Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

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Concert Review:

Cyndi Lauper

2025 Chief

Standing Bear

Prize for Courage

- Deb Haaland

page: 6

Volume 54, Number 16

Our masthead for this issue features Mr.

Victor Bird, Jr. / Kajapiniga [Good To Look

At] [1951-2021]. An uncommon leader for our

people whose generosity in his life became the

legacy of his service to our tribe. Victor served

as a member of the Winnebago Tribal Council

during the dawn of Indian Gaming. Becoming

Treasurer for the Council, he is viewed by many

as the architect of the modern financial system

which is still benefiting our people to this day. A

personal mentor of the WIN Editor, his genuine

sentiments like, ‘there’s enough for everyone in

the circle’ still live in my mind. Living his life

just as he spoke, his family to this day practice

their teachings providing for our people in so

many ways. Proud being waksik, his dynamic

professional presence paled against the depth at

which he lived being Hocak. Humble, generous,

and knowing the true value of our people being

not in material things, but in our hearts, Victor

saw the potential in each of us and worked daily

to ensure our opportunities were never diminished or settled for less. A generous heart, a compassionate soul, a visionary statesman, a truly

uncommon leader. Our gratitude to his family

for their kindness in giving their permission to

feature him here.

pages: 7

Watajox hī wīra

Corn Popping Moon

Saturday, August 16, 2025

RECORD BREAKING: 79K VIEWS

159th Annual Homecoming Celebration Livestream

Nį̄šoc Nįgešąną

By Bethani Redhorn

Photography by Bethani Redhorn

August 5th, The HoChunk Renaissance

language program held their Waboxiri cook

off. Some may know is as Wobo. In HoChunk, Waboxiri can be translated/broken

down to corn bread pudding or paste. Judges

donated a dollar to taste and choose their

favorite. 1st– 3rd place winners are Semia S,

Kathy S and Ben S. Congratulations to the

Winners!

August 8th, The Little Priest Tribal

College hosted their Fall 2025 orientation

for new and returning students. During the

event Advisors made the sign-up process

easier with help on registration, FASFA,

books and other resources available. LPTC

has recently made strides with their record

breaking amount of graduates, followed by

their new Carpentry program. Tuition is still

free for all students, its not too late to sign

up!

August 13th, the Winnebago Tribe hosted

their annual Employee Appreciation. The

Land of Wellness was full of tribal employees participating in tournaments like

cornhole, volleyball, and smooshball. Huge

Thank-You to everyone who helped plan this

event and all the employees working within

the Tribal organization!

[Winnebago, NE] The 159th Annual Winnebago Homecoming Celebration is officially

in the books! For anyone that missed out, you

can always head over to the Big Voice YouTube channel to replay the 4-day celebration at

any time. For this year’s livestream, we broke

our record from last year with 50,000 views

and reached a whopping 79,000 views in total

on both our YouTube channel and Facebook

page combined. Each year, out of all the livestreams that our department takes part in, the

Homecoming Celebration is the biggest stream

of the year for us.

We had a growing productions team to help

with the livestream this year and each of our

team members plays a vital role in providing

full coverage with multiple angles, where we

do our best to capture the event and provide an

enjoyable viewing experience to those viewers

that are tuned in. There is also quality control

for audio which was provided this year by

Travis and Brandon Rave. From early morning

Flag Raisings at 6:00 AM to concluding the

evening session close to midnight, the days

are long, busy, and always worth it in the end.

We learn something new on each livestream,

especially throughout a 4-day event such as our

annual Homecoming Celebration.

To dive into the livestreams, we offer a

variety of livestreaming services, and we

are always looking for ways to improve our

productions. We have implemented new

equipment this year and began working with

new streaming software, continuing to practice

split screens and multiple camera angles to

be viewable simultaneously. Other powwow

livestreams that our department looks forward

to streaming is the Last Bear Moon Powwow

(in February), and the annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Inter-Tribal Contest

Powwow (in July, 2 weeks before Winnebago

Homecoming Celebration). In the past, we’ve

Con’t. on page 2...

FOR ARTISTS, BY ARTISTS

2ND ANNUAL YOUTH FILM SHOWCASE

By Bethani Redhorn

Photography by Trisha Rivers

[Winnebago, NE] On the evening of

Monday, August 11, 2025, in the Fine Arts

Theatre within the Winnebago Public School,

a premiere event was held for the 2nd Annual

Youth Films Showcase. The hybrid event

featured a livestream by the Big Voice Radio

beginning at 5:30 PM in the WPS cafeteria.

A prayer was offered by Mr. Randy DeCora

with a meal to follow for those in attendance.

After the meal, everyone made their way to

the Fine Arts Theatre to find a seat and await

the premiere of the youth projects.

There are (6) Winnebago Youth that participated in the Worak Horak Summer Film

Camp, which is a Summer Youth Program

collaboration managed by the Winnebago

Tribe’s Education department, the Worak

Horak Youth Organization (Jordana Bass,

Founder & President), Indigucation (Sandy

Scott II, Founder), the Winnebago Public

School (Andrew Halsey, Teacher), and Vision

Maker Media (Nonprofit Organization). The

Winnebago Youth that participated this year

include Angeline Snake, Kaevyn Harden,

Ka’Mia Blackhawk, Leo Holstein Jr., Lula

DeCora, and Zowie Zephier-Wilkie. The

first of their kind projects this year consisted

of a music video, a short animation, and a

narrative short film. In the order that they

premiered, we will share more about each of

the projects starting with the music video.

