Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska • Volume 49, Number 12 • Saturday, June 13, 2020

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Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska • Volume 49, Number 12 • Saturday, June 13, 2020

WinnaVegas Casino Resort to Reopen June 12 with Safety Protocols

On 5/29, Steve & Saundra Epp shared

their story and ministry with the community, as Steve continued carrying a cross

through their 25th state: Nebraska. Updates about their journey are shared on

the Facebook page, The Well Tulsa, where

you can find a thank you message with

photos from their visit to Winnebago!

A hot summer day was not going to slow

down these two workers, as they continued to work hard through the heat. Read

more construction updates in this issue!

Thank you to ATLAS of Winnebago Inc for

all your hard work in organizing, preparing, and distributing 100 food boxes for

the elders and members of the community! Thank you to everyone that helped

with the June 4th deliveries.

Kidz Café has returned with drive-thru

service, Monday to Friday, located behind

the Whirling Thunder Wellness Center

from 12:00-1:30 PM. Meals are placed in

the backseat or trunk area of the vehicle,

and the only requirement is to let staff

know how many meals are needed.

Ho-Chunk Community Development

Corporation gave out 215 boxes of fresh

fruits and vegetables on Friday, June

5th. No eligibility requirements but quantity is limited to one box per household,

per week on a first come, first served

basis. See more photos on the HCCDC

Facebook page!

On behalf of the Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska, we would like to send a very

special thank you to our Chief Dental

Officer, Dr. Rex Monif. All your hard work

and dedication to not only our community

but our country as well is greatly appreciated!

Sloan, Iowa – WinnaVegas Casino

Resort announced today that they will

reopen and resume casino operations

at 50% capacity on Friday, June 12 at

10am. The reopening process will be

conducted in phases with select gaming

machines and other amenities remaining closed in the initial phase. Time

between phases will be based upon

how safe guests are adhering to safety

guidelines and protocols set forth by

casino management.

“This is an exciting time for all of us

at WinnaVegas,” said WinnaVegas General Manager Mayan Beltran, “Reopening the property signifies the first step

back to that feeling of normalcy we’ve

all been looking for…I’m excited for all

our team members to get back to doing

what they do best; providing the best

gaming and entertainment experience

possible for our guests.”

During phase one, food and beverage venues will have limited hours of

operation with Kasu Café and Bingo

Concessions open. The Flower Island

Buffet will be converted to a restaurant style with table side service and a

limited menu. The 360 Lounge and the

Casino Bar will not permit standing or

sitting. Food service will be available

for to-go orders and sit-down dining

service will be limited to allow for physical distancing between guests. Bingo

sessions will adhere to social distancing

and the total amount of guests allowed

to play bingo will be limited to that

capacity. Table Games including poker

will remain closed in the initial phase

and will reopen on a later date.

Also during phase one, the entire casino property will be non-smoking and

will temporarily restrict anyone under

18 years old from entering the Resort.

The hotel will be open from Thursday

through Sunday and will be closed Sunday through Wednesday nights. Guest

amenities will be limited with valet, golf

simulators, video gaming room, fitness

room and hotel pool remaining closed

in the initial phase. High-contact areas

including elevators, escalators, door

handles and lobby areas will be cleaned

and maintained often. WinnaVegas

management plans to re-evaluate and

make adjustments in the coming weeks

and months to slowly open the remaining venues and amenities when it is

safe to do so.

New property cleaning guidelines

are being implemented to include several new initiatives such as the use of

a self-cleaning antimicrobial coating

throughout the property, physical distancing practices including floor decals,

additional cleaning protocols, plexiglass

shields, personal protective equipment

(PPE), comprehensive team member

training, safety and hygiene signage and

several other procedures throughout

the property to ensure a safe environment for all guests and team members.

Additionally, masks will be mandatory for all guests and team members

while on the property. Entrance into

the casino will include WinnaVegas

team members greeting each guest to

the resort and will be screened (external temperature check), asked to use

hand sanitizer and must wear a mask

or proper face covering both the nose

and mouth. Appropriate signage will

also be prominently displayed outlining proper mask usage and current

physical distancing practices in use

throughout the resort.

“We have incorporated the strictest guidelines, cleaning practices and

protocols that ensure the safety of our

team members and our guests who

choose to come to WinnaVegas to be

entertained,” continued Beltran, “Our

#1 priority is the safety and well-being

for anyone who visits WinnaVegas and

we feel we have exceeded the guidelines

for our industry.”

New casino hours of business

operation will be 10am to Midnight,

7 days a week. Expanded hours of

operation will be determined on a

later date. Casino management will

continue to utilize social media and

their website (www.winnavegas.com)

to communicate and inform the public on any new developments regarding the different phases of reopening

the Casino Resort.

Up to $500 in Housing and Utility Assistance for Winnebago Tribal

Members who are Head of Households

PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT

BY WINNEBAGO TRIBAL CHAIRMAN,

COLY BROWN

Dear Tribal Members,

With the help of the Winnebago

Tribal Treasurer, Roland Warner, The

Winnebago CEO, Esther Mercer, The

Winnebago CFO, Alan Post and The

Winnebago Tribal Council, we decided

to create and make available the CARES

ACT Housing and Utility Assistance

(HUA) program for Winnebago tribal

members who are head of households.

