The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2015)

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WIIKWEDONG

DAZHI-OJIBWE

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe

Manidoo Giizisoons - Little Sprit Moon - December 2015 Issue 137

Tribal Council Members:

KBIC 2015 PRIMARY ELECTIONS HELD

Warren C. Swartz, Jr. , President

Jennifer Misegan, Vice-President

Toni J. Minton, Secretary

Susan J. LaFernier, Asst. Secretary

Doreen G. Blaker, Treasurer

Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr.

Eddy Edwards

Randall R. Haataja

Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.

Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr.

Don Messer, Jr.

Donald Shalifoe, Sr.

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Voter’s in the Baraga District casted their ballots at the Ojibwa Senior Citizen’s Center.



KBIC 2015 Primary Election



KBIC Honors Veterans

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community held Jennifer Misegan (Inc.);

 KBIC Youth Halloween Parthe Primary Election on Saturday, October 31, Kevin Perrault.

ties Held

2015.

Chief Tribal Judge:

Bradley T. Dakota.

 KBIC’S First Woman Tribal

Baraga District results:

Don Messer, Jr. (Inc.) 42 votes;

Chair Walks On

Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. (Inc.) 124 votes;

HONORING OUR

 KBIC To Hold General ElecThomas E. Chosa, Jr. 21 votes;

LOCAL

VETERANS

tion

Dan Connor 57 votes;

Fred Dakota 102 votes;

 KBIC To Prepare Elder Wills

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Sue Ellen Elmblad 83 votes;

held an Honor Program for local Veterans

 Ojibwa Senior Citizens News

Bill Jondreau 29 votes;

followed by a luncheon on Veteran’s Day,

Carole LaPointe 37 votes;

 Deepest Sympathy

November 11, 2015. Veterans received

Hope E. Laramore 49 votes;

their soup and salad lunch free of charge

Charlotte Loonsfoot 9 votes;

Jerry Magnant 38 votes;

with visitors donating $5.00 for their meal.

Debi Williamson 17 votes.

Proceeds were donated to the local U.S. Marine Corps “Toys For Tots.”

Vice President Jennifer Misegan gave the opening address. “We’re here today to

L’Anse District results:

honor

our service members and to remember sacrifices they have made and the courage

Susan J. LaFernier (Inc.) 92 votes;

it takes to defend honor, duty, and country. We are here to remember our fallen heroes

Jennifer Misegan (Inc.) 82 votes;

and honor the memory of great leaders and to pay homage to those who are still with us.

Lyndon Ekdahl 17 votes;

Tracy L. Emery 44 votes;

Jesse Forcia 29 votes;

Jeremy T. Hebert 11 votes;

Jean Jokinen 13 votes;

Kevin Perrault 33 votes;

JoAnne Racette 11 votes.

Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr., Fred Dakota,

Sue Ellen Elmblad, Dan Connor, Susan J.

LaFernier, Jennifer Misegan, Tracy L. Emery,

and Kevin Perrault have secured the required

number of votes to be placed on the General

Election Ballot.

At the General Election, voters will cast their

ballots for two seats in both districts, and one

position for Chief Tribal Judge. The General

Election will be held on Saturday, December

12, 2015, with the following ballot:

Baraga District Council Seat:

Dan Connor;

Fred Dakota;

Sue Ellen Elmblad;

Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. (Inc.).

L’Anse District Council Seat:

Tracy L. Emery;

Susan J. LaFernier (Inc.);

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Left to right: front row—Officer Dale Tilison, Joe Ekerberg, George DeCota, Howard Mattson,

back row—Sgt. Dale Goodreau, Stanley Spruce, Dan Garceau, Virgil Loonsfoot, Joseph Dowd,

and Lee DeLeon.

Continues on page eight.

(1) Bezhig

NOVEMBER 7, 2015 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING

The Regular Saturday Tribal Council Meeting was held on November

7, 2015, at the Ojibwa Casino Resort Conference Room in Baraga, Michigan. President Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. presided over the meeting with

Jennifer Misegan, Toni Minton, Susan J. LaFernier, Doreen Blaker, Robert

R.D. Curtis, Jr., Eddy Edwards, Randall Haataja, Michael F. LaFernier,

Sr., Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr. and Don Messer, Jr. present. Not present:

Donald Shalifoe, Sr.

President Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. shared numerous Thank You and

For Your Information items addressed to Council.

Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. gave the President’s Report (page five),

Toni Minton gave the Secretary’s Report (page four), Doreen Blaker gave

the Treasurer’s Report (page three), and Larry Denomie III gave the

CEO’s Report (page nine). Council passed Department Head Reports for

September 2015. Motion by Eddy Edwards to table the October 1, 3,

8, 15, 20, 22, and 29, 2015 meeting minutes until Monday’s meeting,

supported by Michael F. LaFernier, Sr. Ten supported (Misegan,

Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier,

Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Shalifoe),

motion carried.

Under Recognized Scheduled Delegation/Individuals: Corporal Everett

Ekdahl and K-9 Officer Edy gave a K-9 Presentation. Edy is a German

Sheppard from Slovakia. Corporal Ekdahl said, “Edy is like a teen-ager

yet. He was 16-months-old when he arrived at KBIC. He is fully trained,

and we’ve had a couple of finds already within his young career. Edy

does searches and tracks well: missing persons or escapees. It is me

who is still learning him; his mannerisms when he’s working or if he’s on to

something. He is excellent at article search. I really concentrate with Edy

on narcotics, but we do a lot with bite work as well. When I give him the

command, he knows at the end there is going to be something… his reward. When rewarded, he will hear me scream like a girl and bounce a

tennis ball around. I go into the schools for the STEM Programs where I

do teach, but I also conduct K-9 demonstrations with them.”

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Edy, K-9 Officer, identifies three grams of cocaine in the target purse.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Joining efforts in funding the Silver River Stream Gauge, left to right—

L’Anse Village Manager Bob LaFave, KBNRD staff Kit Laux and Erin

Johnston, KBIC Tribal President Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr., Baraga

County Chamber of Commerce representative Debbie Stouffer, and

Baraga County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director Tracey Barrett.

Missing from picture is KBOCC President Debbie Parrish.

Baraga County Chamber of Commerce – Silver River Partnership gave

a Donation Presentation to KBIC for assistance with the continuation of

the Silver River Stream Gage located on the Skanee Road. Kit Laux and

Erin Johnston of the Keweenaw Bay Tribal Natural Resource Department

gave background on the project. The Stream Gage was originally installed in 2001 for collecting data such as height and discharge. Throughout the years, it has collected other pryamiders, and there has been a

study done for the entire watershed. It still is currently collecting discharge data. The Silver River Stream Gage data is viewable on-line and

acceptable to everyone. This location is also used for surface water monitoring for the KBIC water program. The usefulness of this gage goes far

beyond the water program at KBIC though. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service references it for fish stocking, sea lamprey control, climate change

monitoring, recreation, and education. Other community members may

also use this information for fishing or flood watch. This gage and another

gage we have on the reservation have been jointly funded through the

(2) Niizh

USGS, and the KBIC portion of it has specifically been through grants. In

this past year, there have been other gages on the Silver River that we

have had to shut down because we did not have the funding to support all

three of them. This one on the Silver River has been very important and

useful, and we didn’t want to see this one removed. We have been working with USGS, and they have put something on the website that is an

outreach to the community informing the public that we really want to keep

this gage operating, but it is in danger of being shut down because of loss

of funding. An e-mail was received from a Wisconsin Kayaker who informed us that they use the stream gage. “It lets us know when the water

is the right level for us to come up and kayak on the river. If we did not

have that tool, we’d likely go elsewhere and not bring our tourist dollars to

your area.” This resulted in a conversation between KBIC, the Baraga

County Chamber of Commerce, the Village of L’Anse, KBOCC, and the

Baraga County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Baraga County Chamber of Commerce immediately issued a letter of support, signed an agreement, and offered a donation with the Village of L’Anse, Baraga County

Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and KBOCC quickly following. Together

they were able to contribute $1,200.00. Our portion of the fee for this gage

to run annually is approximately $8,400.00, so any contribution will assist

and will lessen the burden on our grants.

