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

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Akeweenaw_bay%3Acbd3f06be7a4136c

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

GIIKENDAAM
CHIWIIKWEGAMAG
All You Need To Know About The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Manoominike Giizis - Rice Making Moon - September 2008 Issue 51
Tribal Council Members:

Tashina EmeryEmery-Kauppila Crowned Miss Keweenaw Bay

Warren C. Swartz Jr., President
Susan J. LaFernier, Vice-President
Toni Minton, Secretary
William E. Emery, Asst. Secretary
Jennifer Misegan, Treasurer
Larry J. Denomie III, CEO
Doreen Blaker
Elizabeth D. Mayo
Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.
Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews
Jerry Lee Curtis
Frederick Dakota

SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:

Fifteen-year-old Tashina Emery-Kauppila was crowned Friday evening, July 25th, as Keweenaw Bay’s Royalty for the 2008 term. Tashina is the daughter of Jeanne and Dave
Kauppila of Baraga. Tashina was one of five candidates eligible for this year’s crown.

The 30th Annual Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community Maawanji’iding was held July 2527, 2008, at the Ojibwa Powwow Campgrounds in Baraga, Michigan. This year’s
theme was “Honor Our Public Service Providers.” With 403 registered dancers and 12 registered drums, participants and spectators enjoyed a weekend of beautiful weather, song
and dancers. Tribal President, Warren “Chris”
Swartz Jr., gave the welcome following Friday
evening’s grand entry. The Powwow committee honored the following six elders this year,
Elizabeth Galer, James “Jay” Loonsfoot,
Charles “Chuck” Loonsfoot, Sr., Violet Friisvall,

Warren “Jerry” Swartz, Sr. and Loretta Hugo.
Buffalo Horse, Minnesota Ojibwa, honored the
community as host drum along with Four
Thunders, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa, as co-host
drum. Other community honors were: Jim St.
Arnold (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) as Head Veteran Dancer, Lester Drift Memorial Head Male
Dancer (Rodney Loonsfoot-Friday evening
grand entry, Alden Connor Sr.-Saturday afternoon grand entry, Donald Chosa Jr.-Saturday
evening grand entry, Donald Chosa III-Sunday
grand entry), Rebecca Genschow (Keweenaw
Bay Ojibwa) as Head Female Dancer, Leon
Chosa (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) as Head Male
Continued on page seven.

•

August 16, 2008, Tribal
Council meeting

•

KBIC Summer Youth
Build Butterfly Houses
for the Zaagkii Project

•

KBOCC passes Accreditation Eligibility Review

•

Rapid Watershed Assessment Project

•

Make A Difference Youth
Foundation

•

Continuing To Protect
The Earth

•

Aabinoojiiyens

•

Ojibwemowin

President Warren “Chris”
Swartz Jr. welcomes all to the
2008 Maawanji’iding following
grand entry on Friday, July 25th.

(1) Bezhig

August 16, 2008 — Tribal Council Meeting
The Tribal Council held their regularly
scheduled Saturday Tribal Council meeting on
August 16, 2008, in the Chippewa Room of the
Ojibwa Resort Motel in Baraga, Michigan.
Warren C. Swartz Jr. presided over the meeting with Susan LaFernier, Toni Minton, William
E. Emery, Jennifer Misegan, Larry Denomie
III, Jerry Lee Curtis, Michael F. LaFernier Sr.,
Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews, Elizabeth D. Mayo
and Fred Dakota present. President Swartz
shared numerous Thank You and For Your
Information items addressed to Council.
Council approved the Department Head reports for June 2008. One of the information
items mentioned was regarding the Cultural
Committee’s Film and Photo Project. Fifteen
tapes had been made during the 2007 Cultural
Week Workshops, but high expenses prevented the editing of the tapes. Chuck Miller,
a KBIC Tribal Member, has expressed an interest through possible contract to produce a
documentary or a presentation about the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Chuck Miller
has experience in freelance filmmaking. He is
currently shooting and editing an environmental documentary, Planet of the Humans.
He is currently working on a proposal for the
Cultural Committee to assist them with their
film and photo projects. The Council will need
to review the expense as the Cultural Committee does not have the funds to take on such a
venture, and this topic will be brought up again
at the budget meeting.
Warren “Chris” Swartz Jr. gave the President’s report.
David Dix of the Michigan
Gaming Control Board did an onsite visit July
7-15. The purpose of the sight visit was to inspect the Tribe’s Class III gaming related records for the purpose of verifying the reported
net win at each Casino derived from all Class
III electronic games of chance, and in relation
to our 8% payments, making sure they have
been properly remitted for fiscal years 2006
and 2007.
Due to the resignation of Leon LaBeau,
President Swartz appointed Lawrence “Fulla”
Swartz to the Natural Resources Committee.
On July 21st, President Swartz had been
informed that one of the transfer homes was in
transport to the community and was going to
be stored at the industrial park site.
President Swartz corresponded with Jennifer Rajala, City Clerk of Ishpeming, regarding
the status of the Marquette Casino in Negaunee Township. She was worried that our direction had changed, and President Swartz
wanted to update her that the Council still
maintains putting a casino in Negaunee Township.
President Swartz indicated that he welcomed everyone to the 30th Annual Keweenaw Bay Powwow. The powwow was a
huge success.
President Swartz met with the Gaming
Commissioners per Council’s request.
President Swartz reported on CITES an
acronym for Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora.
These CITES tags must be attached to certain
animal skins, including furs, in order to transport them to international markets. The absences of tribal CITES programs has made it
difficult for tribal trappers to sell furs. In the
past, Federal officials denied CITES authority
to Great Lakes Tribes, insisting that tribes participate under state programs. Some tribes felt
this infringed on sovereignty and their ability to
self regulate, as well as making the process of
attaining tags unnecessarily cumbersome to
their tribal trappers. Without properly attached
CITES tags, fur buyers and many taxidermist
decline to purchase or handle pelts. President
Swartz had asked Councilmember Fred Dakota to attend the VOIGHT Task meeting on
behalf of the Community and to inform
GLIFWC that we would be willing to participate
in meetings to comply with the CITES tags. It

(2) Niizh

is a Federal requirement in order to sell otter
and bobcat. Fred Dakota did attend that meeting.
The Community received a thank you from
Margaret Comfort regarding our donation for
Walking The U.P. For Clean Water. Beginning August 17th, a lively group of dedicated
and concerned citizens will walk with a support
team from Eagle Rock on the Yellow Dog
Plains to their final destination on the Mackinaw Bridge. The team will walk across the
U.P. to raise awareness about the potential
harmful effects of metallic sulfide and uranium
mining.
For more information see
www.savethewildup.org.
President Swartz attended a 2008 Symposium on Sex Offenders Management and Accountability which was held on July 30-August
1 in Baltimore, Maryland. The symposium included key note addresses and concurrent
sessions that discussed a wide variety of topics relating to sex offender management and
the implementation of the Adam Walsh Act.
The symposium also offered specialized tracks
focusing on policy, enforcement, emergent
issues and other Indian Country issues.
SMART administers the standards for sex offender registration; administering grant programs relating to sex offender registration and
notification; cooperates with and offers technical assistances of states, territories, local units
of government and tribal government; and they
also perform other functions as the Attorney
General may delegate. Their mission is to insure that sex offenders are prohibited from
preying on citizens through a system of appropriate restrictions, regulations and tracking.
SMART is an acronym for Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking, of sex offenders. It is important for the
Community to continue to get the registration
of those sex offenders here on the reservation
because currently in Indian Country, sex offenders are forum shopping which means they
are looking for jurisdictions that don’t have any
registration requirements, so they don’t have
to be tracked when they come to those Indian
reservations. This is an attempt to close the
loop holes, so we can continue to track sex
offenders in Indian Country also. There are a
few technical problems that need to be worked
out, but we can file for a couple of extensions;
however, we do need to show that we are
working toward the implementation of the requirements.
President Swartz and Council attended a
presentation with the Community held in the
Chippewa Room last Thursday to promote
comprehensive strategies to reduce crime and
revitalize communities. CCDO helps communities help themselves enabling them to reduce drug crime and strengthen community
capacity to increase the quality of life here on
the reservation and to promote long term community health and resilience. The team will be
issuing a final report which will be forthcoming
in the near future. There were many good
ideas discussed at that meeting.
Regarding ordinances, President Swartz
stated that Tribal Council held a second reading of the Tobacco ordinance on August 11th
to hear from concerned tribal members. The
turnout for this meeting was good, and Council
had the opportunity to hear from a number of
tribal members. The Council now needs to
schedule a third reading of the proposed ordinance. Tribal Council also held a second
reading of the proposed Appellate Court ordinance on July 31st, and Council also needs to
schedule a third reading of that proposed ordinance.
President Swartz concluded his report stating that he attended a celebration in the Ottawa National Forest near the Bear’s Den
Lookout sight. It is that place in the Sturgeon
Gorge area where one can look out and see
everything. It is the next road past the Silver

