# Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (2024)

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Asault_ste_marie%3Afda18f3fec4c011d

## Record

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

## Text

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
2024 ANNUAL REPORT

Ma’iingan
(Wolf)

Wolf Clan members are traditionally known
as warriors, protectors, and thinkers. They are
valued for their strong sense of loyalty, intelligence, perseverance, and guardianship.

The Seven Grandfathers Teachings
Debwewin— Truth
Gwekwaadziwin— Honesty
Aakdewin— Bravery
Nbwaakaawin— Wisdom
Minadendmowin— Respect
Zaagidwin— Love
Dbaadendizwin— Humility

—Be faithful to reality
—Tell the truth
—Choose with courage
—Use good judgment
—Act without harm
—Practice absolute kindness
—Treat all life equally

Win Awenen Nisitotung Special Section
Inside ...
Board of Directors.................................... 2
2024 CEO Overview.................................. 3
Financials.................................................. 5
Tribal Court............................................... 7
Natural Resources.................................... 8
Language & Culture.................................. 10

Repatriation.............................................. 10
Health........................................................ 11
Elder Services........................................... 13
ACFS.......................................................... 14
Housing Authority..................................... 16
Education.................................................. 17

Recreation................................................. 19
Law Enforcement...................................... 20
Facilities.................................................... 21
2% Report................................................. 23
EDC............................................................ 24

2024 Annual Report

Page 2

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

TRIBE’S GOVERNING BODY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Austin Lowes,
Chairman

Kimberle Gravelle
Director, Unit I

Isaac McKechnie
Director, Unit I

Robert McRorie
Director, Unit I

Michael McKerchie,
Director, Unit I

Aaron Payment
Director, Unit I

lana Causley-Smith,

Kimberly Lee,
Director, Unit II

Shawn Borowicz,
Director, Unit III

Bridgett Sorenson,
Director, Unit III

Director, Unit II

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians Board of
Directors

Larry Barbeau,
Director, Unit IV

Kimberly Hampton,
Director, Unit IV

Tyler LaPlaunt
Director, Unit V

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
seven-county service area
The tribe’s seven-county service area consists of the seven easternmost counties in
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: Marquette, Delta, Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce, Mackinac and
Chippewa.

The Sault Tribe Board of Directors is the governing body
of the tribe. There are 12 board members and one chairperson,
elected to four-year terms. The board members represent the five
units of the tribe’s service area in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The chairperson is elected at large. Five board members represent Unit I, two board members represent Unit II, two
board members represent Unit III, two board members represent Unit IV, and one board member represents Unit V. Regular
meetings are held twice a month, usually on Tuesdays.
See www.saulttribe.com/government/board-of-directors for
the meeting schedule, board votes and minutes. See www.facebook.com/saulttribe for live meeting links. Write to your board
representative care of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians, 523 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783.

Board of Directors contacts

Austin Lowes, Chairman
(906) 203-5898
alowes@saulttribe.net

Michael McKerchie, Unit 1
(906) 440-7768
mmckerchie@saulttribe.net
Isaac McKechnie,
Unit 1, Treasurer
(906) 203-4787
imckechnie@saulttribe.net
Robert McRorie, Unit 1
(906) 379-8068
rmcrorie@saulttribe.net
Aaron Payment, Unit 1
(906) 440-8946
apayment@saulttribe.net
Kimberle Gravelle, Unit 1
(906) 259-3742
kgravelle@saulttribe.net
Kimberly Lee, Unit 2
(906) 379-8965
klee@saulttribe.net

Lana Causley-Smith,
Unit 2
(906) 322-3818
lcausley@saulttribe.net

Bridgett Sorenson, Unit 3
(906) 430-0536
bsorenson@saulttribe.net
Shawn Borowicz, Unit 3
(906) 379-8511
sborowicz@saulttribe.net
Kimberly Hampton,
Unit 4, Secretary
(906) 440-8138
khampton@saulttribe.net
Larry Barbeau, Unit 4
(906) 259-3040
lbarbeau@saulttribe.net
Tyler LaPlaunt, Unit 5,
Vice-Chairman
(906) 440-8294
tlaplaunt@saulttribe.net

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 Annual Report

Page 3

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS
Vision
The Executive Office of
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians provides
leadership through efficient
governance systems, and effective administration of all departments, programs and services
to ensure benefit to the tribal
membership for the next seven
generations.
Purpose
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians is committed
to communicating and working
together to develop and implement programs and services to
positively impact the lives of
tribal members, strengthening
tribal families and communities
to live mino bimaadiziwin [a
good life].
Executive Office Functions
— Internal Structures and
Procedures
— Coordination of communication between leadership and
team members
— Collaboration across tribal
operations
— Membership access to
tribal programming
Supervisory Responsibilities
Executive Team:
— Deputy Chief Executive
Officer: DCEO Executive
Assistant, ACFS, Education,
Elderly Services, Membership
Liaisons, Recreation,
Repatriation and Historic
Preservation, Language and
Culture
— Efficiency Analyst /
Trainer
— Administrative Manager:
CEO Executive Assistant,
Chairman’s Executive Assistant,
Admin Reception / Mailroom
Department Oversight:
Strategic Planning Director,
Communications Director,
Consortium for Cooperative
Ecological Resilience Director,
Chief of Law Enforcement,
Human Resources Director,
Natural Resources Division
Director, Tribal Registrar of
Enrollment
Board of Directors
Directives and Reporting
In 2024, The Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) attended 30
board meetings and 46 workshops. A total of 100 resolutions
were passed, addressing administrative, contract, or grant tribal
needs.
Major directives included:
— Governmental Directors
and the Executive Office participated in “Denim Day” in
support of Sexual Assault
Awareness month during the
month of April.
— The CEO took part in a
listening session on May 17
with First Lady Jill Biden and
Second Gentleman Douglas
Emhoff to discuss health challenges facing Indian Country.
— The CEO played an active
role in the recruitment and
selection of key personnel by
participating in interview panels, evaluating candidates’ qualifications, and ensuring alignment with the organizations,
mission, values, and long-term
goals.
— Improved communication
for the membership by installing audio/visual conferencing

The annual Team Member Recognition Luncheon for Kewadin, Government and EDC was held on April 29.
systems in four tribal facilities
across the Sault Tribe’s seven-county service area.
— Managed ARPA funds
allocated for government departments to ensure their computer
and technology systems remain
current.
— The annual Team Member
Recognition Luncheon for
Kewadin, Governmental and
Enterprise team members was
held April 29. A total of 193
team members were recognized,
with 117 in attendance.
— The annual team building event took place on Aug. 9
in four locations — Sault Ste.
Marie, St. Ignace, Munising and
Manistique — with a combined
total of 454 in attendance.
— Implementation of the
Governmental Compensation
Study as passed by the Board of
Directors, resolution 2024-410
Comprehensive Classification
and Compensation Study Project
#24-028.
— The Mackinac Straits
Health System, now home to
the St. Ignace Tribal Health
Clinic, held its grand opening in
August. A special ceremony was
held to place an eagle feather at
the entrance, symbolizing healing for all who enter. Project
trustees also came together for a
ceremonial signing ahead of the
final truss installation.
Budget Oversight
The CEO Office oversees
90 cost centers across eight
divisions/departments. The
chief executive officer attended
budget oversight meetings, submitted 68 budget modifications
and establishments that were
approved by the board of directors in 2024.
Overview of Governmental
Departments
Communications
Department
The Communication mission
is to inform and educate tribal
members and the public concerning the Sault Tribe’s nature,
activities and issues that affect
the tribe and its people.
— The Communications
Department published 12 online
and 12 print editions of Win
Awenen Nisitotung (One Who

Understands)
— Gained 1,151 Facebook
followers in 2024, ending with
15,947 followers
— Administrated Sault Tribe
website, Facebook and Intranet,
updating daily
— Website: 365 posts, 364
posts unpublished, 169 web
page updates
— Assisted Bellwether PR
with Sault Tribe public relations, fisheries PR projects, 2%
PR projects and as directed
— Assisted with Employee
Recognition Luncheon planning
and communications and provided coverage
— Assisted with Employee
Team Building Event planning
and communications, provided
coverage and group shot with
drone camera
— The Communications
Director joined the Emergency
Response Preparedness workgroup as the Public Information
Officer to ensure communication during an emergency incident.
Consortium for Cooperative
Ecological Resilience (CCER)
On June 6, 2023, the
Board of Directors approved
Resolution 2023-192, which
directed the Sault Tribe Wildlife
Program—now CCER—to
pursue formal relationships
and establish Memoranda of
Understanding (MOUs) with
universities and federal agencies. Since then, CCER has
made significant progress
toward this goal. In 2024, we
developed MOUs with the
U.S. Forest Service – Northern
Research Station, Michigan
State University, and the
University of Michigan. We
also executed a cooperative
agreement with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and initiated efforts to place CCER
Postdoctoral Researcher Evan
Wilson within the newly established U.S. Geological Survey
Fish and Wildlife Cooperative
Research Unit.
Collaboration Presentations
— We Get by With a
Little Help from Our Friends:
Developing Ma’iingan
Assessment Protocols in the

1836 Treaty Ceded Territory
- Permits, Traps, Tracks,
Cameras, and Anesthesia,
Native American Fish and
Wildlife Society – Wolf
Workgroup, May 1
— Supporting Treaty Rights
and Community Relationships
through the Development of
Decision Support Frameworks
guided by Anishinaabe and
Western Sciences, US Fish
and Wildlife Service – Coastal
Program Leadership Team, Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich., May 2
— Supporting Treaty Rights
and Community Relationships
through the Development of
Decision Support Frameworks
guided by Anishinaabe and
Western Sciences. TEK in Fire
Symposium, Inter-Tribal Timber
Council Annual Conference,
Cherokee, N.C., May 16
— Advancing Partnerships
between the Sault Tribe and the
University of Michigan centering the Chase Osborn Preserve
as a Tribally-led collaborative
research forest; Meeting with
Sault Tribe, Senator Irwin, UM
Governmental Relations, Ann
Arbor, Mich., May 24.
— Advancing
Co-Stewardship of Federal
Lands & Demonstrating
Relational Engagement in
Remnant Boreal Forests in the
EUP; Utilizing Anishinaabe
and Western Sciences to drive
resilience in remnant boreal
forest ecological systems, Rise
to the Future Awards Seminars,
Washington, DC, July 10
— Co-stewardship on the
Hiawatha National Forest; Sault
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians and United States
Forest Service, First Nations
Development Institute- Shared
Horizons Co-management
Conference, Gila River Indian
Community, Ariz.; Nov. 19
— Landscape Approaches
to Co-management and
Co-stewardship; First Nations
Development Institute- Shared
Horizons Co-management
Conference, Gila River Indian
Community, Ariz.; Nov. 20
— Advancing Adaptive
Co-management in Hemiboreal
Ecosystems within the 1836

Treaty Ceded Territory,
Michigan the Beautiful; –
Steering Committee, online;
Dec. 13
Highlights
— CCER hosts monthly
coordination meetings with
Tribal Nations across the Great
Lakes Basin to collaboratively guide planning efforts. In
2024, key activities included
co-hosting a joint meeting with
NOAA, the Michigan Wild Rice
Initiative, and the Inter-Tribal
Council of Michigan; supporting a University of Michigan
student team in conducting
interviews with tribal agencies;
and beginning a conceptual
design to remove the dike system from Munuscong Bay in the
St. Mary’s River.
— In May, CCER hosted the
second in-person workshop at
Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste.
Marie to advance the development of collaborative planning
tools. This effort also includes
the creation of an adaptive management framework to guide the
control of invasive cattails and
the restoration of Manoomin
and other native plant communities in Munuscong Bay.
— In 2024, CCER made
substantial progress on several
Tribal Forest Protection Act
objectives. Many of the research
projects described above are
specifically designed to fill
critical information gaps necessary for adaptive management.
Key accomplishments included
completing snowshoe hare fire
response simulations for the
Betchler Marsh burn complex
and compiling initial whitetailed deer habitat models for
northern white cedar research
sites.
Enrollment Department
The Enrollment Department
oversees the tribal member
enrollment and maintains its
database, and offers tribal member services: tribal membership
cards, tuition waiver certifications, blood quantum certifications, relinquishment requests,
enrollment of children, update
address changes, assist in the
process of obtaining a treaty
fishing license, family genealogy, eagle feather permits and
form BIA-4432 (Indian preference forms).
— On Feb. 1, the membership rolls officially re-opened.
The rolls were originally
closed to adults in 1998. The
roles remained closed until
2005 when they were opened
for 9 months. As of Dec. 31,
there are 51,740 [living] members enrolled with the Sault
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians.
— The 2024 Elder Dividend
payment was released in the
amount of $360 to 7,987 elders.