This amount is up to $500 for all (both

on and off reservation) Winnebago Tribal Members. This program will provide

much needed relief for Winnebago tribal

family homes during this pandemic.

V i s i t

u s

a t

The Winnebago

HUA program is now

available.

We have asked the

Winnebago Human

Services Department

and Winnebago Finance Department

to assist with getting

the HUA program implemented. We thank

them in advance for

their help and we ask

that you bear with us

during the next few days as an influx

of applications come in. We are urging

all Winnebago Tribal Members who are

head of households to apply.

You can apply 1 of 3 ways:

1) Download the form and fill it

out at: www.winnebagotribe.com

Email the completed form to wtnhumanservices@winnebagotribe.com.

This form is a fillable PDF.

2) An over the phone application by

calling toll free: (833) 568-7882 during

WTN Human Services Business Hours.

3) Walk in - Apply at the Human

Service Building (New Neola Walker

Building). They are open from 12:00

pm to 2:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Each application must have:

- Proof of Winnebago Tribe enrollment

for applicant & must provide a copy of

a bill, lease, mortgage, etc.

G u i d e l i n e s :

- Head of Household Must Apply.

- No Income Guidelines.

- Services can only be utilized for Mortgage, Rent, Deposit, Electric, Gas, and

Water. Payments will be made directly

to the housing or utilities providers.

Funding will be available until funds

are depleted.

We are trying to make this process

simple and quick to get this assistance

to our Winnebago family homes. Many

of you have expressed the need for assistance during this uncertain time and

as a council we felt it was an absolute

necessity to provide this Housing and

Utility Assistance. We are trying our

best during this dark time period of our

history but together we will get through

it. As a council, we are all praying & we

are all working hard to overcome this

deadly virus.

On behalf of the Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska, please stay safe and please

keep using those precautions.

Sincerely,

Winnebago Tribal Chairman,

Coly Brown

w w w . w i n n e b a g o t r i b e . c o m

Page 2— Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, June 13, 2020

BAGO NEWS

Happy 17th Birthday

Janae Kaeli Doxey

Robbie Lovejoy has taken the next step and decided to wrestle in college.

He will be attending York College this fall. Robbie has also been awarded

the $1000 NSWCA Pinnacle Bank Scholarship awarded to a student athlete

who is going on to wrestle in college. Robbie has worked hard to get to

this point and I know he will do great things. Good luck Robbie from the

Winnebago Wrestling Family.

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska would like to give a special THANK

YOU to those who donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This equipment is crucial in efforts to prevent COVID-19 from directly impacting our

community.

Below is a list of those who have supported us with Personal Protective

Equipment. We appreciate them for their generosity and thoughtfulness.

We all love you and thank you for all you do!

Love, Mom, Jason , Sae , Jer ,Yamni and

Laner

Facemasks

Shannon Hartwig

Heather McClane

Gail Brown

Celeste Tillman

Facemasks Gloves Hand Sanitizer

Jonathan Shaw & Friends

Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, June 13, 2020 — Page 3

TRIBAL COUNCIL MINUTES

WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA

REGULAR TRIBAL COUNCIL

MEETING

May 4, 2020

Via GoTo meeting and Live Stream

TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:

Coly Brown

John Snowball

Louis LaRose

Melton Frenchman

Roland Warner

Thelma Whitewater

Victoria Kitcheyan

Aric Armell

OTHERS PRESENT:

Matt May

Erika Dunn

Brandon Stout

Garan Coons

Teresa Littlegeorge

Joy Johnson

Esther Mercer

Tyresha Wolfe

CALL TO ORDER: Chairman

Brown called the meeting to order at

9:04 a.m.

OPENING PRAYER: Chairman

Brown offered the opening prayer.

APPROVE AGENDA:

Additions: FY20 Early Head Start

AIAN Supplement-COLA and Quality

Improvement, PPE Loan report request,

Food Security Labor, Business grant

Programs, Security Work Force, Election Code

Melton Frenchman motioned to approve the agenda as amended. John

Snowball seconded.

VOTE: (4) yes, JSB, LLR, MF, VK

(3) no, RW, TW, AA (0) abstain

Motion carried.

READING OF THE MINUTES:

4-20-20 Mid-monthly Tribal Council

minutes

John Snowball motioned to approve

the April 20, 2020 Mid-monthly Tribal

Council meeting minutes. Melton

Frenchman seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

4-24-20 Treasurer’s Report meeting

minutes

Melton Frenchman motioned to approve the April 24, 2020 Treasurer’s

Report meeting mintues. John Snowball seconded.

VOTE:

(7) yes (0) no ( 0 )

abstain Motion carried.

RATIFY FIVE SIGNATURES:

Adopt amended resolution #20-119A

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to ratify

the five-signature adopting resolution

#20-119 A: FY 2020 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence.