Mountain and is a beautiful sight. The National Ottawa Forest acquired about 2,000
acres from the Wisconsin Electric Company
with the help of U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Bart
Stupak’s office. It is great that Wisconsin
Electrical Company is giving that to the National Ottawa Forest and that they were preserving it for the next seven generations. Any
addition to the Ottawa National Forest is great
for the Community because it gives us the opportunity to hunt and fish more land.
Vice President Susan LaFernier gave the
Vice President report for July 2008. On July 8,
Vice-President LaFernier attended a Drug
Task Force meeting. The Task Force continues to work with New Day on possible future
projects and will be meeting with the grant
writer on possible grants. The Drug Task
Force is continuing to work on a billboard and
brochures. Please listen for our Eagle Radio
station ads regarding Crystal Meth. Remember the Drug Tip Line is 353-DRUG (3533784). Vice President LaFernier expressed a
thank you to Todd Warner and the Natural Resource Dept. staff for coordinating the 2008
KBIC Clean Sweep which was held on the
same date as the Council meeting - August
16. Our contested Court hearing on mining
has concluded hearing witnesses, and our attorneys have until September 23 to prepare
the proposed findings of fact and conclusions
of law. The hearing officer will then either
grant or deny the 632 mining permit and Part
31 groundwater discharge permit. There have
been discussions about reopening the Humboldt Processing Facility. According to the
DEQ, a separate permit would be required under Part 632 for the reopening of the facility
because it is not within or adjacent to the site
of the proposed mining activities. An amendment of the mining permit for construction of a
new haul road and any extensions of the electrical service from Road 550 to the mine site
would be required. Vice President LaFernier
participated in the IHS Tribal Advisory Board
conference call on July 28th and 29th. She
participated on the “Keep It In The U.P.” Eagle
radio show regarding the first “Protect The
Earth Summit” held on August 3-4, with
Gabriel Caplett from the Yellow Dog Summer
group.
Larry Denomie III, CEO, gave a report for
July 2008. The month of July was a very quiet
month as many directors and employees utilized vacation time. The budget preparation
process will begin as fiscal year 2009 is fast
approaching. This year will progress a little
differently than in the past due to the fact that
the finalization of the new wage system is not
complete. Notices have been issued to every
department within the Tribe requesting they
complete as much of their budgets as possible, and once the final wage information is approved by Council, departments will be given a
two week period to complete their budgets.
Another change in the process this year is the
requirement that the General Managers and
the CEO’s office approve submitted budgets
prior to them being submitted for review by
Council. This should aid in moving the process along faster at the Council level. The
Wage Task Force will be meeting at the end of
August and probably two additional times in
early September will be needed to complete
the work needed to complete the process.
The first rounds of wage adjustments were
made to employees through grade six in the
wage system. Eligible governmental employees’ adjustments showed up on their July 25th
paychecks, and the eligible enterprise employees received their adjustments in their August
8th paychecks. Every employee received a
notice with their paychecks explaining the
process and what to expect in the coming
weeks. We have received official notice that
the Even Start Program will be funded for anContinued on page three.

Continued from page two.

other year. The program has been under the
direction of Mary DeLine but will soon be led
by another director as Ms. DeLine has recently
resigned from the program to take a position
with Ojibwa Community College. The position
has been posted and closed on August 15.
Applications will be reviewed and interviews
will be scheduled in the near future. On July
25th, Council terminated the contract of Ed
Janisse who was serving as the General Manager of the Tribes radio stations. Todd Overbeek, aka “Todd VanDyke”, has been placed
into the position on an interim basis. Another
change to the staffing at the stations will occur
as well. Jackie Marinich will be leaving as the
Sales Manager since she has accepted the
vacant position of Marketing Manager for the
Tribes Casinos. Jackie will stay on at the radio stations until a replacement is hired and
trained. The annual powwow took place the
week of July 24th. Beautiful weather allowed
for a nice weekend for the attendees. It has
been reported that dancer numbers were
down from years past, and it is speculated that
fuel prices were the cause. Many hours of
planning and organizing go into the event each
year and a huge Miigwetch goes out to all
those who made it a success including the
Powwow Committee, volunteers and workers.
Toni Minton presented the Secretary’s Report. In July 2008, the Tribal Council had one
regular Tribal Council meeting, two finance
meetings and four special Council meetings.
The regular Council meeting was held on July
12th and was covered in the August 2008
Tribal Newsletter. The first special Council
meeting was held on July 8, 2008. Actions
taken were: waived the GED requirement to
hire a former Pines employee and Council
agreed to go back to Tribal First Insurance
through 3M. The second special Council
meeting was held on July 17, 2008. Actions
taken were to: approved the meeting minutes
of April 10, May 15 and May 28, 2008, waived
the survey requirement on the Swartz property
acquisition, agreed to move the August 2nd
regular meeting to August 16th, approved a
donation of $1,832.76 for John Paul DeCota,
approved a donation of $10,000 to the Native
American Rights Fund, approved the Service
Agreements of the Pow Wow Head Drums –
Four Thunders and Buffalo Horse, renewed
the business license of Stacey Koski for
Koski’s World of Wheels, and approved a donation of $22,000 in Tribal Construction wages
for work to be performed at the L’Anse Sports
Complex. The Council met on July 23, 2008,
for a Finance Meeting. Council reviewed the
audits of the KBIC government, Tribal Construction, Ojibwa Housing and Baraga and
Marquette Casino’s; reviewed the financial reports through May 2008 of both Casinos,
Pines and Radio Stations; made a donation of
$200 to Cally Tolonen and referred a change
in policy for graduating seniors to include the
Marquette Trust Property to the Education
Committee. A second finance meeting was
held on July 24, 2008. Council approved
Resolution KB1623-2008 – Public Health
Nursing grant application; approved an additional $1,600 for a 2009 Pick-up for the Beartown Firefighters; reviewed the financial reports through May 2008 of the KBIC Government; donated $5000 to the Jacobetti Veteran’s Center for a van purchase; donated
$500 to the Baraga County Auxiliary for the All
Women’s Fishing Tournament; increased
KBIC committee stipends to $30 and KBIC
board stipends to $85 effective January 1,
2009, due to FICA tax requirements. Council
held a special meeting on July 25, 2008.
Council approved a donation of $35,000 and
$15,000 in 2% Funds to the Baraga County
Shelter Home if they agree to place the Council’s nominee of Wanda Seppanen, VOCA
Worker, on the Baraga County Shelter Board,
Council also terminated the employment
agreement of Edmund Janisse. A special
Council meeting was held on July 31, 2008.

Actions taken were: approved the meeting
minutes of November 5, 2005, and June 7 and
13, 2008; approved Resolution KB1622-2008
– Tanya Miller residential lease; approved
Christopher Gerard, William Jondreau, Tyler
Larson, and Debra Picciano as candidates for
the Ojibwa Community College Board of Regents; reviewed a draft of the Ethics Code;
approved the Service Agreement of the Superior Watershed Partnership for the 2009 Clean
Sweep; donated $300 to Suzie Jondreau for
an emergency medical request; and held the
second reading of the proposed ordinance
2008-03 Amendments to Title One relating to
the Appellate Division of the Tribal Court.
Larry Denomie motioned to post the Fiscal
Year 2007 audits, supported by Toni
Minton, ten supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, one absent (Blaker), motion carried.
Jennifer Misegan indicated that she did not
have a Treasurer’s report completed and
would submit one next month for July and August 2008.

The Keweenaw Bay Tribal Council presented Jim Feliciano, a representative for Disabled American Veterans, with a check in the
amount of $5,000 towards the purchase of a
transportation van for the Jacobetti Disabled
Veteran’s Home in Marquette. The KBIC emblem will be displayed on the driver’s door of
the van as their appreciation for the generous
donation.
Toni Minton introduced the proposed ordinance 2008-04, Election Ordinance, for a first
reading. Toni Minton motioned to waive the
first reading of the Election Ordinance
2008-04 due to its length, supported by
Jennifer Misegan, nine supported, one opposed (Dakota), 0 abstained, motion carried. Council scheduled a meeting to meet
with the Election Board to review the proposed
election ordinance in detail for Wednesday,
August 20, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. and scheduled
the second reading for public review on August 28, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the Chippewa
Room. The proposed ordinance will be made
available at different locations throughout the
reservation and on the Tribe’s website
www.kbic-nsn.gov for viewing. Discussions
lead to the question of whether or not the ordinance should be sent to the BIA. Attorney
John Baker informed Council that the Constitution specifies what ordinances have to go to
the BIA. Baker believed the Election ordinance had been amended twice since he has
been employed with KBIC and neither of those
two amendments went to the BIA. Baker
stated that he didn’t think that this section, that
is being adopted pursuant to under the Constitution, requires that it goes to the BIA. It is an
internal aspect of the Tribe; it has nothing to
do with external aspects, and the provisions in
the Constitution that addresses sending ordinances to the BIA have to specifically deal
with external issues and land transfer issues.
Baker stated he would provide Council with a
specific list of all the ordinances that are required to be submitted to the BIA, but they can
not be submitted to the BIA, regardless to
what the nature of the ordinance is, until they
have been adopted by the Tribe.
Attorney John Baker brought forth a request for a business license renewal for the
KBIC Pre-Primary Education Program. Toni
Minton motioned to approve the business
license for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Pre-Primary Education Program,

supported by Jennifer Misegan, ten supported, 0 opposed, 0 abstained, motion carried.
Council moved into closed business with
Attorney John Baker (contract), President
Warren “Chris” Swartz Jr. (contracts), CEO
Larry Denomie III (contract), and Jennifer
Misegan (donation) on the agenda.
After closed session the Council approved
Service Agreements for the Head Drums of
the New Day Pow-wow, approved the Professional Services Agreement of Carlson-Loy and
Company and approved the Special Counsel
Contract of Fredericks Peebles & Morgan.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON
INDIAN RESERVATIONS
NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS FOR THE 48
CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES AND ALASKA
(Effective October 1, 2007)
48 Contiguous
United States

