# Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter (2012) > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Avillage_solomon%3A62f2de6b34046020 ## Record - **Collection:** Tribal code - **Document type:** Tribal code ## Text Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Spring/Summer 2012 Box 2053, Nome, Alaska 99762 phone (907) 443-4985 toll free 855-443-4985 fax (907) 443-5189 Proposed Changes Coming to Seat Elder & Youth as Voting Members of the Tribal Council The Village of Solomon’s tribal council is working on incorporating both the youth and elder ad hoc advisors by adding those representatives to the five member tribal council thereby increasing the council to seven members. Language is being drafted and will be submitted to the tribal membership for input. Ordinance 06-01 states the following: The constitution, bylaws, or corporate charter may be adopted, amended or repealed by a majority vote of the tribal membership voting at a regular or special membership in which a quorum of twenty percent (20%) of tribal members qualified to vote is established. Voting shall be accomplished by ballots and absentee ballots. Don’t forget to attend the tribal gathering on May 9th, 5:30 to 8 pm at XYZ Sr. Center in Nome LEDP Scheduled for Review at May’s Tribal Council Meeting The Village of Solomon’s tribal council is inviting all tribal members to attend May’s meeting to participate in the annual review of the Local Economic Development Plan (LEDP). Part of the review will include reprioritizing the village priorities. These priorities provide the tribal council direction in serving the members, the community, and business of the tribe by promoting economic opportunities that improve the economic, social and environmental quality of life. A teleconference line is set up for members that wish to call in to participate. Dinner and door prizes will be provided from 5:30 to 8 PM for those attending in person. Contact the tribal coordinator for more information or if you need a ride to attend. Inside this issue: Solomon Elder Passes Away 2 Annual Meeting Date Set 3 Youth Representative Appointed 4 Jobs Available 5 Solomon B&B Open During Iditarod 5 Youth Camp Applications Available 6 Solomon T-Shirts Available Now 7 Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Page 2 Franklin Okitkon Passes Away February 29th in Nome Franklin Okitkon was born in Un- poration selected Franklin Okitkon galik to Martin and Esther Okitkon, as its Elder of the Year. He also reindeer herders in the White represented the Village of Solomon Mountain, Koyuk and Ungalik are- serving on the Bering Strait/Norton as. They raised Franklin speaking Sound Migratory Bird Council and Inupiaq along with six other sibattended AFN’s elders and youth lings, all of whom have passed on. conference. Franklin was a regular Franklin retired from many years of at the XYZ Senior Center and enconstructing and maintaining joyed driving his four-wheeler Nome’s road system with the Laaround town to say hello and visit borers Union #942. He was a full with everyone. time resident of Solomon until 2007 when he relocated to Nome. Frank- He was survived by his children lin served in the Alaska Territorial Myrtle Begen, Jonathan Komakhuk, grandchildren Leah KomaGuard during World War II and upon Alaska statehood, joined the khuk, Derek Rodriguez, Stephanie US Army. He served in a Special Rodriguez and great grandchildren Jonathan Victoriano and Nalani Intelligence Unit responsible for intercepting and interpreting Soviet Victoriano. Union communications during the A burial is planned at Solomon in Cold War. Last October he was late summer, most likely August. officially recognized and honored for his years of service in the Alaska Territorial Guard at a ceremony held in Nome where he was presented with a certificate and medal. Franklin posing with his daughter Myrtle Begen at the Solomon tribal gathering in October 2011. Last year the Solomon Native Cor“A sad day for my Solomon family. We lost our precious elder Franklin Okitkon today. A true Solomon legacy. We honor his life and his graciousness. We will miss his rich Solomon history, his gentle ways, his laughter and kindness. RIP Franklin.” Tribal council member Cynthia Olanna comments upon learning of his passing Left picture: L to R: the Okitkon siblings: Willette, Theodore, Garfield, Edison and Franklin in Solomon, Alaska Right picture: L to R: Brian James, William “Pumpkin” Curran and Franklin Okitkon. Taken during Solomon schoolhouse renovation project Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Page 3 Interested in Serving on the Tribal Council? Letters of Intent Schedule (2) Letters of Intent-Sixty (60)-Forty (40) Seats A and B are up for election this year. Ballots days Prior to Election: will contain a list of qualified candidates for voters to choose from. Voters will choose two (2) names from Candidates must declare their candidacy in writing through a Letter of Intent in accordance with Section the list of candidates on the ballot. Voters will also IV of the election ordinance. Letters of Intent must be be able to write in one candidate as an alternative to candidates on the ballot. The two candidates receiving received by the tribal council no sooner than sixty (60) days and no later than forty (40) days prior to the electhe most votes will be elected. tion in order for a candidate to have their name included on ballots. Letters of intent must be received by June 2, 2012. SAVE THE DATE! Village of Solomon’s Annual Meeting is Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 2 PM at the Solomon Community Center. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! Election day is Friday, August 10, 2012 in Nome at the office located at 110 Front Street, Suite 101 Hours: 8 AM to 4:30 PM per elections ordinance. Contact the office if you need a ride to vote. Absentee Voting In addition to voting on Village of Solomon’s election day, absentee voting is allowed. Absentee ballots will be mailed to each eligible voter 30 days prior to election day. Tribal members may choose to submit an absentee ballot prior to election day if they are unable to vote on election day or attend the annual meeting. Voters may only vote once. The Annual Meeting notice with voting instructions will mailed to every eligible voter (18 years and older). If you do not receive your notice, please call the office immediately at 443-4985 so a notice may be mailed. Kirsten Timbers Seeks ReElection “I would like to thank the tribal members for their continued support. I have served on the Village of Solomon council for 6 years and this last year was elected as President. It is an honor to serve you all and I know that with your continued support I can help provide improved services to our entire membership. In the last couple years we have developed the emergency assistance program, given out Solomon Tee shirts and held our first Anchorage membership meeting. I hope to continue building on these activities and more. Quyanna for your vote and support.” Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Page 4 Tribal Council Meets Monthly The tribal council meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm at the VOS office. Tribal members are encouraged to attend these meetings. Those who do not live in Nome are welcome to attend via teleconference. Contact the tribal coordinator for the teleconference number and pass code information and an agenda will be emailed to you. Here’s how to reach your tribal council through email: Position Held President Name Contact Information Kirsten Timbers oonga4me@hotmail.com Vice President Brian James bjames@kawerak.org Treasurer Cameron Piscoya capiscoya@gmail.com Secretary Cynthia Olanna mschub@gci.net Member Elizabeth Johnson tc.sol@kawerak.org Elder Rep Helen Larsen No email available Youth Rep Emmylou Vial elvial09@hotmail.com CACHE Available The Bering Straits Foundation, Sitnasuak Foundation, Kawerak, NSEDC and NSHC have partnered to ease the process of applying for scholarships for the people of our region. The application is called "CACHE” which stands for "Combined Application for College and Higher Education." This application is for individuals going into accredited college or vocational education programs, who meet the eligibility requirements of the organizations they apply to. Visit www.beringstraits.com for more information. ICWA Services Available What is Indian Child Welfare Act? (ICWA): The Indian Child Welfar e Act, 25 Unites States Code Sections 1901-1963. ICWA was passed in 1978 in response to the high number of Native children who were removed from their families and tribes by non-tribal public and private agencies, and placed in non-Native foster homes or made available for non-Native adoption. How does ICWA work? The main goal of ICWA is the protection of Native children. This includes assisting in family reunification, adoptions, and alternative placement of children. It also ensures that Tribal Councils are represented in Court proceedings. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) applies when a state court determines that a Native child is involved in a proceeding. This includes child custody proceedings, foster care placement, termination of parental rights, pre-adoptive and adoptive placements. A tribal court or tribe may properly exercise their rights in any and all of these types of proceedings. For ICWA services, please contact the VOS office at 443-4985 or email to tc.sol@kawerak.org. Fundraiser Scheduled Emmylou Vial Appointed As Solomon’s Youth Representative At the February tribal council meeting, Emmylou Vial was appointed as youth ad hoc advisor. She is the great grand niece of Pete Curran, Jr. She attends college at UAA in Anchorage studying for a four year degree in sociology. Village of Solomon is hosting a fundraiser to raise money to purchase a new van for our annual youth camp. Volunteers are needed. The car wash will be in Nome and if there are enough volunteers, there will also be a BBQ while washing cars. It is scheduled sometime during youth camp August 6-11. If you can help, please contact the tribal office for more information. Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Page 5 Jobs Available At VOS And Beyond VOS Receives Grant writer for Three Months The Village of Solomon prefers to hire qualified tribal members when hiring for jobs at VOS. Upcoming jobs available this summer is a carpenter, maintenance and laborer workers to open and close the Solomon Community Center. During youth camp, two camp coordinators will also be hired. Contact the VOS office for more details. The Village of Solomon is pleased to receive a grant writer for the next 90 days. Through Kawerak’s grant writer assistance program, VOS applied for and was selected to receive a 15 week grant writer contract. VOS then signed an agreement with Kawerak to administer the grant writer funds. ASRC SKW Eskimos, a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, is building the Nome Long Term Care facility next to the new Nome Hospital. Contact them directly for jobs available by visiting their website at