The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2012)

WIIKWEDONG

DAZHI-OJIBWE

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe

Ode’mini Giizis - Strawberry Moon - June 2012 Issue 95

KEWEEENAW BAY OJIBWA COMMUNITY COLLEGE HOLDS

HONORS CEREMONY AND COMMENCEMENT

Tribal Council Members:

Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President

Elizabeth D. Mayo, Vice-President

Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary

Jerry Lee Curtis, Asst. Secretary

Toni Minton, Treasurer

Robert D. (RD) Curtis, Jr.

Frederick Dakota

Eddy Edwards

Jean Jokinen

Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.

Carole LaPointe

Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

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KBOCC Class of 2012 (left to right): Kim Maki, Ashley Ann Hebert, Jessica Ruth Carlson, Nissa Morningstar, Ashley Soli, and Angela Joy Loonsfoot-Pearson.

Six students received their diplomas at the

KBOCC Honors Convocation and Commencement Ceremony held Saturday, April 28, 2012,

at the Niiwin Akeaa Center. Five graduates

received an Associate of Applied Science,

Early Childhood Education:

Jessica Ruth

Carlson, Ashley Ann Hebert, Kim Maki, Nissa

Morningstar, and Ashley Soli. Angela Joy

Loonsfoot-Pearson received an Associate of

Arts, Liberal Studies.

Kathleen Mayo, Vice-Chairman of the

KBOCC Board of Regents, served as Master

of Ceremonies. Summer Cloud Drum provided music for the processional, honor song,

and recessional. The KBIC Honor Guard led

the processional and posted the colors. Invocation was given by elder, Loretta Hugo,

Debra Parrish, KBOCC President, presented

the welcome for the ceremonies, and Council’s

Vice-Chairperson, Elizabeth D. Mayo, gave

the Tribal Council’s address. The commencement address was delivered by Jessica Koski,

a KBIC member and alumni of KBOCC; graduating in 2006 as class valedictorian with an

Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. Jessica

continued her education and received a

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences from

Michigan Technological University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management

from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Currently she is employed as

KBIC’s Mining Technical Assistant. Jessica

recently served as an adjunct instructor for

KBOCC, teaching Contemporary Native

American Issues during the spring 2012 semester. Ms. Koski said, “Six years ago, I was

sitting where you lovely ladies are; anxious to

receive my first college degree and to become

an alumni of KBOCC. One thing that I have

learned since then is to always stay true to

your dreams and follow your passion and purpose in life. We each have our own path that

the Creator set out for us. Remember your

purpose and what helped you persevere to

this day. Apply what you have learned in a

honorable way, special responsibilities to

teach our young ones, plant seeds, and be-

come our future leaders. Your influence has

endless possibilities and could transform the

world.”

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May 5, 2012 Tribal Council

Meeting

KBOCC Holds Graduation

KBIC Holds Tribal Mining Forum

IHS Contract Health Services

(CHS) Program Information

KBIC Head Start Graduation

Celebrating Ten Years of Fisher

-Kids

Scholarship Opportunities Announced

Path To Owning A Business

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Cherie Dakota (left) presents Sarah Garver with the

Student of the Year Award.

Sarah Garver, pictured above (right), received the Student of the Year Award. Sarah

began her educational journey in 2011 and

has excelled both in the classroom and with

extracurricular learning. Sarah is a gifted artist who has had her work displayed at

KBOCC.

She is also involved with the

KBOCC Student Government, the American

Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) organization,

and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). She volunteers in

the community and at the college. Sarah has

assisted with various fundraisers. She donated a beautiful pair of earrings for the Student Government Valentine’s raffle. The

Zoongide`enini Award was presented to Kim

Maki. This award’s name was gifted to the

college by Kelly Dowd in memory of her son.

The award is presented to a student who exemplifies courage and perseverance in overcoming obstacles to the student’s educational

goals. The student is chosen by faculty for being an outstanding example of bravery, responsibility, diligence and good spirit. Nancy

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Andrew Kozich presents Nancy Lamb with the

Outstanding Freshman of the Year Award.

Lamb received the Outstanding Freshman Award. Nancy was nominated as

Freshman of the Year by several instructors. Ms. Lamb became an Environmental Science major in the Fall

Semester of 2011 while enrolled in

ES110 Introduction to Environmental

Science. She quickly became very

passionate about environmental issues such as conservation, climate

change, and water resource management. During the 2011-2012 school

year, she completed three science

courses with a 4.0 GPA while she also

completed the math courses required

for environmental science majors.

Ms. Lamb has taken a leadership role

in college organizations, including the

Continues on page six.

(1) Bezhig

MAY 5, 2012 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING

The Tribal Council held their regularly

scheduled Saturday Tribal Council meeting

on May 5, 2012, at the Ojibwa Casino Resort Conference Room in Baraga, Michigan.

President Warren C. Swartz, Jr. presided

over the meeting with Elizabeth D. Mayo,

Susan J. LaFernier, Toni J. Minton, Robert

R.D. Curtis, Jr., Fred Dakota, Eddy Edwards, Jean Jokinen, Michael F. LaFernier,

Sr., Carole L. LaPointe, and Elizabeth

“Chiz” Matthews present. Jerry Lee Curtis

was absent. President Warren C. Swartz,

Jr. shared numerous Thank You and For

Your Information items addressed to Council.

President Warren C. Swartz, Jr. gave the

President’s Report (page three), Secretary

Susan J. LaFernier gave the Secretary’s

Report (page three), Treasurer Toni J.

Minton gave the Treasurer’s Report (page

three), and Larry Denomie III gave the CEO

Report (page five). Council passed the Department Head Reports for March 2012.

Evelyn Ravindran, Chairperson of the

Park and Recreation Committee, presented

Council with updated plans for paving the

powwow campground roads, the parking lot

of the Cultural Center, the road down to the

walking trail, the parking lot behind the powwow campground, the road to the lighthouse, and the marina campground roads.

Consensus of the Council was to pave the

powwow grounds and the lighthouse roads

before this year’s powwow; the first two

phases approved by Council last year. In

further discussion, Council gave direction

for the Park and Recreation Committee to

prepare a preliminary budget up to the

amount of $100,000 for a playground at the

Marina Campground.

Savannah Dakota, Corey Pietila, Alex

Mayo, and Jacob Goodreau presented a

request on behalf of the Baraga High

School Senior’s Physics Class for a donation to help fund their Chicago four-day lab

field trip. This group of students has raised

$1,850 through fundraising and requested a

donation of $1,045 to fund the remaining

cost of the field trip. Elizabeth D. Mayo

motioned to approve $1,045 donation for

the Baraga High School Senior’s Physics

Class Field Trip, supported by Carole

LaPointe, seven supported (Mayo, S.

LaFernier, Minton, R. Curtis, Dakota, M.

LaFernier, LaPointe), three opposed

(Edwards, Jokinen, Matthews), 0 abstained, one absent (J. Curtis), motion

carried.

The 3rd Reading of Proposed Corporation Code Title 27 Chapter B 2012-01 was

scheduled. Susan J. LaFernier explained

the amendments were given to Attorney

Christoph Geiger. Due to Attorney Geiger

having more work assigned to him after the

termination of Attorney Baker’s contract, he

will need more time to familiarize himself

with the proposal. Susan J. LaFernier said,

“One amendment that I am proposing is to

change Chapter B to Chapter C, which

would be an addition to the Ordinance. It

would add this Charter Corporation, not replace the Stock Corporation.

Actually

Chapter B is already in the Ordinance as a

non-profit.” Secretary Susan J. LaFernier

motioned to table the 3rd Reading of

Proposed Corporation Code Title 27

Chapter B 2012-01 for a period of two

months, supported by Toni J. Minton, ten

supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one

absent (J. Curtis), motion carried.

CEO Larry Denomie III, on behalf of

Todd Warner, KBTNRD Director, brought

forward for Council action a request for a

contract modification of the original Altronex

Control Systems contract which was approved in August 2011, in the amount of

$53,153. On November 30, 2011, Todd

Warner, had submitted a second proposal

for additional work needed for the same pro(2) Niizh

ject in the amount of $6,936.22, which can

be funded from the NRD Hatchery Maintenance funds. Elizabeth D. Mayo motioned

to approve a $6,936.22 budget modification for the Altronex Control System,

supported by Susan J. LaFernier, ten

supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one

absent (J. Curtis), motion carried.