Page 4

2024 Annual Report

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE 2024 REPORTING, cont’d
— The Enrollment Department is
exploring the possibility of offering enhanced tribal cards. The
department is hoping to have this
implemented by the end of 2025.
Governmental Relations
Department
The Government Relations
Department’s vision is to protect
and advance the administrative
and legislative interests of the
Sault Tribe at the state, federal
and tribal level.
— Rx Kids: The Government
Relations department collaborated with the tribal chairman on
launching the first-ever city-wide
cash prescription program for
pregnant mothers and babies,
offering $3,000 in unconditional
support during pregnancy and
the first three months of life. The
program, currently active in Flint,
is also being piloted in Chippewa,
Luce, Mackinac, Schoolcraft, and
Alger counties.
— Opioid Settlement Funds
(OSF): MDHHS agreed to divide
$20 million in Opioid Settlement
Funds equally among Michigan’s
13 federally recognized tribes,
allocating $153,846 to the Sault
Tribe. Unused funds by Sept. 30,
2025, may carry over to FY 2026.
— The Governmental
Relations Health Care Listening
Session with the First Lady, Dr.
Jill Biden and Second Gentleman
took place May 17 at the
Nagaanagiizhik Building in Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich.
— Labor Day Bridge Walk:
The Governmental Relations
Department coordinated the Labor
Day bridge work for Chairman
Lowes to walk with Senator
Damoose and Vice-Chairman
Tyler LaPlaunt to walk with Lt.
Governor Garlin Gilchrist.
Housing Authority
The mission of the Sault Tribe
Housing Authority is to improve
the quality of life for our tribal
members through affordable and
unique housing opportunities.
Resident Services
The Resident Services
Department processed 166 applications in 2024 for rental units,
completed 55 move-ins and conducted 1,747 home visits. The
Occupancy Specialist processed
499 interim recertifications and
252 annual recertifications in
2024. There were 16 families that
received rental vouchers through
the rental voucher program.
Resident Services held 22
events in 2024. These events
included an AMERIND poster
Contest, elder bingo, mini-site
clean-ups, Marquette resource
fair, trash to treasure event, family
fun day, health and safety fairs,
back to school events, recovery
walk, and Christmas events.
Human Resources
Department
The Human Resources
Department goal is to create a
high-performing, engaged, and
diverse workforce by empowering
employees, fostering a culture of
continuous learning, and aligning
human resource initiatives with
organizational goals.
— In 2024, the Human
Resources Department expanded
to form two distinct branches:
Kewadin Human Resources and
Governmental/EDC Human
Resources.
— Human Resources implemented the Governmental

Sault Tribe Law Enforcement Officers Duffy, TenEyck, Santa (Dale Bosley), Chief of Police Marchand and
Gardner (L-R) celebrate Christmas with the children at Sault Tribe Daycare.
Compensation Study conducted
by Bluestone Strategy Group,
effective Oct. 1, 2024, for the
Housing Authority and Health.
— The department successfully completed its annual audit
of payroll records and personnel
files.
— The Human Resources
Training Department tailored
specific training programs, including virtual training courses and
customized management series
courses.
Sault Tribe Law
Enforcement (STLE)
STLE serves tribal communities in Sault Ste. Marie,
Kincheloe, Hessel, St. Ignace,
Newberry, Manistique, Wetmore,
Munising, Escanaba and
Marquette. STLE also serves as
the Conservation Enforcement
and treaty licensing entity for
Sault Tribe. The department
oversees the operation and
administration of the Sault Tribe
Youth Facility, a 25-bed facility
in St. Ignace that houses youth
11-17 who are court ordered to
a detention facility. Sault Tribe
Law Enforcement provides access
to Sex Offender Registration and
Notification (SORNA) resources, public registries, and related
information to help keep the community informed and safe.
In 2024, STLE remained committed to growth and development
by sending multiple officers to
specialized trainings, including
forensic interviewing, human trafficking, active violence response,
CPR, firearms and Taser certifications, K9 operations, and criminal
jurisdiction in Indian Country.
In 2024, STLE:
— Purchased four new Dodge
Durangos.
— Provided presence at multiple concerts at all of our Kewadin
Casino sites.
— Assisted Santa Claus
with his visit to the Sault Tribe
Daycare and helped spread some
much-needed joy.
— Supported the Tri-County
Drug Enforcement Team
(TRIDENT) by assigning an officer to assist in combating illicit
narcotics in Sault Tribe and surrounding communities.
— Put together 250 bags for
JKL School Halloween including
bags, candy, glowsticks, flashlight
and everything needed to be safe

for trick or treating!
— Announced a new initiative
to promote suicide prevention
awareness in our community.
Each STLE vehicle will display the 988 Suicide and Crisis
Lifeline.
— Ensured continued compliance with Sault Tribe’s Chapter
72 – Sex Offender Registration
and Notification Code, which
included ensuring that all offenders within Sault Tribe’s jurisdiction were registered, updated, and/
or verified.
— Participated in Shop with a
Cop for the Christmas season in
Manistique and Cheboygan.
— Participated in “Breakfast
with a Badge” with Malcolm
High School students.
Natural Resources Division
The Natural Resources
Division was established in
December 2023 to oversee the
coordination, collaboration and
growth of the Environmental,
Fisheries, and Wildlife Programs.
Since then, it has pursued strategic planning, filled open administrative and technical
positions, and established a new
Forestry Program. The following
report is organized by four
main priorities: sustainable
self-governance, interagency
management, community outreach
and engagement, and division
capacity and wellbeing.
— Atikameg (Lake Whitefish)
Initiative: Relocated gravid fish
from Lake Huron into a tributary
to facilitate spawning.
— Translocation of adult
whitefish project summary: Eight
receivers were positioned in the
Carp River, 100 fish were tagged
with external transmitters and 25
fish were tagged with internal
transmitters.
— Stocking summer fingerling
in Great Lakes tributaries summary: Approximately 46,000 summer
fingerlings were stocked into the
Pine River.
— Summary of the gamete
collection for the 2025 year class
of whitefish: Over 300 adult fish
were collected. Approximately
130 pairs of male and female fish
were spawned. Over 800,000 eggs
were placed into incubation jars at
Nunn’s Creek.
— Ogaa (Walleye) stocking:
Natural Resources successfully
established a contract with the

Bay Mills Community to stock
100,000 walleye fingerlings in
Waishkey Bay and used these
funds to support program activities.
— Great Lakes Fisheries
Management: Fisheries obtained
biological information (length,
weight, and age) from over 230
fish representing 16 different species in 2024’s survey.
— Deepwater Project:
Sampled 33 sites (out of 222 total
sites, with over 78,000 total fish
examined), and no new non-local
species were detected. A non-native ruffe from Lake George was
removed.
— Coastal Resilience
Initiative: NRD treated roughly
20 acres of aquatic invasive species from the shorelines of the St.
Mary’s River and mapped detected invasive populations along all
public lands bordering the lower
portion of the river (Raber to
DeTour) in 2024.
— Spruce Grouse Habitat
Utilization: Staff initiated a pilot
project in 2024 using GPS units
to assess spruce grouse movements and habitat use. In April,
staff caught and affixed GPS units
on three spruce grouse near the
Betchlers Marsh complex.
— Sharp-tailed Grouse
Occupancy Survey: Wildlife
staff continued to monitor for
sharp-tailed grouse throughout
the Ishkode Project area. This
involves running transects along
dirt roads and stopping and listening for lekking individuals.
This is a collaborative
project with the Hiawatha
National Forest.
— Water Quality Initiative:
The Environmental Health scientist conducted monthly drinking
water sampling at nine tribal
properties to ensure compliance
with state and federal standards
under the Safe Drinking Water
Act. This regular sampling helps
detect bacterial contamination
and prevent waterborne illnesses,
ensuring the community has safe
drinking water.
— Air Quality Initiative: Staff
drafted and submitted five indoor
air quality (IAQ) assessment
reports for tribal residences. Each
assessment involved inspecting

the home of a tribal member for
moisture intrusion, mold growth,
and ventilation effectiveness.
Additionally, air sampling was
conducted to measure levels of
particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Upon
completion of the assessments,
detailed reports were prepared and
delivered to the respective property owners.
— Brownfields, Pollution
Control, and Risk Reduction:
Updated the Brownfield Inventory
Site List to ensure accurate documentation of contaminated and
potentially contaminated properties on tribal lands. This update
involved reviewing historical land
use records and previous environmental assessments, a more comprehensive assessment of tribal
lands will be conducted in 2025.
— Harvest Assessment and
Reporting: STNRD continue to
meet our reporting requirements
for the Inland and Great Lakes
decrees. These reporting and
assessment activities have existed
in some format since the 1980s
and have helped support the
negotiation of three Great Lakes
decrees in 1985, 2000, and 2023
and an inland decree in 2007.
— Great Lakes Decree: The
Natural Resources Division collected 2,500 total fish from commercial samples this year. Efforts
also included monitoring the new
Lake Trout trap net fishery. the
division continued to meet its
reporting requirements for the
Great Lakes decrees. This reporting includes over 50 Little Bay de
Noc special subsistence permits,
twice monthly commercial fishery reports and retail bills of sale
reporting from 48 licensed fishers,
and monthly reports for approximately 170 typical subsistence
fishers.
Planning and Development
Planning and Development’s
vision is to empower the tribal
government with strategic planning, grant administration, data
administration and research.
— USDA ReConnect FOA 3:
Awarded $24,944,355. During
2024, Planning & Development
partnered with Cherry Capital
Connections. This has enabled
the tribe with the ability to generate additional revenue. The
partnership also provided the
department with industry insight
and the ability to provide lasting
maintenance of the network.
— USDA ReConnect FOA 4:
Awarded $3,742,293. This would
bring fiber to the premises for
each of the households. This will
allow the tribe to move its fiber
connection payments to our own
network, and to set up revenue
streams.
— Energy Study with
Slipstream: Planning &
Development utilized Slipstream
at no cost to the tribe to do a net
zero carbon plan, and a facility-level solar feasibility plan.
— SSBCI Capital and
Technical Assistance Programs:
Continued support for SSBCI
Capital and TA programs, which
transitioned from planning to the
EDC for implementation, with
nearly $11 million in funding to
benefit the tribe.

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 Annual Report

Page 5

TRIBE’S 2024 FINANCIALS, FUTURE OUTLOOK FOR 2026
This section of the Tribe’s
annual financial report presents
our discussion and analysis of
the tribe’s financial performance
during the fiscal year that ended
on Dec. 31, 2024. Please read it in
conjunction with the tribe’s financial statements, which follow this
section.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The tribe’s total governmental
assets decreased by $19.2 million
or 5.3% over the course of this
year’s operations and total assets
from business-type activities
increased by $36.1 million or
24.42%. Total primary governmental assets were $528 million
at 2024 year-end, an increase of
$16.8 million or 3.29%.
Total liabilities in governmental activities decreased by
$58.4 million or (29.41%). Total
liabilities in business-type activities increased to $49.6 million or
1.74%. Total primary governmental liabilities were $189.8 million
at 2024 year-end.
During the year, the tribe’s
governmental expenses and transfers were $40.7 million less than
the revenues generated by grants,
taxes and other sources for governmental activities.
In the tribe’s business-type
activities, total revenues were
$120.4 million while total expenses, taxes, gain on disposal of
capital assets, and transfers were
$88.7 million.
The tribe’s General Fund
reported an increase in expenditures of $1.47 million or 10.8%
for the year due to increases in
General Government expenses
funded with ARP Act of 2022
COVID-19 grants.
The tribe’s MERS Defined
Benefit Pension Plan for law
enforcement employees reported
a net pension liability of $29,083
in the government-wide financial
statements.
Tribal external debt reduction payments amounted to
$6,330,848.
Major capital projects included:
As part of the overall plan to
obtain property to expand the contiguous land holdings on Sugar
Island, 120 acres were purchased
next to the Sacred Health Church
on the Sugar Island at a cost of
$152,000.
The Tribal Building Fund
purchased land, buildings,
equipment, vehicles and made
building improvements totaling
$9,610,253. These were funded in
part as noted in the ARPA section
and with Building funds. These
included improvements to office
buildings, cultural and recreation
centers and expansion of housing
opportunities.
Improvements at the JKL
School included playground
resurfacing and parking lot resurfacing.
The Health Centers in the
service area received various
upgrades including upgrade to the
Sault Health Center Fire Alarm
System, new building environmental control systems and boilers, common area upgrades, security systems and new flooring.
The Escanaba Community
Center has a health center that
will be occupied in 2025. The
Gladstone Health Building added
a fitness center.
The St. Ignace Health Center

