The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe (2014)

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WIIKWEDONG

DAZHI-OJIBWE

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe

Binaakwe Giizis - Falling Leaves Moon - October 2014 Issue 123

KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY HOLDS

FIRST ANNUAL FOSTERING FAMILY FUN DAY

Tribal Council Members:

Donald Shalifoe, Sr., Ogimaa

Carole LaPointe, Vice-President

Jean Jokinen, Secretary

Gary F. Loonsfoot, Sr., Asst. Secretary

Eddy Edwards, Treasurer

Warren C. Swartz, Jr.

Susan J. LaFernier

Jennifer Misegan

Robert D. (RD) Curtis, Jr.

Michael F. LaFernier, Sr.

Elizabeth (Chiz) Matthews

Don Messer, Jr.

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

These youngsters were happy to display their face paintings. Face painting was offered by Janell Bianco,

Office of Child Support Services.

The Indian Child Welfare Committee

(ICWA) and the Tribal Social Services Department sponsored the First Annual Fostering Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 20, 2014. The event was originally

planned to be held at the Ojibwa Campgrounds, but due to the forecast of thundershowers, the location was relocated to

the Niiwin Akeaa Facility.

The event was held in an effort to bring

families together and provide positive activities promoting healthy families. It was

a day that provided a relaxing environment

where our KBIC Tribal families enjoyed

spending time with one another. There

were a number of games and activities for

families to participate in together where

they were able to earn prizes. Preprimary

offered a unique storytime station, There

Is A Monster Under The Bed, and all participants received a flashlight. Community

Health’s Tribal Family Spirit staff offered a

crafting table of Sun Art. The Ojibwa Cultural Committee offered cultural crafting

and assisted participants with making a

number of different kits. Ojibwa Library

offered a reading table where participants

received a book of their choice. The Office of Child Support Services offered a

scavenger hunt activity and also did face

painting. The KBIC Education Department

offered activities, and youngsters were

able to play a fish game. Tribal Social



First Family Fun Day



Contract Health has new Acronym



Healing To Wellness Celebration Dinner



Literacy Night



KBIC receives Prize Check,

Tribe 2 Tribe Challenge



Ojibwa Senior Citizens News



New Employees



Deepest Sympathy

Continues on page seven.

KBIC PARTICIPATES IN PARADE OF NATIONS

The KBIC Dance Troupe participated in the Parade of Nations held

in Houghton, Michigan, on Saturday, September 13, 2014. The KBIC

Honor Guard led the ten member dance troupe in the Parade of Nations who were accompanied by the Woodland Singers. The theme

for this year’s Parade of Nations and Multicultural Festival was

“Around the World in 25 years – Silver Jubilee.” The group placed 2nd

overall in the float competition.

KBIC Dance Troupe at Parade of Nations 2014.

(1) Bezhig

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING

The Regular Saturday Tribal Council

Meeting was held on September 6, 2014, at

the Ojibwa Casino Resort Conference

Room in Baraga, Michigan. Ogimaa Donald

Shalifoe, Sr. presided over the meeting with

Carole LaPointe, Jean Jokinen, Gary F.

Loonsfoot, Sr., Eddy Edwards, Robert R.D.

Curtis, Jr., Michael F. LaFernier, Sr., Susan

J. LaFernier, Elizabeth “Chiz” Matthews,

Don Messer, Jr., and Jennifer Misegan present. Warren C. Swartz, Jr. was absent.

Ogimaa Donald Shalifoe, Sr., shared numerous Thank You and For Your Information items addressed to Council. Treasurer

Eddy Edwards gave the Treasurer’s Report

(page three). Council approved the Department Head Reports for July 2014.

Under Unfinished Business: Bruce LaPointe, Public Works Director, brought forward an agreement, Michigan Economic

Development Corporation Grant With the

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The

purpose of the agreement is to provide

funding to the Grantee to fund a four-part

study related to a non-motorized trail between the L’Anse and Baraga communities.

It will actually be a 10.5 mile trail from Zeba

to Sand Point. It is a collaboration of quite a

few agencies. The grant is for a $160,000

feasibility study, environmental assessment,

topographic survey, and a geotechnical investigation, which will primarily be completed by U.P. Engineers as over the course

of the last few years, they have done all the

planning through different agencies to piece

this trail together. There are 62 different

easements to be sought. Motion by Gary

Loonsfoot, Sr. to approve the Michigan

Economic Development Corporation

Grant with the KBIC; supported by

Carole LaPointe.

Seven supported

(Shalifoe, LaPointe, Jokinen, Loonsfoot,

Curtis, M. LaFernier, Messer), three opposed (Edwards, S. LaFernier, Matthews), one abstained (Misegan), one

absent (Swartz), motion carried.

Eddy Edwards brought forth information

to hire VAST as our employee health benefits broker and move to Consumer’s Mutual

Insurance and Delta Dental in an effort to

save $800,000.00 per year. Motion by

Eddy Edwards to hire VAST as our employee health benefits broker and move

to Consumer’s Mutual Insurance and

Delta Dental and hire M3 as our consultant; supported by Carole LaPointe. Further discussion occurred. Eddy amended

his motion to amend the contract that Attorney Dan MacNeil reviewed to take out the

State of Wisconsin and put KBIC in there.

Motion by Gary Loonsfoot, Sr. to table

this contract until all the corrections are

made and it is presented back to the

Council with the changes; supported by

Robert R.D. Curtis, Jr. Six supported

(Loonsfoot, Curtis, M. LaFernier, S.

LaFernier, Messer, Misegan), five opposed (Shalifoe, LaPointe, Jokinen, Edwards, Matthews), 0 abstained, one absent (Swartz), motion carried.

