Win Awenen Nisitotung
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Win Awenen
Nisitotung
Win Awenen Nisitotung
531 Ashmun St.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 30
Gaylord, MI
49735
September 23, 2026
Leaves Turning Color Moon • Waabagaa Giizis
Vol. 47 • No. 9
Bahweting Bidajimowin • Official newspaper of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
“Paddle for the Future” held in St. Ignace
BY BRENDA AUSTIN
ST. IGNACE, Mich. —
Roughly 300 people gathered at
Kiwanis Beach on Saturday, Aug.
29, for “Paddle for the Future,”
a water ceremony and flotilla
organized to protest industrial
development in the Great Lakes,
including Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline tunnel project.
The event, held from 9 a.m.
to noon, was hosted by the Sault
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians and the Great Lakes
Water Protector Network. More
than 100 people took part in a
water ceremony led by Sault
Tribe member Colleen Utter and
five others.
“We gather in St. Ignace to
protect the water, protect the
Straits, and protect the future,”
said Sue St. Onge, Sault Tribe
Unit III director. “The Straits of
Mackinac are not a sacrifice zone,
and the Great Lakes are not a
pipeline corridor. No amount of
oil, money, or promises is worth
gambling with the water that
sustains our families, our communities, and the generations to
come.”
Organizers framed the gathering as an assertion of tribal treaty
rights and a stand against industrialization of what they described
as the heart of Turtle Island.
“We are asserting our treaty
rights,” said Monica Cady, a
local resident, event organizer
and Sault Tribe member. “We
must protect this area known as
the heart of Turtle Island. We are
standing up in solidarity to defend
our water.
Photos by Esra Daraiseh
Over 300 people gathered at Kiwanis Beach in St. Ignace, Mich., on
Saturday, Aug. 29, for “Paddle for the Future,” a water ceremony and
flotilla organized to protest Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline and tunnel project. Above, members of Michigan tribes take a stand in the water.
Shut down Line 5!”
Andrew Kaplowitz of the
Great Lakes Water Protector
Network said the event built on a
long tradition of gatherings in the
Straits of Mackinac.
“We’re honored to partner with
the Sault Tribe and longstanding
community leaders to host Paddle
for the Future,” Kaplowitz said.
“We’re building on a long tradition of water events in the Straits.
It’s a beautiful way to bring people together and help folks find
ways to take action.”
The gathering included traditional foods, drumming and art,
and organizers asked attendees
to bring their own reusable
plates, cups and utensils as part
of a zero-waste effort. Kayaks
were available on a limited
basis for those who wanted
to join the flotilla on Lake
Huron.
“Paddle for the Future”
was held in solidarity with
the Rendezvous in the Straits
Powwow, taking place across the
street from the beach. Attendees
were invited to that event’s grand
entry at 1 p.m.
The gathering drew support
from numerous sponsors, including Freshwater Future and Big
Stone Bay Fishery, among others
listed on the Great Lakes Water
Protector Network’s website.
Mackinac.
The tribes, with over 60,000
collective enrolled citizens, seek
to overturn the wetlands and bottomlands permits that Michigan’s
Department of Environment,
Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
approved for Enbridge in July.
The proposed project would
require a massive disturbance of
land and involve construction
activities that will destroy recognized cultural and historic properties within the Straits area.
This project would threaten the
Anishinaabe way of life as well
as treaty-protected interests and
public trust resources.
On Sept. 9, the future of
the permits issued by EGLE
also came under question from
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and
the EGLE Director Phil Roos.
The pair cited the Michigan
Supreme Court’s decision overturning a separate permit for the
tunnel later in July after EGLE
issued its permits as a reason to
revisit the initial EGLE permits.
At right, Ice Circle Singers performed various songs. “Paddle
for the Future” was held in solidarity with the Rendezvous in the
Straits Powwow, which took place
across the street from the beach.
Attendees were invited to that
event’s grand entry at 1 p.m.
Michigan tribes ask judge to toss Line 5 permits
BY NICK NOLAN, PR MANAGER
On Sept. 10, the Sault Ste.
Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians along with sister tribes
Bay Mills Indian Community,
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa
and Chippewa Indians, and
Little Traverse Bay Bands of
Odawa Indians, joined together
to petition state regulators for
a contested case to challenge a
pair of permits that authorized
Canadian company Enbridge to
build its proposed Line 5 oil pipeline tunnel below the Straits of
“There is no way this tunnel project can or should move
forward. It would disrupt our
ancestors’ burial sites and cause
irrevocable harm to this area,”
said Sault Tribe Chairman Austin
Lowes. “Getting to this point
has taken tireless work from our
sister tribes, tribal citizens, partners, and everyone who loves and
values the Great Lakes. When the
next seven generations ask what
we did to protect the Great Lakes,
I want them to know that our peo-
ple stood together, spoke with one
voice, and got that pipeline out of
the Straits.”
The new challenge was
filed on the heels of the annual
Mackinac Bridge Walk. On Labor
Day, around 1,000 people from
all 12 Anishinaabe tribal nations
in Michigan walked across the
bridge to demonstrate opposition
to the Line 5 tunnel in response
to a unified call to action
by the ancestral Three Fires
Confederacy.
News
Page 2
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Tribal members have successful black bear hunts
Sault Tribe member Greg Gierke of Thompson, Mich., sought sustenance and got plenty
of it. He bagged a 395-pound black bear just before sunset three days in to the 2026 bear
season. Johnny Bowler and Greg met up for a hunt after 35 years and it was a season to
remember.
Tribal member Olivia Ingalls, 13, shot this female black bear in Baldwin, Mich., on Sept. 10,
2026. Olivia is the daughter of Adam and Megan Ingalls of Twin Lake, Mich.
Unit 4 Manistique elders BINGO fundraiser held monthly
The Unit 4 Manistique elders
continue to host BINGO as a
fundraiser for their various elder
activities. The elder and volunteer led BINGO will be held on
the second and fourth Mondays
each month.
BINGO will be played in
the community room at the
Manistique Tribal Community
Center, located at 5698 W US
Hwy 2 in Manistique. The doors
will open at 10:30 a.m., and the
group will start selling cards
at noon, with play to start at 1
p.m.
The public is welcome, and
this BINGO is open to players
ages 18 and older.
The Manistique elder lunch
will be served at 11:30 and
guests are welcome to make a
donation and join the elders for
lunch before BINGO starts.
Jackpot payouts will be based
on sales.
The Unit 4 Manistique elders
would like to thank everyone
that has participated so far.
Think beyond
the sink.
Your home’s drinking water is
essential to your family’s health.
That’s why knowing where your water comes from and how it gets to
your home is important. Tap into the facts to learn how you can maintain
your home’s water quality to protect your family’s health.
Start at
Michigan.gov/CareforMIDrinkingWater
News
August 19, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 3
Committee vacancies — Sault Tribe volunteers needed!
The following Sault Tribe
Committees have vacant seats or
upcoming vacancies. Sault Tribe
members interested in filling these
vacancies should submit one letter of intent and three letters of
recommendation (forms available
online or contact Lona) from
other members to Lona Stewart
at lstewart2@saulttribe.net, 523
Ashmun Street, Sault Ste. Marie,
MI 49783, or call 906-635-6050
with any questions.
Anishinaabe Cultural
Tribal gas,
cigarette
discount
locations
The following gas stations
are offering the discount to Sault
Tribe members.
Tribal gas stations offering
gas and cigarette discounts:
MiJim Convenience Store
2205 Shunk Road
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
MidJim Convenience Store
3045 Mackinac Trail
St. Ignace, MI 49781
White Pine Lodge and
Convenience Store
7889 E. W. M-28
Christmas, MI 49862
Tribal owned gas station
offering gas discount only:
MidJim University
301 W. Fair Ave.
Marquette, MI 49855
Not tribal owned stations
offering gas discount only:
Kinross BP
4440 Tone Road
Kincheloe, MI 49788
Cedar Pantry
159 W M-134
Cedarville, MI 49719
Sunoco
13975 M-28
Newberry, MI 49868
Shell
401 Cedar Street M-28
Munising, MI 49862
(906) 387-4817
Manistique Oil Company
216 Deer Street
Manistique, MI 49854
Carnes Eco Fuels
2300 Ludington Street
Escanaba, MI 49837
Food Distribution
online application
Below is the link to submit
an application for the Sault Ste
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Food Distribution Program:
https://saulttribe.ifdp.io/kiosk/
online-application
Contact the Food Distribution
Program at (906) 635-6076 or
(888) 448-8732.
Win Awenen
Nisitotung
The official newspaper of the
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indians.
September 23, 2026
Leaves Turning Color Moon
Waabagaa Giizis
Jennifer Dale-Burton.........Editor
Sherrie Lucas................Secretary
Brenda Austin...........Staff Writer
Scott Brand...............Staff Writer
Win Awenen Nisitotung welcomes
Committee – Two vacancies –
male – one 4-year term, one term
expires October 2028
Child Welfare Committee –
Two vacancies – one 4-year term,
one term expires May 2029
Conservation Committee –
Non-Commercial Fisher – Two
vacancies (4-year terms)
Education Committee – One
vacancy (4-year term)
Elder Advisory Committee
Unit I – Sault – One regular
vacancy (4-year term); two alternate vacancies (4-year term)
Unit II – Newberry – One
regular vacancy, term expires
July 2029; one alternate vacancy
(4-year term)
Unit III – St. Ignace – One
regular vacancy – term expires
October 2029; two alternate
vacancies (4-year terms)
Unit IV – Manistique – One
regular vacancy (4-year term)
Unit V – Marquette – One
alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Elder Subcommittees
Unit I – Sault – Two regular
vacancies – one term expires
September 2029, one 4-year term
Unit II – Hessel – One alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Unit II – Naubinway – Two
regular vacancies – one term
expires May 2027, one 4-year
term; one alternate vacancy
(4-year term)
Unit II – Newberry – Two regular vacancies, one term expires
March 2028, one 4-year term; one
alternate vacancy, term expires
August 2028
Unit III – St. Ignace – One
alternate vacancy – term expires
March 2028
Unit IV – Escanaba – Four
regular vacancies (4-year terms);
one alternate vacancy (4-year
term)
Unit IV – Manistique – One
regular vacancy (4-year term)
Unit V – Munising – One alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Unit V – Marquette – Two regular vacancies (4-year terms); one
alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Food Sovereignty Committee
– Three vacancies (4-year terms)
Health Board – Two vacancies – one term expires May 2027,
one term expires September 2027
Sault Tribe Election
Commission – Four vacancies,
3 terms expiring November 2030
and one term expiring November
2028 (please indicate which
length of term you are seeking).
Membership liaisons work to
assist with membership issues
and concerns. The liaisons will
also respond to and follow up on
membership issues to ensure they
are resolved.
Sault Tribe members are
encouraged to contact liaisons
when they need help with tribal
issues by emailing membersconcerns@saulttribe.net or individually at the contacts below. Please
note that although the liaisons are
located at sites across the sev-
en-county service area, they serve
all tribal members.
Michelle Moore
Available for in-person meetings at Sault Tribe
Administration.
Phone: (906) 635-6050 Ext.
26359
Cell: (906) 259-3862
mmoore@saulttribe.net
Clarence Hudak
Lambert Center, St. Ignace,
(906) 643-2124
chudak@saulttribe.net
Mary Jenerou
Manistique Tribal Center,
(906) 341-8469
Munising Tribal Center, (906)
450-7011
mjenerou@saulttribe.net
Membership liaisons work to assist membership
Membership
liaisons answer
your questions
S au lt T ribe Member N ew spaper S u bscription F orm
To receive a FREE tribal newspaper subscription in the mail, tribal members under
60 are asked to complete the form below and send it to: Win Awenen Nisitotung, 531 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie MI 49783, or email it to slucas@saulttribe.net. Those 60 and over
do not have to fill out this form. Those who prefer to get their newspaper online do not
have to complete this form.
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submissions of news articles, feature
stories, photographs, columns and
announcements of American Indian
or non-profit events. All submissions
are printed at the discretion of the
editor, subject to editing and are not
to exceed 400 words. Unsigned submissions are not accepted.
Please note the distribution date
when submitting event information for our community calendar.
Submissions can be mailed, faxed or
e-mailed. The distribution date is the
earliest the newspaper can arrive in
the seven-county service area.
Win Awenen Nisitotung is funded by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians and is published
12 times a year. Its mission is to
inform tribal members and the public about the activities of the tribal
government, membership programs
and services and cultural, social and
spiritual activities of Sault Tribe
members.
Win Awenen Nisitotung, in
Anishinaabemowin, means, “One
who understands,” and is pronounced “Win Oh-weh-nin Nis-toetuhng.”
See our full, online edition at
www.saulttribe.com.
Subscriptions: The regular
rate is $18 per year, $11 for senior
citizens and $30 to Canada. Please
call for other foreign countries.
Subscribe by sending your name and
mailing address to the address below
with your check or money order
made out to the Sault Ste. Marie
Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Or, call
(906) 632-6398 to pay by credit
card.
Advertising: $8.50/column inch.
Submission and Subscriptions:
Win Awenen Nisitotung
Attn: Communications Dept.
531 Ashmun St.,
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
Telephone: (906) 632-6398
Fax: (906) 632-6556
E-mail: slucas@saulttribe.net or
jdale-burton@saulttribe.net.
Q : I j ust received my membership through open enrollment,
and I would like to apply for the
Inland H arvest Card. Will I be
able to hunt my farm in H illsdale
County with it?
A: No, the Sault Tribe Inland
H arvest Card is only valid
within the boundaries of the
ceded territory of the Treaty of
1836.
Detailed maps of the ceded
territory can be found on the
tribe’ s website posted on the
Natural Resource Division page.
Members can also call the
Law Enforcement Department at
(906) 635-6065, and the permit
coordinator can provide information on the boundaries.
Q : I live in Luce County and
will have to enroll in Medicare
coverage this fall. Is there someone who can help me with this?
It’ s very confusing to me.
A: Y es, members can contact the Community H ealth
Access Coalition (CH AC) and
request assistance with several
health insurance related questions. CH AC can help members
through the process of signing
up for Medicaid, Medicare and
the Marketplace. They also can
assist with enrollment for financial assistance at certain health
centers in the Eastern U pper
Peninsula.
CH AC is located at 143
Arlington Street in Sault Ste.
Marie, (906) 635-7483. In
Newberry call (906) 293-8355
and in St. Ignace (906) 643-7253.
WAN ONLINE
Tribal members and subscriber’s receiving the print edition
of the tribe’s newspaper, Win
Awenen Nisitotung, can switch
to digital to receive the “early”
digital edition. Read your paper
at least six days early!
Write to slucas@saulttribe.net
to switch or get details.
News
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Big Bear Arena celebrates 30 years with community
Page 4
The Big Bear Arena has a big
anniversary this month as the
recreation facility celebrates 30
years of serving the Sault Ste.
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
community. To mark this milestone anniversary, the Big Bear
is hosting a community fun day
on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 2 p.m.
until 4 p.m.
This free-to-the-public event
invites guests of all ages to learn
about all the Big Bear Arena has
to offer. Whether it’s your first
time visiting the arena or you’re
a seasoned vet, there will be
something for everyone.
“This community fun day is
our way of saying thank you
to all those who have helped
create memories at Big Bear
Arena. Whether you visited for a
hockey tournament or attended a
youth program as a child, we’re
thankful you visited the arena,”
Recreation Director Tammy
Graham said. “Over the years,
the Big Bear has grown beyond
recreation and has become an
important part of not just the
Sault Tribe community, but the
Eastern Upper Peninsula as a
whole. We’re hoping everyone
who has enjoyed spending time
at the Big Bear over the past
three decades has the chance to
visit our community fun day.
Without all the support from
organizations throughout the
EUP, the Big Bear would never
have been able to grow into what
it is today.”
Sunday, Sept. 27, marks 30
years to the day that the ChiMukwa (Big Bear) Community
Recreation Center opened in
1996. With the opening, the Big
Bear brought a 150,000 square
foot, state-of-the-art facility
to the Sault Tribe community,
which made it one of northern
Michigan’s largest sports and
fitness venues as well as the only
ice arena in the Upper Peninsula
with two ice rinks.
Over the following three
decades, numerous sports teams
have called the facility home
with many more individuals visiting and enjoying the complex.
From the All-In-One-Fitness
Club to being a hub for multiple
Sault Tribe’s departments including Health, Education, Language
and Culture, to hosting various youth programs and social
events, the Big Bear Arena has
been the Sault Ste. Marie area’s
ultimate destination for recreation, fitness, and family fun.
The Sept. 27 Community Fun
Day will pack an afternoon full
of games, bouncy house fun,
skating, vendors, and a chance to
learn about tribal and community
organizations and resources.
To stay up to date on the Big
Bear Arena’s 30th anniversary be sure to follow along on
Facebook.
BY BRENDA AUSTIN
SAULT STE. MARIE —
Sault Tribe members can take
any class offered by the Sault
Area Arts Council (SAAC) at
no charge through a grant partnership aimed at using art and
Indigenous cultural programming
to promote wellness.
Due to a collaboration
with the Sault Tribe Health
Department through the CDC
Tribal Practices for Wellness in
Indian Country Grant, SAAC’s
collaboration with STHD covers registration fees for Sault
Tribe members for all classes
offered, including regular arts
programming. Sault Tribe members wishing to participate in
classes need only provide the
Arts Council with a copy of their
tribal card through a registration
link provided on each of the class
information pages found on their
website at: www.saultartcenter.
com/classes.
“Our goal is to raise awareness among Sault Tribe members
about these class scholarships
and ensure everyone has the
chance to take a variety of
classes,” Executive Director
Raulaniesa Aranda said. “This
grant has also allowed us to provide culturally significant skill
building workshops taught by
Indigenous instructors to continue passing down knowledge to
new generations. We’re grateful
to be able to build off of this
opportunity and bring even more
art programming to people of all
ages.”
