The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2016)

WIIKWEDONG

DAZHI-OJIBWE

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe

Gashkadino Giizis - Freezing Moon - November 2016 Issue 148

Tribal Council Members:

8TH ANNUAL CHELSEY LAFERNIER MEMORIAL WALK

Warren C. Swartz, Jr. , President

Jennifer Misegan, Vice-President

Susan J. LaFernier, Secretary

Toni J. Minton, Asst. Secretary

Doreen G. Blaker, Treasurer

Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr.

Frederick Dakota

Eddy Edwards

Randall R. Haataja

Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr.

KBIC held the Eighth Annual Chelsey

LaFernier Walk on Saturday, October 1, 2016.

The schedule of events began with a Water

Ceremony at the Sand Pointe Lighthouse at

10 a.m. Walk participants began registering

and received purple shirts at the Niiwin Akeaa

Facility beginning at 1:30 p.m. After registration they were shuttled to the corner of Lyons

and McGillan Street in Baraga, Michigan, to

begin the walk; a location near the residence

where Chelsey’s life was taken by her domestic partner on January 22, 2009. A tobacco

ceremony was offered by Debbie Williamson

just prior to the participants walking the 1.7

mile journey through the Baraga Housing Projects and up M-38 to the final destination of

the Niiwin Akeaa Facility.

Since October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the annual event

named for Chelsey has been held every October since her death. The event is held to increase domestic awareness within the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and surrounding neighborhoods.

President Warren “Chris” Swartz, Jr. gave

a welcome to those present for the events

held after the walk. “We (Council) are very

serious about protecting our Indian women

here on the L’Anse Indian Reservation.” Further, Swartz indicated the Council is dedicated

to continuing support programs for prevention,

assist victims, and will lead to the prosecution

of those who commit these crimes.

The Three Sisters’ Presentation (Chelsey’s

three sisters—Lily Marcotte, Amber Sue

Weigel, and Betsey Leinonen) followed. Lily

spoke about the Office of Violence against

Women (OVW) Program located on our reservation: Safety First, and the Crisis Line (906)

353-4599 are available 24/7, 365 days a year.

She also did a presentation on Remembering

Chelsey’s Life, Not Her Death. National statistics say one in every ten women will experience violence in the form of domestic violence, sexual assault, date rape, or stalking.

In Native American communities those statistics are one in four women. Domestic violence can be verbal (“you’re not worthy”) to

physical (hitting, strangling, and choking ending in death).

Amber spoke about her personal journey

dealing with her sister’s murder. She included

what she is doing in her own community to

fight against Domestic Violence.

Betsey shared the history of violence in our

Donald Shalifoe, Sr.

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST

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Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Guest speaker, Teri Jendusa Nicolai, has been

featured on Oprah, 20/20, and many others.

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8th Annual Chelsey

LaFernier Walk/Domestic

Abuse Awareness Month

October 8, 2016 Tribal Council Meeting

Solar Arrays Construction at

NewDay

K B IC To B u i ld Non motorized Pathway

KBIC To Build Halfway

House

KBIC Hires Forester

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Blessing of the food was given by elder, Janice Shalifoe, (center) pictured above with her granddaughter Chalsea Smith (left) and Cherie Dakota, OVW Team Lead (right). Smith and Shalifoe

are members of the Women’s Advisory Board.

community from orphanages and the taking away of our traditions to how this is

passed down from generation to generation.

Chelsey’s daughter, Alexxus DeCota,

released purple balloons to heaven and

cited a poem written by Kirsten Preus, “If

Roses Grow in Heaven.”

If Roses grow in Heaven

Lord, please pick a bunch for me.

Place them in my Mother's arms

and tell her they're from me.

Tell her that I love her and miss her,

and when she turns to smile,

place a kiss upon her cheek

and hold her for awhile.

Because remembering her is easy,

I do it every day,

but there's an ache within my heart

that will never go away.

Continues on page five.

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October 8, 2016 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING

The Regular Saturday Tribal Council Meeting was held on October 8, 2016, at the Marquette Community Center in Harvey, Michigan. President Warren Swartz, Jr., presided over the meeting with

Jennifer Misegan, Susan J. LaFernier, Doreen Blaker, Robert R.D.

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

Sr., and Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr. present. Not present: Toni J.

Minton, Fred Dakota, and Donald Shalifoe, Sr.

Council Secretary Susan J. LaFernier shared numerous Thank

You and For Your Information items addressed to Council.

President Swartz welcomed the Tribal Law and Government

class in attendance from Northern Michigan University taught by

the Honorable Violet M. Friisvall Ayres from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Introductions were made.

President Warren Swartz, Jr. gave the President’s Report (page

three), Vice President Jennifer Misegan gave the Vice President’s

Report (page four), Susan J. LaFernier gave the Secretary’s Report

(page five), and Larry Denomie III gave the CEO’s Report (page

seven). Council passed Department Head Reports for June and

July 2016.

Delegations/Individuals: Sandy Carlson introduced her granddaughter, Hanna Hervola, who was named the KBIC Junior Princess this year. Sandy addressed Council on three topics today. 1)

Marquette Senior Christmas Party. Council’s consensus was to

issue Marquette County Seniors gas gift cards in lieu of a party

which was the choice indicated by survey last year. 2) Harvey

Plowing Concerns. Sandy indicated the people are happy with the

man who plows and salts the projects but asked if the access road

between the Casino and the Harvey Housing could be salted as a

number of elders slipped and were injured last year. She also expressed some concern about early morning plowing for the Casino

employees who work at 6 a.m. Sharon Misegan, Marquette Casino

Manager, was present and indicated that last year she initiated a

maintenance midnight shift, and this problem has been eliminated.

3) Life insurance for members. Sandy inquired who will the plan

cover? When will the plan start? What about headstone costs?

Vice President Misegan said, “When the Life Insurance Plan starts

it will go up to $5,000 and will cover every Tribal member no matter

where they live. We will still continue to assist with headstones.

The Tribe will actually be the beneficiary, and then the Tribe will

pay the expense up to the $5,000 for every member. We currently

work directly with the funeral home. They send us the bill and a

copy of the death certificate, and we then send payment to the funeral home.” Sandy thanked Council for doing this for the people.

“That is a God send.”

Under New Business: Diana Chaudier, Election Board Chairman, presented the list of eligible Tribal Members who have submitted their names to be placed on the Primary Election Ballot: Tribal

Council in the Baraga District – Robin Chosa, Alden Connor, Jr.,

Daniel Connor, Ronald Edwards, Hope Laramore, Rodney Loonsfoot, Elizabeth D. Mayo, Donald Messer, Jr., and Donald Shalifoe,

Sr. Tribal Council in the L’Anse District – Lyndon Ekdahl, Michael

F. LaFernier, Sr., and Gary Loonsfoot, Jr. One candidate for Associate Judge: Violet M. Friisvall Ayres. The Election Board met yesterday afternoon and reviewed the candidates listed. The Board

recommends approval of all Tribal Council and judicial candidates.