Jean Jokinen introduced proposed

changes to Title One Ordinance in a 1st

Reading. 1.101 The Tribal Court; Creation

and Existence. The Tribal Court of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has been

created and exists pursuant to the provisions of the corporate Charter and Constitution of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Proposed to be removed, “Except as

otherwise provided by applicable Federal

Law, the Tribal Court shall be an independent branch of the government of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community co-equal

with the executive and legislative branches

thereof.” Footnote: The Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community, which is a constitutional

government body, cannot create a co-equal

branch of government through tribal code.

(2) Niizh

A branch of government co-equal with the

Tribal Council must be created by the people of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, not the Tribal Council. Also add, 8.103,

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Tribal Court will not have jurisdiction to hear

any claims that are based on the Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act 25 U.S.C.A. §2710.

Footnote 1: Due to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Government operating nearly entirely on revenue from Indian

Gaming, the fact that the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community is a party to an Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act Gaming compact, it

is deduced that the challenging of the Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act is a suit against the

sovereign and therefore must be barred in

Tribal Court. Footnote 2: 25 U.S.C.A.

§2710(d)(7)(A) of The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act specifically points out that the

U.S. Federal District Courts have jurisdiction

over the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act,

hence it would be improper for the Tribal

Courts to litigate a federal statute where the

federal statute specifically grants which

court has jurisdiction and who can bring

suits with Tribal Members not one of them

as well as the Tribal Court not amongst

those listed. Motion by Jean Jokinen to

introduce the first reading of the Title

One Ordinance; supported by Eddy Edwards. Seven supported (Shalifoe, LaPointe, Jokinen, Edwards, Curtis, Matthews,

Messer);

four

opposed

(Loonsfoot, M. LaFernier, S. LaFernier,

Misegan); 0 abstained; one absent

(Swartz), motion carried. A second reading was scheduled for September 18, 2014.

Larry Denomie presented a petition to

Council. Denomie said, “I am before you

this morning to present a completed petition

which you should have already received.

The petition has been processed in accordance with Article V, Section 2 of the Constitution and By-laws of the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community. The petition was circulated and 59 signatures were obtained prior

to your approval of the resolution which reversed the action that was the basis for it.

However, the approved resolution does not

remove the fact that President Shalifoe

acted improperly and failed to uphold his

oath of office; in my opinion and those who

signed the petition. Elected officials should

lead by setting good examples for us all.

Certainly, there are times when leaders

make mistakes just like the rest of us. We

don’t always respond well during contentious situations and act in ways that we normally wouldn’t and may say things in the

heat of the moment that we later regret. It’s

what we do after those situations that set us

apart as people and even more importantly,

as leaders. We can provide explanations as

to why we believe our actions were justified,

legal, and ethical. Or we can admit we

made a mistake, right our wrongdoing,

apologize, and learn from it. Either action

will likely gain the admiration and respect of

not only those affected, but our peers as

well. If we don’t attempt to right our mistakes, we can expect those around us to

lose respect for us as people and as leaders. Now that this petition has been presented, each of you will need to decide how

you can be a great leader by setting a good

example for the rest of us. I am hopeful that

this petition will be taken seriously, and the

process outlined in our constitution carried

out.

The following language is provided in the

petition as its purpose: As described in Article V, Section (2) of the Constitution and By

-laws of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, this petition is initiated to request removal of Tribal Council Member and President Donald Shalifoe, Sr. for improper conduct. On August 11, 2014, President Shali-

foe issued disciplinary action, in the form of

suspensions from duty, to Chief Judge,

Bradley Dakota, and Associate Judge, Violet Friisvall Ayres, essentially removing

them from office. President Shalifoe also

appointed Jeffrey Loman as Acting Chief

Judge to fill the vacancy created by his removal of the duly elected judges from office.

The KBIC Constitution and By-Laws and

Tribal Code Title One are clear as to how

judges may be removed from office and vacancies filled (Title One, Subsection 1.108

Election of Tribal Division Judges, and subsection 1.109 Term of Office, both refer

back to Article V – Vacancies and removal

of office, of the KBIC Constitution and ByLaws). Those documents are silent as to

the administering of disciplinary actions to

judges, for any purpose or reason, by any

official of the KBIC. Because of President

Shalifoe’s actions, he has violated the Constitution and Laws of the KBIC, including his

Oath of Office; therefore, he should be expelled from Council for improper conduct.

Motion by Eddy Edwards to dismiss this

petition for lack of merit; the Tribal President, according to Constitution, has general supervision of the affairs of the

Tribal Council and with the general welfare of the Community; supported by

Carole LaPointe.

Six supported

(LaPointe, Jokinen, Edwards, Curtis,

Matthews,

Messer);

four

opposed

(Loonsfoot, M. LaFernier, S. LaFernier,

Misegan); one abstained (Shalifoe); one

absent (Swartz), motion carried.

Council adjourned with no further business on the agenda.

~ submitted by Lauri Denomie, Editor

Government Employee Picnic 2014

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

held their Governmental Employee Picnic

on Friday, August 29, 2014. Due to weather

conditions it was held at the Big Bucks

Bingo Hall. Employees gathered for fun

times with one of the highlights being the

pie eating contest, pictured below.

All Tribal Veterans’ Meeting at the

Lighthouse, Sand Point, will be held

every third Wednesday of the month

at 1900 hours.

All Tribal Veterans are Welcome!

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2014

Treasurer, Eddy Edwards, gave a

verbal report for the month of August

2014. (This verbal report was transcribed and edited by the Newsletter

Editor with Mr. Edwards’ final approval).

The Casinos are finalizing their budgets, and Department Heads are working

on their budgets. I’m expecting executive management will begin meeting with

staff on September 15th to prepare the

budgets for Council’s review and hopefully be able to approve those budgets

by the end of September.