moved into a new building on the
Mackinac Straits Health Campus.
New medical equipment, computers, furniture and fixtures and
security systems were purchased
at a cost of $896,325.
Phase II of the Tamarack
Business Development Center
was completed at a cost of
$306,673 using a grant from the
state of Michigan and tribal funds.
The Public Safety Department
purchased four vehicles at a cost
of $279,060 using a COPS-TGRP
grant.
Tribal infrastructure improvements made with Department
of Transportation funds totaled
$20,250.
ARPA - USE OF FUNDS IN
2024
With the receipt of ARPA
funds in 2021, the Sault Tribe formulated plans in each geographic
unit of the seven-county service
area to purchase or use existing
tribal property and develop much
needed housing and community
centers. A land parcel and building were purchased in Marquette
County for a total of $1.2 million.
The building will be repurposed
into a community center for the
the Marquette area.
Infrastructure work was completed on the Sault Health Center
Campus in anticipation of constructing an annex to the existing
building. Total cost was $240,000.
In 2022, ARPA funds were
used to begin construction of
38 affordable housing units at
various locations throughout the
tribe’s service area. The goal for
this project is to provide community members another source
of desirable housing alternatives.
Units will be either placed on lots
at Odenaang (Sault Tribe Housing
Authority housing development),
Riverside Village Park or on a
site chosen by the tribal member.
As of Dec. 31, 2024, all the units
were occupied. Total cost of the
project was $ 10.2 million.
ARPA funds were also used to
repurpose and upgrade existing
buildings. Improved access, new
HVAC systems, security enhancements and restroom renovations
were among the uses of the funds.
Also in 2022, the Sault Tribe
began to implement the board-approved housing and community
center expansion projects. Each
unit in the service area received
funds to initiate the projects based
upon the need developed in that
unit. The Escanaba Community
Center was completed in 2024 at
a cost of $4,561,000 using ARPA
funds. The Manistique Building
will be completed in 2025. Plans
are currently being developed for
the center in Hessel for construction in 2025.
Plans were developed
and remodeling began in the
Administrative Complex for three
office suites using ARPA funds.
Completion will be in early 2025.
Another critical element of the
ARPA funding is the provision
for the computation of “revenue
loss.” This is a calculation of
the tribal-wide loss of revenues
beginning in March 2020 with the
onset of the COVID pandemic
and initially ending at Dec. 31,
2020, and comparing it to 2018
and 2019 revenues. A similar
computation was performed in
years 2022 and 2023. The goal
is to gauge the impact this loss

of revenues had on the ability of
the tribe to provide services to
members and fund the administration of the organization and to
use ARPA funds to supplement
this loss in revenues. For 2024,
the Sault Tribe was able to use
$25,810,407 of ARPA funds in
this manner.
The Natural Resources
Division received the go-ahead
for design work to remodel the
existing Motor Pool Building and
add additional space at the Three
Mile Rd. location in Sault Ste
Marie. Completion is expected in
2025.
The following projects were
completed or initiated in 2024
using ARPA funds:
- McCann - HVAC upgrade
- Sault Powwow Grounds
- Sault Cultural Bldg. upgrades
- Sault Elderly Bldg. Parking
Lot Reconstruction
- Big Bear Arena Chiller
upgrade
ARPA funds were also used
by Kewadin Casinos in 2024
for various projects — Hotel
Room Remodeling Project, Hotel
Exterior Surface Replacement and
design work for the replacement
of the Casino South Entrance.
ENTERPRISE MAJOR
PROJECTS
Additions to the various casinos’ land improvements, furniture
and fixtures, equipment and rightto-use assets totaled $2,897,944
with the major projects being the
replacement of computer equipment and credit card devices,
furniture and fixtures and slot
machines at all five locations.
Additional improvements are
noted in the ARPA section above.
The Property Managment
Companies procured additional
properties, buildings and improvements along with equipment
additions in the in the amount of
$5,535,486. Major activity included the transfer of ownership of 19
modular units to DeMawating and
two to Sawyer Village from the
CARES Program, which totaled
$3,870,725.
DeMawating’s remaining additions totaled $1,207,956 after the
CARES transfers. These included
a rental property purchase in Sault
Ste. Marie, which included 23
apartments and three retails suites.
Also for 2024, the DeMawating
saw the completion of a rental
house in Cedarville that was constructed by the Building Trades
class at Cedarville High School.
The remaining additions was their
program of systematic roof and
furnace replacements and interior
renovations.
In addition to the CARES unit
transfers, Sawyer Village’s 2024
additions were $456,805. These
included furnace replacements in
the retail locations at the Harvey
location. The remaining additions
involved their program of systematic roof and furnace replacements and interior renovations.
In 2024, the MidJim
Convenience Store in the Sault
received CARES transfers with a
cost of $110,511. This included
new countertops, a bottle return
machine and replacement of the
HVAC system. The St. Ignace
location also received CARES
transfers with a cost of $110,855.
These included a HVAC system replacement, bottle return
machine, new outside doors and

new countertops.
The White Pine Lodge and
Convenience Store was also the
recipient of the CARES Fund
transfers. Included in this transaction were sliding doors, a walk-up
window, kitchen remodeling, fuel
dispensers, bottle return machine,
laundry equipment, new point of
sale and member software and a
HVAC system. These improvements totaled $247,163.
The Eagle Lending Program
received a $2,956,523 grant
under the State Small Business
Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which
is geared towards assisting small
business with procuring financing
through loan participation or collateral support.
Improvements at the Tanglewood Golf Course included furnace replacements, golf simulator
program and point of sale equipment for a total of $61,409.
Bear on the Mountain (Hessel
Ridge) Golf Course improvements included a new Irrigation
Pump and signage totaling
$52,275.
The Sault Tribe Housing
Authority (STHA) received a
$414,400 Indian Health Services
Sanitation grant. This grant
afforded 27 tribal member families with new well or sanitation
systems.
STHA also received
$4,079,143 from the U.S.
Treasury to provide financial
assistance to tribal member homeowners. Assistance includes mortgage payments, utilities, internet,
insurance and property taxes.
Sault Tribe Housing Authority
Property and Equipment totaled
$75,887,295 at the end of 2024
and consisted of land improvements, building and structures,
equipment and machinery and
vehicles. The total net increase in
2024 for these types of assets was
$4,531,694.
In addition, the Authority
served a total of 204 tribal members under the Emergency Rental
Assistance Program Grant. Total
expenditures for this program
were $313,717 in 2024.
The Housing Authority also
acquired 20 new homes in 2024
to be placed at Odenaang under
the Lease to Purchase program.
In addition to the renewal of
funding for a host of tribal programs, new grant awards in 2024
consisted of the following expenditure amounts:
— Office on Violence Against
Women (VAWA), $217,550
— State Small Business Credit
Initiative (SSBCI), 2,956,523
OVERVIEW OF THE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
This annual report consists
of four parts — management’s
discussion and analysis (this
section), the basic financial statements, required supplementary
information and other information
that presents combining statements for non-major governmental, internal service, enterprise
and fiduciary funds. The basic
financial statements include two
kinds of statements that present
different views of the tribe.
The first two statements are
government-wide financial statements that provide both long-term
and short-term information about
the tribe’s overall financial status.
The remaining statements are
fund financial statements that

focus on individual parts of the
tribe’s government, reporting the
tribe’s operations in more detail
than the government-wide statements.
The governmental funds
statements tell how government
services like public safety and
health and welfare were financed
in the short-term as well as what
remains for future spending.
Proprietary fund statements
offer short and long-term financial
information about the activities
the government operates like
businesses, such as the Gaming
Authority and MidJims.
Fiduciary fund statements
provide information about the
financial relationships-like the
retirement plan of the tribe’s
employees- in which the tribe acts
solely as a trustee or agent for the
benefit of others, to whom the
resources belong.
The financial statements also
include notes that explain some
of the information in the financial statements and provide more
detailed data. The statements are
followed by a section of required
supplementary information that
further explains and supports
the information in the financial
statements. In addition to these
required elements, we have
included a section with combining
statements that provide details
about our governmental funds
and internal service funds each
of which are added together and
presented in single columns in the
basic financial statements.
GOVERNMENT-WIDE
STATEMENTS
The government-wide statements report information about
the tribe as a whole using
accounting methods similar to
those used by private sector companies. The statement of net position includes all of the government’s assets and liabilities. All
of the current year’s revenues and
expenses are accounted for in the
statement of activities regardless
of when cash is received or paid.
The two government-wide
statements report the tribe’s
net position and how they have
changed. Net position – the
difference between the tribe’s
assets and liabilities – is one way
to measure the tribe’s financial
health, or position.
Over time, increases or
decreases in the tribe’s net position are an indicator of whether
its financial health is improving
or deteriorating, respectively. To
assess the overall health of the
tribe, consider additional non-financial factors such as changes in
the gaming industry regulations
and changes in federal law.
The government-wide financial statements of the tribe are:
GOVERNMENTAL
ACTIVITIES – Most of the
tribe’s basic services are included
here, such as health and welfare,
public safety, education, and
recreation and culture. Taxes, federal revenue, state revenue, and
charges for services finance most
of these activities.
BUSINESS-TYPE
ACTIVITIES – The tribe charges
fees to customers to help it cover
the costs of certain services it
provides. The tribe’s Gaming
Authority and businesses are
included here.

Page 6

2024 Annual Report

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 GOVERNMENTAL FINANCIAL OVERVIEW, cont’d
FUND FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
The fund financial statements
provide more detailed information
about the tribe’s most significant
funds — not the tribe as a whole.
Funds are accounting devices that
the tribe uses to keep track of
specific sources of funding and
spending for particular purposes.
Some funds are required by federal law.
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indian’s Board
establishes other funds to control
and manage grant money for
particular purposes (Head Start,
Fisheries, Sanitation, etc.).
The tribe has three kinds of
funds:
GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS –
Most of the tribe’s basic services
are included in governmental
funds, which focus on (1) how
much cash and other financial
assets that can readily be converted to cash flow in and out and
(2) the balances left at year end
that are available for spending.
Consequently, the governmental funds statements provide a
detailed short-term view that
helps one determine whether
there are more or fewer financial
resources that can be spent in the
near future to finance the tribe’s
programs. Because this information does not encompass the
additional long-term focus of the
government-wide statements, we
provide additional information at
the bottom of the governmental
funds statement, or on the subsequent page, that explains the relationship (or differences) between
them.
PROPRIETARY FUNDS –
Internal services for which the
tribe charges internal customers
a fee are generally reported in
the general fund. Proprietary
funds, like the government-wide
statements, provide both long and
short term financial information.
In fact, the tribe’s enterprise funds
(one type of proprietary fund)
are the same as its business-type
activities, but provide more detail
and additional information, such
as cash flows. We use internal
services for the tribe’s other
programs and activities – such
as the Management Information
Systems, Human Resources,
Accounting, etc.
FIDUCIARY FUNDS – The
tribe is trustee, or fiduciary, for
its employees’ pension plans. It is
also responsible for other assets
because of a trust arrangement
– can be used only for the trust
beneficiaries. The tribe is responsible for ensuring that the assets
reported in the funds are used for
their intended purposes. All of
the tribe’s fiduciary activities are
reported in a separate statement
of fiduciary net position and a
statement of changes in fiduciary
net position. We exclude these
activities from the tribe’s government-wide financial statements
because the tribe cannot use these
assets to finance its operations.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF
THE TRIBE AS A WHOLE
Net position. The tribe’s
combined governmental and
business-type net position was
$204,959,436 for 2024.
(See Table A-1.)
$76.3 million of governmental assets are invested in capital
assets (land, buildings and equip-

ment) with $121.7 million of business assets invested in the same
manner
Change in net position. The
tribe’s total revenues from primary activities (excluding special
items) was $247 million. (See
Table A-2.) The tribe’s revenue
comes mainly from gaming revenues, charges for services, taxes
and federal sources.
The total cost of all primary
activities was $218 million and
included both governmental and
member services along with business-type operating costs excluding transfers and taxes.
The tribe was able to cover the
current year’s costs for programs
and services of governmental
operations through revenues.
Table A-2 and the narrative that
follows consider the operations of
governmental-type activities and
business-type activities separately.
Governmental and Businesstype Activities
Revenues for the tribe’s governmental activities decreased
(27.3)%, while total expenses
decreased (43.9)%.
Revenues for the tribe’s business-type activities increased
6.47%, while total expenses
increased 37.48%.
Governmental Activities
Table A-2 presents the cost of
each of the tribe’s five largest programs—health and welfare, public
safety, recreation and culture, education, and general government as
well as its judicial services, public
works and interest expense.
The cost of all governmental
activities this year was $111.4
million. The cost of those services
was paid from the following:
— Taxes of $9.38 million
— Charges for services of
$31.2 million.
— Operating and Capital
Grants of $103 million.
— Component unit distributions of $3.2 million.
— Interest, dividends and other
revenues of $829 thousand.
The increase in governmental
net position for 2023 was $35.1
million.
Business-type Activities
Revenues of the tribe’s business-type activities were $94.9
million and expenses were
$106.7 million. (See Table A-2.)
Business-type activities provide
all of the governmental tax revenues, and the decrease in net position for the businesses in 2023
was $12.5 million after taxes.
As the tribe completed the
year, its governmental funds
reported, on Page 19, a combined
fund balance of $46.1 million,
an improvement in combined
fund balance of $24.2 million
from 2022. The primary reason
for the increase in fund balance
is highlighted in the analysis of
governmental activities. In addition, these other changes in fund
balance should be noted:
Debt service expenditures were
$2.8 million.
$9.1 million net was transferred in from other activities to
the General Fund, an increase of
141% from 2022.
General Fund Budgetary
Highlights
Over the course of the year,
the tribe’s board made several
changes to the tribe’s budget. The
budget process falls into three categories:

Table A-1

Original budgets are approved
by the board prior to the beginning of the program’s fiscal year.
Amendments and supplemental
appropriations are approved as
needed by the Board of Directors
during the course of the fiscal
year.
Year-end modifications are
made during the calendar year
as needed for programs with
non-December year ends.
Even with these adjustments,
actual expenditures were $2.4
million less than the final budgeted general fund amounts. The
actual excess of revenues over
expenses and other uses was
$869,000 less than the final budget anticipated. This is due, in
part, to lower tax and other revenues, less debt service costs and
higher transfers in than the final
budgeted amounts.
The most significant variances
were as follows:
Tax revenues were significantly lower and this was offset by
other financing sources.
Debt service costs were less.
General government costs
were less.
Other financing uses of funds
were less.
CAPITAL ASSETS
At the end of 2023, the tribe
has invested $168,396,220 in
a broad range of capital assets,

including land, machinery and
equipment, buildings, roads, and
vehicles.
The principal change in capital
assets consists mainly of land purchases and equipment purchases.
Long-Term Debt
At year end, the tribe had
approximately $14.4 million in
notes payable. There was no governmental debt at year end and
Internal Service debt decreased by
$838,000.
ECONOMIC FACTORS
AND NEXT YEAR’S BUDGETS
AND RATES
The COVID-19 pandemic has
had a significant impact on the
tribe’s operations. The tribe is carrying over $29.4 million of unspent
ARP Act of 2021 COVID 19 funding to 2025 for COVID-19 disaster
relief. The effect of COVID-19
continued to impact all aspects of
the tribal economy during 2024
from both the governmental and
business perspectives. It will
remain to be seen how quickly both
the general and tribal economies
recover.
These indicators were taken into
account when adopting the General
Fund budget for fiscal 2025. The
amount appropriated in the General
Fund budget for operations is $13.4
million, which is a 19.0% decrease
from final fiscal 2024 budget.
The tribe will use its revenues to

finance current and expected future
programs, program expansions into
outlying areas, and the expected
impact of inflation on those programs.
The largest fiscal 2025 budgeted expenditures are for direct
services, consulting / subcontracting, and expansion of member
services. If these estimates are
realized, the tribe’s budgetary
General Fund balance is expected
to remain steady by the close of
fiscal 2025.
As for the tribe’s business-type
activities, we expect that the 2025
results will also improve based on
these items:
Reduction in operating costs.
Reduction in Debt Service.
Increase in operating margins.
CONTACTING THE
TRIBE’S FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT
This financial report is
designed to provide our members,
grantors, investors and creditors
with a general overview of the
tribe’s finances and to demonstrate the tribe’s accountability
for the money it receives. If you
have questions about this report
or need additional financial information, contact the Sault Ste.
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Administration Office, 523
Ashmun, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
49783.

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 Annual Report

Page 7

TRIBAL COURT 2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
One of the most important
aspects of our tribe’s sovereignty is the exercise of jurisdiction through the tribe’s judicial
system. It is the Tribal Court’s
responsibility, and therefore that
of the Judge and Magistrate, to
adjudicate the cases that come
before it. Our Tribal Court hears a
wide range of cases, as authorized
by our Tribal Code, including
child welfare, juvenile delinquency, adult criminal, conservation,
landlord-tenant, general civil
lawsuits, and personal protection
orders. In addition, Tribal Court
exercises Special Tribal Criminal
Jurisdiction over non-Natives.
Appeals from the trial level
court’s decisions can be filed with
the Tribal Court of Appeals. Our
trial-level Court consists of the
Chief Judge, Court Administrator/
Magistrate, Court Clerk, Deputy
Court Clerk, a Probation Officer,
a Specialty Court Coordinator,
and a part-time Field Surveillance
Officer/Bailiff.
Court Administration
In 2024, 344 new cases of
various case types were filed
in Tribal Court. The Court held
1,334 total hearings during 2024,
which included arraignments,
pre-trial conferences, motion
and plea hearings, bench trials,
sentencings, dispositional review
and permanency planning hearings. No jury trials were held in
2024. While many of the hearings
took place in Sault Ste. Marie
in the George K. Nolan Judicial
Building courtroom, approximately half were held via Zoom videoconference to allow litigants and
attorneys to appear remotely for
court from other locations (even
across the country), including
from jails and prisons, making the
appearance rate increase. In addition, the Court issued over 2,000
Court orders and opinions in the
past year.
In 2024, the Court finalized
three adoptions and 10 juvenile
guardianships, which are always
among some of the most joyful
days at the court.
Probation Department
The safety of individual
victims and the community is
the foundation of the services
of the Tribal Court Probation
Department. Those services are
tailored to the individual needs
and circumstances of each probationer and are intended to
facilitate accountability while
providing opportunities for personal growth and behavior modification. In 2024, 23 adults and
seven juveniles were sentenced
to shorter terms of probation and
were ordered to complete specialized services designed to treat and

support each person in a community-based setting.
The Court used assessment
tools to help guide decisions on
what types of services were needed. The Court offered an array of
services including significant use
of electronic monitoring devices
like GPS tethers and Soberlink,
along with treatment and treatment court as an alternative to
incarceration and monetary obligations in hopes of redirecting
individuals with mental health or
substance abuse issues towards
community-based treatment,
support and resources, allowing
each to address a specific need
or needs, in a traditional way that
also addresses the root causes of
one’s behavior. Not only did we
see the cost-effectiveness, but
also the potential for reduced
recidivism, and a new positive,
structured way of life for our people.
Probation staff still conducted
201 drug screens and 216 preliminary breath tests of probationers, drug court clients, and
defendants on bond. Tribal Court
probationers and Drug Court
participants also completed 168
total hours of work service in and
around the community.
Gwaiak Miicon
Tribal Court operated its
Gwaiak Miicon Adult Treatment
Court for the 24th consecutive
year. Gwaiak Miicon is an evidence-based treatment, structured
program for offenders who have
substance use disorder and who
are at high risk of engaging in
further criminal conduct without
intervention, combining Court
oversight with substance abuse
treatment services to focus on
the reasons an offender engages in criminal activity. If, as a
tribal community, we can treat
the “why” someone commits a
crime, we can reduce crime and
provide a means for our people to
address underlying trauma. Each
week, a team of service providers
from the tribal criminal justice
and treatment systems, defense
attorney, prosecuting attorney,
behavioral health treatment providers, peer recovery coaches,
law enforcement, and judicial
staff, meet before each review
hearing to discuss how each client
is doing and determine if there
should be modifications to their
services, any sanctions imposed
to address non-compliance, or
any incentives handed out to
reward and promote compliance.
In 2024, Tribal Court held two
graduation ceremonies to celebrate our participants’ successful
completion of the program and
their continued sobriety.

ADOPTIONS — Above, the Hudacek family grew by two. Below, the
Bradley Family continues to be another forever home for our children.

Gwaiak Miicon treatment
court is available to all tribal
members, whether their case
is proceeding in tribal or state
courts, and is even available to
non-Natives who fall within the
Tribal Court jurisdiction.
Court of Appeals
The restructuring of the
Appellate Court occurred on Aug.
20, 2024, by board resolution.
The panel now consists of three
attorney judges, one elder, and
one community member, making
up the 5-member panel.
The Court of Appeal heard
oral arguments in five cases
during 2024, stemming from
appeals filed between 2023–2024.
Five new appeals were filed in
2024: Two landlord/tenant matters, one Personal Protection
Order case, and two election
complaints.
The Court also continued its
Domestic Violence (DV) Court
program this year for offenders
convicted of abusive crimes
against an intimate partner.
DV Court is presided over by
Magistrate Swan and is a specialized docket that allows the
justice system to have intensive
oversight on cases, enhances
victim safety, and holds offend-

Court Administrator/Magistrate Swan was among the attendees at the December 2024 ITWG meeting.

ers accountable while offering
them rehabilitative services to
deter repeat offenses. Participants
must attend frequent Court
review hearings, attend Men’s
Group, complete a behavioral
health assessment and treatment
if recommended, and write a
series of essays on power and
control. Tribal Court staff are
trained in the Men’s Education
Group Duluth Model and Moral
Reconation Therapy (MRT) to
facilitate the weekly groups. The
curriculum for Men’s Education
is 26 weeks, and the Court also
incorporates cultural teachings
and two sweat lodges into its program through collaboration with
Traditional Medicine. MRT is a
12-step workbook designed to
modify criminal thinking. Tribal
Court accepts referrals to Men’s
Education Group and MRT from
social service agencies and other
tribal and state courts for a nominal fee.
Other 2024 accomplishments
and a farewell
— Tribal Court staff regularly
participated in community events
in 2024 and also served on many
community workgroups and committees focusing on tribal and
community justice issues.

— Former Chief Judge Fabry
sat on the Board of Directors
for Families Against Narcotics
(FAN) of Chippewa County.
Court Administrator/Magistrate
Swan serves our tribe on the
national VAWA Inter-Tribal
Work Group, and on the MMIP
committee. Fabry served on
the Board of Directors for
the Michigan Association of
Treatment Court Professionals,
the Michigan Tribal State Federal
Judicial Forum, and the Michigan
Supreme Court Child Welfare
Leadership Workgroup. Swan
also serves on the Michigan
Indian Legal Services Advisory
Committee.
— Swan was among the
attendees at the December 2024
ITWG meeting.
— Tribal Court received
Special Tribal Criminal
Jurisdiction Reimbursement funding in 2024 for expenses associated with exercising VAWA-22.
— Tribal Court received
one-time BIA funding for staff
training/travel, and wages to continue to employ a Specialty Court
Coordinator.
— Lastly, in June 2024, Tribal
Court lost a wealth of knowledge and a pillar to this Court,
the tribe, and our people. After a
dedicated tenure marked by leadership and a commitment to justice, Fabry decided to step down
as Chief Judge. Fabry has served
as the Tribal Court’s Chief Judge
since 2010. Fabry’s departure will
have a lasting impact on the judicial system and this community
she proudly served. The dynamic
presence she brought to this Court
will be missed.
Tribal Court Goals for 2025
— Advocate to increase jurisdiction of the Tribal Court under
the Tribal Law & Order Act,
which would increase the maximum criminal penalty for a crime
from 1 year to 3 years confinement.
— Continue working towards
combating substance abuse as
outlined in the tribe’s Tribal
Action Plan.
Please like “Sault Ste. Marie
Chippewa Tribal Court” on
Facebook for information on
court events, jury duty, court closures, and other items of interest.

Page 8

2024 Annual Report

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS IN 2024

The Sault Tribe Natural
Resources Division (NRD),
Gidayaangwaami’idimin Ezhiinawendiyang, ensures sustainable air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and plant stewardship within
the tribe’s reservations, sevencounty service area and 1836
Treaty Ceded Territory, focusing
on tribal rights protection and
implementation, environmental
quality, and sustainability in
governmental operations. These
functions require robust monitoring programs, data management
and analysis, and communication
and translation of findings into
appropriate regulations, codes,
and on-the-ground management.
The division advises the Sault
Tribe Board of Directors and the
Conservation Committee on fish,
wildlife, plant populations, tribal
harvest, regulations and codes,
and environmental quality within
the 1836 Treaty Ceded Territory.
Great Lakes Fisheries
Management
Fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent monitoring programs inform the protection and
management of the tribal fishery
and comprise a large portion of
annual fisheries monitoring work.
The Fisheries Program collects
data to estimate stock size and
mortality of commercially important species such as Atikameg
(Lake Whitefish) and Namegos
(Lake Trout). Projects that protect
subsistence fishing and recreational angling for tribal citizens
are also prioritized. Cooperation
with management and research
partners is critical for success.
Fishery-independent Survey:
Survey crews completed the
fishery-independent Giigoonh
(fish) community survey in Lake
Michigan across management
units WFM01 through WFM04.
Staff have conducted this survey
annually since 2000 to monitor
fish population trends in Lake
Michigan and Lake Huron. In
2024, crews deployed twenty-two
experimental graded mesh nets
on the lake bottom along randomly selected depth strata and set
eight suspended nets targeting the
midwater column. They collected
biological information—length,
weight, and age—from over 230
fish representing 16 different species.
Deepwater Project: The team
completed 2024 fieldwork for the
GLRI-funded Deepwater project.
Due to the loss of the ROV pilot,
the team was unable to collect
ROV footage and benthic samples. However, staff successfully
sampled fish and zooplankton at
four study sites.
The team contributed ultraviolet light (UV) transparency data
from their ROV to a basin-wide
research project investigating the
potential effects of ultraviolet
radiation on Lake Whitefish eggs
and larvae. This project examines
how increased water clarity—
driven by invasive mussels—may
expose fish nurseries to harmful
UV radiation. Through these contributions, the Deepwater project
provides valuable support to
researchers studying this aspect
of Lake Whitefish ecology.
Non-Local Being Monitoring:
The Sault Tribe completed its
non-local species monitoring survey in the St. Marys River as part

During Boat to School, students visit five learning stations including this one on trophic levels.