A Primary Election is required only in the Baraga District for the position of Tribal Council. Upcoming events are: The deadline date

to request an absentee ballot is October 14, 2016. Requests will

be reviewed by the Board on October 17, 2016. Absentee Ballots

will be mailed to those members who are approved upon receipt of

the ballots from Governmental Business Systems (GBS). Jeanne

Emery has been selected as the Homebound Election Worker, and

she will go to those members’ homes in the Baraga District on Friday, November 4, 2016. David Carmody from GBS will be programming the Accu-Vote Machines at the Tribal Center on Tuesday, October 25, 2016. Diana along with a Tribal Police Officer will

witness the setting of the machines. One alternate Election Board

Member will need to be chosen by Tribal Council from those members who submit for the Election Worker position. The deadline for

members to submit their name for an Election Worker position is

October 14, 2016. The Primary Election is held on November 5,

2016. Diana explained usually there are two council positions in

both the L’Anse and Baraga District. If there are five candidates,

we hold a Primary Election as only four candidates can move on to

the General Election. Because there are only three candidates running for the two positions in L’Anse and one for the judicial position,

we will not require primaries for those positions; they will all move

on to the General Election. Motion by Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr. to

approve the list candidates for the 2016 Primary Election, supported by Jennifer Misegan. Six supported (Misegan, Blaker,

Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, Loonsfoot), 0 opposed, two abstained (S. LaFernier, M. LaFernier), three absent (Minton, Dakota, Shalifoe), motion carried.

Treasurer Doreen Blaker presented the October 2016 donations

requests. Motion by Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr. to approve the October 2016 donations as: $500.00 to Bay Cliff Health Camp and

$250.00 to Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly for a total of

$750.00, supported by Susan J. LaFernier. Eight supported

(Misegan, S. LaFernier, Blaker, Curtis, Edwards, Haataja, M.

LaFernier, Loonsfoot), 0 opposed, 0 abstained, three absent

(Minton, Dakota, Shalifoe), motion carried.

Council held a question and answer opportunity for Northern

Michigan University’s NAS 310 Tribal Law and Government Students prior to adjourning.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

President’s Report for September 2016

The following briefly summarizes the activities in the Office of the

President for the month of September 2016. (The President’s Report was given orally and transcribed by the editor with final approval of the President.)

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Recently the Vice President, Tribal Attorney, and I, met with

Larry Roberts Assistant Attorney of the Department of Interior.

We went to Washington D.C. and discussed our land claims

regarding some land in Sault Ste. Marie at the Soo Locks with

him and the Solicitor's Office. We informed them that due to

their trust responsibility, we feel that the U.S. has an obligation

to assist the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. We discussed

our claims pursuant to the treaty also known as the Canal

Lands Act of the Canal Lands and the Swamp Lands. We

asked them to consider making our matter a priority, so an

analysis of claims could be done. Hopefully they uphold their

trust responsibility, so the state can’t claim the 11 th Amendment

immunity. We are working with them, and hopefully, we will

have a positive outcome with them. They assured us that they

would look into the matter and make our claim a priority.

I met with President Obama and his staff at his final meeting

with the tribes at the Tribal Leaders’ Conference. I took this opportunity to participate in a discussion with cabinet members.

Specifically, I talked about education with their education staff,

and I assured them that we indeed want our Indian Tuition

Waiver, and we appreciate it. I informed them our Keweenaw

Bay Ojibwa Community College is now accredited under the

Higher Learning Commission, and we should be able to get

some funding for the college. I’m hoping there is something

they can do from there.

In addition, I brought to their attention the mascot issues. It is

an ongoing effort of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to

address mascot issues and the barriers to education Indian

mascots create for our children at Marquette High School and

other schools in Michigan. Hopefully we can overcome some of

the educational hurdles our children need to deal with when

they attend schools where the school district’s believe it is their

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right to have demeaning mascots as their school symbols.

These schools don’t want to admit Indian mascots create an atmosphere where Natives are viewed as property instead of individuals, and it creates a negative effect on the learning environment. It is not right to have these mascots demeaning Indian

names, beliefs, individuals, and culture. I have met with Rich

Rossway, President of the Marquette School Board, on this issue, and I will continue to work on it.

The Council had an annual meeting with the Department of Justice which was held here at KBIC. The annual meeting is held,

so they can update their issues and concerns with us.

 I informed Patrick Miles, Attorney for the Department of Justice, who has been coming here for five years, that the consultation with Indian Tribes is very important because it was

an Executive Order mandated by the President to inform

Indians when they are going to change laws or anything else

that affects Indian nations. We want to hold the Department

of Justice accountable to the President’s Memorandum and

make sure they know we still want consultation concerning

any and all issues.

 In particular, I talked with them in regards to Dakota Access

Pipeline and if there had been consultation at the Dakota

Access Pipeline prior to what is occurring there now. I’m

confident that a resolution could have been made. I also

brought to their attention the issue of Mackinaw Bridge Line

6B in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where there was a lack of consultation with tribes in land site 6B as it pertains to Line 5.

Line 5 is the line that goes under the Mackinaw Bridge.

There are ongoing issues regarding the impact that a leak

may have on treaty resources, not only to the 1842 and

1836 areas, but even below the Mackinaw Bridge. When

they heard this, not only from the Keweenaw Bay Indian

Community but other tribes in the State of Michigan, they

decided to open up the public comment period related to

Line 6B and Line 5. Hopefully some good things will come

from that. I also spoke to them about Free, Prior, and InContinues on page three.

President’s Report Continued:

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formed Consent. I explained the Keweenaw Bay Indian

Community would appreciate it when they are going to do

something if they will do with us a Free, Prior, and Informed

Consent with us to let us know what they are doing. Inform

us about what is happening.

 We also discussed an issue that the Community is having

regarding its responsibility to the health and safety of the

community regarding the speed limit in different areas. In

recent months, the Community has decided to regulate the

speed limits within the boundaries of the L’Anse Indian Reservation. Not only the KBIC, but the villages of Baraga and

L’Anse have been trying to reduce the speed limit to protect

the health and safety of the public. The villages had not

been successful and came to the Community to ask us for

our help. They asked us for a letter of support. We did better. We said, we would regulate the speed limit and passed

a law to reduce the speed limit to 45 mph. There are ongoing issues with this. We put up the speed limit signs and the

State of Michigan takes them down. We brought this matter

to the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior’s

attention. Hopefully these speed limit signs will stay up.

 I brought to the attention of the Department of Justice staff

present our concerns about the opiate and prescription drug

abuse problems at KBIC. This problem is occurring all over

Indian County and it is not only our area that has to deal with

it. We want the Department of Justice to make it a priority

focus.

I attended a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) meeting

with the Wisconsin and Michigan Tribes of the 1842 Ceded Territory. This meeting was about the use of the National Forest

Land. There are concerns with forest use and the destruction of

the roads and the habitat. The National Forest is starting to

close these roads down. These are the roads that the tribes

reserve treaty rights to use. It is hard for our elderly people to

exercise their treaty rights when these roads are being closed.

When I was a youngster riding through Prickett Dam, there was

never a road closed. Prickett Dam is in an area near the L’Anse

Indian Reservation close to Baraga. Now when a tribal member

goes to that area, there are all these gates limiting our access to

exercising our treaty rights. I wanted to bring this to the attention of the U.S. Forest Service, and I made a request on behalf

of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community for them to re-open the

roads. Our Tribal members have the right to exercise their

treaty rights, and we need consultation. The U.S. Forest Service has informed me that they provide notice when they are

going to close the door. I told them that this is not consultation;

all they are doing is telling us that the door is closing. They

heard not only what we had to say, but they also heard from Lac

Vieux Desert elders and other tribes who are participants of the

VOIGT Task Force.

A few weeks back, Council coordinated a Public Meeting with

MDEQ in reference to the L’Anse Warden Station Plant permit.