Alaska

Household Size

Income Limits

Income Limits

1

$ 985

$1,294

2

$1,275

$1,656

3

$1,565

$2,019

4

$1,864

$2,381

5

$2,178

$2,744

6

$2,492

$3,116

7

$2,782

$3,479

8

$3,072

$3,841

Each additional
member

+ $290

+ $363

Computation of Income Eligibility Standards — The income eligibility limits for each household size are based on the
sum of the Food Stamp Program net monthly income limits
and standard deduction amounts used for the appropriate
State.
Income Deductions—see 7 CFR 253.6(f)
Dependant Care Deduction — The current maximum allowable dependent care deduction is $200 for dependent children
under two years of age, and $175 for all other dependents.
Earned Income Deduction — Households with earned income are allowed a deduction of 20 percent of their earned
income.
Medicare Part B Medical Insurance and Part D Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums — Households that incur the
cost of Medicare Part B medical insurance and/or Part D prescription drug coverage premiums are allowed a deduction for
the monthly cost of the premiums.
Child Support Deduction — Households that incur the cost
of legally required child support to or for a non-household
member are allowed a deduction for the amount of monthly
child support paid.
* Can not be on foodstamps.

Digital TV Converter Box Coupon Available to Indian Country — Indian Country,
are you ready for the transition? Mark your
calendars when TV goes digital on February
17, 2009. If you use “rabbit ears” or a rooftop
antenna for over-the-air television signals,
your old television may not work after the
change.
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is working with the Leadership
Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) to ensure
your digital transitions goes smoothly. While
supplies last, the government is offering two
free $40 coupons per household to buy converter boxes. Please visit the LCCR website
for more information and to order a converter
box coupon at www.civilrights.org/dtv.

COLLEGE GRADUATES
The Education Dept. was recently notified that three more
KBIC members received college
degrees. Bryan Hill received an Associate’s
Degree in Industrial Maintenance from Northern Michigan Univ., Christopher Harsh received an Associate’s Degree in General Education from Gogebic Community College, and
Emily Mantila received an B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Michigan Tech.
Univ. These three KBIC members graduated
in May 2008. Congratulations Bryan, Christopher and Emily!

(3) Niswi

KBIC SUMMER YOUTH BUILD BUTTERFLY HOUSES FOR THE ZAAGKII PROJECT,
by Greg Peterson, longtime U.P. news reporter and volunteer media advisor for the Zaagkii Project and several other Cedar Tree Institute initiatives
(L’Anse, Michigan) - Translated Mem' en
gwa in Algonquian, the butterfly has long been
honored in Ojibwa lore, poems and children’s
games, but Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
teens are helping to ensure the butterflies will
forever pollinate fruits, vegetables and flowers.
As billions of young honeybees continue to
die across the world, and thus are unable to
pollinate crops, the KBIC tribe is supporting
the Zaagkii Wings and Seeds Project because
butterflies fill the important role of pollinators.
Experts are unsure why honeybee colonies
are collapsing, but pesticides, climate change
and other man-made impacts are among the
suspected causes.
“Send me butterflies, so that I will be free,”
states one Chippewa poem while the Ojibwa
game “Butterfly Hide and Seek” teaches children to “never to hurt a butterfly” because it’s a
“gift of good luck if you stayed so quiet that a
butterfly would trust you and land on you,” according to American Indian internet sites.
The KBIC has long supported initiatives like
the Zaagkii Project that were founded by the
non-profit Cedar Tree Institute (CTI) in Marquette, including wild rice restoration and
Earth Day clean sweeps. The three-year
Zaagkii Project is sponsored by the KBIC, CTI,
Marquette County Juvenile Court and the
United States Forest Service (USFS).
Another important part of the Zaagkii Project is restoring native plants to the oncebarren and polluted Sand Point, a Lake Superior beach that the KBIC cleaned of decade’s
old copper mining waste.
Surrounded by a chorus of loudly chirping
birds as a strong north wind cooled a hot July
day along Keweenaw Bay, KBIC teens built
butterfly houses at the tribal hatchery along
with Natural Resource Department (NRD) Water Quality Specialist Kit Laux and NRD environment specialists Char Beesley and Katie
Kruse.
Teens participating in the KBIC Summer
Youth Program built and decorate the butterfly
houses while learning about pollinators with
help from youth supervisors Cody Blue, Kim
Klopstein and Nancy Voakes.
Butterflies “transport pollen from flower to
flower for reproduction,” said Jorey Cribbs, 14,
of Baraga who helped build and decorated the
butterfly houses. “They use the Butterfly
houses for shelter in bad weather.”
Sixteen-year-old Dylan DeCota of Baraga
said butterflies “help reproduction by transferring pollen from different flowers.” “Butterflies
use the houses to rest while migrating,” DeCota said.
With seven tiny slits as an entrance, Butterfly houses are slimmer and longer than betterknown bird houses.
Fourteen-year-old William Ross-Geroux of
Baraga said he “learned that when butterflies,
bees, etc. land on flowers and then land on
different flowers, they help them reproduce.
The Butterfly houses are resting places for the
migrating butterflies. It was a fun learning experience.”
Fourteen-year-old Briar Nieskes of Baraga
said he enjoyed building the butterfly houses
while learning about the importance of pollinators. “I learned that when Butterflies land on
flowers and they pick up pollen from other
flowers this starts the pollination process,” Nieskes said. “The Butterfly houses are used for
resting places for them during migration.”
Seventeen-year-old Ethan Smith and 15year-old tribal dancer Janelle Paquin worked
to build a butterfly house together. "We put
the bark on the inside like so – for the butterflies to rest on," said Smith while holding up
the butterfly house long ways to show the
strips of bark that line the house. "We put on
the top so the sunlight doesn't get in, and they
can get a good night's rest," Smith said as he
affixed the flat roof to the butterfly house.
"That's how we do it on the rez."

(4) Niiwin

KBIC NRD Natural Resources Specialist Evelyn
Ravindran said, “The tribe is
trying to look at the whole
lifecycle for the pollinators.
One of them is the butterfly
and we want to make sure
that they have everything that
they need in order to survive
in an area,” Ravindran said.
“We wanted to have houses,
so you have places for butterflies to rest and also things
that they need to survive – so
that they would stay in those
areas.”
Zaagkii Project founder
Rev. Jon Magnuson told the
KBIC teens that three million
Monarch butterflies from
across North America “stop
and rest” at many places during an annual migration to
Mexico. “One of the places
they rest – believe it or not is
the Stonington Peninsula
down by Escanaba,” said
Magnuson, CTI executive director. “There are thousands
– hundreds of thousands of
butterflies – that come there.
Nobody knew why but now
we know why.”
Zaagkii Project volunteer
Tom Reed told the KBIC
teens about 32 years ago the
group Monarch Watch first
tracked the butterflies to Mexico. The Monarchs had “a little sticker on their wings – or
early on – they just painted a number on the
edge of the wing – to track them,” said Reed,
who has a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Millions of Monarchs “converge in one small
area and they all hang off of each other and
drape down off of these trees,” Reed said.
“They are really vulnerable to extinction.”
Klopstein said the butterfly houses “will be
presented to the KBIC that will be put in the
Pow-Wow grounds. We've got a great team of
kids to work with this year,” Klopstein continued. “They are good workers."
Negaunee Township beekeeper Jim Hayward gave Marquette teens a tour of his hives
that were filled with about 60,000 honeybees
explaining the different jobs like workers,
drones that don’t sting and the all-important
queen. Hayward said, “If bees disappear we
would have hard luck raising fruits, vegetables,
nuts and other commercial crops that we use
for our food on an everyday basis.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) honored the KBIC for restoring Sand
Point – the first tribal Brownfield cleanup site in
the Midwest – that was polluted about 90
years ago with stamp sands from the Mass
Mill that refined copper about four miles to the
north along Lake Superior. A six to ten-inch
thick soil cap covers 35 acres left barren by
the stamp sands, according to Todd Warner,
KBIC NRD Director. A prime recreation area
with a nature tail and an historic lighthouse
will be restored. Future plans for Sand Point
include swimming, camping, boating, picnic
areas and fishing ponds, Warner said.
Marquette area teens participating in the
Zaagkii Project planted 26,000 indigenous
seeds at the Hiawatha National Forest greenhouse. Some of those native plants will take
root on Sand Point.
“The tribe has always taken a stand that
they want to seed – that they want propagation
of the native species,” Ravindran said. “They
want to protect the native species and keep
this area the way it is now rather than having
the exotics (plants) come in and destroying
what we have established. Now that we have
the soil capped over at Sand Point – we see it

