Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska • Volume 46, Number 20 • Saturday, November 17, 2018
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Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska • Volume 46, Number 20 • Saturday, November 17, 2018
Ho-Chunk Farms driving Tribal land revenue
Record $1.78 million lease approved
Bago Bits…
Winnebago basketball living Legend
David Wingett, Jr get his first two points
as a Memphis Tiger on a steal and break
away dunk. Go Big Blue!
Nebraska Democratic Co-Chair, Frank
LaMere and HCI Operations Officer,
Anne O’Gorman-Downes participate in
Winnebago’s Voter Drive hosted by the
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
HCI hosts a visit from the Mississippi
Choctaw Nation Tribal Leadership last
week.
Gazing across a recently harvested field stretching into the horizon, Aaron LaPointe thinks about the future. These 1,200 acres of Tribal
land will be cultivated by the company he supervises come spring. It’s by far the Winnebago Tribe’s largest parcel – Big River Bottom
ground by Big Bear Hollow along the Missouri River. On Nov. 13, the Tribal Council approved Ho-Chunk Farms bid of $357,000 per year for
a 5-year lease totaling $1.78 million. The contract expands Ho-Chunk Farms land base by 40 percent. LaPointe and his coworkers are still
determining what to plant next year. One thing is clear: Ho-Chunk Farms is changing the business and environmental dynamics of farming
on the reservation. The approach started seven years ago to increase Tribal land revenue. It’s done that, and more. “This has increased
Tribal land revenue significantly,” LaPointe said. “There was no competition before.” The Tribe’s land is managed by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. For decades, non-native farmers have bid far less than market value to lease parcels. Tribal policy allows Ho-Chunk Farms to
match any bid for contracts with payments going to the Tribe. In the past 5 years, the Tribe has earned over $1 million from increased land
values. During its Nov. 13 meeting, the Winnebago Tribal Council considered a farmer’s bid on the Big River Bottom land and approved
Ho-Chunk Farms matching offer. The Tribe earns an additional 20 percent of farming profits from dividend payments made by Ho-Chunk
Farms’ parent company, Ho-Chunk, Inc. The future LaPointe thinks about includes increased Tribal employment, transitioning more conventional farmland to higher-value organic, and exploring other markets like livestock and poultry. Conventional farming of corn, soybeans
and alfalfa makes up 80 percent of Ho-Chunk Farms harvest and revenue. Acres farmed increased from 2,400 to 3,500 from 2017 to 2018.
Planting in 2019 will cover 4,515 acres. For perspective, LaPointe says a big farm is about 1,500 acres. Ho-Chunk Farms also manages
101 acres of high-value USDA Certified Organic farmland and has another 458 acres transitioning to organic. Ho-Chunk Farms operations
are growing with the land base. It now runs its own trucking and purchased a disc plow and planter. The eventual goal is to be self-sufficient with a machinery line and not outsourcing any work. The benefit of Tribal land management includes an ethical and moral commitment in addition to increased revenue. “As a landowner, you want to know the productivity of the soil,” LaPointe said. “Farming practices
on cash-leased land is about short-term profit. There isn’t an incentive to make long-term investments in the soil quality.” Ho-Chunk Farms
invests in soil sampling and tests nutrient levels. Land is managed with a soil quality plan and that data is shared with the Tribe to track
soil health. “We are ensuring the long-term care and stewardship of the land for generations to come,” LaPointe said.
Neola Walker Building Will be Remodeled
Jr. Miss Nebraska Winnebago, Paris
LaPointe, was home last weekend to celebrate Winnebago Veteran’s on their Day.
Yeah I was just being nosie too. The
WVFD held a controlled burn of a local
family out building.
A local service building that has served the Winnebago People for over 40 years has once again been gutted to serve yet another purpose for
the community. Originally built as a classroom for carpentry & construction students, the IAT Building would soon see remodeling to serve
as the Reservations very first Tribal Grocery Store, The Heritage. For many years the Heritage sold groceries that residents otherwise would
have to travel 20 miles north to purchase at local city grocery chain stores. The building would have to wait until the early 90’s when a new
Tribal Grocery store was built to serve another purpose. Most recently the Neola Walker Building served as a Tribal Office housing tribal
service program offices. When this latest remodel is complete the building will house the Tribal Human Service Department, perfect fit for
the buildings name. A long story short Neola “Old Lady” Walker was a prominent Winnebago Tribal Council member who spent her life in
service to the Winnebago People. We will continue to post updated pictures of this historic, small piece of Winnebago Contemporary History.
Indianz.com…
Omaha Tribe defends decision to remove dually-enrolled
citizens from rolls
Congrats Ho-Chunk Nation member,
Sharice Davis, first Native Woman Member of the U.S. Congress.
The administrative building of the
Omaha T ribe in Macy, Nebraska.
Photo: Ali Eminov
'I was born an Omaha and I'm going
to die an Omaha'
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Ariayna Yellowbank has been named the
2018 Watonga Kiwanis Sophomore of The
Year. Ariayna, an enrolled Winnebago
tribal member, is the daughter of Regina
Youngbear of Watonga, Oklahoma and
Anthony Yellowbank of Black River Falls,
Wisconsin
Director of tribe's corporation among those disenrolled
By Kevin Abourezk
Taylor Keen has worked to revitalize the traditional corn of his people,
hosted a war dance that hadn’t been
held by the Omaha Nation for decades
and led the tribe’s economic development efforts for several years.
The 50-year -old Omaha man attended Dartmouth College and Harvard
University before returning to Nebraska
V i s i t
u s
a t
to teach at Creighton University.