The partnership supports
workshops and events celebrating
Indigenous culture, crafts and art.
Those classes are open to Native
and non-Native participants, with
registration priority given first to
Sault Tribe members, followed
by members of other Native
tribes, Native households and
then non-Native participants.
Classes include woodland
applique, moccasin making,
movie discussions, beading
and more. Anyone interested in
attending a class is encouraged
to follow SAAC on Facebook
or Instagram @saultartcenter for
updates on class topics and dates.
Other upcoming art programming includes creative drawing
classes with Eliana Gulder. A
three-session intermediate class
for ages 16 and older will be held
Oct. 8, 15 and 22.
SAAC will host its annual
Indigenous Art gallery exhibit in
October. “Cultural Healing and
Resilience” will open Oct. 6 and
run through Nov. 7, 2026, with a
reception open to the public on
Oct. 9, from 5-7 p.m.
For more information, email
director@saultartcenter.com or
call (906) 635-1312.
Workshop helper, George Solomon, shares semaa at the beginning of a
cedar flute class taught by elder Bud Biron at the Sault Area Art Center.
Sault Area Arts Council offers free classes to tribal members
Photo courtesy of the Sault Area Arts Council
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FOOD & DRINKS
SAULT STE. MARIE
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Manistique . st.ignace . Sault marie . Hessel. christmas
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
News
Page 5
Language
Page 6
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Waabagaa Giizis
Anish inaabemow in 2 0 2 6
Leaves-turning-color Moon
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
– Steve Jobs
“It always seems impossible until its done.”
– Nelson Mandela
Nangwa
kina binoojiinh’ik zhaawag
kinoomaagegamigong.
These days all
the children they are going to school.
Their work is to learn: how to think and reason, how to investigate and
calculate, how to communicate and cooperate with others and recognize
other points of view.
Binoojiinh’ik gchi-nokiiwag.
The children
they are working hard.
Learning a different language (like Anishinaabemowin, or Spanish or Arabic
or Chinese) requires work. It’s not easy because it’s new and different, but
learning it can be like a game — fun because it’s challenging. You can learn it
little by little and focus on whatever fits your life.
This person is learning to play the
fiddle (Naazhaabiig’ige.). S/he
wants to have fun. Gchi-nokii.
And for you! It’s a perfect time to learn
to speak Anishinaabmowin—lots of it
or just a little. The spirits will guide you.
Ka
gchi-nokii
you will work hard
ka mashkawis
ka gchi-nendam
you will be strong
you will be happy
Making our Sounds Most letters sound like
they do in English. Here are the exceptions.
aa sounds like the a in awesome a sounds like the a in about
ii sounds like the e in be
i sounds like the i in dip
oo sounds like the o in go
o sounds like the oo’s in book
e sounds like the e in Ed
g sounds only like it does in
go
We underlined the syllables that get the emphasis.
Pronounce all the letters. Big deal: these combinations: nh, ns,
ny in a word signal the previous vowel is said nasally. The n in
these is always silent but you pronounce the second letter.
It’s only a sign to say the previous vowel nasally - as if you have
a stuffed-up nose!
Nokii. He or she is working.
We don’t specify he or she, like in
English. We say “that person.”
Nokiiwag. They are working.
Gchi-nokii. She or he is
working hard.
Our goal for them is that they will
be thoughtful informed citizens who
contribute to healthy communities.
This person takes pride in making
a high-quality house. S/he wants to
make money too.
Gchi-nokii.
By Susan Askwith
Gchi- is a word-fragment that says
an action (verb) is happening in a
big way—very, extreme, hard or
lots.
Gchi-nokiiwag.
They are working hard.
This person wants to talk to Creator
and to the spirits, in our language.
S/he wants to live a good life.
Gchi-nokii.
This person wants to teach
Anishinaabemowin to his/her
children so they will be proud
of their culture. Gchi-nokii.
Rewards of learning this language:
Pride in our people and our culture
Knowing you can do hard things
Keeping a strong brain as you age
Focus and process information better
See the world from a different angle
Be a good example for family and
children in your life
Aambe, baapin! (Come on, laugh!)
I just found out the company that produces yardsticks won’t be making them any longer
I was going to tell a carpentry joke but I
couldn’t find any that woodwork.
I quit my job at the doughnut factory. I was tired
of the hole thing.
Walking past a farm, I saw a sign that said,
‘Duck, eggs.’ I thought that was an unnecessary
comma. And then it hit me.
Culture
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 7
Orange Shirt Day across the tribe’s service area on Sept. 30
Wednesday, Sept. 30, is
Orange Shirt Day. Sault Tribe
will be commemorating the day
with events happening across
the Sault Tribe’s seven-county
service area. On this day we wear
orange to support the 150,000plus children who endured the
board school system’s physical,
sexual, and emotional abuse. This
created historical trauma, which
Native Americans continue to
endure.
The Marquette Intertribal
Community invites everyone
to attend its Orange Shirt Day
Awareness Walk and Gathering
on Sept. 30. Walkers will meet
at 6 p.m. at Grandview Apartments — the former Holy Family
Orphanage at 600 Altamont St.
in Marquette. The walk begins at
6:15 p.m. and ends at the Seven
Grandfathers sculpture at the
Spear Dock. (Please use downtown parking.) There will be 300
shirts given away at this event.
ta
Giizhigat
o to
Niizho Giizhigat
3:30 p.m., from the museum to
the marina and back, with a meal
See “Orange,” Page 8
Foster parents
needed in our
community
Anishnaabek Community and
Family Services is looking for caring people within our tribal community who are willing to open
their homes to children in need.
Foster parents help provide safety,
stability, and support during times
when children and families are
facing challenges.
Children in foster care need
loving homes where they feel safe,
stay connected to their culture and
community, and have the chance
to grow. Foster parents play an
important role by offering daily
care, guidance, and compassion
while families work toward reunification or other permanent plans.
ACFS provides training, support, and ongoing guidance to
foster families throughout the
process. You do not have to be
perfect to become a foster parent.
Patience, understanding, and a
willingness to care for a child are
what matter most.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster
parent, please contact Anishnaabek
Community and Family Services
at (906) 632-5250. Your support
can make a lasting difference for a
child and for our tribal community.
aa w Giizis
Niizhwaaso
Giizhigat
In St. Ignace, the fourth annual Orange Shirt Day event will
take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the
Museum of Ojibwa Culture. The
remembrance walk will start at
a
i g
Nswo Giizhigat
a
Niiwo Giizhigat
s
oo
Naa o Giizhigat
shiingwaak 3
(pine tree)
1
jiibay
(spirit/ghost)
zhashkwedoonh
(mushroom)
zenbaansag
(ribbons)
bkwezhigaanhsag
(cookies)
13
11 Nbwaachwe. 1
(S/he is visiting.)
Anishnaabejig
Giizhigad
(Indigenous
Peoples' Day)
1
manidoominenhsag
1
nboop
(soup)
1
jiibay
Shkaakamakwe kanan
(Mother Earth) (skeleton)
mkadewozi
gaazhag
(black cat)
1
Mina maagwat
gojiing.
mishkiig (bog) (It smells good outside.)
niibiishan ziisbaakwadoonhs
(a candy)
(leaves)
(beads)
Ngodwaaswo
Giizhigat
1
1
Manise.
mndaamin
bkwaakwod
(popcorn ball)
bgiw
(S/he is making
(chewing gum)
firewood.)
3
1
Boodwe.
niibiishkaa
(lots of leaves) (S/he makes a fire.)
Dibikad
Zegis.
esbikenh
(It is dark.)
(S/he is scared.)
(spider)
jiibay
wiikongewin
(spirit feast)
koosmaanan
(pumpkins)
Aandeg
(crow)
mshkimod 3
(bag)
Biiskwanyen 31
(Get dressed)
Mooshkaneshin
Dibiki Giizis.
(It is a full moon.)
Calendar created by Sault Tribe Language & Culture Division
Tasewan
(Halloween)
News
Page 8
Neely joins Sault Tribe legal team as staff attorney
BY BRENDA AUSTIN
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich.
— Sault Tribe member Amber
Neely has joined the Sault Ste.
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
legal department as a staff attorney, bringing experience in federal
Indian law, environmental law and
complex litigation to the position.
Neely, who is from Marquette,
moved to Sault Ste. Marie for the
position. She will be in the city
weekly for work while continuing
to spend weekends and holidays in
Marquette.
Her work for the tribe will
include treaty rights, conservation,
enrollment, health care and child
welfare matters. Neely said her
treaty rights work will include
representing the tribe’s interests
surrounding Line 5, the Enbridge
pipeline that crosses the Straits
of Mackinac, and to protect tribal
members’ rights to ceded territory.
“I am very excited about my
new job and to have joined the
team,” Neely said.
Ryan Mills, the tribe’s general
counsel, welcomed Neely to the
department. “We are lucky to have
her on board,” Mills said.
Neely earned her law degree
from Wayne State University Law
School in 2022 and was admitted
to the State Bar of Michigan that
November. She also studied at
the University of Michigan Law
School through a dual-enrollment
program, where her coursework
included federal Indian law and
federal courts, and completed a
course in Indigenous peacemaking
through an initiative involving the
Native American Rights Fund and
Stanford University.
“Tribal, environmental, and
constitutional law were my primary focus in law school,” Neely
said.
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
She began her legal career with
Rosette LLP in Grand Rapids, a
majority Native American-owned
firm specializing in federal Indian
law, where she worked as a law
clerk before becoming an associate
attorney.
Her work at Rosette included
matters involving tribal trust land,
treaty rights, self-governance,
environmental law, education law
and the Indian Child Welfare Act.
She represented clients in negotiations, mediations and tribal and
state court proceedings.
Neely also helped develop the
claims in a case brought by the
Klamath Tribes against the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation. In 2023,
a federal magistrate judge ruled
that the bureau had violated the
Endangered Species Act by prioritizing irrigation over the protection of endangered C’waam and
Koptu sucker fish during a severe
drought, finding that obligations to
maintain water levels for the fish
took precedence over allocations to
irrigators.
At Rosette, she led a health
care fraud investigation involving
a pharmacy benefit manager and a
contract health clinic that exposed
fraud against a tribal health
plan and the federal 340B Drug
Discount Program.
Before joining the Sault Tribe,
Neely worked as a complex
litigation associate with King,
Tilden, McEttrick & Brink, a
Massachusetts firm, where she
investigated and litigated complex
health care and insurance fraud
cases brought under the federal
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations Act, commonly
known as RICO.
Before law school, she founded and ran E.A.R.T.H. Angels, a
Marquette nonprofit focused on
environmental sustainability and
activism that she led from 2012
to 2019. The organization’s name
stands for Education, Altruism,
Resources, Technology and
Humanitarianism.
Neely used performance art
as one way to educate the public about environmental issues.
Among the projects she wrote,
directed and produced was the
children’s play “Becky Saves the
Bees,” which focused on pollinator protection and threats to the
food supply.
Her professional background
also includes years in marketing
and management. She earned
a bachelor’s degree in communications from Michigan State
University, worked on the national
auto show circuit representing
Cadillac and managed a nationwide team of 40 sales representatives for American Express OPEN.
Neely said she hopes the management and public relations experience she developed during that
part of her career will also benefit
her work for the tribe.
Neely is a John D. Voelker
Foundation scholar, having
received scholarships from the
foundation for law school and
bar examination study. She also
received a bar examination study
scholarship from the American
Indian Law Section of the State
Bar of Michigan.
Joining the Sault Tribe legal
department gives Neely an opportunity to apply that combination
of legal training, advocacy and
professional experience directly on
behalf of her own tribe.
“I decided to become an attorney to more closely align my profession with my personal values,
and so that I could level up my
work as an environmental and
human rights activist,” she said.
Neely is a Sault Tribe citizen
and descendant of the Grand
Island band.
brance.
Beginning at 6 p.m., NABS will
welcome the broader community
for an evening Candlelight V igil
and Remembrance Walk. The
gathering will include remarks
from survivors, guest speakers and
community leaders, along with a
collective opportunity to reflect,
remember and honor those whose
lives were forever changed by
Indian boarding schools.
Remembrance is a call to
action
NABS encourages relatives,
allies and organiz ations to honor
the day by hosting local activities in their communities, raising
awareness and advocating for recognition in their communities.
“ Every community has a role to
play in ensuring that Indian boarding school history is not forgotten,”
NABS Board President Benj amin
Barnes (Shawnee) said.
NABS is also offering its 2026
National Day of Remembrance
T-shirt, featuring original artwork
by Casandra Artichoker (Siċaƞġu
Lak̇ ot̄ a). Proceeds support NABS’ s
education, advocacy and healing
efforts. (V isit boardingschoolhealing.org/day-of-remembrance-2026/)
“Orange Shirt Day/Day of
Remembrance reminds us that
every child mattered then, every
survivor matters today, and every
family affected by Indian boarding
schools deserves truth, justice,
and healing. September 30th is an
opportunity to center the voices of
survivors, remember the children
who never returned home, and
acknowledge the lasting impacts
these institutions continue to have
on our families and Tribal Nations.
It is also a call to ensure that this
history is taught honestly and that
we remain committed to protecting
our children, languages, cultures,
and traditions for generations
to come,” Lacey Kinnart, Oral
History Project Co-Director, said.
Honoring Indian boarding school survivors in September
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. —
On Sept. 30, the National Native
American Boarding School Healing
Coalition (NABS) will bring survivors, descendants, tribal leaders,
community members, allies and
advocates together for the National
Day of Remembrance for Indian
Boarding School Survivors.
This year’ s theme, “ H onoring
Truth, Embracing H ealing,
Building Our F uture,” calls upon
communities across the country
to remember the children who
never returned home from Indian
boarding schools, honor the survivors who continue to carry these
experiences, and recogniz e the last-
ing impacts of the federal Indian
boarding school system on Native
families and communities.
“The Day of Remembrance is
a time to reflect on the impacts
that Indian boarding schools
have had on us all: our survivors,
families and communities,” said
Charlee Brissette, Oral History
Project Co-Director. “Out of
526 known boarding schools in
the U.S., eight of those were in
Michigan. It’s important that we
use this time to honor, support
and uplift our survivors and
descendants. We must continue to
stand together in our efforts for
healing and justice, not just on
September 30th but every day.”
A Day of Remembrance in
Minneapolis
NABS will host its 2026
National Day of Remembrance
gathering at Powderhorn Park
in Minneapolis, Minn., on
Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The afternoon program will feature a screening of Medicine Ball, a
documentary directed by Leya H ale
(Dakota/Diné ), followed by a panel
discussion exploring the film’ s
themes, the enduring legacy of
the federal Indian boarding school
system, and the importance of
truth-telling, healing, and remem-
From “Orange,” Page 7
to follow. Orange shirts will be
given away to participants. The
Indigenous Education Initiative
will be providing information at
this event, hosted by Sault Tribe
and survivors.
In Sault Ste. Marie, the community is invited to the Sault
Tribe Advocacy Resource Cen-ter
(ARC) and the Language and
Culture Department’s Community
Feast. Those who returned from
the boarding schools, and those
who didn’t, will be honored
with the feast and talking circle
at Niigaannagiizhik Ceremonial
Building at 11 Ice Circle in Sault
Ste. Marie. Orange T-shirts will
be provided for those in atten-
dance.
ARC is sponsoring its sixth
Orange Shirt Day photo. Post
your Orange Shirt Day photo
comments on the ARC Facebook
on Sept. 30. ARC encourages
everyone to wear orange in support of our board school victims
and survivors. Post on www.
Facebook.com/saulttribeARC.
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News
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 9
Sault Tribe teen’s story lands in bestselling
Indigenous futures anthology
BY BRENDA AUSTIN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A
short story by Mariel Alice
Gupta, a 15-year-old citizen of
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians, appears in
a new anthology of Indigenous
futures fiction that has sold out
its first printing and become a
No. 1 bestseller in Oklahoma.
“From the Heart of Our
Nations: An Indigenous Futures
Anthology of Short Fiction” was
released July 31 by OK Stamp
Press. Edited by Kashona Notah
with a foreword by Rebecca
Nagle, the collection gathers
14 stories, all set 250 years in
the future. A second printing is
underway.
Gupta’s contribution, “The
Dreaming Buffalo,” follows three
generations of women fighting to
protect the last living herd of buffalo, asleep in a canyon outside
their home. Their effort is aided
by a powerful Anishinaabe mythical water being.
“I want ‘From the Heart of
Our Nations’ to be for my ancestors who never got the opportunity to tell their own stories
and remind the world we live in
Mariel Alice Gupta
that they will not be forgotten,”
Gupta said.
The book began as a virtual writing workshop hosted by
Nagle through First America and
led by Notah. Applications were
capped at 70, and 14 writers were
selected. Gupta said none of
them knew where the work was
headed until the group met for
the first time.
“They surprised us by saying
that the stories we were going to
write in the workshop would be
published in an anthology,” she
said.
The other stories in the collection introduce readers to a
sentient turtle-shaped spacecraft,
cities in the sky, medicine men
mechanics, futuristic interrogation rooms, warehouse-sized
time capsules, a bipedal machine
adorned with crow feathers and
a two-spirit elder who teaches
younger people that everything
will be all right, according to
the publisher’s description. The
collection centers Native survivance while imagining Indigenous
communities generations into the
future.
The July 31 launch event in
Sault Tribe youth receive
student incentives
The Michigan Indian Elders
Association, which is made up of
elder representatives from each of
the federally recognized tribes in
Michigan, raises money each year
to support tribal youth. Its biggest
fundraisers are at the MIEA meetings and conferences held throughout the year, which are hosted by
the different tribes.