This meeting occurred at the L’Anse High School. I, along with

a few other Tribal members and staff from the National Resources Department, attended this meeting. Prior to the meeting we were able to sit down with MDEQ officials. We brought

up our concerns about the clean water, clean air, and lack of the

L’Anse Warden Company taking those issues seriously. We

informed MDEQ at this meeting that there are Clean Water Act

violations and Clean Air Act violations at the L’Anse Warden

Plant. In particular, in regards to the Clean Air Act; they have

railroad ties, biomass material, and other stuff that they put

through a grinding process. This ground up material is delivered

to the L’Anse Warden Electric Plant via an open conveyer belt

system. During this open conveyer belt system, these dust particles are spooled into the air, and when the wind picks these

particles up, it carries all these sulfuric acid particles outside of

the fence. This is a Clean Air Act violation, and we brought it to

their attention. Not only did we bring it to their attention, but the

residents of L’Anse and Baraga, especially the residents who

live near the Plant, did. There are pictures showing this particle

matter just lying on top of the snow covering it. We wanted to

make sure the MDEQ was aware of this, and it is an ongoing

issue, not only to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, but to

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residents on and near the L’Anse Indian Reservation and more

particular to those living close to the L’Anse Warden Plant.

There are Clean Water Act violations when the runoff meets the

ground. They are storing all these biomass materials on site.

When it rains, storm water that runs off, and those dissolved

metals on the ground are carried downstream into Lake Superior. Once it hits Lake Superior and the Falls River, it is dispersed into Lake Superior. The concern of the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community isn’t only a Clean Water Act violation, but

also the water intakes for the three local communities are near

that facility. The L’Anse Water intake and the Village of Baraga

intake are just across the bay, and the Community’s water intake project is located in Zeba on the L’Anse side of the reservation.

As you are probably all aware, there have been two firefighters

who have walked on from our Community. A.J. Swartz was my

first cousin’s son who passed away while traveling to engage in

firefighting out west and was involved in an unfortunate accident. Jimmy Shelifoe, the other firefighter who lost his life, was

a first cousin to my wife. This was close to my family, and it was

a very hectic time. I want to take the opportunity to thank everybody who helped. Benefits and help for the families are ongoing

to this day. It is hard, but we are trying to do the best we can

with the resources we have. Unfortunately we don’t have the

resources available immediately, and patience will be the virtue.

We have a huge project going on here in Marquette and in

Baraga with the casino projects. The voters approved these

projects recently, and we are moving forward with them in a diligent manner. I signed documents related to the casino projects

last week. The faster they are built, the quicker the people will

come, and this is what we want. We know that Marquette is one

of the fastest growing and best communities in the U.P. We are

happy to be in this community, and the community accepts us.

We take these responsibilities seriously, and we also give back

to the community. It is a win-win situation for us and the local

Marquette Community. We want people to come here, enjoy

their time here, and also come to Baraga.

It has come to my attention that one of our Appellate Judge’s

terms has ended, and I have an obligation to the Council to

make a referral to the Council. I will be referring a qualified candidate to the Council for their consideration soon.

While I was in Washington D.C. during the environmental breakout, I brought to the attention of Gina McCarthy, EPA Administrator, and a few others about the new Eagle East depository

regarding Eagle. Eagle has applied for a mining permit for the

regular Eagle. Now there are new stories coming out of the Big

Bay area that they found a new depository in Eagle East. I told

Gina McCarthy and the others at that meeting that the Community feels they’re acting outside of the scope of their original permit, and we are opposed to Eagle East’s ongoing efforts to continue to meet under the original permit. More importantly, we

feel now they are adding more water to their treated water and

filtration system with this Eagle East; which is just a big filter

where they send the water out and it just filters through 200 feet

of sand then it goes out. I just wanted to let the EPA know that

they’re acting outside of their original permit, and again there

was no consultation, and they wonder why the Community is

always talking consultation, consultation, consultation. It is because the reservation was reserved for us, and it’s not like we

can just pick up and move. We’ve got to live in the environment

that we have. This is why the women are so protective of the

water, and why we want to leave Mother Earth the way we

found her and preserve her for the next seven generations. The

way it appears, in my opinion, is the extractive resources and

others don’t really care about clean water or air, so this is why

we are holding them accountable.

The class visiting with us today, NMU ‘s NAS 310 Tribal Law

and Government class, is trying to change the name of Monday’s holiday from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

They are holding an event with drumming, singing, and speakers who will speak about why they are trying to change the

name. It will be held 2-4 p.m., this Monday, (October 10 th), at

Northern Michigan University’s Academic Hall.

Respectfully submitted,

Warren C. Swartz

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Is your charitable organization planning on holding a raffle or selling raffle

tickets on the L’Anse Indian Reservation?

Federal law, through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, granted Tribes exclusive

right

to regulate gaming activity on Indian lands. Even if you or the members of your

16429 Bear Town, Rd.

Baraga, MI 49908

organization are not tribal members, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Gaming

(906) 353-4222

Commission has the authority to regulate your raffle. It is unlawful to game without a

license.

Please contact the KBIC Gaming Commission Office at (906) 353-4222 or stop by the office located

at the Tribal Center for an application and a copy of the rules and regulations.

Application deadline for submission of ALL Class I Drawings is 30 days and Class II Raffles is 60

days prior to your event. License Fee will be waived when the application is received within this timeline.

To place an ad, submit an article, or relate

information, ideas, or possible articles contact: Lauri Denomie at (906) 201-0263, or email: newsletter@kbic-nsn.gov.

To be added to the mailing list or

to correct your mailing address,

contact the enrollment office at

(906) 353-6623 ext. 4113.

Correction: Fallen Heroes Escorted Home article in October 2016 issue cited the incorrect

date of the accident. The correct date was Saturday, August 27, 2016.

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Vice President’s Report for September 2016

The following briefly summarizes the activities of the Vice President for the month of September 2016. (The Vice President’s Report was given orally and transcribed by the editor with final approval of the Vice President.)

Susan LaFernier, Doreen Blaker, and I, traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend the Native American Finance

Officer’s Annual Conference. We had never been to a NAFOA Conference, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality

of the agenda items and the breakout sessions. Three of the

most significant issues I thought we learned about were:

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Tribal Premium sponsorship – which would allow tribes to purchase health insurance through the Marketplace for their members with Indian Health Service funding.

New Overtime rules and thresholds for exempt workers.

General Welfare Exclusion Act – law that allows Tribes to provide programs to meet the general welfare needs of the members, excluding them from taxable income.

While we were there, we had the opportunity to meet with

an attorney we had worked with in the past, Rob Porter. We

sat down with Rob and reviewed the General Welfare Exclusion Act. Rob had been the lobbyist for the Lummi Nation

when the bill was enacted. He had quite a bit of insight on

how tribes can utilize the Act, and he is currently rewriting

some of our programs to ensure they meet the IRS Guidelines.

We also sat down with Mary Streitz, another attorney

whom we have worked with from Dorsey & Whitney. We

worked on a grievance policy which will remove the Tribal

Council from the process, eliminating any perception of politics out of that employment decisions.

I have been working on the casino project expansions.

We’ve had the opportunity to meet with Delta Skye Magazine.

Marquette County is going to be featured in their December

issue. Delta Skye Magazine is the magazine in the airplane

seat pockets with a five million person readership. They will

be interviewing our CEO this week and taking pictures. Besides an advertisement we’ll be purchasing, they will be actually featuring us in a editorial.

I have been diligently working with Wanda Seppanen, the

VOCA Worker who has been assigned to assist the families of

A.J. Swartz and Jim Shelifoe to apply for benefits. It has been

a trying time, and we’ve learned things that we hope that we

will never have to use again.

While the President was attending foreign issues at the

Tribal Nations Conference, we held our annual budget meetings where we heard from every tribal department as they

presented their budget proposals. We started with a deficit of

approximately 1.4 million dollars. We are still continuing this

process, and we now have it down to a $240,000 deficit. We

have traditionally passed a balanced budget, and we will continue to go through the budget to get it to be an acceptable

balanced budget.