I have submitted reports from both

the Casino General Managers that talk

about some of the issues that have

been occurring both bad and good. The

financial information shows that both casinos monthly indexes for coin-in and

net-win are all trending upwards for the

month reported on. It appears that

many of the things that are in place are

starting to come to fruition and work for

us. Hopefully, this trend continues.

We have been working on employee

health benefits. There was a $1.2 million dollar increase in employee health

benefits this year, so we worked on trying to find an alternative that would provide just as good of service and same

care that the current Blue Cross Blue

Shield plan does yet still save us some

money. It looks like we have found that

with Consumer’s Mutual Insurance, and

it is on the agenda today. It will save us

close to $800,000.00 per year, approximately $60,000.00 to $70,000.00 per

month.

The Casino is promoting a mixed

martial arts and boxing event to be held

October 11th. One of our tribal members, Justin Gauthier, is on the agenda

for a boxing match. We are going to

promote Justin in his boxing career, and

I look forward to inviting everyone to this

event. The Casino has tickets available

for this event, and you can sit ring side if

you wish.

We have been working on expanding

our services to the other side of the Bay

which include the gas station, smoke

shop, and Zeba Hall. The Zeba Hall is

almost finished. The roof is done. We

will be holding the primary and general

elections at the Zeba Hall for the L’Anse

district. A lot of departments have committed to bringing their services over

there such as KB Outpatient Services,

the Youth Club, and the Health Department will be offering services such as

Diabetes Care and an immunization

clinic. The gas station, smoke shop,

and Zeba Hall should all be up and running hopefully by Halloween.

This concludes my report for the

month of August.

Respectfully submitted,

Eddy Edwards, Treasurer

OGIMAA’S REPORT FOR THE MONTHS OF JULY/AUGUST

Inter-tribal Agricultural was here in

July to buy and sell native produce in

the casino parking lot. Their mobile

market travels to different reservations.

The Office of Violence Against

Women (OVW) site was visited by the

Department of Justice (DOJ) grants

manager. Several minute errors were

found, and the grants manager stated all

were fixable.

Since January 2014, native employment in tribal government has increased

from 73% to 77%. As of September 17,

2014, there are 16 departments with

100% native employed. The people

have been given all employment opportunities whenever and wherever possible. This is due to the Human Resource

Department working in conjunction with

the TERO office to actively pursue and

contact Tribal members in order to provide employment.

The goals of the new moving forward

council of native preference and letting

the directors and managers do their jobs

with little or no micro managing has increased morale and has allowed them

to become the leaders we knew they

were.

There have been three popular referendums. This process was introduced

to allow the people an opportunity to finally become involved in the government decision making. This is the first

time in our Tribal history that the people

were given a chance to exercise a constitutional right of voting on Tribal expenditures.

There has been great interest in the

possibility of new businesses such as

the Transfer Station located in the

Ojibwa Industrial park.

A proposed

cigarette shop has been in the works

with the intention of increasing the

amount of the Sovereignty checks for

the people. This amount will not be

seen right away but as sales increase

so will the amount of the checks. The

new gas station in Marquette has been

progressing nicely.

The purchase of the Lakeside motel

is in the final stages with discussions

with Superior National Bank loan officers and bank president earlier this

week. The wishes of the people are to

build a new casino in Baraga with the

continued hopes of building one in Marquette someday to improve revenue.

This would increase Tribal member employment with possible profit sharing in

the future.

There will be no more closed meetings to Tribal members except when

personal issues become involved.

The live streaming of Council meetings has been introduced to allow transparency to the Council and allow elders

and whoever else cannot make it to

meetings view them.

The Constitution has been made

easily available to the people and easy

to understand in common language including maps.

There has been three separate programs banding together to assist our

youth in the area. Our own youth, along

with TERO and the state liaison for Native Outreach, have come together to

help our Native youth in the four county

area.

With the help of the people, we will

and are moving forward and we are non

-stop in our thinking of ways to improve

our economic and social structure.

AHO Miigwech!

Ogimaa Donald Shalifoe, Sr.

CONTRACT HEALTH HAS

NEW ACRONYM

Contract Health Services, formerly

known as CHS has been given a new name

– It is now called Purchased Referred Care

or PRC.

The Indian Health Service recently

changed the name of Contract Health Services to Purchased Referred Care to better

reflect provided services. The change was

made by Federal agencies and Tribes were

notified in the last few months. Keweenaw

Bay will start Purchased Referred Care on

October 1, 2014. This allowed us time to

change forms, review policies, and update

the new PRC booklet that will soon be sent

out to all patients within the Purchase Referred Service Delivery Area or PRSDA,

(formerly known as CHSDA).

The mission of the PRC is to provide

KBIC members with high quality care beyond what is available through our Tribal

Health facility. The PRC Clerk (Elvera

Lantz), will work within financial resources

and will clearly communicate its program

and services to members.

PRC benefits are established by federal

law and regulations and funded through appropriations from the federal government.

Tribes establish priorities of coverage based

on funding appropriated as to what services

they are able to provide to their members.

Members should not rely solely on PRC

for their medical coverage. All members will

be required to apply for alternate resources—such as Medicare, Medicaid, MI

Child/Health Kids, VA, employee-sponsored

insurance, etc., BEFORE accessing PRC.

PRC is the payor of LAST resort, this

means you must utilize all existing medical

insurance-type resources before requesting

PRC.

PRC may be used as a secondary payer

should there be a primary insurance on a

“covered service” authorized by PRC to pay.

KBIC members eligible for the program

are those residing in the PRC Delivery area

which includes: Baraga, Houghton, and

Ontonagon Counties in the Western Upper

Peninsula. (See PRC Map), as established

by the federal government and non-Indian

dependents covered for pre and post-natal

care, delivery, and communicable disease.