Since returning, he’s become one of
the most recognizable Natives in his
home state, where he serves on the
boards of several humanities organizations and played the role of Ponca Chief
Standing Bear for events like the state’s
annual summer Chautauqua.
But recently, the Omaha Tribe disenrolled the university instructor, ostensibly as part of an effort to remove tribal
citizens who are also enrolled in other
tribes. Keen is enrolled in the Cherokee
Nation as well.
He says he fears Omaha tribal leaders
may have ulterior motives for their decision to remove him from the tribe’s rolls.
“I take my tribal citizenship very
seriously,” he said. “I have to be one of
the most proud Cherokee citizens and
Omaha citizens.”Taylor Keen stands at
the grave marker of Chief Big Elk, who
led the Omaha people in the 1800s,
in Bellevue, Nebraska. Keen, who was
recently disenrolled from the Omaha
Tribe, is a descendant of Big Elk. Courtesy photo
Omaha Tribe Chairman Michael
Wolfe said the tribal council didn’t target Keen in its decision to rescind the
citizenship of dually enrolled citizens.
He said the council simply decided to
enforce the tribe’s constitution, which
requires that tribal citizens who enroll
in other tribes automatically lose their
Omaha citizenship.
“It’s in our constitution,” he said. “It
isn’t anything with the council. We’re
just following what the people wanted.”
The Omaha Tribe’s decision remove
Keen and other dually enrolled citizens
makes it the 80th tribe to do so, according to Gabe Galanda, an attorney and
citizen of the Round Valley Indian
Tribes who has written extensively
about tribal disenrollment and has
represented victims of disenrollment.
He said tribes conducted numerous
mass disenrollments prior to spring
2016. However, tribes have mostly halted the practice since then, at least until
the Omaha Tribe’s decision in March to
remove 17 dually enrolled citizens from
its rolls, Galanda said.
Keen said he didn’t learn until
September the tribe had decided to
disenroll him.
“My Omaha grandmother enrolled us
Omaha and my late father enrolled us
Cherokee when I was a teen,” he wrote
...Con’t. on page 7
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, November 17, 2018
Bago News
Next WIN News Deadline:
November 26th
Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, November 17, 2018 — Page 3
Winnebago News
Thoughts on a Tough Budget…
By Lance Morgan
Some tribal employees have not gotten a wage increase for years. That is
terrible. It is human nature to want
progress and to think the future will
be better. I had read and heard a few
comments about promising raises right
before the election, which is common
enough I suppose. However, I was
sitting in the tribal council budget
meeting which dealt with the pay for
the tribal employees and after some
discussion regarding funding problems, the tribal council just approved
last year’s budget so there will once
again be no raises.
Not much at all was said in the
meeting. The primary discussion was
that we didn’t have enough money to
fund everything. One tribal council
member noted that our budget had
evolved to be too expensive partially
since grant funds had run out and we
had just moved people onto the tribal
payroll. This got me thinking about
the tribal budget more than I usually
do and so I thought I would share my
thoughts.
The tribal appropriations budget is
very similar to the amount before the
Hard Rock Casino opened and took a
chunk of business from Winna Vegas,
which is the largest contributor to
tribal appropriations. Typically, an entity that brings in less money will have
to cut back, but the tribe has gotten
several windfalls the last 4 years. We
got two large settlement payments and
a nice payout on the existing pipeline
lease the tribe negotiated. The tribe
also got the benefit of the tribal matching policy for farm land which created
additional income of about $1 million
per year. These things helped keep the
tribe from having to make some tough
financial decisions.
Unfortunately, there was no windfall
this last year and none on the horizon
for next year that I know of personally.
With the casino in a tough competitive
battle and Ho-Chunk, Inc. being hurt by
our legal battle with the ATF, it makes
it even tougher and helps explain why
the tribe had to keep the same budget.
One of the reasons given for trying
to disband the land company was the
tribe needed the money in the land acquisition fund to fund current operating
costs. I suppose I understand that but
it sure would be nice to start buying
back the entire reservation. Another
suggestion was to take more money from
Ho-Chunk, Inc. through our dividend,
which is currently 20 percent of Net Income. We intend to raise it to 25 percent
over the next few years, which will help
but that alone won’t be the answer.
If you look a little deeper, there are
some opportunities we are missing. We
are run by a political body and you don’t
get reelected being mean to your voters
and one of the largest voting blocks in
town is the tribal employees. I think
we should have started a few years
ago making some hard choices about
what programs to fund and which ones
we can’t afford anymore. If we made
some calculated choices about which
programs are most important and productive, then we likely will have enough
resources to give out modest raises.
However, if we refuse to make tough
choices then we get stuck with wage
freezes and across the board cuts. I
think it is time to get purposeful and
strategic in how we spend our tribal
money.
I know no one, especially our leadership, wants to cut a tribal members
job, but there are open jobs all over the
reservation and the Sioux city area that
could be filled by our tribal members
with just a little bit of coordination. The
tribe is meeting with several of the large
entities in town in a few weeks and I
think this could be the first opportunity
to figure out how we can start making
some smart yet tough choices about
what to fund, while finding new job opportunities for our tribal members, and
hopefully giving some much-deserved
raises to tribal employees.
JESUS OUR SAVIOR
LUTHERAN OUTREACH
"The Unholy Trinity - Part 3"
I am continuing my series of articles
based on a book by Michael Lockwood.
You will recall that the Unholy Trinity is 'Me, Myself, and I.' This time
we focus on this quote of Lockwood:
'What a burden to be bound by my
own self-love!'
