Nemîshâtênemo êhthâkîwiyâni (2022)

SAC and FOX NEWS

Nemîshâtênemo êhthâkîwiyâni

Phone: 918-968-3526 • 920963 S. Hwy. 99, Bldg. A • Stroud, OK 74079 • Vol. 44 • No. 4 • April 2022

Grant Received to Support Four ‘Thaki Resurgence’ Events

T he Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma has received a $39,930

grant through the Association of

T ribal Archives, L ibraries, and

M useums (AT AL M ) American

Rescue Plan: Humanities G rants

for Native Institutions.

T his grant is intended to help

Native Cultural Institutions recover from the COV ID-19 pandemic and provide humanities

programming to their communities. Funds were provided by

the National E ndowment for the

Humanities (NE H) as part of the

American Rescue Plan Act of

2021 passed by the U .S. Congress.

Funds support the T haki Resurgence: Promoting Sac & Fox

Culture Proj ect that will produce four humanities programs,

including the “ Our L anguages

Festival” to promote language

and cultural awareness.

“ T haki Resurgence is a series

of 4 events that will coincide

with the seasons. L ike growth

and newness, planning for 3

maj or events will occur in the

spring. Summertime is marked

by our annual pow wow. In the

summer, we will post tutorials

of our traditional dances. In the

fall, we will host our annual Our

L anguages Festival to promote

language and cultural awareness. Culturally, we tell stories

during winter. W e will host a

premiere of oral histories that

we have produced throughout

the year,” said Katie T hompson,

director of the Sauk L anguage

Department and interim director

of Sac and Fox National Public

L ibrary.

“ W e are all affected by what

happened during this pandemic.

W e have lost a lot of people that

are important to us. W e have lost

singers, speakers, elders, teachers,” said Sac and Fox Business

Committee M ember and Clan

L eader, Robert W illiamson.

Provided by National Endowment for the Humanities

“ And, we will still feel the

effects of losing our loved ones

for a long time to come. T hese

events will help our people to

reunite and to begin learning,

teaching and taking part in our

cultural practices again. W e are

thankful to the AT AL M American Rescue Plan for providing

us the funding to host these

events that will help us keep our

culture and language strong.”

“ COV ID-19 hit T ribal communities particularly hard. T he

pandemic is not only responsible for the loss of culture keepers, Native language speakers,

elders, and government leaders,

but also the closure of cultural

institutions, furloughed staff,

and reduced programming,” said

AT AL M President Susan Feller.

“ T his opportunity will provide

much needed financial su ort

and create humanities-based

programs that bring cultural

practitioners and the public together in a dialogue that embraces the civic and cultural life

of Native communities.”

T he Sac & Fox Nation of

Oklahoma was selected by an

independent Peer Review Committee and is one of 84 awardees

to receive funding. Other

awardees representing 25 states

include tribal governments and

Native non rofit organi ations

as well as, higher education institutions and non-native nonrofit organi ations or ing in

partnership with state or federall recogni ed tri al entities. A

total of $3.26 million was granted. A list of grantees is available

at www.atalm.org

“ T he National E ndowment

for the Humanities is grateful

to the Association of T ribal Archives, L ibraries, and M useums

for the association’ s important

work in administering American

Rescue Plan funding to help Native American cultural institutions recover from the pandem-

ic,” said NE H Chair Shelly C.

L owe (Navaj o).

“ T hese grants provide valuable humanities resources to

tribal communities and represent a lifeline to the many Native heritage sites and cultural

centers that are helping preserve

and educate about Indigenous

history, traditions, and languages.”

Sac and Fox tribal elder Lawrence Kahbeah Sr., holds a framed original 1891 allotment deed

for land assigned to his grandfather Hugh Wakolee’s wife, Mable. The document is on loan

and on display at the Sac and Fox Nation Cultural Center. Also pictured are Lawrence Kahbeah Jr. and Sac and Fox Nation Sauk Language Director Katie Thompson.(Photo by Mike Brown)

1891 Original Land Allotment Deed is Available

For Viewing at the Sac and Fox Cultural Center

Fortenberry and Nooner Earn

Advanced Diabetes Care Certifications

Black Hawk Health Center providers DeAnne Fortenberry,

APRN-CNP, BC-ADM and Josh Nooner, MS, RD/LD, CDCES

have earned certifications as specialists in diabetes care.

Deanne Fortenberry has earned “Board Certified – Advanced

Diabetes Management” credentials, and Josh Nooner has

gained credentials as a “Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist.” Through an increased focus on the prevention and treatment of diabetes, their achievements reflect a

dedication to providing the best possible care to patients at

Black Hawk Health Center.

(Photo by Mike Brown)

by Juaquin Hamilton,

Historical Researcher

Sac and Fox Nation of

Oklahoma

On M arch 3, 2022, L awrence

Kahbeah Sr. was kind to loan

the original allotment deed of

land assigned to his grandfather

Hugh W akolee’ s wife, M abel.