Louis LaRose seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Adopt resolution #20-121

Roland Warner motioned to ratify

the five-signature adopting resolution

#20-121: FY20 BIA Winnebago Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security

Act Project Scope of Work. Aric Armell

seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Adopt resolution #20-122

Louis LaRose motioned to ratify

the five-signature adopting resolution

#20-122: Approving and Authorizing

Application for Paycheck Protection

Program Loan under the CARES ACT

and Approving a Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity. Victoria Kitcheyan

seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

Adopt resolution #20-123: FY 2020

Tribal Opioid Response Grant

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to adopt

resolution #20-123: FY 2020 Tribal

Opioid Response Grant. Louis LaRose

seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS: None

TRIBAL COUNCIL ITEMS:

Report on all COVID-19 Grants

received

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to request for a report on PPP Loans and

what the grants were used for by the

end of the Week. Aric A Seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

RFP – 10 year Plan Selection

Thelma Whitewater motion to hire

Darren Snake to do a ten year plan.

Roland Warner seconded.

Victoria Kitcheyan, Melton Frenchman, Louis LaRose, and John Snowball

object.

VOTE: (3) yes, TW, RW, AA (4) no,

JSB, VK, MF, LLR

(0) abstain

Motion failed.

ADDED ITEMS:

ADOPT RESOLUTION #20-124: FY20

Early Head Start AIAN Supplement –

COLA and Quality Improvement.

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to adopt

resolution #20-124: FY20 Early Head

Start AIAN Supplement – COLA and

Quality Improvement. Melton Frenchman.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

FOOD SECURITY LABORS

Roland Warner motioned to move

revenues to the ATLAS program to assist with the food pantry. Aric Armell

seconded.

Louis LaRose, Victoria Kitcheyan,

and John Snowball object.

VOTE: (2) yes, AA, RW (3) no, LLR,

JSB, VK

(2) abstain, MF, TW

Motion failed.

John Snowball motioned to secure

a food security labor force utilizing our

HR department in the hiring process.

Victoria Kitcheyan seconded.

RW objects

VOTE: (4) yes, VK, JSB, LLR, MF (3)

no, AA, RW, TW (0) abstain Motion

carried.

Business Grant Programs

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to direct

General Counsel to develop an outline

for the Small Business Grant operation.

Melton Frenchman seconded.

RW objects

VOTE: (4) yes, MF, LLR, VK, JSB

(3) no, RW, AA, TW (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Security Workforce

Update, no action taken.

Election Code

Aric Armell motioned to hold a Special TC meeting May 5, 2020 at 10:00

a.m. regarding the Election Code via

Live Stream and GoTo meeting. Victoria

Kitcheyan seconded.

Victoria Kitcheyan withdrawn due to

full council availability.

Aric Armell motioned to hold a Special Tribal Council meeting May 5, 2020

at 8:00 a.m. regarding the Election Code

via Live Stream and GoTo meeting. Victoria Kitcheyan seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

ADJOURN:

Aric Armell motioned to adjourn.

Victoria Kitcheyan seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Chairman Brown adjourned the

meeting at 11:25 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa Littlegeorge, Executive Assistant

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

CONCUR:

Thelma Whitewater, Secretary

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA

SPECIAL TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING – ELECTION CODE

May 5, 2020

Via GoTo meeting & Live Stream

TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:

Coly Brown

Louis LaRose

Melton Frenchman

Thelma Whitewater

John Snowball

Roland Warner

Victoria Kitcheyan

Aric Armell

OTHERS PRESENT:

Sheila Corbine

Lisa DeCora

Esther Mercer

Garan Coons

Brandon Stout

Matt May

Erika Dunn

Teresa Littlegeorge

Tyresha Wolfe

CALL TO ORDER: Chair man

Brown called the meeting to order at

8:11 a.m.

OPENING PRAYER: Aric Armell

offered the opening prayer.

APPROVE AGENDA:

Melton Frenchman motioned to approve the agenda. Aric Armell seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

ELECTION CODE:

John Snowball motioned to amend

the wording of 5-202 Eligible Voter List

to clarify the “Bona fide resident” as

“within the boundaries of the reservation”.

Aric Armell seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

John Snowball motioned to add

a new section 5-224 Election Code

amendments.

There shall be no amendments to this

Article 2, Title 5, 90 days prior to the

Primary Tribal Election by resolution or

any other method of amendment.

Victoria Kitcheyan seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to add

section 5-225 Emergencies to read:

In the event of an emergency, as defined by this Article, the Tribal Council

may adjust the election process with the

commitment to execute fair and transparent elections. The Tribal Council

must take all precautions to protect

the right to vote in the Tribal election

process and ensure the due process of

the candidates.

Melton Frenchman seconded

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

John Snowball motioned to amend

5-207 Conduct of elections.

5. Sergeant-at-arms:

Prior to the opening of the polls, the

sergeant-at-arms shall ensure all election materials are removed within 100

feet of the polling place.

Thelma Whitewater seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Thelma Whitewater motioned to

amend 5-204 Qualification of candidates.

A candidate for the Tribal Council

shall:

Be a bona fide resident of the Winnebago Reservation of Nebraska. A bona

fide resident shall be defined as an enrolled member with a physical presence

within the boundaries of the Winnebago

Reservation for a minimum of six consecutive months immediately preceding

a Tribal election and as further defined

in Section 5-201 of this Article.