Tribal members must apply for PRC and be

a permanent resident of the programs’ delivery area as described above. Members residing in the service area must have a

COMPLETED application on file and approved for PRC prior to disbursement for

services deemed covered outside fo the

Tribal clinic. Applicants must provide:

1. Proof of residency.

2. Proof of residency would include copies

of drivers’ licenses, utility receipts, voter

registration, etc. Proof of income is used

to determine eligibility of alternate resources. If members are eligible for an

alternate resource, such as Medicaid,

Medicare, employer’s health insurance,

VA etc., they need to apply for those

programs, or consider applying for the

Health Insurance Marketplace, in which

proof of income will be needed.

It is the patients’ responsibility to request assistance (prior to authorization/

voucher) by contacting the PRC office

directly for all services and provided at

tribal clinics from which they request assistance. The PRC staff will determine

members’ eligibility for the program at this

time. The request for assistance should be

done prior to the service provision, unless it

is an emergency visit that occurs after hours

or on the weekend when tribal clinics are

closed. Then members must report this to

PRC within 72 hours of the event. Elders

have a 30 day reporting period. An emergency room report/physician notes will be

reviewed to determine priority to determine

Continues on page four.

(3) Niswi

Proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Reservation

October 2009

witness the abuse of their mothers or loved ones, or a senior is victimized

by family members, and;

Whereas, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has a value for strong

families and goals to support strong family values to create a caring Community that nurtures and supports children, women, and families through

new and expanded Tribal programs and services, and;

Whereas, survivors of violence often suffer in silence, not knowing

where to turn, with little or no guidance and support and the exposure to

violence in the home can contribute to behavioral, social, and emotional

problems, and;

Whereas, the goals of the KBIC include providing the opportunity and

support for all Tribal families to flourish and strengthen in a caring, safe,

and supportive environment, and;

Whereas, one domestic assault that results in murder is too many on

this sovereign Tribal Nation, and;

Whereas, violence against women is the seed to so many other forms

of violence, and a shift in our conversation must happen because violence

against women continues to have devastating effects on entire communities, including our own, and;

Whereas, when our children witness violence in the home, those children are impacted by what they have seen and often experienced themselves. If we want to tackle violence in our country, in our community,

then we must address the violence that occurs in so many homes, and;

Whereas, a family’s home becomes a place of fear, hopelessness, and

desperation when a woman is battered by her partner, and the children

Whereas, all members of this community must be engaged to end the

violence, and our efforts to address domestic violence and assault must

include our young survivors, and;

Whereas, in order to combat this assault and violence our community

comes together to declare our own drug/alcohol awareness, domestic violence awareness and strong families month to support prevention, so

Therefore, during the month of October each year, our tribal community

will rededicate ourselves to breaking the silence and cycle of violence. We

will provide our survivors with education about healthy alternatives and will

work on changing attitudes that support violence, and we recognize that

domestic violence can be prevented, and declare October as Domestic

Violence Awareness Month, on this 5th day of October, 2009.

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:

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.

PRESS RELEASE

KBIC Tribal Judge Ayres Rules

A student’s Honor Roll status is defined according to the regulations of

their school district. Students in grades 4 through 12 are eligible to receive

this award.

Perfect Attendance follows the school policy, but allows time for doctor

or dental appointments and funerals may be allowed. Please contact the

following people for more information:



L’Anse Area Schools – Shellie Denomie, (906) 524-6000 ext. 369,

sdenomie@laschools.us



Baraga Area Schools

hjondreau@up.net



All others contact Amy St. Arnold, (906) 353-4117, amy@kbic-nsn.gov



Houghton, Ontonagon, and Marquette students must provide a copy of

student 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, 16429 Beartown Rd. Baraga, MI 49908.

–

Helen

Jondreau,

(906)

353-6661,

From the Office of the KBIC President:

After six weeks, on September 15, 2014, KBIC Associate Judge Violet

M. Friisvall Ayres passed down a 31 page ruling in regard to the very

controversial civil law suit brought to the Court by the former Tribal Council Member Fred Dakota against the current Tribal Council Chairman

Donald T. Shalifoe, Sr. and the KBIC Council Treasurer Eddy Edwards.

On page three of her decision she relates her decision as “Plaintiff’s motion for a Preliminary Injunction is denied, she goes on to say Plaintiff’s

motion to disqualify is denied and the Defendant’s motion to dismiss is

granted.” The next 28 pages are issued to explain in lengthy detail the

reason for her decision. For a complete review of this decision you can

read Judge Ayre’s decision on KBIC.com or the Keweenaw Bay Indian

Community facebook page. Tribal Council President Shalifoe’s response

is “I hope we can move forward as a community.” He also said, he

“hoped the decision would help speed the closing of the Lakeside Inn.”

After which he quotes the KBIC Constitution and By-Laws as the reason

for the Judge’s decision which states:

Constitution of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Article VI Section 1 — “The Tribal Council shall have the power subject to

any limitation imposed by the statutes or the Constitution of the United

States and subject to all express restrictions upon such powers contained

in this Constitution and attached By-Laws.”

 Subsection u, “To adopt Ordinances to effectuate any of the foregoing powers”

By-Laws of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Article I — Duties of officers “The President of the Tribal Council shall

preside at all meetings of the Council. He shall at all times have general

supervision of the affairs of the Tribal Council and such matters as naturally pertain to the general welfare of the Community. It shall also be the

duty of the President to countersign all checks drawn against any funds

of the organization by the Treasurer. He shall be ex-officio member of all

subordinate boards and committees.”

To place an ad, submit an article, or relate information or

ideas on possible articles contact: Lauri Denomie at (906)

201-0263, or e-mail: newsletter@kbic-nsn.gov.