The music video is a music composition

directed and edited by Kaevyn Harden called

BYZANTIUM. He begins the music video

by sharing his inspiration behind his love for

music. “My earliest experience with music,

my grandparents used to play classical and

piano music.” His biggest influence comes

from his old guitar teacher Andrew Stickman,

and he shared that audio has always been an

Con’t. on page 2...

Visit us at winnebagotribe.com

Page 2 • Winnebago Indian News • Saturday, August 16, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

...Cont. from front page RECORD BREAKING: 79K

VIEWS 159TH ANNUAL HOMECOMING

CELEBRATION LIVESTREAM

collaborated with the Winnebago Youth Crisis

Intervention Center & Youth Shelter for their

2nd Annual Mental Health and Wellness Powwow along with a Community Round Dance, as

well as the Ho-Chunk Renaissance program for

the Harvest Celebration, and we’ve provided

numerous sports livestreams for the Winnebago

Public School, Walthill Public School, Omaha

Nation Public School, and Bancroft-Rosalie

Community Schools. Other livestreams include

conferences, special events, and much more.

This year, our productions team for the 159th

Annual Homecoming Celebration livestream

included Bethani Redhorn (Lead Director),

Kevin Ebert (Assistant Director), Jordana Bass

(Lead Camera Operator), Sinya Harlan (Camera Operator), Sandy Macky Scott II (Camera

Operator), Austin Scott (Camera Operator),

Dustin Earth (Camera Operator), Rachman

Free-Bass (Camera Operator), and David Walker (Camera Operator). We want to extend a special thank you to Wildlife & Parks for allowing

our team to utilize an RV as headquarters, thank

you to the Winnebago Tribe’s IT department for

ensuring a strong, solid internet connection, and

thank you to the Winnebago Veterans Association, the Winnebago Homecoming Powwow

Committee, the Winnebago Tribal Council, the

Homecoming Celebration Head Staff, all the

singers and dancers, and lastly, our team at the

Winnebago Communications department! We

thank Wabashaw Electrics LLC for helping fix

the air conditioning for the RV as it went out

on the hottest day! Shout out to Tyler Snake,

our WIN Office/Circulation Manager, as she

prepared care packages for our crew to stay

hydrated & cool during the scorching weather.

It was a goal of ours to increase our viewing

numbers this year and we want to thank all the

viewers out there for tuning into the livestream

during this year’s 159th Annual. As of August

4th, with Facebook and YouTube combined, we

reached a total viewing of 79,052!!! The views

increased this year by 29,052 which is incredible! I speak for the whole team when I say we

appreciate your support. Since the pandemic

in 2020, learning livestreaming has come to be

such a huge asset to not only our department

but to our community and beyond. You cannot

spell community without unity; we thank all the

viewers and listeners out there for your continued support. We are already looking forward to

the 160th ANNUAL WINNEBAGO HOMECOMING CELEBRATION! If you want to

learn more about the livestreams, are interested

in having your event livestreamed, or want to

find out how you can join the productions team,

email us at: kwtn@winnebagotribe.

com or visit: https://winnebagotribe.

com/kwtn-radio

...Cont. from front page FOR ARTISTS BY ARTISTS 2ND

ANNUAL YOUTH FILM SHOWCASE

interest of his. He credits the film program for

helping him learn more about video editing,

lighting, and camera angling. The music video

was about 7+ minutes long of guitar and

piano with visuals of different photographs,

video clips, and a few cameos. Leo Holstein

Jr. (Camera Operator 1) & Sandy Scott II

(Camera Operator 2 & Lighting) assisted in

the production of this music video.

Next, a short animation starts with a young

girl named Jade asking for a puppy but is

quickly reminded of how much responsibility it takes to care for a dog. Jade gets a new

puppy and names him Uncle, which is where

the adventure begins! He is passing through

a park when a random kid approaches him

to pet him when he bites at the random kid.

Dogcatchers pursue Uncle when a young

man named Jasper finds Uncle and saves him

from going to the dog pound. While driving

with Uncle in the car, Jasper sees a missing

dog poster and gets in touch with Jade and

family to return Uncle when she surprises

him and asks if he wants to keep Uncle as his

own dog. Jasper and Uncle hop back in the

car together and drive away. The animation

is considered a draft at this time with plans to

continue further developing this project to a

fully completed Animation project. Produced

by Ka’Mia Blackhawk, Zowie Zephier-Wilkie, and Leo Holstein Jr., written by Ka’Mia

Blackhawk and Zowie Zephier-Wilkie, edited

by Andrew Halsey, animated by Zowie and

Leo, with sound design by Ka’Mia and Angeline Snake. Voiceovers by Toby Bassette,

Jessique Free-Bass, Alen Whitewing, Krystal

Brownrigg, Leo, Zowie, Angeline, Ka’Mia,

Jordana, and Sandy.

Playing back-to-back, the premiere concluded with the narrative short film called

“Cookies.” It is a short story inspired by Hopi

culture where cookie recipes are not given

away and one must learn to make the cookies

from scratch on their own. In Cookies, the

young woman named Nadia is learning to

balance grieving the loss of her grandmother

while getting through finals week in college.

As Nadia struggles to recreate the cookie recipe, her friend Raya offers emotional support

and helps her with shifting focus back to finishing strong for finals week. Throughout the

story, Nadia’s grandmother Callie is quoted

with visuals of her grandmother braiding her

hair and helping her put on her jewelry. “Do

not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there.”