as a large working area that is wide open to
the reestablishment of native plants,” Ravindran said. Native plants attract all the life
stages of the butterflies.
“It's out in the public view, so it would bring
awareness to people all around of the trouble
that the pollinators are in and what they can
being doing to help – the kind of plants that
maybe they can be bringing back to their own
home gardens – ways that they can be helping,” Ravindran said.
Appearing on a California radio show, a
USFS botanist praised the KBIC and Zaagkii
Project because native plants “are important
sources of pollen and nectar” that makes pollinators “very effective.”
“During all the time that these bees and
butterflies are active and not dormant is real
important,” said Jan Schultz, botany and nonnative species program leader at the USFS
eastern region office in Milwaukee. “So they’ve
got something literally to eat – from the time
they emerge – to the time they go back into
their caves or cracks in the trees.”
Schultz said “Another issue is the amount
of chemicals that we use for gardening, and
for lawn control. The chemicals many times
are not very discriminant, and so they will kill
these pollinators as well as the undesirable
species. So it's really important for people to
think ‘Gee, do I really need to use that?' ”
The teens and volunteers were thankful for
the tribal government’s support of the project
and said it made learning fun. “The KBIC
Summer Youth Program would like say
‘Miigwetch’ to Evelyn Ravindran of the KBIC
Natural Resource Department and Jon
Magnuson’s Zaagkii Project for giving us the
opportunity to be involved with the building
and decorating of the Butterfly houses,” Klopstein said.
The Zaagkii Project contributors include the
Marquette Community Foundation, the Negaunee Community Fund, the Negaunee Community Youth Fund, the M.E. Davenport Foundation, the Kaufman Foundation, the Phyllis and
Max Reynolds Foundation, with assistance
from the Upper Peninsula Children's Museum
in Marquette and the Borealis Seed Company
in Big Bay.

Public Notice:
The Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community is seeking the services of its Tribal members to
seat as a delegate at this falls
up-coming Tribal Constitutional Convention. As a delegate, you will have the opportunity to influence changes to
our Tribal Constitution and to
provide a service to our Tribal
Community. Please submit
your name to Michael Cardinal,
Tribal Constitutional Task
Force Chairman, 16429 Bear
Town Rd. Baraga, MI. 49908.

TRIBAL COUNCIL SPONSORS TEAM
FOR KICKBALL FUNDRAISING TOURNAMENT
The Baraga County CASA (Court Appointed Special
Advocate—for the child’s best interests) Program held a
fundraising kickball tournament on August 15-17, 2008,
at the Aura baseball field. Teams were required to donate $125 for the Baraga County CASA Program for
entry into the tournament. The Tribal Council was one
of numerous businesses who sponsored a team for the
tournament.
The Team roster included CEO Larry Denomie,
Treasurer Jennifer Misegan, Duane Misegan, Peggy
Minton, Gary Loonsfoot Jr., Cody Blue, Steven Denomie, Tony Loonsfoot, Everett Ekdahl Jr., Brigette LaPointe, Dawn Richards, Tyler Larsen, Joey Mattfolk and
Travis Lloyd. The team won two of the three games
they played on Saturday, August 16th. Sunday morning’s games brought two more wins for the team with a
final defeat in the afternoon. Tribal Council’s team
placed third in the weekend tournament. Teammates
and spectators had a fun filled weekend participating in
the fundraiser.

2008 Ann Misegan Memorial
Scholarship Recipient Chosen

EDUCATION INCENTIVE
PROGRAM
The Keweenaw Bay Education Committee
offers the Education Incentive Program to local
KBIC tribal students. Monetary incentives are
awarded at the end of each of the four marking
periods of the academic year. Awards are
given for Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance.
Students must meet the following criteria:
Melissa Crebessa, a Northern Michigan
University junior from L’Anse, has been selected as the third recipient of the Tribe’s Ann
Misegan Memorial Scholarship. The Tribal
Education Committee, along with a member of
the Health Board, reviewed the applicants and
selected Crebessa to receive the scholarship.
Melissa is majoring in Nursing. She is a
graduate of L’Anse High School and worked
as an intern in the Tribal Medical Clinic this
past summer (pictured above).
Ann Misegan was a long time Tribal Council member whose priority was the health of
the Tribal membership. She was adamant that
Tribal members be trained for as many positions as possible within the Tribe and also encouraged members to seek further education,
especially in health fields. She was a member
of the Tribe’s Health Board as well as their
Dental Assistant for many years. She held an
LPN certificate from Northern Michigan University and worked as a nurse for Baraga County
Memorial Hospital before coming to work for
the Tribe. This scholarship seeks to reward
members who have the same passion for
health care that Ann did.
This scholarship amount is $1,000 twice a
year for up to six years and will be awarded to
a new student each fall. Applicants must meet
the following criteria: be an enrolled Tribal
member, attend an accredited college/
university as a full-time student, pursue a degree in a Health Care field documented by
their college (preference will be given to students either in a nursing or dental program)
and be a resident of Baraga or Marquette
County. Applications for the 2009-10 academic year will be available in June 2009. For
more information on this scholarship, please
contact Amy St. Arnold, KBIC Education Director, at 906-353-6623, ext. 4117.

1. Must be enrolled KBIC members.
2. Must reside in one of the following four
counties: Baraga, Houghton, Ontonagon
or Marquette.
3. Must attend a public or private school.
A student’s Honor Roll status is defined
according to the regulations of their school district. Students in grades four through twelve
are eligible to receive this award.
Perfect Attendance follows the school policy also but time for doctor or dental appointments and funerals may be allowed. Please
contact the following people for more information:
L’Anse Area Schools – Peggy Dunn
0367 pedunn@laschools.k12.mi.us

524-

Baraga Area Schools – Helen Jondreau 3536661 hjondreau@up.net
All others contact Amy St. Arnold 353-4117
amy@kbic-nsn.gov
Houghton, Ontonagon and Marquette students must provide a copy of the student’s report card. If attendance is not noted on the
card, please have a school official document
by signature. Report cards may be mailed to
Keweenaw Bay Tribal Center, Education Office, 16419 Bear Town Rd. Baraga MI 49908.

KBOCC SUCCESSFULLY
PASSES ACCREDITATION
ELIGIBILITY REVIEW
On July 2, 2008, OCC President, Debbie
Parrish was notified by the Higher Learning
Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, that Ojibwa Community
College successfully passed the accreditation
eligibility review.
An Eligibility Process Panel carefully conContinued next column

sidered the documentation OCC provided in
the Preliminary Information Form. The purpose of the review was to determine whether
an on-site visit, the next step in the process,
was appropriate. The Panel reviewed both the
quality and quantity of the evidence. The
panel concluded that the evidence put forward
was sufficient to warrant an on-site visit. The
Commission has authorized Ojibwa Community College to prepare its Self-Study Report
addressing the appropriate Criteria for candidacy status. The Self-Study Report must be
submitted prior to the on-site visit, and the Report is expected to be completed by early October.
Parrish stated, “I am very pleased with the
outcome of the eligibility review. Our faculty
and staff, along with the Board of Regents,
have worked very hard on preparation of the
Preliminary Information Report. Additionally, I
was honored to have been asked by the Commission to use our report as a model for other
emerging tribal colleges.” The Higher Learning Commission indicated that OCC was the
first and only Tribal College to submit a PIF
since the Commission established new eligibility requirements. The Commission also stated
OCC’s document will be a valuable tool in the
resource center at the Higher Learning Commission’s Annual Meeting next Spring.

KBIC Department of Health
& Human Services
Behavioral Health Division
Elder, Youth & Family Services
Announces the services of
Joe Arcand, Social Worker
Hours of Service
8:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
Monday—Friday
Second Floor, Donald A. LaPointe
Health & Education Center
102 Superior Ave.
Baraga, MI 49908
(906) 353-4544

(5) Naanan

Becky Chosa, a KBIC member,
was hired as the Deputy Court
Clerk and began her duties on
August 4th. Becky states, “I have
been living and working in this
area for the past eleven years
after moving back from Minnesota. I was most recently employed at the Ojibwa Casino as a
dealer/floorperson and now I’m
happy to be starting a new position as the Deputy Court Clerk for
KBIC.” Becky is the mother of
four girls. “My youngest daughter,
Charlotte Chosa-Evans, is twelve, and the other three, Amanda, Angela, and
Andrea, are grown up and have moved away. I also have eight grandchildren
ranging in all ages from ten years to five-months-old. I’m looking forward to
getting into the routine of my new job, new hours and working for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.”