Darnishia Slade, Director of International Programs and Services at

Michigan Tech University and Parade of Nations Chair, came before

Council to personally give a “Thank You” for the continued support of the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. “The Parade of Nations continues to

go strong, and the community is quite involved, and it is of importance to

continue to make this celebration of cultures free for the community.” Darnishia presented a number of tee-shirts to Council on behalf of the Parade

of Nations Committee. Darnishia formally invited the KBIC Community to

be involved with next year’s Parade of Nation which will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2016. For the last two years, the KBIC Community’s

float has won first-place.

Rodney Loonsfoot addressed Council with a donation request to assist

the Marine League Toys for Tots program. Additionally, Rodney seeks

anyone’s assistance with wrapping and delivering the toys throughout the

area. Motion by Jennifer Misegan to donate $5,000.00 for Marine

League Toys for Tots this year, co-supported by Susan J. LaFernier

and Michael F. LaFernier, Sr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S.

LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot,

Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Eddy Edwards presented Darrell Kingbird’s request to Council for a

Visitor’s Permit for Hunting/Fishing/Trapping/Gathering. Mr. Kingbird is

employed for KBIC and is a part of this Community now and would like to

provide for his family. Motion by Eddy Edwards to have the Council

issue Darrell Kingbird an on-reservation one-year visitor’s permit for

this hunting season, so he can hunt, fish, trap, and gather, supported

by Robert “RD” Curtis, Jr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S.

LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot,

Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

James Provost, Marquette County Veterans Alliance, addressed the

Council regarding a donation for the Vietnam Travelling Tribute (AKA as

the Wall). “We are a Veteran’s organization that is composed of all the

different service organizations. We have decided that we want to bring

the Wall to Marquette because it is a healing thing for us. Those of us

who served in Vietnam have had some rough times throughout the years

because of what went down there. So it is a way to pay tribute to our fellow Veterans who did not come home. Our budget is estimated at

$21,550.00 to bring the Wall to Marquette for June 22-26, 2016.” Mr. Provost invited KBIC to help by making a donation in any amount which

would be greatly appreciated. Motion by Jennifer Misegan to approve

a donation of $5,000.00 for the Marquette County Veterans Alliance

to bring the Vietnam Traveling Wall to Marquette County, supported

by Michael F. LaFernier, Sr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S.

LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot,

Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Felix Fournier, Membership Committee of the Calumet Art Center, addressed Council on becoming a sponsorship member. Mr. Fournier explained the Calumet Art Center’s Director is Ed Grey who teaches Lifeway. There are a lot of students who utilize the center, and he welcomes

students from KBIC to join. Through the sponsorship and class fees the

Calumet Art Center staff and volunteers can create a safe learning environment where art, culture, and history inspire and challenge people of the

Keweenaw and is appropriate for all ages, abilities, and persuasions.

Scheduled classes are in twining, copper bowl, jewelry making, and clay

sculpting with introductory to pit firing and smoke firing. More information

can be obtained at www.calumetartcenter.com. Motion by Susan J.

LaFernier to approve $500.00 for the President Membership to the

Calumet Art Center for their annual sponsorship, supported by Jennifer Misegan. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker,

Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Under old business: Danielle Webb, Assistant Tribal Attorney, presented Superior Paving LLC Tier III Services Agreement Amendment Rez

Stop Gas Station Parking Lot Blacktopping Project. It is getting a little late

in the season, and the decision was to put one layer of blacktop down and

finish next year. Amendment is to extend the agreement to June 2016

and to allow for the one layer to be installed first and the second one after

that. The compensation remains exactly the same, 50% down on the

binder and the 50% balance is due upon completion of the project. Motion by Eddy Edwards to approve the amendment to the services

agreement for blacktopping the Rez Stop, supported by Don Messer,

Jr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0 ab-

stained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Jennifer Misegan addressed Council in regards to Tribal elders’ wills. We have several

Tribal elders who are looking to get their wills

put together. In the past, we had more staff

available to do that but with Danielle Webb being the only attorney presently, there is a lack of

time to be able to do so. It is suggested to contract an attorney to provide this service and have

a certain day put aside to provide this service

which would be advertised. There was a motion

in 2010 by Council for this service to be provided

to the elders by the Tribal Attorney’s office.

Consensus of Council is to contract with Attorney Brandon Richard to provide Tribal elders

age 55 and over within Michigan. If Attorney

Richard is unavailable to enter into a service

agreement, Danielle Webb is to seek another

attorney who will be able to do so.

Danielle Webb, Assistant Tribal Attorney,

presented Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. Gaming

Device Order Ojibwa Casino I. (Order contains

two Big Bang games and two Buffalo Grand

games and two Brittney Spears games). Motion by Doreen Blaker to approve the gaming

device order between Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. and the Community for Ojibwa Casino I of Baraga, subject to contingent upon

approval of the Gaming Commission, supported by Gary Loonsfoot, Sr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier,

Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M.

LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0

abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Danielle Webb, Assistant Tribal Attorney,

presented an Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. Gaming Device Order Ojibwa Casino II. (Order contains one Big Bang Theory Bazinga game). Motion by Toni Minton to approve the gaming

device order between Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. and the Community for Ojibwa Casino II of Marquette, subject to contingent

upon approval of the Gaming Commission,

supported by Doreen Blaker. Ten supported

(Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one

absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

President Swartz brought forth a recommendation to renew Appellate Justice James Bittorf’s

contract for December 13, 2015, to October 1,

2018. Motion by Toni Misegan to approve

the Justice Contract with James Bittorf, supported by Michael F. LaFernier, Sr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier,

Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M.

LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0

abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Larry Denomie III, CEO, and George Geroux,

Manager of the Ojibwa Roads Program, presented a request for funding of Ojibwa Roads.

There is an opportunity to gain work for the business to carry them through the winter months

where generally there hasn’t been any work during this time period. Two machines are needed

by the department and would be needed to be

able to be bid on the winter month’s work. Consensus of Council is to move forward and for the

CEO to meet with the Assistant Attorney to look

over the FABICK purchase agreement and bring

back to the Council meeting on Monday.

Susan J. LaFernier requested to schedule

Enterprise Employee Appeal of Dismissal case

#016-15. Consensus of Council scheduled the

hearing for Thursday, November 12, 2015, at

1:30 p.m.

Eddy Edwards addressed Council to allow

the opportunity for community commercial fishermen to speak regarding their commercial fishing season. A number of commercial fishermen

were present with concerns. This is the time of

the year when our fishermen can actually make

money to survive through the winter months.