of a collaborative effort with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Bay Mills Indian Community,
the Department of Fisheries and
Oceans Canada, the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources,
and the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources. Tribal staff
sampled 33 sites, contributing to
the 222 total sites surveyed by
all collaborators and the examination of over 78,000 fish. They
detected no new non-local species
during the survey but found and
removed a non-native Ruffe from
Lake George.
Siscowet Assessments: This
year, the Sault Tribe conducted its triennial assessment of
Siscowet Lake Trout in Grand
Marais, Lake Superior (unit
MI-7). This work contributes to
a broader collaborative monitoring effort involving multiple
agencies across Lake Superior.
The assessment aims to improve
understanding of Siscowet Lake
Trout’s ecological role in the
lake and to determine fish abundance in offshore areas. Specific
objectives include estimating the
relative abundance, food habits,
and age and size composition
of Siscowets. Researchers also
recognize that Siscowet may help
mitigate Sea Lamprey predation
pressure on commercially harvested Lean Lake Trout.
Coastal Resilience Initiative
Since 2011, Division staff
have led innovative invasive species control and coastal wetland
restoration along the St. Marys
River. Efforts target migratory
bird habitat by managing invasive plants (hybrid cattail, purple
loosestrife, and European frogbit) and restoring native species
(manoomin, bulrush). Wildlife
Program staff mapped newly
detected invasive species populations in the lower St. Marys River
to inform targeted treatment and
ecological restoration strategies.
Over the past three years, the
Wildlife Program, in collaboration with local partners, has treated 78 acres of aquatic invasive
species to support native habitat
recovery.
Invasive Species Mapping and
Removal: In 2024, the Wildlife
Program continued a systematic

surveillance program of coastal
wetlands on public lands in the
lower St. Marys River, including
wetlands in the Eastern Upper
Peninsula and Neebish Island.
Staff treated roughly 20 acres
of aquatic invasive species from
the shorelines of the St. Marys
River and mapped detected invasive populations along all public
shorelines from Raber to Detour
in 2024.
Manoomin Restoration: Staff
continued manoomin (wild rice)
restoration in coastal wetlands
along the St. Marys River.
An experimental manoomin
restoration site was seeded in
Munuscong Bay for the fourth
consecutive year, with the intention of continuing to learn from
this site over time. The program
is also assessing the feasibility of
expanding manoomin restoration
to other coastal wetlands within
the Obtawaing Biosphere Region.
The Wildlife Program seeded
roughly 17 acres in Munuscong
Bay, Baie De Wasai, and Shingle
Bay in 2024 – including a fall
community event, where Sault
Tribe members, other local
Anishinaabeg, and Division
staff seeded Munuscong Bay.
Restoration efforts will expand in
2025.
Secretive Marshbird and
Waterfowl Monitoring: The
Wildlife Program has led longterm monitoring of secretive
marshbirds, focusing on target
species such as American bitterns,
coots, and rails. These surveys
track species’ presence or absence
as indicators of ecosystem health
and disturbance. Additionally, the
Wildlife Program conducts fall
point count surveys of migratory
waterfowl to assess changes in
abundance, migration timing, and
breeding activity.
Black Tern Monitoring: The
Wildlife Program collaborated
with Audubon Great Lakes to
conduct monitoring of Black
Terns at Munuscong Bay, which
supports one of the largest
breeding colonies in the Great
Lakes region. The data collected
provides critical insight into the
species’ rapid decline and informs
a targeted Conservation Action
Plan outlining evidence-based

strategies for population restoration. The Wildlife Program is
committed to executing these
recommendations to ensure the
long-term protection and recovery
of Black Terns and their essential
wetland habitats.
St Marys River Structured
Decision-Making Project: Staff
participated in planning team
meetings for the St. Marys River
Structured Decision-Making
Project throughout 2024. This
collaborative effort, which is
led by Sault Tribe’s Consortium
for Cooperative Ecological
Resilience, brought together
tribal, state, and federal land
managers, as well as researchers, to develop a comprehensive
coastal wetland management and
restoration plan for the St. Marys
River, scheduled for completion
in 2025.
Muskrat Decline Study: In
2024, the Wildlife Program partnered with the Wildlife Ecology
Institute and local trappers at
Munuscong Bay to collect muskrat and mink carcasses. This
research investigates health,
disease risk, reproduction, and
population structure to better
understand the causes of regional
muskrat declines.
Hemiboreal Forest Resilience
Initiative
Hemiboreal forest species
and communities are integral to
Anishinaabe ways of life. The
last two centuries of colonization, land use, and climate-driven
changes necessitate concerted
efforts to protect and restore these
communities and sustainable
relationships with them. Through
this project, the Division seeks to
revitalize and restore Anishinaabe
ecosystem management practices
across the 1836 Ceded Territory
while enhancing tribal access
to and management of treaty
resources. This project includes
the “Inter-agency Ishkode (Fire)
Stewardship Plan” and collaborations with the community
and other agencies, including
Sault Tribe’s Consortium
for Cooperative Ecological
Resilience (CCER).
Community Engagement:
NRD staff work to facilitate tribal
community member engagement

in ishkode planning processes,
including through interviews,
pre- and post-burn assessments,
and winter storytelling events.
In September 2024, NRD organized a community gathering at
Betchler Marsh with a fire, pipe
ceremony, feast, and giveaway.
Over 40 community members,
Forest Service partners, tribal
staff, and leaders attended.
Remote Camera Trapping:
The Wildlife Program concluded
the second year of a two-year
camera-trapping project designed
to better quantify wildlife populations in the 1836 Treaty Ceded
Territory. In November, staff set
60 remote camera traps across the
east unit of the Hiawatha National
Forest. Division staff compiled
and organized data from the 2024
cameras, identifying the wildlife
species present in each photo.
The Consortium for Cooperative
Ecological Resilience will use
these data to develop occupancy
models and inform future population estimates for gray wolves in
the eastern Upper Peninsula.
Wolf Assessments, Monitoring,
and Planning: Wildlife staff
have been using peer-reviewed
research and Sault Tribe-led
research to create a draft ma’iingan relations plan. In 2025, NRD
will identify management priorities and recommendations.
Cameras continued to monitor
20 wolf sites in the Straits area,
with over 13,000 trap nights
recorded. Wolves were detected
at 14 of the 20 sites. Additionally,
staff conducted over 20 winter
wolf track surveys in February
2024. Staff organized two years’
worth of wolf project data to
facilitate analysis. This includes
health assessments and fecal
samples that can be used to track
genetic information and inform a
population estimate.
Spruce Grouse Habitat
Utilization: Staff initiated a pilot
project in 2024 to assess spruce
grouse movements and habitat
use. In April, staff affixed GPS
units on three spruce grouse near
the Betchler Marsh complex.
Movement data were downloaded
from these units every two weeks,
with nearly 10,000 locations collected. Future vegetation surveys
will allow staff to investigate
resource selection by these individuals.
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Occupancy Survey: Wildlife
staff continued to monitor for
sharp-tailed grouse throughout
the Ishkode Project area. This
involves surveying along dirt
roads and listening for lekking
individuals in a systematic way.
This is a collaborative project
with the Hiawatha National
Forest.
Water Quality Initiative
The water quality section
ensures safe drinking water and
surface waters on reservation
lands. Since 2012, staff have
monitored surface water quality,
conducted outreach, and reported
under the Clean Water Act, as
well as monitored drinking water
in tribal health centers and housing for compliance with the EPA
Safe Drinking Water Act.
Surface Water Quality
In October 2024, a new
Environmental Scientist-Water

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 Annual Report

Page 9

NATURAL RESOURCES WILDLIFE 2024 HIGHLIGHTS
was hired, and staff were trained
on the Water Quality Exchange
(WQX) for compliance with
EPA standards. Historical surface water sampling data from
2017 to 2022 were uploaded
into WQX to support the EPA
Section 106 Water Quality
Assessment Report, which will
inform water quality standards
and monitoring. New monitoring protocols and methods were
also developed to enhance data
accuracy.
Drinking Water Quality
Monthly drinking water
sampling at nine tribal properties ensured compliance with
the Safe Drinking Water Act,
preventing contamination and
waterborne illnesses. Staff monitored water usage with monthly
meter readings. Progress was
made on a uranium project,
planning reverse osmosis systems in eight homes by spring
2025, and a survey of lead
service lines was completed to
meet EPA’s Lead and Copper
Rule requirements.
Air Quality Initiative
The Air Quality section,
established in 2016, works to
protect both indoor and ambient
air quality on reservation lands.
Air quality staff engage in outreach, review air permits, and
operate an NTN monitoring site.
In late September 2024, a new
Environmental Scientist-Air was
hired.
Throughout the year, staff
conducted weekly visits to the
NADP monitoring location to
ensure accurate atmospheric data
collection, which is critical for
assessing the impacts of acid
rain. Collected samples were
sent for chemical analysis, with
results expected in late spring
2025.
Staff also submitted five
indoor air quality assessment
reports for tribal residences,
inspecting homes for moisture,
mold, and ventilation issues. Air
sampling measured particulate
matter and gases, and detailed
reports were provided to property owners.
Brownfields, Pollution
Control, and Risk Reduction
The Brownfields section
monitors environmental conditions at tribal properties and
develops tribal codes. A new
Environmental Scientist was
hired in November 2024, and
staff updated the Brownfield
Inventory by reviewing historical land use and assessments.
Staff submitted the Property
Activity and Cleanup (PALs)
report, ensuring program funding and compliance with EPA
conditions. Inspections at four
Midjim gas stations revealed
that two spill kits were needed,
which were purchased. Staff
confirmed the presence and condition of these kits. An 8-hour
HAZWOPER training session,
organized with the U.S. Coast
Guard, educated participants
on safe handling of hazardous
materials. The Littering section
of the tribal Criminal Code was
revised to enhance enforcement
against environmental degradation. Staff also collaborated
with various agencies on regional planning and emergency
response strategies.

Above, watching for marsh birds. Below, lake whitefish take a short break in a holding tank before tagging
and in a recovery tank after tagging.

Atikameg (Lake Whitefish)
Initiative: From Start to Finish
Lake whitefish are central
to the Sault Tribe’s commercial fishery, but populations in
the 1836 Treaty territory have
declined since the early 2000s.
In response, the Tribe launched
a pioneering pond-based rearing
program in 2018 to restore river-spawning stocks and improve
conservation practices. Centered
at Nunn’s Creek hatchery, the
program can incubate 1.5 million eggs and raise 400 pounds
of fish annually. In 2024, 46,000
fingerlings were stocked in the
Pine River, and gametes from
over 90 adult pairs yielded
800,000+ eggs. A new effort
relocated 125 spawning adults to
a tributary, using acoustic tags
to monitor their presence during
spawning.
Ogaa Stocking
The Sault Tribe operates
an ogaa (walleye) hatchery in
Barbeau, annually stocking
1–1.5 million fingerlings in
Great Lakes and inland lakes
within the 1836 Treaty territory.
In 2024, over 1 million fingerlings were stocked, and fall electrofishing surveys showed more

than 75% of sampled juveniles
were hatchery reared. Biological
sampling and aging of 400+ fish
helped assess population health
and stocking success. The Tribe
also partnered with Michigan
DNR on additional lake surveys.
Harvest Assessment and
Reporting
In 2024, the NRD continued
to meet reporting requirements
under the 2023 Great Lakes
Consent Decree and the 2007
Inland Consent Decree, which
are vital for understanding subsistence and commercial use of
fish, wildlife, and plant species
across the 1836 Ceded Territory.
This information helps guide
species assessments, regulatory
review, and monitoring programs that support treaty-reserved harvesting by tribal members.
Under the 2023 Great Lakes
Decree, NRD compiled and
submitted subsistence and special harvest reports, reviewed
commercial fishing data, and
collected approximately 2,500
fish from commercial samples,
including monitoring of the
new Lake Trout trap net fishery.
Staff processed over 50 special

subsistence permits, bi-monthly reports from 48 commercial
fishers, and monthly reports
from around 170 subsistence
fishers. Staff completed catchat-age models for key whitefish
units in Northern Lake Huron
and Bay de Noc, which support
quota setting and sustainable
management.
Under the 2007 Inland Decree
and the MOU with the U.S.
Forest Service, NRD assembled
harvest data from 2,528 inland
reports, representing nearly
13,000 wildlife species. Staff
conducted the annual lake sturgeon, elk, and bear permit lotteries. Finally, staff worked with
Sault Tribe Law Enforcement to
issue and meet reporting requirements for 160 walleye system
harvest permits and 20 special
method harvest permits.
Inter-agency Management
In 2024, the Sault Tribe NRD
advanced its role in co-stewarding treaty-reserved resources
by collaborating with federal,
state, and inter-tribal partners
across the 1836 Ceded Territory.
NRD supported Sault Tribe
leadership by developing and
reviewing management plans for

fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems, while ensuring agency
activities aligned with tribal
priorities. Staff actively engaged
in Chippewa Ottawa Resource
Authority (CORA) governance,
contributing to implementation
of the 2023 Great Lakes Decree
and the 2007 Inland Consent
Decree through technical committees focused on wildlife,
inland fisheries, and Great Lakes
fishery modeling and monitoring.
Beyond CORA, NRD staff
participated in technical and policy work across multiple Great
Lakes committees, contributed
to restoration planning in the St.
Marys River Area of Concern,
and coordinated with agencies
such as the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, EPA, USFS, USFWS,
and BIA on projects ranging
from Line 5 permitting and prescribed fire to stream crossings,
species assessments, and habitat
management. Additional work
included supporting invasive
species prevention, air quality
policy, climate action planning, manoomin mapping with
NOAA, and research collaborations with universities to address
whitefish recruitment and forest
health. These partnerships reflect
a broad commitment to ensuring
tribal science and stewardship
priorities guide resource management throughout the region.
Ezhi-Inawendiyang
Community Outreach
Division staff wove
Anishinaabe values into a busy
2024 outreach calendar: booths
at powwows and community walks, Boat-to-School and
Sturgeon-in-the-Classroom
lessons, AIS boat-wash days,
two YEA youth events, a
native seed workshop, and a
public manoomin planting in
Munuscong Bay. NRD hosted
the first hatchery open house
and helped produce the Sacred
Waters documentary, while
donating nearly 900 pounds of
fish to the Elders Meal Program.
To keep the Division’s work
cutting-edge and amplify tribal
voices, staff briefed or presented
at the International Association
for Great Lakes Research, the
Inter-Tribal Timber Council
Symposium, the National Forum
on Air Quality, the Great Lakes
ANS Panel, EPA Region 5’s
program-manager meeting,
and the National Atmospheric
Deposition Symposium. These
engagements strengthen partnerships, bring practical knowledge home, and reinforce the
Division’s commitment to community health, treaty rights, and
long-term stewardship.
Funding
In fiscal year 2024, the
NRD managed approximately
$3,928,780, of which 94% was
external funding and 6% was
tribal support. External funding
acquisition has been vital in supporting Division staffing and initiatives. In 2024, NRD applied
for and received numerous funding awards from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest
Service, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, U.S. Bureau
of Indian Affairs, and The
Nature Conservancy, among others.