Currently, this document is on

display at the Sac and Fox Cultural Center in Stroud, Okla.

T his document is in its original

state, signed by President Benj amin Harrison, and is mounted

and framed. M r. Kahbeah wanted to share a physical part of Sac

and Fox history with the tribal

members.

Some history behind documents such as the one pictured,

includes: Oklahoma’ s second

land run, the Sac and Fox opening, occurred on September 22,

1891, after President Benj amin

Harrison September 18 signed

a roclamation authori ing it.

his land run as the first to

open land previously occupied

by American Indians.

M ore than nine hundred thousand acres became available for

non-Indian settlement because

several tribes had accepted allotments and sold their surplus

land to the federal government.

Payne County had bounded the

surplus area on the north, L ogan, Oklahoma, and Cleveland

counties on the west, and the

Indian T erritory east and south.

Approximately twenty thousand

hopeful settlers lined up along

the boundaries to claim one of

6,097 homesteads of 160 acres.

M ore than a year before the

opening, the Cherokee (J erome)

Commission, headed by David

H. J erome, had met with the

Iowa, Sac and Fox, Kickapoo,

A sentee ha nee and iti en

Band Potawatomi on their reservations in Indian T erritory. On

M ay 25, 1890, the Iowa tribe

as the first to acce t eight

acres for their eighty-six members. T hey sold the rest, an estimated 221,528 acres, for less

than $0.28 pe r acre.

On J une 12, 1890, the Sac

and Fox agreed to 160-acre allotments for each tribal member

and received $1.23 per acre for

the remaining 391,189 acres. On

une

the iti en

(Continued on Page 2)

Camp Clean-Up Notice

In preparation for Pow-W ow, there will be three camp cleanup days: Th e we e k e nds of Ap r il 9, May 7 and Ju ne 18, 20

.

Please have trash ready for pickup by the roadway and larger

items please mark with an X so we know to go into the amp

for disposal. If you have limbs around your camp, please pick

them up so we can mow around the campsite.

Sac and Fox Tribal members at the allotting agent’s camp- Sac and Fox Agency 1891.

(Sac and Fox Nation Archives Photo courtesy of Juaquin Hamilton)

Page 2 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

Sac and Fox News

The Sac & Fox News is the monthly

publication of the Sac & Fox Nation,

located on SH 99, six miles south of

Stroud, OK.

Mailing address:

Sac and Fox Nation

Administration Building

920963 S Hwy 99 Bldg A

Stroud, OK 74079

Phone: 918-968-3526

Fax: 918-968-4837

The Sac & Fox News is the official

publication of the Sac and Fox

Nation. Our mission is to meet all

tribal members information needs

concerning the Nation.

The Sac & Fox News is mailed free,

one per address, to enrolled Sac and

Fox tribal members. Paid subscriptions

are available for $12.00 annually.

Editorial statements, guest columns,

and letters to the editor published in

this newspaper contain the opinions

of the writers. These opinions do not

necessarily reflect the opinions of

the Sac and Fox News staff or any

elected official or department of tribal

government or administration.

The Sac and Fox News reserves the

right to refuse publication of letters to

the editor. All editorials and letters to

the editor become the property of the

Sac and Fox News.

Submissions for publication must

be signed by the author and include

an address and contact phone number.

They are limited to 300 words. The

staff will not edit editorials or letters

to the editor to fit the 300-word limit.

Deadline for the May issue is:

Wednesday, April 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Reprint permission is granted, with

proper credit to the Sac and Fox News,

unless other copyrights are shown.

Articles and letters may be submitted

to the newspaper either by mail or Fax

to the address provided above, - or by

e-mail:newspaper@sacandfoxnationnsn.gov.

Address corrections & changes are

accepted by The Business Committee

at the address listed below.

Manag ing Editor

Mike Brown

For information:

918-968-3526 x1060

newspaper@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

Publisher: Sac and Fox Nation

Member of

Native American Journalists

Assn - Since 1988

Member OPA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tribal Officers:

918-968-3526 or 800-259-3970

Pr incip al Ch ie f:

Justin Freeland Wood

Telephone (918) 968-3526

Ext. 1004

chief@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

Se cond Ch ie f:

Don Abney

Telephone (918) 968-3526

Ext. 1008

secondchief@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

Se cr e tar y :

Lana Butler

Telephone (918) 968-3526

Ext. 1007

secretary@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

Tr e asu r e r :

Carla Wallace

Telephone (918) 968-3526

Ext. 1006

treasurer@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

Committe e Me mb e r :

Robert Williamson

Telephone (918) 968-3526

Ext. 1005

cmember@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov

B u sine ss Committe e

Mail ing Addr e ss:

Sac and Fox Nation

Administration Building

920963 S Hwy 99 Bldg A

Stroud, OK 74079

Visit us on the webb @

sacandfoxnation.com

click news

Obituaries

Gordon Mark Ponkilla

G ordon M ark Ponkilla, of Stroud,

Okla., passed away on W ed., Feb. 16,

2022 at his home, surrounded by his

family. T raditional tribal rites were conducted Feb. 19, 2022 at the Sac and Fox

Nation Community Building. G raveside

services were held on Feb. 20, 2021 at

Sac and Fox Cemetery.