The State of Michigan makes their money during

the spawning season, but KBIC has a ban.

They ask the Council not to remove the ban,

because they’d like to see the little kids get out

to fish when they get older, but to reduce the

ban in half. It is currently closed from November

1, to November 27, and they are asking for the

ban to be November 1, to November 15, for

small boat fishing only. If the ban is too much to

take off, they suggested expanding the open

area, a particular area which is outside the

spawning grounds.

Additionally, it was requested to allow the sale of Walleye which

would ease the demand for Lake Trout and

White Fish by adding a third species. President

Swartz spoke with the fishermen and indicated

that Council would like to consult with our Natural Resources Department and continue with this

matter next week. The fishermen were in agreement. Motion by Eddy Edwards to direct the

Keweenaw Bay Tribal Natural Resources Department to make a recommendation regarding this matter, at the Thursday, November

12, 2015, at 3:00 p.m., supported by Robert

“RD” Curtis, Jr. Ten supported (Misegan,

Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot,

Messer), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent

(Shalifoe), motion carried.

Jeanne Emery, Election Board Chair, provided unofficial results for certification of the Primary Election held October 31, 2015. Baraga

District totals: Don Messer, Jr. (Inc.) 42 votes,

Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. (Inc.) 124 votes, Thomas E. Chosa, Jr. 21 votes, Dan Connor 57

votes, Fred Dakota 102 votes, Sue Ellen Elmblad 83 votes, Bill Jondreau 29 votes, Carole

LaPointe 37 votes, Hope E. Laramore 49 votes,

Charlotte Loonsfoot 9 votes, Jerry Magnant 38

votes, and Debi Williamson 17 votes. L’Anse

District totals: Susan J. LaFernier (Inc.) 92

votes, Jennifer Misegan (Inc.) 82 votes, Lyndon

Ekdahl 17 votes, Tracy L. Emery 44 votes,

Jesse Forcia 29 votes, Jeremy T. Hebert 11

votes, Jean Jokinen 13 votes, Kevin Perrault 33

votes, and JoAnne Racette 11 votes. The top

four would be in the Baraga District: Warren

“Chris” Swartz, Jr. 124 votes, Fred Dakota 102

votes, Sue Ellen Elmblad 83 votes, and Dan

Connor 57 votes. In the L’Anse District: Susan

J. LaFernier 92 votes, Jennifer Misegan 82

votes, Tracy L. Emery 44 votes, and Kevin Perrault 33 votes. These individuals will move on to

the General Election. Motion by Eddy Edwards to approve the KBIC Primary Election

results of 2015, co-supported by Toni Minton

and Robert “RD” Curtis, Jr. Eight supported

(Minton, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M.

LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed,

two abstained (Misegan, S. LaFernier), one

absent (Shalifoe), motion carried. Motion by

Doreen Blaker to approve the nominees for

General Election on December 12, 2015, supported by Randall Haataja. Eight supported

(Minton, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M.

LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed,

two abstained (Misegan, S. LaFernier), one

absent (Shalifoe), motion carried. Motion by

Toni Minton to certify the judicial candidate

for the 2015 General Election, supported by

Randall Haataja. Nine supported (Misegan,

Minton, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Haataja,

M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed,

0 abstained, two absent (Edwards out of

room, Shalifoe), motion carried. Jeanne Emery stated, “The General Election will be held

December 12, 2015; deadline for voter’s registration will be 30 days prior to the election, November 12, 2015; deadline to request absentee

ballots is November 20, 2015; voting in Marquette will be December 10, 2015; and the

homebound voting will be on December 11,

2015.” Vice-President Jennifer Misegan stated,

“We (Council) will be looking on Thursday, November 12, 2015, to put a referendum question

on the ballot.”

Treasurer Doreen Blaker presented the November 2015 donations requests. Bay Side Village is requesting a donation to their activity department; Jeff Mayo, on behalf of the Baraga

Fire Department, requested a donation for the

Children’s Christmas Party to be held on December 19, 2015; the Bethel United Pentecostal

Church requested a donation for their Annual

Community Thanksgiving Dinner; and John

Messer, Jr. requested a donation in the amount

of $400.00 for KBIC members’ hockey registration John Messer III $210.00 and Steel Jondreau

$190.00. Council requested the Youth Committee look into the matter of sport registrations.

Motion by Jennifer Misegan to approve donations to the Bay Side Village in the amount of

$500.00; Baraga Fire Department’s Children’s

Christmas Party in the amount of $500.00;

and Bethel United Pentecostal Church for

their Annual Community Thanksgiving Diner

in the amount of $200.00; for a total of

$1200.00, co-supported by Susan J.

LaFernier and Gary Loonsfoot, Sr. Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S. LaFernier,

Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M.

LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed, 0

abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion carried.

Motion by Eddy Edwards to table the 2%

for Baraga and Marquette donation worksheets until the Thursday, November 12,

2015 meeting, supported by Doreen Blaker.

Ten supported (Misegan, Minton, S.

LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja,

M. LaFernier, Loonsfoot, Messer), 0 opposed,

0 abstained, one absent (Shalifoe), motion

carried.

Council adjourned and moved into the 2 nd

reading Proposed Ordinance 2015-03 Introduction of Medical Marijuana.

~ submitted by Lauri Denomie, Editor

Treasurer’s Report—October 2015

2016 KBIC Budgets

 Budgets passed on October 8th included

raises and health insurance. The Tribe utilizes both grants and tribal business monies

to finance programs that service the membership.

Federal budget

 Most federal programs meeting the trust

responsibility fall into discretionary accounts, (federal government’s budget has

mandatory, discretionary, and interest on

debt) which were affected by the sequester

caps. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, a

two-year budget and debt ceiling agreement, provides about 90 percent of the sequestration relief for nondefense discretionary programs that was included in the FY

2016 President's budget and about 60 percent in 2017. The recent passage of a twoyear budget deal is just the first step in ensuring that the federal trust responsibility is

upheld in the normal appropriations process. Appropriation is a law that authorizes

the expenditure of funds for a given purpose.) The deal restores $33 billion of the

$37 billion that was set to be cut in FY 2016

and $23 billion of the $37 billion slated for

FY 2017. (NCAI Legislative Update, Nov.

2015)

 Another area of tribal funding is our businesses, mainly the casinos….within a ten

year period 2014 was at an all-time

low….the casinos have managed to rebound, and our profits have shown a very

modest profit.

 There are many factors that can affect the

bottom line in business, and I think we are

all aware of the fact that we need to renovate our current facilities in order to increase our revenues. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Frances “Hosh” LaPointe has

provided a report which looks at the past

ten years of our casinos’ revenues. The

CFO will be presenting this financial information at the casino development meeting.

Other

 I attended a one day seminar on leadership, different styles, and different types of

employees. An area where we could improve is communication with our directors.

Each director could be required to come in

once a month and meet with the Council to

discuss the direction of their programs…

also monthly director meetings so directors

can collaborate on projects together.

Respectfully submitted,

Doreen Blaker

To be added to the mailing

list or to correct your mailing address, contact the

enrollment office at (906)

353-6623 ext. 4113.