The K-12 Student Incentive
program is a wonderful program
where students can receive $25
per quarter for perfect attendance
if they are in Kindergarten through
12 grade and $25 per quarter for all
A’s for students in grades 4-12.
This annual incentive program
is available to students who are
Sault Tribe members, or can provide proof of being a descendant of
a member of a federally recognized
tribe.
This year, there were 46 students from all over the country that
submitted the required information,
resulting in over $3,100 being paid
out to these hard-working young
people.
The total paid out to all
Michigan tribes participating in the
program was $5,600.
The announcement for this program comes out each year in late
spring.
Up to date members’
addresses sought!
Sault Tribe members whose
addresses are not up to date have
“bad addresses” with the tribe’s
Enrollment Department.
Go to saulttribe.com and scroll
down Membership Services to
Tribal Enrollment. Then go to the
left side of the page and select
“Up to date addresses sought.”
Call (800) 251 6597 or email
Stacey Synett at: ssynett@saulttribe.net.
Carter Samuelson, a Sault
Ceagan, Cassidee and Carter Wolf (L-R) of
Area High School junior
with his check for all A’s for Cheboygan with checks for perfect attenthe 2025-2026 school year. dance for all four quarters of 2025-2026.
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Tulsa, Okla., included a keynote
by author Deborah Jackson Taffa
and a book signing.
Gupta lives in Ann Arbor
and is beginning her sophomore
year of high school. Her family
comes from St. Ignace, and she
has grown up going north. She
credits her older sisters, Meghan
and Madeline Gupta, and their
extensive research into Mackinac
Island and the family’s history
with showing her what their
Native culture means to them.
She is the daughter of Samar
and Toni (née Johnson) Gupta.
Gupta said that growing up she
was an avid reader and wrote her
first story in middle school. “I
realized how much I loved writing and that I was good at it too,”
she said.
Historical fiction and fantasy
are her favorite genres, and she
is interested in how the two can
interact. She starts a story with
a question rather than a plot. “I
like to start by asking myself a
challenging question and how
the characters I create are going
to respond to that question,” she
said.
Her work has already drawn
notice outside the anthology.
“The Lightbringer,” a story she
wrote independently about a fantastical kingdom where the sun
doesn’t exist, won a Scholastic
Gold Key for the Midwest
region.
Away from the page, Gupta
swims competitively, cares for
her miniature dachshund and
collects antique rings. “I have
always loved jewelry, especially
rings, and find it is a special way
for me to connect with the past,”
she said.
She plans to keep weaving
traditional Native storytelling
into her work while adding
fantasy to it, and she wants to
experiment with poetry and
eventually put together a collection.
“I definitely see myself writing a full novel in the future, but
I’m waiting for the right idea to
come along and I hope it finds
me soon,” she said.
“From the Heart of Our
Nations” is available from Magic
City Books, 221 E. Archer St.,
Tulsa, OK., at magiccitybooks.
com or info@magiccitybooks.
com.
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2637 Ashmun Street
Sault Ste Marie, MI 49783
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SAULT TRIBE
HEALTH DIVISION
PRESENTS
FALL HEALTH FAIRS
Flu and Covid Vaccines
Health Information
Tribal & Community Booths
Health Screenings
Giveaways
Grand Prize Drawing
Lunch 11:30-1:00
ALL EVENTS HELD FROM 10-2
10/1/26- ST. IGNACE KEWADIN CASINO TENT
10/6/26 -SAULT KEWADIN CASINO THEATER
10/8/26 - DETOUR EUP FINE ARTS HALL
10/9/26 - HESSEL TRIBAL YOUTH & FITNESS CENTER
Flu & COVID vaccines available to Sault Tribe members, other federally
recognized tribes, non-native spouses, and Sault Tribe employees.
Q U E S T I O N S ~ C A L L C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H
906-632-5210
HEALTH FAIR IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Community
Elders celebrate birthdays Time to
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 11
celebrate
Happy 3rd
birthday
Leighlyn!
Love Nonna
& Papa
At their monthly Elder Sub-Committee meeting, the Unit I elders enjoyed cake and ice cream to celebrate
their friends with birthdays in the month of September. Celebrating this month are L-R: Marilyn White, Aimee
Penrose, Tim LaLonde, Deanna LaLonde and Carol Eavou.
Osburns welcome baby Cooper
Cooper William Osburn was
born Aug. 14, 2026, to proud
parents K yle and H olly (Austin)
Osburn of Asheboro, N.C. Cooper
weighed eight pounds 15 ounces
and was 20.5 inches in length. H is
paternal grandparents are Mike
and Pam Osburn of Asheboro,
N.C., and his maternal grandparents are the late K en Austin,
and Brenda Austin of Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich. H e also has two
aunts ready to spoil him – Nikki
Nicholson (K ayden) and Leanne
(Rayce) Schofield and an uncle,
Travis Austin (Sarah Austin), of
Lexington, S.C. Cooper was welcomed home by their two dogs,
Silly and Echo, and cats Tater Tot
and Inka.
McKelvie and Corbiere wed
Hali McKelvie and Aaron
Corbiere were married on April
10, 2026, in a beautiful ceremony at a one-room chapel near
Eldorado Canyon, outside Las
Vegas, Nev.
The bride is the daughter of
Pat and Julie McKelvie and Myra
Widener-Baa. The groom is the
son of Rick and Brenda Corbiere.
They were joined by their parents and the groom’s aunt, Karen
“Spike” Brock, for an intimate
ceremony.
The bride walked down the
aisle with her father and carried
a bouquet of daisies and baby’s
breath, adorned with a sacred
medicine pouch and her father’s
rosary.
The groom wore a matching
boutonnière, and guests wore
Wiingashk (sweetgrass) wreaths.
The father of the groom had
a special role in the ceremony,
serving as the couple’s ring bearer
and proudly presenting their rings
as they exchanged their vows.
In another meaningful
moment, both mothers signed
the marriage license as official
witnesses, making the day an
especially personal celebration of
family and love.
A reception with family and
friends was held on Sept. 5, 2026,
at Bruce Twp. Hall. The couple
resides in the Sault with their
blended family and pups.
Joe and Jenny (Chalmers)
Gillotte celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary on
Aug. 21, 2026.
The couple married Aug. 21,
1976, in a candlelight ceremony at Calvary Baptist Church
in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., by
Reverend Cook. Best man was
John Gillotte, the groom’s brother. Matron of honor was Charlotte
(Chalmers) Salamone, sister of
the bride.
Joe and Jenny have two
daughters, Jess Gillotte-King
(Steve King) and Jennifer
Gillotte.
They have six grandchildren:
Rileigh (Jacob) Ryan, Jack
(Carissa) King, Hazel King,
Jameson King, Cole Gillotte, and
Genevieve Gillotte-Ward. They
also have two great-grandchildren, Patrick and Cecilia Gillotte.
They held a big celebration at
the Christopher Columbus Hall
on Friday, Aug. 21.
Joe also celebrated his
75th birthday the following day.
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Wealth Advisor
812 Ashmun St.
Sault Ste. Marie MI 49783
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50th wedding anniversary celebrated
Page 12
News
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Feature
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 13
Community convenes for manoomin seeding event
By Scott Brand
Approximately 1,600 pounds
of manoomin seed has been dispersed in the fall of 2026 throughout the St. Mary’ s River System
and a couple of inland lakes as
part of the continued effort to
reestablish wild rice in the Eastern
U pper Peninsula.
“ This year we got our seed
from Minnesota,” said K atie
Schultz of the Sault Tribe Wildlife
Program. “ Our long-term goal is
to have self-sustaining harvestable
beds.”
The Sault Tribe of Chippewa
Indians has been working to
restore the wild rice beds since
2018 , but the overall effort is far
more complicated than j ust throwing some seed into the water and
hoping for the best. The initial
efforts included the difficult work
of removing existing cattails that
Deb Pine smudges the seed and provided tobacco for
those preparing to plant manoomin during the event.
would choke off any new growth
before it could take root. Those
efforts are beginning to pay-off.
“ The K ayak loop,” according
to Schultz ’ s assessment, “ has had
a couple of good years.”
F or the last six years, the
Natural Resources Division has
invited the public to assist with a
community seeding event. This
year’ s gathering was held on
Munuscong Bay and saw a wide
range of individuals turn out to be
a part of the hands-on process,
although to be honest, most of
them opted for the gloves-on process, after getting a whiff of the
rice before departure.
F ollowing the ceremonial
blessing of the rice, complete with
smudging and the laying of tobacco, participants headed out donning waders to access the difficult
to reach seeding locations. Others,
however, utiliz ed borrowed canoes
and kayaks to paddle to the designated seeding grounds.
The volunteers were j oined by
members of the Natural Resources
Division, including at least one
person from every program,
the U .S. F orest Service and the
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources also participated with
some funding towards this restoration effort as well.
Five-gallon buckets and the pack mule method, The long walk, treacherous footing and boot-sucking bottomland provided a
minus the mule, delivered the seed for planting. good workout for those who opted for the wader route.
Above, Kali Krupa of the Sault Tribe Wildlife Division pilots a red kayak through the marsh, while
below Damien Hopper makes his way through some lily pads in the blue kayak.
Wildlife Biologist Clara Lepard carrying buckets down to the launching site,
while below Monica Cady and Pierce Mayville work together from their canoe.
Bottom right, Meredith Jones, 9, sits in
the front while YEA Coordinator Melissa
Causley attempts to paddle backwards
with the help of Sault Tribe Wildlife
Division’s Colton Hudak.
Photos by Scott Brand
At left, Rex Scheeley of the SEAL MCD Conservation District joined
Sault Tribe Fish and Wildlife’s Leanne Kinsella in an isolated part of
Munuscong Bay.
Stephanne Johnson and her son Ace JohnsonSanchez.
COMMUNITY
Good food, good times abound, as Sault Tribe Elder Services hold picnics throughout region
Page 14 • September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Unit I Directors Aaron Payment on Kimberle Gravelle putting on their gloves Unit I Director Ashley Gravelle putting some fresh New York strip
before preparing food for the guests.
steaks on her end of the hot grill.
Win Awenen Nisitotung • September 23, 2026 • Page 15
Phillip Nertoli, working the other end of the grill, is about ready to send Linda Snyder and Jane Karacson — which means Christmas in Hungarian for those
who are interested — check folks in to the Aug. 22 picnic in Marquette.
his finished steaks in to be served.
The Statue of Liberty, AKA Home Health Tech Mary Sawyers, made an
appearance at one of the elder picnics. Events were held in late August
and early September including gatherings in Escanaba, Sault Ste. Marie,
Naubinway, Hessel, Newberry, St. Ignace and Marquette. There is still one
more chance to participate as Munising will host the final elder picinc of
the season on Sept. 24.
The Teal Lake Singers perform in Marquette.
Unit I Director Michael McKerchie flipping burgers for the crowd.
Katie Peabody of Elder Services hand-delivering cake.
A full house enjoying their Sault Ste. Marie feast.
Left, Kay Salminen with cousin Sarah Webster heading outside to eat in Marquette.
Right, Denise Martin and Chris Stempke at their seats.
Above, Art Causley grilled burgers, country pork steaks and chicken
thighs for the Hessel Picnic. Below, Unit II Directors Lana Causley-Smith
and Kimberly Lee saucing the meats at the Aug. 27 gathering in Hessel.
Terrie Milligan seasons burgers at the Hessel Tribal Center.
The Hessel dessert table was a popular destination.
Cook Lucinda McFarlane serves seconds to Bill Perrault as Unit III celebrated in St. Ignace.
Guests enjoy a variety of selections at the St. Ignace luncheon held on
Sept. 9.
Above and below, depending on the venue and weather, picnickers
had the option of eating inside or outside.
Mary Jenerou visits with Boyd Snyder inside the Marquette facility where most visitors opted to dine outside in the warm weather and pleasant sunlight.
Page 16
Community
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Gathering of the Eagles Powwow held in Hessel
Nick Van Alstine leading the grand entry for Gathering of the Eagles Powwow, which Left, Jane Palermo and Carolyn Dale (L-R) stand at attention for grand entry. Right, Rita Boullley awaits
the posting of the colors.
brought a good crowd to the venue on Aug. 15.
Flag and staff bearers prepare to post the colors.
Thanking our veterans.
Jackie Minton leads a long line around the circle.
Photos by Jennifer Dale-Burton
S A U LT T R I B E H E A LT H D I V I S I O N
AND MSU EXTENSION PRESENT:
FALL CANNING
WORKSHOP
Clockwise, dancers in full regalia.
Hoping to win the upcoming spot dance.
Pressure Canning Carrots
with Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday, October 29th
Register with Sault Tribe Community Health
To Reserve your spot (906)-632-5210
-Learn and Practice Canning Skills
-Open and Free to Everyone
-Gifts and Prizes Awarded
-Meal Provided During Event
-Limited Capacity Register Now!
Start at 1:0 0pm - 5:0 0pm
Big Bear Kitchen (Upstairs)
2 Ice Circle Chi Mukwa
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
Supported by the Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country Project made
possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Community
Page 17
Happy happy 90th birthday Bonnie (Morell) Bright
Tribal member Bonnie (Morell)
Bright celebrated her 90th birthday
this year with all her children and
grandchildren, great grandchildren
and great-great-grandson (above).
She was born in Sault Ste.
Marie on May 28, 1936. She is a
proud Sault Tribe member along
with her brother Clyde Morell, her
two aunts; Betty Fizel (the ring
lady) and Maybell McPherson.
She has tried made sure all her
children have their tribal cards and
her grandchildren; great-grandchildren and her grandchild have their
tribal cards as well.
On June 13, 2026, her family
hosted a belated birthday outdoor
party at her home in Deckerville,
Mich., where over 100 people
came to celebrate her 90th birthday. Her friends in the area and
many of her family members
attended. The farthest family
members to come were her brother
Clyde Morell and his wife Aunt
Bobbie who came from Colonial
Beach, Va.
Bonnie has five children, fifteen grandchildren, twenty-eight
great grandchildren and one greatgreat-grandson. Sadly, her oldest
son Gary L. Bright passed away
April 1, 2026.
Also in celebration of
America’s 250th birthday, she
asked that attendees wear the
American flag colors; red, white
and blue — also because they are
her favorite colors. They dressed
as follows; her children wore red;
grandchildren wore white and
great grandchildren wore blue. Her
great great-grandson and her wore
all three colors.
There was lots of delicious
food, laughter and reminiscing
about old times and making of
new memories with all of the family and friends.
Aanii. I’ m K aren (Beckman)
F raz ier, a life-long resident
of Naubinway, born April 6,
1944, to parents K en and Emma
(Davenport) Beckman.
In the early 1700s Natives
lived in all the U .P. In 1883, the
first family came to Naubinway.
The William Boucha’ s came from
Mackinac Island. H e was a fur
trader and bought furs from the
Natives. There he and his wife
built a two-story home on the
point in Naubinway and raised 14
children. A few years later, Louis
Matty arrived, also a fur trader.
Naubinway had several tribes
over the years, the Oj ibway
(or Chippewas) Winnebago’ s,
Menominee, and Sauk’ s. The
Natives welcomed all who came.
As time went on, more settler’ s came and most of the
Natives had to move. Some still
stayed. We still have Native decedents here. I am proud to be one
of them, my family goes back 12
generations.
Around 1870 to 188 0 logging
became a big industry in town.
Our town grew, some say close to
2,500. People from all over came
to work.
It employed some 600 or more
men. There was a mill train called
the “ Peggy,” where J im Baker
Sr. from town was the engineer
and my grandfather, H arvey
Davenport, was a break man.
The mill lasted until 1910 to
1912.
Commercial fishing was
always a busy industry too. My
family was and still is going.
Over the years fishing was great.
But times have changed. We
started out with several boats in
our harbors. Now there are maybe
one or two. It’ s sad to see.
This last year I decided we
need an update on our town’ s
history since it’ s our countries
250th anniversary. So we (some
of our townspeople) started
“ Naubinway’ s F amily H istory
and Industry,” and collected
pictures, information and stories
from anyone who lived here in
the past.
In 1983 I did a book on our
seniors of Naubinway, there were
40 families. They all had to be 60
and up. I had a great time with
these folks since I grew up with
them. Sadly, they are all gone
now.
We have F raz iers, K ings,
Bouchas, V alliers, Davenports,
Beaudoins, Wachters, St. Andres,
Paulsens, Wyses, V incents,
Mettys, Bakers, Maudries,
Perkins, and G ildersleeve. Some
are families from the past.
We have a “ Naubinway, Land
of Echoes” U nit II Elder G roup I
am proud to be involved with. It
helps keep our history going.
Our little town has gotten very
small over the years. We have
maybe 100 people now. In the
summer we have a few more. No
matter how big or small, we are
all here for each other.
I’ d like to thank all who
helped with this proj ect. We were
able to put our family and history
photos up at our pavilion on J uly
third and fourth. I hope everyone
enj oyed them. Sadly, we have no
place to display them permanent-
ly in town.
Special thanks to G ary Smith
who scanned all our pictures and
redid my album of 1983.
I’ m still looking up my history. Y ou never quit learning more.
So if you live in a small town, we
all have history. G o look for it.
K eep searching.
Thanks to all – miigwech.
K aren (Beckman) F raz ier
Naubinway
“ Land of Echoes”
SUSANNAH JOY DANKERT
Susannah Joy Dankert walked
on unexpectedly Aug. 13,
2026, in Sioux
Falls, S.D.,
leaving behind
a family and
a community
whose lives
were made
brighter simply because
she was in them. Her name was
Susannah Joy, and she truly lived
up to it. She had a way of bringing joy to the people around her,
often without even realizing she
was doing so. Susannah carried
a mighty spirit within a beautiful
soul, and her smile had a way of
brightening any room. She was
born Sept. 20, 1978.