G ordon was born on April 22, 1963 in

Pawnee, Okla. to J ames “ J im” and L orena M ary (G rant) Ponkilla and, was an

enrolled member of the Sac and Fox Nation.

G ordon came from humble beginnings and grew up around the E arlsboro/Shawnee, Okla. area, attending

North Rock Creek, J ohnson School and

Shawnee M iddle School. He later went

on to receive his G E D and then went to

M oore-Norman V o-T ech and received

his j ourneyman’ s license in heating and

air.

G ordon lived and moved with his

family from Norman, Prague, Cushing

and finall landing in troud for his last

years. G ordon was on the Sac and Fox

E lection Committee for over 10 years.

He also was a singer with the Redlands

Singers. G ordon was a representative for

awhile for Sac and Fox and, got to meet

President Bill Clinton. He loved to work

with his hands, from bead work, to carving and also being a master cook.

G ordon was preceded in death by his

parents; son J ustin W ade Ponkilla; his

brothers, J ames “ J im” Ponkilla, J r., Shannon Byers, Rick Blanchard, and J ohnny

Ray W alker.

He is survived by his wife T onette

J enell (Arkeketa) Ponkilla; daughter

T ania J ene Ponkilla and husband Rico

J essepe; daughter E mmily Ann Fixico;

adopted daughter Rica J essepe; goddaughter Shelsie W hitethunder; grandchildren, Q uinton J ames J essepe, T arah

J anee J essepe, M ariah J enell J essepe,

Carter M ark-Z ane Ponkilla, L ucas W ade

M eely, and Stonie Fixico; sister L oretta

Ponkilla; brother J effery Ponkilla; sister Brenda G ail Ponkilla; sister Diane

Ponkilla; extended brothers, Dennis

Keahna J r, Steve Franklin, L oren Daven-

port, Kelly Call, T homas W hitethunder,

J onas Cecil and Chip W alker; and, many

other friends.

Gordon Mark Ponkilla

1891 Original Land Allotment Deed on Loan (Continued From Page 1)

Band Potawatomi, accepting 1,498 allotments and the Absentee Shawnee 563

allotments, sold their remaining 325,000

acres at $0.69 per acre. T he Kickapoo

refused to take any disbursements at this

time, and the U .S. government did not

open their surplus lands to settlement until M ay 23, 1895.

Before noon on September 22, 1891,

thousands of individuals gathered at

various starting points, east of Norman,

Oklahoma City, and G uthrie and along

the western boundary of the Creek Nation, I.T . T wo companies of U .S. Army

troops under Capts. Hayes and Stiles and

U .S. marshals restrained the settlers from

entering the land before noon.

T wo counties formed from the newly

opened area, designated as County A (later L incoln County) and County B (later

Pottawatomie County). In addition, the

land area of Payne, Cleveland, L ogan,

and Oklahoma counties increased. T he

predetermined county seats of T ecumseh

for County B and Chandler for County A

did not open until September 23 and September 28, 1891, respectively, because

the town sites had not been plotted yet.

Secretary of the Interior J ohn W . Noble directed that no town site companies

would be permitted and open T ecumseh and Chandler only to single-entry

claimants. T housands of hopeful settlers

competed for lots in T ecumseh, which

remained the county seat of Pottawatomie County until a 1930 election favored

Shawnee. L ater, other towns gradually

developed in the surrounding areas.

(Following is the full document wording from the 1891 original land allotment

deed:)

Th e Unite d State s of Ame r ica

T o all to whom these presents shall come,

G reeting:

W hereas, T here has been deposited

in the eneral and ffice of the nited States a schedule of allotments of

land, dated September 1, 1891 from the

acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs,

approved by the Secretary of the Interior September 4, 1891 whereby it appears that under the provisions of the

second and third Articles of the “ Articles

of agreement made and entered into at

“ T he seat of G overnment of the Sac and

Fox Nation in the Indian T erritory on the

twelfth day” of J une, E ighteen hundred

and ninety, by and between David H.