CEO Larry Denomie III, brought forward

on behalf of Todd Warner, KBTNRD Director, a second item, an agreement for fish

health services from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 2012. Services would include: 1) two disease screenings at the

hatchery; 2) one disease screening for Walleye ponds; and 3) two additional screenings

for VHSv including one for Portage Lake.

Services provided in the amount of $5,300

would be paid from the USDA-APHIS Fish

Health Grant. Elizabeth D. Mayo motioned to approve $5,300 for the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service Agreement to

provide fish health services, supported

by Toni J. Minton, ten supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (J. Curtis), motion carried.

Eddy Edwards brought forth a letter addressed to Dr. Hedman, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Region 5 regarding a request for

Government-to-Government Consultation.

Mr. Edwards began with, “We are writing to

request government-to-government consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in accordance with Executive Order 13175. Specifically, we are

requesting to meet with you and your legal

and technical advisors to discuss a number

of issues related to Rio Tinto’s Eagle mine

and Humboldt mill. These issues include

matters that have a direct effect on our

treaty protected tribal trust resources. They

include the status of EPA’s rulemaking on

the establishment of proper financial responsibility assurances at hard rock mines.

We wish to discuss in detail EPA’s involvement in the promulgation (drafting) of Michigan’s Park 632, Non-Ferrous Metals Mining

Law (Part 632). Additionally, we seek to

understand EPA’s actions and decisions on

regulating the Rio Tinto Eagle mine and the

Humboldt mill and are prepared to offer substantial recommendations for EPA to consider a regulatory framework that we believe

may have been overlooked by all parties.

We also intend to discuss the State of

Michigan’s actions related to discharging its

authorities under the Clean Water Act that

were delegated by EPA and the ongoing

permitting efforts of a haul road to support

the Eagle mine.” After some discussion the

following motion was made. Eddy Edwards motioned to approve President

Swartz to sign the letter on behalf of the

Community and send it to the EPA, supported by Fred Dakota, ten supported, 0

opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (J.

Curtis), motion carried.

Treasurer Toni J. Minton brought forth

Resolution KB1887-2012 ($134,379.45) for

the Baraga County 2% distribution as follows: Baraga County—$33,533.31, Baraga

Area Schools—$40,370.64, Baraga Township—$13,508.19, Village of Baraga—

$10,384.49, L’Anse Area Schools—

$20,149.03, L’Anse Township—$2,271.17,

Village of L’Anse—$1,662.62, Village of

L’Anse/eighth grade publications class playground equipment—$5,000.00, Village of

L’Anse/Baraga County Shelter Center building purchase—$5,000.00, and L’Anse Area

Schools/Big Brothers Big Sisters Program—

$2,500.00. Elizabeth D. Mayo motioned

to approve Resolution KB1887-2012 for

the Baraga County 2% distribution, supported by Carole LaPointe, eight supported (Mayo, S. LaFernier, Minton, R.

Curtis, Dakota, M. LaFernier, LaPointe,

Matthews), two opposed (Edwards, Joki-

nen), 0 abstained, one absent (J. Curtis),

motion carried.

Treasurer Toni J. Minton brought forth

Resolution KB1888-2012 ($162,711.98) for

the Marquette County 2% distribution as

follows: City of Marquette/NMU CNAS Decolonizing Diet Project—$5,000.00, City of

Marquette/U.P.

Children’s

Museum—

$2,000.00, City of Marquette/MSU College

of Human Medicine equipment—$2,655.94,

City of Marquette/Great Lakes Recovery

Center Youth and Adult Program—

$5,000.00, City of Marquette/Women’s Center Crisis Intervention Services—$2,500.00,

City of Marquette/YMCA Native American At

-Risk Youth Mentor Program—$2,500.00,

City of Marquette/Marquette Police Department K-9 Unit—$10,000.00, City of Marquette/Superior Watershed-KBIC Summer

2012 Youth—$10,000.00, Chocolay Township/Fire Dept. (New Station, Testers, Water

Storage)—$97,400.00, Chocolay Township/

Police Dept. (equipment, rifles, K-9, GIS

Software)—$8,600.00, Sands Township/

Teaching Family Homes of U.P. Medicine

Wheel Gar.—$1,000.00, Ishpeming School

District/Title VII Indian Education Program—

$1,000.00, Forsyth Township in Gwinn Police Patrol Car—$5,056.04, Skandia Township/U.P. Central Trails for grooming snowmobile trails—$5,000.00, and City of Escanaba/Michigan State Police UPSET/

Gwinn—$5,000.00. Michael LaFernier, Sr.

motioned to approve Resolution KB18882012 for the Marquette County 2% distribution, supported by Eddy Edwards,

nine supported (Mayo, S. LaFernier,

Minton, R. Curtis, Dakota, Edwards, M.

LaFernier, LaPointe, Matthews), one opposed (Jokinen), 0 abstained, one absent

(J. Curtis), motion carried.

Council held the 2nd Reading of the Proposed Amendment to the SORNA Ordinance 2012-03 Section 3.2025 of the Tribal

Code—Temporary Lodging and Travel. After discussion and comment period, Council

scheduled the 3rd Reading of the Proposed

Amendment to the SORNA Ordinance 2012

-03 Section 3.2025 of the Tribal Code—

Temporary Lodging and Travel for Thursday, May 10, 2012.

Treasurer Toni Minton presented donation requests for May 2012 to the Council

for their consideration. Susan J. LaFernier

motioned to approve $300 for Baraga Little League equipment, their request to

use the Zeba Baseball field and for Bill

Jondreau to return to Council with the

amount needed for the 4th of July Hometown Heroes Games, and $350 for a

Baraga County Youth (Finlandia Coach)

Baseball Clinic for a total of $1,695 which

includes the $1,045 approved donation

for the Baraga High School Senior’s

Physics Class Field Trip, and table the

request of Eleanor Nieskes until Thursday for request of medical travel for her

grandson for other possible resources,

i.e. Lions Club, Shriner’s, etc., table the

request of Raeanne Gauthier for softball

equipment for the Beartown Fire Fighters

and OHA softball teams until the location

of previously purchased equipment can

be determined, and for Public Works to

fix up the Zeba baseball field and the

Jondreau baseball field in Assinins, supported by Elizabeth D. Mayo, ten in favor,

0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (J.

Curtis), motion carried.

Prior to adjourning, Council moved into

closed session with CEO Larry Denomie, III

on the agenda regarding the Summer Youth

Coordinator Position Applications. Carole

LaPointe motioned to interview five Native American applicants at the Thursday, May 10, 2012, meeting, supported

by Elizabeth D. Mayo, seven supported

(Mayo, Minton, R. Curtis, Dakota, M.

LaFernier, LaPointe Matthews), three opContinues top of page three.

posed (S. LaFernier, Jokinen, Edwards),

0 abstained, one absent (J. Curtis), motion carried.

~ submitted by Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

TREASURER REPORT FOR

THE MONTHS OF

MARCH/APRIL 2012

Activities reported by the Treasurer, Toni

Minton, for the months of March and April

2012.

The following donations were made in

March and April 2012:

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March 3, 2012 — $600 to the KBIC

HeadStart for Graduation Gifts, $500

for the Baraga BASH Class of 2012

Lock-in party, $500 for the L’Anse Seniors Lock-in party, $500 for the Marquette Graduation Lock-in party, $250

to the American Indian Cancer Foundation Powwow for Hope, $500 to Special

Olympics, $8,000 to the Baraga Lumberjack Days Committee for Fireworks,

and $500 to the Baraga Booster Club.

March 22, 2012 — $3,500 to the KBIC

Veterans for a trailer.

April 14, 2012 — $2,500 to the Derek

Bailey for Congress Campaign, $2,500

for the Baraga County Community

Foundation Denise Marth Memorial

Walk, $500 to the American Legion

Post #444 for Brass Grave Markers and

Flags for Memorial Day, $1,000 to the

United Tribes of Michigan, $500 to

Camp New Day in the U.P. geared towards children of incarcerated parents,

and $310 to the Baraga Village Community Cleanup Project for 40 teeshirts.