Starring Tyler Free-LaMere as Nadia, Nia

Archaraya as Raya, Sarah Snake as Grandma

Callie, and Sandy Scott II as the Professor. Written and directed by Lula DeCora,

photography directed by Ka’Mia Blackhawk,

and sound operations by Kaevyn Harden.

Assistant director: Zowie, Camera Operators:

Angeline and Ka’Mia, Boom Operator: Leo,

Lighting: Mr. Halsey, and Edited by Jordana

Bass.

After the films premiered, a filmmakers talking panel began where each of the

mentors and youth introduced themselves and

offered insight into the importance of storytelling through filmmaking. Throughout the

talking panel, powerful words were shared by

the mentors, and we were able to hear from

the youth on their creative processes while

also sharing about their experiences from the

summer film camp. The Worak Horak Summer Film Camp is a 10-week summer film

program that launches filmmakers of tomorrow into their roles as cultural pioneers today

with founder Jordana Bass, lead mentors

Sandy “Macky Scott II, and Andrew Halsey.

As we mentioned in the beginning, this

year’s cohort included (6) Winnebago Youth

which we will begin introducing them in the

order that they introduced themselves during

the event. Each of the youth are enrolled

members of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, starting with Kaevyn Harden. Kaevyn

(Hap pi mani ga – Walks on a Good Day)

is from the buffalo clan, his grandparents

are Fran Sharpback and Fred Harden. Leo

Holstein Jr. is from the bear clan; his parents

are Leo Holstein Sr. and Tiffany Grant, and

his grandmother is Marian Holstein. Zowie

Zephier-Wilkie is from the wolf clan, her

parents are Trevor Wilkie and Courtney Zephier, and her grandmother is Robin Bear. Lula

DeCora is from the eagle clan; her parents are

Eugene DeCora and Brooke DeCora, and her

paternal grandparents are Randy DeCora and

Martina DeCora. Ka’Mia Blackhawk is from

the bear clan; her mother is Ebony St Cyr, and

her grandmother is Marcie Smith. Angeline

Littlegeorge-Snake is from the snake clan, her

mother is Selena Snake, and her grandmother

is Cecilia Earth.

Meeting the mentors: Jordana Bass (Hataža

Manį Winga – Walking in the Light) is an

enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska, founder of Worak Horak Youth

Organization, and serves as lead for this

year’s cohort; Sandy “Macky Scott II is an

enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska, a member of the wolf clan, founder

of Indigucation, and serves as the co-lead;

Andrew Halsey is a teacher from the Winnebago Public School, works in the Academy

program, manages the WPS film club, and

also serves as co-lead.

The event is an ongoing project with plans

to host another showcase during Native American Heritage Month in November. During the

talking panel, the mentors were able to share

more about their overall experience working

in media and why they chose to work with the

youth. Jordana shared about her experience

growing up in the Winnebago community

and explained her educational background

with Salish Kootenai College in Montana

and Institute of American Indian Arts in New

Mexico. Experiencing the diverse cultures in

other tribes, Jordana was inspired to begin

working with the youth to help provide the

opportunities that weren’t provided to her

growing up in Winnebago. Sandy added to the

words shared by Jordana, sharing their vision

on filmmaking and their collaborative efforts

in various projects. Sandy emphasized the

importance of creating space for our youth to

explore different career paths which is where

the idea for Worak Horak Summer Film Camp

derives from.

With an ongoing plan to showcase both sets

of cohort’s films forthcoming, we will continue to provide coverage with an additional

spotlight on both the Worak Horak Youth

Organization and Indigucation. Plans for a

showcase during Native American Heritage

Month will include showcasing the films from

both the 2024 and the 2025 Worak Horak

Summer Film Camp. In the meantime, you

can gain anytime access to the growing collection of student films by subscribing to the

Worak Horak Youth Organization where you

will find exclusive behind the scenes content,

podcast interviews, youth blogs, and much

more! Support the youth by visiting: https://

www.worakhorakyouth.org/

Saturday, August 16, 2025 • Winnebago Indian News • Page 3

Wāgax hųk ra wāgax hokik’ųna

Letter to the Editor

Notice:

NEW W.I.N. EDITOR

INTRODUCTION

Hello Winnebago Tribal Members & WIN Readers,

My name is Bethani Redhorn, and I am grateful to have this opportunity to serve as the

Winnebago Indian News Editor. I am the daughter of Nicole Redhorn, the granddaughter of

Ihler Mark Redhorn, Norma Jean Redhorn, Kay LaFaun Crawford-Bursheim, and Steven

Arlington Farmer Sr. I am from the Bear Clan and my traditional name in Dakota is Ohitika

Cante Winyan meaning Brave Heart Woman. I grew up in Winnebago, and I am a third-generation alumni of Flandreau Indian Boarding School. I joined the United States Navy from 2013

to 2014 and have been in the workforce ever since, spending time in different fields such as

teaching and phlebotomy.

I have worked with the Winnebago Communications department since 2020, serving as the

Communications Office Manager. Fun fact, my journey with our department actually began

with the Winnebago Indian News. In that time, we added the labels one by one, and this was

the highlight to issue week. Seeing the finished product, preparing it to mail out to the readership, and it has been incredible to see the growth throughout these years. I want to continue

adding to the growth and progress of our print and digital versions of the Winnebago Indian

News, with hopes to bring the WIN to a livestream near you!