Susannah had an adventurous
spirit and an extraordinary ability
to find beauty even in the midst
of life’s darkest moments.
She understood that life was
imperfect, and chose to strive
for grace over chasing perfection. She fought through years of
health struggles with a strength
that those who loved her will
never forget. She was a powerful woman who fought long and
hard. She faced life’s challenges
with a courage that was uniquely
hers.
Above all else, family meant
everything to Susannah. She was
a beloved daughter, wife, sister,
aunt, stepmother, grandmother,
and friend. Susannah is survived
by her parents, Dave and Loralee
Dankert; her husband, Paul
Suttle; her stepchildren, Chafen,
Austin, Grace, and Hope Suttle,
and Quincy Pfister; her siblings,
Jesse (Serenity Dankert) Liz
(Chris Boris), and Joe (Amanda
Dankert); her nieces and nephews
Bodhi Boris, Marshall, Annabell,
Oliver, Nick, and Chris Dankert;
and her grandchildren, Halo and
Nova Pfister. She also leaves
behind her beloved dog, Nalani.
Susannah found beauty in the
little things. She loved nature
and could spend hours outside
watching her hummingbirds visit
and admiring her flowers as they
beautifully developed in the sunshine. One of her most peaceful
places was Sturgeon Bay, where
she could spend countless hours
walking, listening to music, and
searching for beautiful pieces of
washed glass along the shore.
To Susannah, those little pieces
of glass were treasures—small
reminders that even something
weathered and broken could still
become something beautiful. That
was Susannah. She saw beauty in
what others might overlook.
Susannah’s absence will
leave a space that cannot be
filled. Though her life ended far
sooner than anyone was ready
for, the love she gave will continue through every person she
touched.
You are loved beyond words,
missed beyond measure, remem-
bered for all the joy you gave us,
but never forgotten! Rest peacefully, Susannah Joy. You were,
and always will be, our Joy.
Staffeld, Jeffrey (Jamy) Staffeld,
and Douglas (Melissa) Staffeld;
her siblings, Patricia McCafferty,
Colleen Gossman, Janet (Jim)
Mackie, and Dan (Karen) Brady;
and her many beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and
extended family.
Nancy devoted her life to caring for others. A lifelong healthcare professional, she began her
nursing career after graduating
from St. Mary’s Hospital School
of Nursing and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
nursing from Western Michigan
University. Her career spanned
emergency, trauma, orthopedics,
psychiatric care, and healthcare
administration, where she rose
from department manager to
director and ultimately Chief
Nursing Officer.
A pioneer in Michigan’s
Rural Health Clinic Distinction
Certification, Nancy helped
advance access to quality health
See “Walking on,” page 18
Naubinway’s Karen Frazier keeps local history alive
Walking on...
NANCY EILEEN STAFFELD
Nancy Eileen Staffeld, 79, of
Dansville, Mich., passed away
peacefully on
Aug. 12, 2026,
surrounded
by the love of
her family following a courageous battle
with cancer.
Born Oct.
2, 1946,
in Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich., Nancy was
the daughter of William and
Catherine Brady. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Edward Staffeld, and her
parents.
Nancy is survived by her
four children, Kristin (Darrin)
Perkowski, Michael (Stephany)
News
Walking on continued...
Page 18
From “Walking on,” page 17
care for patients and families in
rural communities. Even after
retirement, she continued serving
others by surveying Rural Health
Clinics across the country and
helping strengthen the care they
provided.
Nancy’s professional accomplishments were significant, but
her greatest legacy was the love
she gave her family. She was a
devoted mother who offered wisdom, encouragement, strength,
and unconditional love. She had
a remarkable ability to make
others feel valued and cared for,
bringing compassion, dignity, and
humanity to everything she did.
ROBERT CHARLES ASH
Robert Charles Ash, 51, of
Newberry,
Mich., passed
away unexpectedly Aug.
28, 2026. He
was born Sept.
24, 1974, in
Newberry.
Robert,
known as
“Bobby” to his family and
friends, was a dedicated truck
driver for J.B. Hunt. He was
proud of his work and continued
driving throughout the COVID19 pandemic and until the time
of his passing. His commitment
to his job was a testament to his
strong work ethic and dedication.
Bobby was a graduate of
Newberry High School. He will
be remembered and missed by his
family, friends, and all who knew
him.
He is survived by his mother, Barbara Schneider (Otto);
brother, Pastor B.J. Ash (Kelly);
nephews, Brandon and Alex Ash
of Thompson, Mich.; and many
cousins.
He was preceded in death by
his father, Charles Ash; maternal
grandparents, Charles and June
Jerrick; paternal grandparents,
Charles and Hazel Ash; and aunt,
Carol Jerrick.
Cremation has taken place. In
accordance with Bobby’s wishes,
no service will be held. He will
be deeply missed and lovingly
remembered by those who knew
and cared for him.
RAYMOND BOSLEY, SR.
Ray was born on Feb. 3, 1936,
in Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich.,
to Carl and
Elizabeth
(Oberlin)
Bosley. He
had five
brothers and
one sister.
He was a
member of the Sault Ste. Marie
Tribe of Chippewa Indians. While
growing up in the Sault, Ray
enjoyed music and participated
in weekend gatherings of friends
and family where music was
played and dancing ensued. He
also liked to remind his children
that he once attended a concert
in the Sault in his youth where
he saw Jerry Lee Lewis open for
Johnny Cash. Ray played high
school football for the Sault High
Blue Devils and was voted AllU.P. playing offensive guard. He
recalled taking a ferry boat across
the Mackinac Straits when his
team played in Petoskey, which
was prior to the construction of
the Mackinac Bridge.
Following high school, Ray
enrolled in the U.S. Army and
honorably served two years while
stationed in Alaska. He continued
to play football in the Army, traveling to other army bases to compete against other teams. After
being discharged from the Army,
he attended Northern Michigan
University in Marquette, Mich..
While there, he met Ruth Quaal,
a student from Ishpeming, Mich.
They were married Aug. 19,
1961, in Ishpeming and resided
in Hancock, Mich. early in their
marriage. Ray and Ruth moved
to South Range and then to
Painesdale, both in the Copper
Country, where they continued to
raise their family of four children.
Ray began a 38-year teaching
career at Jeffers High School in
1961. He taught primarily industrial arts, drafting, and driver’s
education. He is remembered by
his students for his humor and
his expectation that they apply
themselves to the skills and to the
creative opportunities he presented during his classes.
Early in his career, he had
the clock removed from over his
classroom door, substituting it
with one of his many inspirational plaques. That particular plaque
read, “Time will pass. Will you?”
Another of his many mantras
for students was, “There are two
ways to get to the top of an oak
tree: Sit on an acorn. Or climb
it.”
Ray was a member of
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
in Painesdale and Holy Family
Church in South Range. He sang
in the church choir with many
good friends. Ray and his wife
Ruth were both dedicated to their
Catholic faith.
Throughout his life, Ray’s talents for furniture building, home
remodeling, and building intricate
model ships and small wood
projects and games were always
evident. He enjoyed building and
using radio-controlled boats, and
later on built and flew radio-controlled airplanes. Ray was also a
life-long Green Bay Packer fan,
eventually attending a memorable
game at Lambeau Field with his
sons. He also enjoyed attending the Experimental Aircraft
Association Fly-In in Oshkosh,
Wisc., annually, for many years.
In his later years, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren
held a special place in his heart
and in his life—always appreciating his time with them.
Ray was preceded in death by
his wife Ruth; his parents; his
son-in-law Michael Clouthier;
and his brothers and sister: Teddy,
Donna, Carl, Larry, and Rick.
He is survived by his children:
Ray (Kriss) Bosley, Michael
(Anita) Bosley, Marie (Cliff)
Dessellier, and Patrick (Jennifer)
Beausoleil. Grandchildren:
Elizabeth (Will) Williams,
Andrew (Jennie) Clouthier,
Sarah (Seth) Keller, Jacob (Elle)
Dessellier, Gabby (Jake) Brenke,
Bruce (Jennifer) Dessellier, Eric
Dessellier, Shannon (Bob)
Matson, and Lindsay (Justin
Dueweke) Clouthier. Greatgrandchildren: Adalene, Michael,
and Ben Williams; Gunner,
Teddy, Alex, and Bodie Clouthier;
Tristan and Owen Keller; Gordy
and Wren Vaskey; Gavin, Chase,
and Brooks Dessellier; Mialy
(Carley) Frauenhoff; Abby
Brooks; and Donovan Dueweke.
He is also survived by a brother
Walter (Nancy) Bosley, sistersin-law Sandy Bosley and Cheryl
Bosley, and numerous nieces and
nephews and other family members through marriage.
For the past few years, Ray
received supportive care from the
At Home Companions home-care
staff and from Copper Shores
Meals on Wheels. He also appreciated the assistance provided by
many friends.
A mass of christian burial for
Ray was on March 2, 2026, at St.
Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church
of Houghton. Spring burial was
held at the Mt. View Cemetery in
South Range.
To view this obituary or to
send condolences online to the
family, please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
The Memorial Chapel Funeral
& Cremation Service – Mt. View
Chapel of South Range assisted
the family with the arrangements.
JEFFREY A. RADER II
Jeffrey A. Rader II, 37, of
Michigan City,
Ind., formerly
of Rossville
Ind., passed
away Saturday,
Aug. 15, 2026.
He was born
Jan. 23, 1989,
in Sault Ste
Marie, Mich.
to Jeffrey A. Rader and Sue
Graham.
Jeffrey attended Rossville
High School. He was a member of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe
of the Chippewa Indians. He
worked at Indiana Packers and
then as a tattoo artist for many
years. Jeffrey was an avid Green
Bay Packers fan, a talented artist
and enjoyed drawing, cooking,
camping and being outdoors. He
was an intelligent young man,
and though he had his struggles
in life, he loved others and had a
giving heart.
Jeffrey is survived by his
mother; sister, Barbie (Noe)
Cuevas; sons, Taylor Rader and
his mother, Bridgett Arman; and
twin boys, Armani and Aryan
Price; niece, Isabella; nephew,
Frankie; and many aunts, uncles,
cousins; and best friends, Cody,
Forester and Nelson.
He was preceded in death by
his father; a sister, Taylor Rader;
and the mother of his twins,
Candace Price.
A visitation was held on
Aug. 21, 2026, at Day & Genda
Funeral Home, Bodine Chapel, in
Rossville, Ind.
Pastor Dan Murphy officiated the service.
Messages of condolence may be
left at www.dayandgenda.com.
MARK STEPHEN PISKORZ
Mark Stephen Piskorz, 71,
died at his home in Scottsboro,
Ala., on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
One moment in this world, then
arriving suddenly in the next,
he died just like he would have
wished, working outdoors under
the trees.
Mark is survived by his wife
of 41 years, Lee Piskorz, his son,
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Will Piskorz,
and his daughter Bethany
Coulston
(Paul). He also
leaves behind
his brothers
Rick Piskorz,
Alan Dale
(Deb), Gary
Lee (Emily),
as well as, nieces, nephews,
and many cherished family and
friends.
He was preceded in death by
his mother and father, John and
Dorothy Piskorz, and his brothers
Butch Piskorz (Lois) and Chris
Piskorz (Patsy).
Mark was born July 15, 1954,
in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Raised
in St. Ignace, with the Mackinac
Bridge out his window, Mark
enjoyed all the outdoor activities available to him. He always
recalled his childhood with humor
and genuine fondness, believing
that for a young boy, there was no
better place to call home.
Mark graduated from LaSalle
High School in St. Ignace in
1972, and went straight to work
as an ironworker in the mines
around the Upper Peninsula,
Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
During this time, he took skydiving and scuba diving lessons.
He didn’t shy away from risk,
and was eager to learn a new
skill.
When Mark was 23-yearsold, he left Michigan to work on
the road, traveling all over and
acquiring many wild stories and
great memories as an industrial
mechanical tradesman.
In 1982, Mark met the love
of his life, Lee, and she changed
the trajectory of his future. One
month later, they committed
to a life together, and Mark
never looked back, considering
marriage the best decision he
had ever made. After moving
to Scottsboro, Mark and Lee
eventually welcomed their son,
Will, in 1986, and their daughter,
Bethany, in 1990.
Mark loved his children
unconditionally, and they were
his pride and joy. If Will or
Bethany showed an interest in
something, he wanted to be supportive. Though he worked long
hours, he tried his best to be
in attendance at all their activities. He was proud to be able
to provide more than just the
necessities, and always wanted
his children to know that they
could turn to him in times of
need. It brought him great joy and
peace to know both of his adult
children were settled in their
own lives, and that Bethany had
found a wonderful husband in
Paul. Mark’s greatest desire was
for his children to be happy with
the choices they made, no matter
what they were.
Mark eventually started his
own industrial maintenance
company called High Mark
Contracting. He truly cared about
his employees and considered
them friends that were more like
family. Mark proved to be a fair
and honest employer that valued
integrity over greed. His knowledge and skills, paired with his
problem-solving abilities, were
his keys to success. There was no
harder-working man than Mark
Piskorz.
Mark was authentic. What you
saw was what you got, and he
didn’t feel the need to impress
others. In fact, he preferred to
stay in the background and shied
away from attention and praise.
Mark’s most notable characteristic was his servant’s heart. He
never hesitated to help those in
need, and consistently volunteered his time and energy to
make life better for others.
When Mark finally retired in
2020, he got to spend more time
in one of his favorite places, his
home workshop. He stayed busy
every day, often working on a
major project, but other times
doing what he called “piddling.”
He took pride in being the one
everyone came to when they
needed something. If you had a
problem, Mark had an idea how
to solve it, and the materials and
know-how to accomplish the
solution.
In retirement, he tapped into
his creative side making small,
intricate wooden boxes, copper wire trees, and imaginative
Cribbage boards. He took art
classes and loved visiting galleries and museums. Attending
concerts, watching old cowboy
movies, playing Euchre, and
following college football were
among his favorite pastimes.
He enjoyed and prioritized
travel, and his love of giant trees
led him out West to the largest
of them all. He felt very fortunate to have visited over a dozen
National Parks, plus other places
of natural beauty.
Mark was a devoted husband,
loving father, loyal friend, and
proud member of the Sault Ste.
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
The world was a better place with
Mark in it, and he will be sorely
missed by all who were blessed
and honored to know him. Mark
is, and always will be, greatly
loved. In accordance with his
wishes, Mark was cremated, and
a celebration of life took place
on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at
First United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall in Scottsboro,
Ala.
MICHAEL ANTHONY
PERAULT
Michael Anthony Perault,
62, born on
Mackinac
Island, Mich.,
“Mikin
Minis,” Jan.
9, 1964, to
Deward S.
Perault and
Marcella M.
Keller, walked
on Aug. 20, 2026.
Surviving Mike are his son,
Anthony Perault of Mancelona,
Mich.; daughter, Summer Rain
Perault of Indiana; four brothers, Deward “Chip” Perault of
St. Ignace, Mich., John “Jaabet”
Perault of St. Ignace, Gordon
Perault of Mancelona, and
William Perault of St. Ignace; and
many nieces, nephews, cousins,
and friends.
Michael was half-blood
Mackinac Band Ojibwe/Ottawa
and a lifelong member since the
tribe’s inception. He loved to fish
and hunt and was an avid stone
collector and artist.
He was a veteran of the U.S.
See “Walking on,” page 19
News
Walking on continued...
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
From “Walking on,” page 18
Army, where he was a missile silo
technician, serving in Germany
near the Russian border.
He was a maintenance worker at Silver Sands Resort for 20
years.
He had an avid love for motorcycles, of which he owned many.
He loved to ride with family
and friends. A memorial ride is
being planned with Red Rum
Motorcycle Club.
This tragedy has struck family
and friends deeply. He will be
missed by all who knew him.
Burials will take place Sept.
21 at 2:30 p.m. in St. Annes
Cemetery on Mackinac Island
and Oct. 23 at the Holy Cross
Cemetery in Cross Village.
Contact the Perault family for
further time and information on
the Cross Village service.
Baa Maa Pii Kowaabmin
Miinwaa Maeka
(We will see you again at some
point, Michael.)
LINDA MARY MCKERCHIE
Linda M. McKerchie, 74 of
Kincheloe,
Mich., unexpectedly
passed away
July 13, 2026,
at Corewell
Health-Heart
Center in
Grand Rapids.
She was born
in Saginaw, Mich. on Aug. 3,
1951, to parents Frank & Elaine
(Galonska) Brogan.
Linda grew up in Saginaw and
attended St. Mary’s Cathedral
high school and graduated in
1969. Her first husband, Danny
Sawyer II, preceded her in death
in Oct. of 1992. She found love
again and on Sept. 8, 2000, Linda
married Russell McKerchie at the
Point Iroquois Lighthouse on the
bay in Brimley, Mich.
Linda was an avid reader, crocheter and thrifter. She enjoyed
walking the beaches for glass and
other treasures, visiting lighthouses and loved birdwatching, but
her passion was caring for her
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved playing
games and toys with the kids and
kept them busy for hours having
fun adventures. She especially
loved the weekly sleepovers
with her great-grandson Lukas.
Nurturing came very easy to
her, taking care of us is what she
loved to do. She also found joy
in managing the “Jack and his
Crew” goat fan Facebook group.
She is survived by her husband
Russ; sons: Dan (Lisa) Sawyer
and Steven (Tina) Sawyer; daughters: Paula (Denise) McJohnson
and Shannon Sawyer; stepsons:
Russ (Sheryl) McKerchie,
James McKerchie and Michael
(Christina) McKerchie; siblings:
Ron Brogan, Marilyn Markey,
Susan Call, Mike Brogan &
Kathy Gembrowski.
