three years;

Student Council, High

School Bowl, High-Five

Mentoring, and Camp

Nesbitt counselor each for

one year. She was a Daily Mining Gazette Student of the Week. She is currently working for the

BHK Great Explorations after-school program.

Her interests include bowling, movies, scrapbooking and being with friends. She will be attending

Lake Superior State University this fall majoring in

Elementary Education.

Z A C H A R Y

GOUGEON — is

the son of Dianne

Gougeon.

While

in high school he

completed

four

years of football

and golf; coached

Flag football for

two years and participated in the Adopt-AHighway Program with the Baraga football team.

He also maintained a 3.00 grade point average.

He has been employed with the KBIC Summer

Youth Program for several years. His interests

include fishing, golfing, and spending time with

friends and family. He will be attending Northern

Michigan University this fall and is undecided on

his major at this time.

COURTNEY SWARTZ —

is the daughter of Julie

Maki and Lawrence

Swartz. She has been on

the Honor Roll and received an academic letter

in her senior year. She

participated in the High

Five Mentoring Program,

yearbook, student council,

basketball, Leadership and

Resilience Program and

was a Daily Mining Gazette student of the week.

She was selected to attend the American Indian

Science and Engineering Conference. At graduation, she won the first Administrator’s Award of

Merit. She is currently working at Bayshore BP.

Her interests include hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. She plans on attending

Western Michigan University this fall majoring in

pre-med.

CHRISTOPHER

LOONSFOOT— is the son of Angela

Loonsfoot and Alden Connor

Jr. He has been employed by

Ojibwa Builders since February and will continue working

there until he goes to college.

His hobbies include baseball,

basketball, lifting weights, tinting windows and spending

time with friends and family.

He will be attending Northern Michigan University

this fall majoring in Building Technology.

ALEXANDER

TILSON –

is the son of Allison Hiettiko

and Tim Tilson. He has been

on the Honor Roll throughout

high school and received the

Tribal Perfect Attendance

award numerous times. He

received an academic letter

and an award for perfect attendance from his principal.

His artwork has been selected

to appear in local art shows.

Along with another student, he completely redesigned the Baraga Area Schools website. His interests include drawing, reading, computers, movies

and music. He plans to work this summer and will

be attending Northern Michigan University this fall.

He is interested in Art and Computers and may try

for a career in one of those fields.

L’Anse Area Schools

MITCHELL

DURANT

— is the son of Peggy

Dunn and Leo Durant. He

participated in Middle

School Art Club, Band for

five years, High Five

Mentoring and was a

Teacher’s Aid. He has

worked for the KBIC

Summer Youth Work Program. His hobbies are

video games and music. He plans to seek employment and to attend college sometime in the

future.

JAREN FORCIA — is the

son of Colleen Morin and

Leslie Forcia. During his

school years, he participated in JV Basketball and

Football. He was a member of the KBIC Youth Club

and the Rez Runners basketball team.

He has

worked for the KBIC Summer Youth program. His

interests are fishing and hunting. He plans to look

for work after graduation.

JOSEPH JOSSENS — is

the son of Mary Lou

Jossens.

His extracurricular activities included JV and Varsity

Basketball and JV and

Varsity football. He was

a member of the KBIC

Youth Club and the Rez

Runners basketball team.

He has been employed

by the KBIC Summer

Youth Program, and his hobbies are basketball

and listening to music. His future plans are undecided at this time.

STACEY ROLOF — is

the daughter of Jean

Swartz and Bill Rolof.

She previously attended

school in Glen Carbon,

Illinois, where she consistently placed on the

Honor Roll. In L’Anse,

her favorite classes were

English and Economics.

During high school, she

continued to earn Honor

Roll status many times.

Stacey is currently employed at Pat’s IGA. She will be attending Northern Michigan University this fall but has not decided what her major will be at this time.

Continued on page seven.

Continued from page seven.

JESSICA PICARD — is the

daughter of Rose Picard and

Rodney Rajacic. Her school

activities included basketball,

golf, teacher’s aide and High

Five Mentoring. She has had

Perfect Attendance and has

been on the Honor Roll numerous times. She was one

of a few students selected to

be a Copper County Teen,

and she was chosen to attend

the American Indian Science and Engineering

Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona. She worked

for the KBIC Summer Youth Program for four

years and was placed at KBIC Daycare, the PowWow grounds, Linna’s, and the Tribal Accounting

Department. Her hobbies are hunting, fishing,

golfing, softball and going to the beach with her

family. Her future plans are to attend Northern

Michigan University to become a veterinarian.

L’Anse/Baraga

Community Schools

CHEYENNE CREBESSA – is the daughter of

Sandy and Jerry Crebessa. In high school she

participated in volleyball for 3 years and was on

the Honor Roll. Her hobbies include swimming,

hunting and being with friends. She also enjoys

after

school

activities such

as 4-H and the

Finlandia University

Upward

Bound

Program. After

graduation

she plans to

attend Northern Michigan University and major in pre-law.

