# Nemîshâtênemo êhthâkîwiyâni (2022)

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Asac_fox_oklahoma%3Af9e7d56424b9a6db

## Record

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

## Text

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 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 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

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Asac_fox_oklahoma%3Af9e7d56424b9a6db. Public record. Not legal advice.