(3) Niswi

Secretary’s Report — October 2015

In October 2015, the Tribal Council held one

Regular Council meeting and six Special Council

meetings. Actions taken were:

October 1, 2015 Special Council Meeting

 Approved a Tier III Services Agreement with

Superior Paving for blacktop at the Rez Stop

for $32,285.00.

 Amended the Personnel Policies for the

Government and Enterprises to waive the

High School/GED requirement for applicants

over 62 for positions that could be performed by these individuals.

 Approved two Services Agreements with

Rebecca Panasiewicz for the Healing to

Wellness Drug Court for the Positive Peer

Group $12,000.00 and the Enablement Prevention Program $15,000.00.

 Requested Eddy Edwards and KBOHCDC

work with Tribal Member who is facing foreclosure.

 Approved Resolution KB-044-2015 Northern

Natural Gas Permission to Survey and Appraise.

 Approved Resolution KB-045-2015 Ashley

A. Denomie recreational lease.

 Approved Resolution KB-046-2015 Department of Health and Human Services grant

application under the Indian Health Service

FY2016 for the Special Diabetes Program

for Indians in the amount of $148,670.00.

 Continued FY2016 Budget Review.

October 3, 2015 Regular Council Meeting in

Marquette

 Approved the President and Secretary’s reports for August and September.

 Approved the Treasurer’s report for July,

August, and September.

 Approved the July and August Department

Head reports.

 Approved a one week extension of the Jimaganish Wadokaged liquor license.

 Approved the list of candidates for the 2015

Primary Election.

 Approved a donation of $650.00 for Darrell

Kingbird for fencing.

 Donated $800.00 to Isabelle Welsh to attend

a Language Summit.

October 8, 2015 Special Meeting

 Approved the meeting minutes of August 20,

and 27, 2015.

 Granted an on-reservation Hunting, Fishing,

Trapping, and Gathering Visitors Permit to

Steven Denomie.

 Council consensus to move forward with

planning a Michigan Indian Elders Association meeting at KBIC in 2017.

 Approved the Community Assistance Program Burial Assistance Policy and Emergency Assistance using BIA funds.

 Consensus to form a Burial Assistance Task

Force.

 Approved Consumers Mutual Insurance

health insurance renewal.

 Held the 1st Reading Proposed Ordinance

2015-03 Introduction of Medical Marijuana

Statute and scheduled the 2nd Reading for

November 7, 2015.

 Donated $100.00 to the Marc Pirkola and

Teri Reasoner Benefit Dinner.

 Agreed to provide a letter of support to the

Village of Baraga for lowering the speed limit

on US41 to M38.

 Approved lowering the speed limit to 45

MPH through the reservation boundaries

from Irene’s Pizza to Morin’s Fireworks.

Directed Public Works to erect signs and to

have Tribal Police enforce it.

 Approved the FY2016 Budget.

 Approved the Cunningham Group Proposal

and Agreement in the amount of $9,900.00

for providing Professional Services for a potential project in Marquette.

 Approved an additional $84,250.00 for the

Aanikoosing Bridge Loan.

October 15, 2015 Special Council Meeting

 Approved the meeting minutes of September 3, 8, 9, and 10, 2015.

(4) Niiwin



Approved the bid of Keweenaw Chevrolet

for a 2016 Silverado in the amount of

$39,376.26 for the Beartown Firefighters.

Approved the bid of Keweenaw Chevrolet

for the purchase of a 2015 Silverado with a

plow in the amount of $36,600 for Marquette

Casino Maintenance.

Approved Resolution KB-047-2015 – Glenn

Tolonen Residential Lease.

Approved Resolution KB-048-2015 – Lauri

Champagne Recreational Lease.

Approved Resolution KB-050-2015 – Forests For the Future Property and Monetary

Donation Received.

Approved Resolution KB-051-2015 – Estate

of Mable Major Undivided Fractional Interest

Donation in the Christine Payshawquawdoqua Allotment.

Approved Resolution KB-052-2015 – HUD

ICDBG Housing Rehab Solar Thermal and

Electric Project.

Approved the Greenway Health Claim

Scrubber Software Subscription purchase

schedule agreement with Vitera Healthcare

Solutions Master Agreement from 2014.

Approved the Aristrocrat Gaming Device

order of 2 Britney Spears machines for the

Baraga Casino.

Approved the 906 Technologies mutual nondisclosure agreement.

Approved the Legal Services Agreement

Amendment with Short Cressman and Burgess.

Approved the Alcoholic Beverage License

and Food Service License of Ronald Edwards doing business as the Side Track Bar

and Grill.

Approved the Tier III Services Agreement

with Diane Charron for traditional regalia,

beading, sewing, quilting, and craft classes.

Approved the amount of $2,100.00 for the

2015 Christmas Gift/Sovereignty Checks.

Approved a 3% annual raise for FY2016.

Appointed Clayton Ekdahl and Victoria Dakota as Election Board Alternates.

Agreed to offer the Tribal Attorney position

to Peter Jensen.

October 20, 2015 Special Council Meeting

 A work session with Dan Leveque, Gundlach Champion, and Sam Olbekson, Cunningham Group, was held to review the options for the Baraga and Marquette Casinos

design and building floor plan options.

October 22, 2015 Special Council Meeting

 Approved the meeting minutes of September 24, and 27, 2015.

 Approved the Purchase and Procurement

Policy Amendment for credit card and gift

card purchases.

 Approved the CAP Heating Assistance Program to allow up to $1,200.00 for 8-12 full

cords of wood which includes delivery.

 Amended the CAP Heating Assistance Policy that the allowable heating assistance

amounts will be determined each fiscal year

in October.

 Approved Resolution KB-053-2015 – Forestry Management 10% Account and Expenditure Plan.

 Amended the Tier III Services Agreement

with Fischer Biological Consulting for the

Natural Resources Department.

 Approved the Service Agreement with LaCourt Bottled Gas setting the retail price at

$1.20 per gallon for the heating season.

 Amended the effective date of the Diane

Charron Service Agreement.

 Approved the Pressbox Entertainment

Agreement for Hunks the Show.

 Approved the WIC Services Grant Agreement with the Michigan Department of

Health and Human Services.

 Approved three Memorandum of Cooperative Agreements with the Inter-Tribal Council, for the Tribal Personal Responsibility

Education Program, the Affordable Care Act

Tribal Home Visiting Grant, and the REACH

Journey to Wellness Project.



Approved the Agreements with the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey

Joint Funding Agreement for the continuation of the operation and maintenance of the

stream gaging station on the Silver River

near L’Anse and the Agreement for Water

Resource Investigation on the Yellow Dog,

Salmon Trout, and East Branch Salmon

Trout Rivers.

Approved the Employee Rates for the

Health Insurance Renewal.

October 27, 2015 Phone Poll

 Appointed Heather Chapman as an Appellate Justice for the KBIC Tribal Court.

October 29, 2015 Special Council Meeting

 Approved an amendment to the Engineering

Agreement with UP Engineers and Architects to allow a time extension on the NonMotorized Trail Feasibility Study.

 Amended the Cell Phone Policy.

 Approved the bid from Keweenaw Chevrolet

in the amount of $35,470.00 for a 2016 Silverado with a V Plow.

 Approved the Heather Chapman Appellate

Justice Contract.

 Approved amendments to the Rosa Burns

and Daniel Sky Allotments extending the

timber sale logging time to 9/30/18.