Post college she will begin her journey and her

dream of becoming a District Attorney.

GEORGE GAUTHIER —

is the son of Joan and

Leroy Gauthier. He has

six children – Justin, Jamie, Leroy, Rebecca,

Kyle and Tristan.

He

works for Drift and Sons

Contracting. He enjoys

spending time with his

children, family and

friends and going to contest and traditional pow-wows. When he travels,

he sings for the Little Otter Singers and at home

his drum group is the Woodland Singers. His

plans are to continue working and to watch his

children grow, learn and live life.

CHARLOTTE

LOONSFOOT— is the daughter of

Dawn and Dan Alexander.

She participated in the Child

Care Program at BHK and

volunteered for fundraisers

for this program. Her interests include reading, computers and outdoor activities. She worked for the

KBIC Summer Youth Program for three years and

was placed at the Youth

Center, Ojibwa Housing and Ojibwa Community

College. She plans to attend Northern Michigan

University and is considering majoring in Criminal

Justice.

OLIVIA RAJACIC — is

the daughter of Bonnie

Huhtasaari and Greg Geroux. She is also the wife

of Robert Rajacic and

mother of Addyson Rajacic. She attended L’AnseBaraga

Community

Schools and was on the

Honor Roll. Olivia will be

attending Northern Michigan University this fall,

majoring in Pre-Law. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and

work as a criminal attorney.

TRAVIS RAJACIC — is

the son of Darlene Genschow and Alan Rajacic.

His interests include basketball and working on

cars and houses.

He

plans to seek employment

for a year and then move

to Marquette in order to

attend college. He would

like to study auto service

technology and car repair.

SHEENA FRIISVALL — is the

daughter of Dianne Waara and

Dale Friisvall.

She attended

L’Anse-Baraga Alternative School

e

for two years. She enjoys spendur

ct

Pi

ing time with her nieces and

nephews and the outdoors. Her

future plans are to attend classes at Ojibwa Community College this fall and to pursue her dream to

become a massage therapist.

e

bl

la

i

a

av

un

TOM PAQUIN — is the son of

Pamela Loonsfoot and Thomas

Paquin, Sr. He currently resides

in Baraga. He plans to enlist in

e

ur

t

the armed services after graduac

Pi

tion but has not decided which

branch he would like to enter.

e

bl

ila

a

av

un

LORYSSA WIIDEMAN — is the

daughter of Janet Franti and Edle ward Wiideman. While in school

b

ila

she participated in volleyball. She

va

a

un

enjoys spending time with her

e

ur

family and friends. She was emct

i

P

ployed by the KBIC Summer

Youth Program and was placed at Ojibwa Community College. She plans on attending college and

will major in cosmetology.

KIRKISH SELECTED FOR MICUP

The Education Department is pleased to announce

the following five KBIC college graduates for the

2007-08 academic year:

•

•

•

•

•

Danielle Arens, Certificate, Gogebic Community College, LPN

Amy Monville, Associate in Arts Degree, Alpena Community College, Business

Elizabeth Jaukkuri, Bachelor of Arts Degree,

Finlandia University, Human Services

Tyler Larson, Bachelor of Science Degree,

Northern Michigan University,

Criminal Justice

Peter Shelafoe, Bachelor of

Social Work Degree, Northern Michigan University

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

accomplishments!

DAKOTA NEW DEAN

OF STUDENT SERVICES

Cherie Dakota

began

working

for

Keweenaw

Bay

Ojibwa

Community

College

on

May 12th as

the Dean of

Student Services. “In the

past, the responsibilities

of

Student

Services have been incorporated into a few different job descriptions at KBOCC. As Dean of Student Services, I will be coordinating and developing the Student Services department a bit more.”

Services include: student advising and counseling;

assisting with career interest surveys and job

searches; providing assistance to alleviate barriers

to class attendance; promoting involvement in and

supporting student government and student organizations; setting up and providing tutoring; teaching

study skills; setting up partnerships with other educational institutions; etc.

As Dean of Student Services, Dakota will

also oversee recruitment, admissions, enrollment,

financial aid, and student organizations. “We’re

planning on attending many of the summer events

in Baraga County and surrounding counties to get

the KBOCC name out there and inform people of

what courses and programs are available right

now, so stop by the college booth & see us. The

fall 2008 class schedule is already out. If you don’t

get a chance to see us at an event, please feel free

to contact me @ (906) 353-4628 or at cdakota@kbocc.org. You can also visit the college

website at www.kbocc.org, or stop in at the main

building for more information.”

The Michigan Technological University’s

MICUP (Michigan College and University Partnerships) program was designed to assist community college students transfer to four-year

institutions to earn baccalaureate degrees.

MICUP is a seven-week summer program that

addresses the opportunities and challenges

faced by bachelor degree-seeking students. This year, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College student Gerald (Joe) Kirkish has been selected as one of the participants for the MICUP

program. Joe is currently enrolled in a three credit hour MTU course which includes an undergraduate research internship. Joe’s research project involves developing a natural wood stain

out of fungus for commercial use. KBOCC would like to congratulate Joe Kirkish on his innovative project and achievements in the MICUP program.