"What's in it for me?" Today we reflect at the idolatry of loving ourselves
more than our Creator, as we strive to
get the universe to revolve around us
and our desires. As self-interested people, we are tempted to use God primarily as a means for obtaining blessings
for ourselves. We sometimes think that
God should revolve around us and our
desires is to turn ourselves into idols,
by loving ourselves more than him. It is
also to turn him into an idol, by treating him merely as someone who serves
our needs. We can become much like
demanding little children who throw a
fit if we don't get what WE WANT!@#
'Dr. Martin Luther of the 16th century recognized that pure love for God
means loving him for his own sake,
without thought of ourselves. Luther
connects his discovery of the Gospel to
a transformation in his understanding
of love. God's Sacred Word led him to
see that God's love for us is primary,
not our love for him. In others words,
the source of love is God and flows from
Him to His greatest creations - male
and female.
Yet his love for us produces love
in us for both him and our neighbor.'
Or as the apostle John wrote: "Dear
friends, let us love one another, for love
comes from God. Everyone who loves
has been born of God and knows God."
[1st John 4:7] The love of God should
never end with you or with me. God's
love is to overflow to others and blessings us with confidence and contentment, hope, peace and joy!
Council Speaks…
“GO-FOR-IT or FOREGO-IT”
Contact me at hochunk@aol.com
The Winnebago Health Department will
be set-up at the Diabetes Awareness Health
Fair on Wednesday, November 28, 2018
from 10am – 2pm in the Ho-Chunk Hope
Classroom conducting a Community Health
Survey via Survey Monkey. We will have 3
laptops available for community members
to access the internet and complete this survey online. The survey is part of the overall Community Health Assessment that the
health department is currently conducting.
The first 250 participants will receive a $10
Walmart Gift Card. The survey is short
and shouldn’t take much time to complete.
Please come to the Health Fair and participate in the survey.
In Loving Memory…
Werdna Irene Cleveland Foster, 79, born on March 15, 1940 in Winnebago,
Nebraska passed away October 27, 2018 at her residence in Fort Wayne,
Indiana due to complications of a stroke.
She was the daughter of Moses and Letha Lydia (Hittle) Cleveland. She
was preceded in death by her parents, 7 sisters and 3 brothers, 1 nephew
and 1 niece.
Surviving sisters Beverly (*Gordon) Thunder, Kay Cleveland Fierro, Linda
Cleveland Hays, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Winnebago Wake
and Burial Program with wake services until the time of funeral services on
November 1, 2018 at 2:00 pm.
I will be coming to the end of my
term on the tribal council this next
October, but I won’t be coming to the
end of my wishing for a new alcohol
and counseling center (long overdue),
and a new halfway house to support
total recovery.
Back in the middle 80s and early
90s I was the director of the alcohol
program and had a staff of three
certified alcohol counselors (Native
Americans, Winnebago) and three
non- Indians, also state certifi ed.
Also a staff of three to manage the
halfway house. I would like to think
that the AIHRC was one of better
programs in the Great Plaines Area
at that time. We operated out of an
old Assembly of God and Episcopal
Church We had a Babes program
in the school system and a youth
center in what is now the Boys and
Girls Club plus two lighted basketball courts. One might say those
were the good old days, but I don’t
think there’s such a thing as good
old days. Each day should be gooder
than yesterday.
I share a short story about the
first two years I was the director of
the alcohol program. Into my second
year with the program the one and
only liquor store in town burned to
the ground, people suspected I had
something to do with it. Comments
like “ boy, Kenny is really taking his
The next issue of the WINNEBAGO INDIAN NEWS will be published on December 1, 2018.
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Pastor Ricky Jacob
'The nature of sinful human beings
is to love themselves more than God
and all things, and to use all things
including God as a means to serve
their own desires. This ultimately
leads to frustration, when God and his
world do not conform with our sinful
desires, and we discover our inability
to furnish ourselves with joy. God on
the other hand calls us to love him and
his will without thought of ourselves.
Back to the quote of Lockwood as
well as his Gospel quote: 'What a burden to be bound by my own self-love!
How liberating to be caught up in love
for the Lord instead.'
I close with these words from the
fourth chapter of 1st John: “This is
how God showed his love among us:
He sent his one and only Son into the
world that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another. No
one has ever seen God; but if we love
one another, God lives in us and his
love is made complete in us.
We know that we live in him and he
in us, because he has given us of his
Spirit. And we have seen and testify
that the Father has sent his Son to
be the Savior of the world. If anyone
acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of
God, God lives in him and he in God.
And so we know and rely on the love
God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love
lives in God, and God in him. In this
way, love is made complete among us
so that we will have confidence on the
day of judgment, because in this world
we are like him. There is no fear in
love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made
perfect in love" [1st John 4:9-18 NIV].
job seriously, he doesn’t have to go
that far” Today, thirty some years
later I want to tell the public, I had
nothing to do with that fire. Before I
get to boastful about the past alcohol
program’s success, I need to humble
myself by letting you know that I was
also fired from that same program.
Not for porn on my computer, not for
embezzlement of program funds, not
even for unethical behavior, would
you believe insubordination? That
being said I would like to get to the
real contents of my article.
Just recently the tribe received
notice from the Planning dept. that
we (tribe) were awarded a grant in
the amount of 1 million dollars from
the DOJ for the purpose of a new
Alcohol counseling center. Thank
you Planning dept. Keep up the good
work. In order for the 1million to
become available for the new center
and half-way house the tribe has to
come up with matching funds in the
amount of $800 K to proceed with
the project. Now the ball is in the
tribal council’s court, are we going
to GO- FOR- IT or are we going to
FOREGO- IT.