Also surviving are her
grandchildren: Jenna (Kaidan),
Elle (Andrew), Eli (Bella),
Hailey (Phil), Caden, Landon
(Kaitlyn), Cara, Lauren, Jett,
Tyler (Brittany), Marissa (Sean),
Bonnie, Jacob, Dakota (Kevin),
Logan (Matt), Trevor, Brienna,
Myah, Ella and Lucas; numerous
great-grandchildren, nieces and
nephews.
She was preceded in death
by her parents Frank and Elaine
Brogan and siblings Ruth Powell,
Larry Brogan and Joanne Brogan.
A graveside service took place
Sunday, Sept. 6, at Donaldson
Cemetery on M129 in Sault Ste.
Marie. Please keep her loved ones
in your hearts and prayers as they
grieve.
GLORIA JEAN (PAVLAT)
KANGAS
` Gloria Jean (Pavlat) Kangas,
71, of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.,
died on Aug 21, 2026, at
Medilodge of Sault Ste. Marie.
She was born on Dec. 26, 1954,
in Sault Ste.
Marie, to Alois
Rayfield and
Katherine
Margaret
(Santigo)
Pavlat.
Gloria grew
up in Sault
Ste. Marie and
attended Sault Area High School.
She later dedicated her life to her
family as a proud homemaker,
finding great joy in raising and
caring for her children and grandchildren. Her family was a central
part of her life, and she cherished
the time spent making memories
with those she loved.
Gloria was a proud member
of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa
Indians.
In her free time, Gloria
enjoyed playing cards, working
on puzzles, and making trips to
the casino, where she especially enjoyed playing bingo with
Grandma Donna. She will be
remembered for the love she
shared with her family and the
many memories she created with
those closest to her.
Gloria is survived by her
husband, Anthony Kangas; son,
Kevin Pavlat of Sault Ste. Marie;
daughter, Tammy Pavlat of
Appleton, Wisc.; grandchildren,
Jordan Pavlat, Andrew Anderson,
Katherine Pavlat, Alyssa Pavlat,
Cameron Pavlat, and Kylee
Pavlat; great-grandchildren,
Serenity, and Troy; sister, Rosalie
(Lynn) Armstrong of Sault Ste.
Marie; brothers, James (Kathy)
Pavlat of South Hadley, Mass.,
Howard (Angie) Pavlat of West
Virginia, Gene (Mar) Pavlat of
the Philippines, Dale Pavlat of
Michigan, and Phillip (Debbie)
Pavlat of Sault Ste. Marie.
Gloria was preceded in death
by parents, Alois and Katherine;
and siblings, Larry Pavlat,
Veronica CasKey, and Anton
Pavlat.
A celebration of life was
Page 19
held on Sept. 5, 2026, at the
Niigaanagiizhik Ceremonial
Building, located at 1 Ice Circle,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
49783.
Family Life Funeral Homes
– Sault Ste. Marie assisted
the family with arrangements.
Condolences may be given to the
family at www.familylifefh.com.
FREDERICK WAYNE SMITH
Frederick Wayne Smith, 71,
of Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich.,
died on July
26, 2026, at
Hearthside
Assisted
Living in Sault
Ste. Marie.
He was born
Oct. 29, 1954,
in Sault Ste. Marie, to Fred and
Frances (Causley) Smith.
Fred lived a life centered
around family, simple pleasures,
and the people he loved most. He
was proud of his heritage and had
a deep appreciation for his community and the values that shaped
his life.
Fred graduated from Sault
High School. He was a devoted father of four children and
treasured every opportunity to
create lasting memories with
them. He shared an especially
close bond with his daughter,
Kayla. Together they spent countless hours listening to music,
sharing cups of coffee, smoking
cigarettes, laughing, and simply
enjoying one another’s company. Their relationship was built
on unconditional love, enduring
friendship, and countless memories that will forever be cherished
by those who knew them.
Fred was a proud member
of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa
Indians and valued the traditions
and heritage of his people.
In his free time, Fred enjoyed
playing card games, especially
cribbage and solitaire. He was an
avid fan of the television series
“Ice Road Truckers” and rarely
started a day without a good cup
of coffee. He found happiness in
life’s simple moments and will
See “Walking on,” page 20
News
PREVENT BABY
Healthy teeth, healthy babies: HELP
BOTTLE TOOTH DECAY
Page 20
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
BY JESSICA A. RICKERT, DDS,
ANISHINAABE DENTAL OUTREACH
At birth
How many bacteria are in a
newborn’s mouth? What types
of bacteria are present? Zero!
Newborns’ mouths are sterile! Bacteria are introduced by
caretakers. That is why it is so
important that family members
have excellent dental health!
Clean teeth
You can help prevent your
baby from getting cavities or
developing what is called Baby
Bottle Tooth Decay. Begin an
oral hygiene routine within the
first few days after birth. Start
by cleaning your baby’s mouth
by wiping the gums with a clean
gauze pad. When your child’s
teeth begin to come in, brush
them gently with a child’s size
toothbrush and a small amount of
fluoride toothpaste, about the size
of a grain of rice.
For bottle feeding, place only
formula, water, milk or breast
milk inside. Never put baby to
bed with a bottle. Take your baby
to the dentist before age 1.
Dental emergencies
For all dental emergencies, it’s
important to take your child to
the dentist or an emergency room
as soon as possible.
Here are some tips for if your
child experiences a common dental emergency:
— For a knocked-out tooth,
keep it moist at all times. If you
can, try placing the tooth back in
the socket without touching the
root. If that’s not possible, place
it in between your child’s cheek
and gum, or in milk. Call your
dentist right away.
— For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with
warm water to clean the area. Put
cold compresses on the face to
keep any swelling down.
— If your child bites his
tongue or lip, clean the area gently and apply a cold compress.
— Do not put aspirin on the
aching tooth or gum tissues.
Thumb sucking
Sucking is a natural reflex
and infants and young children
may suck on thumbs, fingers,
pacifiers, and other objects. If
your child continues to suck after
age 5, it can cause problems
with tooth alignment. Talk to the
dentist or pediatrician about your
child’s sucking habits.
Space maintainers
If a baby tooth is lost too
early, there may not be enough
room for adult teeth because of
narrowing space. To prevent this
from happening, the dentist may
recommend a space maintainer to
hold the space open.
Sealants
Sealants are a fast and easy
way of protecting your child’s
teeth. Like a raincoat in a storm,
sealants are barriers to harm.
Sealing a tooth is fast with virtually no discomfort.
Mouthguards
Mouthguards can help protect
your child’s teeth while playing
sports. Mouthguards cushion
blows that would otherwise cause
broken teeth, injuries to the lips
and face and even jaw fractures.
Your dentist can make custom-fitted mouth protectors.
Braces
A bad bite is a condition in
which the teeth are crowded and
crooked, or the jaws don’t meet
properly. This may become particularly noticeable between the
ages of 6 and 12, when a child’s
permanent teeth are coming in.
Eating and speaking are often
affected. Bad bites impede the
proper development of the jaws
and make some teeth wear abnormally. Protruding teeth are at risk
for chips and fractures.
From “Walking on,” page 19
be remembered for his love of family, his easygoing nature, and the
special connections he shared with
those closest to him.
Fred is survived by his children,
Kayla Smith, Fred Smith, Virginia
Smith and Shawna Quinn; grandchildren, Falcon Smith, Juneblee
Daniele, and Audrey Smith; and
sisters, Betty Smith and Maggie
Rounds.
Fred was preceded in death by
his parents, Fred and Frances; and
siblings, Nancy Smith, Annloe
Smith, and Tad Smith.
Memorial Gathering was held
on July 29, 2026, at the Hessel
Tribal Center, 3355 N. 3 Mile
Road, Hessel, MI 49745.
Family Life Funeral Homes – Sault
Ste. Marie assisted the family with
arrangements. Condolences may be
given to the family at www.familylifefh.com.
Porter, Bryar (Cheyenne) Wayne;
sister, Jessica Sheppard; grandparents, Charles Streeter and Nancy
Streeter; uncles, Charles (Tricia)
Streeter, Joseph (Deneen) Ferraro,
Michele (Lonna) Ferraro; and aunt,
Maria Ferraro.
Cameron was preceded in
death by his grandparents, Leo
(Mary) Ferraro and Carol (Burl)
Ward.
Visitation was held Aug. 29,
2026, at Family Life Funeral
Homes, 4951 S. M-129, Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich., followed by the
funeral service and burial. He was
laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery.
Cameron is loved by so many
and his absence has left a tremendous hole in many hearts. Comfort
can be found in knowing he is at
peace.
ried for over 60 years and shared
a love of traveling. Together,
they visited Australia, Hawaii,
Alaska, Germany, Italy, Canada,
the Panama Canal and most of the
continental United States. When
at home on Lake Michigan, they
enjoyed entertaining family and
friends. Arnold was well known for
his humor and storytelling.
Arnold is survived by his four
children, Julie Frazier of Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich., Patrick (Margaret)
Frazier of Trout Lake, Mich.,
Karen (James Teasdale) Frazier
of Lansing, Mich., and Edward
(Kelly) Frazier of Kingsford,
Mich.; grandchildren, Charyl (Joe)
Mehring, Alison Rewa, Amanda
(Scott) Virden, Kristy (Kelly)
Morrison, Kaitlin Frazier, Sara
(Josh) Gallagher, and Matthew
Frazier; great-grandchildren
include, Gideon, Evangeline,
Liam, Maya, Zelda, and Walter;
siblings, Marlene Grondin, Kathy
Lawnichak, Dee Frazier all of
St. Ignace, and Ronald Frazier of
Epoufette.
Arnold was preceded in death
by his wife, Lorraine, parents,
Charles and Isabel Frazier; brother,
Charles Frazier; and grandson-inlaw, Aaron Rewa.
Visitation was held on Sept.
5, 2026, at St. Ignatius Loyola
Catholic Church, 120 Church St.
St Ignace, MI 49781. Mass of
Christian Burial and a luncheon
followed. Arnold and Lorraine
were laid to rest together at
Naubinway Cemetery. A celebration of life honoring both Arnold
and Lorraine was held at the
Moose Lodge, 2999 Mackinac
Trail, St. Ignace, MI 49781.
The family would like to
extend a sincere thank you to the
caring staff of Straits Area Senior
Living Community in St. Ignace,
Michigan, where Arnie resided for
the past few years.
Condolences may also be
extended to the family via the
Family Life Funeral Home website
www.familylifefh.com.
known for
helping others, having a
big heart, and
being the life of
the party.
Calvin is
survived by
his daughter,
Baylee; mother and stepfather, Debra and Ken
McDonald; and several siblings,
aunts, uncles, and cousins who will
all miss him.
Calvin was preceded in death
by his father, Mick Marble;
grandmother, Shirley Nolan,
grandmother, Patricia McDonald;
great-grandmother, Clarice Steele;
uncle, Tom Captain; and aunt,
Vanda Nolan.
A visitation was held on Sept.
15, 2026, at Family Life Funeral
Homes, 24549 S. M-129 Pickford,
MI 49774 with funeral services
immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, memorial
contributions may be made to
Calvin’s daughter, Baylee, through
an account established at Central
Savings Bank.
Condolences may be given to
the family at www.familylifefh.
com.
his dad at 18 years old affected Caleb deeply, and that loss
remained with him throughout his
life. Caleb spent the rest of his
life longing to be with him again.
He carried the love, memories,
and lessons from his dad with
him always. The love between
them was deep and impossible to
replace.
Caleb was close with his
mom, Deb. He called her every
day, even if it was only to update
her on his life or share the little
things happening in his day. She
was one of his best friends and
was often the first person he
thought of. Caleb was always
looking for something he could
give her because making her
happy was important to him.
Their bond was one of deep
friendship and unconditional love.
Caleb loved spending time
outdoors and was happiest on the
water. He loved his jobs dredging
and had fond memories of fishing
with his grandpa. He recently
picked up golfing and gardening
and quickly came to love those,
too. He definitely had a green
thumb. True to who Caleb was,
he didn’t do anything halfway—
when he found something he
enjoyed, he threw himself into it
completely.
Caleb took pride in making
good food and sharing it. He really knew how to cook. Cooking
was something he was naturally
good at, and he was often told he
missed his calling to be a chef.
Caleb was a beloved son, father,
brother, and friend. He is survived by his daughter, Ella; mother, Deb Cook and her partner,
Mark Mapes; sisters, Rachel Jean
Cook and Hannah Cook; and
many other family members and
friends, including his best friend,
Rob, and his cousin, Christopher,
who all loved him dearly.
Caleb’s life was far too short,
but the mark he left on the people
who knew him will last forever. His laughter, his generosity,
his passion, and especially the
immense love he had for Ella and
his family will never be forgotten.
He will be deeply missed, forever
loved, and always remembered.
A private Graveside Service
was held in Caleb’s honor on
Aug. 31, 2026.
Caleb’s final resting place is
Mission Hill Cemetery, in Bay
Mills, Michigan.
Family Life Funeral Homes –
Pickford assisted the family with
arrangements. Condolences may
be left at www.familylifefh.com.
Walking on continued...
CAMERON “SCOOTER”
DAVID FERRARO
It is with deepest sorrow to
announce
that Cameron
“Scooter”
David
Ferraro, 32
of Kincheloe
Mich., passed
away unexpectedly Aug.
19, 2026.
Cameron
was born
Aug. 16,
1994, in Sault
Ste. Marie,
Mich., to
Mark Ferraro
and Rebecca
(Streeter)
Farago.
He grew up in Sault Ste. Marie
and graduated from Sault Area
High School, class of 2013.
You could often find Cameron
playing video games, spending
quality time with his children or
doing anything outdoors.
He also enjoyed fishing, working on cars, bringing trucks out in
the mud, riding on the trails and
hanging out with few close friends.
Cameron is survived by the
love of his life, fiancée, Shyanne
Rickley; sons, Cartland Ferraro,
Bentley Fegan, Archer Rickley,
and Abel Rickley; daughters, Ava
Farley and Alivia Rickley; mother
figure, Sherry (James) Beaumont;
father, Mark (Jodi) Ferraro; biological mother Rebecca (John)
Farago; brothers, Carmine Ferraro,
Aaron Sheppard, David (Lura)
ARNOLD FREDERICK
FRAZIER
Arnold Frederick Frazier, 91,
of St. Ignace,
Mich., passed
away after a
brief illness
on Aug. 22,
2026. He was
born on June
10, 1935, in
Epoufette,
Mich., to parents Charles and Isabel (Bellant)
Frazier.
Arnold grew up in Evergreen
Shores and graduated from LaSalle
High School, St. Ignace.
Arnold began his career with
the Michigan Department of
Transportation, crewing car ferries before the construction of
the Mackinac Bridge. In 1958,
he married Lorraine Lowetz of
Moran, Mich., and they began their
family. Relocating to Iron River,
Mich., Arnold worked as a highway inspector while they raised
their four children. Arnold finished
his 33-year career in Naubinway,
Mich., where he and Lorraine
had a home on Lake Michigan.
Following his retirement in 1990,
Arnold followed a family tradition
and participated in commercial gill
net fishing on Lake Michigan.
Arnold was a member of St.
Stephen Catholic Church and
the Knights of Columbus in
Naubinway. Arnold was also a
member of the Sault Ste. Marie
Tribe of Chippewa Indians and
took an active role as a Tribal
Elder. He was an avid outdoorsman
and enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping and snowmobiling. He also
enjoyed baseball and coaching.
Arnold and Lorraine were mar-
CALVIN LEW NOLAN
Calvin Lew Nolan, 41, of
Rudyard, Mich., died Sept. 8,
2026, at Munson Medical Center in
Traverse City, Mich. He was born
Dec. 12, 1984, in Sault Ste. Marie,
Mich., to Mick Marble and Debra
(Nolan) McDonald.
Calvin was raised by his
mom, Debra, and stepfather, Ken
McDonald, who played an important role in his life
Calvin loved hunting, fishing
and having a good time. He was
CALEB DONALD JOHN
GLENN COOK
It is with profound sadness that
we announce
the passing of
Caleb Donald
John Glenn
Cook, 38, on
Aug. 27, 2026.
He was born
on May 29,
1988, in Grand
Rapids, Mich.,
to Donald and Debbie (Hatch)
Cook.
Caleb was intelligent, generous,
kind-hearted, and so funny. He
loved deeply and lived passionately, and when something or someone captured his heart, he went all
in.
Above all else, Caleb’s daughter, Ella, meant everything to him.
Being her dad was his greatest
joy in life. She held a very special
place in his heart, and he treasured
the time they shared together. His
love for Ella will continue to live
on through her and through all the
memories she carries of her dad.
Caleb also shared an incredibly
special bond with his dad, Donald
“Biz” Cook. He loved doing anything with his dad, and many of
his happiest memories were made
alongside him. Sadly, after losing
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Representative Reports
Page 21
Chairman Lowes reports to the membership
Line 5 and tunnel project
opposition
The Sault Tribe remains active
in our opposition to Line 5 and
the tunnel project. On Aug. 29,
the tribe contributed $15,000 to
the Paddle Out for Our Future
event at Kiwanis Beach in St.
Ignace. The event was well
attended by community members
and leaders from several tribes. I
was honored to speak at the event
and participate in the paddle out
to demonstrate our tribe’s opposition to Line 5 and the tunnel
project.
During the Labor Day Bridge
Walk, the Sault Tribe also
participated in a Three Fires
Confederacy demonstration to
express this opposition. The day
began with a water ceremony.
When the bridge walk began,
tribal leaders and citizens on both
sides of the Mackinac Bridge
walked toward the center to meet.
At the center of the bridge, members of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi,
and Odawa Nations came together to demonstrate their shared
opposition to the environmental
and cultural harm that Line 5
and the tunnel project represent.