Introducing Anung Tilson, born

05/18/2008, to Summer Cohen

and Tim Tilson. Anung was 9 lbs.

13 oz. and was 20 ½ inches at

birth.

Family Literacy Program

ENROLL NOW!

Earn your GED or

High School Diploma

Early Childhood Programs for children

Improve parenting skills

Incentives for participation

Transportation and childcare available

Even Start is free to all Tribal and

Non-Tribal members in Baraga County

who are expecting a baby or

have children under the age of eight.

Call 353-8161 to register

KBIC EVEN START

755 Michigan Avenue—Baraga, MI 49908

(7) Niizhwaaswi

2008 Michigan Native Vote Kick-Off

30th Annual Keweenaw Bay

July 25 - 27, 2008

Maawanji’iding

To Honor our Public

Service Providers

Ojibwa Campground ◊ Baraga, Michigan

Host Drum:

Buffalo Horse

Ojibwa, Minnesota

Co-Host:

Four Thunders

KBIC Ojibwa

Special Events

Thursday:

Head Veteran Dancer: Jim St. Arnold - Ojibwa

Head Female Dancer:

Rebecca Genschow

KBIC Ojibwa

Head Male Dancer:

Lester Drift Memorial

Ojibwa

KBIC Princess: To be Announced the evening of July 25th

Youth Head Dancers:

Alden Connor Jr., Boise Forte, Ojibwa

Vanessa Beaver, KBIC, Ojibwa

Lighting of the Sacred Fire

Grounds Blessing & Feast

Basket Weaving

Storytelling

Friday:

Basket Weaving

Storytelling

Princess Crowning

Honor Elders Special

Saturday:

Master of Ceremonies:

Ted Holappa, KBIC Ojibwa

Richard (Waubano) Awanohopay, Lac Du Flambeau Ojibwa

Arena Director: Stan Spruce, KBIC Ojibwa

Asst. Arena Director: Robert Rajacic, KBIC Ojibwa

Specials Arena Director: George Gauthier, KBIC Ojibwa

Fry Bread Championship

Head Dancer Special

Youth 2-Step Championship

Midnight 2-Step Championship

Drum Challenge

Veterans Special

Feast

Sunday:

Give away

Grand Entries:

Friday - 7 pm

Saturday - NOON & 7 pm Sunday - NOON

$14,000 dollar drum-split-NO DRUM HOPPERS-Dancers paid daily

Admission: $5.00

(5 and under free)

Illegal Drugs, Alcohol

& Weapons

Prohibited

Free Camping at the Ojibwa Campground with

Purchase of admission

In 2004 Native Vote was spearheaded by the

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

This was a groundbreaking non-partisan campaign to register and turn out a record number of

American Indian and Alaskan Native voters. The

culmination of the Native Vote efforts in 2004 and

2006 was a resounding success for tribal governments nationwide. It empowered Native voters

and raised the profile of Native issues in the eyes

of politicians. It was a historic moment for all of

Indian Country. Native voters proved that we can

make our voices heard with the power of the

vote.

For the 2008 General Election the (NCAI) Native Vote Michigan State Lead, Su Lantz and our

team of Tribal Coordinators kicked off the Michigan 2008 Native Vote Initiative with a conference

call that took place on April 17, 2008. We have a

very supportive team comprised of a Tribal Coordinator from each of the twelve (12) federally recognized Indian tribes in Michigan as well as a

State Lead to coordinate their efforts and ideas.

The infrastructure of the Native Vote Michigan

Tribal Coordinators Team will prove to only breed

success. Coordinator for KBIC is Carole LaPointe, Health Director.

The Team will focus on Get-Out-The-Vote

(GOTV) efforts and provide a plan for a Native

Vote Election Protection Project (NV-EPP). We

will target every level of potential voters including

the youth and first time voters, sporadic voters,

Elders and those needing transportation, education and assistance. We will pay particular attention to voters with special needs such as in holding mock elections for training, or assistance with

absentee voting for shut-ins.

If you are not a registered voter in Michigan

and will be eligible to vote on November 4, 2008,

you need to register by October 6, 2008. Watch

for more information in the next issue on how and

where to register. Our Team is here to help. We

will have voter registration forms available and

someone to assist you. You can also access

information

on

voting

by

visiting

www.nativevote.org and clicking on your state.

Let’s Get-Out-The-Vote and let our Native

American voices be heard!

Does not include Marina or Sand Point

ANIMALS must be on a leash at all

General Inquires Contact:

Artist & Vendor Info. Contact:

Marty Curtis, 906-524-4411

Tracy Emery, 906-353-7117

ndtcmcc@up.net

temery04@hotmail.com

TRIBAL MEMBERS EARN

EMT CERTIFICATES

A Family Event open to the public: Everyone is Invited!