The good thing about the $800
thousand is that we as a tribe don’t
have to go to Shokapee or the Bank
to borrow the money. We have
plenty of resources in our investment portfolio that is only getting
bigger with the booming economy.
We would have no interests to worry
about. Why seem pitiful when you
don’t have to? If we can just be good
stewards, put the people first. I get
tired of hearing “for my people, for
my people, for my people’ then proceed with our own agenda. We need
to make educated decisions not just
“shoot from the hips”. Most of all,
we all have to be transparent in our
role as council members After all the
people pay our salary, they have a
right to know.
Submitted by Kenny Mallory
Footnote: My next articles will
be; Why no action on the three year
old hold on the Enrollment Moratorium?
DEADLINE for this issue will be November 26, 2018.
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Winnebago Indian News Staff
Jerome LaPointe, Sr. .................... Editor
V.J. Wolfleader...............Office Manager
Christina Parker............Desktop Publisher
Winnebago Tribal Council
Frank White ............................Chairman
Curtis St. Cyr .................. Vice Chairman
Coly Brown ............................. Secretary
Roland Warner ....................... Treasurer
Tori Kitcheyan .......................... Member
Melton Frenchman.................... Member
Kenny Mallory ........................... Member
Louie LaRose ........................... Member
Jim Snow .................................. Member
Page 4 — Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, November 17, 2018
Tribal Council Minutes
WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA
REGULAR TRIBAL COUNCIL MEETING
October 1, 2018
TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:
Frank White
Curtis St. Cyr
Coly Brown
Roland Warner
James Snow
Victoria Kitcheyan
Kenneth Mallory
Isaac Smith
OTHERS PRESENT:
Gloria Eagle
Barb McCauley
Donna Blain
Benny Eagle
Randy Teboe
Bill DeCora
Dulcie Greene
Tonia Keller
Shelly Bear
Josh Chamberlain
Marvin Horn
Cassie Kitcheyan
Valarie Mallory
Kathy St. Cyr
Gwen St. Cyr
Reva DeCora
Cece Earth
Wally Earth
Thelma Whitewater
Roger Whitebeaver
Luther Whitewater
Tiffani Warner
Jason Lawrence
Esther Mercer
Garan Coons
Lilly Snow
Lance Morgan
LaDonna Holstien
Matt May
Harold Cleveland
Taryn Thomas
Chiara Cournoyer
Grace Earth
Misty Jefferson
TRIBAL COUNCIL ABSENT:
Vincent Bass (leave)
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman
White called the meeting to order at
1:11 p.m.
OPENING PRAYER: Curtis St. Cyr
offered the opening prayer.
APPROVE AGENDA:
Isaac Smith motioned to approve the
agenda with the addition to Victoria
Kitcheyan NIHB update, and Log Cabin
Issue/update. James Snow seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
READING OF THE MINUTES:
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018-MONTHLY
LAND MEETING
James Snow motioned to approve
the September 14, 2018 Land Meeting
minutes. Roland Warner seconded.
VOTE: (5) yes (0) no (2) abstain,
VK, IS Motion carried.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018 –MIDMONTHLY MEETING
Isaac Smith motioned to approve the
September 17, 2018 Mid-Monthly Meeting minutes. James Snow seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018-GENERAL
COUNSEL
James Snow motioned to approve the
September 19, 2018 General Counsel
meeting minutes. Isaac Smith seconded.
VOTE: (6) yes (0) no (1) abstain, VK
Motion carried.
SEPTEMBER 19 & 20, 2018 – CEO
REPORT
Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve
the September 19 & 20, 2018 CEO
Report with corrections. Isaac Smith
seconded.
VOTE: (6) yes (0) no (1) abstain, VK
Motion carried.
RATIFY FIVE SIGNATURES:
ADOPT RESOLUTION
Kenneth Mallory motioned to ratify
the five signature adopting resolution
#18-140: Disaster Recovery Grant. Coly
Brown seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
[Curtis out]
NEW BUSINESS:
ESTHER MERCER-AMEND RESOLUTION #18-86
Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to refer
to Land Management. Kenneth Mallory
seconded.
VOTE: (6) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
HUMAN SERVICES- REQUEST
Isaac Smith motioned to table the
Human Services request due to no show.
Coly Brown seconded.
VOTE: (6) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
WALLACE EARTH – EMPLOYMENT
WITH FOOD DISTRIBUTION
James Snow motioned to refer the
request from Wallace Earth to the CEO.
Roland Warner seconded.
VOTE: (6) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
BARBARA MC CAULEY – COMPLAINT
Received hand written letter from
Barbara McCauley on October 1, 2018
at 2:05 pm regarding Ethical Complaint.
Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to accept the report of Ethical Complaint.
Kenneth Mallory seconded. Kenneth
Mallory withdrew his seconded. Chairman called three times for a seconded
to the motion. No seconded received.
Motion failed.
TRIBAL COUNCIL ITEMS:
JEANIE EAGLE – COMPLAINT (ETHIC) RE: RW
Received complaint at 2:31 p.m. on
October 1, 2018. Written response to
WIN.
CLAUDINE COHEN – COMPLAINT
(ETHIC) RE: TK:
Complainant called and cancelled.
[Isaac out]
VK- NIHB REPORT:
Kenneth Mallory motioned to table
the NIHB Report. Roland Warner seconded.