www.asrc.com. Solomon B&B Open During Iditarod The tribal council welcomed Iditarod fans to the Solomon Bed & Breakfast this year for 10 days. Here’s what two of our guests said while there: Local Nome resident Nora Appel said, “It was fun from the word go! My sister-in-law and I stayed there when a lost Iditarod musher walked in the door asking for directions. We followed him for several miles in Solomon’s truck and picked up dog booties. I would suggest getting a stepping stool to make it easier to get in and out of the truck. The B&B has a historic factor to it with schoolhouse children’s initials in the coat closet and when you walk in, it’s like the smell of time passed.” At the March tribal council meeting, Deilah Johnson was selected to fill this position and will be working on the following projects: Preserving Old Schoolhouse Records; Vehicle Purchase for youth camp and tribal gatherings; and, Solomon Community Center Upgrades that include display cases for old schoolhouse records. Kawerak will provide technical assistance as needed and will also offer grant writer training in September. Welcome New Tribal Members Rosalynn Paniptchuk, great granddaughter of Francis Wright Wilma Amaktoolik, great granddaughter of Francis Wright Daniel Bacio, grandson of Carol Elvsaas Dylan Bacio, grandson of Carol Elvsaas Dona Highstone, daughter of Kathleen McCune Katylin Ferrall, granddaughter of Kathleen McCune Long term care nurse Nina Verzoni, also a Nome resident had this to say, “enjoyed the company, had a wonderful time, peaceful and quiet. The innkeeper and driver did wonderful as hosts, even making musk ox stew for guests”. Francis Wright with her great granddaughter Rosalyn Paniptchuk at Bonanza fish camp last summer. Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Page 6 Tribal Council Has Christmas Dinner for Membership in Nome The Village of Solomon’s tribal council held its last meeting of the year on December 12 at the Nome Pioneer Hall. Prior to the meeting getting started, tribal members enjoyed a turkey dinner and all of its fixings. A report was provided by Cameron Piscoya on the IGAP application that was due the end of December. VOS is applying for an EPA grant to address environmental concerns that the tribe has which is also one of our village priorities. During the meeting, a special A final report on the NSHC tribal presentation to Katie Stettinger was diabetes project grant, which mainlead by Cynthia Olanna, in recogni- ly funded last summer’s youth tion of Ms. Stettinger’s years of camp, was presented by tribal coorservice, five years since the Village dinator Liz Johnson. As part of the of Solomon’s first held election in final report and in keeping with the Katie Stettinger with Cynthia Curran Olan2006. healthy choices/lifestyles theme, na. $15 Subway gift cards were provided to the tribal youth in attendance. Youth Camp Applications Available Now The tribal council has set the dates Contact the tribal coordinator for for this year’s 5 day tribal youth additional information, if you’re camp for August 6-11th. Camp this interested in volunteering to superyear will include any elders intervise youth during camp, or driving, ested in participating with Solocooking and cleaning. mon’s youth age up to 18. Youth VOS is not mailing applications to under the age of 8 is welcome to tribal membership this year due to attend with parental supervision. Pictured above is Solomon, Alaska Much of the activities will promote high cost of postage mail outs. after the entire Bering Strait was hit healthy spiritual wellness. The an- To request a camp application, conwith a record breaking winter storm nual meeting has been scheduled tact the tribal coordinator at 907 with winds gusting up to 89 miles the last day of camp (August 11) as 443-4985 or send an email to per hour. part of the camp experience. tc.sol@kawerak.org and an applicaKavik Stettinger drove to Solomon Limited airfare is provided to those tion will be emailed. to check for any damage to the Solthat live outside of the Nome area. Applications are due July 2, 2012. omon B&B and other building A completed application must be structures surrounding Solomon submitted to VOS by the deadline area. Damage was minimum exof July 2nd in order to be considcept for the old abandoned church, ered for airfare, this includes elders it collapsed. that may want to attend. Solomon After 2011 November Storm Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter Page 7 Tribal members Craig Aycock with his children Joshua, age 11, Sandra, age 10 and Ashley, age 12, who live in Lake Wood, CO. Craig is the son of Carol Curran Elvsaas. Tribal members Kim Bacio and her sons Daniel, age 6 and Dylan, age 8, outside of their home in Aurora, CO. Kim is the daughter of Carol Curran Elvsaas. Solomon T-Shirts Available Now Did you get your Solomon t-shirt? Last year the Village of Solomon ordered t-shirts for tribal members. T-shirts are for tribal members only and do not cost anything. Pictured at left are tribal members Amy Johnson and her daughter Autumn Carly Elizabeth Johnson, age 1 1/2, both modeling their tshirts for the camera. She is the great granddaughter of Helen Curran Larsen. Also posing is Isabella Bailey Bohn, age 4, granddaughter of Helen Curran Larsen. Pictured right is Jaxson Huntsman, age 6, from Anchorage, AK. He is the grand nephew of Annette Piscoya. Village of Solomon Box 2053 Nome, Alaska 99762 (907) 443-4985 --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Avillage_solomon%3A62f2de6b34046020. Public record. Not legal advice.