The Tribal Council shall be the sole

judge of the qualifications of its own

members, as defined in the By-Laws,

Article II, Section 1. The decision of the

Tribal Council on the eligibility of candidates shall be final and candidates

must be approved through the Eligible

Voter List.

Aric Armell seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Thelma Whitewater add to 5-216

Placement on Primary Election Ballot.

Any person filing a Notice of Intent

must include the results of a ten-panel

drug test, paid for by the Tribe, taken

prior to submitting the Notice of Intent.

Aric Armell seconded.

Louis LaRose objects.

VOTE: (5) yes, AA, VK, TW, RW, JSB

(2) no, LLR, MF (0) abstain Motion

carried.

Victoria Kitcheyan motioned the

number of candidates on the ballot be

two per vacant seat.

Melton Frenchman seconded.

Roland Warner, Thelma Whitewater

and Aric Armell object.

VOTE: (3) yes, VK, MF, LLR

(4) no,

AA, RW, TW, JSB

(0) abstain

Motion failed

5-209 election payment

Roland Warner motioned to approve

amendment to section 5-209 Conduct of

Tribal Election Board members wording

to read:

The Tribal Council shall be responsible for providing all meals and snacks,

which shall be delivered to the polling

place, for the Tribal Election Board

members and any support staff assisting with the Tribal elections. The

Tribal Council shall pay two hundred

fifty dollars and no cents ($250.00) to

each of the Election Board officials and

any support staff assisting on the day of

the Tribal election, for their services at

the polling place. Such payment shall

be made within two days after the date

of the Tribal election.

Aric Armell seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

5-216 payment notice of intent

Aric Armell motioned to approve section 5-216 Placement on Primary Election Ballot to read:

Any person filing to be a candidate

for an open Tribal Council position

must file a Notice of Intent along with

a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00). This fee

shall be used to defray the costs of the

The next issue of the WINNEBAGO INDIAN NEWS will be published on June 22, 2020.

——————————————————

Postmaster Send Address Changes To

Winnebago Indian News

P.O. Box 687

Winnebago, Nebraska 68071

——————————————————

The Winnebago Indian News (WIN),

founded in January 1972, is published

bi-weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska.

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.

without permission is prohibited.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send

change of address with old mailing label to:

Winnebago Indian News

P.O. Box 687

Winnebago, NE 68071

winnebagoindiannews@

winnebagotribe.com

402-878-2272

“Official Newspaper of

the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska”

Tribe holding the Primary and Regular

Tribal Elections.

Thelma Whitewater seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

ADJOURN

Aric Armell motioned to adjourn.

Thelma Whitewater seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain

Motion carried.

Chairman Brown adjourned the

meeting at 10:09 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa Littlegeorge, Executive Assistant

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

CONCUR:

Thelma Whitewater, Secretary

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA

TRIBAL COUNCIL MONTHLY

LAND MEETING

May 11, 2020 via GoTo meeting

TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:

Coly Brown

Aric Armell

Louis LaRose

Thelma Whitewater

Melton Frenchman

John Snowball

Roland Warner

Victoria Kitcheyan

OTHERS PRESENT:

Ireta Blackbird

Matt May

Erika Dunn

Brandon Stout

Teresa Littlegeorge

Garan Coons

Esther Mercer

CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Brown

called the meeting to order at 9:12 a.m.

OPENING PRAYER: Chairman Brown

asked for a moment of silence from everyone to pray.

APPROVE AGENDA:

Melton Frenchman motioned to approve the agenda with the additions. Louis

LaRose seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

LAND SALES:

Kirk Green: Adopt resolution #20-125:

Louis LaRose motioned to adopt resolution #20-125: Authorizing request for

and approving withdrawal of ILCA Land

Purchase Funds Held in Trust by OST

to Purchase On-Reservation Trust or Restricted Interests- Kirk Green, $15,969.63.

Melton Frenchman seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Lillian Hood: Adopt resolution #20-126:

Melton Frenchman motioned to adopt

resolution #20-126: Authorizing request

for and approving withdrawal of ILCA

Land Purchase Funds Held in Trust by

OST to Purchase On-Reservation Trust

or Restricted Interests- Lillian Hood,

$140,979.96. Thelma Whitewater seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Warren Rave: Adopt resolution #20-127:

Thelma Whitewater motioned to adopt

resolution #20-127: Authorizing request

for and approving withdrawal of ILCA

Land Purchase Funds Held in Trust by

OST to Purchase On-Reservation Trust

or Restricted Interests- Warren Rave,

$16,841.03. Melton Frenchman seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

ADDED ITEMS: Walter Ewing: Adopt

resolution #20-128:

Melton Frenchman motioned to adopt

resolution #20-128: Authorizing request

for and approving withdrawal of ILCA

Land Purchase Funds Held in Trust by

OST to Purchase On-Reservation Trust

or Restricted Interests-Walter Ewing,

$67.595.52. Louis LaRose seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried.

Norman & Annette Rave Homesite

Lease

Roland Warner motion to table Norman and Annette Rave Homesite Lease

until legal can review documentation.

Thelma Whitewater seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes

(0) no

(0) abstain

Motion carried

ADJOURN:

Thelma Whitewater motioned to adjourn

at 9:34 a.m. Melton Frenchman seconded.

VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain Motion

carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa Littlegeorge, Executive Assistant

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

CONCUR:

Thelma Whitewater, Secretary

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

DEADLINE for this issue will be June 27, 2020.

Yearly Subscription Rates

Nebraska Residents ....................$12.50

Out-Of-State ................................$15.00

Overseas .....................................$35.00

Advertising Rate

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

Advertising/News Deadline

12:00 Noon Monday Printing Week

Periodicals Postage Paid

(Issn 1060-3026) At Winnebago, NE

Winnebago Indian News Staff

Winonah Leader Charge .............. Editor

.......................................Office Manager

Bethani Redhorn............Office Assistant

Christina Parker............Desktop Publisher

Winnebago Tribal Council

Coly Brown .............................Chairman

John Snowball ................ Vice Chairman

Thelma Whitewater................. Secretary

Roland Warner ....................... Treasurer

Tori Kitcheyan .......................... Member

Melton Frenchman.................... Member

Arik Armell ................................ Member

Louie LaRose ........................... Member

vacant ....................................... Member

Page 4 — Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, June 13, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In Loving Memory

JESUS OUR SAVIOR

LUTHERAN OUTREACH

Jay Russell Stout

"Bullying doesn't normally end

well"

March 15, 1969 – May 16, 2020

Yes, it doesn't normally end well for

bullies. "He who digs a pit will fall into

it" (Ecclesiastes 10:8a).

Let me tell you a true story about a

bully and his fate. This man was the

number two man in his country. He demanded respect. He literally demanded

that those beneath his authority would

bow down to him, to take a knee or pay

homage. One God fearing man would

not bow to such a bully or pay homage.

This infuriated the bully. This bully

sought to destroy not only this man but

every one his tribe.

It did not end well for the bully. One

day the powerful leader's wife, along

with his friends, urged him to hang the

man on a 75' gallows. The bully had the

gallows made. It did not end well for the

bully the next day he would hang from

this very 75' gallows. [see the book of

Esther for the full story].

There are other times when bullying

seems to force people into submission. It

can happen to anyone. It could happen

even to the Son of God. In fact, it did. A

crowd of bullies, led by spiritual leaders

no-less, demanded that Jesus be crucified - hung on a cross until he could no

longer breath. These bullies got there

way. They got their way on that day but

it probably didn't end well for them.

How is one to respond to bullies?

How is one to respond to injustice? How

did Jesus respond to the spitting in his

face, the insults, the mocking, the lies,

the beating, the whipping, and being

hung on a tree?

Jesus responded with these words,

"Father, forgive them for they know

not what they do." Really? Who would

respond in such a loving and merciful

way? And really these bullies did not

know what they were doing? Sure they

knew and someday they would pay, or

not.

You see, each and every man, woman

or child, has spit in God's face so-to-

Funeral Services

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

2:00 p.m.

Veterans Center

Winnebago, Nebraska

In Charge

Mr. Isaac Smith

Pallbearers

Kenny Grant, Bill DeCora, Emmett

Walker,

CoreyTebo, Pat Walker, Emilio

Luken, Mel Frenchman

Honorary Pallbearers

Jarren Stout, Aaron Torrez, Eathen Torrez, Jeremiah White, Joshua

Torrez, Raymond Torrez, Russell Torrez, Edward Snake, Leopold Sanchez,

Jorge Suarez

Interment

Winnebago Tribal Ceremony

Winnebago, Nebraska

Michelle Lee Thomas

Pastor Ricky Jacob

speak when we disrespected someone

whom God placed in authority. Who

hasn't talked back to his or her parent,

teacher or God Himself attempting to

bully them to get their way?

Now you might be thinking that well

Jesus is God and God is love. Therefore

Jesus loves everyone and forgives everyone - eventually. Yes, Jesus is God and

Jesus is love! Right now he offers each

and every bully forgiveness. He does not

offer forgiveness to bullies so that they

could continue to bully others - whether

through domestic violence, child abuse,

or even demanding that others of a particular color of their skin take a knee or

bow down. Jesus offers forgiveness so

that one could humble himself/herself

and repent. To repent means to turn

one's life around with the Spirit of God's

help and leave the life of sin.

Right now Jesus offers forgiveness,

but don't forget He will return. Jesus

returns to judge those who are still alive

as well as all those who have died. If

the bullies of this world have seemed

to have gotten away with murder think

again. It will not end well for them as

there will be equal justice under the

law of God!

Still you might be thinking that Jesus

is able to forgive even bullies but there

is no way for me to be so caring. Let me

finish with another true story. There

was a follower of Jesus by the name of

Stephen who told things the way they

were. He told bullies that they had

betrayed and murdered the Righteous

One. Their response was to cast this

truth teller out of the city and began to

stone him.

It would probably not end well for

them - don't you think? Well there was

a man name Saul that had joined the

bullies, it would turn well for him by

the grace of God. As the bullies were

stoning Stephen he called out, "Lord

Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to

his knees he cried out with a loud voice,

"Lord, do not hold this sin against them"

(see Acts 7:59-60).

January 06, 1979 – June 01, 2020

Letter to the Editor...