VOTE: (5) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
[Isaac in, Curtis in]
LOG CABIN ISSUE/UPDATE:
Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to refer
the Log Cabin Issue to Physical Resources. Kenneth Mallory seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
ADJOURN:
Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to
adjourn at 3:20 p.m. Roland Warner
seconded.
VOTE: (5) yes (1) no, IS (1) abstain,
KM
Motion carried.
Chairman White adjourned the meeting at 3:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Coly Brown, Secretary
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA
TREASURER’S REPORT MEETING
October 1, 2018
TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:
Frank White
Curtis St. Cyr
Coly Brown
Roland Warner
James Snow
Vincent Bass (9:25 am)
Victoria Kitcheyan (9:20 am)
Kenneth Mallory (9:14 am)
Isaac Smith
OTHERS PRESENT:
Damon Payer
Mayan Beltran
Felicia Torres
Mike Means
Alan Post
Daphne Evans
Esther Mercer
Darren Snake
Monica Smith
Shelly Bear
Dulcie Greene
Bill DeCora
Gloria Eagle
Ann Bledsoe-Downes
Wally Earth
LaTesha Bass
Josh Chamberlain
Marvin Horn
Kelly Snow
Desire Kitcheyan
Barb McCauley
Donna Blain
Thelma Whitewater
Lance Morgan
Sarah Snake
Keith Chamberlain
Jean Redhorn
Reva DeCora
Ruby Bellanger
Aric Armell
Tiffani Warner
Tonia Keller
Garan Coons
Rita Redhorn
Willy Bass
Lilly Snow
Trevor Wilke
Jason Hulit, Jr.
Kobe Smith
Christen Roberts
Luther Whitewater
Ramona Baker
Greg Bass, Sr.
Michelle Free
Cece Earth
Qui Qui St. Cyr
Doreen Meira
Tiana Bass
Avis Rice
Aaron LaPointe
Janet Bass
Jamie Saul
Mike Blackfish
Joi Long
Karla LaPointe
Eric Littlegeorge
Angel DeRochie
Maunka Morgan
Darlyn St. Cyr
Melanie Parker
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman
White called the meeting to order at
9:03 a.m.
OPENING PRAYER: James Snow
offered the opening prayer.
APPROVE AGENDA:
James Snow motioned to approve
the agenda. Roland Warner seconded.
VOTE: (5) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
[Kenneth in at 9:14 a.m., Victoria in
at 9:20 a.m.]
WINNAVEGAS REPORT:
Roland Warner motioned to accept
the August 2018 WinnaVegas Financial
Report.
James Snow seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
James Snow motioned to approve the
request to replace the Office AC Units
through C.W. Suter for $26,190.00.
Roland Warner seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
[Vincent in at 9:25 a.m.]
GAMING COMMISSION REPORT:
Roland Warner motioned to accept
the August 2018 Gaming Commission
Report. James Snow seconded.
VOTE: (8) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
TRIBAL CFO REPORT:
Alan Post presented the August
Hišją
(heesh-jaw)
Lovestruck
...Con’t. on page 7
2008 Chevy Cobalt LT
2013 Ford Escape
2002 Honda Civic
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Nice, Clean Car, 4X4!
78k miles
New Motor 87k miles!
Great Gas Saver!
2001 Honda Civic
1998 Chevy Silverado 4X4
$1,000
Need Wheels? Here you go!
$5,500
Great school car!
Open Saturdays
10am - 2pm
$7,000
Nice & Clean old truck!
Snow is coming need wheels
Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, November 17, 2018 — Page 5
News Around Winnebago
TRIBAL FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
By Vince Bass
Back in the days, our ancestors put
food on our tables by hunting, trapping, gardening, gathering fruits, nuts,
berries, mushrooms, various edible
plants and even raising some livestock.
There were no stores to purchase food
and other goods, so our People had to
live off the land to survive. Today, we
can jump in our car and run to the
nearest grocery store to buy food. As
we know this processed food contains
a lot of chemicals, preservatives and
additives to enhance flavors and colors, give them a longer shelf life, make
them larger and a whole slew of other
so-called advantages. After years of
consumption of these fruits and vegetables, consumers experience many
types of diseases and ailments that
are directly related to the chemicals
in the foods that we eat. The only way
to ensure that we are eating fresh,
healthy fruits and vegetables is to grow
them ourselves without any chemicals. Think about the health issues
that affect us, such as diabetes, heart
disease, hypertension, obesity, cancer
and other diseases. Many of those ailments are a result of not eating healthy.
Did you know that the average grocery
store only has a 3 day supply of food
on hand? Suppose we experienced an
event that prevented food from getting
to the stores. Many types of events,
disasters or catastrophes could occur
which could result in that happening.
What would we do? How would we feed
our children?
Although we live in the “bread basket” of America, we are considered a
“food desert” because we do not have
readily accessible fresh food sources.
In Nebraska, residents spend nearly
$5 billion annually on food. Approximately 90% of that money leaves the
state because we do not grow our own
food. This state grows mainly crops
that produce seeds for livestock food
and planting seed. In Winnebago, we
have to go “north” to get fresh fruits
and vegetables. Do we really know
where the food came from, how old it
is, what types of chemicals are in them,
are they genetically modified? Many
questions come to mind. I have heard
numerous times that a government is
not truly sovereign until they can feed
themselves. Will we always depend on
others to feed us?
My name is Vince Bass, a former
Tribal Council member for 13.5 years.
During the last two years of my TC
service, I have been coordinating with
Council Speaks…
“Greetings Relatives and Friends”
numerous individuals and entities regarding Food Sovereignty for our Tribe.
