Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter (2011)

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

Box 2053, Nome, Alaska 99762 phone (907) 443-4985 fax (907) 443-5189

LEDP Finalized at May Tribal Council Meeting

Tribal members who attended the

two-day strategic planning meeting

late last year identified problems,

opportunities and established eleven village priorities as part of finalizing the Local Economic Development Plan (LEDP) for the Village of

Solomon.

Separate meetings were held with

the Tribal Council and the Solomon

Native Corporation in which both

entities set goals, objectives and

values, which were applied to develop an action plan to accomplish our

village priorities together.

Afterwards, there was a public comment period through May 27. All

tribal members were encouraged to Tribal Council member comments

submit comments as part of this imafter approving the plan:

portant planning process. Tribal members were asked to submit their input Cynthia Olanna commented “ditto” ,

appreciated the membership attendby calling the tribal coordinator at

ing and participating in the LEDP

443-4985 or sending an email to

work session; anxious to move fortc.sol@kawerak.org. Copies of the

LEDP, in its entirety, were also posted ward with VOS’ five year plan.

in the office for any tribal members to Kirsten Timbers would like to see

view.

more collaboration between the two

The Kawerak administration also re- entities, thanks for coordinating the

viewed it, accepted the plan and then LEDP work session; it was a great

turnout of membership.

posted it on their website for public

access. Look for it at:

http://www.kawerak.org/tribalHomeP

ages/solomon/index.html

Elder & Youth Representatives

Appointed at February’s Meeting

Cameron Piscoya was appointed as the youth representative and Helen

Larsen was appointed as elder representative at the Village of Solomon’s

monthly tribal council meeting in February.

This year the tribal council will be incorporating these seats to expand the

tribal council from 5 to 7 members as a means to ensure that our history,

culture and traditional ways are passed between our elders and youth; that

they have an active voice and hand in our tribe’s governance; and that any

issues that affect our elders and youth are addressed so that we protect our

most treasured people—elders and youth, who are an important component

to our tribe’s success to ensure our cultural traditional values and ways continue on forever.

Franklin Okitkon was appointed as Solomon’s representative on the Bering

Strait/Norton Sound Migratory Bird Council and Tim Stettinger will serve as

the alternate representative.

Any changes to the constitution and self-governing ordinances will need to be

passed by the tribal membership which is scheduled in August of this year.

Inside this issue:

Get to Know Your Tribal

Council Members

2

Interested in Serving as a

Tribal Council Member?

3

Summer Youth Spirit Camp

4

Solomon’s Vision & Top

Priorities

5

Emergency Assistance Fund 5

Established

Why Be Tribally Enrolled?

6

CACHE For Higher Education Available

7

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

2

Get to Know Your Tribal Council

(please note : the dates of service only reflect since the first election of the tribal council held in 2006.)

CYNTHIA OLANNA currently serves as president. At last year’s annual meeting she was recognized as being the

longest serving president. Her parents are Pete and Helen Larsen and the late Robert Curran, Sr., aka Gummik.

She is married to Chubby Olanna and together they are raising her children Alex and Amber Gray.

“I am honored to serve on the VOS council. Since 1997 when I first became involved with Solomon I have

learned a great deal about our people and our history. I was lucky to have grown up with role models and honored elders such as my father Robert “Gummik”, and Joseph “uncle Joe” Curran as well as my mother Helen to

teach us and encourage us to be active with the VOS council, and be very proud to serve and represent Solomon. I am very proud to have served these years, and encourage any other member youth our elder alike to

join our council. I enjoy spending time in Solomon fishing, learning the plant life, abundance of birds, and

gathering in general. We are very lucky to live and call our home Solomon. It is truly “god’s country”. I have

also learned no one is perfect, and things can only be what you make and Solomon Tribe and people are in

a position to grow our economy with the B& B operations, and continue to protect our land and heritage.”

BRIAN JAMES has served on the tribal council since he was elected in 2007. As a tribal council member he

represents the Village of Solomon on the NSHC board of directors since 2007.

“I’m Brian James; I was raised in Nome and spent a lot of summers fishing at Solomon and Bonanza with my

family. Unfortunately, most of my family has passed away. My Mother is late Lucy Mae James and my

Grand-mother who actually raised me - whom I called mom, is the late Esther Rita James. Being raised by

my Grandmother afforded me a great upbringing and was the best situation that I could have asked for.