Respectfully Submitted,

Toni J. Minton

2016 KBIC FORESTRY

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

AVAILABLE

The KBIC Education Department announces the

availability of the 2016 KBIC Forestry Scholarship application. 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 one

scholarship for a college student pursuing a Forestry degree. The scholarship amount is $2,500

for the 2016 Winter/Spring semester. 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@KBICnsn.gov. The application deadline is December

11, 2015, at 4 p.m.

NEWS FROM THE OJIBWA

SENIOR CITIZENS

December:

 December 2, 12:15 p.m. Senior

Meeting. Karen Lahti will be present

to finalize the January 10, 2016, Las

Vegas Trip. All participants need to

attend!

January:

 TBA— the January meeting date will

be determined at the December

meeting. Please watch newsletter

for the date.

President’s Report—October 2015

The following are a list of activities that occurred

in the Office of the President for the month of

October 2015.



Coordinated Consultation on the L’Anse

Warden Plant Renewable operating permit.

 The Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing a renewable operating

permit application for the L’Anse Warden plant. Based on our letter, the Department of Environmental Quality offered the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community consultation on this permit at

whatever level we deemed appropriate.

The Community chose to conduct consultation and had scheduled the meeting

for October 30, 2015.

 Subsequently the Michigan Department

of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) postponed the public hearing on the draft

renewable operating permit for the

L’Anse Warden Electric Company LLC.

The meeting was cancelled because the

plant informed the MDEQ that the company’s latest emissions testing indicated

it may not be able to comply with air

quality regulations. The MDEQ said

they cannot move forward with the current draft renewable operating permit if

a non-compliance issue exists. In addition, we were informed that the MDEQ

will conduct further review of final emissions testing data and may need to develop a compliance plan.

 The MDEQ will notify us once the plant

corrects the non-compliance issues, so

we can conduct our government to government consultation.

I attended a constitutional meeting, and we

discussed the process related to the upcoming secretarial election regarding Article IX –

Judicial Branch. The purpose of the article

is to provide a separate branch of government free from political interference and

conflicts of interest for the development and

enhancement for the fair administration of

justice.

 We also discussed the importance of

educating our Tribal members regarding

the change to the constitution.

 A discussion took place regarding individual constitutional rights. Council directed to have the committee separate

this from the amendment related to the

Judicial Branch.

I attended a ceremony at Michigan Technological University (MTU). The purpose of

the ceremony was to dedicate three boulders that were extracted from the Eagle

Mine. In summary I said, “Native American

communities attempt to project their decisions well into the future. A fundamental

premise of the Keweenaw Bay Indians is

that tribal decisions should be determined



with the wellbeing of seven generations in

mind; not will this mining job pay me well or

will my Return On Investment (ROI) be

high.” This short term thinking exacerbates

a race to the bottom where resources have

been converted to personal wealth leaving

future generations without being able to

meet their needs. The Indigenous approach

is to take only what you need. The notion is

that mining takes as much as it can, as fast

as it can, is the very definition of boom and

bust. This is not acceptable to a people who

have a homeland and do not just move on to

the next job or clean place to live. I made

them aware of the importance of clean water

to the Community.

I attended a Healing To Wellness Graduation. The guest of honor was Joe Francois.

Hearing Joe tell his story was truly inspiring.

Joe has a good set of tools on him to deal

with his addictions. It was an honor to participate in the graduation ceremonies for

Joe.

Jennifer Misegan, Larry Denomie, Vicki

Dompier, and I met to discuss the request

by HUD to return some grant monies given

to housing. Housing was able to take all of

the money and convert to CD’s and draw

down when needed. Since housing was

turned into a department run under KBIC,

they are requesting the money back because it was given to OHA. Anderson and

Tackman are working with us to determine

how much money to give back. This is an

ongoing issue that will be resolved soon.

 Update: The grant monies were returned in the amount of 1.4 million dollars.

 The grant will be returned to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community because Ojibwa Housing Authority was

dissolved.

I received an update from our Assistant

Tribal Attorney Danielle Webb. She informed me the KBIC is a class member in

the BIA CSC Settlement claim. The settled

claims are for alleged under-payments of

contract support costs by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and/or the Office of Self Governance under the Indian Self-Determination

and Education Assistance Act. The Community is entitled to share in the net settlement amount.

I met with Elise from Senator Gary Peter’s

office. She was in town and stopped by to

introduce herself and to let us know that the

Senator’s office is available and willing to

assist.

I also sat down and talked with Representative Diandi last month. I took the opportunity

to inform him of the Community’s decision to

protect the general health and welfare of its

citizens by reducing the speed limit on the

L’Anse Indian Reservation on US-41 corridor.



I met with EPA officials to discuss consultation on Indian Treaty rights.

 We appreciate EPA’s recognition. We

told them they must honor treaty rights.

We appreciate their efforts to provide

direction and guidance to personal who

must understand the process the EPA

must follow and determine what rights

are at issue and the substantial effect of

treaty rights on its decision.

 I made a number of general comments

at that meeting with EPA Regional Director, Dr. Headman. Also in attendance were a number of other treaty

tribes in the State of Wisconsin and the

Great Lakes Wildlife and Commission to

discuss these treaty rights. We told

them the draft guidance is very general

and focuses on the process of gathering

information about treaty rights rather

than specifically how treaty rights impact

decision making. The guidance does

not refer to other EPA or national policies. The draft guidance also puts the

ownst on tribes to educate the EPA and

maybe interpreted as a one-way conversation. The guidance should direct staff

to educate themselves and become familiar with the treaty rights in their region, especially in our region, Region

Five, and in Region Ten.

Training

should be provided in each region and

on this guidance when it is final. In addition, the guidance should more robustly depict the discussion processes as

an ongoing conversation and open dialogue where the goal is for EPA and the

tribes to come to a common understanding of how tribes view their natural resources, and the unique tie between

resources and culture, the scientific and

technical aspects of a particular proposal, and the specific impact to natural

resources.

I attended a Food Sovereignty Program held

at the Zeba Hall on October 22, 2015. It

was quite eye opening to see the old cooking techniques. I was impressed with the

cooking on the rock. The event was well

attended.

Council approved the appointment of

Heather Chapman as an Appellate Justice

of the Appellate Division of the Tribal Court.

Heather has worked as Tribal Attorney for

the Community in the past and is very familiar with the Communities’ judicial processes.

This month is Native American Heritage

Month.

There will be a Veteran’s Day event held on

November 11, 2015, which includes a flag

raising ceremony and a luncheon.

Respectfully submitted,

Warren C. Swartz

KBIC Youth Halloween Party Held In Harvey

The Halloween party in Harvey was a blast this year! Over 30 residents of Harvey show up to

participate in the activities provided by the KBIC Youth Club. Prizes were available for every age

group as well as a gift card for each winner in the 1-3rd category. A cake walk, musical chairs, Simon

Says, Pop the Pumpkin, and Witch Toss were available to play for prizes. Jets Pizza was served

and candy gift bags were distributed. There was also a guessing game in which the kids guessed

the correct of amount of candy in the jar and whoever chose the correct amount won the candy. The

children had a lot of fun and enjoyed it immensely.

Costume Winners: Left to right—2nd place, Mathew

Rabitalle; 1st place Kylie Schofield, 3rd place Talan

Peterson.