Contract Health Has New Acronym continued:

NOTICE: A service agreement has been approved between LaCourt Bottled Gas, 720 US 41, Baraga, MI, and the Keweenaw Bay

Indian Community effective until May 31, 2015. LaCourt agrees to

provide KBIC and members a retail price of $1.80 per gallon for deliveries between November 1, 2014—May 31, 2015. Accounts

must be prepaid for camps and non-permanent residences, and

paid in full within ten days for primary residences. More information

is available by contacting LaCourt Bottled Gas at (906) 353-6126 or

the Ogimaa’s Office at (906) 353-6623, ext. 4112.

(4) Niiwin

if services will be covered by PRC.

It is the responsibility of the member to call Purchased Referred

Care for their voucher for all out of clinic services, NOT the referral

coordinators or nurses! They set up your referral appointments to

the clinic referred outside of our medical care facility. The PRC staff

determines if referred care is covered based on funding and established priorities of coverage for that fiscal year. Extenuating circumstances (such as catastrophic health emergencies) may occur

where special committee review could be requested. The committee consists of the Medical Director Peter Benson, Lead RN Sue

Ollila, AR/Patient Benefits Coordinator Michelle St. George, PRC

Clerk Elvera Lantz, Billing Clerk Laura Mayo, Medical Records

Clerk Denise Maki, and Associate Director Becky Tussing. The

PRC Committee meets every Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

Call

906.353.4537 to speak to Purchase Referred Care Clerk, or to

leave a message. Please notify her within 72 hours of your emergency room visits.

NEWS FROM THE OJIBWA SENIOR CITIZENS

October:

 October 9—12:15 p.m., Senior Meeting. All seniors going on

the January 10, 2015, Cruise must come and pay their final and

last payment for the cruise. The deadline with the Carnival

Cruise Line is October 12, so final payment must be made at

our meeting. Karen Lahti will be present to receive the deposit

payment and also to schedule any shore excursions individuals

wish to sign up for. Because of the Carnival cruise deadline, No

extensions for payment can be given unless approved by Karen

Lahti.

 October 23—Pasty prep at 12:00 p.m. (right after lunch). We

are done by 3:00 p.m., and volunteers are needed and very

much appreciated!

 October 24—Pasty sale at 5:00 a.m., or as early as you can get

there. We are done making pasties by 11:00 a.m., with bagging

pasties and clean-up. Volunteers are needed as early as possible! Thank you for volunteering!

PLEASE TAKE NOTE:

 The deposit for the Green Bay trip in December is now being

collected. Please contact Susie Crawford to pay your $30.00

deposit. (Non-refundable if you cancel after November 1,

2014).

 There will be no pasty sales in November and December.

Thank you everyone for your hard work this past year.

KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY

RECEIVES PRIZE CHECK

FOR TRIBE 2 TRIBE WALKING CHALLENGE

OJIBWA SENIOR CITIZEN PICNIC HELD

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

The Ojibwa Senior Citizens held their annual picnic at the Ojibwa

Powwow Grounds on Friday, August 22, 2014. Dave Firestone,

Senior Nutrition Director, organized the event with assistance of the

Health Department ladies. Pictured above are a few of the seniors

who stayed to enjoy the music of musicians Bob Keippela and Ray

Aho, picture below.

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community placed second in this year’s

Tribe 2 Tribe Walking Challenge sponsored by Blue Cross Blue

Shield of Michigan. Heather Wood-Paquet said, “We came in 2nd

place out of 10 Michigan tribes with the highest number of participants for many years in a row. We've participated every year since

2007, except for one. Each year we have participated we've ranked

in the top three. The money will be used to sponsor community

physical activity events and upcoming years walking challenges.”

The check was presented on Tuesday, September 9, 2014, at

the Donald A. LaPointe Medical Center. Shown with the check (left

to right) is: Carole LaPointe, Health Administrator, Carl Rasanen,

Health Board Chairman, Heather Wood-Paquet, Health Promotions

Educator, Rose Roose Health Care Analyst BCBS, and Linda St.

Arnauld, Provider Consultant/Services BCBS. Picture compliments

of Health Department.

HEALING TO WELLNESS

CELEBRATION DINNER

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

MEDICAL CENTER UPGRADES

Dear Patients:

We have recently upgraded to a new software system!

You may have to give us your basic information again, as all information does not automatically transfer to our new system.

Information / verification we may need is:

 Drivers’ License

 Enrollment card

 Social Security number

 Telephone number

 Address

 Date of Birth

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Your identification will be scanned into your record today as well.

Thank you for your cooperation as we move forward to improve

our services for you!

The Healing To Wellness Court held a celebration dinner on Friday, September 19, 2014, as their first attempt to educate the genContinues on page nine.

(5) Naanan

TEAM SEPPY PARTICIPATES IN ‘OUT OF DARKNESS’ EVENT

A crowd of 218 people registered and walked in the first

Baraga County 'Out of the Darkness' Community Walk For

Depression & Suicide Awareness in downtown L'Anse Saturday morning, September 13, 2014. The event brought awareness, education, and comfort to those who are themselves, or

have family members dealing with depression, suicide, and

related issues. Many people, including Team Seppy, wore

custom printed t-shirts in memory of loved ones lost. Guest

speakers, a memory table, resource tables, a balloon release,

and memorial garden dedication was also held. The KBIC

Tribal Council was a generous sponsor of the event. Members of the local Suicide Prevention Coalition include Nicole

Ross, Cindy Collins, Karen Harris, Tammy Hollon, Wanda

Seppanen, Ann Marie Amsler, Kim Hendrickson, Caitlan Bowers, and Pam Dove.