April 19, 2012 — $1,738 to Molly

Loonsfoot and family for emergency

travel expenses.

April 26, 2012 — $500 to the L’Anse

sixth grade students for Camp Nesbit.

The total expenditure from the Donation

Budget to date is $91,641.84. The total

amount budgeted for Fiscal Year 2012 is

$93,000.

This leaves a balance of

$1,358.16.

A review of 2% requests was held at the

April 26, 2012 Council meeting. Chief Financial Officer, Francis LaPointe provided

the total 2% allocation amounts for the first

cycle of the 2012 period ending March 31,

2012. Baraga County total is $134,379.45

and Marquette County total is $162,711.98.

The Resolutions are on today’s agenda for

final approval and the payments will be

processed by May 31, 2012.

This concludes my report for the months

of March and April 2012.

Respectfully submitted,

Toni Minton, Treasurer

ATTENTION ATR CLIENTS

ATR clients who have one year in the

program and have completed their

phase (either phase 1, 2, or 3), and did

their six month follow up. You are eligible and encouraged to attend a special

session on July 9, 2012, 5—8 p.m. at the

Chippewa Conference Room. You must

register for this session! Please call R.D.

Curtis at 353-8121. If you attended the

March 5, 2012, session, you are not eligible. There will be nice prizes given away,

but you must be present to win them!

To place an ad, submit an article, or

relate information or ideas on possible

articles contact: Lauri Denomie at

(906) 201-0263, or e-mail

newsletter@kbic-nsn.gov.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2012

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

month of April 2012:

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The Michigan Liquor Control Commission approved our application for the

sale of Alcoholic Beverages at the

Ojibwa Casino in Marquette.

On behalf of the Community, I presented a flag to the family of Nancy

Haataja.

Council appointed Councilman Fred Dakota to the Correctional Advisory Board

as a Council Representative.

I visited the KBO building on April 14, as

an appraisal on the building will be

done.

I attended the Community’s employee

recognition day. A number of employees

were recognized for their time in service.

A health walk and hat parade were part

of the activities planned for the hour.

This event was sponsored by the

WHIPP Task Force and the KBIC Personnel Department.

On behalf of the Community, I submitted

comments to the Michigan Department

of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) regarding their proposed decision to grant

a Nonferrous Metallic Minerals Mining

Permit to Orvana Resources. The Community is disappointed with the proposed decision of the MDEQ to grant a

mining permit to Orvana. We reviewed

Orvana’s Mining Permit Application filed

with the state last fall and submitted numerous relevant concerns and anticipated problems regarding the proposed

Copperwood Mine. The Community’s

concerns have not been addressed by

the proposed permit or permit conditions.

Last month was very busy for KBIC

Wildland Firefighters. We sent a type 6

Engine to the White Earth reservation in

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Minnesota for IA, and the Committee

sent out three short crews with approximately ten KBIC fire fighters on each.

They engaged in a number of fires burning in Hannahville, Amasa, Watersmeet,

Escanaba, and in the Huron Manistee

National Forest.

On or about May 7, 2012, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will submit a request to United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the release of funds to undertake the KBIC Gas Station/Convenience

Store Project, in the amount of

$600,000. The project focuses on the

construction of a gas station and convenience store in Marquette Township.

We have determined that the project will

have no significant impact on the human

environment. Therefore, an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA) is not required. No public comments were received by any individual,

group, or agency disagreeing with the

determination.

We were notified that once again the

Army Corps of Engineers has objected

to Kennecott’s planned ore hauling road

in Marquette County. The road project,

formerly called “Woodland Road,” but

now going by “County Road 595,” and

applied for by the county road commission, “is deficient in several areas,” according to a letter dated March 29, sent

from the Corp’s Detroit office to the Environmental Protection Agency.

I discussed the meeting regarding economic development activities in the Upper Peninsula at Marquette’s Northern

Michigan University.

This concludes my report.

Respectfully submitted,

Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President

SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR APRIL 2012

Activities reported by the Secretary, Susan

J. LaFernier, for the month of April 2012.

ANIN! We honor the greatness in you.

Remember: “Indian Country Counts” and

“Our People, Our Nations, Our Future.”

We continue to recognize the richness of

Native American contributions, accomplishments, and sacrifices to the political, cultural, and economic life of Michigan and the

United States.

NATIVE VOTE 2012 (every vote and

voice counts), NCAI (National Congress of

American Indians), President Jefferson Keel

stated in his State of Indian Nations Address that our Native vote can have a significant impact on the upcoming 2012 elections and challenged Indian Country to turn

out the largest Native vote in history. There

are more than one million eligible voters in

Indian Country who are not registered! We

need to get out and vote not only to have

Native voices heard, but also to ensure that

U.S. leaders understand Indian Country and

that Indian Country matters, especially in

Michigan. Attached is more information regarding voting in our national, state, local,

and Tribal elections. Our goal for Keweenaw Bay is to have 100% of our eligible

members vote!

For your information, on

April 24, Tribal Chairman Derek Bailey of

the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and

Chippewa Indians ended his race to seek

the Democratic Party nomination for Michigan’s First Congressional District against

Gary McDowell and currently held by Dan

Benishek. He stated that his campaign

could not compete with the dollars that his

opponent raised. He is now entering the

race for the Democratic nomination for a

Michigan House of Representatives seat in

District 101 against Republican Ray Franz

and Democrat Allen O’Shea. We wish

Chairman Bailey good luck in his campaign.

We continue to have meetings on the

revision of the Drug Free Workplace Policy,

and I have asked the Drug Task Force for

recommendations/suggestions. A revised

policy will be presented at the May 10, 2012

Council meeting. On April 4, department

heads and others attended a three-hour

training on “Communication Essentials for

Managers” presented by our Employee Assistance Program-Ceridian. A big thank

you and congratulations to everyone for the

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, KBIC Government

Employee Recognition presentation, health

walk, and hat parade on April 11. (See article/pictures in the May newsletter.)

The President and I continue to hold update/informational Mining meetings each

month with Chuck Brumleve, Jessica Koski,

and Todd Warner.

Remember that Memorial Day is approaching, and the cemeteries will need to

be prepared from the winter winds and

snow. Another big thank you to our faithful

volunteers from the “Adopt-A-Road” program who clean our Reservation roadsides

in Baraga, L’Anse, and Zeba. Remember

that Earth Day is every day, and please

don’t litter. It was disappointing to see that

the very next day, after we cleaned there

was trash already on the sides of the roads.

Every year we see much plastic (water bottles, milk jugs, etc.). Remember it takes

years and years for plastic to break down.

Continues on page four.

(3) Niswi

Secretary’s Report Continues:

Our congratulations to all of our 2012 KB

Ojibwa Community College graduates, other

college graduates, and our high school

graduates. We are proud of all your accomplishments.

The employee W.H.I.P.P. (Wellness,

Health, Intervention, Prevention Program)

Task Force and volunteers continue to have

monthly meetings. It is never too late to encourage and begin positive lifestyle changes

that will help us live longer, healthier, happier lives. Mino-Bimaadizin “Live Well.” Remember everyone should participate in at

least 30 minutes of physical activity, five

times a week, to stay fit. Be watching for

the summer events.

The Drug Tip Line number is 353-DRUG

or 353-3784.

The yellow banners are

around the reservation with this drug tip line

number displayed. The Drug Task Force

holds monthly meetings, and their Mission

Statement is: “To promote education

through public awareness with the specific

objective to eliminate the use of ‘illegal

drugs’ for the betterment of the health, welfare, and safety of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and our neighboring Communities.”

Continue to pray for each other as well

as to honor and remember all of our veterans, service men and women, and their

families. Remember those who are ill, our

economic struggles, and all who have lost

loved ones. Thank you, God and Creator,

for the great blessings of our land, loved

ones, and friends. Let us continue to be

thankful for our beautiful area. We pray for

peace in the world. Remember to honor

your mothers on May 13; and your fathers

on June 17.

During April 2012, the Tribal Council held

one Regular Tribal Council Meeting on April

14, 2012. This meeting is covered in the

May 2012 Newsletter. Tribal Council held

four Special Council Meetings. Following

are the unapproved motions from April.