Register to Vote
for
the
National Election
by
October 6th!

EMPLOYEE CAR WASH DAY

Forms are available at:
•
•
•
•
Managers put into action, tactics learned at the Joe Constance Leadership
and Supervisor training held this past spring. On the summer morning of
Wednesday, August 6th, the Ojibwa Enterprise employees received a car wash
by their boss, free of charge. In a strategy to boost employee moral, managers
volunteered to wash employee and customers cars. John Mantila, Baraga
property’s General Manager, stated, “The managers had fun getting together
and washed approximately 35 cars.” Paula Rantanen (Security Manager), Gerald Cadeau (Slots Manager), Dominic Picciano (Engineer Director), Gina LaBeau (Bingo Manager), Dotti Pryor (Pressbox Manager), and John Mantila
(General Manager) participated in the activity.

•

your local secretary of state office
Department of Human Services FIA
Health Department
Housing Offices
Tribal Center

KBIC Seats Appellate Court Justices
Tribal President, Warren “Chris” Swartz Jr.
gave oath to three KBIC
Appellate Court Justices
on Tuesday, August 19,
2008, in the KBIC Tribal
Courtroom. The current
Appellate
Ordinance
specifies the Appellate
Court is to consist of two
Tribal Judges from other
reservations and an
KBIC Court Advocacy
Attorney.
Immediately
following their Oath of
Office, the Appellate Court Justices began Status Conferences on the backlog
of cases filed with the KBIC Appellate Court. Shown above (left to right) President Swartz, Tom Smithson (Hannahville Tribal Court Judge), Charles Palmer
(Sault Tribal Court Judge), and Attorney David Mechlin during the Oath of Office procedure.

SPRUCE FAMILY REUNION

On July 26, 2008 - up to fourth generation of decedents of "Samuel & Margaret Spruce" gathered together at the farm owned by James & Lisa Mantila for
a day of family, food, and fun. The day was highlighted
by the amazing slide show of family photo's assembled
by Mavis Mantila.
Included in the photo are Sam & Margarets children: Eleanore "Spruce" Seppanen, Barbara "Spruce"
Mantila, Rosemary "Spruce" Haataja, and Ronald
Spruce, surrounded by their children, grandchildren,
and great grandchildren. (Picture to the left — Sam &
Margaret Spruce.)

(6) Ningodwaaswi

Introducing Laila Dowd, born on
08/13/2008, to Dawn Hueckstaedt and
Lawrence Dowd Jr. Laila was 6 lbs. 8
oz. and was 18.5 inches at birth.

Open Enrollment for
KBIC EVEN START Family Literacy Program
Earn your GED/High School Diploma
Early Childhood Programs for children
Improve parenting skills
Incentives for participation
Transportation and childcare available
Even Start is free to all Tribal
and Non-Tribal members with children
under the age of eight or are expecting
Call 353-8161 to register
KBIC EVEN START—
755 Michigan Avenue—
Baraga, MI 49908

Youth Dancer (with LeRoy Gauthier as a fill-in at
Friday evening grand entry), Vanessa Beaver
(Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) as Head Female Youth
Dancer. Ted Holappa (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa)
and Richard “Waubano” Awonohopay
(Menominee) served as emcees, Stanley Spruce
(Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) as Arena Director,
Robert Rajacic (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) as Assistant Arena Director.
George Gauthier
(Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) served as Specials Director, and Paul Halverson (Keweenaw Bay
Ojibwa) as Head Firekeeper. Teachers were
JoAnn Racette (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) for Arts
& Crafts and Paul Halverson (Keweenaw Bay
Ojibwa) for storytelling. Ten-year-old Tom Berentsen of Manistee, Michigan, won the junior fry
bread championship; and Tom Marshall of White
Hall, Michigan won the adult division fry bread
championship. Two-step championship winners
for the youth division were Megan Tucker and
Raistlin Awonohopay, and in the adult division,
the “Whiteman” couple reigned as the champions.

Tom Marshall of White Hall, Michigan, was presented Tom Berentsen of Manistee, Michigan, was presented
his award for the adult division fry bread championship, his award for the youth division fry bread championship,
by Powwow Committee member Elvera Lantz.
by Powwow Committee member Elvera Lantz.

Honored Elder Biographies
Elizabeth Galer — Elizabeth Miller Galer is 81years-old and was born on November 19, 1926.
She is the daughter of the late Alfred and Margaret Miller and is the youngest of five children.
Elizabeth is the last surviving member of the
original Millers of Dynamite Hill. Elizabeth was
married to the late Richard Galer (Yankton
Sioux) for 57 years, and together they had seven
children, 15 grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren. Their oldest daughter, Rose, was
crowned the Miss Michigan Indian Princess of
1962. Elizabeth is a member of the Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community, Ojibwa Senior Citizens
and Most Holy Name Church of Assinins.
James “Jay” Loonsfoot — Jay is 77-years-old
and was born on February 3, 1931. Jay has
been married to Patricia for 47 years and together they have two children, five grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren. Jay worked 30
years for the military, 19 years for the government and taught eighth grade for ten years. He
has served the community as the director of the
Ojibwa Housing Authority, the first game warden
for our tribe in the 1970’s, and presently teaches
at Ojibwa Community College. Jay’s special interests are being a historian for our tribe, reading, beading, pottery, hunting and fishing. He
has achieved an Associate in Business from
Suomi College, BA in Education from Northern
Michigan University, and a Masters in Education
from Antioch University in Seattle, Washington.
Jay is a Vietnam Veteran and a member of the
KBIC Tribal Veteran group.
Charles “Chuck” Loonsfoot Sr. — Chuck is
69-years-old and was born on January 24, 1939.
He has been married to Molly Shalifoe for the
past 36 years and together they have nine children, 32 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Chuck worked for the New Day
Treatment Program in their beginning years, and
as a truck driver for Tribal Construction. Other
tribal community involvement includes his commitment to repair the church, church grounds
and the church cemetery of the Most Holy Name
Church of Assinins. Chuck’s special interests
and accomplishments include: hunting, fishing,
sobriety and helping get tribal members back on
the tribal rolls. Chuck wants the community to
know how deeply he feels for his people with
honoring them, guiding them, along with respect
for all tribal beliefs and all of the people.
Violet Friisvall — Violet is 75-years-old and was
born on December 10, 1932. She is the daughter of the late Charles and Susan Marksman,
granddaughter of Rebecca Marksmen and Samuel and Hattie White, and great-granddaughter of
Peter Marksman, the signatory of the Treaty of
1854 and Methodist Missionary. Violet married
the late Kenneth Friisvall and together they had
eight children, 13 grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren. Violet worked as a Site Manager
for Community Action Agency, an accountant for
KB Transit Authority, Director of the Ojibwa TranContinued on page eight.

Honored elders (left to right) Elizabeth Galer, James “Jay” Loonsfoot, Charles “Chuck” Loonsfoot Sr., Loretta Hugo,
Violet Friisvall, and President Swartz on behalf of his father, Warren Swartz Sr.

Host Drum — Buffalo Horse (Minnesota Ojibwa)

Ninety-three-year old Women’s
Traditional Dancer in grand entry.

Head Dancers during Friday night’s grand entry (left to right) LeRoy Gauthier (fill in for Head Youth Male Dancer),
Vanessa Beaver (Head Youth Female Dancer), Rebecca Genschow (Head Female Dancer), Jim St. Arnold (Head
Veteran Dancer), and Rodney Loonsfoot (Head Male Dancer for the Lester Drift Memorial).

(left) Adult Two-Step Champions “Whiteman” Couple. (right) Youth TwoStep Champions, Megan Tucker and Rastlin Awonohopay.

(left) Chelsea Seymour, 2007 Miss
Keweenaw Bay, in grand entry.