William (Chill) Seppanen, Sr. cited information from the

American Foundation For Suicide Prevention. “Every 14 minutes someone dies from suicide in the U.S. Yet, more than

90% of people who take their lives, have at least one diagnosable and treatable mental illness, such as depression, anxiety,

bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and/or substance abuse. Yet,

despite the statistics, suicide and mental illness remain hidden and shrouded in stigma. With better recognition and

treatment, suicides can be prevented. Suicide is preventable

and the more of us who participate in awareness activities,

the louder our voice is heard, bringing this issue into the spotlight. I whole-heartedly support the Baraga County Suicide

Prevention Coalition and its efforts to continue its lifesaving

work. “

OJIBWA COMMUNITY

LIBRARY HOSTS

LITERACY NIGHT

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Shirley Brozzo, author, cited short stories and

poetry.

The Ojibwa Community Library

hosted Literacy Night to present energizing community talent on Thursday,

September 18, 2014, in the Chippewa

Room of the Ojibwa Casino Resort.

Through grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services a

book compiling the writings of five authors and the art of many community

members has been produced and is

now available at the library for you to

enjoy.

KBIC member, Shirley Brozzo,

shared two short stories: Owls and Indian Summer; and two poems: Native

Women and Admerica. Sally Brunk, of

Baraga, read short stories and cited

poetry. Sally said, “For me writing is a

way of healing. I write about my family, and my stories are about them.”

Continues on page eleven.

(6) Ningodwaaswi

Fostering Family Fun Day continues:

Services Prevention Program offered crafting in the form of a handprint family tree.

The Tribal Police Department had a station

utilizing drunk goggles, an educational tool,

and three vehicles for families to check out.

The Baraga Fire Department offered rides

to families, and children were excited to

blow the sirens. Other activities organized

by ICWA and Tribal Social Services were:

snack station with snow cones, popcorn,

and cotton candy; clowns with balloons; Pop

-Ur-Prize (dart board); Pick-A-Duck game; a

number of toss games; tee-shirt crafting;

archery; karaoke; horse racing; and a

bounce house.

In addition to winning prizes at the stations, families who attended ten stations

were eligible for the family prizes. With the

assistance of donators, 24 family prizes

were offered and a number of large prizes

were offered in each age category. A fabulous dinner was served with a menu consisting of BBQ chicken, spaghetti and garlic

bread, macaroni and cheese, veggies, fruit,

cake, and a keg of root beer.

There was a short program (Tribal Social

Services Booth) where family ideals, healthy

relationships, and the importance of culture

in our families were discussed. Organizers

promoted strong, safe, healthy families, encouraged foster parenting, and recruited

foster parents.

ICWA and Tribal Social Services would

like to thank the following individuals, business, and programs for donations and volunteering:

Agnes Huecksteadt

ATR Program

Baraga Volunteer Fire Department

Beth Dix

Carol Hamacher

Community Service Workers

Cultural Committee

Donald A. LaPointe Medical Facility

Eagle Radio

Education Department

Headstart Program

Healing to Wellness Court

Jake Misegan

Joyce Chosa

Kaylee Brunk

Kim Klopstein

Lucky 7’s

MTU

Nancy Lamb

Natural Resource Department

Office of Child Support

Ojibwa Library

Ojibwa Motel

Ojibwa Senior Citizens

Pines

Preprimary

Pressbox

Public Works

Rachel Parker

Robert Rajacic

Ron Huecksteadt

Shirley Zasadnyj

SORNA

Suzy Jondreau

Tribal Council

Tribal Court

Tribal Family Spirit Program

Tribal Police

Tribal Social Services

Youth Program

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Chi’ miigwech!!!!

ICWA Committee:

Debbie Picciano

Jeanne Kauppila

Jennifer Misegan

Lauri Denomie

Nikki Arens-Reenders

Wanda Seppanen

Tribal Social Services Staff:

Ed Gransell

Isabelle Welsh

Judith Heath

Nancy Pawlowski

Thurza Mathes

William Kirchhofer

(7) Niizhwaaswi

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

Michael Lahti has been hired as the Assistant Manager at the Pines Convenience Center. Michael is a

2007 graduate from Baraga Area High School. He is

currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in management

& entrepreneurship. He began employment at the

Pines in 2008 as a cashier, was hired as a Summer

Business Intern in 2013. In his free time Michael enjoys spending time with his lovely wife and three dogs.

Marie Agnes Lallaman

(January 20, 1920 - July 25, 2014)

Stephanie Kozich has been hired as the Air Quality

Specialist. Stephanie Kozich moved to the community

from Billings, Montana in January 2011 after working

13 years with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She is a

recent Environmental Science graduate from KBOCC.

Stephanie said, “This fall I began attending Northern

Michigan University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in

Environmental Studies and Sustainability with a minor

in Native American Studies.

My husband and I have two beautiful children ages

23 and 12 and we have three furry children as well.

We love to spend our extra time in the outdoors, and in

the summer, you will see us often on Huron Bay.”

(8) Ishwaaswi

Marie “Minnie” Lallaman, 94, passed away peacefully Friday, July 25, 2014. Born January 20, 1920, in Green Bay,

WI, to George and Josephine Pine Brunette, she was a lifelong Green Bay, WI, resident. Marie was married to George

Loonsfoot, who passed away in 1968. Marie then married

Raymond Lallaman, who preceded her in death in 1999.

Marie had 11 children between the two families, most still living in the Green Bay area. Marie enjoyed cooking for large

family functions, embroidery, sewing, making puzzles, and

spending time with her numerous grandchildren. Marie is

survived by her 11 children, many grandchildren, nieces, and

nephews. She was preceded in death by her mom and dad,

George and Josephine Brunette; sisters: Angeline, Cecelia,

June; and her brother, Roland.