J erome, Alfred M . W ilson, and “ W arren

G . Sayre, commissioners on the part of

the U nited States, appointed for the purpose and “ the Sac and Fox Nation, “ as

acce ted ratified and confirmed

the Act of Congress, entitled “ An Act

to ratif and confirm agreements ith

the Sac and Fox Nation of Indians and

the Iowa tribe of Indians, of Oklahoma

T erritory, and to make appropriations for

carrying out the same, “ approved February thirteenth, eighteen hundred and

ninety-one M U CK-KO-CHE or M ABE L

W AKOL E , an Indian of the Sac and Fox

Nation has been allotted the following

described land,viz :

T he northwest qua rter of the northwest

qua rter and lot numbered six of section

fourteen in township eleven north of

range four E ast of the Indian M eridian

in the T erritory of Oklahoma containing

sevent five acres and ninet hundredths

of an acre

T o be held in trust for the period of

t ent five ears and the follo ing

land, viz : T he south half of the southwest qua rter of section eleven in township eleven North of range four E ast of

the Indian M eridian in the T erritory of

Oklahoma containing eighty acres to be

held in trust for the eriod of five ears.

NOW , KNOW Y E , T hat the U nited

States of America, in consideration of

the premises and in accordance with the

provisions of the third article of said Articles of agreement as acce ted ratified

and confirmed

said Act of ongress

of February 13, 1891, Hereby Declares

that it does and will hold the lands thus

allotted (subj ect to all the restrictions and

conditions contained in said third article)

for the said eriods of t ent five

and five

ears res ectivel in trust for

the sole use and enefit of the said uc

Ko-che or M abel W akole or in case of

her decease for the sole use of her heirs,

according to the laws of the State or T erritory where such land is located, and that

at the expiration of each of said periods

the U nited States will convey the land so

allotted by patents to said Indian or her

heirs, as aforesaid, in fee, discharged of

said trust and free of all encumbrances

whatsoever: Provided, T hat with the consent of the President of the U nited States

the said eriod of five ears ma e e -

tended to fifteen ears.

In T estimony whereof, I, Benj amin

Harrison, President of the U nited States

of America, have caused these letters to

be made patent and the seal of the G eneral and office to e hereunto affi ed.

G iven under my hand at the City of

W ashington this eleventh day of September in the year of our L ord, one thousand

eight hundred and ninety-one, and of the

Independence of the U nited States the

one hundred and sixteenth

By T he President, Benj amin Harrison

By E llen M acfarland, Secretary

I.R. Conwell, Recorder of the G eneral

and office.

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Sac and Fox Nation

Sac and Fox Casino

Sac and Fox Language Program

Sac and Fox Dept. of Human Services

Sac and Fox National Public Library

Happy April Birthday Elders!

John W illiam G illaspy

C olleen L isa D ecker

B arbara T homas M cI lv aine Smith

Sherry L ynn T eague

E v a Jordan

Jessie L ee W alker

C arol A nn Holmes

D allas James Stephe ns

L arry D ew ayne W allace

Francis L eroy G rant

Ruby M ae V andev er

L isa L eaellen L ongs hore

Sheila A nn Huyghe

E liz abeth A hkeahbo

T eresa A nn C ronk

G ordon M ark P onkilla

M argar et L ee M cI ntosh

Sharon L ee E bbinga

Sheryl Jane Row e

D onn W histler

L isa L ea A nn C arr

D ebra Y v onne Reim

T ina Jean B lackburn

M arv in W arren T hurman

G regor y W ayne B erryhill

W anda Y v onne B row n

Joseph T odd Jones

W illiam W ayne Sarber

Robert L ev i P arham

Raymond L ee Harris

A aron Fryor W ilson

L ev a M arlene E llis

Helen Jo T homps on

C harles D ew ayne L asley

W illiam Scott M cC oy

E arnest L . H ocker

Rose M arie B ean

Shari L ynn A ndersen

T erry K ent Raines

P hillip J oseph M anatow a

V onda Joyce B ryce

G alle Rae A dkins

C arl W ayne A nderson

L eo E lmer G okey

Ruby I rene Harris

P amela D ale Fraz ier

Shaw n D av id P ratt

P atrick W ood Hernandez

Rudy K eo

G eorge M itchell M arez

A nnette M iles

Scott E uge ne Harshberge r

W allace H. A llen

D av id A llan E dmonson

Ronnie E uge ne W ano

Jimmy K ent W aller

B ev erly Sue G ibson

Shelly Renae P ratt

Ralph M aurice Hamblin

Harriett Oresa Rice

K atherine M argar et W ilson

John G rass

Ramona Nadine Rico

Robin D enise T ige r

D onald C had M onday

Shelly A nn B arron

D orene K atherine K eo

Robert V . H ocker

Rose M arie T homps on

T ommy Ray M oore

D ianna Sue M cC aulla

W allace B uster M cC lellan

C harles A . P oitras

Sean P atrick B eall

D eborah K ay G iv ens

Naomi D enise M cC oy- Shognos h

Ricky W ayne Hocker

A lma Faye Northrup

Page 3 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

State Remains in

A ‘ ower Struggle’

ith 9 Tribes

by Nancy M arie Spe ars

G aylord New s

W hile Oklahoma remains in a power

struggle with its 39 tribes on criminal

j urisdiction and whether Native American reservations still exist, some W estern

states have been collaborating with their

tribes for years.