The Winnebago Tribal Garden &

Cemetery Project

By Eugene Gilpin

Michelle Thomas, Ruuc Ska

Skai Winga meaning White Dove,

age 41 of Baraboo, Wisconsin

walked on Monday, June 1, 2020.

Funeral services will be held

Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 1:00

p.m. at the Conway-Picha Funeral Home in L yndon Station, Wisconsin with Darwin

DeCamp officiating. Burial will

be at Spring Grove Cemetery in

Wisconsin Dells. Due to the ongoing public health restrictions,

visitation prior to and at the

funeral service itself are limited

to immediate family. When the

service concludes, other people

are able to enter and walk past

the casket to pay final respects.

When this concludes the proces-

sion will travel to the cemetery.

Michelle was born January

6, 1979 in Sioux City, Iowa the

daughter of Anthony and Vera

(Ricehill) Thomas.

Michelle is survived by

her children, Julius Green,

Waylen Green, Jr., Anthony

Gauthier, Amos Gauthier and Tempest Beighley; brothers, Eric Logan

and Evan Logan; sisters,

Christee Thomas and Leeja

Thomas and numerous

grandchildren. She was

preceded in death by her

parents; and sisters, Nicole Leonard and Arnalda

Cloud.

WINNEBAGO--With support from

the Tribal Council, The Winnebago

Tribal Garden & Cemetery Program

was created in May of 2019. Former

Tribal Chairman, Frank White and

Vice Chairman, Curtis St.Cyr were very

instrumental in getting this program

up and running. Councilmen, Roland

Warner and Jim Snow had great insight. The entire council were in favor

of this project and what it could do to

help our community.

I remember Tribal Councilmen,

Warner and St.Cyr saying that in the

very near future this job would be

crucial to feeding our people. Who

would have guessed it would be of

great concern a year later. Last year

the garden flourished and produced

amazingly. This year it is expected

to do way better. Because of the COVID-19 virus, it is extremely important

that the garden does. We have tripled

its overall size, added flower beds, and

other perennials such as Elderberry

and Rhubarb. We planted new fruit

trees as well as a Pawpaw tree, also

adding a compost site. Trey Blackhawk has been a tremendous asset to

the program.

Thanks to the COVID-19 relief

funds, we will be adding a large Greenhouse to ensure better food production

next year and for years to come. It is

really exciting to watch the program

growing and flourishing like the garden itself. With the COVID-19 funding

we are also able to hire help for planting and harvesting the large garden.

In the ground now we have Potatoes, Onion, peppers, squash, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, beans

along with other produce. Ho-Chunk

Farms' Jason Hulit Jr came by with

their big planter and planted our Indian corn and our Sweet corn.

In addition to the garden, myself

and Trey are also the Cemetery Caretakers of the Winnebago Cemetery,

Armell Cemetery, Rave Cemetery and

the Brown Cemetery. That creates a

lot of work. We also helped the community by tilling some gardens as well.

The Winnebago Ranch, as former

Chairman White called it is about 5

miles west of Winnebago. Take a drive

out into the country and have a look.

TEST NEBRASKA

Emilee Longuski

WINNEBAGO, NE--On Tuesday,

June 9th, a COVID-19 testing event

was held in Winnebago in an effort

to make testing widely available to

Winnebago Community Members

and those who work on the Winnebago Reservation. Test Nebraska,

which is a state initiative aimed to

bring COVID-19 testing to Nebraska

residents, teamed up with the Winnebago Health Department and the

Winnebago Tribe to test any Winnebago resident who wanted to be

tested. The goal is to dramatically

increase the rate of COVID-19 testing on the Winnebago Reservation

to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The testing event, which was held

at the Winnebago Public School Bus

Barn, lasted for four hours. A total

of 228 individuals were able to be

tested, regardless if they had any

symptoms. Testing will only inform

individuals if they currently have

Coronavirus, not if they have previously had it or carry the antibodies

for it. Individuals are expected to receive their results in 2-3 days. Testing is crucial to combat COVID-19

be cause it helps identify cases and

provides necessary public health

data that helps track and mitigate

the spread of the virus.

In the 6/10/20 CEO Report, the council made the decision to make a modification to the Covid-19 cur few.

The curfew is now in effect from 10 pm to 5 am daily. This curfew will begin on Wednesday, June 10th.

The Winnebago Health Department is still urging social distancing

and the face cover resolution is still in effect. Please keep washing

your hands, social distance and wear a face cover.

Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, June 13, 2020 — Page 5

COMMUNITY NEWS

Construction Updates

5/26 to 5/29

Removals of the north bound

lanes from north of Mathewson to

Sta. 715+00. Milling followed by

concrete removal. Storm sewer

work will begin at Mathewson.

IES onsite to remove pedestrian

blinking lights. All drives that

exit to only the highway will be

gapped during construction with

a combination of existing pavement remaining and temporary

surfacing. The asphalt millings

will be used as temporary sur facing in these locations. There

will be disruption in the drive access as we lay pipe through the

drives. We will knock on the door

to make contact with the effected

property owner prior to closing the

drive. Temporary asphalt millings will be used to create a temporary sidewalk on the west side

of 77 from Wilson Avenue to just

north of Osborn Avenue (school

area), pedestrians will then cross

the highway and into one of the

driveway gap areas, and then

back onto the permanent trail!