We have been working on a life insurance policy that will

cover each and every tribal member. The CEO will report on

this issue in his report.

Last but not least, this month I’ve had the privilege to

speak to NMU ‘s NAS 310 Tribal Law and Government class,

as well as the class at KBOCC where we discussed, sovereignty, self-governance, and this Council’s efforts on Nation

building.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jennifer Misegan

CEO’s Report for the months of August/September 2016

During the months of August/September 2016, the CEO's office reported the following:

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The Tribe will be providing life insurance coverage for all of its

enrolled members regardless of where they live. The policy provides up to a $5,000 benefit to cover funeral costs and will be

administered by the Tribe. There is no cost to the member for

the benefit, and it replaces the current coverage provided to

members being served locally. The tentative effective date is

November 1, 2016, pending approval of the policy plan by Tribal

Council. Until the plan is approved, the coverage available to

members locally will continue to be provided.

The Tribal Forester position has been filled, and Jason Collins

began Forester duties on September 19 th. Jason's office is located in the Tribe's Planning and Development building located

on US-41 in Baraga.

The Tribe's Social Services department is under new leadership.

Tyler Larson is serving as the director and comes with well

rounded experience. Two new case workers have been hired

as well and are participating in training. A third new case worker

position has been posted due to Thurza Mathes resignation being tendered the end of September. That position is expected to

be hired in the next two weeks.

The search for a second attorney for the Tribe has ended.

Roberto Escobar has been hired as the Assistant Tribal Attorney

and is on the job. The Tribe is still down one attorney and the

search continues. In the mean time, David Green of the Dorsey

and Whitney law firm of Minneapolis, MN, is assisting by providing two weeks of on-site legal services per month.

Bruce LaPointe, who has served as the Tribe's Project Manager,

has resigned. Bruce led the Department of Public Works and

provided building inspection services for the Tribe. His position

will not be filled. The responsibilities have been absorbed by

other positions within the department, and Jason Ayres is handling the BIA Roads administration. A posting for a building inspector is ongoing, and this position will include the inspection

responsibilities.

The former Smoke Shop facility in L'Anse has been leased to

KBIC member Angela Kelly. She has opened the Sweet Grass

Spa and is providing salon and nail services.

Members who live in Baraga County, as well as eastern Ontonagon County, southern Houghton County, and western Marquette County, who utilize LaCourt Bottle Gas Co. for their LP

heating source will receive a guaranteed rate of $1.10/gallon

during the period of November 1, 2016, through May 31, 2017.

The Tribe has contracted with LaCourt to secure the pricing for

members.

An Indian Community Development Block Grant has been

awarded to the Tribe in the amount of $600,000. The grant is

slated to construct or purchase a building to provide a half-way

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house for longer term treatment programming. Staff is working

on options for locating the facility as well as developing operational plans. The three year grant requires a $200,000 match by

KBIC which will be met through a variety of non-cash methods.

We are continuing to work on the tobacco manufacturing concept. A number of meetings have taken place with our partnering company to work on the details of the initial agreement. We

are at a point where Council will consider whether or not moving

forward is in the best interest of the Tribe, and that decision is

expected next week.

Nearly the entire month of September has been consumed with

preparing and reviewing the Fiscal Year 2017 budgets. Submissions by each department and business of the Tribe have been

gone through, and finalizing is expected within the next two

weeks.

A new casino General Manager has been hired. After interviewing and offering the position to a candidate in August, the individual in the end declined. Council then underwent the process

again, and the individual selected will begin working on October

10. Donald Wren has an extensive background in the casino

industry and has worked at larger properties in Las Vegas as

well as Lower Michigan. Donald will oversee both casinos but

will be based in Marquette. His experience will also assist in

leading the revised casino projects approved by the membership

in August.

The updated Global Market Advisors (GMP) study was received

in mid-September. The study included updated financial information, a Marquette hotel assessment, and a branded hotel recommendation.

 The updated financials support the debt that will be incurred

to complete the two projects with a guaranteed maximum price

tag of $40 million.

 The hotel assessment indicated that room demand in the

market would support the 100 room hotel planned for the revised Marquette casino project. It also provided a recommendation that the Tribe brand with Choice Hotels International based

on lower upfront costs as well as long term and ongoing franchise costs. Choice Hotels and Carlson Group were the two

brands considered. Tribal Council agreed with the recommendation, and the application to move forward with Choice Hotels

has been filed.

The formal contract with Gundlach Champion Inc. (GCI) was

also completed and approved in September. GCI will be leading

the project for the Tribe and working within the GMP. Both projects will see work begin yet this year.

 The Marquette project is slated to have the new townhouses,

infrastructure installed, and three housing homes relocated before winter sets in. Work on the casino itself likely won't officially

get underway until the spring of 2017. Design and engineering

work will take place throughout the winter months.

Continues on page five.

CEO Report Continued:

Chelsey LaFernier Walk continued:

 The Baraga project will also see some work this fall. Contractors have already begun working on site assessments, and

if winter holds off, ground work may commence. Plans are also

being worked on to address numerous infrastructure and structural issues within the current facility. Design and engineering

work will also take place for the Baraga property throughout the

winter months.

 In a final note, the annual Harvest Feast is schedule to take

place on October 22 at the Zeba Hall in L'Anse. The feast will

take place from noon until 6 p.m., and everyone is encouraged

to bring a dish to pass.

Respectfully submitted,

Larry Denomie III, CEO

TRIBE CONSTRUCTS SOLAR ARRAYS AT

NEWDAY RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) has received

funding in the amount of $476,000 from the Indian Health Service

(IHS) for renewable energy projects at two of its properties. Construction of solar arrays is currently underway at the Newday Residential Treatment Facility and will begin at the Donald LaPointe

Health and Education Center in the coming weeks.

Public Works is providing the labor for the project under the direction of

Homeland Builders of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) and Blue Terra Energy

(Hancock, MI) and thereby gaining valuable experience for future solar

installation projects. Photo credit, Jason Ayres.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Guest speaker, Teri Jendusa Nicolai spoke on her terrifying experience of domestic violence. In 2004, her ex-husband tried to

murder her. She was struck in the head ten times with a baseball

bat, stuffed in a garbage can and placed in a storage locker where

she was found some 26 hours later. She was hours from death. At

the time, Teri had recently remarried and was pregnant. She lost

the baby. Teri spoke of signs of his control early in their marriage,

how she got out of the abusive marriage, her thoughts throughout

the whole terrifying ordeal, and the aftermath and healing process

she and her two daughters had to endure. Today, Teri travels from

community to community speaking out against domestic violence

and trying to help those she can. Teri is a true survivor.

Summer Cloud Drum was present for honor songs, along with

the KBIC Honor Guard, and Lisa Denomie carried the Women’s

Eagle Staff. A feast was held for participants, and a raffle was conducted at the conclusion of the events for a number of wonderful

donated prizes.