Family and friends visited Thursday, July 31, 2014, with

funeral services at 7:00 p.m. Interment was in the Allouez

Catholic Cemetery. Miss Minnie will be sadly missed, but

she is in a better place with Jesus.

To be added to the mailing list or to

correct your mailing address, contact the

enrollment office at (906) 353-6623 ext.

4113.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Natural Resources

Department received a binational award for their multi-year

project restoring wildlife habitat at Sand Point. A panel of

U.S. and Canadian judges with the Binational Forum selected

the stamp sands restoration project as a recipient of its 11 th

Annual Environmental Stewardship Award in the U.S. Tribal

category. The judges were very impressed with the ambitious goals of the project and the use of native plants, many

grown in the KBIC NRD greenhouse, to restore the natural

landscape and enhance wildlife habitat and human recreation

opportunities.

Funded through competitive grants in partnership with federal agencies, regional organizations, and local businesses,

the KBIC NRD spread a topsoil cap to cover the toxic stamp

sands. The cap was then planted with thousands of native

grasses, flowers, trees, and shrubs to filter the contaminants

and stabilize an eroding shoreline. Walking trails were established at Sand Point complete with exercise stations and informative signage for visitors. As of the summer of 2014

there is now a 3.3 mile trail loop in the Sand Point area.

HEALING TO WELLNESS CELEBRATION continued:

eral public about who they are and what they do. A former Healing

To Wellness graduate, Carrie Paquette, (pictured above) prepared

a slide show presentation of some of the Court’s current clients

who feel strongly about the program and how it has helped them to

change. Carrie has a wonderful knack for helping people tell their

stories through the use of slide shows and videos.

Bradley Dakota, Chief Judge explained what the Healing To

Wellness Court is. “A technical definition is that Healing To Wellness Court is a non-adversarial Court where individual clients are

given specific duties and expectations to help them achieve recovery and those duties and expectations are closely monitored by a

team of people in positions intertwined with the Criminal Court system, and the Drug Court client is either rewarded or sanctioned

depending on their progress or lack of it.

There are four phases that must be completed by each client

before they are eligible for graduation. Each phase requires a certain amount of “clean” or drug free time before a client can graduate to the next phase.

The first phase is the Stabilization phase. It requires two office

visits and five AA meetings each week. It also requires a total of

60 days of which 30 must be clean days.

Phase 2 is the phase requiring clients to develop a healthy living plan. It also requires one office visit and three AA meetings

per week. It is a total of 90 days of which 60 days must be clean

days.

Phase 3 requires that clients develop a Recovery Plan. It includes one office visit every other month, two AA meetings per

week. It is also 90 days long and 60 days must be clean days.

Phase 4 is the phase where clients are hopefully articulating

their Healthy living and Recovery Plans. It is 125 days long with

90 clean days required. Clients attend one office visit per month

and at least one AA meeting per week.

Right now you are probably wondering, what are clean days?

Clean days start with your last clean drug test. We test a lot in the

first couple of phases and decrease them as people progress

through the system.

What makes Healing To Wellness Courts work is really pretty

simple, its accountability! In the Criminal Court system especially

when there are high probation caseloads it is hard to follow up on

every probationer. I like to think of it as a halfway house right here

in your own home but within our community. Clients are interacted

with on a daily basis where they are drug tested, required to attend

office visits and meetings like AA, PPC, and women’s empowerment groups. Their progress is closely monitored and is reviewed

by the Healing To Wellness team which consists of: Holley

Makela, Coordinator of our Healing To Wellness Court. I can’t say

enough about Holley. She is a wonderful person, and she is very

good at her job. She is a tremendous asset to our Healing To

Wellness Court; Alan Rajacic is our designated team member

from the Tribal Police Department; Dan McNeil, Tribal Attorney/

Prosecutor; Doreen Blaker, Tribal Court Advocate; Marty Curtis is

our team member who represents the substance abuse side of

things. We rely a lot on Marty’s general knowledge about addiction and recovery when people have slips or relapses; Steve

Cadeau and Ron Huecksteadt are our team members representing

the Probation department; Dale Dakota who was a representative

from the Tribal Police but chose to stay on the team even after he

was moved to the Tribal Court. I guess you could call it dedication

or maybe he just enjoys seeing change in some of the people who

used to be regulars back when he was a Police Officer; Mark

Panasiewicz is our team member from Hope Works counseling.

Two programs which Mark Panasiewicz coordinates are unique

to our Healing To Wellness Court are his PPC group and his enablement prevention program. They were created here and now

they are being sought out by other communities throughout the

country because of how they work. Last week Mark and I attended

a national conference for Tribal Healing To Wellness Courts in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Mark was a presenter for four sessions during the conference.”

(9) Zhaangaswi

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON

INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDPIR)

NET MONTHLY INCOME STANDARDS*

(Effective October 1, 2013)

*The net monthly income standard for each household size

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

the applicable SNAP standard deduction.

48 Contiguous United

States:

Household

Size

Use this

amount

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP

Standard Deduction

FDPIR Net

Monthly Income Standard

$ 958

$152

$1,110

$1,293

$152

$1,445

$1,628

$152

$1,780

$1,963

$163

$2,126

$2,298

$191

$2,489

$2,633

$219

$2,852

$2,968

$219

$3,187

$3,303

$219

$3,522

Each additional member

+ $335

Alaska:

Use this

amount

Household

Size

SNAP Net

Monthly

Income

Standard

SNAP

Standard Deduction

$1,196

$260

$1,456

$1,615

$260

$1,875

$2,035

$260

$2,295

$2,454

$260

$2,714

$2,873

$260

$3,133

$3,292

$274

$3,566

$3,711

$274

$3,985

$4,130

$274

$4,404

Each additional member

FDPIR Net

Monthly Income Standard

+ $420

FDPIR Income Deductions—see 7 CFR 253.6(e)

Earned Income Deduction — Households with earned

income are allowed a deduction of 20 percent of their

earned income.