Water samples passed and we will

complete the 8” tie to put the new

main in service. Residents can

expect a water shutdown Friday

5/29 am. More planning will

happen on that once we get DHHS

permission back.

6/1 to 6/5

Storm sewer from Mathewson

to Sta. 715+00 continues. Horizontal Boring will be back to

complete the 16” casing bore past

the NPPD pole at Mission Road.

Completion of the casing & sanitary sewer to follow. Horizontal

will then move down to Wilson Avenue to complete a bore under the

street. This will likely result in a

closure of Wilson by the School.

We will coordinate with the construction onsite. After completion

of Wilson bore Horizontal will

move down to Beck Avenue. This

will result in a closure on that

intersection when this happens.

We will dive into the box culvert

construction as soon as we get

storm sewer complete and Steve

Harris started paving.

6/8 to 6/12

Completing sanitary sewer relocation for box culvert. Installing storm sewer from Mathewson

going north, should be through

the Wilson intersection by Friday.

Completing water main bores at

Wilson & Beck Street.

Beginning today 6/9 Beck

Street East will close access from

Highway 77. We will only occupy

the area from Highway 77 to the

existing patch Nelson Construction has for the sewer project. Access will be allowed to the people

that park on Beck Street east of

Nelson’s sewer patch. Thursday

we will close the south ½ of Beck

Westbound to complete the sewer

bore. Access will continue to get

to the Senior Center. We anticipate Beck west in front of the Senior Center to be full open Friday

afternoon. Beck east should be

complete with our work by 6/19.

6/15 to 6/19

Storm sewer installation will

continue from Waddell to Osborne

Streets. Should be nearly complete by 6/19. Rough grading

will start 6/15 at Mathewson and

with some good weather subgrade

preparation will begin 6/17ish.

Water main will be installed at

Wilson Street.

We will be digging and grading

through many of the temporary

drives during this week. Please

be on the lookout if your drive is

missing!! We will contact the homeowner prior to removal, but with

many people at work, coming & going during the day, please double

check. Everyone will have access

at the end of the day, but some

parking on side streets during the

day may be required. Thank you

in advance for everyone’s cooperation in this matter.

Page 6 — Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, June 13, 2020

BAGO NEWS

Tekamah resident Dr. Rex Monif, Chief

Dental Officer for the Winnebago Tribe of

Nebraska, is returning from his Army mobilization on June 22nd

With less than 48hours notice,

our Dr. Rex Monif (aka LTC Monif)

mobilized August 4th for the Department of Defense response to the

Covid-19 pandemic. LTC Monif, an

Army Reservist in the 965th DC,

had deployed previously to Iraq,

Afghanistan, and Central America

but this was a different battlefront

for him. Attached to the Urban

Augmentation Medical Task Force

(UAMTF) 452-2 out of Milwaukee

WI with the final destination being

New York City. At the beginning,

there was so much unknown. The

UAMTF consisted of 85 Soldiers

from many medical disciplines that

were sent to an overwhelmed New

York Healthcare system. “We didn’t

know if we were staying in tents or

what was going to be asked of us so

we packed as if going to a warzone.”

I had two duffle bags, a ruck sack,

two boxes of MREs, and everything

from my sleeping bags, ACH (Army

Comabt Helmet), and even my gas

mask. We were honored and proud

to support the American heroes on

the home front and ready to help

out wherever needed” said Dr. Monif.

Dr. Monif continued, “Arriving in

New York was a surreal experience.

With the city shut down due to the

Stay at home orders in place, the

streets were deserted except for the

many homeless who resided in the

downtown. The unit was attached

to a hospital in the Bronx that had

been hard hit by the virus. We had a

great team of Medical Doctors, Nurses, and Respiratory Therapist who

soon took over their own ICU ward

to help the hospital staff who had

been overwhelmed with patients.

Our medics would help in the ICU

and also form proning teams. We

were finding out the patients on the

respirators were not surviving most

of the time. By proning, an older

technique where we essentially flip

the patient on their front side, would

help with breathing and greatly increase our chances of recovery. The

rest of us looked for where we could

be of assistance. The Hospital staff

had been overextended due to the

demand and some of themselves got

sick or has to quarantine.

No job was unimportant for us

and we were enthusiastic to help

if any way we could. As a Dentist

there was little to be do in my lane.

Dentistry had pretty much been

shut down due to the virus. Where

they need help desperately was the

Morgue. I was part of the Mortuary

response in assisting the hospital.

We felt it to be our mission to show

the utmost respect and dignity to

the ones who passed away. In the

wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, we

would have an American Flag where

the bodies would pass under in the

morgue of the field hospitals. The

caskets would have an American

Flag draped over when we would

move them for the flights back home.

We wanted these bodies to have the

same respect even though we did not

have flags to drape or fly over them.

By the beginning of May thankfully

we had turned a corner and were

seeing dramatically less numbers.

One of the most rewarding experiences I got was when I was able to

help the Social Workers sit with the

CO-VID patients. I really had never

considered how important Social

Workers were till this mobilization.