(7) Niizhwaaswi

Continued from page seven..

sit Authority, and a nurse’s aide in the home
health care field for 13 years. She is a member of the Zeba United Methodist Church, a
KBIC election worker and was a member of
the election committee, health board, Title 2
and Title 4 education committees, language
advisory board and the enrollment board. Violet’s special interests include genealogy, medicine, natural remedies, oral history, historical
record keeping, sewing, shopping and visiting
with family and friends. Violet’s many accomplishments include being proud of her children
and grandchildren, and completing her High
School education.
Warren ‘Jerry” Swartz Sr. — Jerry is 69years-old and was born on March 5, 1939. He
is the son of the late Mickey and Clara
(Knapp) Swartz. Jerry has been married to
Sandra Curtis for 46 years and together they
have four children and eight grandchildren.
Jerry has worked in construction all of his life;
before retirement, he worked with Tribal Construction, Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, and
owned his own business—Swartz Construction Company. Jerry is involved in the community through the Ojibwa Senior Citizens and
the American Legion. His special interests
include hunting, fishing, and gardening, and he
is a former bowler. Jerry is a veteran and a
member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Jerry is known on the reservation to the
children as, “the candy man who rides around
and distributes candy to the youngsters who
are playing in their yards.”
Loretta Hugo — Loretta is 72-years-old and
was born April 14, 1936. She is a member of
the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Ojibwa
Senior Citizens, Blessed Kateri Takewetha
Catholic Church, L’Anse Ladies Gold League,
and the Baraga County TRIAD program.
Loretta has resided in Zeba most of her life.
She was married for 20 years and has seven
children, six grandsons and one granddaughter. Loretta is a graduate of the L’Anse High
School and the Haskell Indian Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. Loretta’s work history includes
the BIA Land Management in Parker, Arizona,
the Baraga County Memorial Hospital, Director
of the BIA Higher Education, KBIC Administrative Secretary, Ojibwa Casino Payroll Department, and she worked as a part-time dealer
and cage worker for KBIC, LacVieux Desert,
and Hannahville Tribal Casinos. Loretta’s activities include golfing and playing bingo.

1ST STEP COUNSELING SERVICE
If you are interested in starting or buying a business and don’t know what to do next…

Call Tina Durant @
(906) 353-2626 at
the Anishinaabe Anokii Center.

Christian Mleko Fund Raisers
On a bitter, cold night in January of 2008 Christian Mleko, a Northern Michigan University
College Student, became stranded in 30 below zero temperatures. As a result, he received severe frostbite leading to the loss of seven fingers. Christian searched the internet and found
what is called, “The X Finger”. These fingers would give him back the ability to do such things
as grasp and type. Christian’s insurance does not cover these fingers, and they cost approximately $8,000.00 a piece. Baraga County community members, along with Christian’s family,
have begun fund raisers to help with the expenses. Following are the current fund raisers:
Beef & Pork Dinner
Cook Book Sale

Saturday September 20th
Baraga Armory
Adults: $10:00 – Children Under Ten $5:00
Hor d’oeurvres: 3p.m. to 4p.m.
Dinner: 4p.m. to 6p.m.
Live Auction: 6p.m. to 8p.m.
50/50 Raffle every ½ hour
Dancing: 8p.m. to 10p.m.
Tickets Sold at Local Business’s

She will set you up with an appointment with a certified business counselor in the Baraga County area. Sessions are free and confidential.

Anishinaabe Anokii
First People’s Work Center
A small business development and
support center sponsored in part by a
grant from the ANA that is focused on
Native AmericanAmerican-owned businesses
and entrepreneurs. Anokii staff assist Native Americans and nonnon-Tribal
members in becoming successful
and profitable business owners.

Beginning September 1st (Ongoing)
Cost: $10.00
$12.00 for those who live out of the Baraga
County to cover shipping
Contact Natalie Mleko at 353-6666
Roxanne Anderson at 524-6497
Cook Books will be Available at Local Business’s

A Tragedy Fund has also been opened for Christian at Superior National Bank, 201 Superior Avenue in Baraga, Michigan for anyone who would like to send a donation.
Thank you from all of Christian’s family to all of you that have helped us out in any
way! God’s Blessings!

•
•
•
•
•

There will be a dance presentation on September
21st at NMU. If you want to dance or know anyone else who is interested, have them contact
the THPO 353-6272 or 353-6278 or thpo@kbicnsn.gov with their name and contact information.
Once we have more details, we will be contacting
people to confirm their spot for that evening.

(8) Ishwaaswi

NOTICE:
NRD have some items that were lost
at the KBIC Kids Derby are at the
hatchery (4 shirts/hoodies).
People can claim them with a call
524-5757, or can stop by the hatchery.

•

Anishinaabe Anokii services include:
Tribal Business Owner Directory
Business Development Resources
Fax, Copier, Computer & Internet
Services, Meeting Room
Business Support & Developmental
Education Classes
Confidential Credit Counseling &
Financial Literacy Classes
“Indianpreneur” Business Development
Program
8:00 am-4:30 pm
Ojibwa Industrial Park
Baraga, MI 49908

Tel: (906) 353-2626

Fax: (906) 353-2627

Timothy W. Shanahan,
Business Counselor
Tina Durant,
Services Coordinator

Rapid Watershed Assessment Project –
How You Can Help
Since late 2007, the Natural
Resource Department, Western Upper Peninsula RC&D,
Western Upper Peninsula
Planning and Development
(WUPPDR), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have
been working together to complete a Rapid Watershed Assessment (RWA) project to collect and compile information
about watersheds on and
around the L’Anse Reservation.
These watersheds include the Falls, Silver, Ravine,
Slate, Sturgeon, and segments
of Lake Drainage watersheds
that include smaller streams,
such as Linden, Little Carp,
and Zeba Creek.
Project work has included
watershed road crossing and culvert inventories. Poorly constructed
road crossings can add sediment into the stream it crosses. Sediment
pollution in streams and rivers degrades fish and wildlife habitat, disrupts spawning, and can raise water temperature and degrade water
quality. Poorly constructed or perched culverts can be barriers to fish
movement in a stream. Fish movements within streams are critical and
maintain healthy fish populations. Spawning migrations may be the
most well known type of movement, but seasonal and daily movements
upstream or downstream to find food, take refuge from predators, find
the preferred temperature ranges, or to find cover are also critical for
fish populations.
Work completed to date has identified 25 problem culverts which
restrict movement in about 40 miles of streams. Problem road crossings and substandard culverts identified through this inventory will be
prioritized for future repair or replacement which will result in improved
habitat and water quality for waters on and around the Reservation.
How you can help - Recently about 500 watershed newsletters were
mailed out to Tribal members. This newsletter includes a survey requesting information from the public about watershed resource concerns. Please help us by completing this survey and returning it to the
Natural Resource Department or the Tribal Center. If you did not receive a copy of the newsletter, or if you have any questions, please
contact the Natural Resource Department at (906) 524-5757.

New Ogaa (Walleye) Rearing Facility Construction
Construction started late last year on a new ogaa (walleye) rearing
facility for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The construction site
is located just north of Brewery Road and just east of the New Day
Treatment Center. An existing livestock pond at this location is being
converted into two drainable walleye rearing ponds which will be operated and maintained by the Natural Resource Department. The new
facility is being funded using Tribal funds and grant funds from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Agriculture. When the facility is operational, we anticipate that 50,000 to 75,000 walleye fingerlings will be produced each year for stocking. Walleye fingerlings produced will be stocked into Keweenaw
Bay, Huron Bay, and other areas to
supplement existing walleye populations and provide for additional harvest opportunities.
Upper Michigan Ogaa (Walleye)
Common name: Walleye
Latin name: Sander vitreus

We are hoping to start rearing operations in the spring of 2009. Please
contact the Natural Resource Department at (906) 524-5757 if you have
any questions about this project.

Natural Resource Department Hatchery
Visits and Volunteers
Since May, nearly 500 people have toured or assisted with work at
Hatchery Facilities in Pequaming. People of all ages and interests
have come to see the coldwater fish rearing facilities and learn about
the Natural Resource Department programs. In particular, Hatchery
Staff enjoy teaching children about raising and managing lake trout and
brook trout. We have hosted and educated several school groups this
summer, including:
♦ Youth Great Explorations groups from Baraga, Hancock,
Houghton, Lake Linden, and L’Anse.
♦ BHK Summer Literacy groups from the Tri-County area.
♦ Sacred Heart Schools.
♦ KBIC Day Camp and Pre-Primary Program children.
Continued next column

Tour with kids from the BHK
Summer Literacy Program.

Assisting were: Brian Janson (SWP Youth Crew Leader),
Zachary Miller, Joey Smith, Corey Snowberger, Brian
Williams, Danial Vizena

We have also received volunteer assistance from the KBIC Summer
Youth Program, The Cedar Tree Institute, and the Superior Watershed
Partnership out of Marquette.
KBNRD Assistance from Youth.
Members of the Youth Crew of the Superior Watershed Partnership
(SWP) assisted KBNRD in preparing over 20,000 brook trout yearlings
for stocking into local streams. As part of a typical hatchery operation
protocol, fish that are to be introduced into the wild from a hatchery
should be marked in a way that makes them identifiable as being
hatchery in origin. In this case, 20,000 fish needed to have one of their
fins “clipped”, leaving a permanent mark for later survival research purposes. This is time consuming work, and we appreciate the efforts of
the SWP Youth Crew!
The Youth Crew also assisted KBNRD in dismantling the adult sea
lamprey trap that was fishing in the Silver River May-July. The Kids
certainly enjoyed learning about fish and wildlife in the hatchery and in
the field. Thanks! (Miigwetch!)