Talan Peterson, Candy Corn Winner!

Kylie Schofield, Reese Candy Winner!

Russell Bess, Eyeball Candy Winner!

(5) Naanan

Unfortunately, arrangements for the Marquette Youth Christmas Party

were not available at time of Newsletter print. Please contact the Youth

Director (906) 353-4543 or (906) 353-4544 for information on the party.

KBIC Youth Halloween Party

Held In Baraga

The Halloween party in Baraga was held on Halloween afternoon, October 31, 2015, at the Niiwin

Akeaa Facility. There was a great turn out for the

event, and youth and their families were able to participate in a number of activities provided by the

KBIC Youth Club. Costume prizes were given for

every age group. There was a cake walk, dart

game, and guessing games where the youth were

able to win some awesome prizes. Pizza was

served from Pizza Hut, and there were fruit trays,

veggie trays, cake, and desserts.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Costume winners ages 0-1, left to right, 1st place—

Vada Veker, 2nd place—Ruby Alsup, 3rd place—

Dekkar Denomie.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Costume winners ages 2-3, left to right, 3rd place—

Nathan Friisvall, 2nd place—Aaliyan Loonsfoot, 1st

place—Zander Tammelin.

Continues on page nine.

(6) Ningodwaaswi

(7) Niizhwaaswi

Veteran’s Luncheon continues:

It is a blessing and one that we would exercise

with pride, purpose, and enthusiasm.

Today is a day to honor our heroes, to remember their achievements, their courage, their

dedication, and to say Miigwech or thank you for

their sacrifices. We cannot help to be awed by

the enormity of what they have done for us and

for our country. We are in the midst of patriots.

It was President Woodrow Wilson who proclaimed that November 11, which was the day of

the end of the Great War or World War I, would

be the day America would be filled with solemn

pride in the heroism of those who died in the

country’s service and with gratitude for the victory. This was to be Armistice Day, which Congress would later declare to be Veteran’s Day.

Throughout my life I have been blessed to

know many Veterans. I have learned, through

their actions mostly, the sacrifices and the commitments they made to serve our Country. My

father-in-law lied about his age to join the Navy

at a young age of 17. He left our little reservation, the only home he ever knew. My dad was

drafted and served during the Vietnam War as a

United States Marine. My son wanted nothing

more than to be like his grandfather, so he

joined the Marines only to find out that after twoand-a-half years his knee what not up to the military standards. His military career was over.

Service in the military is a sacrifice, and luckily

for these men, it was not the ultimate sacrifice.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is so

very proud of all of our Veterans, but those who

were killed in action hold a special place in all of

our hearts.

Specialist Robert L. Voakes, Jr. was among

four soldiers who died when insurgents attacked

their unit with an improvised explosive device on

June 4, 2011. He died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was

serving with the 164th Military Police Company,

793rd Military Police Battalion, 3rd Maneuver

Enhancement Brigade, Alingar District, Lagham

Province, Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Terrance Picciano died while

serving as a Radio Operator with Company E.,

Second Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines, Third

Marine Division, in Vietnam. On June 6, 1968,

while conducting a patrol, his platoon suddenly

came under an intense automatic weapons and

hand grenade attack from a well entrenched

North Vietnamese Army force and sustained

numerous casualties.

Observing that the

wounded men lay in positions dangerously exposed to hostile fire, Lance Corporal Picciano

volunteered to assist in moving them to a covered area. After he aided a companion in carrying a mortally wounded Marine into a bomb crater, an enemy hand grenade suddenly landed in

the bottom of the crater. Without regard for his

own safety, Lance Corporal Picciano seized the

lethal object and hurled it toward the enemy,

thereby preventing possible death or serious

injury to his comrade. Then, quickly realizing

that intense fire from an enemy sniper prevented

further rescue attempts, Lance Corporal Picciano, accompanied by another Marine, fearlessly left his position in an attempt to silence

the hostile fire. Undaunted by the intense fire,

he boldly rushed toward the North Vietnamese

emplacement, and as he approached he was

mortally wounded. His heroic and timely actions

inspired all who observed him and enabled his

unit to evacuate the wounded from the hazardous area. By his courage, bold initiative, and

selfless devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Picciano upheld the highest traditions of the Marine

Corps. He was posthumously award the Silver

Star. Both brave men gave their live for this

country.

Our Country has awarded medals to many

solders, added their names to monuments, and

named buildings for them to honor them for their

bravery. But nothing can ever replace the hold

left behind by a fallen service member and no

medals, ribbons, or buildings can ever comfort

the ones left behind.

I recently read an article that reported that

71% of young adults ages 17 to 24 currently do

not qualify for military service for various reasons. There is a common misconception that

getting into the military is easy. I can assure you

that our young members: Tyler Rasanen, Gary

Loonsfoot III, Richard Alexander, and Jorey

Cribbs do not think that. They left everything

they knew and loved and are serving with dedication and courage to make a safer America.

They were called to be part of something bigger

(8) Ishwaaswi

than themselves.

Today, all over our Country people gather to

remember, to honor, and to pay gratitude to

those who served. Our Veterans and our men

and women currently serving need our prayers

and support. Please remember them, not just

today, but throughout the year. God bless you

and your families. God bless our troops and

God bless America.”

Susan J. LaFernier, Tribal Council Assistant

Secretary gave a prayer for the people.

“Heavenly Father, who promised to never leave

your children’s side, we give thanks to you for

the soldiers who have made it home safely, and

we are grateful for those you have ushered into

heaven straight from the battlefields.

Bless our service men and women, and hold

them safely in the palm of your hand. Bless our

soldiers’ families and friends; help them to always be a source of joy and strength for our military. We ask for healing, Lord. Of wounds we

can and cannot see, of memories that may

never be resolved, and of the spiritual relationship with you that sometimes feels so broken.

Let your grace pour down upon those who

have served on the battlefield and at other

places, who often return to a continuous battle of

transition to civilian life. Lift up those who are

feeling lost, those who are feeling unappreciated, and those who cannot accept the magnitude of their sacrifice.

Guide us, to minister to the sons and daughters of war and peace, not just on special occasions, but every day, seeking new ways to support them in gratitude of their ultimate sacrifice.

May we become soldiers of relief for them, responding with patience and understanding, and

providing assistance where it is needed.

Help us to become good listeners, a safe haven for our soldiers to speak of their experiences, regardless of the horror they may have

seen. For in speaking, begins healing. Refresh

us, Lord. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, so your

love may overflow in all of us, bringing peace

and joy and wholeness to us, and those who

have served, and those who continue to serve

our blessed nation.

Also at this time, we remember two of our

own are still missing in action. Recently their

grave markers were placed at the Pinery and

Assinins Cemeteries. Thank you to our American Legion Post #444 for their services for these

men and to those who laid down the markers.

Lawrence F. Chalifoux’s marker is at the Pinery.

He was a U.S. Army Sergeant in Korea, and

Hubert A. Madosh, PFC U.S. Army, World War II

and Korea whose marker is at the Assinin’s

Cemetery.

Let’s have a moment of Silence for those

who have walked on before us. (silence).

We honor you, and we thank you for your

sacrifice which will not be forgotten. In his name

we pray; Amen.”