Cherie Dakota, OVW Lead, organized the event with the help of

the Women’s Advisory Board. The event was sponsored in part by

Grant No. 2014-TW-AX-0004 awarded by the U.S. Department of

Justice Office on Violence Against Women and the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

Library News and Notes

By: Angela Badke, Librarian

KBIC Council created the Committee for Alternative & Renewable Energy (CARE) in September of 2008, who created a Strategic

Energy Plan with the assistance of the Council for Energy Resources Tribes. This initial planning document established a Practical Vision, Strategic Directions, and Implementation Plan. Increased Self-Sufficiency through Sustainable Energy Development

was included under the five key components in the Practical Vision

of the KBIC Strategic Energy Plan. In June of 2012, CARE received a completed Energy Audit from Energy3 which included recommendations for each of its buildings to increase energy efficiencies. KBIC incorporated them into its building maintenance and

renovation plans at that time. In 2012, CARE also received preliminary information through a wind energy study on the feasibility of

solar as an option. Specifically this company provided information

for both the Newday Residential Treatment Facility and Commodity

Foods Warehouse that showed a return on investment within 12 to

13 years. KBIC began its initial solar deployment through a 20 KW

solar array placed at the Commodity Food Warehouse in 2013 and

to date has generated nearly 60,000 kWh of its own power and reduced its carbon foot print by reduction of CO 2 by nearly 50 tons

(100,000 lbs).

Recently, KBIC formed a partnership with Michigan Technological University’s Keweenaw Research Center (KRC) to further explore and assist the tribe with a cost and benefit analysis of installation of solar panels for all governmental offices with the strategy of

installing solar systems that would generate 65% of each building’s

energy consumption. KRC also offered technical expertise to the

tribe for optimal installation of a solar system for maximizing energy

collection; introducing the new microinverter technology that increase the efficiency of the PV system. The system currently under

construction at the Newday Residential Treatment Facility is projected to provide a $16,590 savings within the first year and a return

on investment within 12 years. The Donald LaPointe Health and

Education Center is projected to provide a $8,759 savings within

the first year and a return on investment in 18 years. Jason Ayres,

Realty/Roads Officer, is the Project Director for KBIC on this endeavor.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

The Ojibwa Community Library would like to share a few announcements and reminders for the community. First of all, we

would like to introduce our newest staff member! In October, the

library hired Dawn Sineway-Nephler, who joins us from the Little

Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Dawn was the tribal librarian for the LTBB community, and we are very excited to have her

join our team! Feel free to stop by the library to meet Dawn, and

welcome her to the area.

The library also has plans for the next Healthy Eating group,

which will take place on November 17 th. Dale Schmeisser, R.D.,

will discuss Diabetes, and how what you eat can make a difference.

Fliers will be posted around the government buildings, and throughout town, as well as advertised on our Facebook page. If you are

interested, please feel free to stop by the library, call 353-8163, or e

-mail oclib@up.net for more information. Healthy Eating Group

sessions are typically held the third Thursday of the month, from

6:00 pm — 7:30 pm. We will not be meeting in December due to

the holiday season.

Also beginning in November, the library will have the following

hours of operation:

Monday: 9:00 am—4:00 pm

Tuesday — Thursday: 9:00 am — 6:30 pm

Friday: 9:00 am — 4:00 pm

Saturday: 9:00 am — 1:00 pm

We would also like to remind the community of our closure policy as we near winter. The Ojibwa Community Library will close

due to inclement weather if Baraga Area Schools and the Tribal

Government offices are closed. Additionally, the library is closed if

the government offices are closed for holidays, or the staff members of the library are faced with unavoidable circumstances (family

emergencies, illnesses, etc.). We try to post changes to our hours

as quickly as possible, but there

may be times

where

changes

will occur on short

notice.

Please like and

follow our Facebook Page to stay

up-to-date on the

all the happenings

at the library!

(5) Naanan

KBIC Hires Forester

Jason Collins, a KBIC descendant, has joined the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community’s forces in maintaining Mother Earth for our future

generations. Jason began employment as KBIC’s Forester on September 19. He is a Michigan Tech Graduate, receiving a Bachelor’s

in Business in 2003 and a Master’s in Forestry in 2005. After graduating from MTU, he enlisted in the United States Army on active duty

for three years and was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. He did one

deployment to Iraq from 2006 to 2008. Jason was previously employed at his family’s business, Collins Sawmill, as a Procurement

Forester. “I scaled and graded saw logs in the yard and worked with

selling the lumber. I also looked for and bid on timber sales and was

the liaison between the loggers and the sawmill.”

When asked why he was interested to be KBIC’s Forester, Jason

replied, “My position in forestry is that I’ve always wanted to see it

done in a proper manner. There is a lot of bad forestry out there. I

want to see it done where the resources are protected, it’s sustainable, and it is left for the future to use… And in meaning the future, I

mean not just like ten years but one-hundred and two-hundredyears. I think a lot of places say it can be cut in 50 or 70 years, and

that’s a long time horizon. Where I think you can get a good economic yield off of a piece in the short term. You can protect water,

you can protect soils, and you can protect any sites that are culturally relevant all at the same time. So it is really a multi-use.”

As the Tribe’s Forester, Jason oversees the Tribe’s forest (Tribal

land and fee land) and makes sure that conditions are able to sustain the natural resource. He sets up Timber Stand Improvements

(TSI), marking areas to have certain trees cut where Tribal members

go in a do that harvest. All the wood on the ground from the TSI can

be used by people for firewood. He does timber sales where he

marks the timber to be cut and solicits bids on the sale of the standing trees resulting in a Tribal logger going in and harvesting those

trees. The proceeds from that sale go to the land owner being either

the tribe or allotment owners. After the Timber Sale is completed, if

there is no natural regeneration, planting will be done. Jason indicated, “Normally, we rely on natural regeneration of the forest, but

we have a few planting projects coming up in the next year. One is

due to climate change, and that one is located on the Bear Town

Road. Another one will be a few acres in Ontonagon County where

there was a trespassing, and the regeneration is not coming back.”

Jason also oversees brushing and crop-tree release. Crop tree release is where Tribal members are paid to go in and thin out an area

mechanically to get the desired trees that they’d rather have in that

site.

Jason said, “I am grateful for this opportunity to work for the

Tribe, preserve the resource, and use it for the benefit of the Tribal

members.” Jason lives in L’Anse with his wife and two children. Jason (left) is the grandson of Elizor (Bucky) Collins, whom he is pictured with above.

~ by Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

BUILDING OF NON-MOTORIZED

PATHWAY AT KBIC

The 2000 Consent judgment between the State of Michigan and

the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community included the Tribe agreeing to

payments to be made to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) of 8% of the net win of Class III gaming at the

Ojibwa Casino II located in Harvey, MI. The MEDC in turn provides

grants to Tribal Communities for economic development out of these

8% payments.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) applied for

and received a grant in 2014 from the MEDC to perform a feasibility

study for a non-motorized pathway to connect the communities of

the Tribe located in Zeba and Baraga. U.P. Engineers & Architects,

Inc. (UPEA) was retained by KBIC to assist with the professional

(6) Ningodwaaswi

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

A view from the future non-motorized pathway.

analysis required to complete the feasibility study. The feasibility

study was completed in 2015.

KBIC’s interest in a non-motorized pathway stems from a desire

to connect the communities living on both sides of the Bay, increase recreational opportunities, and promote healthy lifestyles

with increased safe walking opportunities for residents and visitors

to the area surrounding Keweenaw Bay. The trail will connect numerous areas of interest together and provide a designated safer

option for traveling the corridors between them. The purpose of

creating this trail is to open up new opportunities for recreation,

wildlife viewing, and exercise which will increase the number of

visitors to many areas along the trail corridor leading to favorable

economic impacts on top of increased recreational appeal and

healthy lifestyles of the entire area. The trail is proposed to be built

in seven sections.

KBIC applied for a MEDC grant in July of 2016 to build a section

of the trail which will be 1.47 miles in length, ten feet wide and

paved, running from the Baraga Marina to the Sand Point Recreation Area. This portion of the trail will provide access to the Baraga

Marina, and any potential future recreational development along

the Baraga waterfront as well as access to the Sand Point Lighthouse and Ojibwa Recreational Area Campground on Sand Point.