I’d like to thank Director Sue St.
Onge for stepping up and representing the Sault Tribe during this
event.
Health Authority
Development
On Sept. 14, the tribe held
its first workshop to discuss the
creation of a Health Authority.
If approved, this model would
remove the board of directors
from the Health Division’s organizational chain of command.
This means that no one within
the Health Division, including
the Health Division CEO, would
report directly to the board of
directors.
Instead, a Health Authority
would provide professional
oversight of the Health Division.
Individuals would be nominated
by the chairman to serve on the
authority and would then be subject to confirmation by the board.
This model would allow individuals with relevant healthcare
expertise and an understanding of
the Health Division’s operations
to provide oversight, rather than
placing that responsibility solely
with our board of directors, many
of whom do not have professional
healthcare experience.
Also motivating this potential
change was the recent resignation of the Health Division CEO
James Benko. With his resignation, the Sault Tribe will soon
be hiring its third leader of the
Health Division in four years.
Something has to change, and
I am 100% supportive of moving toward the Health Authority
model. During the polling on
removing the board of directors
from the Health Division’s chain
of command, Director Bridgett
Sorenson was the only board
member to oppose the change.
Constitutional Amendment
Update
During the Aug. 31 board
meeting, Director Kim Lee
sponsored a resolution that
would have rescinded the secretarial election to amend our
Constitution. Had the resolution
passed, it would have prevented
our tribal citizens from voting
on the proposed constitutional
amendments within the timeline
previously approved by the board.
It is important to remind our
citizens that this timeline was
unanimously approved by the
board immediately prior to the
last general election. Although
they supported this before the
election, they must have changed
their minds after retaining their
seats, otherwise this resolution
wouldn’t have even been considered.
Thankfully, the resolution to
rescind the election did not pass.
I would like to thank the board
members who voted against
rescinding the election, including
Directors Kim Gravelle and Mike
McKerchie.
Although the resolution did
not pass to cancel or postpone the
secretarial election, the effort to
rescind it did cause delays. The
new tentative dates are as follows:
— Register to vote: Voter registration must be received by Oct.
19, 2026.
— Vote by mail: Ballots are
expected to be mailed on or
around Oct. 26, 2026, and must
be returned on or before Nov. 19,
2026.
— Votes counted: Tabulation
is expected to take place on
or around Nov. 19, 2026, at
the DreamMakers Theater at
Kewadin Casino, Sault Ste.
Marie.
Feeding America Food
Pantry
I continue to coordinate the
Feeding America food distributions in Sault Ste. Marie.
Recently, I have also been in
discussions with Feeding America
regarding the possibility of establishing a permanent food pantry
on our reservation in Sault Ste.
Marie.
I am a passionate about
increasing food security in our
community. I will continue to
keep our citizens updated as these
discussions progress.
Venison Drive
The Unit 1 board members
recently approved funding to
cover the processing expenses for
another venison drive this year. If
you are a hunter and would like
to donate one of the five deer you
are permitted to harvest under
the tribe’s inland hunting regulations, please contact Maher’s
Little Meat Shop at (248) 3100122. Maher’s Little Meat Shop
is located at 4888 S. Baker Side
Road in Sault Ste. Marie.
After you drop off your deer,
the tribe will cover the cost of
processing. We will then pick up
the processed venison and provide it to elders through the Unit
1 Elder Center. The tribe held
this drive last year, and it was a
tremendous success. Processing
costs came to approximately
$3.50 per pound, which demonstrates that the drive is a cost-effective way to provide locally
harvested, Indigenous protein to
our elders while supporting food
sovereignty within our community.
U.S. Attorney Meeting –
Sept. 22, 2026
On Sept. 22, I will be meeting
with Timothy VerHey, the U.S.
Attorney for the Western District
of Michigan. The Sault Tribe, like
other federally recognized tribes
throughout the United States,
maintains a government-to-government relationship with the
federal government. Tribal governments also have a unique
relationship with federal prosecutors because federal law limits
tribal criminal jurisdiction and
sentencing authority in certain
circumstances. As a result, serious crimes committed in Indian
Country oftentimes fall under
federal jurisdiction, making coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s
Office critically important for
public safety in our tribal communities.
I look forward to meeting
with U.S. Attorney VerHey and
discussing issues that affect the
safety and well-being of our tribal
citizens and communities.
New housing in St. Ignace
I am pleased to announce that
the Sault Tribe Housing Authority
was recently selected to receive
a competitive Indian Housing
Block Grant that will provide
several million dollars to support
the construction of several dozen
new homes on property being
developed in St. Ignace.
I am incredibly proud of
our Housing Director, Mariea
Mongene, along with the entire
Housing Authority staff, who
work tirelessly to improve
housing security for our tribal
citizens. I also have tremendous respect for our Housing
Commission.
In addition to the St. Ignace
development, the Housing
Authority is also constructing
an apartment complex in the
Odenaang community in Sault
Ste. Marie. I will continue to
keep our citizens updated as
these projects progress.
MICHAEL MCKERCHIE,
DIRECTOR, UNIT I
I recently had the opportunity
to attend the Youth Powwow, and
it was wonderful to see such a
great turnout. It is awesome to see
so many of our youth involved,
participating in our traditions, and
spending time together in a way
that helps keep our culture strong
for generations to come. Seeing
our young people take part and
show their pride in who they are
is truly encouraging and something our community should be
proud of. Miigwech to everyone
who helped organize the event,
supported our youth, and made it
such a great gathering.
As we move further into fall, I
encourage everyone to take some
time to enjoy the changing col-
ors, spend time with family and
friends, and continue participating
in the events and activities happening throughout our communities. These gatherings provide
important opportunities to stay
connected, support one another,
and celebrate our culture and traditions together.
Upcoming Meetings for the
Month (Subject to Change)
We have several scheduled It’s
hard to sift through social media
and know what’s really going
on with our tribal politics. I’m
not a fan of social media as I’ve
previously stated several times.
It’s a good tool to get information
out to the membership but all too
often it’s used to spread misinformation and opinion over fact, and
fear-mongering gains a lot more
attention and shares than just
basic information sharing.
In the upcoming months, the
membership will be exposed to a
lot of different opinions regarding the constitutional re-write.
The truth of the matter is that the
entire board, with the exception of
the newly elected members, have
spent a considerable amount of
time last year going through each
line of the proposed Constitution.
There was a lot of compromise
and a lot of consideration given
to each section — some board
members were happier with some
sections, and some were not, but
we worked through these and
came up with this new proposal as
a team.
With that being said, whether
the membership decides to move
forward with this, or whether the
membership feels it isn’t quite
right yet, is for the membership
to decide. I have advocated since
these discussions first took place
that I feel our tribe needs a separation of powers to keep things
in check; and I have and still
whole-heartedly believe that a
two-branch government would
achieve that.
A two-branch government
gives membership the right to
challenge an out-of-control board
and gives them constitutional protection from the board. It’s more
aligned with our traditional values
of decision-making being made
by a council but also guarantees
members rights with a separate
court system. A three-branch is
going to lead to more problems
and will result in lengthy lawsuits.
It also puts an elected leader in
charge of personnel and staff,
something one of our previously
constitutional amendments by
the membership choose NOT to
do. Either way, our tribe is facing
some growing pains as we navigate how to proceed.
But most believe, myself
included, that time has passed and
the membership gets to decide if
we go to a three-branch government or not.
That’s not to say that board
members can’t discuss it, or that
there was anything sinister going
on. I honestly believe no board
members were trying to rob the
membership of their opportunity
to vote on this. How we govern
matters. How we handle opinions
that differ from ours matters.
Blasting on social media and
causing unnecessary fear and division under the guise of “transparency” doesn’t help our tribe. How
we do our job matters — there is
a respectful way to disagree and
an immature/bully way.
We as a tribe, must grow past
these types of tactics. Our tribe
is facing many issues; we need to
balance our budget, protect our
lands and waters, and make tough
decisions on what priorities we
can sustain in the future. But we
need to do those together. Our
board may have different opinions
on how we get there, so that just
means we all have to do better at
communicating to each other on
how to move our tribe forward.
Look for more information
online regarding the upcoming
constitution amendment vote.
Miigwech and reach out to me if
you’d like to discuss further and I
will continue to use my voice on
the board.
AUSTIN LOWES
TRIBAL CHAIRMAN
Board must move forward together as a team
WIOA accepting applications
for after school employment
The Sault Tribe WIOA
Department is currently accepting applications for the Work
Experience Program. Eligibility
Requirements: Must be Native
American between the ages
of 14 to 21 and reside within
the seven-county service area
(Marquette, Alger, Chippewa,
Luce, Mackinac, Delta and
Schoolcraft counties).
If you are interested in
applying for after school
employment, applications may
be picked up at the WIOA
office located at 2 Ice Circle,
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. or by
contacting Brenda Cadreau at
(906) 635-4767 or bcadreau@
saulttribe.net. Applications
are also available on the Sault
Tribe website at https://saulttribe.com/membership-services/
education/download-files.
Deadline to apply is Oct. 16,
2026.
Representative Reports
Page 22
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
LaPlaunt reviews tribal issues, advocacy, events
TYLER LAPLAUNT
DIRECTOR, UNIT V
Aanii, Boozhoo,
September brings us into a
time of change. The mornings are
cooler, the days are shorter, and
the forests have already begun
to show their beautiful transition
of colors. Our ancestors watched
these changes closely and understood that every season carried its
own responsibilities. Fall was a
time to prepare, and to make sure
nothing was taken for granted.
There is a teaching in that
preparation. We are reminded to
think beyond today and to consider those who will come after
us. The work we do, the knowledge we share, and the way we
care for one another all becomes
a part of what we leave behind.
Just as the land prepares itself for
winter, we too can use this season
to strengthen our homes, our relationships, and our connection to
who we are as Anishinaabe people.
As we move into fall, I hope
that we each take time to listen to
the land and to the teachings that
have carried our people through
the generations. There is a wisdom in knowing when to work,
when to prepare, when to rest,
and when to gather together. If
we continue to carry those teachings forward with respect, gratitude, and love, they will remain
strong for those who follow us.
Gidinawendimin, “We are all
related.”
Secretarial Election
updates
With the great changes of the
seasons as we head into the fall
and winter months, our tribe is
also undergoing a tremendous
season of change. After 20 years,
you the people will finally have a
vote on a three-branch separation
of powers. As I have stated in the
past, our job as your leadership is
to lead the government and legislation of the tribe, not determine
the structure in which we are to
perform that task. That belongs to
you, the power of the people to
decide.
What’s next? The next steps
in the process is that our tribe
will send out an enrollment list
of all eligible Sault Tribe voters
18-plus at the time of the election
to the BIA. The BIA is in the
process of printing out packets
of information, along with the
voter registration. The secretarial
election is separate from the Sault
Tribe elections, so if you want a
vote, you MUST register in the
secretarial election. Once registration is closed, the BIA will then
immediately send out voting ballots to all of those who registered
in the secretarial election with the
election to be held on or around
Nov. 19, 2026. If the vote passes,
the separation occurs, if it fails,
we stay as is.
All important information will
be posted on both our Facebook
page and website. Our website,
saulttribe.com, is keeping the
most up-to-date information
pinned to the front of the page so
that our citizens don’t miss out
on anything. Please follow this
information for the appropriate
timelines. As a reminder, we as a
tribe have no hand in this election
process. The BIA is fully responsible for the sending of the ballots
and the counting. We have an
advisory election commission that
is helping, but all final decisions
are with the BIA.
With all of this happening,
we are also working on getting
our codes and laws updated for a
three-branch separation of powers. We are focusing on everything that we need leading up to
the election, everything we need
on day one after the election, and
a full 18-month transition plan.
We as a tribe have a lot of legislation work to do to set everything
up for success and we know that
even with the best planning, there
will be some road bumps. While
the separation will be complete
the day after the secretarial election if it should pass, we have an
18-month buffer to get all of our
codes and laws into conformance
prior to the 2028 election where
we will be a fully functioning
three-branch government.
Finally, with the impending
transition of a separation of powers, I will also be putting forward
a resolution to empower the Elder
Advisory Committee and the
Election Commission to move
forward with a redistricting plan
for our units. As many of you are
aware in Unit 5, our boundary
lines do not serve the voice of
the people and many are feeling
left without representation within
their own units. If this passes, it
will also call for a census every
10 years so that we never grow
stagnant again with geographical
or political changes.
Indian Energy
I am excited to announce
that Indian Energy (IE) has term
converted on the Viejas Solar
Project. What does this mean for
the tribe? It means that we have
just received our first payment
of $2,950,000 and are on par to
receive another $3,200,000 in the
coming months. This is huge for
the tribe and the Sault Tribe citizens at Indian Energy who have
endured.
This project was almost shut
down just a few years ago until
myself, our treasurer, CFO, and
general counsel went down to
meet with the IE team. We met
them as a family and business,
reviewed their financials and
plans, and walked the project site
to see how real and how amazing
it really was. At that point, I was
sold, and I brought it back to the
board to request that we continue
to move forward in our partnership.
After 15 years, the IE investment has finally paid us back
and then some. The tribe has not
made this easy on the IE family,
it is due to the persistence of the
Cadreaus and Boulleys involved
in the project. To see their vision
finally come to life, even when
they didn’t believe. Through their
blood, sweat, and tears. For that
commitment, I couldn’t be more
proud of you all for sticking with
it, even when you thought we
turned our back to you. Great
work! You have made your tribe
very proud and I am honored
to have met you all and believe
in the same dream that is now a
reality.
“Sometimes dreams are wiser
than waking” - Chief Black Elk
Advocacy updates
In September, I will be
attending the next in-person
Department of Health and
Human Services Secretary’s
Tribal Advisory Committee
Unit Director and Vice Chairman Tyler LaPlaunt with Mark Cruz, who
(HHS STAC) Sept. 21-25 in the
will soon by sworn in as the Indian Health Service (IHS) director.
San Diego, Calif., area. As the
Bemidji Area delegate, I will be
that some of us have.
Tribal Health Center, followed
providing advisement directly to
In November, I will be attendby the luncheon at 12 p.m. The
every director across HHS as well
ing the NIH TAC in-person meet- next Unit 5 Elder Meeting in
as to Secretary Kennedy himself.
ing in Washington, D.C. The date Marquette will be on Thursday,
I will be attending to fight for
Oct. 1, at 5 p.m. at the Marquette
our treaty rights, funding sources, on that is to be determined, but
will
likely
fall
on
the
week
of
the
Tribal Community Center, foland any policy implications that
secretarial
election.
While
I
want
lowed by the dinner at 6 p.m.
may also impact tribes or tribal
to
be
there
for
the
count
to
watch
Marquette is open to both Unit
services and our amazing health
this
historic
moment,
it
is
also
4 and 5 elders of Marquette
team has fully prepped me with
important that I remain present
County. Please feel free to join if
facts and evidence to back up
on all of the committees I have
you aren’t already a part of these
our advocacy talking points. As
dedicated myself to in order to
gatherings.
part of this meeting, we will also
represent our people.
get to witness the swearing in of
I am excited to announce that
Cultural Events
Mark Cruz, who will be the new
both Munising and Marquette
director of IHS and with whom
We have so many events and
will be expanding their meal
I’ve built a very strong relationworkshops coming up over the
programs incrementally. So, if
ship. Very exciting moves to witnext several months that there
you are an elder, please attend
ness in Indian Country.
isn’t enough to list them all
as many as you are able so that
In October, I will be attending
here. Please follow Sault Tribe
we may justify the long overdue
the NCAI National Convention in Language and Culture and Sault
continued expansion of our Elder
Palm Springs, Calif., Oct. 18-22.
Tribe Language and Culture
Meal Programs in Unit 5.
This is an extremely important
Unit 5 on Facebook for the most
If you have any questions,
event for all of Indian Country as up-to-date workshop information.
comments, or would like to disthousands of tribal leaders come
If you are interested in helping cuss something with me, please
together to discuss and vote on
to teach a workshop, teaching, or
use my contact information
important issues that face us all.
looking for something that isn’t
below. You can also reach out to
Participating is also essential to
yet
provided
in
Unit
5,
please
Unit 4/5 Liaison Mary Jenerou
steering the conversation to topreach
out
to
Stacie
Chambers
at
mjenerou@saulttribe.net or (906)
ics that impact our tribe and our
schambers1@saulttribe.net
or
450-7011 or (906) 341-8469.
Bemidji Area. As a note, these
(906)
379-8061.
Chi Miigwech,
meetings move around from year
Elder
Meetings
and
Meals
Tyler Migizii Migwan
to year so they are in different
The
next
Unit
5
Elder
Meeting
LaPlaunt
parts of Indian Country to make
in Munising will be on Thursday,
Unit 5 Director / Vicethem more accessible to tribes
Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. at the Munising Chairman
that may not have the capacity
Representative Reports
Unit 3 Director Sorenson: The “Great Divide”
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 23
BRIDGETT SORENSON,
DIRECTOR, UNIT III
The board is notified as well as
the membership of an upcoming
meeting’s agenda on Thursday
to meet the 5-day notice request.
The Sept. 1 agenda came out with
Director Lee placing a resolution
on the agenda to pause the secretarial election until June 2027
until the board and membership
had a 5-year projection of costs.
The brow beating and bullying
started with some current board
members even calling people in
units to have their members “get
them back in line.” Threats of the
next election were very prevalent
even though a director’s priority
should be due diligence.
God forbid if you have your
own opinion and that scares
the ones that have something
to gain. The attack dogs are
released (social media) and claim
you are a liar or try to arrange
a riot. Bottom line as far as this
Constitution, nobody can give
an accurate cost but both CFOs
as well as the CEO do not seem
comfortable at all with us being
able to sustain the next 5 years
without cuts or new revenue. One
day it might be $3-4 million and
then $1.7 million when we are
already running a deficit.