William B. "Peg Leg Bill" Cardinal

(April 10, 1956—September 18, 2015)

William “Bill” Cardinal, known to many as "Peg

Leg Bill" or "Fehu the Archer", passed away on

Friday, September 18, 2015, at the age of 59.

During his life, Bill embarked on many adventures; before his health forced an early retirement. He was an LVN working with psychiatric

patients; however, his true calling was the renaissance fair. Bill was the founder and head of

the Clan of the Nude Samoyed, and Bill held the

members of his clan family very close to his

heart. Bill was preceded in death by his father

Robert Cardinal, mother Helmi (Lahti) Cardinal,

sister Linda (Cardinal) Patch, and brother-in-law

Frank Davidson. Bill is survived by his sister

Paulette (Cardinal) Davidson.

Although Bill

never married or had children of his own, his

nieces and nephews: Victoria Davidson-Castillo,

Robert Davidson, Bridget Patch, and Gregory

Patch will miss the uncle who loved to take them

to movies and buy them special treats when

they were children. Bill had a personality that

could fill any room he walked into; a definite void

has been left in the lives that he touched. There

are no services currently planned as the friends

and family (both blood related and acquired) are

spread out over numerous states. If you wish to

make a memorial contribution, it is requested

that you please direct that to the funeral home to

help defray the funeral expenses.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Myrtle Helen Tolonen

(April 28, 1935—November 13, 2015)

Myrtle Helen Tolonen, age 80 of Baraga, MI,

passed away on Friday, November 13, 2015, at

her home. She was born April 28, 1935, in

Zeba, MI, the daughter of George and Charlotte

(Blaker) Matthews. Myrtle graduated from High

School in 1953. Her first job was for Mini Sands

Restaurant in L’Anse, then she lived in Chicago

and worked as a secretary. She married Donald

E. Tolonen, Sr. on March 26, 1955, in L’Anse;

they resided in Dearborn, MI, where she worked

as a waitress. They moved back to L’Anse in

1972, and in 1974, she started working in the

enrollment department for the KBIC. She was

politically active in tribal affairs and was the first

woman Tribal Chair for the KBIC. Myrtle served

on many boards including the Cultural Committee, Indian Child Welfare, Education, and was a

student at the Bay Mills Language Emersion.

She was a two-time breast cancer survivor and

a breast cancer advocate. Myrtle was a member of KBIC and Ojibwa Seniors. She lived at

Superior View Housing where she acquired

many friends. Myrtle enjoyed playing Bingo,

reading, and listening to Johnny Cash. She

lived for her family and her grandchildren. Surviving are her sons: Glenn Tolonen of Zeba and

Tyler Tolonen of L’Anse; daughter, Cheryl

(Donald) Denomie of Baraga; brother, Albert W.

(Elsie) Matthews of Athelstane, WI; sister, Elizabeth C. Matthews of Zeba; grandchildren: Charlotte, Trista, Beth, Joe, Christian, Brigitte,

Cheryne, Shawnee, Ashley, Keith, Kevin, Cally,

Carmen, Jeffery, Samantha, Raymond, Glenn,

Jr., Macee; great grandchildren: Tristan, Caden,

Makenna, Joey, Johnathan, Donovan, Daniel,

Cara, Darryn, Easton, Brody, and Izzy; special

friend, Mary LaRose; her caregiver and special

friend, Natalie Mleko of Baraga; and numerous

nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death

are her parents; husband Donald, Sr.; sons:

Donald, Jr. and John Tolonen; siblings: Amos

Whetung, Sarah Shelifoe, Donald Whetung,

Theodore Whetung, Matthew Whetung, Glen

Matthews, Dorothy Belmore, and Baby sister

Whetung. Her wake began on Monday, November 16, 2015, at 5:00 p.m.

at the KBIC Zeba Hall and

continued overnight. Traditional funeral services were

held at Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at the Zeba

Hall. Burial was in the Pinery Cemetery. The Jacobson Funeral Home of

L’Anse, assisted the family.

KBIC ELDERS IS YOUR WILL IN PLACE?

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will be holding 30-minute intakes on January 6, 2016, for

Tribal Elders to get a Will, Financial Power of

Attorney, and Healthcare Power of Attorney.

Please contact the

Tribal Attorney’s Office at (906) 3534107 to get details

and schedule an

appointment.

CEO’s Report—October 2015

During the month of October 2015, the CEO's

office reports the following:

 The sole source supplier agreement with

LaCourt Bottle Gas is in place for the upcoming heating season. The negotiated rate

is $1.20/gal. and is a decrease of sixty cents

per gallon over last year's guaranteed rate.

The program runs from Nov 1, 2015 - May

31, 2016.

 The annual Christmas/Sovereignty gift

check was approved at $2,100. Eligible

KBIC members will be able to pick their

checks up in Baraga at the Tribal Center on

November 23, between the hours of 9 a.m. 5 p.m., and in Marquette at the Harvey Community Center on November 24, between

the hours of 12 noon – 6 p.m.

 The FY’16 annual employee raise, approved

at 3%, has been processed by the Housing

Dept. and Tribal Govt. payroll departments.

The casino enterprises raises are expected

to be processed on the upcoming payroll of

November 20.

 Amy St. Arnold, Education Director, is working on awarding the Natural Resources

Scholarship. It provides $2,500 each semester to an enrolled KBIC member student

seeking a Bachelors Degree in the Natural

Resources field.

 Outstanding projects of the Tribe’s Economic Developer have been reassigned due

to the position not being funded in the FY’16

budget approvals. Assigned staff will be

picking up where the projects were left with

a seamless transition. The Planning and

Development office remains open and provides offices for the Tribes Realty, Forestry,

and Fire programs.

 The State of MI is inching closer to approving increases in fuel taxes to fund their state

road repair program. Both the Senate and

House bills provide increases in the per gallon "road" tax. The impact, if approved,

would be to our non-KBIC member customers in increased prices at the pump. KBIC

members would be exempt from the increased tax as they are now, when they use

their membership cards at the stations.

 Tom Chosa, IT Director, is working with 906

Technologies Inc., to have swipe card systems installed at all of the Tribe’s gas stations. KBIC Members would use their membership cards as they currently do at the

Pines and would no longer sign forms at the

stations. Once implemented, the swipe system will also streamline the process for filing

refund requests with the State of MI.

 The Rez Stop black topping project is nearly

complete. After discussing the project with

Superior Paving, it was decided that it was

best to install the base layer of asphalt this

season and wait until spring to install the

remainder. This would allow for the sand

base to completely settle, and any surface

cracking from the heavy trucks to occur before installing the final layer. An amendment

to Superior Paving's contract is included on

today's agenda.

 As a follow up to issues brought forward at

Council’s meeting in Harvey last month,

Bruce LaPointe, Projects Manager, has

taken care of the sanding and salting issues

brought up by tenants within the housing

units behind the casino.

 The Funeral Task Force, comprised of Rodney Loonsfoot, Debbie Williamson, Jennifer

Misegan, Susan LaFernier, and myself, met

in October to discuss issues faced by members when dealing with planning and paying

for deceased family members funerals. A

number of issues were addressed and resulted in a list of tasks for members to work

on. Rodney will be traveling to the Sault

Tribe to meet with a contact there to better

understand how they handle funerals from a

traditional standpoint. His contact will also

come to Baraga to tour our area and then

meet with the task force. Jennifer will be

arranging meetings with area funeral home

directors to discuss issues she encountered

through the burial program and complaints

expressed by members. Jason Ayres will be

involved by assisting with potential locations

for burial sites. The task force is scheduled



to meet again on November 17.