Esther and Herbert James had 12 children while living at Solomon and when the school shut down, Esther

moved her children to Nome. I remember a lot of my family’s stories they shared about their life in Solomon.

It was those stories and their fond memories in 2001 that inspired & empowered me to seek funding to write

four successful grants to remodel the dilapidated & abandoned Solomon School into the Village of Solomon’s

Community Center Bed & Breakfast (B&B). I had completely devoted my time and energy into the completion

of this project and found it necessary to make some real personal sacrifices. Tribal Members and the community now have a place to hold gatherings, annual meetings, weddings, receptions, celebrations, etc. I sincerely

hope that you are able to come out to enjoy the Solomon Community Center and B&B.

I first served on the Solomon Native Corporation upon my return back from college in 1992, in 1993 when the

Village of Solomon was federally recognized I have served on the Tribal Council ever since (minus a year). It

has been my honor to serve our people in this capacity. It has been a great experience to help develop the

Tribe to where it is today. I also serve on the Norton Sound Health Corporation Board of Directors, The Alaska

Tobacco Control Alliance, The Indian Health Service (IHS) Scholarship Advisory Committee, and The UAF/

Northwest Campus Advisory Committee.

I’m happily married to my wife Donna James (formally Donna Sallee) we have two children together; Sara Mae

James age 3, & a new baby born 6/7/2011 named Jack Santé James and I also have another lovely daughter

Esther Shanelle James age 16. I’m happy and invigorated that the younger generation is getting involved with

Solomon & we welcome their eagerness to join and help us move along. I am thankful for the opportunity to

serve and represent Solomon.”

KIRSTEN TIMBERS has served on the tribal council since the first election in 2006. As a tribal council member she represents the Village of Solomon on the Kawerak board of directors (2010-11) and was recently

appointed to a 3 year term on the BSRHA board of commissioners.

“I serve on the council because I think it is important to provide valuable services to all of our tribal members. I

learned about Village of Solomon from my mother, RoseAnn who testified before congress to help get Solomon

established as its own tribe apart from Nome Eskimo. I am proud to be from Solomon and enjoy being involved

in serving as Solomon’s representative in the following roles; Kawerak Board of Directors, Bering Straits Regional Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and Alaska Native Studies Task Force.”

KATIE STETTINGER has served on the tribal council since the first election in 2006. As a tribal council member

she represented the Village of Solomon on the Kawerak board of directors since 2007.

“Thank you everybody who has voted for me in the past, I have really enjoyed my time on the tribal council, but

its time to step down, I am tired with this disease I have, and need to take care of myself…”

Katie Stettinger is not seeking re-election. No picture available.

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

3

Get to Know Your Tribal Council

(please note : the dates of service only reflect since the first election of the tribal council held in 2006.)

TIM STETTINGER has served as a tribal council member since February of this year.

“I felt that it was a privilege and my duty to do so if asked. I have never done anything like this before and found it to be quite a challenge. In my career I have always worked with my hands, feet,

and voice, and spend many hours walking and moving and verbalizing instructions or inquiries, with

little experience in expressing myself in writing, in which I recently discovered is a big part of this

seat that I am currently sitting in for the village, so that is what I have to work on in the immediate

future. I have also come to the conclusion that the council can do quite a lot of good for the future

of our villagers and for the maintenance and welfare of the environment in and around Solomon. I

would really like to be part of that machine. If I am elected to continue to sit on the council I will do

my best to do anything within the sphere of whatever influence and ability I may have to further the

best interests of Solomon, the surrounding flora and fauna and all our fellow villagers without bias

and to the best of my ability.”

Tim Stettinger is seeking election of the seat he was appointed to earlier this year.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Interested in Serving on the Tribal

Council?

Annual Meeting

is on Saturday,

August 27, 2011 at the

Solomon Community

Center/Bed & Breakfast.

Seats C, D and E are up for election this year. Ballots will contain a list of

qualified candidates for voters to choose from. Voters will choose three (3)

names from the list of candidates on the ballot. Voters will also be able to

write in one candidate as an alternative to candidates on the ballot. The

three candidates receiving the most votes will be elected.