One comment I want to add is that I love to write. As a kid growing up in Winnebago, I

dreamed of writing a book and although it is different, this feels like that which fills my heart

with gratitude. We are the People of the Big Voice with the Winnebago Indian News being

one form of our voice to share all that makes us the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. We look

forward to getting to work! There is much to cover, and we hope to capture as much of it as

possible. I would like to extend a thank you to all our subscribers, contributors, supporters,

and a special thank you to my team. I will do my best to continue contributing to the efforts of

those before me.

Respectfully,

Bethani N. Redhorn

Winnebago Housing and Development Commission

Resident Services is sending out letters for Annual

Housing keeping Inspections. It has come to my attention

that there are several tenants that have changed P. O

Boxes and or never got a P.O Box or refuses to pay for

them to stay open. It is stated in the lease you have signed

with WHDC to always have an active mailing address. It

is your responsibility as a Tenant of WHDC to inform us

on any changes with mailing addresses, phone numbers,

employment status and or of household changes. This is

a violation and can lead to termination of your lease.

Once your letter is received by to post master, we are

legally able to enter our property with-in two days’ time.

We have been lenient in allowing two- three weeks.

So, this is a notice that when you are scheduled for

inspection WHDC; Resident Services and Maintenance

will be proceeding to do what is required. Regardless if

you have received your letter or not. All tenants should

always be ready for an inspection any day of the week,

as we could use your home to showcase, if need be, this

is also stated in your lease.

Remember it’s your responsibility to inform us of any

changes.

Project Title: Winnebago Tribe Senior Home Improvement Project FY25

Funds requested for USDA: Up to 100,000.00

Type of Grant: US Department of Agriculture, Rural Development,

Housing Preservation

Grant Program

Project Period: October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026

Grantee Type: Federally recognized Tribe – Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska

Tribal Program Madisyn Redhorn, Tribal Housing Department

Contact:

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Service

CASE NO. CV 25-009

In the matter of WINNEBAGO TRIBE

OF NEBRASKA V. AFFORDABLE

HANDYMAN SERVICES LLC

To: AFFORDABLE HANDYMAN

SERVICES, Defendant

You are hereby notified that the Winnebago

Tribe of Nebraska has filed a Civil Complaint

against you for breach of contract in the

Winnebago Tribal Court to recover damages

in the amount of $14, 022.12, and all costs and

reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in recovering said damages. You must file an answer to

the Civil Complaint before August 12, 2025,

or otherwise appear at the hearing before the

Winnebago Tribal Court scheduled for August

12, 2025, at 10:00 AM, or entry of a default

judgment against you may be rendered, accordingly. A copy of the Civil Complaint may

be obtained from the Winnebago Tribal Court

Clerk upon request.

Pursuant to Section 2-306 of the Winnebago

Tribal Code, this notice shall serve as service

of process upon posting in the Winnebago

Indian News.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Hearing

Case No. JFJ25-028ABC

The People of the Winnebago Tribe

In the Interest of:

T.W. (Born 10/2013)

K.W. (Born 11/2014)

L.W. (Born 10/2015)

To:

THERESSA WEBSTER, Mother

You are hereby notified that a hearing for

an Initial Appearance concerning the above

referred minor individual(s) in case no. JFJ25028ABC has been scheduled and will be heard

in the Winnebago Tribal Court of Winnebago,

Nebraska on the 3rd day of September, 2025 at

the hour of 1:00 P.M.

Project Purpose:

The HPG program is a grant program which provides eligible entities

grant funds to assist very low- and low-income homeowners in repairing

and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. The Winnebago Tribe

Senior Home Improvement Project FY26 will be a homeowner

assistance program maintaining adequate housing for Senior Citizen

homeowners on the Winnebago Reservation who are low or very low

income. Financial assistance for a home improvement project is capped

at $9,000.

Expected Impact on Community:

Senior Citizen homeowners will have:

· Installation and/or repair of sanitary sewer and waste disposal

systems;

· Water softener/reverse osmosis systems;

· Energy conservation measures such as insulation and screenstorm windows, and

Screen doors;

· Repair or replacement of heating systems;

· Repair of structural supports and foundations;

· Repair or replacement of roof, and gutters;

· Alterations for accessibility;

· Necessary repairs to manufactured housing

For additional information, please contact Brittany Thomas at 402-8782272 ext. 2707 or stop by the Planning and Development Department

located at: 121 S. Bluff St., Winnebago, NE. (68071)

The next issue of the WINNEBAGO INDIAN NEWS will be published on August 30, 2025.

——————————————————

The Mission of the WIN is to inform and to educate

the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska of issues that

affect them, and to be a vehicle in which stresses

positive and beneficial concerns and points of view.

LETTER POLICY: Signed editorials, letters and

articles appearing in the WIN are the responsibility

of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the

opinion or attitude of the Winnebago Indian News

or the Winnebage Tribal Council.

The WIN encourages the submission of Letters to

the Editor; however, letters must be signed and

addressed. Letters may be edited for language

and length.

Postmaster Send Address Changes To

Winnebago Indian News

P.O. Box 687

Winnebago, Nebraska 68071

——————————————————

in January 1972, is published bi-weekly for the editorial or photography content without permission

is prohibited.