Page 10

2024 Annual Report

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 LANGUAGE & CULTURE HIGHLIGHTS
The Sault Tribe Language
and Culture Division works to
provide meaningful opportunities
for tribal members to learn our
Anishinaabe Bimaadiziwin (way
of life) and Anishinaabemowin
(Ojibwe language). In doing so,
we protect and preserve the beautiful way of life given by Gichii
Maniidoo (Creator) and left to us
by our ancestors to carry on for
the next seven generations.
CULTURAL EVENTS AND
ACTIVITIES
— Annual Events
— New Year’s Sobriety
Powwow
— Winter Survival Camps
— Snow Snake Tournament
and Games
— Sugar Bush Camp on Sugar
Island
— Seasonal Ceremonies,
Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter
— Baaweting Homecoming
Powwow
— Sugar Island Powwow
— Jiibe – Feast for the
Ancestors
— Honor Our Veteran’s
Powwow
— Winter time storytelling
Other activities when knowledge keepers available:
— Black-ash basket making
— Canoe building
— Moccasin making
— Porcupine Quill work
— Birchbark basketry
— Ojibwe design
— Dance Regalia sewing
— Powwow Dance instruction
— Hide Tanning
— Indigenous Corn processing
— Making Maple sugar
— Drying Fish / Bush cooking
— And More…

SUMMER 2024 —Grand entry for the 43rd annual Bahweting Homecoming Powwow.
with other language speakers and
from elders and local drums make
ANISHINAABEMOWIN –
each other. Workshops provide an for a favorite “pop-up” powwow
Ojibwe Language Programing
array of culturally based discusday.
An important goal for
sions, including the importance of
NIIGAANAGIIZHIK
Language and Culture is to reach
revitalization and preservation of
CEREMONIAL BUILDING
as many tribal members as posthe language.
The division acts as caresible to share and preserve our
Ojibwe calendars with the trataker for the Niigaanagiizhik
beautiful Ojibwe Anishinaabe
ditional names for each month are Ceremonial Building, which was
language.
available on the site along with
built in the 1990s at the request
Since the COVID pandemic,
list of language related to that
of tribal elders in the Baaweting
this new way of learning Ojibwe
month. Language lessons are also community. The elders wanted
has been a great tool. New lespublished monthly in the tribal
a place where loved ones could
sons are posted weekly by four
newspaper.
journey to the spirit world with
language speakers and are also
The division also operates an
Anishinaabe ceremony, traditions
available live. There are about
Ojibwe Language After-school
and family, without question. The
150 lessons archived and availprogram for children ages 7-12
building has recently undergone
able for viewing. Look for the
with the goal of producing emerg- upgrades ranging from the kitchads in Sault Tribe Language and
ing speakers. Children take part
en to the firehouse right down to
Culture on Facebook.
in fun projects and recreational
the kitchen plates. The building
The division also hosts the
activities and learn everyday
is also used for many tribal cerannual Anishinaabmowin conlanguage and cultural practices
emonies, family gatherings and
ference to give opportunity to
woven into the curriculum. Visits
an occasional wedding or baby
learners to listen to and interact

shower.
MARY MURRAY
CULTURE CAMP
Mary Murray Culture Camp
on Sugar Island is also under the
supervision of the Language and
Culture Division. It sits on 40
acres of hardwood with nature
trails throughout. The camp was
built to provide an environment
to teach our traditional life ways
including everything from sugar
bush to building a canoe to tying
fishing nets. It sleeps 35-plus for
overnight stays, with a full kitchen, showers and bathrooms, and
community gathering space. The
camp is available for use by other
tribal departments, Youth and
Education (YEA), tribal Heath
and Education, and by tribal
Natural Resources.
OTHER DIVISION
RESPONSIBILITIES
— Assist with many other tribal powwows.
— Operate the PA system
— Build lodges for ceremony
— Process cultural leave
request for tribal employees.
— Annual “Night of Native
music and Dance” at the Soo
Locks.
— Invocations and other ceremonial functions.
— Assist tribal Repatriation
with grave preparation and ceremony for repatriation of ancestors.

REPATRIATION AND LIBRARY ACTIVITIES FOR 2024
NAADIN
ESHPENDAAGWAK — To get
back what we hold sacred
The Ojibwe Learning Center
& Library offers educational
materials and space for our community, and promotes the learning and preservation of traditional Anishinaabe ways. Books are
focused on Native American traditions, cultures, and languages.
The library contains authentic
cultural pieces, including baskets, beadwork, and a birchbark
canoe. It is also a place to hold
meetings, events, classes, or
language classes (in-person and
online).
Repatriation & Historic
Preservation represents our tribe
on issues concerning the Native
American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
and Section 106, and facilitates
the return of ancestral remains
and items of cultural patrimony
removed from our homelands,
past and present. The program
deals with inadvertent discovery
of ancestral remains and sacred
or traditional cultural properties
taken from tribe during construction projects. It also serves
as the administrative contact for
Wequayoc Cemetery Committee.
It addresses the tribe’s policy
concerning gravesites and their
protection, works with tribal,
federal, state, and local branches

of government.
RHPO STAFF
The Repatriation and Historic
Preservation Office, located in
the Ojibwe Learning Center
and Library is staffed by the
Repatriation and Historic
Preservation Specialist, and a
part-time library aide.
REPATRIATION
The RPHO facilitated the
repatriation of 24 ancestors
and their belongings. The
Repatriation Specialist conducted routine NAGPRA consultations. The RHPO held four
Repatriation Ceremonies (burial
of ancestors) on June 3, June 14,
Oct. 18, and Nov. 22.
The Repatriation Specialist
traveled numerous times in
2024:
— Petoskey, Mich., for a
quarterly MACPRA Meeting
— Sagamok, Ont., to attend
a Traditional Textiles Workshop
as apart of the Rematriating
Anishinaabe Art Grant
— Ann Arbor, Mich., for
Honoring and Recommitment
Ceremony with the University of
Michigan,
— Chicago, Ill., for repatriation with the Chicago History
Museum and the Chicago Field
Museum,
— Paradise, Mich., for repatriation from a private individual

— Lansing, Mich., for a
return of archeological materials from the State Historic
Preservation Office
— Schoolcraft County
Historical Society for a collections donation
— Grand Rapids, Mich., to
assist with repatriation to the
Grand River Band of Ottawa
Indians
— Lansing, Mich., for repatriation with Michigan State
University
— St. Ignace, Mich., for
Wequayoc Committee Meeting
— Ann Arbor, Mich., to
attend the Association of Tribal
Archives Libraries and Museums
— Lansing, Mich., for
NAGPRA Consultation with
Michigan History Center
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
The Repatriation Specialist
conducted routine NHPA
Section 106 reviews or consultations with the US Army
Corps of Engineers at Soo Locks
Complex to discuss the removal
of the Brady Park Obelisk from
the burial mounds. Also:
— Held a Section 106 staffto-staff conversation with
Huron Manistee National Forest
Heritage Manager,
— Conducted tribal relations relationship building with
Hiawatha National Forest Tribal

Liaison for presentation “Tribal
101” to Hiawatha leadership,
line officers, and staff.
— Met with DNR
Archaeologist to discuss Palms
Book and Indian Lake State
Parks cultural resource management and the DNR’s new planning document for each park.
— Attended routine Line 5
Tribal Cooperation meetings.
— Attended EPA Line 5
workshop hosted by Bay Mills
Indian Community.
— Worked with United States
Geological Services on re-naming traditional cultural landscape. This included creating a
pronunciation guide. The USGS
is documenting the Sault Tribe’s
approach as a model in a report
for other tribes.
The Repatriation Specialist
was a member of the Sault
Tribe’s Powwow Committee, the
administrative contact for the
Wequayoc Cemetery Committee,
and a member of the Heart of
Great Turtle Island, an advisory
committee formed to advise on
development of the St. Ignace
park next to the Mackinaw
Bridge that is also used for the
powwow grounds.
OJIBWE LEARNING
CENTER AND LIBRARY
In 2024, the OLCL hosted
885 visitors. The OLCL was
available to tribal and commu-

nity members to view library
materials and research. The
OLCL accepted several library
materials and collections donations from individuals. The
OLCL hosted three Anishinaabe
Art Workshops, as a part of
the Rematriating Anishinaabe
Art Grant: Mitten Workshop
March 1-3 with instructor Jackie
Minton, Drum Stick Making
Workshop April 6 with Cody
Jodoin, and Quill Wrapped
Earrings with Madeline Big
Bear, Nov. 21-23. The OLCL
also loaned items to be on display for the First Lady visit on
May 17.
GOALS FOR 2025
Repatriation and Historical
Preservation
— Continuing consultations
with current institutions
— Follow-up with institutions reaching out requesting a
consultation
Ojibwe Learning Center
and Library
— Continue developing art
workshops for Rematriating
Anishinaabe Art Grant
— Develop a plan to rotate
throughout the Units some of the
art and craft collections housed
in the Learning Center
— Continue providing educational resources, providing
meeting/gathering spaces, museum-type exhibition

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 Annual Report

Page 11

HEALTH DIVISION’S 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

Health CEO James Benko
In 2024, the Sault Tribe Health
Division embarked on a transformative journey, laying the
foundation for a more efficient,
accessible, and patient-centered
healthcare experience. This year
marked the beginning of a comprehensive reassessment and
restructuring effort, including
the selection of a new Electronic
Health Record (EHR) management system—a major initiative
that, once fully implemented,
will significantly enhance service
delivery. Among the key developments was the appointment
of James A. Benko as our Chief
Executive Officer. Benko brings
over three decades of experience in healthcare operations
and administration, along with a
bachelor’s and master’s degree
in Health Care Administration.
Originally from Flint, Mich.,
he offers a strong background
in financial and operational
leadership, as well as strategic
planning, positioning the Health
Division for long-term success.
The Health Division operates four large health facilities
— Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace,
Manistique, and Munising —
and five smaller nursing stations
— Hessel, DeTour, Newberry,
Gladstone, and Marquette.
Serving over 14,000 tribal
members and eligible patients,
the staff of the Health Division
have shown their dedication and
professionalism by providing
high-quality care to our patients.
An addition in 2024 was the
Medication Assisted Treatment
(MAT) Clinic located in the Sault.
SATISFACTION SURVEY
RESULTS
The After-Visit phone surveys conducted by JP Morgan &
Associates revealed that patients
who visited the clinic in 2024
expressed high satisfaction with
the care delivered by their providers. Overall, the satisfaction
rate was 94%. These survey
results are invaluable as we strive
to enhance our processes and
better serve our patients. Despite
challenges such as staff shortages, high demand, and limited
resources, our Health Division
remains committed to quality
care. We appreciate patient feedback and are actively addressing
areas for improvement.
QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
In the Health Division’s ongoing commitment to patient safety,
continuous improvement, and
adherence to national best practices, Quality Improvement studies are conducted. In 2024, the
Health Division monitored hand
hygiene compliance across mul-

tiple sites, achieving 98–100%
compliance by October in most
departments, including Sault
Ste. Marie Medical, the Walk-In
Clinic, and St. Ignace Dental. A
follow-up study in early 2025
at Sault Ste. Marie Community
Health confirmed a 99% compliance rate.
The Health Division also
participated in the AAAHC
Safe Injection Practices (SIP)
Benchmarking Study twice in
2024. The first round of 35 observations identified five hygiene-related issues, which were promptly
addressed. Following policy
updates and staff training, STHD
earned a 100% best performer
rating in the second half of the
year.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
The Sault Tribe Behavioral
Health Program offers a variety of culturally sensitive outpatient program and services.
Some of the services provided
are: Screening, Intake and
Assessment, Therapy (e.g., play
therapy, cognitive behavioral,
etc.), Psychiatric Evaluation
and Follow-up Care, Crisis
Intervention/Urgent Care,
Outpatient Services for Substance
Use Disorders, Compulsive
Gambling Counseling, Alcohol/
Drug Education and Awareness,
and Employee Assistance
Program. Psychological testing is
available for 5-year-old through
elderly patients. Tele-psychiatric
and psychiatric services are
offered to clients through a
referral from their primary care
provider or therapist. Behavioral
Health also offers the Road to
Wellness Program, to assist active
clients with transportation to
make it easier for them to attend
appointments.
The Behavioral Health
Program has seen a significant
rise in demand for urgent care
and crisis intervention services,
mirroring broader increases in
mental health needs since the
COVID-19 pandemic. Urgent
care services are available on a
walk-in basis, Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
with staff always available to
respond. Rural sites also accommodate urgent care needs, though
appointments may be required
based on therapist availability.
The Behavioral Health
Program leads several long-term
initiatives funded by federal
and tribal grants, including a
SAMHSA Opioid Response
Grant. This grant supports a
wide range of recovery services
including three Peer Recovery
Coaches, a Prevention Specialist,
and three residential Recovery
Homes. Behavioral Health also
fosters community engagement
through events like the annual
Recovery Gala, which recently
welcomed over 75 attendees in
a substance-free celebration of
recovery.
Additionally, two home-based
programs funded by the InterTribal Council of Michigan Inc.
enhance family wellness. The
Family Spirit Program, led by
RN Pam Smith, offers in-home
parenting education for caregivers
of tribal children. The Healing
to Wellness Program provides
in-home support for families

Community Health cooking class in 2024.