Lost Gillnet Net Recovery
The Lake Superior Commercial Gillnet Fishery is an
important source of food and
income to businesses and
families throughout the Great
Lakes region. Commercially
licensed fishers from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and other area tribes have
harvested lake trout, lake
whitefish, and other fish species for many generations.
Gillnets of various sizes and
materials have been and still
are a primary fishing gear.
At times, gillnets are lost
for various reasons including
storms, sudden strong currents, ice flows, floating debris, or human disturbance.
These lost nets are commonly
referred to as ghost nets. Recovery of ghost nets helps
minimize the risk of negatively impacting the Lake Superior fishery resource. Gillnets are generally made of durable materials that can last
for an extended time.
Since acquisition of the Law Enforcement boat and the installation
of the Natural Resources Department gillnet lifter onto the law boat, our
departments have worked cooperatively to recover a number of ghost
nets. To recover ghost nets, a large and heavy chain grapple is strategically drug across the lake bottom in the area where the net is suspected to be present. Law Enforcement and Natural Resources Staff
coordinate these efforts based on information reported by Commercial
and Sport Fishers, other Management Agencies, or the general public.
We encourage anyone who encounters a suspected ghost net to
collect as much information as possible about the location, depth, and
length of the net. Useful information includes GPS coordinates, landmark descriptions, apparent depth, etc. We would also advise that
people don’t attempt to recover the nets themselves, but instead try to
mark the net with a tether line and floating jug or other marker on the
surface.
Please help us protect the fishery by calling the Natural Resource
Department at 906-524-5757 or the Tribal Police at 906-353-6626 to
report suspected ghost nets.

(9) Zhaangaswi

Mission: To provide affordable and attractive housing opportunities in a safe and
healthy environment to qualifying tribal members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, encourage self-improvement of the community’s low income families, and provide employment opportunities.

Programs and Services provided by the KBOHA:
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Low income rental homes and apartments
1. 158 Homes/apartments in Baraga
2. 50 Homes in Zeba
3. 40 Homes in Marquette/Harvey
Supportive housing/transitional housing to help address family issues;
New, custom built, super-insulated homes for homeownership on Beartown Road;
Home buyer training to prepare members for home ownership;
Financial literacy training to improve members’ financial skills;
Home maintenance training to improve members’ ability to maintain homes;
Home rehabilitation program to improve the condition of member-owned homes;
Home emergency assistance program to remedy negative conditions in the home;
Individual development account program – a 4:1 matched savings program for
member goals that include:
1. Down payment assistance for home purchase;
2. College tuition and expenses for residents;
3. Business expansion/start-up expenses;
4. Home repair for member-owned homes;
5. Credit repair for homeownership;
6. Vehicle purchase for work/school.
Low cost home improvement loan program for qualifying tribal members;
Low cost tax preparation program for residents and tribal members;
Surplus FEMA mobile home program for tribal members;
Stipend program covering mileage and child care expenses for residents attending
college;
Affordable curbside trash service for residents and members;
Prescription subsidy program to reimburse tribal elders and disabled households
for prescriptions purchased;
Ojibwa Building Supply Do It Best- providing tribal employment, quality affordable
building supplies and profits for housing programs;
Ojibwa Builders construction company- providing tribal employment, quality affordable construction, and profits for housing programs;
Market rate rentals - five rental properties in Baraga and one in Negaunee- providing profits for housing programs.

Make a Difference Youth Foundation
On August 8th,
eight of our Tribal
Youth attended a
conference in Dallas
on the campus of
Southern Methodist
University. The conference was held
with other students
the same age from
Chicago and Dallas. The students
have been meeting
bi-weekly at MTU to
utilize global communication
strategies to jointly plan
the conference that was held. The intention of the meetings was to plan a
conference based on the topic “College Ready.” They worked together to create an itinerary of workshops and activities for the conference at SMU.
Students met individually (within their own location, KBIC’s being MTU) and
held live multi-point videoconferences that connected the three groups into
one meeting. Each location needed to facilitate at least one meeting with the
responsibility of providing agendas to the other locations and minutes of the
meeting, with responsibilities assigned during the meeting.
While at the conference, our students presented a workshop on the Ojibwa
culture. Wesley Curtis presented about the drums, Tashina Emery presented
about being princess, and Ethan Smith played the flute. The students from
Dallas and Chicago were very interested in our culture and were very informed
with many new things. The purpose of the workshops was to inform others
about each other’s culture and to prepare for all the different type of people
they will encounter throughout college.
During the trip, the students were allowed a “Day in Dallas” where our
youth spent the day at Six Flags. Though the temperature was over 100 degrees, it didn’t stop our kids from having fun. Overall our kids enjoyed the experience and would definitely do it again.

(10) Midaaswi

The Ojibwa Housing Authority will be holding
the following training sessions for the month of
September and beginning of October:

Homebuyer Training
September 9th from 1 to 6 p.m.
Harvey Community Building

Financial Training Session
Part I September 15th from 1 to 4 p.m.
at the Ojibwa Senior Citizens in Baraga
Part II September 18th from 1 to 4 p.m.
at the Ojibwa Senior Citizens in Baraga

Financial Training Session
Part I September 29th from 3 to 6 p.m.
at the Ojibwa Seniors Citizens in Baraga
Part II October 6th from 3 to 6 p.m.
at the Ojibwa Senior Citizens in Baraga
Anyone interested in attending is asked to
contact Christine LaPointe or Natalie Mleko
at 524-5514.

OJIBWA SENIOR
CITIZENS NEWSLETTER
Our craft room is now in operation. It is open MondayFriday, 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. We are looking for local crafters of
handmade Anishinabe items. Contact Ginny Ann at 353-7671.
The quilters schedule at the senior center is Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 6-ish p.m.
Our July 31st pasty sale was a success. We sold approximately 750 pasties. On Wednesday, peeling/cutting day, we
had 15 volunteers. On Thursday, baking/selling day, we had
19 volunteers. A big Chi Miigwetch to those hard working volunteers.
Eight seniors enjoyed Senior Day at the U.P. State Fair in
Escanaba on Wednesday, August 13th. Ron Spruce volunteered to drive our senior van. We left at 8 a.m. and returned
at 9 p.m.
The sign up list for the October 6-8, 2008, MIEA conference
is filled. A standby list is available. If you find you are unable
to attend, please let the Secretary know as soon as possible,
so changes can be made. The cutoff date for cancellations is
Wednesday, September 24th. We will be utilizing Superior
Coaches.
Copies of the Michigan Indian Elders Association’s bylaws
are available at the senior office. If you would like a copy,
please stop in.
Senior Assistance payments have been processed. You
should have received notifications of distribution. If you have
any questions, contact Philly at 353-6096.
FILE OF LIFE – The File of Life Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation promoting life-saving ideas. The FOL packet
contains medical information designed to provide emergency
personnel with necessary medical data to begin immediate
treatment. This very simple concept has saved lives. The
card, which is kept in a red plastic pocket labeled FILE OF
LIFE, is held with a magnet to the outside of the refrigerator. A
personal wallet size version is also available. The card lists the
patient’s name, emergency medical contacts, insurance policy
and social security numbers, health problems, medications,
dosages, allergies, recent surgeries, religion, doctor’s name
and a health care proxy. Who is at Risk? We all are. Medical
emergencies can happen to anyone at any time. That’s why
everyone needs the “File of Life.” But one group in particular
needs special emphasis. Did you know 58% of all Emergency
Calls are for Senior Citizens? Are they prepared for this?
There’s panic, confusion, fear and a terrible sense of urgency
and helplessness. With the FOL, there is solid information on
conditions and medications, it’s written down and ready to be
utilized immediately by the EMT’s. It might make the difference between life and death. We have a supply at the Senior
Center (free).
Director’s Office 353-6096, Senior Office 353-7691

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Drug Task Force
~ Mission Statement ~
To promote education through
public awareness with the specific objective to eliminate the use
of “illegal drugs” for the betterment of the health, welfare, and
safety of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and our
neighboring Communities.
KBIC Drug Tip Line 353-DRUG 3784
ANIN! Our children (young and old), relatives
and friends need us to help them lead a healthy,
drug-free life. Drug and alcohol problems can be
prevented and preventing them starts with us. As
parents, caregivers, relatives, and friends, we have
a tremendous influence on the decisions they
make. Our constant communication and caring
may inspire them to walk away from drugs and alcohol or receive the help they need.
NATIONAL ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION RECOVERY MONTH—SEPTEMBER 2008.
This September, celebrate your story with family,
friends and treatment providers. Make a difference-voice your experience. Every year, towns,
counties and states around the country observe
recovery month in September. This year recognizes the impact that real people and real stories
have on recovery; they can inspire others to ask for
help and improve their lives and the lives of their
families and the entire Community. This year recovery month also celebrates those who have
worked to advance the treatment and recovery
landscape. Addiction is a medical illness, treatment is effective and recovery is possible. Substance abuse disorders impact 22.6 million people
aged 12 or older in the United States (or 9.2% of
the population), which is more than the number of
people living with coronary heart disease, cancer,
or Alzheimer’s disease combined. Regaining control of your life can be accomplished, and if you
have a problem with addiction, there are real solutions to get you on your way. The KBIC’s New Day
Treatment Center can help, call (906) 524-4411.
New Day will be submitting an article on their services in the near future, and they to are celebrating
National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month
with successes. Congratulations New Day for a job
well done for many years.
There is also a new program to increase your
chances for success in recovering from substance
abuse and other addictions. Even if you have
struggled for years, there is new hope for recovery.
These services will be provided through the
“Access to Recovery” initiative of the Inter-Tribal
Council of Michigan with eleven Michigan Tribes to
expand access to substance abuse treatment and
recovery support services. There are brochures
available at the New Day Treatment Center, Tribal
Center, and the Donald A. LaPointe Health Center.
“Don’t let your life be confined
by drug or alcohol addiction,
know that for every lock, there is a key.”