I have also grown, harvested, processed,
dried and stored Indian corn in some
capacity for the past 20 years. The past
two years, a handful of volunteers have
labored intensely to dry Indian corn to
donate to funerals. I say thank you to
them wholeheartedly and also to HoChunk Farms for fertilizing, plowing and
planting for nearly all groups that planted. Thanks to their efforts, 4 quarts of
corn were donated to each funeral until
the corn ran out after 6 months. This
year we had enough corn but not enough
volunteers. We still dried enough corn
to last 6 months again. We need more
people to volunteer next year. Some
church groups, Winnebago public
school, LPTC and a few families on our
Rez have also processed and dried corn.
The bottom line is that we must start our
own gardens to ensure the good health
for our families. Eventually, we want to
have “community gardens”, cornfields,
fruit orchards, a chicken farm and other
livestock. HCI is building a nice new
Farmers Market building which should
be completed by Aug. 1, of next year.
Growers, food vendors, artisans and
crafters can bring their produce and
creations there to trade, barter and sell.
That is how we will begin to access fresh
produce for our People.
On Oct. 11, I was selected to be the
Farmers Market Coordinator as a contractor under a USDA grant to HCCDC
to work with our community to achieve
Food Sovereignty for our Tribe and our
community. We will have many partners
in this community and elsewhere to help
achieve this, such as our Health Dept.,
LPTC, HoChunk Farms, HCI, our Tribal
Council, Wildlife & Parks, Winnebago
Public School and others. We have made
numerous relationships with similar
entities outside of our community that
have and will continue to assist us on
our path to Food Sovereignty. Our
grants have allowed us to donate 120
raised garden beds last spring and we
will donate another 60 garden beds this
spring. More information will be distributed soon regarding our plans. We are
just beginning this endeavor to bring
healthy food choices to this community.
Please participate and experience the
joys of gardening and get our children
involved. The sky is the limit regarding
all the different activities we can do to
get better at what we are doing. You can
contact Vince Bass at 402-878-2192 or
vbass@hccdc.org.
I wanted to express my appreciation
for those that supported me in my placing my name on the Ballot for Tribal
Council Election and electing me to
serve on the Tribal Council. Every
year we go through this process and I
would like to take this opportunity to
congratulate Mel Frenchman and Louie
LaRose for being chosen to represent
the Winnebago Tribe. I would also
like to thank all of the Candidates for
stepping up and putting their names
on the Ballot. All the way back to the
Primary Election in September. It is very
admirable to step up and voluntarily
apply for some of the Committees and
Boards we have in our Community. To
get involved in the process. Whether
it be Head Start Parent Committee,
the Johnson O’Malley Board, the Winnebago School Board or whatever you
may have signed up for. Some have
even applied for the Village Board
and even the County Board positions.
Now that we have the election of Officers
and have begun the process of what will
be our Priorities for the upcoming year.
I would like to see us move forward on
the return of our Land (1200 Acres) in
Iowa from the Corps of Engineers. We
were so close to having legislation introduced last year, but a few questions
arose about our plans on what would
be done with those that had obtained
hunting licenses from the State of Iowa.
The Winnebago Tribe set up a Website
for those that wanted to obtain Hunting
Licenses could do so, On- Line. We will
contact our Lobbyist and inquire when
would be a good time to visit our Congressional Delegation. With the National
Elections coming up, we will wait until
those are decided and go from there.
The next Priority would be for the
12 Clans Unity Hospital to move forward
with getting the CMS Survey and passing it. The Indian Health Service managed the Winnebago Hospital and lost
certification in 2015. The loss of CMS
Certification means the Hospital could
not bill for Third Party Reimbursement.
Which severely affected the services
we could provide for those that used
the Winnebago Hospital. Because of
the failure of I.H.S. to consider this
a priority, they consistently failed to
give the attention required to regain
CMS Certification. It was then decided
to Compact the Winnebago Hospital.
It has been a long process and the
scheduled date for opening was July 1,
2018. Since the Winnebago Tribe has
successfully completed this endeavor,
it is the first Indian Health Service
Hospital to be handed over to a Tribe.
The Boys and Girls Club was discussed and it has been mentioned of
seeking a new Facility for our youth.
When the Boys and Girls was first established, the Winnebago Tribe would
provide financial assistance for the
Program for one year. The Winnebago
Tribe is still providing financially for
the Youth who utilize the Boys and
Girls Club. I think it is time to set a
priority for the Board to seek necessary funding to get a building built.
A gentleman, who sits as a Regional
Board member for the National Boys
and Girls Club would be willing to visit
Winnebago and meet with the Board
and Staff to evaluate and provide necessary insight to our achieving this goal.
I have met with our local Veterans and
contacted the Head of the Director of
Veterans Affairs for the State of Nebraska and he related that since his
appointment, one of his goals was to
have the Tribes of Nebraska have their
own Veterans Service Office. Our Local
Veterans Chapter will be contacting
Mr. Hilgert to set a meeting to get this
process started. Health and Human
Services has secured funding for the
renovation of the Neola Walker Building to be utilize for their Program upon
completion. The Alcohol Program has
received funding to renovate the Halfway House. This has been a long awaited project and thanks to those Program
Directors for getting the funding.
With the Upcoming National Elections coming up, I hope all have
registered to vote. We need to be at
the Polls to let our voice be heard.
The Winnebago Tribe has long been
viewed as a leader in Indian Country.