In New M exico, the state supreme

court laid the foundation in 2006 for

what has become known as the M cG irt

decision, the Oklahoma case in which

the U .S. Supreme Court ruled that the

M uscogee reservation had never been

dissolved.

J erri M ares, the New M exico Attorney

G eneral’ s legislative affairs director, said

New M exico’ s Supreme Court held in a

2006 case that New M exico did not have

j urisdiction to prosecute crimes occurring on reservations there.

“ W hile New M exico will undoubtedly

feel an impact of the M cG irt v. Oklahoma

decision in the future, New M exico case

law has already established a framework

for who can exercise j urisdiction over

crimes committed by members of Indian

tribes in Indian Country,” M ares said.

Oklahoma courts have since ruled under M cG irt that the reservations of the

Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, M uscogee, Seminole and Q uapaw tribes were

never dissolved by Congress. Robert

J . M iller, an Ariz ona State U niversity

College of L aw professor, said his own

tribe’ s 14,000-acre reservation of the

E astern Shawnee T ribe in Oklahoma

could potentially be re-recogniz ed under

M cG irt.

M iller said Ariz ona had by far the

most Indian Country within its borders

until M cG irt re-recogniz ed reservations

for Oklahoma tribes. Ariz ona is made up

of 27% Indian Country, while Oklahoma

now comprises 43% Indian Country.

“ T here’ s no state making the same

arguments Oklahoma is,” M iller said.

“ Oklahoma’ s acting like this is the end of

the world. Y es, 43% is a pretty big deal

and it’ s a shock to the system. I called

this case a bombshell and it was a bombshell for the feds, the state and the tribes.”

But, Oklahoma G ov. Kevin Stitt has

een in con ict ith

lahoma tri es

beginning with casino gaming compacts

in 2019, a year before the J uly 2020 M cG irt ruling. In 2021, he went toe-to-toe

ith the tri es over hunting and fishing

compact costs and the expiration of gaming compacts.

Stephen G reetham, Chickasaw Nation’ s senior counsel, said “ there’ s no

ambiguity left to be reasonably argued,”

in the applications of the law. G reetham

said that in his experience working with

his team, Stitt only wants to work with

the tribes under a framework of rolling

back M cG irt, “ and the tribes aren’ t going

to do that.”

“ E ach one of those states (outside

Oklahoma) has been dealing with this for

qui te a long time,” G reetham said. “ T hey

have invested, built, and structured their

law enforcement systems in order to deal

with the law as it is. W hat Oklahoma is

doing, instead of working with the tribes

and working with the law as it is, it’ s continuing arguments to try to say ‘ no, not

us, we’ re different.’ It doesn’ t work that

way.”

Oklahoma’ s attorney general recently indicated there might be room for

dialogue with the state’ s tribal nations.

“ T he Attorney G eneral has had constructive conversations with tribal leaders and

looks forward to more in the future,”

the

lahoma Attorne

eneral office s

communication director Rachel Roberts

said.

ur office ill continue to endeavor to work with the Indian Nations

to ard meaningful solutions that enefit

all Oklahomans.”

Oklahoma’ s position isn’ t totally

unique , according to M onte M ills, a U niversity of M ontana Federal Indian L aw

professor who said state and local concerns over tribal rights and their impact

(Continued on Page 4)

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Sac and Fox Nation

Sac and Fox Casino

Sac and Fox Language Program

Sac and Fox Dept. of Human Services

Sac and Fox National Public Library

Please mail the completed surveys to:

Housing Authority of the Sac and Fox Nation at PO Box 1252

Shawnee, OK 74801. If you have any questions, please call

(405)275-8200 or e-mail cthomas@hasfn.net. Surveys may

also be taken Online via the Sac and Fox Nation’s Facebook

and the Housing Authority’s website at www.sacandfoxha.

com. Surveys may also be obtained by calling the Housing

Authority.

Page 4 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

Sac and Fox Nation Education Department News

T he E ducation Department has been

working diligently on the new procedures for the upcoming J uly RAP Clothing/School Supply changes of the school

ear

. e ill definitel

be issuing V ISA cards for clothing and

school supplies moving forward. T he

process will stay the same when turning

in your application where you will have

the school sign for verification of enrollment, tribal membership card. W e will

no longer be asking for W -9 forms to be

requi red.

W e are aware this is a BIG change for

arents this first ear and even the second year will be a learning process for

parents. E veryone will have to take note

that if you try to buy other items besides

clothing for your child/children the card

will automatically deactivate, and no

purchase will be allowed until you call

the E ducation department, and we will

check to see what happened as to why the

card was deactivated.

Another note that needs to be address

is RAP school clothing/school supply

receipts for school year 2021-2022, you

should have turned in all receipts in by

April 1, 2022 to be eligible for 2022 –

2023 school year. If you did not turn in

school clothing or school supply receipt

(s) your child/children will not be eligible

for RAP school clothing/school supply

and have to wait for school 2023 – 2024.