They really have a huge impact in

the patients’ lives and outcomes.

With family not being allowed to

visit our CO-VID patients, we would

sometime gown up and sit with them

to let them know they are not alone

in this fight. A particular patient

was an inspiration to our unit. His

life was literally saved by one of our

social workers CPT Dungan who

ordered him to live. The patient was

George Crouch, a 96-year-old WWII

and Korean War veteran. He and his

wife had come down with the virus

and were placed in the same room.

His wife passed away in front of him.

George lost the will to live and refused to eat, drink, or any care. CPT

Dungan was his social worker and

found that George would respond to

him, due to the military connection,

and not others. Many Soldiers, including myself would sit with George

so he would not be alone. George

responded to the Military and recovered. His story and the efforts of CPT

Dungan made the New York Times

and National News. It is a good story

to google. Also rewarding was when

I could help families see and talk to

their loved ones on an I-PAD. Even

when it was just to look at their loved

one more time to say good-bye.

The take away from this mobilization is the profound pride I saw

in the people of New York and the

teamwork of the UAMTF 452-2. This

Pandemic is not supposed to happen and people are not supposed

to die this way. The heroes are everywhere from the Front line to the

Home where people are responsibly

wearing masks and keeping others

safe. It also exposed those that are

not heroes and selfishly choose not

to follow CO-VID precautions. I am

exceptionally grateful to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska for their

support of the military and my family

in Tekamah. I want friends, and patient to know that out of 85 Soldiers

in the thick of Covid-19, that none

of us tested positive by following

proper mask and hygiene. I get off

my 14-day mandatory quarantine on

June 16 and look forward to coming

home to see family, dogs, and cats.”

One New Positive Case of COVID-19 Confirmed in Winnebago

WINNEBAGO, NE – The Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System, which

is comprised of the Winnebago Public Health Department (WPHD) and Twelve

Clans Unity Hospital (TCUH), have confirmed one new case of COVID-19 in Winnebago. The Winnebago Reservation now has had a total of forty positive cases

of COVID-19. Of those forty, eight individuals have recovered.

The patient that tested positive was symptomatic, but reported in good condition. That individual is currently recovering at home and in isolation. The WPHD

continues to monitor and notify any potential contacts of all positive cases. To

protect the privacy of the patient, no other details will be released at this time.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness with no known cure or vaccine. Winnebago

community members experiencing shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose,

and cough are urged to call the COVID-19 Hotline at (402) 922-1508. Per Center

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, it is recommended that

individuals stay home except to get necessary medical care. Individuals with

underlying conditions, such as diabetes or those with compromised immune

systems are the most high-risk for contracting the virus.

Prevention measures include washing your hands often with soap and water

for at least twenty seconds each time and routinely cleaning frequently touches

surfaces. Other recommendations include social distancing, wearing a mask in

public, and remaining at least 6 feet away from each other with groups of no

more than 10 people.

Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System has been taking many important steps to further protect the health and safety of the community. These

steps, among others, have included implementing a no visitor policy within the

hospital, increasing the frequency of cleaning facilities, making certain services

available remotely, implementing a drive-thru pharmacy, and placing staff on

telework status when possible.

Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System is operated by the Winnebago

Tribe of Nebraska and consists of two divisions. Twelve Clans Unity Hospital

is a 13-bed state-of-the-art healthcare facility that serves an estimated 10,000

Native Americans who live on the Winnebago Reservation and in the surrounding region. Health care services provided by the hospital include an ambulatory

care clinic, inpatient care, express care clinic, pharmacy, radiology, emergency

care, medical laboratory, physical therapy, social services, and more. The Winnebago Public Health Department strives to create and maintain a healthy community by providing a wide range of total health and wellness programs. These

programs include physical, mental, safety, and social services that benefit the

Winnebago community.

Farmers Market Update

Our Winnebago Farmers Market is named “Nisoc Wahagi Hoci”

which means Hochunk Harvest

House. We will be opening for our

2nd year and are searching for vendors to sell their fruits and vegetables and other merchandise. You

don’t have to be an expert business

person to become a vendor. This is

a good learning experience and can

be relaxing and fun. This year we

must take precautions due to the

Covid-19 virus and we have initiated Covid-19 Protocols to follow

to deter spread of the virus. Our

hearts and prayers are with the

families affected by this disease.

Our Covid-19 Protocols require the

use of face masks for all customers

and Vendors plus vendors must

use gloves at all times and safe

distancing will be enforced. We

want everyone to be safe and feel

comfortable at our Farmers Market. The Farmers Market will open

on Wednesday, June 17, 2020

from 1pm to 6pm, every Wednesday through Oct. 14. If anyone is

interested in becoming a vendor,

please contact Vince Bass, Farmers Market Coordinator via email

at: vbass@hccdc.org. I will email

you our vendor application, rules

and regulations, Covid-19 Proto-

cols, Food Handling Guidelines and

any related information. All cooked

foods, including soups, burgers,

hot dogs, baked goods, canned

goods, salsas, etc. are subject to

our Tribal Food Code and the Office

of Environmental Health Food Handling guidelines. Monica Cleveland

is the director and any cooked food