Everyone said you can’t fight the Corps
of Engineers, the Winnebago Tribe sued
the Corp of Engineers and Won. They
said you can’t beat the Power Companies. The Winnebago Tribe sued NPPD
for placing Power Lines through Tribal
Lands and Won. When the subject of
Religious Freedom, it was Tribal Leaders (among them Winnebago Tribal
Leaders) who went to Washington
DC to testify. That Legislation was
passed for the benefit of future Generations. We can do many things if
we work together for a common goal.
We will continue to provide opportunities for our Tribal members, be
it through Education, preserving the
Language and Culture and job employment.
The WinnaVegas Casino is the subject of much discussion lately. Although
there has been a slight decrease in
projections, we still thankful for all
that they provide to the Winnebago
Tribe. It has been THIRTY YEARS since
the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was
first passed. It is one of the few Acts
of Congress that has benefited the
Tribes in a positive manner. I remember, when the Casino first opened, the
Winnebago Tribe’s Unemployment Rate
was Eighty-five Percent. Here we are
thirty years later and our Unemployment Rate is about Fifty Percent. The
WinnaVegas Casino provides over 400
hundred jobs. The Winnebago Tribe
employed about 385, prior to moving
the Health Department being placed
under the 12 Clans Unity Hospital.
Just wanted to get a letter out to
express my gratitude for being elected
to serve on the Tribal Council. What I
have learned is that we can accomplish
a lot if we work together. And I must
add we are going on the Prayers of our
Ancestors, the prayers of our Mother’s
and Father’s. The Prayers we say for
our Families, our Tribe, our relatives
and friends in the Four Directions.
And the prayers our Children will say.
God Bless and God Bless the Children.
Respectfully, Jim Snow
Student Snack Packs
Page 6 — Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, November 17, 2018
Winnebago News
Employment Opportunities
Extension Educator — Tribal Education and Engagement
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nebraska Extension is looking for an Extension Educator who would provide
regional expertise in northeast Nebraska by leading efforts to engage tribal youth
and adults in innovative educational experiences. The primary focus is to develop
comprehensive, visionary, contemporary, and educational programming that is
based on tribal needs as identified by Tribes and Tribal Colleges, by enhancing
partnerships, strengthening the volunteer base, increasing funding, and growing
programming enrollment. For a detailed position description and application
instructions, go to http://employment.unl.edu, requisition F_180189. Review
of applications will be 12/3/2018. As an EO/AA employer, qualified applicants
are considered for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national
origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability,
age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See http://www.unl.edu/equity/notice-nondiscrimination.
Extension Educator – Tribal Education and Engagement
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Do you have the drive to help others create healthier lifestyles for a higher
quality of life? Can you be a strong regional expert and develop focused, comprehensive learning programs with and for Native American Tribal people?
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is an organization that values
individuals who excel, adapt easily, exhibit passion for helping others, and are
excellent communicators. As a member of the UNL Extension team you will
collaborate with research and extension faculty who are leaders in their field.
You will work with high performing teams to create and deliver world class,
innovative learning experiences that empower Native American Tribal People
to improve their lives around critical issues.
Would you like to make a positive difference in young people’s lives? Do you
have the drive to help us create engaging learning opportunities for tribal youth
and adults? We have an excellent opportunity for a full-time faculty position
located in Macy, Nebraska and serving the tribal communities in northeast
Nebraska. The focus of this position is positive youth development and includes
teaching and coordinating educational programs within the Northeast region
and statewide.
The Tribal Education and Engagement Educator, in partnership with Tribal
Representatives and Nebraska Extension, will 1) identify a framework around
education and engagement that can be used to guide Nebraska Extension programming; 2) develop, deliver, and evaluate educational programming/content
to engage tribal youth and adults; and 3) lead events, activities, lessons, and
resources that allow tribal youth and adults to purposefully explore career
options and higher education opportunities.
Required Qualifications:
Master’s degree required; one degree in Education, Youth Development,
Leadership Development, Entrepreneurship, Science Literacy or closely related
fields. Master’s degree must be completed by start date.
Successful experience teaching in a formal or informal setting.
Demonstrated ability to communicate (i.e. publications, presentations, web,
and social media).
Experience in working with individuals, coworkers, and teams to accomplish
individual and/or group goals, as evidenced by college, career, and/or community activities.
Experience working with and a knowledge of Native American Tribal cultures.
Preferred Qualifications:
Outstanding leadership skills as demonstrated by roles in college, career,
and/or community activities.
Understanding of different ethnic and socioeconomic audiences and a commitment to developing and delivering both inclusive and targeted programming.
Successful experience in developing financial support for educational
programs including grant writing, fund generation, contracting and/or cost
recovery efforts.
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and programs.
Experience in the development and implementation of social media policies
and procedures.
Experience teaching Native American Tribal people in a formal or informal
setting.
Experience teaching youth and adults.
Demonstrated ability to network with private and public agencies and/or
organizations.
Review of applications will begin on December 3, 2018. Position will remain
open until a suitable candidate is found or search is closed. Candidates must
apply online at http://employment.unl.edu, requisition F_180189. You will be
required to attach the following documents:
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- List of three professional references
- Transcripts (official or unofficial) or grade report listing courses taken, the
institution where they were taken and final grade. Transcripts must be attached
to the online application, attached to an email and sent to jmackin1@unl.edu,
or faxed to 402-624-8010. Please make sure to black out your social security
number before you send or upload your transcripts/grade report.
Nonpoint Source Water Pollution
Open House Meeting - Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Location: Little Priest Tribal College
Elk Clan Auditorium
601 East College Drive
Winnebago, NE
Date: Tuesday November 27, 2018
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM
Come for a discussion concerning Nonpoint Source Water Pollution on the
Reservation. Representatives from Papio-Missouri River Natural Resource
District and Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality will be in attendance.