CONTINUING TO PROTECT
THE EARTH
ANIN! It was so good to see many of you at the
activities during Michigan’s first “Protect the Earth
Summit” held for two days on August 2-3. It was a
beautiful day for the walk from the Yellow Dog
River to Eagle Rock on Sunday. What greater
place is there for us to appreciate our great outdoors, our Great Lakes and rivers, our sacred Mi gi
zii wa sin Eagle Rock, and to remember and honor
our ancestors.
Last year our teachings at the Pow-Wow centered on “Embracing our past to protect our Future.” Since the 1600’s, the Ojibwa (Nature’s) people have long lived and made their homes in the
Upper Great Lakes region. In 1842, the land in the
Yellow Dog Plains was ceded to the U.S. government. In our 1842 Treaty, our leaders retained the
right to hunt, fish, and gather on these ceded lands
to ensure future Ojibwa generations’ survival.
These rights were not given to the Ojibwa, these
are rights that we have always had as the first people to occupy these lands, and I am certain that
their intent for all people is to honor and respect
this creation and not to blast and tunnel underneath
this sacred rock and under a fish filled river. Our
Tribal elders know of the spirit of this area from the
Great Migration where the Ojibwa followed a route
Continued next column

from the eastern Atlantic seaboard along the Great
Lakes and through the Upper Peninsula, as well as
from Ojibwa traditional and religious culture. Remember why the eagle flies high; that water is a gift
of life and is sacred; the new and old stories told
about our history, our families, our way of life and
what is sacred; being kind to neighbors; our elders,
our mothers and fathers, and remember how respect should be given to each other. It is the gifts
that our grandparents and great grandparents
shared that help us through the good times and the
bad. Take the time to visit with our elders so that
learning their knowledge will guide us in how life
should be and will be, now and in the future.
The Tribal Council’s position on mining has not
changed since 2004 when we adopted a resolution
which found that Kennecott’s proposed mining
deeply offends the traditional and cultural values of
the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The gains
from the mine are far outweighed by the potential
for permanent and severe damage to the natural
resources of our Indian Community and State
along with the risks of human health from the associated acid mine drainage for generations and generations to come. The KBIC, Huron Mountain
Club, the National Wildlife Federation and the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve assembled a team of
over twenty experts to provide a detailed review of
the Kennecott Mining Application after it was filed
with the State in February 2006. These experts
found numerous significant problems with the application in virtually every technical category and major problems were also found with the air use and
the groundwater discharge permits. After the submission of approximately 1,000 pages describing
the deficiencies to the MDEQ on October 17, 2007,
submission of over 4,000 public comments opposing the project and submission of 10,000 petition
signatures the MDEQ still issued the mining permit
on December 14, 2007. This all continues to be
reviewed today with our Contested Case Hearing in
Lansing. I urge all of you and your friends to become educated and learn all there is regarding sulfide mining.
There is great information on
SaveTheWildUP.org website, YellowDogWatershed.org, and NorthwoodsWildernessRecovery.org. I believe that many still do not understand
what sulfide mining is. Sulfide mining is a term for
hard rock mining. Sulfide mining is not the process
used to mine sulfides, but actually the practice of
extracting metals (such as copper and nickel) from
the sulfide ore body. Sulfides exposed to oxygen
and water create sulfuric acid. Precipitation (rain
and snow) can cause sulfuric acide to drain from
the mine site, a process called acid mine drainage.
It has been described as the “most important and
widespread” source of pollution associated with the
mining industry throughout the world. SULFIDE
MINING IS NOT A DONE DEAL. Remember that
we have the power to effectively stop developments of unpopular mining plans and must do so.
Continue to write letters, tell your friends, go on
support walks, and pray. We must do all we can to
protect our beautiful share of the Earth before it is
too late. I pray that our ancestors’ vision and our
determination will be honored and that we will allow
our water to continue to purify itself as it knows
how to do best since creation through Earth’s natural process of purification.
The Tribal Council, Community and I thank all of
you for your great and noble efforts in stopping this
proposed mine and protecting our Earth. It has
been a long journey, and you are to be commended. Have a great September as we approach
the Fall and Winter season, be safe, enjoy, and
may God, the Creator, be with you all and bring
you peace. MIIGWETCH.
~ Susan J. LaFernier, Vice President

OJIBWEMOWIN
Manoominike Giizis —
Rice Making Moon—September
Word List

nookomis-grandmother
nimishoomis-my grandfather
nimaamaa-my mother
imbaabaa-my father
nimisenh-my older sister
nishiime-my younger sibling (sister)
nisayenh-my older brother
nishiime-my younger sibling (brother)
Word Search

n i
i

m i

s e n h n i

m n b a m i

m h s n i
i

o n i

s i

m n s e

m b a a b a a

n s y m n i

e n o

m a a m a a d n i

a

o s o a y s e n m f

b n

h s o h n b e m s h y i

g h

o h k i

e a n i

m e

o i

n i

o i

b i

i

h b n o b s j

m k m m a n p i
i

s h i
y m i

a n m

e p m k n a e b m i

s o s i

m o o h s i

h

m i

a

n j

The language page was designed from reference of “A Concise
Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe” by John D. Nichols and Earl
Nyholm.

September 2008 Calendars Events
Sept. 1 — Labor Day, Gov’t
Offices Closed
Sept. 6 — Saturday Tribal
Council Meeting, Chippewa
Room 9 a.m.
Sept. 26 — Michigan Indian
Day, Gov’t Offices Closed
Events occurring throughout KBIC are welcome to be
listed on the Calendar of Events.
Contact newsletter@kbic.nsn.gov to list your events. Events are more
detailed FYI within the newsletter. For up-to-day event
listings, visit www.ojibwa.com and click on calendar. For
Youth events, 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.

Tribal Government Employee Picnic
Tribal
Government employees
enjoyed an afternoon in the sun
at their Annual
Tribal Employee
Picnic held August 8th.
Winners of events
were: Pineapple
on a string—
Cody
Blue;
Limbo—Kit
(Racette) Laux; Waterballoon toss— Ev Ekdahl and
Tony Loonsfoot; Canoe race—Liz Julio and Kit
Laux; Horseshoes—Jesse Forcia and Brad Dakota;
Reggae relay— Donna Fredricson and Suzy Carlson; Hula dancing (men’s) Arlan Friisvall and
(women’s) Kathy Lanczy; Tug of War— Tribal Maintenance and Tribal Construction. More pictures
are available at www.kbic-nsn.gov.

AFDO/Seafood Alliance HACCP 3-Day Training Course
HACCP training certification is required to obtain a Keweenaw Bay Indian Community commercial fishing
license. There will be a certification course offered in Brimley, Michigan, during December 2008. Registration fee is $90. A course agenda may be obtained at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Licensing
Office or Natural Resource Department. Registration and travel costs will be paid for Keweenaw Bay
Indian Community tribal members who wish to attend this training, through prior arrangement.
Course Information

Date:
December 9-11, 2008
Times:
8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. daily
Location: Bay Mills Community College –
Migizi Hall, 12214 W. Lakeshore
Drive, Brimley, Michigan
For registration please contact: Ronald Kinnunen, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University,
(906) 226-3687. For more information please contact the Natural Resource Department at (906) 5245757.

(11) Ashi bezhig

To place an ad or
input information,
contact:
Lauri Denomie at
Newsletter @
kbic-nsn.gov
or call 906-2010263.

To be added to
the mailing list or
to correct your
mailing address,
contact the enrollment office at
(906) 353-6623
ext. 4113.

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as
W
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Ca

Bay Shore
Car Wash & Laundromat
Hwy U.S. 41
Baraga, MI 49908

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

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

Owned and operated by:
Larry Denomie

* LPN
* RN
* Unit Manager
* Account Executive/Sales
* Child Care Provider
* Cashier
* Receptionist/Clerical Worker

(12) Ashi Niizh

Permit No. 5
Calumet, MI
PAID

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
16429 Bear Town Rd-Baraga, Mi 49908-9210

U.S Postage
PRESORTED STD

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Akeweenaw_bay%3Acbd3f06be7a4136c. Public record. Not legal advice.