OJIBWA COMMUNITY LIBRARY—

FISHING/CAMPING WEEK AT PRE-PRIMARY

th

In June, I had the opportunity to attend the

Tribal College Library Institute in Bozeman,

Montana. The Institute is held every year on

the Campus of Montana State University.

Montana State is the only University to offer a

Masters degree in Native American Studies.

This year the focus of the Institute was on

Language; the United Nations declared 2008

as the Year of Languages. There were 43

colleges and universities represented from the

United States and Canada. One of the guest

speakers was Dr. Loriene Roy from Austin,

Texas. Loriene is presently the President of

the American Library Association (ALA).

What made her visit so special to our group is

she is an enrolled member of the White Earth

Reservation in Minnesota and the first Native

American to be elected President of ALA.

She stands strong as an indigenous person,

incorporating her cultural grounding as an

Anishinabe woman. She is a professor in the

School of Information at the University of

Texas, Austin. A reminder: Our large print

collection continues to grow. Stop in and

check it out. The library has a DVD called

THE TRUTH ABOUT CANCER. It was donated by the American Library Association.

The week of June 9

Pre-Primary children

participated in Fishing/

Camping Week.

We

started out the week by

setting up a tent for outThe following Keweenaw Bay Tribal Memside play with the chilbers

earned the EMT Certificates on May 31,

dren enjoying a snack of

2008.

Lori LaFernier (left), Jody Joki

trail mix. The children

(center), Tim Gauthier (right), missing from

enjoyed a field trip on

Thursday to the lake

photo — Tom Chosa, Ron Hueckstadt and

where we made our own

Gerald Cadeau. Their EMT training began

fishing poles and had a

January 7, 2008, with classes being held

blast casting them into

every Monday and Wednesday evenings,

the water. Another field

and some Saturdays. Besides classroom

trip was held on Friday

instruction, hands on experience included 20

where nine children

hours of Ambulance runs and 20 hours of

along with teachers Amclinical experience at BCMH’s Emergency

ber Houston, Nissa

room. After passing a final written test and a

Morningstar,

Becky

practical exam, the students received their

Genschow and Lisa Denomie, and our two

diplomas at a graduation ceremony held on

summer youth workers,

May 31, 2008. The EMT Certificate enables

Bethanne Cadeau and

each individual to take the State Exam.

Angelica Bogda, trav- ~ Mary Bergerson, Library Director

eled to the fish hatchery

in Pequaming. The Pre-Primary staff wish to thank the fish

ST

hatchery staff for doing a great job and showing our children

If you are interested in starting or buying a business and don’t know what to do next…

and staff around.

Pre-Primary’s summer is definitely going to be fun filled. A

Call Tina Durant @ (906) 353-2626 at

planting/gardening week is scheduled with a field trip to the

the Anishinaabe Anokii Center.

KBIC Medical Center where their staff will be planting vegetables with us. Another fun event will be Fire Safety Week where She will set you up with an appointment with a certified business counselor in the

the children will visit a local fire station and learn about safety Baraga County area. Sessions are free and confidential.

around fire and fireworks.

1 STEP COUNSELING SERVICE

(8) Ishwaaswi

NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS

The National Congress of American Indians

Resolution #REN-08-036

TITLE: Support for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community of its

Opposition to the Proposed Sulfide Metallic Mineral Mine Proposed

by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company (KEMC), in the Traditional

Lands of the Community which were Ceded to the Government

through the Treaty of 1842.

WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American

Indians of the United States, involving the divine blessing of the Creator

upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our

descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights

secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and

all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and

Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better

understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural vales, and

otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do

hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was

established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of

American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, the mine, proposed by the Kennecott Eagle Minerals

Company (KEMC), is in the traditional lands of the Community which

were ceded to the government through the Treaty of 1842; and

WHEREAS, the State of Michigan has enacted the Non-ferrous Metallic Mineral Act and Rules to govern the mining of sulfide minerals. The

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community strongly feels that the State has followed neither the letter nor the intent of this Michigan mining law when it

issued the permits necessary to proceed with mining to Kennecott. As a

result, the Community has invested heavily in technical experts to review

the mining company’s Mining Permit Application and has entered into

legal action against the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

(MDEQ) for improperly issuing mining permits; and

WHEREAS, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community feels that the State

of Michigan is setting a dangerous precedent by issuing permits based on

Kennecott applications containing literally hundreds of technical mistakes,

poor and missing analyses, missing data and unsubstantiated assumptions and conclusions. Because of the very disastrous effect acid mine

drainage is known to have on all living things, the potential damage to our

water, air and sacred lands is very significant; and

WHEREAS, the Lake Superior Bands of Chippewa share common

lands and culture. It is now apparent that many Ojibwa also share common geology in the ancient rocks found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin and northeast Minnesota which contain the

abundant metallic minerals. In this regard, the Lake Superior bands of

Ojibwa share a common cause in protecting our ceded territories, reservations and all reserved treaty rights threatened by actual and potential

mining projects; and

WHEREAS, preservation of our land, our culture and our way of life

rely on us to act now as guardians for the next seven generations to address the inadequacy of current laws and administrative polices pertaining to protection of sacred lands.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NCAI does hereby

support the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and their efforts to stop the

proposed sulfide metallic mineral mine that will be located on the Yellow

Dog Plains in Marquette County Michigan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy

of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.