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At a council meeting held April 19, 2012,

the following actions were taken:

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At a council meeting held April 5, 2012,

the following actions were taken:

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Council began review of the Proposed

Ojibwa Casino’s Employment Manual;

Approved the contract for service with

Don Burnstick for a comedy show and

workshops during the KBIC Powwow for

$7,300 from ATR Funds;

Approved Tyler Larson as the Interim

Drug Court Coordinator with an additional $3.00 per hour.

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At a council meeting held April 12, 2012,

the following actions were taken:

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Approved the June 30, and July 7, 2011

Tribal Council meeting minutes;

Approved the request for the waiver of

the pavilion/camping fees for May 30-

June 4, 2012, for the “Women's Gathering”;

Approved the purchase when funds are

available for the Fabco Cat EIT Backhoe

Loader for $91,400 and to approve the

Agreement Lease for payment to the

Tribe for six years to the Public Works

Department;

Approved the expenditure of $10,450 to

MTU for the 2012 AISES Region V High

School Track (Youth Conference) from

the Weed & Seed budget;

Approved the consultant agreement with

Joseph A. Dowd for the ANA Wildlife

Management Plan Phase II grant project

to incorporate cultural elements and language;

Approved to request for an extension for

the Marquette Gas Station ICDBG Grant

Project which ends on December 31,

2012;

Approved the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fish Health Services Letter of Intent for fish health inspections;

Approved the services agreement with

the DNA Diagnostics Center, Inc. to provide paternity testing services (Office of

Child Support Services);

Approved to table a motion not to approve the General Manager/Radio Stations Employment Agreement with Ed

Janisse until the Council gives the directives discussed with him.

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Approved a donation request of $1,738

for emergency travel expenses for the

family to relocate Marilyn Uren from Munith, Michigan to KBIC;

Approved Resolution KB 1886-2012 Indian Reservation Roads Tribal Transportation Improvement Plan for 20122015;

Approved to table a request from the

Baraga County Road Commission for

$10,080 and L’Anse Village for $960 for

IRR Program Planning funds to conduct

biennial bridge inspections until the

Council meets with these officials;

Approved Modification No.1 Cooperative

Agreement with the Baraga County

Road Commission-Construction Projects (Pequaming, Aura, Usimaki, Indian

Roads, Witz Bridge, and L’Anse Main

Street) to change the completion date to

December 31, 2014;

Approved Modification No. 2 Cooperative Agreement with the Baraga County

Road Commission-Construction Projects (Dynamite Hill, Tangen, Pequaming, Ben, and Biltonen Roads) to change

the completion date to December 31,

2014;

Approved the I.H.S./MOA Project BE-11

-G57 for the Brewery-Vuk Water Main

Extension to serve existing homes;

Approved H&H Energy Management

Systems to provide subcontract work

with the American Wind & Energy Group

to complete the wind studies under the

U.S. Department of Energy grant (per

recommendation from the CARE Committee);

 Approved to waive the 1st Reading of

the proposed amendment to the

SORNA ordinance 2012-03 to amend

Section 3.2025 Temporary Lodging (to

add: domestic and international travel)

to bring the ordinance into compliance

with the 2012 federal statutes and

guidelines;

 Approved to allow John Baker, former

Tribal Attorney, to work temporarily for a

week to ten days for a smooth office

transition;

 Approved the new business license for

Dianne McMahon for DM Catering;

 Approved to uphold the CEO’s decision

regarding the Cage Manager position

#006-12 and place Mary Kostamo in this

position;

 Approved to repost the Summer Youth

Coordinator position for two weeks;

 Approved the Equipment Use and Funding Agreement with KBIC and

U.P.S.E.T. (Weed & Seed Grant);

 Approved the cabling bid from Master

Technology Group (for $159,153) to upgrade the slot machines sentinel boards

for the Baraga Casino;

 Approved to pursue the litigation matter

on the KBO/Pines for $5,000 as a separate issue.

At a council meeting held April 26, 2012, the

following actions were taken:

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Approved travel funds in the amount of

$862.80 for President Swartz from 560

and $854.75 for Jessica Koski from the

General Fund 510 to travel to New York

City, May 14-18, 2012, for the United

Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues;

Approved the temporary transfer of Amber Franti to the RPMS/IT Site Manager

for $18.37 per hour until the permanent

site manager returns from military leave;

Approved to table the Ojibwa Senior

Citizen’s Center security/surveillance

system bids (3) for more information

from the CEO;

Approved to hold one Tribal Council

meeting per month on Thursday evening

at 5:00 p.m.;

Approved a donation to the L’Anse sixth

grade class for Camp Nesbit for $500.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary

MICHIGAN’S 2012 ELECTION

CALENDAR: DATES TO REMEMBER

July 9

Last day to register for the

August Primary

August 4

August Primary absentee ballot requests must be received

by 2 p.m.

T u e s d a y , August Primary

August 7

October 9

Last day to register for the

November General Election

November 3 November General Election

absentee ballot requests must

be received by 2 p.m.

T u e s d a y , November General Election

November 6

(4) Niiwin

CEO REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2012

The month of April 2012 included the following activities and reportable items:

 On April 3 and 4, training for department

heads was conducted by the Tribe’s

Employee Assistance Program provider,

Ceridian, and was titled Communication

Essentials for Managers. The training

provided attendees with information related to identifying barriers to effective

communication, techniques to enhance

communication style, and how to apply

best practices for building trust and encouraging open communication. Feedback from those in attendance was

good and found the training to be helpful.

 The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, featuring

the Governmental Employee Recognition program, was held on April 11, at

the Niiwin Akeaa Gymnasium. The

event included a Health Walk and Hat

Parade as well as a light lunch which

was provided by the WHIPP Task

Force. A hat judging provided prizes to

several employees. The recognition

program provided employees with certificates and gifts for their years of service beginning with ten and running up

to thirty-five at five year increments.

Susan LaFernier and Amy St. Arnold

both received recognition for their thirtyfive years of service. Employees in attendance were thanked by President

Swartz for the dedication and service to

KBIC.

 The Red Apple Restaurant which operated in the Ojibwa Casino Resort closed

in March. To accommodate patron’s

breakfast needs, the Pressbox Sports

Bar & Grill staff has provided a breakfast buffet. This is a short term solution

until the facility is leased to a new operator. The opportunity was advertised

through April 13, of which five proposals

were submitted for consideration. A final selection, with recommendation

from David Haataja, General Manager,

was made by Council on May 3. John

Gervais, who currently operates the

Hutt Inn in Calumet and the Waterfront

which is located within the Ramada Inn

of Hancock, was selected. After finalizing prelease requirements, the formal

lease agreement will be presented to

Council for final approval. If everything

goes as planned, the facility may be

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open for business within the next twofour weeks.

The Ojibwa Community College is experiencing growing pains and needs additional space. The college has received

funding to expand and is in the process

of planning an addition onto their current

location at the Niiwin Akeaa Center.

The WHIPP Task Force closed out its

“New Year, New You” employee weight

loss challenge on April 10. Twelve

weeks were provided for participants to

reach a goal of 5% weight loss. The

total weight loss of the participants was

an amazing 500 lbs. Participants were

provided encouragement by way of

prizes which included six $300 gift cards

and two $500 gift cards. Employees

throughout the Tribe’s entities participated.

The Weed & Seed program officially

ended on April 30. One of the final

events hosted by the program was the

Community Gathering event held at the

Niiwin Akeaa Center on April 21, which

provided attendees the opportunity to

work with a drum group, native singers,

archery activity with the TPAL group, a

community feast, and shop at a traveling

regalia store which provided $50 worth

of free supplies to those who signed up.

It was estimated that 300-400 attendees

enjoyed the event.

Applications are being accepted for college students wishing to take part in the

Summer College Intern Program

through May 11, at 4 p.m. The program

provides for up to five spots at $9.18 per

hour for 14 weeks. Placement will depend on the individual’s course of study

and department that best meets the individual’s course of study within the Tribe.

The Tribe’s Summer Youth Employment

program will be starting up soon. Once

the program coordinator is selected, the

program supervisors will be selected.

Notices for youth to apply will be posted

soon as the program generally begins

fully operating the second week of June.