Contact the tribal coordinator for qualifications to run for office.

Letters of Intent Schedule

(2) Letters of Intent-Sixty (60)-Forty (40) days Prior to Election:

Election day for the

Village of Solomon is

Friday, August 26.

Voting takes place at the

VOS tribal office located

in the Old Federal Building, Suite 112 from

8:00 am—4:30 pm.

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!

Candidates must declare their candidacy in writing through a Letter of Intent

in accordance with Section IV of the election ordinance. Letters of Intent

must be received by the tribal council no sooner than sixty (60) days and no

later than forty (40) days prior to the election in order for a candidate to have

their name included on ballots. Letters of intent must be received by July 15,

2011 in order to be included on the ballot.

Absentee Voting

In addition to voting on election day for VOS, absentee voting will be allowed.

Absentee ballots will be mailed to each eligible voter 30 days prior to election

day. Tribal members eligible to vote 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 is being mailed to every

eligible voter (18 years and older). If you do not receive your notice, please

call the office immediately at 443-4985. Feel free to call collect if you live

outside the Nome area.

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

4

Summer Youth Spirit Camp

Scheduled July 19-23rd in

Solomon

The tribal council has set the dates for this year’s 5 day

tribal youth camp for July 19-23rd. This camp is for

youth ages 8-18. Youth under the age of 8 is welcome

to attend with parental supervision. Much of the activities will promote healthy spiritual wellness. The youth

will be spending time with elders, tribal council members and other tribal members and family. A tribal gathering of the membership has been scheduled for the

last day as part of the camp experience.

An application will be mailed to the tribal membership.

Limited airfare is provided to those that live outside of

the Nome area.

2006 Solomon youth spirit campers

Contact the tribal coordinator for additional information, L canoe: Celeste Mendalook, Imari Bright, Esther James, Michael Tocktoo

M canoe: Andy Piscoya, EmmyLou Vial, Brandon Katchatag, Tristan Katchatag

if you’re interested in volunteering to assist the camp

R canoe: Harmony Piscoya, Liam Hukill, Tasha Hukill and Cameron Piscoya

coordinator with supervising youth during camp, or driving, cooking and cleaning.

Welcome Newest Tribal Members

Shuttle Service Available from

Anchorage Airport to ANMC

ANMC completed an agreement with LifeMed Alaska to

support a 24-hour shuttle service. This means ANMC

patients around Alaska will have transportation to and

from ANMC and the Ted Stevens International Airport

at any hour of any day.

Special pickups can be arranged outside of the listed

hours by using the phone on the hotel reservations

board at the airport and dialing "16." This will connect customers to ANMC operators.

Pictured below is Mia Annie Piscoya, born to Benny Piscoya on

2/4/2011.

Welcome Myrtle Began, daughter of Franklin

Okitkon;

Welcome Michelle Curran, born to Patrick

Curran on 11/18/2010 ;

Welcome Peter John Curran, son of Patrick

Curran; and,

Welcome Nicole Nash, daughter of Dawn

Hatch Nash;

Welcome James Nash, son of Dawn Hatch Nash;

For more information about ANMC's shuttle service,

call toll free at (800) 478-6661 or locally at 563-ANMC

(2662).

Welcome Henry Phillip, son of Kim Henry (Dalilak);

Welcome Rachel Takak, daughter of Kim Henry (Dalilak); and,

Welcome back Timmy James.

Solomon Bed and Breakfast Open During Iditarod

The tribal council welcomed Iditarod fans to the Solomon Bed & Breakfast this year for 10 days. Here’s what one guest had

to say about her stay:

“Thank you to the Solomon Bed and Breakfast. I had the opportunity to stay there two nights over the Iditarod break with my

dog team. Their accommodations were comfortable and tailored to fit my traveling needs, the food was hearty and delicious and the staff helpful and personable. They went out of their way to not only help me but also my traveling companions. The Solomon Bed and Breakfast is a little piece of Nome history that is full of the voices of the past but with just

enough modern conveniences to help you with whatever your present day travel needs might be. Thanks again for the

great hospitality Solomon Bed and Breakfast” . Janet Balice from Nome, Alaska

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

5

Solomon’s Vision & Values

Solomon tribal members sought to develop priorities for future

projects and activities which the community can use to enhance the local economy and build on the identified cultural

strengths, economic opportunities, and current community

assets over the next five years. Based on this, the overall

community vision was developed. By 2015 Solomon will:

Solomon’s Top Priorities

1. More Solomon gatherings and involvement

2. Waste management



Have VOS and SNC working together for capacity building

and creating new projects

3. Emergency communication



Enhance local economy while staying true to subsistence

traditions

4. Assess effects of climate change



Empower ourselves and each other as a community to

enhance and strengthen our social and economic future



Strive for unity



Engage and empower our youth to be leaders

6. Community potable water



Utilize our elders and youth to revitalize our culture and

traditional values.

7. Full operation of Bed & Breakfast/Community Center

5. Community power/electricity (wind, solar and diesel backup)

Values applied to community development:



Practice positive communication with each other and outside agencies

8. Salmon Enhancement



Ensure proper cleanup and project oversight

9. Driveway Improvements to Camps



Utilize and create own tribal membership expertise



Seek and secure other financial resources



Be culturally sensitive to our community



Utilize our own natural resources

10. Boat Harbor

11. Airstrip Improvement

Tribal Emergency Fund Established

The Village of Solomon has (VOS) established an emergency

assistance program that will provide temporary assistance

upon qualification to its tribal membership, whether monetary

or otherwise, in emergency situations only. Temporary assistance to be provided may include: food, airfare, lodging, calling cards, etc. that will assist the tribal member and/or family

in an emergency situation. An emergency is considered an

unexpected and sudden event that must be dealt with urgency

and concern taking away from day-to-day responsibilities. The

VOS tribal office will assist in identifying and applying for other

sources of assistance.

Solomon’s LEDP participants in November 2010

L to R front: Kirsten Timbers, Rosemary Tootkaylok, Cynthia Olanna, Amber Gray, Helen

Larsen.

L to R back: Liz Johnson, Greg Timbers, Francis Wright, Brian James, Franklin Okitkon

Not pictured: Tim Stettinger, Richard Schulling, Cameron Piscoya.

Tribal members must contact the VOS tribal office and provide a statement of need and understand that any type of assistance provided is at the discretion and final approval of the

tribal council.

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

6

Why Be Tribally Enrolled?

Tribal Council Meetings Held

In Alaska, tribal membership refers to being a member of a Monthly

federally recognized tribe. There are 229 tribes in Alaska,

20 of which are in the Bering Strait region, including your

tribe, the Village of Solomon.

Proof of Tribal membership is required for many services

that might be available to those of Alaska Native heritage

(Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts). Some examples are childcare

assistance for working parents, to register at an Indian

Health Service Clinic or educational grants or scholarships.

How do I become Tribally enrolled?

The tribal council usually meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each

month.

Tribal members who do not live in Nome are welcome to attend

the meetings via teleconference.

Access to the meeting through the AT&T reservation less conferencing by dialing:

Conference Line Number:

1-888-636-3807

One can apply to the Tribe of one's parents or ancestors. In Access Code:

6445033

Alaska , the Tribe is in the village where the relatives are

from. For families from Solomon, many moved to Nome and Contact the tribal coordinator at 443-4985 if you are interested

in attending and an agenda will be emailed.

beyond the Bering Strait region after the BIA schoolhouse

closed in 1956 so the children could attend school.

History of Tribe

Tribal Enrollment Identification

Cards Being Issued

The village was originally settled by Eskimos of the Fish River tribe, and was noted on a map as "Erok" in 1900. The

original site for Solomon was in the delta of the Solomon

River; it became a mining camp. The gold rush during the

summers of 1899 and 1900 brought thousands of people

to the Solomon area. Three enormous dredges worked the

Solomon River. By 1904, Solomon had seven saloons, a

post office, a ferry dock, and was the southern terminus of a

narrow gauge railroad that ran to the Kuzitrin River. In 1913,

the railroad was washed out by storms, and in 1918, the flu

epidemic struck. This site is known as Dickson today, and

remains of structures and railroad equipment exist. In

1939, the community relocated to the present site, which

was formerly known as Jerusalem. The BIA constructed a

large school in 1940. During World War II, a number of families moved away from Solomon. The post office and BIA

school were discontinued in 1956. The Solomon Roadhouse The VOS office continues to issue tribal identification cards.

operated until the 1970s.