CERTIFICATION

The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the

2008 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians,

held at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada, on

June 1-4, 2008, with a quorum present.

(Signed) President Joe A. Garica

MORNINGSTAR/DOWD EARN CDA

Nissa Morningstar (left) and Kelly Dowd (right) have both been

awarded their Child Development Associate (CDA). This credential, awarded by the Council of Professional Recognition in Washington

DC, is a testimony of demonstrated competency in working with young

children and their families. In addition, both have demonstrated their ability to work with children to help develop their physical and intellectual capabilities in a safe and health learning environment. Dowd and Morningstar are employees of the KBIC Pre-Primary Education Program and are

PROUD to have reached this goal to better themselves in working with the

children. Mary Deline, CDA Advisor,

aided them both in

achieving

this

award. Both admit,

"It's been a long

road and we finally

achieve our goal!"

Both ladies plan to

continue their education and continue

working with children.

Robin Roe — was hired as the Administrative Assistant for the KBIC

Office of Child Support Services.

Robin is the daughter of Sandy and

Jerry Swartz of L’Anse, and a 1986

graduate of L’Anse High School.

She attended NMU for 1½ years and

after moving downstate she attended

Mid-Michigan Community College for

a semester before returning to the

area. Robin has been taking classes

at KBOCC towards her Business

Administration Degree. Robin resides in Baraga with Kerry Picciano,

her two sons, Logan (12) and Grayson (9), and their miniature Dachshund, Uno.

Becky Tussing — was hired as the

Associate Director for the Dept. of

Health and Human Services. Becky

started her work experience with

KBIC/DHHS in 1994 as a student

with the Univ. of Minnesota, Duluth,

“Indians in Medicine” program. She

graduated from the Suomi College’s

Nursing program in 1998. Becky

worked part time on the Cardiac Unit

at MGH before she accepted a full

time position in the KBIC Medical

Clinic in 1998. She was promoted to

Lead RN for the Medical Clinic in

2003. Becky states, “I am pleased to

continue to serve KBIC/DHHS as the new Associate Director. I will miss the patient contact I had working in the clinic but have always wanted to be able to work

in Health Administration. I am hoping to continue to work on expanding health services to our community and conserving Indian Health Service funding.” Becky

lives in Chassell, with her husband, Paul, who is a Residential Unit Manager with

the Michigan Department of Corrections, and their two children, Zakkary age

seven and Lexus age four.

Left to right — Cody Blue,

Nancy Voakes, and Kim

Klopstein are the Supervisors for this year’s Summer

Youth Program.

Cody Blue is the daughter of Peggy Minton of the

Keweenaw Bay Indian

Community and Brad Blue

of Red Lake, MN. Cody is

a 2006 graduate of L’Anse

High School and has attended NMU for two years,

majoring in social work.

Her plans include returning

to NMU and working towards completing her goals. This is Cody’s first year as a Summer Youth Supervisor and she hopes to get as much experience working with youth as she can. During the previous school year, Cody worked as the elementary Ojibwe bilingual

teacher, and her future plans are to pursue a career working with children in our

Native Community. Cody states, “I love my Community and want to contribute to

its great successes and achievements for the generations to come. I am looking

forward to a fun summer with the kids and am enjoying getting to know them.”

Nancy Voakes, KBIC member, recently returned home from traveling across

the country. This is Nancy’s third summer employed as a Summer Youth Supervisor. Nancy states, “I am glad to be back working as a Summer Youth Supervisor.

I love the position and enjoy working with the youth. It’s a great feeling to have

when helping the youth enter the job force. Hopefully this summer will be just as

enjoyable as the past two summers.”

Kim Klopstein, KBIC member, is the daughter of Agnes Hueckstaedt (Totsie).

Kim lives in Baraga and has two children, Jeff who is 19 and Jennifer who is 17.

Kim states she, “enjoys spending time with family and friends, fishing and a good

night of racing at Adventure Mountain Speedway. I applied for the Summer Youth

Supervisor position because I enjoy working with our youth. I look forward to

spending a great summer with them.”

The Summer Youth Program is under the direction of JoDene Rasanen, who is

employed as the Summer Youth Program Director; a seasonable permanent position.

Tyler Larson — was hired as the Youth Coordinator. Tyler, a KBIC member, graduated in 2003 from

Calumet High School. He recently graduated in

May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice

from NMU. While attending college he was also a

member of the NMU football team. Larson served

as captain for two seasons and was a member of

the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC)

for two years as well. Tyler states, “I enjoy being

around kids and hope to provide them with the opportunity to have fun and be successful. With my

time off, I like spending it with my daughter, working out and being outdoors enjoying the seasons.”