Y ou will no longer have to keep up with

receipts for school year 2022– 2023 for

RAP school clothing/school supply receipts. W e will be updating monthly.

T he G raduation Stoles will be mailed

out by the middle of April, or you may

call to make arrangements to come by the

office to ic u our stole. e also have

Kindergarten stoles as well. T he application is on the website under E ducation.

If your child/children have not made

application for headsets Pre-K through

12th grade you can still make the application deadline and pick them up at the

L earning Center in Stroud.

Public School E SSA Consultations are

still going on between the public schools

and the Nations, along with other T ribal

Nations. On February 17, we had a virtual consultation with Deer Creek, G uthrie, Cleveland, Newcastle, M ustang and

Crescent Public School.

On February 23, consultation was virtual with Seminole Public School. T here

are 551 American Indian Students enroll

and one Sac and Fox Student is listed.

by Edwina Butler-Wolfe

Seminole Public School has 1,401 students attending.

W e will be planning for the upcoming

Pow-W ow J OM Fun Day hope to bring

more information in the next newsletter.

E dwina Butler-W olfe

Director of E ducation

405 328-0402 cell number

918 968-3526, ext: 2046

State Tribal ‘ ower Struggle’

(Continued From Page 3)

on non-tribal citiz ens are often at the core

of state tri al con icts.

“ T hat’ s not to say there haven’ t been

con icts over hether the state e erts

authority or taxes certain people within reservation boundaries,” M ills said.

“ T hose have continued, but that basic

que stion about whether the reservations

exist hasn’ t been an issue here recently

like it has in Oklahoma.”

Alexander Skibine, professor at the

U niversity of U tah’ s S.J . Q uinney College of L aw, pointed to continued disputes about reservation boundaries for

the U te T ribe. “ Although M cG irt is only

relevant to Oklahoma in the immediate future, disputes about reservations’

boundaries or disestablishment have affected a number of states,” Skibine said.

“ Here in U tah, the state has had a long

history in refusing to cooperate fully with

federal rulings concerning reservation

boundaries.” Skibine said U tah was refusing to accept U te reservation boundaries as established by federal courts.

M iller said there also are a number of

Supreme Court cases in which Ariz ona

was litigating against the tribes. In 1959

and 1973, the state was involved in suing

individual tribal members in state court

as well as a case where the state tried to

tax a Native woman’ s salary who lived

on the Navaj o reservation. Ariz ona, he

said, has learned to recogniz e tribes for

what they are: an equa l body of government.

“ T he state (Ariz ona) recogniz es tribal

governments as constitutionally recogniz ed governments and you have to deal

with them the same as you deal with other states or you deal with a city or a county,” M iller said. “ T here’ s a lot of obligations on the tribes in Oklahoma now that

they didn’ t have before. M ost of them are

working very diligently to absorb these

new powers. T hey’ re cooperating with

the feds, they want to cooperate with the

state.

( Nancy M arie Spe ars, a G aylord New s

repor ter is an enrolled member of the

C herokee Nation of Oklahoma. G aylord

New s is a repor ting pr oj ect of the U niv ersity of Oklahoma G aylord C ollege of

Journalism and M ass C ommunication.)

Business Committee Meeting Minutes

are now accessible on the Website

sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov and Facebook

Page 5 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

9

hy the ‘nsn gov’ Designation

S. Hwy. 99, Building A Stroud,

K

9 (918) 9 8-11 1 FA (918) 9 8-11

NOTICE

A W-9 form is not needed for Per

Capita Payments unless you have a

name change, new address, you are

a newly-enrolled tribal member or, if

required, for RAP applications.

W-9 FORM MUST BE CUT ON DOTTED LINE BEFORE MAILING

^

Business Committee Meeting Minutes

are now accessible on the Website

sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov and Facebook

Sac and Fox

Nation Telephone

Extensions

Main Number:

918-968-3526

• Chief - 1004

• Second Chief - 1008

• Treasurer - 1006

• Secretary - 1007

• Committee Member - 1005

• BC Front Desk - 1009

• Tax - 1043-1045

• Accounting - 1030-1036

• Property and Procurement 1020-1039-1022

• Maintenance - 2063

• BHHC - 918-968-9531

• ICW - 1711

• Court - 2039

• Library - 2020-2021

• Language - 1075

• JUVI - 4000

• USDA - 2077 (WIC 2079)-20802081-2082

(Warehouse USDA 2089)

• Education - 2046

• IT - 2041

• Police - 2033

• Self-Governance - 1080

• Capitol Security - 1090

• Realty - 1052

• Enrollment - 1040-1041

• RAP - 2000 - 2001

• Social Services - 2010-2011

• OES - 2091-2092-2094

• Veterans - 1065

• Newspaper - 1060

• Tribal Administrator - 1010

• NAGPRA/Historic

Preservation - 1070

• ARPA - 1819

X

X

X

SAC AND FOX NATION

920883 S. HIGHWAY 99 BLDG. “A”

STROUD, OKLAHOMA, 74079

X

X

X

^

From time to time, a question has been asked as to why the

Sac and Fox Nation uses such a special exclusive (and longer) native

sovereign nation dot gov Internet designation and name:

The “nsn dot gov” (nsn.gov) designation carries with it more significant levels of legitimacy, trust, and authority than a commercial, “dot

com” domain name.