Some like to think most of the
membership doesn’t care if we
are financially sustainable as long
as you can sue in tribal court. I
want members to be able to sue
the pants off some of these elected
officials too, but at what cost to
the entire membership?
During the meeting, new directors, Gravelle and St. Onge, did
a great job speaking about all the
bullying and attacking directors
had been subjected to. The vote to
pause the Constitution came down
to almost all women supporting
(except one) and all men opposing
(except one). This was clearly a
“Great Divide!” (7-6) with the
chair’s vote.
This new document will
change two items the membership
has already voted on: previously,
the members voted not to allow
double dipping (board and chair
working for the tribe). They also
voted to separate the CEO and
chair position. Now, board and
chair will be allowed to get big
jobs for the tribe as well as their
elected salary. I can already think
of who would get what.
One way some of the board
and chair want to pay for the
Constitution is by taxing housing
and health, the two biggest priorities for the most vulnerable people
in our tribe. It would be one thing
to tax them to cover accounting,
legal and or HR services, but I
am sure it’s going to be much,
much more. I am pretty sure this
was one reason the health CEO
resigned, because he was already
being made to give millions in
third-party revenue to balance the
budgets and he didn’t get a say in
it.
I understand we can use
third-party revenue to pay for
these things but that doesn’t mean
that we should or that they are a
priority of the membership. I had
asked to be able to hire an oncologist with all the members that suffer with cancer who may have to
travel for services, but that didn’t
happen. Members should be able
to be consulted as to what you
feel should be our focus. I also do
not believe Health should be run
like a business — we are a tribe
first.
We, along with most of the
entire country, are in a housing
shortage crisis. So why tax housing when we can use that money
to build and fix more housing as
well as other housing programs.
Make it make sense!
Other things to think about
in the three-branch document
are that the chair (ogema) will
be able to bar members as well
as approve FOIA requests. The
preamble calls us the Baaweting
Anishinaabek of the Sault Tribe
of Chippewa. Members were not
surveyed nor did we ask for name
change suggestions. How much
money will it cost to change our
name on everything?
We know our enrollment currently doesn’t comply with the
Constitution. Some people are
members strictly based on Garden
River Church Records; those
members also do not qualify for a
fishing license through the BIA. I
had requested a workshop on this
and it was done in closed session.
There should be no reason if there
are no names and addresses used
that it could not have been discussed with members being privy
to information. I didn’t see anyone screaming that it was a secret
meeting or workshop. I absolutely
realize that dealing with these
types of issues is not easy but it
sure didn’t stop the board from
disenrolling 600 people over the
last 7 years or so.
The web of lies and deceit
continue to spread like wildfire
almost as bad as the secrets and
blackmailing. I can tell you I
would never allow someone to
dangle something over my head
for a vote, job, an appointment,
etc. You got romances in the chain
of command that people just look
the other way. I remember people
running on “transparency;” must
have been a buzz word!
They so badly want me off the
Housing Commission, it is okay
for board members to be on other
committees. I am not even a dictator like others making demands
of staff. They want to eliminate
anyone with a voice or who will
challenge their agenda. This document was pretty much the wishes
of a few good boys that dominate
the conversations.
So, they want to put all professionals on the Health Authority.
Sounds good until they run it like
a business and we are a tribe.
They will be all about business
instead of people and what matters to our members. We are so
far away from where our ancestors would have wanted us to be.
Disgusting!
I did bring forward a resolution for the tribe to ask MDOT
to make a portion of US-2 in St.
Ignace safer but lowering the
speed limit, installing a roundabout or stop light as we have had
two people lose their lives in our
community this summer. This did
pass unanimously and the tribe
will join the other local units of
government to force the state’s
hand.
Our unit had a really good
turnout for the week of the powwow. We had over 70 people
make individual baskets and a
big community basket over a
4-day stretch. We hosted a Paddle
Up event at Kiwanis Beach the
morning of the Rendezvous at the
Straits Powwow. All events were
very well attended. Chi miigwech to all who coordinated and
showed support. Unfortunately, I
had back spasms during a few of
the days and dropped in when I
could.
Last week, we had the Unit
3 elder picnic. We had good
BBQ style food, music by the
Davenports and Bingo. Thank you
to Lucinda, Laurie, and Krista for
all their help facilitating and cooking.
For those seeking to have a
septic or well replaced or fixed,
and apply through the tribe, it is
important to note that the priority
for IHS (Indian Health Services)
is new construction. So, when
those projects have been completed and there is funding remaining,
those that need fixing will then be
served from the waiting list.
Sue and I will be hosting a
community meeting on Monday,
Sept. 21 at McCann from 7 to 8
p.m. We will have light refreshments and be available for questions or concerns.
Mark your calendar for
Wednesday, Sept. 30, for the
Annual Remembrance Walk for
the Boarding School Survivors
for Orange Shirt Day. Our event
will take place at the St. Ignace
Museum of Ojibwa Culture from
1 to 4 p.m. The walk will begin
at 3:30 p.m. to Ace Hardware and
back. We will have t-shirts for
participants and a feast after the
walk.
If you have any questions
or concerns, please reach out
to bsorenson@saulttribe.net,
bridgett91@yahoo.com or (906)
430-0536.
Miigwech to all of our members
who were able to attend the
Paddle for the Future, St. Ignace
Powwow and the Bridge Walk
for Water. Our very own Sue St.
Onge led the charge and I am
proud to be sitting next to her as
a unit director. There is a reason
her people voted her in and it
shows. Miigwech for all you do,
Sue! Look forward to continue to
work with you!
Orange Shirt Day
The Marquette intertribal
community invites everyone to
take part in an awareness walk
and gathering Sept. 30 at 6 p.m.
The walk will start at the former
Holy Family Orphanage at 600
Altamont St., Marquette Mich., to
the Seven Grandfathers Sculpture
at the spear dock. Please use
downtown street parking. There is
shuttle service available for those
in need. Unit 4 has ordered 150
orange t-shirts in various sizes
with the Every Child Matters
logo. Please contact me or
Director Barbeau for shirts. There
will also be 300 shirts given out
at the event.
Cultural Events Ahead
Our upcoming cultural events
are below. Please contact Kelly
Tovar with any questions.
Moccasin Work Shop:
Escanaba, Sept. 19-20
Ribbon Shirt Workshop:
Escanaba, Sept. 28
Corn Husk Dolls: Escanaba,
Sept. 29
Leather Mittens: Manistique,
Oct. 3-4
Beginners Sewing: Escanaba,
Oct. 23
Elders Breakfast Escanaba
Escanaba Elders are inviting
elders from Unit 4 to attend a
breakfast at the the Escanaba
Community Center Oct. 18.
These gatherings are important for our community to share
knowledge and ideas that will
impact our unit in a positive way.
Please contact Brenda Kinnart to
reserve a spot.
If you have questions or
concerns, please contact Unit 4
Liaison Mary Jenerou or me. We
are here for you.
Chi Miigwech!
Cole Goudreau: cgoudreau@
saulttribe.net (906) 286-2966
Mary Jenerou (Unit 4
Liaison): mjenerou@saulttribe.
net, (906) 450-7011
Kelly Tovar (Cultural
Coordinator): ktovar@saulttribe.
net, (906) 399-2308
COLE GOUDREAU
DIRECTOR, UNIT IV
Aanii, Unit 4 Members,
End of Summer
I hope all the kiddos had a fun
summer and a great time at the
U.P. State Fair. We were able to
provide wristbands for 450 children this year. Miigwech to all
who brought children to enjoy the
day. We are hoping we can continue this in the future.
YEA
School is starting, which
means our after-school YEA
program is kicking off. I am
excited for the kids who are able
to attend the YEA and continue
to learn our culture and have
those active after-school activities. Shawn Anderson and Sarah
Hoffmeyer and their support team
are doing a great job managing
this program in the Unit 4 areas.
YEA Powwow Gladstone
It was great to see all our
youth participating at the youth
powwow in Escanaba. I would
also like to thank Escanaba
Housing, ACFS, tribal Health,
and all the other vendors that
showed up to support the powwow and had their booths set up.
The kids battled some weather
and stuck it out to have a great
day. Miigwech to all involved!
Separation of Powers/ThreeBranch Government
I am proud and excited to be
part of the separation of powers
and be able to continue the process of BIA review. Right now,
registration forms will be sent
out late September. Ballots will
be sent out shortly after to our
members for them to vote. Very
exciting news, and again I am
proud to be part of it and proud to
support our unit’s voice.
Manistique Elders’ Bingo
Manistique Elders’ Bingo
continues to do great. There were
just over 30 participants this last
week and the positive energy in
the room was contagious! Again,
this is all done by our elders who
continue to show the outcome
of hard work. Keep doing great
things!
Paddle for the Future/
Bridge Walk for Water
I would like to say Chi
Unit IV director: Servicing YOU the members
Indigenous Foods Research
in the Great Lakes Region
Oct. 22 at Marquette Tribal
Community Center
Sault Tribe Health Division
and Language & Culture
present Indigenous Foods
Research in the Great
Lakes Region. Presentation
and food demo featuring
Indigenous foods with Dr.
Martin Reinhardt and Tina
Moses Thursday, Oct. 22,
10 a.m., Marquette Tribal
Community Center, 204
Cherry Creek Rd. Lunch will
be provided. Bring your own
dish bag and you could win
a prize! First 30 registrants
will get a cookbook.
To register, call/text Erin
at 906-203-6343.
Brought to you by Sault
Tribe Community Health
Education and Good Health
and Wellness in Indian
Country grant. Made possible with funding from the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Page 24
Representative Reports
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Director reports Unit 4 updates and meetings
We encourage all tribal elders
to attend the elder meetings and
stay connected with one another
and our community.
The next meeting
in Manistique will be held Oct.
14, at 12 p.m. EST at the
Manistique Tribal Center.
The next meeting
in Escanaba will be held Oct. 14,
at 5 p.m. EST at the Escanaba
Community Center.
The next and last Elder
Advisory meeting for the year
will be held Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. at
the Newberry Tribal Center.
Contact Information
Larry Barbeau, Unit 4
Representative
Phone: (906) 259-3040
Email: lbarbeau@saulttribe.
net
Miigwech for your continued
support and involvement. I wish
everyone a safe, healthy, and
enjoyable September. Take some
time to enjoy the beauty of the
changing season, and I hope to
see many of you at upcoming
meetings and community events.
Miigwech,
Larry Barbeau
Unit 4 Representative
Sault Tribe Health Division Presents:
2026 Flu Clinics
Check Flu & COVID clinic schedule for your area
and Mark Your Calendars!
FREE Flu/COVID shots for:
•
•
•
Sault Tribe members
Members of a federally recognized tribe
Health Division Employees
Flu Shots are a
$10 Co-Pay for
Non-Native Spouses
Please wear short sleeves.
Flu and Covid Walk-In Clinic Schedule
Sault Kewadin Casino Dreammakers Theatre
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Nokomis-Mishomis Bldg., 2076 Shunk Rd.
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sault Tribe Health Center, 2864 Ashmun St.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
KINROSS AREA:
Kinross Rec Center, 43 Wood Lake Rd.
Friday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
ESCANABA AREA:
Escanaba Community Center, 3721 Jingob St.
Friday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
HESSEL AREA:
Hessel Tribal Youth & Fitness Center,
1901 3 Mile Rd.
Friday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Hessel Tribal Health Center, 3355 N. 3 Mile Rd.
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
MANISTIQUE AREA:
Manistique Tribal Health Center, 5698 W. HWY 2
Friday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Monday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. & 1 - 3:30 p.m.
MUNISING AREA:
Munising Tribal Health Center
622 W. Superior St.
Thursday., Oct. 1, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Gladstone Tribal Health Facility, 2002 Minneapolis
Friday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
ST. IGNACE AREA:
NEWBERRY AREA:
Thursday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Newberry Tribal Health Center,
4935 Zee Ba Tik Lane
Monday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Kewadin Casino Tent, 3015 Mackinac Trail
Elder Meal Site, 3017 Mackinac Trail
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
St. Ignace Health Center, 1140 N State St.
EUP Fine Arts Hall, 245 S Erie St.
(CONFERENCE ROOM)
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 1 - 4 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
DeTour Tribal Health Center, 203 St. Mary’s St.
MARQUETTE AREA:
DETOUR, DRUMMOND AREA:
Thursday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Marquette Tribal Community Center
204 Cherry Creek Rd.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Health Fair)
If you are not able to attend our flu clinics or health fairs, please call your Community
Health clinic below to schedule an appointment.
Gladstone Health Center.......................(906) 341-1836
Hessel Tribal Health Center ..................(906) 484-2727
Manistique Tribal Health Center ...........(906) 341-8469
Marquette Tribal Health Center ...........(906) 225-1616
DeTour Health Center ............................(906) 442-0111
CLIP & SAVE
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA:
#
LARRY BARBEAU,
DIRECTOR, UNIT IV
Aaniin,
I hope everyone is having a
wonderful September and enjoying the changing of the seasons.
Fall is definitely in the air, with
cooler mornings, the changing
colors beginning to appear, and
the beautiful transition from
summer into autumn. This time
of year, always brings a special
feeling as we look forward to the
many activities, gatherings, and
traditions that bring our communities together.
I recently had the opportunity
to attend the Youth Powwow,
and it was wonderful to see such
a great turnout. It is awesome
to see so many of our youth
involved, participating in our
traditions, and spending time
together in a way that helps keep
our culture strong for generations to come. Seeing our young
people take part and show their
pride in who they are is truly
encouraging and something our
community should be proud
of. Miigwech to everyone who
helped organize the event, supported our youth, and made it
such a great gathering.
As we move further into fall,
I encourage everyone to take
some time to enjoy the changing
colors, spend time with family
and friends, and continue participating in the events and activities happening throughout our
communities. These gatherings
provide important opportunities
to stay connected, support one
another, and celebrate our culture
and traditions together.
Upcoming Meetings for the
Month (Subject to Change)
We have several scheduled
meetings coming up during
the month of September and
October, including board
workshops and meetings,
JKLFC meetings, Kewadin
Gaming Authority meetings,
Enterprise Authority meetings,
Conservation meetings, and
other tribal business.
Sept. 21, 2026 – Conservation
Committee meeting starting at
5 p.m. in the Whitefish Point
Room at Kewadin Casinos, Sault
Ste. Marie.
Sept. 22, 2026 – Board workshop at 10 a.m. and the board
meeting starting at 5 p.m. in
the Whitefish Point Room at
Kewadin Casinos, Sault Ste.
Marie.
Oct. 13, 2026 – Board workshop at 10 a.m. and the board
meeting starting at 5 p.m. in
Escanaba.
Oct. 19, 2026 – Conservation
Committee meeting starting at
5 p.m. in the Whitefish Point
Room at Kewadin Casinos, Sault
Ste. Marie.
Oct. 20, 2026 – Board workshop and Enterprise Authority
meeting starting at 10 a.m.
Oct. 27, 2026 – Board workshop and KGA meeting starting
at 10 a.m. and the board meeting
starting at 5 p.m. in Munising.
Unit 4 Elder Meetings
Munising Tribal Health Center ..............(906) 387-4721
Newberry Tribal Health Center .............(906) 293-8181
Sault/Kinross Community Health.........(906) 632-5210
St. Ignace Tribal Health Center.............(906) 643-8689
ext. 34531
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Representative Reports
Unit 3 rep says let’s move forward together
SUE ST. ONGE
DIRECTOR, UNIT III
The past few weeks have
brought a lot of different community events, activities, and discussions to our tribal community. I
was able to attend and participate
in many of these gatherings in
our communities. One thing that
brought me hope this past month
was seeing our people come
together for the Paddle Out for the
Future event and the Rendezvous
at the Straits Powwow in St.
Ignace. The Paddle Out for the
Future was held on Aug. 29 at
Kiwanis Beach, and Rendezvous
at the Straits took place that same
weekend. My heart was filled by
the number of people in attendance at both events. I also attended the Gathering of the Eagles
Pow Wow in Hessel on Aug. 15
and the grand opening of the new
Natural Resources Division facility.
At the Natural Resource
Division opening I was able to sit
in on presentations about our wild
rice (manoomin) restoration and
Page 25
whitefish (adikameg) restoration
projects. All these gatherings,
activities and programs are opportunities to celebrate who we are,
gather with our families, share
our culture, honor our relationship
with the water and the land, and
remind ourselves of our responsibility to protect what has been
entrusted to us. These moments
of coming together matter. They
remind me that, despite our differences, we share so much and I
believe that we are stronger when
we remember what connects us.
The difficult part of the past
month has been the discussion
and debate surrounding the proposed secretarial election. The
board had voted unanimously
in May to request the federally
administered election, and the
question of whether to rescind
that authorization subsequently
became the subject of considerable discussion. I know that
my decision/vote may have disappointed or frustrated some of
our members, especially because
I had previously expressed my
support for a three-branch system
of governance. My position on
the importance of a three-branch
system has not changed. What
changed was my vote on whether
to move forward with the election
at that time. I voted yes to rescind
the authorization for the secretarial
election because I believed that as
an organization and as a board, we
needed more time to fully identify
and consider the issues, plan for
the changes and make sure our
citizens have the information and
opportunity necessary to fully
understand the proposed changes.
If my decision makes me a liar
in someone’s book, I’m sorry that
is how they see me.
I know people will not always
agree with every decision, and I
respect that. I believe my responsibility is to listen to our people,
ask difficult questions, remain
open to learning, and make the
best decision I can for our tribe. It
is not simply to make the easiest
decision or the one that will make
everyone happy. My perspective
changed after further discussion
and reflection and that does not
mean that I intended to mislead
anyone.