New dental equipment was purchased in 2024.
affected by perinatal substance
use, with a Perinatal Opioid
Coordinator serving 24 active clients. These programs offer transportation, essential supplies, and
personalized care coordination
to promote healing and stability
within the home.
CLINICAL SERVICES RURAL HEALTH
The Sault Tribe’s Rural Health
program continued to provide
vital services across five Upper
Peninsula locations in 2024. The
two larger facilities—Manistique
and Munising—offered a full
range of care, including Medical
and Nursing, Dental, Optical,
Pharmacy, Nutrition Counseling,
Behavioral Health, and
Community Health services.
The three smaller clinics—Newberry, Marquette,
and Gladstone—focused on
Community Health services,
Nutrition Counseling, medication
pick-up, health education, and

connecting patients to additional
tribal resources. A key advancement in 2024 was the expanded
use of telemedicine in these
clinics, allowing patients to consult with providers remotely and
access more care options closer to
home.
The Manistique Tribal Health
Center continued to serve as a
comprehensive care hub, offering services in Medical, Dental,
Optical, Pharmacy, Nutrition,
Behavioral Health, Audiology,
and Community Health. The
Gladstone Tribal Health Center
provided Community Health and
Nutrition services, telemedicine
clinics, medication pick-up, and
access to tribal programs.
In 2024, Manistique and
Gladstone recorded a combined
total of 6,928 visits across
Medical, Community Health,
Audiology, and telemedicine
services, along with 2,333 Dental
visits and 878 Optical visits. A

notable enhancement was the
introduction of laboratory services at the Gladstone clinic,
offered twice monthly. This new
service has been well received,
reducing the need for patients to
travel to Manistique for lab work.
Construction of fitness centers
in Manistique and Gladstone
progressed throughout 2024, with
both opening to tribal members
in early 2025. The Manistique
facility features an exercise room,
yoga room, half basketball court
with walking track, and locker
rooms with showers. Gladstone’s
center includes an exercise room
and lockers. Both are equipped
with modern fitness equipment
and trained staff to assist members.
Recruitment efforts also
saw success. In Fall 2024, Dr.
Nicholas Golba joined as Dental
Supervisor in Manistique, and a
new Dental Hygienist began in
February 2025. These hard-to-fill
positions are critical to expanding
dental care access.
CLINICAL SERVICES - ST.
IGNACE
St. Ignace Tribal Health
marked a year of major growth
and achievement. The team
successfully transitioned into a
new 20,000-square-foot Medical
Office Building on the MSHS
campus, enhancing service
delivery with upgraded medical,
dental, and optical equipment,
digitized records, and paperless
billing and referrals. Despite the
move, patient care continued with
minimal disruption.
St. Ignace Tribal Health
offers a wide range of services,
including Medical, Dental,
Optical, Pharmacy, Behavioral
Health, Traditional Medicine,
and Community Health. A variety of flexible care options are
provided to meet the needs of
our patients. These include telemedicine through off-site medical
carts at satellite clinics, allowing
patients to connect with providers
remotely; telehealth via doxy.me,
enabling virtual visits from the
comfort of home; and telephone
follow-ups. In addition to in-clinic ambulatory care, we offer quarterly off-site visits to the Hessel
Community Center and operate a
Mobile Medical Unit that travels
to Romulus during the spring,
summer, and fall to serve patients
in that area. In 2024, the clinic
recorded over 5,400 medical visits, 2,900 dental visits, and 900
optical visits, while processing
more than 40,000 prescriptions.
Collaborations with universities and healthcare partners,
including Sacred Heart for medication-assisted treatment (MAT),
have expanded access to comprehensive addiction recovery services. The clinic also distributed
home monitoring equipment to
over 300 high-risk patients.

Page 12

2024 Annual Report

OCtober 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

HEALTH DIVISION 2024 OVERVIEW, CONTINUED
CLINICAL SERVICES –
SAULT STE. MARIE
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribal
Health Center (STHC) is a major
ambulatory facility that serves
as the primary location for several key services, including Lab,
Radiology, and Medical Records,
which are provided to its satellite
clinics.
In 2024, the Health Division’s
Sault Ste. Marie Medical and
Nursing Department continued its
established standard of delivering
high-quality medical care, ensuring consistent, patient-centered
services. The medical providers at
the Sault Health Center completed
18,566 patient visits. Additionally,
nursing staff fulfilled 1,517 nurse
only appointments, offering services such as immunizations,
dressing changes, suture/staple
removals, allergy injections, cerumen removal, other injectable
medications, medication reconciliations, and EKGs for our patients.
The on-site Walk-In Clinic
remained a vital resource. Open
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30
p.m., it served 5,858 patients in
2024. The Walk-In Clinic is available to for acute, immediate needs
such as colds, flu, Covid, sinus,
sore throats, sprains and strains,
urinary tract infections, simple
lacerations and much more. The
Walk-In Clinic providers can help
bridge medical care with the primary care provider when certain
health concerns arise such as elevations in blood pressure or blood
sugars, and medication reactions.
A major accomplishment in
2024 for our tribe and community, was the addition of the MAT
(Medication Assisted Therapy)
Clinic. The Naandwejgegamig
(Healing Place), opened its doors
on June 25, 2024, to all tribal and
community members. There were
1,703 patient visits completed.
The program continues to grow
and help individuals struggling
with substance abuse disorders to
achieve and maintain long-term
recovery. Hours of operation are
Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 6
p.m. Referrals are not necessary;
the Healing Place can be contacted at (906) 635-8877.
The department also continued its academic partnerships
by precepting nursing and nurse
practitioner students. Despite
ongoing challenges in recruiting
physicians—a nationwide issue—
efforts are underway to enhance
provider recruitment in 2025.
The Sault Tribal Health Center
Laboratory offers a wide range
of services for patients who need
blood tests or other specimens
collected. Patients can have their
blood drawn and tests performed
at the STHC Laboratory, which
is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Limited in-clinic lab testing
is available from 4:30 p.m. until
7:30 p.m. (Rapid strep, influenza
a & b, covid, RSV, blood glucose,
urine pregnancy, and urinalysis).
Patients who are fasting or have
orders from outside providers
should make an appointment by
calling (906) 632-5230. Patients
who are seen at STHC can have
their blood drawn the same day
without an appointment. In 2024,
the STHC Lab performed over
230,000 in-house tests on specimens.
The Radiology Department
continues to provide a full range

Tradtional Medicine staff surrounded by medicinal swamp tea.
of diagnostic imaging services,
and Gathering, and a Canning
including X-rays, mammograand Preserving Series. Over
phy, and ultrasound. In 2024,
250 gitigaan (garden) kits were
the department completed 2,175
distributed in partnership with
X-ray exams, 838 mammograMSU Extension FRTEP, and the
phy exams, and 962 ultrasound
Indigenous Food Week Challenge
exams. The department remains
encouraged community members
fully accredited by the American
to prepare and share meals using
College of Radiology (ACR) and
traditional foods via social media.
successfully passed its annual
COMMUNITY HEALTH
FDA inspection, ensuring conNURSING (Sault, St. Ignace,
tinued compliance with national
Hessel, DeTour)
quality and safety standards.
In 2024, the Sault Tribe
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Community Health Program
EDUCATION
continued to deliver a wide range
In 2024, the Sault Tribe
of services in clinical, home,
Community Health Education
and community settings for tribprogram continued to deliver a
al members and their families.
wide range of health education
These services included patient
services across the tribe’s sevhealth evaluations, chronic
en-county service area, with a
disease education, medication
strong focus on prevention, wellmanagement, in-home case manness, and cultural relevance. The
agement, home safety checks,
Nicotine Dependence Program
immunizations, foot care, in-home
(NDP) expanded its accessibillab draws, and injections such
ity by offering early morning,
as flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
evening, and weekend hours. A
Additional programs supported
major success was the partnership car seat safety, incontinence care,
with the tribal Housing Authority,
hypertension education, and the
which led to a 100% Smoke-Free
Nike Shoe Program. Community
Housing Designation across all
Health Nursing also contributed to
established housing sites. NDP
community gardens, telemedicine,
also engaged youth through e-cig- CPR training, vision and hearing
arette and vaping education in
screenings, and annual health
schools and outreach at the Teen
fairs, while also managing preHealth Fair at Sault High School,
scription pickups in DeTour and
which reached over 700 students.
Hessel.
Public awareness was further
Outreach efforts expanded
supported through a culturally tai- significantly in 2024. COVID/Flu
lored TV commercial and tobacco Clinics were held in St. Ignace,
prevention billboards.
Sault Ste. Marie, Hessel, DeTour,
The Medical Fitness Program
and Kinross. CPR certification
was provided to staff across
grew to include both clinic-based
and in-home services, following
departments, and Breast Cancer
ACSM’s Exercise is Medicine
Awareness giveaways were disguidelines. Group classes such as
tributed at all main sites. The
the Fall Prevention Class Series
team also launched an Employee
Wellness Challenge and led cookand Elder Balance Class were
ing classes for the Sault Tribe
introduced, along with outdoor
Summer Recreation Program and
activities like moonlight snowshoe walks, community hikes, and YEA Chomp classes for youth.
a medical fitness kayak excursion. Additional activities included
Snowshoe Events, a Walking Club
Through CDC-funded grants
in St. Ignace, the Senior Health
like GHWIC and TPWIC, the
Expo, and nutrition education sesprogram supported trail-based
sions at Lodge of Hope and Head
wellness projects, including
Start. The team also supported
enhancements to the Downtown
Lunch Loop and the installation
the Big Bear Arena Family Fun
of a bilingual Little Red Hen
Night.
DENTAL
Storybook Trail. In Kinross, a
In 2024, the Sault Tribe Dental
walking trail was revitalized with
Program provided 10,333 dental
Ojibwe-English signage featuring
visits, including 5,215 in Sault
native plants, animals, and physical activity prompts.
Ste. Marie, 2,776 in St. Ignace,
Cultural workshops offered
and 2,342 in Manistique. Services
through TPWIC included
offered to eligible patients includCultural Beading, Indigenous
ed exams, oral cancer screenings,
Breastfeeding, Tea Blending,
x-rays, cleanings, preventive and
Apple Cider Press, Healthy Meals periodontal care, fillings, crowns,

dentures, root canals, nightguards,
pediatric care, oral surgery, and
emergency dental services. A
major milestone was the expansion of the St. Ignace Dental
Department, which moved into a
new facility equipped with stateof-the-art equipment and designed
for patient comfort and safety.
The department also partnered
with Skagit Valley College to host
a Dental Therapy Extern. Tribal
member Dana Obey completed
her preclinical training and began
working with dentists in Sault Ste.
Marie in preparation for her board
exam. Dental therapists focus on
minimally invasive treatment and
prevention, expanding access to
care.
OPTICAL
Comprehensive optical care is
available at the Sault Ste. Marie,
St. Ignace, and Manistique sites.
Services include cataract and
glaucoma evaluations, diabetic
and dilated eye exams, children’s eye exams, retinal and
macular degeneration assessments, and emergency eye care.
Additional services feature
contact lens fittings and classes, visual field testing, Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT),
and a full-service optical dispensary with eyeglass repair and
Medicaid/UPHP eyewear options.
Referral services are also provided.
In 2024, 3,427 optical visits
were recorded across all three
sites. A major highlight was the
relocation of the St. Ignace clinic to the new St. Ignace Tribal
Health building, now equipped
with a state-of-the-art optical
facility and modern equipment.
The year also marked the retirement of Dr. Dale Johnson, a
long-serving optometrist in Sault
Ste. Marie.
PURCHASED REFERRED
CARE
Purchased Referred Care
(PRC) provides appropriate
access for Sault Tribe Members to
achieve high-quality care beyond
what is available through Tribal
Health facilities. PRC benefits
are established by federal law and
regulations and funded through
appropriations from the federal
government. Tribes establish
priorities of coverage based on
funding appropriated. Members
should not rely solely on PRC for
their medical coverage and should
apply for alternate resources if
eligible. PRC is the payor of last
resort. Eligibility requirements
for PRC include residing within the Purchased Referred Care
Delivery area, consisting of seven
counties, having a completed
application on file, providing
proof of income and residency,
and being enrolled in PRC 90
days prior to an inpatient stay. It
is the member’s responsibility to
request assistance by contacting
the PRC office directly. PRC can
now text message your cell phone
or email your voucher numbers
for requested services. Contact
PRC to update your contact information for this service if you have
not done so already. After-hours/
weekend coverage is available
by calling the nurse triage line
in your area where your primary
care provider is located.
PHARMACY
In 2024, the Pharmacy
Department dispensed 181,790