(9) Zhaangaswi

July 2008 Calendars Events

July 4 — Government offices closed for 4th of July holiday.

July 12 — Saturday’s Council Meeting 9 am.

July 12 — KBIC Youth Soccer begins, 10 am.

July 14-17 — Zeba Indian Mission Campgrounds Vacation Bible Camp.

July 18 — Big Kid Dance at OCC, 7pm—12pm.

July 25-27, 2008 — 30th Annual Keweenaw Bay Maawanji’iding.

July 27— Parent’s Day.

National Parents Day is a special day to honor your mother and father. It is a time to celebrate the family structure

and family values. The family unit is an important structure for the health of children, and the nation. That structure,

and those values, are established and nurtured by your parents. Parents Day is not a day for gift giving as in

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The best way to celebrate Parents Day is to spend time with your parents doing

some fun family activity. Let your parents know how much they are loved and appreciated!

Events occurring throughout KBIC are welcome to be listed.

Contact newsletter@kbic.nsn.gov to list your events. Events

are more detailed FYI within the newsletter. For

up-to-day event listings, visit www.ojibwa.com

and click on calendar. For Youth events, please

contact 353-4643/Main Office at Youth Club, or

353-4644 for the facility attendants or the

Kitchen/craft rooms.

NOTICE: If there are no volunteers available

for Open Gym, it will be cancelled. No youth

allowed in the gym unattended! Volunteers

needed!

Youth

calendar

events @

www.ojibwa.com, click on youth club.

Anishinaabe Anokii

ZEBA INDIAN MISSION—

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Beginning July 13

— Join us for Worship at the Zeba

Campgrounds

at

9:00 a.m. on Sundays.

V a ca t ion

B ib le

School — Zeba

Campgrounds July

14-17, 9:30 a.m. —

noon.

Annual Camp Meeting — “Worship in

the Outdoors” at the Campgrounds August 3-8, 7:00 p.m. Special Music/

Speakers.

Women’s Prayer Breakfast — Zeba

Campgrounds, August 9, 10:00 a.m.

First People’s Work Center

A small business development and

support center sponsored in part by a

grant from the ANA that is focused on

Native AmericanAmerican-owned businesses

and entrepreneurs. Anokii staff assist Native Americans and nonnon-Tribal

members in becoming successful

and profitable business owners.

•

•

•

•

•

•

Anishinaabe Anokii services include:

Tribal Business Owner Directory

Business Development Resources

Fax, Copier, Computer & Internet

Services, Meeting Room

Business Support & Developmental

Education Classes

Confidential Credit Counseling &

Financial Literacy Classes

“Indianpreneur” Business Development

Program

8:00 am-4:30 pm

Ojibwa Industrial Park

Baraga, MI 49908

Tel: (906) 353-2626

Fax: (906) 353-2627

Timothy W. Shanahan,

Business Counselor

Tina Durant,

Services Coordinator

MORE NEWS FROM OJIBWA HOUSING AUTHORITY

Mission: To provide affordable and attractive housing opportunities in a safe and

healthy environment to qualifying tribal members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, encourage self-improvement of the community’s low income families, and provide employment opportunities.

Programs and Services provided by the KBOHA:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Low income rental homes and apartments

1. 158 Homes/apartments in Baraga

2. 50 Homes in Zeba

3. 40 Homes in Marquette/Harvey

Supportive housing/transitional housing to help address family issues;

New, custom built, super-insulated homes for homeownership on Beartown Road;

Home buyer training to prepare members for home ownership;

Financial literacy training to improve member’s financial skills;

Home maintenance training to improve member’s ability to maintain their homes;

Home rehabilitation program to improve the condition of member-owned homes;

Home emergency assistance program to remedy negative conditions in the home;

Individual development account program – a 4:1 matched savings program for

member goals that include:

1. Down payment assistance for home purchase;

2. College tuition and expenses for residents;

3. Business expansion/start-up expenses;

4. Home repair for member-owned homes;

5. Credit repair for homeownership; and

6. Vehicle purchase for work/school.

Low cost home improvement loan program for qualifying tribal members;

Low cost tax preparation program for residents and tribal members;

Surplus FEMA mobile home program for tribal members;

Stipend program covering mileage and child care expenses for residents attending

college;

Affordable curbside trash service for residents and members;

Prescription subsidy program to reimburse tribal elders and disabled households

for prescriptions purchased;

Ojibwa Building Supply Do It Best- providing tribal employment, quality affordable

building supplies and profits for housing programs;

Ojibwa Builders construction company- providing tribal employment, quality affordable construction, and profits for housing programs;

Market rate rentals - five rental properties in Baraga and one in Negaunee- providing profits for housing programs.