Total project costs are estimated to be $527,192.50. KBIC was

awarded the grant in October (FY2017) by MEDC in the amount of

$377,192.50. The Village of Baraga, the Downtown Development

Authority, and the Tribe have all committed to a $50,000 in match,

totaling the remaining balance of $150,000.00, with the Michigan

DNR providing a portion of the land. Jim Koskiniemi, P.E. of U.P.

Engineers & Architects developed all cost estimates and assured

the Tribe that if the funding was secured by December 31, 2016,

final surveying, permitting, planning, and specifications would begin immediately, so construction could begin in the spring of 2017

and be completed by fall of 2017.

Sarah Maki, Assistant CEO, said, “The trails were initially

started by the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department in the 1990's

to give the public access to wetland areas, help with wild rice restoration, and provide wetland viewing opportunities. They expanded with the Sand Point restoration project and capping the

stamp sands. Many partnerships were formed, including the

Earthkeepers’ Covenant, USDA NRCS, Baraga County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, and Baraga County Trails in Motion. Michigan DOT has been guiding the Natural Resources Department in expanding the trail between L'Anse and

Baraga. There have been many stakeholders at those meetings

including Michigan DNR, Village of Baraga, Village of L'Anse,

Baraga County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Baraga County

Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Baraga County Road Commission, Baraga County Trails

in Motion, Baraga State Park, and numerous volunteers who have

assisted with trail development and maintenance.” Everyone involved believes when this first section is built, the interest and increased tourist popularity, along with healthy living opportunity, will

drive the entire pathway toward completion.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

Notice from the Motor Vehicle Division

Lengthy transactions will not be

processed after 4:10 each day,

effective immediately.

Thank you in advance for

your cooperation.

"Our new website went live Friday, September 30th! This is

made possible through the BALAC grant we received from

GLITC/CDC.

This website was created to share community health events,

clinical programming and the latest health news. Please check

out the website and feel free to provide us with any compliments, complaints or ideas you would like to see.

The website is also mobile friendly!

Please visit: www.kbichealth.org"

KBIC Youth Programs brought the goods to Harvey for the Marquette

County Tribal Youth’s Halloween Party. Witches, monsters, and goblins

gathered on Saturday, October 22, 2016, at the Harvey Community Center, located behind the Ojibwa Casino II, for an afternoon of fun. Those

present participated in games, won prizes, and enjoyed a meal from

Jett’s Pizza. A good time was had by all.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

(left to right) 3rd place $10 winner —Tiger/

Jacob Spade, age 4, 2nd place $15 winner —

Poison Ivy/Hailey Spade, age 6, 1st place $20

winner — Bonnie/Ana Rose, age 9.

HARVEST FEAST HELD AT ZEBA COMMUNITY HALL

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Hoping for the big prize at the Punch Board game.

The KBIC Annual Harvest

Feast was held Saturday, October 22, 2016, at the Zeba Community Hall in Zeba, Michigan.

The event began with a sunrise ceremony at 7:30 a.m., conducted by Debbie Williamson and

Tom Williams. Organizer Rodney

Loonsfoot said “The fire was lit. It

was beautiful and the sky turned

red and orange. At noon we offered semaa and gave an explanation of why we hold a feast.

After the blessing of the food, the

grand feast was held. We had a

drum social. We sang a few

songs and an honor song for the veterans after the food.”

The event was sponsored by the KBIC Community and the Wiikwedong Ogitchidaa Society.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

(7) Niizhwaaswi

Tribal Council Secretary’s Report for the

Month of September 2016

ANIN! We honor the greatness in you.

Remember: “Indian Country Counts”

“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.

Mino-Bimaadizin “Live Well”

The Tribal Council held their Regular Saturday Meeting on September 10, 2016; two

Special Council meetings were held on September 15, and 29, 2016; and three Finance/

Special Council meetings were held on September 26, 27, and 28, 2016. Approved minutes for September 27, 28, 2016 are available on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Website. The unapproved motions for September 10, 15, and 26, 2016, follow. Actions

taken were:

September 10, 2016 Special Council Meeting (unapproved):

 Approved the Tribal Council Vice President’s Report.

 Approved the Tribal Council Secretary’s July-August 2016 Report.

 Approved the June-July 2016 Department Head Reports.

 Approved the August 18, 2016 Tribal Council Meeting Minutes.

 Approved the Enterprise Systems Group Support Renewal Agreement for the Health

Clinic for $16,238.00.

 Approved the Greenway Health Mediadent software and training for the Health Clinic

for $3,000.00.

 Approved the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Memorandum of Agreement

for three years with the changes.

 Approved Resolution KB 053-2016 Monique R. Jondreau Residential Lease.

 Approved the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau 2016 Membership Fee

in the amount of $125.00 to be paid from the Ojibwa Casino and that they attend the

meetings.

 Approved the September 2016 donations as the following: $500.00 Special Olympics

match, $250.00 Superior Health Foundation “Paint the Peninsula Pink in Marquette,”

$260.00 Mike Hazen, Sr. Memorial Golf Scramble.

 2nd and 3rd Reading: Approved the proposed amendment to ordinance 2016-05 Title

One Provisions of the Tribal Code Section 1.203 Tribal Prosecuting Attorney Qualifications with the typographical change.

September 15, 2016 Special Council Meeting (unapproved):

 Approved the August 25, and September 6, 2016 Tribal Council Minutes.

 Approved the Enterprise Systems Group Support Renewal Agreement for the Health

Clinic for the corrected cost of $17,145.00.

 Approved the “Jimiganish Wadokaged” liquor license renewal October 3, 2016 – October 2, 2017.

 Approved Gerald Jondreau’s business license renewal for “Traditional Treasures” August 18, 2016 – August 17, 2016.

 Approved the Natural Resources Department Biological Services Subcontract with

Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission for $44,085.55 August 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016.

 Approved the First Amendment to the Altronex Control Systems Tier III Services

Agreement for $32,906.00 which adds another production well and head tank at the

Natural Resources Fish Hatchery.

 Approved the Memorandum of Agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural

Resources for $20,000.00 for Wild Rice Beds Establishment.

 Approved Shayn Foucault’s donation request for a team sponsorship to the 2nd Annual Mike Hazen, Sr. Memorial (4) Person Golf Scramble.

 Approved the Tier III Services Agreement for SuperiorRX, Inc. with Michael McLucas

for fill-in pharmacy services June 6, 2016-July 6, 2017.

 Approved the Assistant Tribal Attorney Employment Agreement with Roberto Escobar,

September 19, 2016 – September 20, 2017.

 Approved the KBIC Newsletter Editor Services bid to Lauri Denomie.

 Approved the First Amendment to the MJO Contracting, Inc. Agreement (Ford Farm

Road paving).

 Approved to offer the Ojibwa Casinos General Manager position to Don Wren and negotiate the wage.

September 26, 2016 Finance/Special Council Meeting (unapproved):

 Reviewed 16 Budgets.

 Approved Resolution KB 054-2016 Revised Land Acquisition of the Van Straten Property on the Indian Cemetery Road for $55,000.00.

Report to the Tribal Council regarding the “Beartown Firefighters Relief Fund”

The Relief Account was established for the fundraising efforts and donations received

to assist the families of the deceased and injured Beartown Firefighters.

As of October 7, 2016, the total amount donated was $37,704.96. The Beartown Firefighters, their families, and the Tribal Council express their sincere thank you to everyone

who donated and sent well wishes; it is appreciated so much that words cannot express

the gratitude felt.