The Ojibwa Express gas station in Marquette is holding its Grand Opening on Nov

13, from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m. The business is operated by Aanikoosing Inc. under

the direction of Andrew Chosa, CEO. To aid

Aanikoosing in operating the business until it

is able to produce positive cash flows, the

Tribe has extended loans. Their cash flow

has been drastically affected by unforeseen

project costs. The land where the station

operates is owned by the KBIC and is in the

process of being placed into trust. The

State of MI and the Upper Peninsula Petroleum Association are opposed to the station

operating in Marquette and are creating additional issues for Aanikoosing Inc. to deal

with. It has also prevented them from operating the station competitively there. Once

the land is taken into trust for the KBIC, the

station will be able to compete more competitively in the market.

Effective this fiscal year, the KBIC Solid

Waste Facility will be treated as an enterprise separate from the Department of Public Works. Dan Connor, Manager, will report

directly to the CEO, and the employees will

follow the Enterprises Employee Manual.

Dan has analyzed the budget approved for

FY’16 and is working on slight increases to

the rates charged. Scaled weight will increase $10/ton (from $85-$95) with a minimum fee increasing from $10 to $15, drop

off of 33 gallon bags will increase from $2 to

$2.50 per bag, and the per dumpster service

will increase 5% which remains a 5% savings over what Tribal entities were paying

through Waste Management. The Housing

Department is working on utility adjustments

to include curbside pickup at all housing

homes and is expected to go into effect this

coming January.

The Tribe has approved placing 45 MPH

road signs along US-41 through Baraga

from the Irene's Pizza area to the Pines,

reducing the current posted speed of 55

MPH. The signs are in and ready to be installed. Bruce LaPointe is also spearheading a county wide road safety initiative. In

developing a KBIC Road Safety Program,

he is seeking to get involvement from the

KBIC Tribal Police Department, Bay Ambulance, Baraga Fire Department, area day

care operations, and the area school districts.

The Community Assistance Programs Office

has two new BIA funded programs available

to assist enrolled members of Federally

Recognized Tribes or Alaska Village who

reside in Baraga, Marquette, Houghton,

Ontonagon, Iron, Gogebic, Keweenaw, or

Dickinson Counties. In the absence of other

resources and as a last resort, the Burial

Assistance program provides up to $2,500

for basic burial services with payments being made directly to a funeral home or third

party vendors. The Emergency Assistance

program provides a maximum benefit of

$1,000 per household in the absence of

other immediate Federal, State, and local

disaster resources, where a home or personal possessions are destroyed or damaged through forces beyond their control.

Other eligibility requirements apply, and anyone needing these types of assistance

should contact the CAP Office for more details.

The Ojibwa Casinos’ General Manager and

marketing staff have reviewed the costs and

benefits associated with the two agencies

currently being used to assist with marketing

campaigns. The decision was made to utilize only one agency, Advertising Inc. The

change is expected to aid in building one

brand for the two casinos as well as minimize duplication of costs in some areas.

Earlier this month, staff met with our health

insurance broker to discuss the Tribe’s renewal rates which take effect December 1.

The initial renewal came in at 15% but was

negotiated down to 12%. Earlier this week,

we received notice from our broker that our

carrier, Consumers Mutual Insurance of MI,

will no longer be providing insurance coverage due to a change made by the Federal

Government under the Affordable Care Act.



The notice stated that all carriers will be financially impacted and smaller carriers, like

CMI, is one of those carriers. CMI is in negotiations with the State of MI on when they

will have to close. We know for sure they

will close by the end of 2016. It is possible

that they may close earlier, as early as the

end of this year or the end of March next

year; we expect to have more information

next week. Our broker does have a confirmed option available for KBIC to move to

regardless of when CMI closes, but we don't

know what that cost would be at this time.

It's important that employees understand

that staff are working very closely with the

parties involved, and there isn't any reason

to believe a lapse in coverage will occur.

We have been assured that every effort will

be made to provide as painless and seamless a transition to our new carrier as possible when the time comes. I provided a

MEMO to employees late this week regarding this issue in an attempt to keep them

informed. As we get new information, they

will be provided updates.

The Baraga and Marquette casino projects

are progressing as planned. On October 20,

2015, the work session was held to gain

input from Tribal Council, casino staff, and

members who were able to attend the master planning for new properties at both locations. Sam Olbekson of Cunningham Group

led the work session and provided six site

master plan options for Baraga and three for

Marquette. The plans were reviewed, discussed in detail, and adjusted based on the

group’s input. The discussion narrowed

both the Baraga and Marquette options

down to one each. Preliminary budgets

have been developed by both Cunningham

and Gundlach Champion, represented by

Dan LeVeque, and will be presented for

Council review and discussion this coming

Monday, November 9. The final budgets

and conceptual design drawings will be presented by Cunningham at Council's November 12 meeting. A community meeting will

be hosted later in the month to present the

plans, provide financial information, and answer questions. Voters will be asked if they

approve of the projects during the December

12, 2015, general election.

Respectfully submitted,

Larry Denomie III, CEO

Baraga Halloween Party continues:

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Costume winners ages 4-5, left to right, 3rd

place—Vanessa Lamson, 2nd place—Brendon

Friisvall, 1st place—Cara Connor.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Costume winners ages 6-8, left to right, 1st

place—Anen Fountaine, 2nd place—Daniel

Connor, 3rd place—Shayla Elmblad.

Continues on page twelve.

(9) Zhaangaswi

December 2015 Calendar Events



Dec. 5: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9 am,

Ojibwa Casino Conference Room, Baraga;



Tues

5:30pm-8:30 pm

Dec 7: Constitutional Committee Meeting, 10

am, Tribal Center Bldg, Council Chambers

(downstairs conference room);



Dec 12: Primary Election 10 am—6 pm;

Dec. 19:

Baraga;

KBIC Youth Christmas Parties



Dec. 23-25: Tribal Gov’t Offices closed —

Christmas Holidays;



Dec 30-Jan 1: Tribal Gov’t Offices closed —

New Years Eve Holidays.

(3 credits)

~ 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.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON

INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDPIR)

NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS*

(Effective October 1, 2013)

*The net monthly income standard for each household size

is the sum of the applicable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) net monthly income standard and

the applicable SNAP standard deduction.

48 Contiguous United

States:

Household

Size

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP

Standard Deduction

$ 958

$152

$1,110

$1,293

$152

$1,445

$1,628

$152

$1,780

$1,963

$163

$2,126

$2,298

$191

$2,489

$2,633

$219

$2,852

$2,968

$219

$3,187

$3,303

$219

$3,522

FDPIR Net

Monthly Income Standard

Each additional member

+ $335

Alaska:

Use this

amount

Household

Size

(4 credits)

Use this

amount

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP

Standard Deduction

FDPIR Net

Monthly Income Standard

$1,196

$260

$1,456

$1,615

$260

$1,875

$2,035

$260

$2,295

$2,454

$260

$2,714

$2,873

$260

$3,133

$3,292

$274

$3,566

$3,711

$274

$3,985

$4,130

$274

$4,404

Each additional member

+ $420

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