(10) Midaaswi

The Ojibwa Housing Authority (OHA) has been busy with many

new projects. One of the biggest new projects taken on by the OHA is

the creation of a new non profit corporation. We have incorporated,

under tribal law, a new non profit corporation called the Keweenaw

Bay Ojibwa Housing & Community Development Corporation

(KBOHCDC). This non profit corporation will be mainly responsible for

accessing additional grant sources in order to improve the self sufficiency of our tribal members. The KBOHCDC currently is operating

our Individual Development Account (IDA) program, our low cost

home improvement loan program, and our financial literacy trainings.

The IDA program is a great program to increase the assets of our tenants and tribal members. The program allows participants to select

one of six asset goals to save money for. As participants save money,

the KBOHCDC matches $4 for every $1 saved by the participant. The

asset goals include down payment monies for home purchase, college

tuition and expenses, business start up or expansion, home repair,

credit repair, and vehicle purchase for travel to school or work.

Another new program, the low cost home improvement loan program, is also available to qualifying tribal members. The program allows tribal members to borrow money for their home at a very low

cost. The interest rate on the home improvement loan is based on the

federal funds rate, which is currently at 2%. But to get the discounted

interest rate, you have to buy your materials at the Ojibwa Building

Supply and use a local Indian contractor to perform the work. The

purpose is to stimulate our local Indian economy. The loan limit is

$20,000 with a payback not to exceed ten years. An example might

be a $20,000 loan at 2% over ten years. At 2% you will have monthly

payment of about $184 and pay about $2,083 in interest over the term

of the loan. If you went to a local bank you might pay 7% for the loan.

At 7%, you will have a monthly payment of about $232 and pay about

$7,865 in interest over the term of the loan. Our program would have

saved you over $5,782 in interest.

We provide financial literacy training to tenants and tribal members

that uses a curriculum created in collaboration with the First Nations

Development Institute, Oweesta, and Fannie Mae. The curriculum is

designed to remind participants that saving and budgeting are traditional native skills and that we need to pay attention to where and how

we spend our money if we want to successfully manage our personal

finances. In a short time, we have trained over 75 tribal members in

this curriculum. Financial literacy training is also a requirement to participate in our successful IDA program.

So if you want to save for any one of the goals in our IDA program,

or you want to take advantage of our low cost home improvement loan

program, please contact Christine LaPointe, KBOHCDC program administrator, or Eddy Edwards, Executive Director at 524-5514.

ATTENTION:

WANTED

There will be a two-day Protect the Earth Summit on

the shores of Gichigami, August 2 and 3 in Marquette.

Historical Items for School/Orphanage Exhibit at Assinins in July. Photos, Art Work, News Clippings,

Books, Stories/Legends, etc. All items will be returned

by the end of July. Contact Cheryl (353-7795) or Mike

(353-6483).

Events include: speakers from Ontario First Nations, Wisconsin,

Minnesota, and Michigan, who are struggling to protect their land and water from metallic sulfide and uranium mining; workshops; rally; music; and more.

The Mleko family is having a fundraiser cookbook for

Christian, the insurance company will not pay for his fingers

that he needs. This is one way to earn some money. We

need everyone’s help. We previously asked people to submit

their best recipes into this cookbook. This cookbook sells for

$10.00. Send your payment for your cookbook to:

It is time for all of us who truly care about the U.P. to unite in protecting it.

For details call Barb at (906) 942-7325 or (toll-free) 1-877-358-9429.

See our website for updates:

www.yellowdogsummer.wordpress.com

and watch for posters.

2008 ANN MISEGAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The KBIC Education Department announces the availability of the 2008 Ann Misegan Memorial Scholarship applications. The scholarship amount is $1,000, twice a year for up to six

years, and will be awarded to a new student each fall. Applicants must meet the following

criteria:

Enrolled Tribal member

Attending an accredited college/university

Enrolled as a full-time student

Pursuing a degree in a Health Care field

Resident of Baraga or Marquette County

Eligible students must complete an application, submit an essay detailing their interest in their

chosen health field and submit a copy of their official transcripts (high school or college).

For more information, contact Amy St. Arnold, Education Director at 906-353-6623, ext. 4117

or at amy@KBIC-nsn.gov. The application deadline is August 4, 2008, at 4 p.m.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Drug Task Force

— Mission Statement —

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.

Anin!

Our children (young and old) need us to

help them lead a healthy, drug-free life. Drug

and alcohol problems can be prevented and

preventing them starts with us. As parents,

caregivers, relatives and friends, we have a

tremendous influence on the decisions our

children make. Our constant communication

and caring may inspire them to walk away

from drugs and alcohol.

A number of national studies and published

reports indicate that the intentional use of prescription drugs, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives, to get high

is a growing concern-particularly among

teens—in the United States and in our Communities. Next to marijuana, the most common illegal drugs teens are using to get high

are prescription medications. Teens are abusing prescription drugs because they believe

the myth that these drugs provide a medically

safe high. The most recent research on

deaths in the U.S. due to poisoning over a

five-year period (1999-2004) shows that nearly

all poison deaths in the country are attributed

to drugs, and most drug poisonings result from

the abuse of prescription and illegal drugs.