Dependant Care Deduction — Households that qualify

for the dependent care deduction are allowed a deduction

of actual dependent care costs paid monthly to a nonhousehold member.

Child Support Deduction — Households that incur the

cost of legally required child support to or for a nonhousehold member are allowed a deduction for the

amount of monthly child support paid.

Medical Expense Deduction — Households that incur

monthly medical expenses by any household member

who is elderly or disabled are allowed a deduction in the

amount of out-of-pocket medical expenses paid in excess

of $35 per month. Allowable medical expenses are provided at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(3).

Home Care Meal-Related Deduction — Households who

furnish the majority of meals for a home care attendant

are allowed an income deduction equal to the maximum

SNAP benefit for a one-person household. In Fiscal Year

2014, the amounts are as follows:

48 Contiguous U.S. States



October 1, 2013—October 31, 2013 = $200



October 1, 2013—October 31, 2013 = $200

November 1, 2013—September 30, 2014—$189

For Alaska, please select appropriate link below.

November 1, 2013—September 30, 2014—$189

See 7 CFR 272.7(b) for area designations in Alaska.

Standard Shelter/Utility Expense Deduction — Households that incur at least one monthly shelter or utility expense are allowed a standard income deduction (see

chart below). Allowable shelter/utility expenses are provided at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(6)(ii).

FY2014 FDPPIR Standard Shelter/Utility Expense Deductions - Based on Region*

Region

States Currently with

FDPIR Programs

Shelter/

Utility Deduction

Northeast/

Midwest

Michigan, Minnesota, New

York, Wisconsin

$400

Southeast/

Southwest

Mississippi, New Mexico,

North Carolina, Oklahoma,

Texas

$300

Mountain

Plains

Colorado, Kansas, Montana,

Nebraska, North Dakota,

South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

$400

West

Alaska, Arizona, California,

Idaho, Nevada, Oregon,

Washington

$350

*If the geographic boundaries of an Indian reservation

extend to more than one region per the identified regional

groupings above, then a qualifying household has the

option to receive the appropriate shelter/utility expense

deduction amount for the State in which the household

resides or the State in which the State agency’s central

administrative office is located.

(10) Midaaswi

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Employment Opportunities

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



On-call positions: Pharmacy Technician. Facility Attendant, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Internal Sales Specialist, OVW

Unit Manager, Pharmacist, Receptionist/Clerical Worker, Receptionist,

Board Operator, Cashier, Account Executive/Sales, Pre-Primary

Teaching Assistant, Community Service Supervisor, Unit Manager,

Family Aide, Van Driver.

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 visit: www.ojibwa.com.

OCTOBER 2014 Calendar Events



Oct. 4: Reg. Sat. Council Meeting, 9 am, Ojibwa Resort Conference

Rm;

Oct. 6: Constitutional Committee Meeting, 10 am, Council Chambers;

Oct. 15: Veteran’s Meeting, 7 pm; Lanterns on the Lake;

Oct. 18: Harvest Feast, 1 pm;

Oct. 22: Michigan Indian Legal Services Clinic, 9 am;

Oct. 24: Ojibwa Sr. Citizens’ Pasty Sale;

Oct. 31: Happy Halloween.

~ submitted by newsletter editor

Events occurring throughout KBIC are welcome to be listed on the Calendar of Events. Contact newsletter@kbic.nsn.gov to list your events. Some

events are more detailed FYI within the newsletter. For up-to-date event listings, visit www.ojibwa.com and click on calendar. For Youth events, see @

www.ojibwa.com, click on youth club, or contact 353-4643/Main Office at

Youth Club, or 353-4644 for the facility attendants or the Kitchen/craft

rooms.

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 organization are not tribal members, the Keweenaw

Bay Indian Community Gaming 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.

16429 Bear Town, Rd.

Baraga, MI 49908

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.

Literacy Night continued:

Sally’s short stories included: Ritual of Frybread and LacVieux

Desert Part II. Her poems were: Uncle Jimmy and Sonny.

Cecilia Chosa featured two of her recent poems: My Gifts and

Lessons.

In addition to the writings, Bryan Welsh shared an acrylic

painting. Isabelle Welsh shared her pottery work and acrylic

paintings.

Picture by Lauri Denomie.

(right to left) sitting: Sally Brunk, Cecilia Chosa, Shirley Brozzo, standing:

Isabelle Welsh, and Bryan Welsh.

(11) Ashi bezhig

OJIBWA LIBRARY NEWS

When choosing a book for children K-grade

8, it can be very daunting. The Library of Michigan has just made it easier for you. Use this

website: mel.org then find Novelist K-8. It will

be your gateway to popular and appropriate

reading for your child. Once you are in mel.org

check out the many databases that are available

to you at no charge. If you want to print from the

site it will only ask for your driver’s license number or state I.D. number. They

use the numbers to track usage of

the site. Have fun!

~ submitted by Mary Bergerson,

Tribal Library Director

Michigan Indian Legal Services

Free Legal Aid Clinic

For Low-Income Native Americans

Do you need advice or assistance with a pressing legal problem and

you think your income may fall lower than federal poverty guidelines? If

so, come to the free legal clinic on:

Wednesday, October 22, 2014,

9:00 A.M. TO 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

(No appointment necessary),

1st Floor Conference Room, KBIC Tribal Center,

16429 Bear Town Road, Baraga, MI.

Issues may include (among others): Family law, Housing, Child Welfare and ICWA, Treaty rights, Juvenile delinquency cases, Garnishment

and attachment of per capita distributions.

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO BRING ALL THE PAPERWORK