It is important to recognize just
how significant and difficult the
work of creating a new constitution can be. A constitution is more
than a document that describes
how elections are conducted or
how government is organized.
It establishes the framework for
how a government functions, how
authority is divided, what powers different branches or offices
have, how those powers are limited, how disputes are addressed,
and how future generations can
change or amend the governing
structure. Creating a constitution
means making decisions that can
affect a community for generations. It requires us to ask difficult
questions about representation,
separation of powers, checks and
balances, leadership responsibilities, accountability, membership
rights, the relationship between
branches of government, and the
process for making future changes. Those are not simple questions,
and reasonable people can have
very different answers. Our history
as Anishinaabe reminds us that
governance is not something that
can be separated from our culture,
traditions, responsibilities, sovereignty, and relationship to our people and our lands. Any constitution
we consider should reflect who
we are and what we believe our
government should look like for
future generations.
We are not always going to
agree. That is part of being and
working in a community. I hope
in the future we can disagree with
one another without losing respect
for each other or forgetting the
responsibility we share with our
tribe and with the generations
who will come after us. The good
news is that our citizens are now
fully engaged and examining the
new proposed constitution with
renewed interest. These dialogues
are instrumental to the process.
We will be hosting a potluck Unit
3 meeting on Monday, Sept. 21,
at 7 p.m. at the McCann Building.
Please come, bring a dish to pass,
get your questions answered, and
visit your community members
and board representatives. These
unit meetings will be held every
third Monday of the month at 7
p.m. I hope to see you there.
I will end this unit report by
speaking about one of the most
meaningful moments for me from
this past month. It would be an
understatement for me to say that
participating in the Three Fires
Confederacy Water Walk across
the Mackinac Bridge on Labor
Day was a highlight of my sum-
mer. I walked along with about
1,000 other First Nations people
from across the Great Lakes
region who came together for the
Labor Day Water Walk.
It was a powerful and historic
moment when the Three Fires
Confederacy met in the center of
the bridge in ceremony, singing,
dancing and drumming. That
moment truly highlighted for me
that while we may have different
opinions about government, elections, policies, and the direction
of our tribe; we also have a shared
history, culture, responsibility to
our ancestors, and an obligation to
the generations to come.
The water walk fully put on
display that we are still here, we
are still moving forward, and we
are stronger when we remember
that we are walking together.
While we will have our differences, we can still walk together. We
can listen to one another. We can
ask difficult questions. We can
change our minds when we learn
something new. That is the kind of
community I want to help build,
one where we can speak honestly,
listen respectfully, and keep our
eyes on what matters most: our
people, our culture, our families,
our sovereignty, and our future.
Miigwech for your continued
support, for allowing me to serve
our tribal nation, for holding me
accountable, and for continuing to
walk this road along with me. Let
us keep moving forward together
to build a nation in which all our
citizens thrive. If you have questions or concerns, you can reach
me by calling (906) 203-5654.
I want our Elders and all of our
Tribal Citizens to know that when
you call me, I do listen. I may not
always be able to give you the
answer you want, and I may not
always be able to fix the problem
myself, but I will listen and try to
help you find the right avenue to
address your concern.
That brings me to something
else I feel is important to talk
about.
I have received calls from
Tribal Citizens asking me to step
into individual situations or to
call a department on their behalf.
I completely understand why people ask me to do this. I ran for the
Board because I care about our
people. I like advocating for our
membership, and helping people
is simply part of who I am.
But I am also learning that
sometimes helping means
explaining what I cannot do as a
Director.
As members of the Board
of Directors, our job is to help
direct Tribal operations, approve
budgets, and establish our Tribe’s
laws and policies. We provide
oversight, but we are not supposed to take over the day-to-day
responsibilities of our Directors
and departments.
I cannot call a department
and demand that they handle
someone’s individual situation a
certain way, nor can I overstep
the Director responsible for that
division.
There is also something very
important that I think our membership should understand. Many
of our departments are required to
follow privacy laws and policies.
Just because I am a Board member does not mean I automatically have the right to someone’s
personal information. In many
situations, the department cannot
discuss your case or personal
information with me—and those
protections are there for a reason.
What I can do is listen.
I can help you figure out
who you need to talk to. I can
help you understand what services may be available. I can
ask questions about policies and
procedures. And when I begin
hearing the same concern from
several Tribal Citizens, I can
look at whether there is a bigger
issue that we, as a Board, need to
address.
That is where I really need
your voices.
If there is a policy or procedure that you believe is creating
unnecessary barriers for our
Tribal Citizens, please tell me.
Please tell the other members
of the Board as well. If a policy
isn’t working for our people, then
we need to know about it so we
can look at it, ask questions, and
determine whether changes need
to be made.
I wish I could fix everything
for everyone who calls me. I truly
do. One of the harder things for
me in this position has been recognizing that sometimes I simply
don’t have the authority to do
what someone is asking me to do.
I have laws, policies, and procedures that I have to follow too.
But please don’t mistake that for
me not caring or not wanting to
help.
I will continue answering your
calls. I will continue listening to
your concerns. I will continue
asking questions. I will continue advocating for our people,
and when I see something that I
believe we can do better, I will
continue working toward making
those changes.
I am still learning every day
in this position, and I appreciate
those of you who continue to
reach out, share your experiences, and trust me enough to tell
me when you believe something
needs to change.
At the end of the day, I believe
we all want the same thing—a
Tribal government that works for
our people and a stronger future
for our tribe.
Gravelle: A personal update to tribal citizens
ASHLEY GRAVELLE
DIRECTOR, UNIT 1
I wanted to take a little time to
talk with you about a few things
that have come up recently and
also explain a little more about
my role as a member of the
Board of Directors.
Over the past several weeks, I
received quite a few calls regarding Elder Services. One concern I
heard from several of our Elders
was that they wanted a way to
file a complaint when they felt
they had an issue or concern that
wasn’t being addressed.
After hearing those concerns,
I spoke with our CEO and asked
what could be done. From those
conversations, the CEO and
Elder Services Director worked
together to develop a complaint
process. I am happy to share that
the process has now been implemented, and the complaint form
and information about the process
are available at Elder Meetings.
5 to 6pm ~ Monthly
Monday ~ October 5th
Nokomis Mishomis1
~ At Large & Zoom Option ~
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87035690724?
pwd=iqavaDUxG9YNb19OMIhLtgC4AS1gem.1
If you have Questions, please call Michelle Moore, Tribal Member Liaison at 906-635-6050.
Representative Reports
Line 5 — doing the work; the sky is not falling!
Page 26
AARON PAYMENT
DIRECTOR, UNIT I
Shut down Line 5!
On Saturday, Aug. 29, the
chairman and I both spoke at the
Paddle for Our Future event hosted and organized by Unit 3 board
member Sue St. Onge. Nine total
board members were in attendance. The chair did an excellent
job framing this issue and the
threat Enbridge Line 5 represents.
Days earlier, he and his administration did a great job during a
consultation session with the U.S.
Army Corp as one of the last steps
in permitting the tunnel project.
But, as expected, it fell on deaf
ears.
Recall earlier this summer,
when the Michigan Natural
Resource Department approved
the tunnel permit despite Governor
Whitmer’s assurances to Bay Mills
President Whitney Gravelle this
would not happen. Fortunately,
the Michigan Supreme Court
ruled that the permit was issued
without regard to environmental
considerations. Shortly after the
governor let us down, I reached
out to Lt. Governor Garlin Gilcrest
to urge a reconsideration. Just days
before writing this report, we saw
a retreat with the governor now
asserting opposition to building a
tunnel.
Doing the work
As the son of a tribal commercial fisherman, this issue is especially important to me. As chairperson, I was extremely active as
the then main tribal leader on the
issue and spoke at over 20 rallies
with Oil and Water Don’t Mix, For
the Love of Water, and other environmental groups.
My relevant experience while
living through the oil spill at the
Kalamazoo River in 2010 while
serving as executive for the tribe
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
there, gave me a keen insight.
When the spill happened there,
the Battle Creek Inquirer compared the emergency response to
“Keystone Cops.” Over a million
gallons of oil were allowed to
leech into the river, endangering
submerged Indian burials and
causing a toxic area sufficient to
force an evacuation. The estimated
time to return the environment to
the pre-spill ecology is over 100
years! Congressional hearings
by my friend Rep. Mark Schauer
exposed Enbridge’s several warnings to Line 6 and spills across
land in the amount of over 1 million gallons of oil.
Pump and pray
This seems to be Enbridge’s
operating philosophy. When the
Line 5 easements were permitted
over 73 years ago (23 years past
life-expectancy) by the state of
Michigan in an era when only
three Michigan tribes were recognized, they never even considered
consultation to gauge the potential
impact on our treaty rights. Since
that time, the U.S. Supreme Court
Case U.S. v Michigan ruled we
had a pre-eminent treaty right
to the natural resources in the
exercise of our treaty rights in
Indian ceded territory. This is not
welfare, as we exchanged nearly
14 million acres of land in the
1836 Chippewa Ottawa Treaty,
or Treaty of Washington. During
all consent decree negotiations
for which I have been our lead
tribal negotiator, I asserted a
place-marker for our bottomland
rights as well as riparian rights.
U of M spill simulation
According to scientists at the
University of Michigan, when
modeling all of the data points we
have available, including water
currents, temperature, and topology, a spill would quickly engulf
Mackinac Island. Evacuation
would need to occur. Given the
fresh water on the island comes
from the surrounding Great
Lakes, after returning to the island
months later, bottled water would
become a way of life for the foreseeable future. Rivers and tributaries for up to 150 miles of shoreline
would be choked off. Atikameg
(whitefish) would be eradicated
decimating a centuries old way of
life. In other treaty rights cases
like the Culvert Case flowing from
the Boldt decision in Washington
State, the state of Michigan would
likely have a level of liability for
turning a blind eye to the threats
Line 5 represents to our treaty
rights. I am not an attorney, but I
do know that upholding our treaty
rights is meaningless if we don’t
even try.
For whatever reason, the governor of Michigan allowed the permit issued in July 2026 to occur,
she has since retreated. I realize
the false lure of jobs that a tunnel
represents to union workers and
jobs. This is enticing but it cannot
outweigh our interests as a tribe to
uphold our treaty rights.
Assign the costs
In 2017, I urged the board
to pay for an economic impact
study of a spill at the Straits of
Mackinac. The impact would be
devasting. As most businesses
finance to operate, a spill would
likely take at least one or two seasons of tourism off line. Business
loans and mortgages would come
due nonetheless. The projected
unemployment would rise to pandemic levels such that Michigan
unemployment insurance would
likely run out and taxpayers would
have to cover the burden. Our
way of life for fishing would be
eliminated in the region for the
foreseeable future. Even non-tribal
“sporties” and recreational fishers
would be impacted as the environment would be devasted.
Another telltale of what’s to
come was the previous effort by
former Governor Snyder to have
a Tunnel Authority be placed on
the Mackinac Bridge Authority.
Taxpayers came out in droves to
object to this and it was abandoned only to then suggest the
creation of a Tunnel Authority.
Enbridge appears to have no
plans to cover the fixed or operational costs of such an authority.
Michigan taxpayers will be on the
hook to cover the costs.
Over the years, I have testified that as a private company,
Enbridge should have to cover
liability insurance for the potential
exposure when a spill happens.
This has fallen on deaf ears across
both Republican and Democrat
governors. Big oil companies
see this as “business as usual,”
which means while they know the
risks, they litigate to wear down
their opponents. This is an unfair
advantage as they rely on corporate welfare and subsidies with
the benefit to private shareholders
rather than taxpayers.
Most of the oil that courses
through Line 5 does not benefit
Michigan taxpayers. The U.P. is
dependent on Propane. Enbridge
has used this as a scare tactic. I
have no issue with continuing to
distribute propane across the U.P.
on a temporary basis but it should
stop at the Straits of Mackinac as
the risk of a spill is just to great.
It is a false narrative to push the
argument that oil would have to be
trucked across the bridge. Given
most of the oil in Line 5 does not
fuel Michigan, we can simply do
without it. With the governor on
board once again to “Shut Down
Line 5,” we have a chance shut
down Line 5.
Fear mongering constitutional amendments!
Contrary to those who are
arguing we cannot afford a threebranch government, I contend that
the sky is not falling. We hear a
lot about the tribal budget deficit
from those who simply do not
understand government appropriations nor our tribal finances. The
reality is different than what you
are hearing. Before I left office
in 2022 and before the pandemic
hit, the tribe relied on a $17 million annual pledge from casino
revenues and about $1 million
from enterprises to help fund tribal
operations, programs, and services.
In March 2020, the pandemic
necessitated we close our casino
doors to help stop the spread. At
the time, I was first vice president
of NCAI and helped secure over
$500 million from the federal
government over two presidents
to survive the pandemic. I know
some are green with envy but
my actions kept our tribe afloat
for several years and represents
nearly 30 years of net casino
revenues! Nearly all of the new
developments like fitness centers,
new housing developments, and
other capital improvements came
from this $500 million. After I left
office in 2022, the board apparently suspended the resolution Denny
McKelvie and I wrote to guarantee
100% of net revenues for services.
I have not been able to find that
formal action taken.
Also, I learned that the casino
did cash sweeps to address long
standing capital improvements
out of the $17 million that was
previously pledged for services. I
have not been able to trace when
this was voted on except that
the board does approve by vote
the cap ex budgets for facilities
improvement. What I think happened, is that the decrease of the
previous Tribal Support amount
of $17 million was never voted on
but was somehow set at $6 million
during the pandemic and never
returned to the $17 million. Thus,
we are losing out on $11 million
in net casino revenues (aka Tribal
Support) annually, which is nearly
what the supposed projected deficit is. While we claim to be back
at pre-pandemic casino revenues,
it stands to reason that the prior
standing resolution that Denny
and I introduced of $17 million for
services should be returned. In that
event, we would not be facing a
(on paper) deficit.
Finally, somewhere in this
edition of the tribal news is an ad
for our next Unit 1 In-Person and
Virtual Tribal Citizen meeting.
Join us on Oct. 3 in person at the
Elder Center from 5 p.m. to 6
p.m. or by going to the following
link:
https://us06web.zoom.
us/j/87035690724?pwd=iqavaDUxG9YNb19OMIhLtgC4AS1gem.1
Tribal members, please take
care and love yourself, your family, and your tribe!
Chi Miigwech, ~ Aaron
Phone: (906) 440-8946
aapayment@saulttribe.net
1. https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=DtQH--7T--c
2. https://www.stignacenews.com/
articles/water-is-life-environmental-activists-and-tribal-leaderspaddle-for-the-future
continues to support our community, youth activities, elders,
cultural gatherings, and programs.
Volunteers who give their time
and help behind the scenes make
an incredible difference in our
communities.
I’ll start with the contentious
discussions surrounding the separation of powers and the implementation timeline. The board
voted against rescinding the resolution I brought forward, which
would have adjusted the timeline
and provided additional time to
ensure the information presented
to members was current, accurate,
and reflective of what we are
learning in real time.
My support for reconsidering
the timeline was never about
stopping separation of powers,
nor was it about taking away the
membership’s voice. I would
never fight to remove your voice!
Your vote matters! Your opinions
matter! And your right to help
determine this tribe’s future matters!
My responsibility as an elected representative also requires
me to ask questions when permanent decisions could affect
tribal finances, governmental
operations, services, programs,
employees, or protections that
members rely upon. Our ancestors did not build our tribe around
government for government’s
sake. They built it around a
responsibility to protect the people, care for the community, preserve our rights, and provide for
future generations.
That responsibility must
remain at the center of the decisions we make today. Separation
of powers can be important for
accountability and checks and
balances, but the structure itself
should never matter more than
the people it is meant to serve.
Protecting the voice and well
being of the membership are not
competing responsibilities. Our
government has to do both.
The board has made its decision, and I respect that decision.
Moving forward, I will focus on
collaboration. I will work with
my fellow board members, our
executive team, employees, committees, and, most importantly,
our membership, to help ensure
implementation is thoughtful,
responsible, and in our people’s
best interests. We may not always
agree on every issue or on the
best way to move forward. That
is part of government. What
matters is that we remain willing
to listen to one another, work
together, and never lose sight of
who we are here to serve.
Many important issues face
our tribe, and I will continue to
approach them by asking questions, gathering information,
listening to members, and making
decisions based on what I believe
best protects our people and our
future.
Our ancestors fought to preserve something for us. Our
responsibility today is to make
sure that whatever we build,
change, or leave behind continues
to strengthen that foundation for
the generations who will come
after us.
Miigwech for your time and
trust.
Kimberly Lee
Unit 2 Director
Klee@saulttribe.net
(906)379-8965
Protecting the voice, well being of membership
KIMBERLY LEE,
DIRECTOR, UNIT II
Aanii,
I hope everyone is doing well
as we move into fall. As we move
into the next season, I want to
recognize everyone who
Natural Resources
Sault Tribe Natural Resources holds open house
September 23, 2026 • Win Awenen Nisitotung
Page 27
Photos by Scott Brand
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Natural Resources Division welcomed the public to its new home, located at 199 W. 3 Mile Road, with an oopen house on Sept. 8.
Pictured above, from left to right are Mike Castagne, Russell (Rusty) Aikens, Ryan Klimstra, Leane Kinsella, Patricia Walker, Brandi MacArthur, Riley Jones, Rebecca (Becca) Lathrop,
NRD Division Director Danielle (Dani) Fegan, Robin Bouschor, Jack Tuomikoski, Colton Hudak, Kali Krupa, Katelyn (Katie) Schultz, Nicholas Gordan, Tyler Walters, and Amy Schneider.
The Gidayaangwaami’idimin Ezhi-inawendiyang (Natural Resources Division) will house all programs including Fis
This text is long and has been trimmed here. Open the source document for the complete record.
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.