All nine families involved have been given gift cards for gas, food, clothing, and other

needs have been paid. We will continue to give out the cards on a weekly basis. A meeting was held with the deceased families and injured firefighters on Friday, October 7,

2016, to explain the funds that are still available for the coming months and to help with

the enormous amount of paperwork that still needs to be filed.

Thank you to everyone who has helped in any way since the accident; your help will

not be forgotten. Continue to remember our firefighters and their families in your prayers

and with your support.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan J. LaFernier

(8) Ishwaaswi

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON

INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDPIR)

FY 2016 NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS*

(Effective Oct. 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2016)

*The net monthly income standard for each household size

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

the applicable SNAP standard deduction.

48 Contiguous United

States:

Household

Size

Use this

amount

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP

Standard Deduction

FDPIR Net

Monthly Income Standard

1

$ 981

+

$155

=

$1,136

2

$1,328

+

$155

=

$1,483

3

$1,675

+

$155

=

$1,830

4

$2,021

+

$168

=

$2,189

5

$2,368

+

$197

=

$2,565

6

$2,715

+

$226

=

$2,941

7

$3,061

+

$226

=

$3,287

8

$3,408

+

$226

=

$3,634

Each additional member

+ $347

Alaska:

Use this

amount

Household

Size

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP

Standard Deduction

1

$1,227

+

$265

=

$1,492

2

$1,660

+

$265

=

$1,925

3

$2,094

+

$265

=

$2,359

4

$2,527

+

$265

=

$2,792

5

$2,960

+

$265

=

$3,225

6

$3,394

+

$282

=

$3,676

7

$3,827

+

$282

=

$4,109

8

$4,260

+

$282

=

$4,542

Each additional member

FDPIR Net

Monthly Income Standard

+ $434

Linda A. Messer

(April 25, 1950—October 1, 2016)

Linda A. Messer, age 66, of Baraga, MI,

passed away Saturday, October 1, 2016, at

Baraga County Memorial Hospital, L’Anse,

MI. She was born in L’Anse on April 25,

1950, the daughter of the late Joseph and

Grace (Genschow) Mayo. Linda attended

school in Baraga. She married Donald B.

Messer in Baraga on October 10, 1970. He

preceded her in death on June 2, 2010.

Linda had worked as a housekeeper for the

Ojibwa Casino until her retirement. She was

a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church and

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Linda

enjoyed gardening, taking care of her birds,

spending time with her grandchildren, and

having her family together for Sunday dinners.

Linda is survived by her loving sons: Donald Messer (Don Jr.), Jerry Mayo, and Jason

Messer all of Baraga; grandchildren: Kayla

and Makenzie; brother: Gary Mayo of

Baraga; and daughter-in-law: Michelle

Messer. Numerous nieces, nephews, and

cousins also survive. She was preceded in

death by her parents; husband: Donald;

grandson: Brendan Mayo; brother: Joe

Mayo; and sisters: Janice Beck and Betty

Jean Garcia.

Graveside services for Linda were held

Tuesday, October 11, 2016, at the Baraga

Cemetery with Father Corey Litzner officiating. Following the services at the cemetery,

the family invited friends to joined them for a

luncheon at Linda's home.

Veteran’s Meeting, November

16, 2016, 7 p.m. at the Veteran’s

Building, Industrial Park,

Baraga, MI

(9) Zhaangaswi

KBIC WILL BUILD HALFWAY HOUSE

KBIC applied for an Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) through Housing

and Urban Development (HUD) to fund a Halfway House and was awarded the grant in September 2016 in the amount of $600,000. The

total estimation of the Halfway House project is

$800,000 with the remaining $200,000 coming

from the Tribe.

KBIC Substance Abuse Program staff has

identified that 95% of inpatient clients within the

last seventeen months were low income. This

project has been a long term discussion topic of

the Tribe’s Substance Abuse Program staff, our

recovering Tribal members, Tribal Council, Community members, and the Tribal Court, especially since establishing our Substance Abuse

Programs and most recently our Healing to Wellness Court. It also fits well with the Tribe’s long

term goals of providing transitional housing and

encouraging a life without alcohol or drugs as

outlined in our Strategic Plan.

For many years, the KBIC has experienced

problems with alcohol and marijuana; however,

over the last few years there has been a significant rise in prescription drug abuse and harder

drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Tribal Court reports that over 40%

of their criminal cases are related to drug and

alcohol abuse. This abuse is also responsible

for a 40%+ recidivism rate as well.

Income levels of Tribal members suffering

from addiction problems in the community are

incredibly low, and many live with their families,

friends, or as “couch surfers”. Unfortunately

their addictive behaviors have reaped havoc for

themselves, their families, and the community;

they have also acquired legal problems along

the way. Many have lost their self-esteem, dignity, relationships, jobs, etc. The Halfway House

project is movement to combat the substance

abuse problem of members within the Tribe.

Drug crimes in our area include two recent

undercover operations resulting in multiple arrests relying on the KBIC Tribal Police, local Village Police, Sheriff Departments, DEA, U.S.

Marshalls Office, Upper Peninsula Substance

Enforcement Team (UPSET), and the Michigan

State Police to assist with the investigations and

arrests. One of these stings resulted in the largest drug bust in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

and occurred within our Reservation boundaries

in December 2014. This sting resulted in an

arrest of ten Tribal members and seven others.

UPSET, the FBI's Upper Peninsula Safe Trails

Task Force, and the BIA all were involved in the

year-long joint investigation. Federal, state, and

tribal warrants totaled 49 counts related to the

sale and distribution of various narcotics. In addition, on February 12, 2016, there was another

Meth bust, and the individuals were charged

with

Controlled

Substance

Operating/

Maintaining a Meth Lab and Controlled Substance Delivering/Manufacturing Meth. Unfortunately, one of those arrested was a Tribal Member.

Michigan’s Child Protective Services confirmed that, “1,379 infants were born in Michigan

exposed to drugs in 2008. That number has

risen steadily over the years to – 3,217 infants in

2013.” On May 20, 2016, a local television story

included that, “Marquette County sees the highest number of drug addicted babies in the state

per capita,” said D/Lt. Tim Scholander with

Michigan State Police UPSET, and “the Upper

Peninsula is a destination area for narcotics.”

The majority of our Tribal member babies are

born in Marquette County because our local

hospital does not provide childbirth services. In

fact, since 2011, our Health Department reports

that out of 43 infants enrolled in our Healthy

Start Program who reported drug screening at

birth, 23 had a negative screen, and 20 had a

positive screen. Seventy-five infants were unknown, results not shared, or a screening was

not done. Furthermore, among the 31 infants

with a reported extended stay in the hospital

after birth, 32% were due to drug-related issues (Neonatal Abstinence syndrome).

In 2015, there were 158 Criminal cases

heard, and four Protection/Restraining Orders

filed. Of the 158 Criminal cases brought before

Tribal Court, 70 or 44% of these crimes were

related to drug and alcohol abuse, and 63 or

40% of the 158 cases were acts of recidivism.

In addition, our Healing to Wellness Court

served 11 participants, and New Day residential

treatment center for substance abuse served

(10) Midaaswi

103 residential clients.

KBIC conducted a survey of adult members

living on the Reservation in November of 2013 in

which 39% identified themselves as not employed, and 36.7% had annual incomes under

federal poverty levels. In fact, for the past five

years, Baraga County has continually ranked

among the highest unemployment rates in the

nation.

In order to deal with these problems, the

KBIC’s Substance Abuse Program (SAP) provides culturally relevant prevention and intervention programming in terms of both residential

and outpatient treatment for alcoholism and

chemical dependency. We have also implemented a Healing to Wellness Court to address

substance abuse and the rising rate of recidivism and incarcerations. Key components include supervision and providing access to holistic, structured and phased substance abuse

treatment, and rehabilitation services. Despite

these efforts, the problems are persisting.