As always, if anyone has questions, concerns, or issues that the CEO’s office can

assist with, please don’t hesitate to stop, email, or call.

Respectfully submitted,

Larry J. Denomie, III, CEO

Scholarship Program and

Student Incentives —

Scholarship Program

MICHIGAN INDIAN ELDERS

ASSOCIATION 2012

SCHOLARSHIP NOTICE

The Michigan Indian Elders Association

(MIEA) is pleased to announce that it will

make available a minimum of four (4) $500

scholarships and one (1) $1000 scholarship.

The scholarships will be awarded to at least

five qualified students with the $1000 scholarship being awarded to the most qualified

student, as determined by committee review

and lottery, if necessary. Each student

must be currently enrolled in a course of

study at, or have a letter of acceptance to a

public college or university or technical

school, and must meet the following qualifications.

QUALIFICATIONS – the student:

 Must be an enrolled member (copy of

tribal card ) or be a direct descendant

of an enrolled member of one of the

MIEA constituent Tribes/Bands (must

be verified in writing by your tribal

Enrollment Department ).

 Must have successfully completed

and passed all five General Education Development (G.E.D.) equivalency tests with a minimum score of

40 and an average score of 45 and

must possess a G.E.D. certificate; or

must have graduated from an accredited high school with a 3.00 grade

point average; or if currently enrolled

at a college, university or trade

school, must have an accumulated

grade point average of 3.00.

 Must, except for special and extenuating circumstances, attend college,

university or trade school on a fulltime basis.

 Must complete the provided application form, submit it with required supporting documentation, and the mailing must be RECEIVED BY THE COORDINATOR not later than June 20,

2012. (PLEASE NOTE, incomplete or

late applications will not be considered).

Contact: Loretta Hugo, COORDINATOR,

M.I.E.A. SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE,

208 Main St., Baraga MI 49908, (906) 3537691.

OUTREACH PROGRAM TO INDIAN COUNTRY —

DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY OFFERS OPPORTUNTIES

Mr. Joe Eckerberg (Niigaanakwad –

Leading Cloud) an enrolled member of the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Staff

Director of the Middle East North Africa

Analysis Office and Chair of Defense Intelligence Agency’s 1st Nations Program Council travelled to Haskell Indian Nations University April 3-6, to attend their 2012 career

fair on behalf of the agency. The visit was

part of the Council’s outreach program into

Indian Country. In addition to presenting

students access to job opportunities, DIA

wants to ensure that tribal university & community college faculty and students are

aware of the variety of career programs that

DIA offers. Many are unfamiliar with DIA

and even most of those who are familiar do

not know that the agency has internships,

co-op opportunities and competitive programs that could provide tuition assistance

for a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree from the National Intelligence University and a unique opportunity with the Financial Management Leadership Program. Additional information on jobs and student opportunities is available at the agency’s website DIA.mil under the career tab.

Mr. Eckerberg believes a career in intelligence at DIA or one of the other agencies

within the U.S. Intelligence Community is

ideal for Native Americans. He points out

some data points in support of this belief.

First, is the high per capita rate of military

service amongst Native Americans. Second, is the sad fact that many Native Americans suffer from medical afflictions which

preclude military service. Lastly, is that the

silent warrior nature of the intelligence professional is an ideal substitute for military

service. He points out, “Where else can

someone on a daily basis engage in work

that protects our nation and people from

potential enemies? The last line of U.S.

Army’s Intelligence Creed is the silent warrior of the Army Team – by extension I believe all intelligence professionals are silent

warriors for America. What a great way to

serve!”

A career in the intelligence service will

not isolate someone from Indian Country,

Eckerberg assures. Like DIA’s 1st Nation

Council, most government agencies possess affinity groups through their Equal Opportunity Offices that afford a voice for their

members within the agencies and affords

members a chance to stay involved in their

communities. Additionally, non-government

professional associations such as the Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) provide additional networking as well as an annual training venue.

Mr. Eckerberg is a two time recipient of

SAIGE’s Achievement Award for his work in

DIA’s 1st Nations Council.

(5) Naanan

KBOCC Graduation continues:

American Indian Science and Engineering

Society (AISES) and the KBOCC student

government. This year, she has worked as

a volunteer in community efforts including

the annual KBIC Environmental Science

Fair and the community garden. Nancy

Lamb is one of nine environmental science

majors recognized with a scholarship from

All Nations Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP). KBOCC is please to

honor her enthusiasm and hard work with

the Freshman of the Year Award.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Cherie Dakota (right) presents Margaret Boyer with

the Volunteer Student Award—the Spirit of Leadership Student Volunteer.

Margaret Boyer received the Volunteer

Student Award—the Spirit of Leadership

Student Volunteer. This award recognizes

the “unsung heroes” who volunteer their

time and resources to help others. Margaret has been a constant presence at college

events and fundraisers, arriving early to

help with set up, staying late to help with

clean up, and being the extra set of hands

during events to ensure they run smoothly.

Margaret has been active with the KBOCC

Student Government and shared her talents

this year by making a beautiful queen-sized

quilt to be raffled off at the Valentine’s raffle.

pursuing an additional Associate’s Degree

emphasizing Native American studies at

KBOCC. His professional memberships

include the International Association for Society and Natural Resources, the Society of

Wetland Scientists, and the American Indian

Science and Engineering Society. Locally,

he participates in community environmental

organizations including the Keweenaw Land

Trust and the Pilgrim River Watershed Project. Mr. Kozich leads the college’s AMP

program and actively participates in Faculty

Council and the college-wide assessment

team. Shannon DesRochers received the

Environment Science Student of the Year

award, Sarah Newman and Shannon DesRochers received the Writing Across the

Curriculum award, Jessica Carlson received

the Outstanding Capstone Project award,

and Al Gauthier received the Outstanding

Welding Student award. Cherie Dakota presented Scholastic and Honor Awards to

several students from the Spring, Summer,

and Fall 2011 semesters (listed below).

Congratulations to the graduates and the

awardees.

Summer 2011 Dean’s List

Heather Gauthier

Fall 2011 Dean’s List

Margaret Boyer

Donald Denomie

Shannon DesRochers

Georgenia Earring

Dylan Friisvall

Tabitha Miller

Amelia Newman

Susan Newman

Kristin Tepsa (right) presents Andrew Kozich with the

Faculty Member of the Year Award.

Students chose Andrew Kozich as Faculty member of the Year. Mr. Kozich received a large majority of the student nominations for Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College’s Faculty Member of the Year

2012. Students said that his class presentations are both detailed and accessible,

and he uses humor and takes a positive approach to teaching and working with students. As an environmental science instructor, he delights in taking his classes outdoors to learn through observation and

hands-on activities. Mr. Kozich encourages

student research and integrates science

writing, speaking, and design of presentation posters into his courses. He supports

non-majors in applying their science to their

chosen disciplines. For example, he encourages early childhood majors to think

about ways to convey science understandings to young children. His courses integrate Native American perspectives - both

traditional viewpoints and applications to

current issues and tribal policy-making. Mr.

Kozich also encourages students by setting

a strong example. He is a Ph.D. candidate

at Michigan Technological University and is

(6) Ningodwaaswi

Fall 2011 Honors

Terri Curtis

Virginia “Ginny Ann” Jermac

Nancy Lamb

Malisha Maki

Breanna Pearson

Peggy Swartz

Summer and/or Fall 2011 Scholastic

Achievement Awardees

Karen Anderson-fall

Glenn Bressette-fall

Jessica Carlson-summer, fall

Sandra Carlson-fall

Adrianna Cadeau-summer

Ashley Chosa-summer

Adam Dakota-fall

Mitch Fedie-summer,fall

Sarah Garver-fall

Scott Kemppainen-summer, fall

Andrew Kozich-summer,fall

Stephanie Kozich-summer, fall

Gary Loonsfoot, Sr.-summer

Kim Maki-summer

Amy Manning-fall

Shirley McKasy-fall

Cari McMahon-fall

Sarah Newman-fall

Fanchon Picard-fall

Robin Roe-fall

Diane Roy-summer, fall

Candace Sauvola-fall

Alicia Shenoskey-fall

Ashley Soli-summer

Megan Sundquist-summer

Michelle Verboczki-fall

Thomas Verboczki—fall

KBOCC GRADUATES, CLASS OF 2012

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Angela Pearson

Jessica Carlson (Valedictorian) graduated with an Associate of Applied Science,

Early Childhood Education. She is the

daughter of Donald and Carole Carlson.