(CDC 2007) The majority of teens get prescription drugs easily and for free, often from

friends or relatives. Girls are more likely than

boys to intentionally abuse prescription drugs

to get high, and adolescents are more likely

than young adults to become dependent on

prescription medication.

If you are in the L’ANSE/BARAGA area, we will figure out

a local delivery plan. If you are not, please add an additional

$2.00 per book ordered, for shipping. You will receive them

around the end of August or early September. We ask you to

please order early.

This cookbook would be a great Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary gift for anyone. In order for this to succeed, we all

need to pull together and give it 110%. Christian needs us

and our support. Thanking you in advance for your help and

your orders.

~ Christian Mleko’s family

ever take medications without your knowledge.

Kids who learn about drug risks from parents

are only half as likely to start using, and kids

whose parents supervise them closely are also

only half as likely to start using, and kids

whose parents supervise them closely are also

only half as likely to develop a drug problem.

Know the “who, what, why, where, when” of

their activities.

Safeguard medications at home and other

places: ask your healthcare provider if any

medications prescribed for your family have a

potential for abuse. Take an inventory of prescriptions and over the counter medications in

your home. Pay attention to quantities. Keep

medications out of reach and out of easily accessible places like the medicine cabinet.

We are not alone. Substance abuse and

prescription drug abuse is common among

teens and adults, and addiction doesn’t discriminate. It cuts across race, gender, and

economic lines, every region in the country,

and every walk of life. Most people know

someone who has struggled with addiction,

and one in four teenagers is now living with an

addicted parent. Take heart. More than anything, families need confidence that recovery

is possible, and encouragement and information and professional support is available to

heal these problems. Please review the website “The Partnership for a Drug-Free America”

Your Child Needs You! A guide to help your

child lead a healthy, drug-free life.

www.drugfree.org.

2008 Miss Keweenaw Bay Candidates

Miss Keweenaw Bay Candidates for 2008 are:

Megan Tucker, Tashina Kauppila, Jessica Lane,

Jennifer DeCota, Sheena Halverson. Miss Keweenaw Bay will be selected by the KBIC Powwow Committee and crowned on July 25 at the

30th Annual Keweenaw Bay Maawanji’iding.

More details will be available in the August issue

of the Giikendaam Chiwiikwegamag.

Kid’s Fishing Derby Winner

KBIC’s George E.

Curtis

Memorial

Kid’s

Fishing

Derby was held on

Saturday,

June

21, 2008. Elevenyear-old

Kevin

Denomie of Zeba,

Michigan, is pictured with the winning catch for the

day.

Watch for

August issue of

the Chiikendaam

Chiwiikwegamag

for more Kid’s

Fishing Derby details.

OJIBWEMOWIN

Abita-Niibini Giizis — Midsummer Moon — July

EDUCATE—COMMUNICATE—SAFEGUARD

Educate yourself about medications that

kids are abusing and share this information

with others who are in contact with your children-school administrators, coaches, counselors, etc.

Discuss the subject with your children. See

what your kids know about peers using medications without doctors’ orders. Set clear expectations with your teenagers letting them

know that under no circumstances should they

Christina Demers

1005 39th Avenue

Vero Beach , FL 32960

Word List

The language page was designed

from reference of “A Concise

Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe”

by John D. Nichols and Earl Nyh o l m ,

a n d

t h e

“Indinawemaaganidog” cd by

GLIFWC.

Gizhaate

Niibin

Bagizo

Jiimaan

Gabeshiwin

Ezigaa

Fill in the blanks

Campsite/ _ ab _ sh_ _ in

Go swimming/ B _ g _ _o

Wood tick/ Ez_ _ _ a

It is hot weather/ G_zh_ _te

It is summer/ _ ii_ i _

Canoe/ J_ _ _ a a _

n i

w i

i

a n h a g z i

j

b r t a a g i

o

z e h

i

o q p mk h d w g

i

o i

n a a mi

i

j

n h z w a y e a n k

a i

Word Scramble

h s e b a g

j

t o z i

g a b

e z e g h ma a w n

(11) Ashi bezhig

To place an ad or

input information,

contact:

Lauri Denomie at

Newsletter @

kbic-nsn.gov

or call 906-2010263.

To be added to

the mailing list or

to correct your

mailing address,

contact the enrollment office at

(906) 353-6623

ext. 4113.

h

as

W

r

Ca

Bay Shore

Car Wash & Laundromat

Hwy U.S. 41

Baraga, MI 49908

Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community

Employment Opportunities

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:

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

personnel.htm

On Call positions:

Owned and operated by:

Larry Denomie

* LPN

* RN

* Unit Manager

* Account Executive/Sales

* Child Care Provider

* Cashier

* Receptionist/Clerical Worker

(12) Ashi Niizh

Permit No. 5

Calumet, MI

PAID

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

16429 Bear Town Rd-Baraga, Mi 49908-9210

U.S Postage

PRESORTED STD