prescriptions, including 12,661
prescriptions mailed to elders (60plus) and members with disabilities. In addition to high-quality
medication dispensing, the pharmacy team provided medication
counseling, medication therapy
management (MTM), smoking
cessation counseling, and supported an antimicrobial stewardship
program. The Sault Ste. Marie
location also maintained a medication disposal site in the medical
waiting room lobby.
Pharmacy services included
collaboration with Community
Health and Elder Care for medication setup and delivery, mail-order
refills via USPS, and delivery to
rural community health sites. In
2024, the department underwent
leadership changes, with the
new team focusing on improving
patient care, updating policies
for regulatory compliance, and
enhancing internal processes.
A major initiative underway is
the pharmacy management software upgrade, expected to launch
in fall 2025, which will expand
services and improve efficiency.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
In 2024, the Sault Tribe
Traditional Medicine Program
actively collaborated across
departments and communities to
support the spiritual and cultural
well-being of Anishinaabek members. The department received
generous donations from tribal
members, including bear fat,
sage, red willow, bee hives, and
shkitaagan (chaga), which were
used in minigan recipes, salves,
and other traditional medicines.
Volunteers played a vital role in
preparing fasting grounds, gathering medicines, hauling wood, and
supporting seasonal ceremonies
such as the Fall Fast and Winter
Feast held at the Niigaanagiizhik
building.
Traditional Medicine staff
provided smudging, prayers,
and pipe ceremonies throughout
the year, including Sault Tribe
Board of Directors invocations,
home cleansings, elder visits, and
end-of-life ceremonies. Gerard
Sagassige represented the department at the MATRIX group in
January and led teachings for
youth and families at events
such as the Big Bear snowshoe
event, Tribal Youth Program, and
Manistique powwow. The team
also supported the tribal judicial
court’s May talking circle and collaborated with Community Health
by providing traditional teas.
Outreach included participation
in the St. Ignace Senior Health
Expo, Tall Cop event, and Family
Night at the middle school.
Medicines were gathered from
state and federal forests for clinic
use, and sweat lodge ceremonies were held at the Sault Tribe
Health Center for members who
requested them through the passing of tobacco. The department
also hosted a successful fasting
camp and engaged in meet-andgreet events with tribal organizations to strengthen community
ties. Traditional Medicine remains
committed to preserving and sharing Anishinaabe healing practices.
The Sault Tribe Health
Division is proud of its accomplishments in 2024 and looks forward to continuing its mission of
promoting health and wellness for
its members in 2025 and beyond.

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

2024 Annual Report

SAULT TRIBE ELDER SERVICES 2024 OVERVIEW
Elder Services had an exciting year. A committed group of
compassionate, caring team members provided a wide variety of
services to our elders. Our goal
is to provide tribal elders with
the best possible programming to
meet their needs, promote healthy
living opportunities and improve
their quality of life. By providing high quality in-home care,
and access to community-based
services, the goal is to help the
elders have good health and
independence within their own
homes. Elder Services is grateful
for the funding received through
the Older Americans Act Title
VI grant program, as well as the
generosity of the tribe to be able
to provide these services.
In 2024, over 50,000 meals
were provided to elders across
the seven-county service area.
Our four meal programs located
in Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace,
Hessel and Manistique served
over 24,000 meals in house, and
brought 26,000 home delivered
meals to homebound elders. Each
meal site is staffed with two team
members in the kitchen, and our
Hessel site is fortunate enough to
have an elder worker. The Sault
also has a part-time team member dedicated to delivering all of
the home delivered meals in that
area. Meals were also provided
to elders that attended one of the
nine monthly elder sub-committee meetings across the service
area. Sault Tribe elders residing
on Mackinac Island were provided with vouchers to dine at two
different restaurants throughout
the year.
Elder Services has four full
time Home Health Technicians
that provide homemaker, personal
care, and respite services across
the seven-county service area.
Referrals for services are made to
our full-time Registered Nurse,
who then performs an assessment
to determine what services can
be provided. Reassessments are
completed on a regular basis to
ensure the needs are still being
met. The Elder Services Home
Health Technicians are some of
the kindest, most compassionate
team members. Their dedication to the elders in their care is
immeasurable. Elder Services is
proud to partner with care agencies in the Upper Peninsula, and
with funding from UPCAP, even
more services can be provided
to elders living in more remote
parts of the service area. Between
the Elder Services Home Health
Technicians, and team members
from the partner agencies, over
4,700 visits were made to Sault
Tribe elders in 2024.
Non-emergency medical
transportation is another service
that Elder Services is proud to
provide. Close to 1,000 rides
were provided to elders across the
service area to various locations
in the Upper Peninsula, northern lower Michigan, and into
Wisconsin. Under the guidance of
the Transportation Coordinator,
two full time drivers and one part
time driver provided the bulk of
the rides. It was not uncommon
for any of our other wonderful
team members to step in and
assist with a ride to an appointment as well this past year. In the
Sault, homebound elders within
city limits were provided with

close to 1,300 medication deliveries in 2024. With the addition of
two passenger vans to the Elder
Services fleet of vehicles, larger
groups of elders enjoyed traveling
on social outings throughout the
service area and into northern
lower Michigan.
Elder Services has four full
time Outreach Coordinators that
cover the seven counties. Their
main focus is establishing key
relationships with tribal elders
and their families by coordinating
programs and services to help
them continue to maintain a good
quality of life, and age in place.
For some elders, the Outreach
Coordinator is like family. An
advocate when the elder may not
have anyone else, this crucial
member of the Elder Services
team plays an important role
in ensuring the elder has what
he or she needs. The Outreach
Coordinators have assisted with
various open houses, tribally-sponsored health fairs, safety
fairs, social events and community programs that promote social,
cultural and intergenerational
opportunities.
In 2024, more than 6,800
points of contact were made by
the Elder Services Outreach team,
whether it was a phone call or
email to check in, home visit,
assistance with an application,
community outreach event, or
anything else the elder may have
needed.
The Elder Health Fund continues to assist elders with partial
payments for various dental and
vision needs provided by one of
the Sault Tribe Health Centers,
after insurance has been billed.
In 2024, Elder Services processed 138 Elder Health Fund
applications, which are required
to be renewed annually. This
income-based program provides
various levels of assistance with
the guideline being 150% of
the Federal Registry Poverty
Guidelines. The Outreach
Coordinators process the bulk of
the applications, and it is a fairly
easy process to complete.
Elder Services was proud
to provide five ramps to elders
across the service area. In conjunction with a local, tribally-owned company, ramps are
designed and built to assist elders
with mobility issues, and have
safer access into and out of their
homes. Referrals for the ramp
program are coordinated by our
Registered Nurse.
A number of inter-tribal and
community partnerships allowed
Elder Services to bring a wide
variety of resources and programs
to its elders. The MSU Extension
was able to visit a number of
areas and assist elders with applying for the Senior Project Fresh
program, allowing them access
to locally grown fruits, vegetables and food products during
the Farmers Market season. The
Community Health Wellness
Program provided exercise programs at both Nokomis-Mishomis
in the Sault and the Elder
Complex in St. Ignace.
The Environmental Program
sent a team member and a wide
variety of native plant species to
the Sault, Hessel and St Ignace
to provide education and share
the plantings. Additional plants
were distributed to elders in the

Manistique and Munising communities.
The EUPISD had two team
members that provided five
weeks of 13 Moons teachings to
Elders in the Sault, St. Ignace and
Hessel, with plans to expand to
other areas in 2025.
A representative from the
Michigan Indian Legal Services
visited a number of locations
across the service area to provide
education on estate planning,
and a Marquette-based insurance
company traveled across the
seven counties to provide information on supplemental insurance
programs available to elders.
The Curtis Kids Fishing Coop
Committee welcomed the Unit 2
Naubinway Elders to their home
for a meal and meeting to celebrate the partnership between
Sault Tribe and this local event
that provides fishing education
and opportunities to area youth.
The Mobile Secretary of
State Office visited NokomisMishomis, and established dates
for 2025 to visit locations in St.
Ignace, Manistique and Escanaba.
The Sault Area High School
Native Youth Council made
cards thanking Veterans for their
service. These cards were delivered to Veterans in the Sault, St
Ignace, Manistique and Escanaba.
The Sault Women’s Auxiliary
provided Christmas baskets for
homebound veterans, which were
distributed in Units 1, 2 and 3.
Food sovereignty was another
highlight this year. Thanks to
Chairman Lowes, the coordination of a generous donation
by Indian Energy allowed the
purchase of three bison to be processed and distributed to elders
across the service area. Bison was
incorporated into the menus in the
meal programs, used at summer
picnics, and distributed to elders
that attended the Elder SubCommittee meetings and meal
programs. The Sault Fisheries
program donated a large amount
of local lake trout which was then
distributed to other meal sites. A
local farmer brought large donations of sweet corn and squash
as well. We were grateful to have
this food provided to share with
the elders.
Nokomis-Mishomis parking lot received a much needed
upgrade in the fall of 2024. The
meal program continued despite
the several weeks’ long construction project. The opening of the
Escanaba Community Center
provided a new home for the
Escanaba Elder Sub-Committee
meetings, and social and cultural
gatherings for the elders.
Elder Services enjoyed gathering and celebrating throughout
the year. The summer picnics
provided a wonderful time to
gather and enjoy each others
company, and of course a wonderful meal. The holidays were
celebrated in a big way throughout 2024. Halloween parties,
Thanksgiving meals and family
gatherings closed out the fall.
Manistique and Munising elders
enjoyed cookie decorating with
their coordinating YEA programs
in preparation for their holiday
parties. A wide variety of holiday parties were planned across
the service area for elders and
guests to enjoy, with just under
800 in attendance altogether. The

Manistique meal program closed
out 2024 with a special New
Year’s Eve lunch and party.
Though it was a busy year,
the Elder Services team is committed to reaching out to even

Page 13

more elders in 2025, and bringing
more services to those in our
area. Miigwech to the hard working team members of the Elder
Services Division for making this
all happen!

Naubinway elders met in Curtis to celebrate partnership with Curtis
Kids Fishing Coop.

Unit 1 elders celebrate Halloween: Brenda and Tom Cook, Judy LaJoie,
Tim Lalonde and Aimee Penrose (L-R).

Unit 3 St. Ignace elders and guests enjoy lunch as part of the elder
meal program.

3 Guys 3 Gals perform at Unit 4 Manistique summer picnic.

Sault Cook Phillip Nertoli Jr. admiring the processed bison.

Page 14

2024 Annual Report

October 15, 2025 • Win Awenen Nisitotung

ANISHINAABEK COMMUNITY & FAMILY SERVICES

Anishnaabek Community and
Family Services has three primary
components providing an umbrella of social services to tribal members and families throughout the
tribe’s seven-county service area.
Child Welfare (Binogii/
Family Services) provides all
child welfare-related services
offered through ACFS. For over
30 years, these services have
supported Sault Tribe members
through a wide range of family-centered programs. The mission of ACFS Child Welfare is to
strengthen and empower families
by offering culturally respectful
opportunities for connection and
healing, with a focus on improving safety and overall well-being.
Binogii operates under Sault
Tribe’s Child Placing Agency
license and holds a contract
with the Michigan Department
of Health and Human Services
(MDHHS) to deliver direct services to tribal children and families.
Child Welfare services are
delivered through the following
programs:
– Foster Care
– Adoption
– Foster and Adoptive Home
Licensing
– Prevention
– Adolescent In Home
Assistance (AIHA)
– Protective Services (Adult
and Children’s)
– Indian Child Welfare Act
(ICWA) Monitoring
– Family Continuity
– In-Home Care
– Parenting
The Advocacy Resource
Center (ARC) is a community-based victim service program
with over 30 years of experience providing comprehensive,
culturally honoring, and trauma-informed responses to those
impacted by the abuse of power
and control through the delivery
of the following types of victimization-related support:
– Core Advocacy
– Safety Planning
– Financial Assistance
– Transportation Assistance
– Emergency Legal Advocacy/
Personal Protection Order
Assistance
– Criminal Justice Advocacy
– Crime Victim Compensation
Assistance
– Accompaniment to Tribal,
State, and Federal Court
– Outreach and Community
Education
– Sexual Violence Services
(SVS) Naanda Nswi Kidwenan
– Cultural Healing Community
Support Activities
– Emergency Temporary
Intimate Partner Violence Shelter
Aakdehewin Gaamig (Lodge of
Bravery)
– Missing or Murdered
In

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Asault_ste_marie%3Afda18f3fec4c011d. Public record. Not legal advice.