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

DEADLINE for this issue will be August 26, 2025.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send change of Advertising/News Deadline

address with old mailing label to:

12:00 Noon Monday Printing Week

Winnebago Tribal Council

Victoria Kitcheyan................Chairwoman

Periodicals Postage Paid

Isaac Smith...................... Vice Chairman

(Issn 1060-3026) At Winnebago, NE

Teresa Littlegeorge.................. Secretary

Rona Stealer........................... Treasurer

winnebagoindiannews@winnebagotribe.com Winnebago Indian News Staff

Phone: 402-878-2272

Bethani Redhorn.....................................Editor Coly Brown................................ Member

Tyler Snake............................. Office Manager Kenny Mallory.............................Member

“Official Newspaper of

Christina Parker...................Desktop Publisher Aric Armell..................................Member

the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska”

Lorelei DeCora...........................Member

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Nebraska Residents....................................$25.00 WTN Communications

Eugene DeCora..........................Member

Winnebago Indian News

P.O. Box 687

Winnebago, NE 68071

or contact us at our e-mail address:

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Per Column Inch............................................$7.00

Garan Coons.............................Comm. Officer

vacant............................Comm. Office Manger

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Kevin Ebert..................Multimedia Coordinator

Page 4 • Winnebago Indian News • Saturday, August 16, 2025

TRIBAL COUNCIL MINUTES

WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA

MID-MONTHLY TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING

July 21, 2025

TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:

Victoria Kitcheyan

Teresa Littlegeorge

Rona Stealer

Kenneth Mallory

Lorelei DeCora

Coly Brown

Isaac Smith (in at 9:13 a.m.)

Aric Armell (in at 9:37 a.m.)

OTHERS PRESENT:

Brittany Thomas

Anna Bess Preston

Tyresha Romero

Darla LaPointe

Christina Parker

Janelle DeCora

Charlie Earth

Miskoo Petite

Kumiko Masquat

Chad Smith

Willy Bass

Amy LaPoint

Tyler Smith

Angie Walker

Tiffany Armell-Buchanan

TRIBAL COUNCIL ABSENT:

Eugene DeCora (PTO)

CALL TO ORDER: Chairwoman Kitcheyan called to order

at 9:03 a.m.

OPENING PRAYER: Councilman Brown offered the

opening prayer.

APPROVE AGENDA:

Coly Brown motioned to approve the agenda with additions.

Rona Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

READING OF MINUTES

July 7, 2025, Regular Tribal Council meeting minutes (9:00

a.m.)

Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve July 7, 2025, Regular

Meeting minutes (9:00 a.m.). Rona Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

July 7, 2025, (rescheduled) Mid-Monthly Tribal Council

meeting minutes (1:00 p.m.)

Rona Stealer motioned to approve July 7, 2025, (rescheduled)

Mid-Monthly Tribal Council meeting minutes (1:00 p.m.). Coly

Brown seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

July 8, 2025, Winnebago Housing Development Commission

Quarterly Update meeting minutes.

Kenneth Mallory motioned July 8, 2025, Winnebago Housing

Development Commission Quarterly Update meeting minutes.

Coly Brown seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

July 10, 2025, Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System/12 Clans Unity Hospital Quarterly Update meeting minutes.

Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve July 10, 2025, Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System/12 Clans Unity Hospital Quarterly Update meeting minutes. Coly Brown seconded

the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

July 14, 2025, Physical Resources Report meeting minutes

Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve July 14, 2025, Physical

Resources Report meeting minutes. Rona Stealer seconded the

motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

July 15, 2025, CEO Report meeting minutes

Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve July 15, 2025, CEO

Report meeting minutes. Rona Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

July 16, 2025, General Counsel meeting minutes

Coly Brown motioned to approve July 16, 2025, General

Counsel meeting minutes. Rona Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

FY 2025 Grants for Coordination of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Welfare Services to

Tribal Families at Risk of Child Abuse and Neglect

Teresa Littlegeorge motioned to adopt resolution #25-200: FY

2025 Grants for Coordination of Tribal Temporary Assistance

for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Welfare Services to Tribal

Families at Risk of Child Abuse and Neglect. Rona Stealer

seconded the motion.

VOTE: (5) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

[Isaac in at 9:13 a.m.]

C.E. S~ga}c hak ik iz~u Parks Project – updates

Lorelei DeCora motioned to approve S~ga}c hak ik iz~u Park

Project to solicit funds from outside entities. Teresa Littlegeorge

seconded the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Region 7 EPA – reissue the NPDES permit Bruns Feedlot

LLC – CWA Section 401 Certification

Lorelei DeCora motioned to table to refer to EPD for review

and respond to the Tribal Council with recommendations. Coly

Brown seconded the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Request Travel approval for Enrollment Roundtable (Committee Member)

Lorelei DeCora motioned to approve travel for Committee

Member (N.E.) to attend Enrollment Roundtable in Standing

Rock, July 28 to July 30, 2025. Teresa Littlegeorge seconded

the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

LPTC

Revision of By-Laws

Lorelei DeCora motioned to table the approval of the LPTC

revised By-Laws until the Tribal Council can review. Rona

Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion car-

ried.

Transfer of the Museum Building to WTN

Lorelei DeCora motioned to table until further review by the

CEO. Teresa Littlegeorge seconded the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

LPTC Board Vacancy

Teresa Littlegeorge motioned to advertise one vacancy for the

LPTC Board Vacancy for 30 days. Rona Stealer seconded the

motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS:

[Aric Armell in at 9:37 a.m.]