“NSN DOT GOV” confirms that it is an official government website that has been certified, verified, and recognized by the United

States Government.

Of course, commercial sub-entities and public political subdivisions of tribal government may also use a commercial dot com designation for commercial-oriented purposes.

Truman Carter

9

Page 6 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

SAUK LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

PHILOSOPHY

I ndians are born sp eaking our lang uag es. For some of us,

they lie dormant w ithin our bodies. T hey are looking for a

w ay out. G od g av e us these beautiful lang uag es. A ll of us

hold them in a sacred manner w ithin. T here is no such thing

as an I ndian p erson w ho cannot sp eak I ndian.

Our language programs find these languages within our

bodies. T hey bring them out throug h our mouths and deliv er

them to their rig htful resting p laces w ithin our hearts.

April Comic

Page 7 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

Business Committee Meeting Minutes

April Word Search

Business Committee Meeting Minutes

SAC AND FOX TAX COMMISSION

REVENUE

June 2021

Beer and Liquor...................................................................$206.90

State Tobacco Rebate...................................................$258,966.40

Motor Vehicle...................................................................$8,674.94

Sales Tax........................................................................$16,999.00

Treasury...........................................................................$56,697.90

Oil and Gas.............................................................................$0.00

Gaming..........................................................................$241,701.17

TOTAL..............$583,246.31

Page 8 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

SAC AND FOX TAX COMMISSION

REVENUE

May 2021

Beer and Liquor...................................................................$123.38

State Tobacco Rebate...................................................$263,214.82

Motor Vehicle...................................................................$8,877.09

Sales Tax........................................................................$17,233.72

Treasury.............................................................................$1,707.50

Oil and Gas.............................................................................$0.00

Gaming..........................................................................$240,437.58

TOTAL..............$531,594.095

April 2022

SAC AND FOX NATION

FOOD DISTRIBUTION

PROGRAM

STROUD WAREHOUSE

918-968-3030 • 1-800-256-3398

SHAWNEE OFFICE

405-395-0063 • 1-886-622-2310

HELP WANTED!

SAC & FOX NATION

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The following is a list of job vacancies with

the Sac & Fox Nation:

IT Assistant

Shipping, Receiving and Filing Clerk (Temporary)

Patient Navigator

Assistant Cook

Economic Development Director

Community Health Nurse

Human Resources Director

Resident Advisor (Juvenile Detention Center)

Grant Writer/Planner

Landscaper/Laborer

Policy Analyst

Human Resources Assistant

Meal Delivery Driver (Part-Time)

Accounts Payable Technician

Laborer (Food Sovereignty)

Comptroller

Applicants must successfully pass an OSBI/National background check and

drug screen. Preference in hiring is given to qualified Native Americans.

Applicants claiming Indian Preference must provide a copy of their CDIB. For

more information and to learn how to apply please visit our website at:

www.sacandfoxnation.com

or contact Human Resources, Sac and Fox Nation, 920963 S. Hwy. 99,

Bldg. A Stroud, OK 74079 or by phone (918) 968-3526

ALL FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS

ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! THANK YOU!!

Page 9 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

RAP Department Application Forms

Page 10 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

RAP Department Application Forms

Page 11 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

RAP Department Application Forms

Page 12 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

RAP Department Application Form

The W-9 FORM CAN BE FOUND IN THIS EDITION ON PAGE 5

Page 13 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

Sac and Fox Nation Lawn Services Applications Now Being Accepted

Sac and Fox Nation

Elders Lawn Care Services Program

920883 S Highway 99 Stroud OK 74079

Phone: (918) 968-3526, ext. 2012 *Fax: (918) 968-0142

Aho Tribal Elders~

The Sac and Fox Nation Title VI Department is starting

to take applications for the 2022 Lawn Mowing Season. The

Lawn Services Program are for ALL Tribal Member Elders

or Disabled individuals regardless of where you live. The

Services will start on April 15, 2022 and end on September

15, 2022. ** First Come, First Serve **

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach

out to Carrie R. LaDeaux, Title VI Elder Coordinator at

918 968-3526 ext. 2012

or Carrie.Ladeaux@sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov.

Ketepi

Elders Lawn Care Services Program Guidelines

This program is designed to provide Lawn Care services for the

safety and healthy daily living needs of all our eligible Sac and Fox

Nation Tribal Member Elders, Members who are physically disabled and cannot safely perform Lawn Care themselves, regardless

oflocation/residency.