She resides in Baraga and enjoys swimming, writing poetry, painting, and playing

football with her sons. Jessica said, “My

achievement is graduating while being a

working, single mom. I plan to continue to

work with children while working on a

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood. I

would like to thank the KBIC and KBOCC

staff. Graduation was a truly beautiful experience.”

eral Studies. She is the daughter of the

(late) James “Jay” and Patricia J. Loonsfoot.

Angela resides in Baraga and is the mother

of Brendon M. Pasino, Bret C. Pearson, and

Breanna K. Pearson. Angela enjoys reading, writing, camping, riding her bike, shooting pool, and taking road trips with her

daughter. Angela’s awards and achievements include: National Indian Gaming Association Scholarship, Dean's List, Liberal

Studies Student of the Year, and Associate

of Arts degree cum laude. Angela said, “I

plan to attend a four year university in pursuit of my Bachelors degree in English then

obtain my Masters of Fine Arts. I'm currently writing a novel that a literary agent is

interested in receiving once it's complete.

I'd like to thank my parents for instilling in

me the desire to keep pushing for my

dreams; my children for believing I could do

it; my friends for all their support during a

difficult semester; the faculty and staff at

KBOCC for their understanding and patience; Frank Taddeucci; and finally, Jesse

and Karina Koenig for gently pushing me

when I wanted to quit after my father's

death. You all helped me keep a whispered

promise.”

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Angela J. Loonsfoot-Pearson graduated

with an Associate of Associate of Arts, Lib-

Kim Marie Maki graduated with an Associate of Applied Science, Early Childhood

Education. She is the daughter of Ulric and

Karen Mayo. Kim and her husband, Dave,

reside in Alston and have two sons. She

enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, camping, and enjoying the outdoors.

Kim said, “After graduation, I will continue

working for the Inter-Tribal Council as an

Early Head Start teacher at the KBIC Child

Development Center and as a Childcare

provider for the Ojibwa Community College.”

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Ashley Soli graduated with an Associate

of Applied Science, Early Childhood Education. Ashley resides in L’Anse with her significant other, Kyle Seppanen. Her hobbies

include fishing, beading, and reading. While

attending KBOCC, Ashley’s achievements

include: Dean’s List, Honor Student, Early

Childhood Student of the Year, and many

Scholastic Achievements. Ms. Soli plans on

continuing her employment at the Preprimary Program and continuing her education at NMU.

Celebrating 10 Years of Fisher-Kids!!!

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Nissa Morningstar graduated with an Associate of Applied Science, Early Childhood

Education. Nissa resides in Baraga with her

husband, Mike, and their two children, 14year-old Lila and two-year-old Mikey. Nissa

enjoys spending time and playing with her

children, going to the beach, and attending

KBOCC. She has achieved many awards

while attending KBOCC and plans on continuing with her education goals at NMU

while continuing her employment with the

Pre-primary Program. Nissa said, “I’d like to

thank God for giving me the courage to continue in my education goals. I’d like to thank

my parents, Francis LaPointe and Nancy

Kauppila for everything they have done for

my family, not only while I attended

KBOCC, but always.”

Official Names of KBIC Kids Fishing

Derby for First Ten Years

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The 1st Annual KBIC Hooked on Fishing International Kids Fishing Derby.

The 2nd Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby.

The 3rd Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby.

The 4th Annual KBIC Denise Marth Memorial Kids

Fishing Derby.

The 5th Annual KBIC (Boyzie Jondreau and Buck

Chosa Memorial) Kids Fishing Derby.

The 6th Annual KBIC George E. Curtis Memorial

Kids Fishing Derby.

The 7th Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby (in Honor

of the Tiosh Family, Past and Present).

The 8th Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby in Honor

of Edward Holzman and Jim Emery, Sr.

The 9th Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby in Honor

of Sam and Charlotte (Mongoose) Durant.

The 10th Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby in Honor

of the Gauthier Family.

2011

2010

To be added to the mailing list or to correct your

mailing address, contact the enrollment

office at (906) 353-6623 ext. 4113.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Ashley Ann Hebert graduated with an

Associate of Applied Science, Early Childhood Education. Ashley resides in L’Anse

with her husband, Jeremy.

All Tribal Veterans’ Meeting at the Lighthouse, Sand Point, will be held every third

Wednesday of the month at 1900 hours. All

Tribal Veterans Welcome!

2009

(7) Niizhwaaswi

KBIC Holds Tribal Mining Forum

The Path to Owning Your Own Business

by Jessica Koski,

Mining Technical Assistant

by Elaine Clement, Tribal Business

Consultant, Upper Peninsula MI-SBTDC

The KBIC Mining Outreach & Education Initiative hosted its first

Tribal Mining Forum on Friday, May 11 – Saturday, May 12, at the

Ojibwa Community College. The event was made possible through

the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The purpose of the forum

was to provide Tribal and Community members with education on

mining, from its historical impacts to emerging issues, located on

Ojibwa ceded territory and throughout the Lake Superior basin.

A diverse audience consisted of about 100 participants and included Tribal elected officials, Tribal employees, elders, community

members, concerned citizens from Michigan and Wisconsin, members of environmental organizations, federal officials, various media,

and students. In addition to Keweenaw Bay Tribal members, Tribal

members traveled from Sault Ste. Marie, Bad River, Red Cliff, Mole

Lake, and as far west as Red Lake in Minnesota.

Tina VanZile (picture to the

left) from the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community

kicked off the forum, sharing

lessons learned from the Crandon Mine in which her tribe

was involved in a 28-year battle to protect their water, fish,

wild rice, and natural resources

from a sulfide mine. "We can't

just pick up and move our reservation somewhere else," she

said. "It's very stressful and

you might think you can't win."

Critical aspects to Mole Lake’s

success included educating

people, forming alliances, esPicture by L’Anse Sentinel. tablishing water quality standards, documenting traditional

cultural properties, helping

agencies understand their stories, and drawing strength from

their ancestors who fought for

their homeland and way of life

that they continue to enjoy today.

The keynote speaker was

Bad River Tribal Chairman

Mike Wiggins, Jr. (pictured to

the left) reflected on his Tribe’s

recent experience involving

proposed changes to WisconPicture by L’Anse Sentinel. sin mining law that would have

facilitated a large taconite mine

just upstream from their reservation in the Penokee Mountains of

Wisconsin. He instilled the value of thinking about the issues

through a Native framework, that of treaty rights and the larger picture of future generations and cumulative impacts. There are numerous former, current, and proposed mining activities throughout

our territory and the Lake Superior basin that are being permitted

under various regulatory frameworks that do not consider the collective environmental impact on the waters of Lake Superior. Wiggins

also highlighted that the mining issues are fundamentally about water and babies, illustrating his point by noting recent findings that

babies on Minnesota’s north shore are being born with elevated levels of mercury most likely linked to mining activities and exposure

through fish consumption.

Friday’s events also included a presentation on the Historical

Environmental Impacts of Mining in the Lake Superior Basin, a tour

of the Sand Point Stamp Sands Restoration Project and a community potluck dinner and drumming. Saturday’s presentations included an interactive Google Earth overview of mining activities

throughout the Lake Superior basin; U.P. mining updates and issues including the Kennecott Eagle Mine, Orvana Copperwood Project, Aquila/HudBay Back Forty Project, Keweenaw Copper Exploration, and Kennecott exploration within the L’Anse Indian Reservation; an introduction to Natural Resource Damages; a new study by

the National Wildlife Federation and EcoJustice comparing mining

laws in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario (with Ontario

and MI receiving the poorest rating); and perspectives on the meaning and significance of Ojibwa treaty rights.

Chi’ Miigwech to all of the support from community members

who helped to make this first Tribal Mining Forum a success. The

event would not have been possible without organizing and planning support from KBIC Natural Resource Department staff

(especially Lake Superior Program Coordinator Erin Johnston), all

those who donated food for the potluck, Four Thunders who

drummed, elders who offered their prayers, Robelle Degenaer who

led a beautiful sunrise water ceremony, and volunteers who helped

in many ways, especially KBOCC Environmental Science student

Nancie Lamb, who offered her assistance throughout the entire forum.