Human Services Action Items

Approval – Social Services Program Policy and Procedures

Manual

Approval – Winnebago CFS Policy and Procedures Manual

Lorelei DeCora motioned to table the approval of the Social

Services Program Policy and Procedures Manual and Winnebago CFS Policy and Procedures Manual for a Special meeting.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

New position request and org chart

Teresa Littlegeorge motioned to approve the new position

(social services caseworker) request and Org Chart for Human

Services Department. Rona Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

TRIBAL COUNCIL ITEMS:

Horseshoe tournament sponsorship request

Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve a $500.00 donation for

the Horseshoe Tournament to be held on July 26, 2025. Lorelei

DeCora seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Entertainment contract

Aric Armell motioned to approve the WinnaVegas Marketing Department request of the entertainment agreement in the

amount of $50,000.00 concert to be held on October 4, 2025.

Teresa Littlegeorge seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Payroll advances for Tribal Employees

Aric Armell motioned to approve payroll advances for Tribal

Employees for the Homecoming Celebration. Teresa Littlegeorge seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

Aric Armell motioned to go into Executive Session at 9:54

a.m. Rona Stealer seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Aric Armell motioned to come out of Executive Session at

10:29 a.m. Coly Brown seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Aric Armell motioned to contact the woman’s shelter to see if

there is an opening that E.E. can get back into the shelter as long

as she is not taking place of anyone that is waiting to enter the

shelter. Kenneth Mallory seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

ADJOURN:

Aric Armell motioned to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 a.m.

Coly Brown seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Chairwoman Kitcheyan adjourned the meeting at 10:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa Littlegeorge, Secretary

Winnebago Tribal Council

WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA

LAW ENFORCEMENT/FIRE DEPARTMENT/BIA REPORT MEETING

July 29, 2025

TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:

Victoria Kitcheyan

Teresa Littlegeorge (in at 9:13 a.m.)

Rona Stealer

Kenneth Mallory

Lorelei DeCora

Coly Brown

Eugene DeCora

Aric Armell

OTHERS PRESENT:

Tino Lopez, ASAC

Joseph Barnes

Danelle Smith

Nila Soloman

Darla LaPointe

Tyresha Romero

Anna Bess Preston

Monica Flores

Crystal White

Delores Springer

Kellie Snow

Vanna Rave

Arianna Rave

Christina Parker

Marvin Grassrope,ACOP

Tiffany Armell-Buchanan

Mike Means

Tom Teesdale

TRIBAL COUNIL ABSENT:

Isaac Smith (PTO)

CALL TO ORDER: Chairwoman Kitcheyan called to order

at 9:10 a.m.

OPENING PRAYER: Councilman Armell offered the

opening prayer.

AGENDA:

Aric Armell motioned to approve the agenda. Eugene DeCora

seconded the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

[Teresa in at 9:13 a.m.]

LAW ENFORCEMENT:

Introductions: Tino Lopez, Marvin Grassrope, and Joseph

Barnes.

Marvin Grassrope gives an activity update from the Pow-wow

weekend.

Background checks

Inventory shed cleaned out

Investigation update – charges on-going

Discussion – reporting incidents, and monetary incentive for

reporting activities that lead to an arrest.

BREAK: reconvene at 10:30 a.m.

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Fire Chief on leave, Chairwoman

gives a brief update.

BIA: Presented by Nilah Soloman and Delores Springer.

Discussion on Secretarial Election.

Tribal Council will be meeting with General Counsel to

review further.

Final language and certified list of enrolled members 18 years

and older is needed to move forward with the Election.

BREAK: reconvene at 10:50 a.m.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

Aric Armell motioned to go into Executive Session at 10:54

a.m. Teresa Littlegeorge seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Eugene DeCora motioned to come out of Executive Session at

1:02 p.m. Coly Brown seconded the motion.

VOTE: (6) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve to assist Aric Armell in

lieu of tribal council salary with his window repair for $278.20.

Coly Brown seconded the motion.

OBJECT: Lorelei DeCora

ABSTAIN: Aric Armell

VOTE: (3) yes, KM, CB, ED

(3) no, RS, TL, LD (1)

abstain, AA

Chairwoman Kitcheyan votes yes.

FINAL VOTE: (4) yes, KM, CB, ED, VK

(3) no, RS,

TL, LD (1) abstain, AA

Motion carried.

ADJOURN:

Aric Armell motioned to adjourn at 1:09 p.m. Kenneth Mallory seconded the motion.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Chairwoman Kitcheyan adjourned the meeting at 1:09 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa Littlegeorge, Secretary

Winnebago Tribal Council

Saturday, August 16, 2025 • Winnebago Indian News • Page 5

COMMUNITY

Creating a Vision for the Future: Early Childhood,

Tribal Experts Convene in Nebraska for

‘Native Nations’ Event

WCHS Representation at National Diabetes

Prevention Discussion Panel

By: Sarah Collison, Marketing Specialist

By Erin Duffy

For Linda Smith, the landmark gathering

in June, hosted by the Winnebago Nation

in northeast Nebraska, was a full-circle

moment.

Smith, the director of policy at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, started her illustrious

career in early childhood on the Northern

Cheyenne Tribe reservation in her home

state of Montana.

“I learned most of what I value about

early childhood from that experience,” she

said.

Now, years later, she and some of the

nation’s top Tribal early childhood experts

are developing a vision and blueprint for

the future of Native American children and

families.

From June 9-11, the Buffett Institute and

the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska hosted

leaders from more than 40 sovereign Tribal

Nations and communities.