• Applicant(s) must be an enrolled member of the Sac and Fox

Nation age 55 or older, or who is physically disabled and residing

within or out of jurisdiction.

• Participants will have their lawns cut Two (2) times per month

for Five (5) months, based on available funding and number of participants served.

• Funding for this program is limited and each application will

be processed in the order in which it was received. This program

will fund as many Tribal Member requests as funding will permit.

However, preference may be given to emergency situations.

• Applicants claiming a physical disability must provide a physician’s statement.

(Continued on Page 14)

Page 14 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

Tribal Leaders Expect Economic

by M ikaela D eL eon

G aylord New s

Oklahoma tribes are hopeful an update

to a century-old law will spur tribal economies and the new rules will create a uniform approach to contracting procedures.

T he Buy Indian Act was created in

1910 to set aside government procurement contracts for Indian-owned businesses. T he Bureau of Indian Affairs

and the Indian Health Service are the

sole federal departments the act applies

to. Still, in 2015 the G overnment Accounta ilit

ffice re orted onl

to

15 percent of IHS contracts went to Indian-owned businesses, and suggested

sweeping reform is needed to increase

contract opportunities.

Sen. J ohn Hoeven (R-ND) sponsored

the Indian Community E conomic E nhancement Act of 2020, which amended

three federal economic laws. It requi res

the IHS and BIA to create a uniform approach to Buy Indian Act procurement

procedures to “ reduce red tape that limits

Indian business promotion.” T he bill also

expanded access to capital for tribes and

increased opportunities for Native business promotion.

n an.

the

released its final

rule on the Buy Indian Act in response to

the A s final rule hich as released

in ecem er

. he

sa s enefits

of its final rule ould include e anding

the Buy Indian Act to all construction

and removing regulatory burdens by

allowing Indian economic enterprises

(IE E ) to increase subcontracts, removing construction restrictions for IE E s and

clarifying the language of the act and its

procedures.

Oklahoma tribal leaders say the new

regulations could provide the economic

boost they’ ve been seeking. “ T hese new

provisions are a step in the right direction

and I believe many tribes, including our

business arm, may want to take advantage of the opportunity,” said Cherokee

Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin J r.

Hoskins said updated Buy Indian Act

procedures will energiz e Native businesses. One of the largest updates expands the act over all construction. T his

includes construction of health care facilities, personnel qua rters, water supply

and aste dis osal facilities. he final

rule by BIA and IHS also emphasiz es the

commitment to purchasing Native products and hiring Native labor without the

typical “ competitive process.”

“ By prioritiz ing federal contract

a ards to ndian o ned firms the u

Indian Act can fuel j ob creation and

boost economic development across In-

oost From ‘ uy ndian Act’

dian Country,” he said.

Over the past decade, Cherokee Nation

Businesses have generated $7 28 million.

In northeast Oklahoma, the nation and its

businesses make an annual economic impact of $2.16 billion. T he CNB website

states the tribe is “ committed to changing

the Oklahoma community through economic growth.”

he

s final rule is e ected to generate $200 million in contract opportunities, an estimated $14 5 million above last

year’ s yield of $55.9 m illion.

Choctaw Nation Chief G ary Batton

said he is “ pleased with the IHS’ s commitment to providing economic opportunities for Indian-owned and controlled

businesses.”

T he anticipated revenue increase is expected to come from “ set-aside procurement contracts,” which would prioritiz e

Indian-owned and controlled businesses

for BIA and IHS government contracts.

T he new rules from the IHS would also

create more opportunities for non-tribal

businesses to partner with tribal businesses. A tribally-owned business is any

that is at least 51% owned by an Indian

tribe.

“ T he Buy Indian Act’ s improved regulations will help our Chahtapreneurs

(Choctaw business owners) and our trib-

ally-owned businesses to expand and

grow, ultimately helping our tribe and its

members to thrive,” Batton said.

Choctaw Nation’ s website states that

Choctaw businesses “ generate hundreds

of millions of dollars annually” and “ create more than 6,000 j obs for tribal and

non-tribal Oklahomans.” T he revenue

generated by the tribe is dedicated to

tribal assistance programs such as health

care and education.

In 2020, Harvard researchers estimated that Native businesses could lose up to

$50 billion during COV ID-19. T he pandemic would also put 1.1 million tribal

business workers, Native and non-Native, at risk of losing their j obs. W ith

IHS and BIA prioritiz ing Buy Indian setasides instead of businesses that are not

IE E , Native companies and employees

could see a chance to recoup from pandemic-related economic losses.

he

s final rule ent into effect

on M arch 14. T he updated policies will

allow for collaboration between the IHS

and the BIA to effectively enforce the

new procedures.

( G aylord New s is a repor ting pr oj ect

of the U niv ersity of Oklahoma G aylord

C ollege of Journalism and M ass C ommunication.)

Sac and Fox Nation Lawn Services Application (Continued From Page 13)

Page 15 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022

Page 16 - Sac and Fox News - April 2022