If you have ever wanted to start your own business but didn’t

know where to start, you could start by looking in your back yard.

What are your hobbies? What skills do people currently ask you to

help them with? More importantly, what do you have a passion for?

Sometimes we think of starting a business as a large company with

many employees and massive amounts of debt. While this could be

true for some types of business, it doesn’t have to be true for service based businesses. A service based business does not sell a

“product” you feel, touch or hold. The service industry consists of

the labor or skill you provide for your customer. Examples of service based business are:

Home child care

Cleaning services

Builders/Construction

Tree services

Some advantages of starting service based businesses are:

Lower start-up costs (in most cases)

Often don’t require specialized education

Little or no inventory

Typically have lower overhead costs

Often can be started and run in your own home

Require few employees initially

A service based business typically revolves around one of three

types of tasks. One is a task your customer does not know how to

do. An example of this could be replacing a motor in a broken

dryer. Another example is a task your customer is unable do, such

as an elder shoveling their driveway or removing a tree in their yard.

And finally we have a task the customer does not want to do or

does not have time to do; this could be mowing the lawn at their vacation property or doing minor repairs to their home.

It takes sound business practices and hard work to thrive in the

service industry. However, it is often one of the easiest types of

business to start and operate. A service based business under the

right circumstances can make money for the owner much quicker

than many other retail or manufacturing businesses. If you have a

skill, talent, or passion for a service and have ever wondered about

turning those into a business, contact the Tribal Business Consultant for a one-on-one meeting to assist you in taking the first step

towards owning a business. Please contact Elaine Clement at

906.440.6801 or clemente@gvsu.edu

(8) Ishwaaswi

Catholic Community of

Baraga County

Holy Name of Jesus

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

Pastor

Father John Longbucco

Father Antony Lukka

Confessions: Sunday before Mass

Sunday Mass 12:00 p.m.

353-6565

saintann@up.net

Ten Scholarships Available for Baraga-L'Anse Area Youth!

Michigan Tech Youth Programs is now accepting applications from ninth and tenth

grade Native American students to attend the UNITE Summer Youth Program. Held on

the campus of Michigan Tech, this scholarship program for five girls and five boys will introduce students to the exciting fields of science, technology, engineering, and math from

July 8-August 3, 2012. Specific courses include: General Engineering, Computer & Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science & Engineering. Accepted students will receive scholarships worth $3,000, which includes daily travel to and

from Baraga-L'Anse, lunch, tuition for four weeks of programming, and a $400 cash stipend following completion of the program.

Applications for the program will be available at the high school guidance counselors’

office at Baraga High School and L'Anse High School, and additional information can be

accessed by calling either Lori Ann Sherman (906) 487-2920 or Cody Kangas (906) 4872219. Students will be selected June 8, 2012.

2012 ANN MISEGAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The KBIC Education Department announces the availability of the 2012 Ann Misegan

Memorial Scholarship applications. The scholarship amount is $1,000 twice a year for up

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

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Enrolled Tribal member

Attending an accredited college/university

Enrolled as a full-time student

Pursuing a degree in a Health Care field

Resident of Baraga or Marquette County

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

in their chosen health field, and submit a copy of their official transcripts (high school or

college).

For more information and to request an application, contact Amy St. Arnold, Education

Director at (906) 353-6623, ext. 4117 or at amy@KBIC-nsn.gov. The application deadline

is August 1, 2012, at 4 p.m.

2012 KBIC FORESTRY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The KBIC Education Department announces the availability of the 2012 KBIC Forestry

Scholarship applications. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has a vital interest in the

preservation of the land and forests on and near the reservation. The Tribal Council has

approved two scholarships for college students pursuing Forestry degrees. The scholarship amount is $2,500 twice a year for up to four years. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

 Enrolled Tribal member

 Resident of Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota

 Attending an accredited college/university in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota

 Enrolled as a full-time student

 Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry documented by their college

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

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

For more information and to request an application, contact Amy St. Arnold, Education

Director at (906) 353-6623, ext. 4117 or at amy@KBIC-nsn.gov. The application deadline

is August 1, 2012, at 4 p.m.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Head Start & Early Head Start will be accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. Applications are available at the

KBIC Health Clinic, KBIC Tribal Center, Ojibwa Community College, and the Head

Start & Early Head Start Center. You may also have an application mailed to you by

calling Barb at 524-6626. All applications MUST be returned with a proof of income!

All applications with proof of income are due by July 6, 2012.

ATTENTION ADULT TRIBAL MEMBERS

AANIKOOSING INC.

Our very own newly created Tribal business corporation, Aanikoosing Inc. is seeking

interested and experienced Tribal members to apply for three (3) open seats on this newly

created Board of Directors. The code requires a five (5) member Board with two (2) Board

members coming from the Tribal Council, still to be determined, one (1) may be an enrolled member of the Tribe currently serving on the Tribal Economic Development Committee, who shall not be a member of the Tribal Council, and two (2) shall come from the

membership of our Community.

Those interested should exhibit exemplary experience in business, be responsible and

express integrity as well as good judgment. Each interested individual member should be

sensitive to the unique goals and the culture of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

The ideal candidate would recognize the need for diversification within the Tribe’s holdings as well as demonstrate expertise in and have an understanding in business management, administration, accounting, finance, Indian law, marketing, grants management, public relations, and other related disciplines. Time requirements include all regularly scheduled meetings, including additional project meetings and special meetings.

The Board of Directors shall be required to get approval from Tribal Council for its annual operating plan and the first plan shall include two projects: first, a new cigarette manufacturing business, second, a new gas station/smoke shop in Marquette.

The three seats each come with initial terms of one year, two year, and three year

terms. Thereafter, the term for each director shall be for three years.

A Letter of Intent will be accepted through June 29, 2012, and should be mailed to:

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

C/O President Swartz

16429 Bear Town Road

Baraga, MI 49908

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON

INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDPIR)

NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS*

(Effective October 1, 2011)

*The net monthly income standard for each household size is the sum of the applicable Supplemental

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) net monthly

income eligibility standard and the applicable SNAP

standard deduction.

48 Contiguous

United States:

House

hold

Size

Use this

amount

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP Standard Deduction

1

$ 908

+

$147

=

$1,055

2

$1,226

+

$147

=

$1,373

3

$1,545

+

$147

=

$1,692

4

$1,863

+

$155

=

$2,018

5

$2,181

+

$181

=

$2,362

6

$2,500

+

$208

=

$2,708

7

$2,818

+

$208

=

$3,026

8

$3,136

+

$208

=

$3,344

Each additional member

+ $319

Alaska:

Household

Size

FDPIR Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

Use this

amount

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP Standard Deduction

1

$1,134

+

$252

=

$1,386

2

$1,532

+

$252

=

$1,784

3

$1,930

+

$252

=

$2,182

4

$2,329

+

$252

=

$2,581

5

$2,727

+

$252

=

$2,979

6

$3,125

+

$260

=

$3,385

7

$3,524

+

$260

=

$3,784

8

$3,922

+

$260

=

$4,182

Each additional member

FDPIR Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

+ $399

FDPIR Income Deductions—see 7 CFR 253.6(f)

Earned Income Deduction — Households with

earned income are allowed a deduction of 20 percent

of their earned income.

Dependant Care Deduction — Households that

qualify for the dependent care deduction are allowed

a deduction of actual dependent care costs paid

monthly to a non-household member.

Child Support Deduction — Households that incur

the cost of legally required child support to or for a

non-household member are allowed a deduction for

the amount of monthly child support paid.

Medicare Part B Medical Insurance and Part D

Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums — Households that incur the cost of Medicare Part B medical

insurance and/or Part D prescription drug coverage

premiums are allowed a deduction for the monthly

cost of the premiums.

FDPIR Resource Standards—see 7 CFR 253.6(d)

$3,250 for households with at least one elderly or

disabled member.

$2,000 for households without any elderly or disabled members.