The need is great: more than one in four

Native children live in poverty, and they

are significantly underserved by nearly all

systems obligated to serve them. So too

are the strengths: Native children live in

communities and within families that hold

them sacred and surround them with cultural beliefs and practices that nurture their

development.

At the “Native Nations: Honoring Culture and Shaping Futures for Children and

Families” event, the nearly 60 participants

represented Tribal leadership, child care,

Head Start, home visiting programs, health

care, Tribal colleges, parents, elders, and

more.

Maria Garcia from the Omaha Tribe of

Nebraska and Amy LaPointe-Houghton

from the Winnebago Tribe represented

Nebraska, and the group toured the Educare

Winnebago early childhood facility. A

dinner showcasing Indigenous food was

prepared by Chef Anthony Warrior.

Attendees worked together to identify eight

priority areas for action:

Investing in a thriving Tribal early childhood workforce

Preserving and revitalizing Tribal heritage through language and culture

Ensuring access to health services,

including services addressing the mental,

physical, emotional and spiritual wellness

of families, that respect traditional knowledge and practices

Protecting Tribal sovereignty and right to

self-govern

Creating trusted partnerships among

Tribes and across other sectors

Providing infrastructure based on the assets, needs and priorities of Native families

and children

Centering Native voices and perspectives to drive meaningful research and data

collection

Ensuring all Tribes have access to abundant resources and partnerships

Importantly, the event addressed Native

families living both on and off Native lands.

A 2023 Bipartisan Policy Center report,

“Invisible Children, Invisible Families,”

noted that more than 80% of Native families do not live on Tribal land.

“It was so gratifying to see so many

committed to improving early childhood for

Native Americans come together to create a

vision for the future that is grounded in the

beautiful values, customs, and beliefs of our

Native community,” Smith said.

Melanie Sands-Snyder is a citizen of

the Chippewa Cree/Rocky Boy Tribe and

a member of the Early Childhood Tribal

Coalition in Montana.

“I was invited into this space because of

two parts of my life’s work,” she wrote on

LinkedIn after the event. “The work I do

in healthcare, where I lead efforts to grow,

support, and retain the people who care for

our communities—building workplaces that

value connection, culture, and well-being.

And my work within Indigenous communities, where I stay rooted in advocacy, cultural preservation, and the power of Native-led

solutions.”

“To sit in this circle—to listen, learn,

and contribute—is an honor I carry with

humility and fire. We are not just imagining

change—we are shaping it. Together,” she

continued.

Moving forward, the Buffett Institute will

work with an advisory committee representing the larger group to further define

the blueprint and lay out action steps to improve Native families’ and children’s access

to early care and learning opportunities.

The Heising-Simons Foundation funded

this opportunity. The conference’s planning

committee included Leigh Ann Courville,

Barb Fabre, Amy LaPointe-Houghton,

Callie Parr, Lee Turney, Dion Wood, Dawn

Yazzie, and the Buffett Institute’s Smith,

Hanna Junus, and Michelle Sarche.

Erin Duffy is the managing editor at the

Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the

University of Nebraska and writes about

early childhood issues that affect children,

families, educators, and communities.

Previously, she spent more than a decade

covering education stories and more for

daily newspapers.

Winnebago, NE – Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System (WCHS) proudly celebrates the involvement of employee Camilla Barajas in the Native Diabetes Gathering: Road

to Prevention, a national event held this June in Oklahoma City. The gathering, organized

by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) through a CDC-funded initiative, brought together Master Trainers, Lifestyle Coaches, and tribal health leaders

from across Indian Country. During the gathering the leaders worked to strengthen networks, deepen understanding of Medicare and Medicaid claims, and explore sustainable

solutions for diabetes prevention in tribal communities.

Camilla Barajas, Wa i pi nagu (Diabetes) Program Director and dedicated Master Trainer

Select and Lifestyle Coach with WCHS, was one of six expert speakers featured on a panel

hosted by the Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center (DTTAC). The panel

highlighted the critical role that Master Trainers and Lifestyle Coaches play in scaling and

supporting evidence-based diabetes prevention programs within tribal communities.

Barajas shared insight into her journey and commitment to empowering other coaches,

saying, “It was powerful to be in a room full of passionate leaders all working toward the

same goal, building healthier futures for our tribal communities. Supporting new Lifestyle

Coaches isn’t just about training; it’s about lifting each other up and walking the prevention journey together.”

DTTAC has been a key partner in the development of Master Trainers and Lifestyle

Coaches, providing foundational training to ensure culturally grounded and community-driven delivery of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP).

Barajas continues to be a passionate voice for diabetes prevention and education within

the Winnebago community and beyond. The Wa i pi nagi (Diabetes) Program at WCHS offers tailored treatment plans for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, while also providing screenings

for early intervention and community education. You can hear more from her next week

on the DTTAC Advance Podcast providing Advanced Coach Training to Lifestyle Coaches

serving tribes and tribal communities.

WCHS Hosts Community Baby Shower for

Expecting and New Parents

By: Sarah Collison, Marketing Specialist

Winnebago, NE – On Thursday, Aug 7th, Winnebago Comprehensive Health

System (WCHS) invited expecting and new parents with infants under a year old

to a Community Baby Shower. This Community Baby Shower was a resource fair

that highlighted insurance benefits and community resources for growing families.

The Shower was a welcoming and supportive environment where growing families could connect with healthcare professionals, learn about local programs, and

receive helpful tools for the journey into parenthood. The Public Health Nursing,

Social Services, and Women, Infants & Children (WIC), and more programs

were on hand to answer questions and share information on wellness screenings,

prenatal and postnatal care, and breastfeeding support. Medicaid enrollment is

critical so that many families being able to take advantage of these resources.