Tribal members are encouraged to stop by the office to a get

The Village of Solomon was not recognized until 1993 and

organized under the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of

1993. Today, there are over 100 tribally enrolled members

of Solomon. It’s primary focus is to implement programs

and services for increased quality of life for all of its tribal

members and their families.

picture taken for the new tribal membership card. This card can

be used as a secondary form of identification.

You can also email a picture to tc.sol@kawerak.org. Your signature from your tribal enrollment application will be scanned and

inserted onto the card once the office receives your picture.

These enrollment cards are being issued to all tribal members

starting at middle school age. Younger tribal members will reCan I be enrolled to more than one Tribe?

ceive a tribal enrollment verification letter as we have always

The Village of Solomon allows dual enrollment for minor chil- issued in the past for tribal members.

dren until the age of eighteen. After that, the child will have

Email a picture of yourself to tc.sol@kawerak.org and a tribal

to choose which tribe to stay enrolled in and relinquish with

identification card will be issued and mailed.

the other.

Village of Solomon Tribal Membership Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2011

7

ICWA Services Available for Village of Solomon Tribal Members

What is Indian Child Welfare Act? (ICWA): The Indian Child Welfare 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. The program 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.

Ms. Lorlie Shield, Solomon’s ICWA coordinator, attended the National ICWA conference in Anchorage recently with tribal council member Kirsten Timbers and learned that On March 9, 2011 the Supreme Court ruled that Alaska Tribes have inherent

authority to initiate child custody proceedings and it is not soley a state decision. This means that if the tribal council becomes

aware of a neglect/abuse case within the tribe we can initiate child custody proceedings on our own and do not need the State

of Alaska Office of Children Services to present our case on our behalf. This ruling is very important because it further states

the strength a tribe has as a sovereign entity and that protecting our children is our right.

is in the process of collecting donations from

Kawerak Board Representative Report Kawerak

various Corporations to secure enough money to purchase the large unfinished structure on Front Street

that belongs to Tulan Munn. This building will be renovated to serve as the Beringia Museum of Culture and Science. To date

Kawerak has secured $425,000.00 and another $400,000.00 is needed to complete the purchase. The Beringia Museum will

display art and artifacts from all around the Bering Strait Region, including Solomon.

Nome Emergency Shelter Team (NEST): Kawerak has donated $2,500 to help NEST with operational costs. The shelter is located in the Nazarene Church and is open every night when the wind chill is -10 or colder. For the winter of 2010/2011 NEST was

open 71 days, since the shelter began operating 3 years ago no one has died in Nome from exposure. This program has been

very valuable to Nome. There have been VOS tribal members who have benefited from this service. Many tribes have also

made additional financial distributions.

Kawerak BOD approved funding for Visual Inupiaq Vocabulary Acquisition (VIVA). This language tool will be used to preserve

the Fish River Inupiaq Dialect, which is the dialect that is spoken in Solomon. The Fish River Dialect is the most endangered

language in our region with only a handful of living speakers. VIVA will allow the Eskimo Heritage Program to record the dialect

and use it in creating the language program. This program has been very successful in Barrow. The program is done by associating a word with a picture. This program will be available to the Village of Solomon when it is complete.

Kirsten Timbers is the representative for Solomon on the Kawerak board of directors. The next meeting held in Nome is their

quarterly meeting scheduled for September 13-16, 2011.

Celebration of Life for

“Pumpkin”

William Curran

July 24, 2011 in Solomon, AK

For additional details, please contact his

daughter Jennifer Curran via email at

skmo97@hotmail.com.

CACHE for College and Higher Education

Available

The Bering Straits Foundation, Sitnasuak Foundation, Kawerak, Inc., Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and Norton Sound Health

Corporation 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. For more information, visit the Bering Straits Foundation website at:

http://beringstraits.com/northriver/wb/pages/foundation/

scholarships.php or email Kirsten Timbers at ktimbers@beringstraits.com.

Village of Solomon

Box 2053

Nome, Alaska 99762

(907) 443-4985

Tribal Membership

Newsletter