ATTENTION KBIC MEMBERS:

The following Committees/Boards

have vacant seats:

Education Committee –

Two (2) regular seats

Health Board –

Three (3) regular seats

Substance Abuse Advisory Board –

Four (4) regular seats

Please submit an application (located

at the Tribal Center in Kim Klopstein or

Peggy Minton’s office) by 4 p.m. on

June 15, 2012, to:

Warren C. Swartz, Jr. – President

16429 Bear Town Rd.

Baraga, MI 49908

(9) Zhaangaswi

IHS Contract Health Services (CHS) Program

When IHS is unable to provide certain

types of healthcare services directly in our

hospitals and clinics, we may refer patients

to receive services in the private sector.

These referrals are paid for by the CHS program appropriations to IHS. However, the

IHS CHS budget does not have enough

funding to pay for all referrals that our

healthcare providers make and our patients

need. We know patients are upset that we

cannot pay for all referrals, but we do try to

pay for the most urgent referrals possible

through our medical priority system.

IHS eligibility was established through

legislation and IHS regulations. In general,

American Indians and Alaska Natives who

are members or descendants of federallyrecognized Tribes are eligible for IHS direct

services which are services provided at our

clinics and hospitals. However, the eligibility for the Contract Health Service Program

(referrals to the private sector) is different.

Years ago, tribes wanted the limited budget

of the Contract Health Services Program to

benefit the patients who lived nearest to the

clinic or hospital first. Therefore, Contract

Health Services Program eligibility is based

on IHS eligibility plus residence in the area

around the clinic or hospital that is designated as eligible for CHS (also called the

Contract Health Services Delivery Area, or

CHSDA). That is why referrals are generally not approved for Tribal members who

don't live on the reservation or Tribal lands

associated with the hospital or clinic.

Patients are upset that they lose their

CHS eligibility if they move away from the

reservation or Tribal lands and reside outside of the CHSDA. Again, this eligibility

rule was put in place to make sure that the

limited CHS funds benefit those who live

closest to the clinic or hospital. Some say

that we should make the CHS eligibility the

same as IHS eligibility - that would mean

more patients would be eligible. However,

that would not mean that more patients

would get referrals approved for payment

because we still would have the same

amount of funding in the CHS budget to use

for more patients. And it could mean that

KBIC HEADSTART 2012 GRADUATION

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

(10) Midaaswi

individuals could travel to the clinic from another state, get CHS referrals paid for, and

then travel back to the other state, potentially leaving no funding for patients who live

in the Tribal community. Patients often

wonder why even though their doctor made

a referral for them to see a specialist or

have a surgical procedure, it is not authorized for payment by the Contract Health

Program. IHS has regulations and policies

that govern how to determine whether to

pay for a referral or service in the private

sector for our patients. If we had unlimited

funding, we could pay for all referrals. However, since our CHS budget is limited, we

must follow our regulations and the law to

determine which referrals can be authorized

for payment. In the simplest terms, the

regulations tell us how to make sure the limited funding goes to those who need it the

most. More on CHS or Contract Health Services in our next newsletter! More information can be found on the Indian Health website at: www.ihs.gov.

KBIC Head Start held their 2012 Graduation

on Friday, May 18, 2012, at the Niiwin Akeaa

Center. Terri Denomie, Director of KBIC Head

Start, said, “This is the biggest class I’ve seen in

my eighteen years with Head Start. We’ve got

twenty-four graduates this year.” The children

sang five songs for their audience: “Boozhoo”;

“ABC”; “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”; “Peanut”;

and “Off To Kindergarten.” Summer Cloud

Drum provided the Honor Song.

Graduates:

Ethin Awonophopay, Alexia

Brunk, Cheyanne Cote, Peyton Denomie, Courtney Deschaine, Shayla Elmblad, Diason Garver,

Keyden Goodbird, Blake Harden, Jalisa Heath,

Rayleah Jacobs, Marissa Jaukkuri, Georgia

Lofquist, Morgan Mayo, Dallas Moulden, James

Oger, Addyson Rajacic, Rowen Rexford, David

Roy, Keyshia Supanich, Kolyn Sweeney,

Spencer Tellin, Hunter Thomas, and Kolt Wickstrom.

KEWEENAW BAY OJIBWA LIBRARY NEWS...

The Early Head Start classes visited the library in April. This

was the children's first visit to the library. They read books, listened

to a story, and received a sticker that said, "I Visited the Library

Today." We hope they will visit us again.

We now have OverDrive. This allows patrons to download books

to their ereaders, smart phones, IPods, and MP3 players.

Choose OverDrive Media Console…

Enjoy titles from an OverDrivepowered site anytime, anywhere with

OverDrive Media Console… available

for mobile devices and computers.

Mobile (supports EPUB eBooks &

MP3 Audiobooks): Android™, BlackBerry®, iOS (iPhone®/iPad®/iPod

touch®), Windows®, Phone 7. Computer: Windows (supports WMA &

MP3 Audiobooks, Music, & Video),

Mac® (supports MP3 Audiobooks). See what formats you can

use on your computer or device.

What’s new?

 Return audiobooks: Finally! Return audiobooks as soon as

you finish listening so you can explore the next one. Don’t forget you can do the same with eBooks!

 Dictionary look-up: Define words and impress your friends with

your expanding vocabulary.

 Audiobook sleep timer: Set the timer and your book shuts off

when you do.

 eBook orientation lock: Enable this setting, and you can rock

without the roll!

Explore more…

Search for libraries and bookstores… plus eBooks, audiobooks,

music, and video. View compatible devices.

~ Mary Bergerson, Ojibwa Community Library Director

JUNE 2012 Calendar Events

June 1: Constitutional Committee

Meeting, 1 pm, Council Chambers;

June 2: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9

am, Ojibwa Resort Conference Room;

June 5: Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar

screenings at Superior View;

June 12: Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar

screenings at Ojibwa Sr. Center;

June 19: Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar

screenings at Superior View;

June 17: Happy Father’s Day;

June 20: Summer begins; Veteran’s

meeting, 7 pm;

June 23: Youth Health and Safety Fair

at KBOCC, 12 noon;

June 26: Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar

screenings at Ojibwa Sr. Center;

June 30: KBIC Kids Fishing Derby,

Sandpoint Campgrounds, 9 am.

~ submitted by newsletter editor

Events occurring throughout KBIC

are welcome to be listed on the Calendar of Events.

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

Some events are more detailed FYI

within the newsletter. For up-to-date

event listings, visit www.ojibwa.com

and click on calendar.

For Youth

events, see @ www.ojibwa.com, click

on youth club, or contact 353-4643/Main

Office at Youth Club, or 353-4644 for the

facility attendants or the Kitchen/craft

rooms.

(11) Ashi bezhig

KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY

OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT

SERVICES

427 N. Superior Ave. • Baraga, MI 49908

In Tribal Court Building

Phone: 906-353-4566 • Fax: 906-353-8132

• Email: ocss@kbic-nsn.gov

“Your Children…Our Priority”

We provide the following services:

Zeba Indian Mission

United Methodist

Church

“We welcome each of you to our

worship services, at 9:00 a.m. each

Sunday.”

Pastor: Rev. Stephen Rhoades

Church office 524-7939

Parsonage 524-7936

 Establishment, Enforcement and

 Location of Custodial and

Modification of Child Support Orders

Non-Custodial Parents

 Paternity Establishment

 Community Education

tp://www.kbic-nsn.gov/html/ocss.htm

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Employment Opportunities

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







all p

On C

ositio

Summer Youth Worker — 6/8/2012

Pharmacist—open continuously

Unit Manager (OVW)—open continuously

ns:

* Community Service Supervisor

* Unit Manager

* LPN

* RN

* Account Executive/Sales

* Cashier

* Receptionist/Clerical Worker

* Youth Program & Facility Attendant

* Family Aide

* Van Driver

* Pre-Primary Teaching Assistant

For current job listings, complete job announcements, applications and closing dates contact: KBIC Personnel Department, 16429 Bear Town Road, Baraga, MI 49908-9210 or 906-353-6623, ext 4176 or 4140 or

visit: www.ojibwa.com.

Permit No. 62

U.S Postage PAID

Big Rapids, MI 49307

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

16429 Bear Town Rd-Baraga, Mi 49908-9210

PRE-SORT STARDARD

(12) Ashi Niizh