Medicaid Insurance providers like United Healthcare Community Plan, Heritage Health, Nebraska Total Care, and Molina Healthcare were also available to

empower our community to learn more about their options and answer enrollment

and plan questions.

“Our goal is to empower parents with the tools and knowledge they need

to give their babies a healthy start,” said Mona Zuffante, Chief Public Health

Officer. “The baby shower is not only a celebration of new life but also a chance

to build connections and trust between families and the services that are here to

support them.”

Attendees enjoyed light refreshments, games, giveaways, and the opportunity

to take home baby supplies and educational materials. Many parents expressed

appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about health coverage options and

to meet other families in similar stages of life. The Community Baby Shower is

just one of many outreach efforts by WCHS to improve maternal and child health

in the Winnebago community. To learn more about services available to families

from WCHS, visit www.wchs.health.

Page 6 • Winnebago Indian News • Saturday, August 16, 2025

Question of the Issue:

The 2025-26 school year begins soon. Tell us, what

are your top three highlights from the summer of

2025?

GARAN: Another summer came and went. So far, I have had 43 summers to enjoy,

and this particular summer didn’t disappoint. One is performing with Brule at the Levitt outdoor amphitheater in Sioux Falls, SD. Over 15,000 people were in attendance.

The best part is I get to perform with my son and daughter on stage.

The other is getting to help emcee the 159th Annual Winnebago Homecoming Celebration. It’s truly a honor to try to help out the veterans. Although it was pretty hot,

overall, I heard a lot of good compliments on this year’s celebration. I think every

celebration has something amazing happen! Our late WIN editor, Jerome LaPointe had

a really amazing memorial singing special. Good job to his family, a very nice way to

honor him.

3rd highlight was working with the WTN Communications team this summer. We had

some pretty amazing events including WIN issues produced, Big Voice Radio shows

aired, and great collaborations from a lot of our entities/partners. Although one bad

thing I want to mention is that we didn’t have any office potlucks this summer, “ahem”

Comms Team!

BRIAN: Once again, the summer has flown by. But we still have a lot of days left

when the weather should be warm and nice. The highlights of the season include the

159th, outdoor concerts, and weekend get aways to our usual haunts. Summer just

wouldn’t be complete, though, without that amazing outdoor cooking. Food cooked

outside just tastes better, I think. Don’t you? Well anyway, we did have some good

times and good food. Looking forward to a great Labor Day holiday – just don’t put

those white clothes away so fast. :-D

TYLER: It feels like summer only lasted a few weeks. I’d have to say the best part of

summer is school being out and I can spend more time with my son, swimming, 4th of

July, and all things summer. The 2nd highlight would be our homecoming celebration,

seeing friends and family, the food and dancing is always memorable.

CHRISTINA: My top 3 highlights? My first would have to be my family trip to

Montana! First timers for me and the kids. Yellowstone had some awesome scenery

but kids were liking it at first due to loss of cell service. Seeing the gorgeous landscape

with them was really special to me.

Taking my daughter to see The Weeknd at Mile High Stadium and her saying it was

the best day of her life!

Welcoming another baby girl into the family! Congratulations to my neice and her

significant other.

KEVIN: It started with laughing, chortling, and the smell of turkey legs and chicken

strips, in the air. Worlds of Fun was our kingdom for the day, and we came armed with

the ultimate superpower: fast passes. No endless lines, no waiting—just ride after ride

with the kids and our neighbors. The little ones raced from one adventure to the next,

sticky with ice cream and glowing with excitement.

For my second it would have to be Yankton, South Dakota, where a cabin by the water

waited for us. The mornings were filled with coffee and Blackstone grilling, broken

only by the call of a boat engine, and kids wanting to go tubing. Our pontoon became

the magic carpet of the weekend, taking us places only accessible by water.

When I tried to name my final summer highlight, I couldn’t pick just one. It wasn’t a

single moment—it was all of it. Every laugh, every sunset, every lazy afternoon and

wild ride. This summer wasn’t just good; it was the kind you want to fold up and tuck

into your pocket, just to carry the warmth a little longer. Most of all, spending time

with my little Brats! That I love so much.

BETHANI: Another eventful summer for Communications! My top 3 highlights

will include 2 from work and 1 from home. My first highlight is from the Drive-In

Movie Night hosted at the big screen by YCIC! It was a good turnout, and I loved

that my boys were able to attend with me as well. My second highlight is going to

include both July powwows that we cover which are the MMIR powwow and our

homecoming celebration. We spent time learning how to operate the new software and

equipment, which we implemented into this summer’s live broadcasts with a growing

productions team. Lastly, a huge highlight that I can never get enough of is spending

time with my family. Unbelievably, I only went swimming ONCE this entire summer.

I went swimming with my nieces Scarlett (2 years old) and Penelope (1 year old), and

it was both fun and stressful at the same time. Scarlett is at that age where she can do

it all herself! I would notice her pattering away and would try to help her with balancing, but she would be quick to say, “I. CAN. DO. IT. ME SELF. ANNNN TEEE!!!” A

moment that I will cherish forever. NOW, let us talk about sweater weather!!! :)

CONCERT REVIEW:

SHE’S SO UNUSUAL – STILL

LIVE in Concert – Cyndi Lauper

By Brian Chamberlain

Photos by Sharon Redhorn-Chamberlain /