Our Tribal members are struggling with substance abuse problems and finding it hard to

stay sober even after completing inpatient treatment due to the lack of long term treatment or

care available in our area and returning to the

same environment that drove them to treatment

in the first place. This results in a tremendous

burden on the Tribal member and the Tribe as a

whole. It is anticipated that the chosen approaches will restore viability to our Tribal families in that Halfway House occupants will experience a renewed sense of pride in themselves

and their community and will want to maintain

and improve their sobriety.

KBIC’s Halfway House will address the two

largest barriers to Tribal Members’ long term

sobriety after they complete an in-patient substance abuse treatment program. The lack of

long term treatment currently available in our

area and relapse due to immediately returning to

the same environment that drove them to treatment in the first place. Living in this type of environment can support sobriety and help residents

who are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs adjust

to life and transition from inpatient treatment to

living independently and becoming productive

members of the community. Tribal members

who live in KBIC’s Halfway House will have to

follow certain rules and contribute to the home,

but most importantly they must stay sober

throughout their entire stay in the home. These

types of homes help residents stay sober by

keeping expectations high and giving them support while allowing them to resume normal activities such as working or going to school. Residents can also get support from one another in

the home and make new friends who are committed to sobriety. A normal stay will last between three and twelve months. Each Tribal

Member resident will sign an agreement with the

Tribe stating that they are willing participants in

the project, will remain sober while residing in

the home, and will help protect the home from

damage.

The Halfway House will have eight rooms

accommodating twelve persons, six male and

six female in six bedrooms, and two offices.

Tribal Council has attested by Resolution KB024-2016 that 100% of all units of the Halfway

House will be occupied by Low to Moderate Income (LMI) Tribal members.

The Halfway

House will be built on land near the New Day

Treatment Center located on Brewery Road in

L’Anse, Michigan, and it is close to town and

services. Construction is hoped to begin in the

summer of 2017. The Tribe has until October

2019 to complete the project. Finally, the feasibility of the project will be enhanced by hopefully

moving the Tribe’s outpatient services from a

building that it is currently renting at $850 a

month to a location possibly next to the Halfway

House for a total yearly savings on rental fees in

the amount of $10,200 per year. The movement

of outpatient services is contingent upon funding. Sarah Maki, Assistant CEO, said, “Right

now an environmental review has started. Once

this is completed, the Tribe will be hiring a consultant to develop land use for the whole area

from the tree line on the west side of New Day

Residential Treatment Center to the corner of

Vuk and Brewery roads. The land use plan will

have to coordinate the current New Day Residential Treatment Center, a new Outpatient

building, solar panels, the community garden,

Walleye ponds, bee hives, and the orchard. At a

recent planning meeting it was decided that a

consultant was really needed to look at the infrastructure and what is actually there now in order

to determine the best location.”

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor

KBIC ELDERS IS YOUR WILL IN PLACE?

Gabrielle Dantzer, Attorney with the Eliason Law Office will be available on Friday, November 4, 2016, for intake appointments of Will and Power of Attorney Documents

preparation for Tribal Elders. Please contact Geneva Brennan in the Tribal Attorney’s

Office to schedule an appointment at (906) 353-4107.

ANNOUNCEMENT: GLIFWC will be sponsoring

a HACCP Seafood Safety class in partnership

with MSU Sea Grant.

Where: Bay Mills Resort and Casino in Brimley,

Michigan.

When: December 13th, 14th, and 15th - 2016

Participants must attend all three days to

obtain the HACCP certificate and have their

travel costs reimbursed by GLIFWC.

IF INTERESTED TRIBAL MEMBERS MUST

CALL BOTH OF THE CONTACT INDIVIDUALS

LISTED BELOW:

Registration Deadline: November 30, 2016 –

Contact Ron Kinnunen at MSU Sea Grant at 906226-3687.

Hotel Deadline: Call GLIFWC as soon as possible if you are interested in participating in the

HACCP class and obtaining a hotel reservation.

You must finalize all travel arrangements with

GLIFWC by November 30, 2016. Contact Zoongee Leith, GLIFWC Planning/ANA Secretary at

715-682-6619.

November 2016 Calendar Events









Nov. 5: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9 am, Ojibwa

Casino Conference Room, Baraga; Primary Election

10 am—6 pm;

Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day, Gov’t offices closed;

Nov. 24: Happy Thanksgiving, Gov’t offices closed;

Nov. 25: Native American Heritage Day, Gov’t offices closed.

~ submitted by newsletter editor

(11) Ashi bezhig

~ NOTICE ~

TO ALL KBIC SENIORS 55 YEARS

OF AGE OR OLDER, AND PERMANENTLY PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED-DISABLED PERSON:

SNOW PLOWING REQUIREMENTS

Head of Household Name: ______________

____________________________________

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal

Member’s Enrollment #: ____________

Reside on the Reservation (Baraga County):

__________ Yes __________ No

Physical Address: _____________________

____________________________________

L’Anse __________

Baraga __________

Telephone Number: (906) _______________

Proof of Age — Birth Date: ____/____/_____

Sign up at the front desk at the Tribal Center

with proof (Enrollment Card, Driver’s License,

and/or proof of disability) or mail the information to:

KBIC Tribal Center

ATTN: Front Desk Receptionist

16429 Bear Town Road

Baraga, MI 49908

The Tribal Council will consider plowing privileges for those with permanent, physical disabilities within a “five” mile radius off the Reservation. Please submit a request and the

above information.

* approved 01-14-2011

Tribal Council Meeting

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Tribal Social Services is seeking volunteers to serve as guardian or conservator to a growing

number of community members in need. If you have extra time and skills that could assist people

to help manage their financial affairs, or would like to help someone be able to manage their daily

living, you could make the difference to someone in the community.

Please contact KBIC Tribal Social Services if you are interested or seek further information

about becoming a guardian or conservator at (906) 353-4201.

Permit No. 62

U.S Postage PAID

Big Rapids, MI 49307

PRE-SORT STANDARD

(12) Ashi Niizh

Our Community is in need of homes for

infants ages 0-2 years. We are also seeking forever homes - families who are willing to be fostering to adopt homes.

KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY

OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES

472 N. Superior Ave. • Baraga, MI 49908

In Tribal Court Building

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

• E-mail: ocss@kbic-nsn.gov

“Your Children…Our Priority”

Become a

Foster Parent

We provide the following services:

 Establishment, Enforcement

and Modification of Child

Support Orders

 Paternity Establishment

 Location of Custodial and

Non-Custodial Parents

 Community Education

The Binnakwe Giizis Powwow

(Falling Leaves Moon Powwow) was

held at Michigan Technological University’s SDC Wood Gym, on Saturday, October 8, 2016, with grand entries at 2 pm and 7 pm. Many Community members attended the event

that was funded in part by KBIC.

Shown to the left are Head Dancers:

James Cohen and Raeanne Madison. Head Veteran Dancer Evonne

Allard (current Michigan Tech AISES

member) led the KBIC Veteran

Honor Guard in the grand entries.

KBIC Member Stanley Spruce served

as Master of Ceremonies and Darrell

Kingbird as the Arena Director. Host

drum was KBIC’s Four Thunders,

and co-host drum was KBIC’s Woodland Singers.

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

16429 Bear Town Rd-Baraga, Mi 49908-9210

Binnakwe Giizis

Powwow Held At

Michigan Technology

University

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Deb Williamson, Jingle Dress

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

~ By Lauri Denomie, Newsletter Editor