All Public Welcome - Light Refreshments
Winnebago Self Storage
5x10 - $35/month
10x10 - $45/month
10x20 - $65/month
As an EO/AA employer, qualified applicants are considered for employment
without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual
orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran
status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See http://www.unl.edu/
equity/notice-nondiscrimination.
Masthead Scene
Not seen since the early 70’s the steel framework of the Indian
Action Team building that started its service to the Winnebago
People as a classroom. The IAT program taught young Winnebago
Men the carpentry and construction arts. Head teacher Max Monkey (I don’t know about the correct spelling) spent a good many
years schooling The Free boys, the Bass Boys, Hayna Ga, Hayna
Painter, Mick Mack, Mike Thomas and a good number of the young
Winnebago boys of the time a trade they’ve carried throughout
their life times.
LEGAL NOTICE
402-878-4210
www.winnebagoselfstorage.com
Native American Owned
Manufacturing Housing Company
LOOKING TO HIRE
Construction trades including,drywalling, roofing,
electrical, plumbing, framing, siding
Weekdays! 1st Shift! Attendance bonusus!
Apply at: Cascatra Homes 909 17th Ave. Central City, NE 68826
308-946-5400
randy@cascatahomes.com
Next
WIN News
Deadline:
November
26th
Notice of Hearing
Case No. CV16-125
In the Matter of the Custody Petition of:
SHONNA ALDRICH
vs.
ANTHONY MENDOZA
To:
ANTHONY MENDOZA,
You are hereby notified that a
Custody petition has been filed and a
hearing concerning the above referred
Individual(s) in case no. CV16-125 has
been scheduled will be heard in the
Winnebago Tribal Court of Winnebago,
Nebraska on the 17TH day of DECEMBER, 2018 at the hour of 10:00 A.M.
Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, November 17, 2018 — Page 7
Tribal News
2018 Tribal CFO Report.
Isaac Smith motioned to approve
the ATLAS 2017 Budget Modification
of $973.25.
James Snow seconded.
VOTE: (8) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
Kenneth Mallory motioned to approve closing three (3) accounts; EduCare account #20013096, Unrestricted
account #161037, and IHS Hospital
Assumption account #20025403 at
Liberty National Bank. Isaac Smith
seconded.
VOTE: (8) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
[Isaac out]
James Snow motioned to approve
the Tribal 2019 Budget with 2019 IDC
and insurance adjustment Proposal.
Roland Warner seconded.
VOTE: (7) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
[Isaac in]
HCI NET PROFIT OF 20%: Discussion to change rate to 25% from 20%
of HCI net profit.
ADJOURN:
Victoria Kitcheyan motioned to adjourn
at 11:50 a.m. Vincent Bass seconded.
VOTE: (8) yes (0) no (0) abstain
Motion carried.
Chairman White adjourned the
meeting at 11:50 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Coly Brown, Secretary
Winnebago Tribal Council
WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA
SWEARING IN CEREMONY AND
TRIBAL COUNCIL ELECTION OF
OFFICERS
October 3, 2018
TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESENT:
Frank White
Curtis St. Cyr
Roland Warner
Coly Brown
Victoria Kitcheyan
Melton Frenchman
Louis LaRose
James Snow
Kenneth Mallory
OTHERS PRESENT:
Kris Marruffo
Jack LaMere
Silas Cleveland
Jerome LaPointe
Gordon Rave
Randy DeCora
Seneca Bigfire
Craig Cleveland, Jr.
Rohahes Aldrich
Brandon Stout
Les Painter
Lewis St. Cyr
Garan Coons
Kathy LaRose
Anita LaRose
Victor Smith
Aaron LaPointe
Cindy West
Mayan Beltran
Patrick Runge
William Mallory
Sunshine Bear
Christina Parker
Thomas Snow
Dawn Snake
Julie Bassette
Lloyd Hamilton
Esther Mercer
Peggy LaRose
Phyllis Ware
Tonia Keller
Theresa St. Cyr
Lou Mae Hunter
Bill DeCora
Lowell Ten Clay
Tiffani Warner
Ann Bledsoe-Downes
Loralie DeCora
Marilyn Grant
Tania Roberts
Alan Post
Elizabeth Bayer
Monica Flores
Alonzo Frenchman
Wambli Dolezal
Gabriella Perales
Sarah Snake
Lianne Remen
Jessica Wilkerson
Donna Blaine
Kellie Snow
Crystal Ross
Carman Snow
Tara Lewis
Tina Lewis
Ofelia Hernandez
Tina Tassler
Chiara Cournoyer
Tara Hernandez
Maggie Miller
Reva DeCora
O.C. Earth
Jason Ghostdog
Jessica Wilkerson
Marian Holstein
Marian Thomas
Elizabeth White
Lilly Snow
Teresa Littlegeorge
Lance Morgan
Gwen St. Cyr
Pam Mahkak
V.J. Wolfleader
April Walker
Lucille Bigfire-Rave
Maunka Morgan
Aaron Castillo
Jaralyn Bear
Randy Teboe
Ireta Blackbird
Eugene Gilpin
Kellen Kelsey
Zachary Hansen
Richard Walker
Kim Scott
Maxine Rice
Deidre Redhorn
Kathy Frenchman
Denise Milford
Rella Walker
Joi Long
Daphane Evans
John Buschel
Kelton Chilson
Cece Earth
Sandy “Macky” Scott
Frank Smith
LaDonna Holstein
Wayne Baker
Rose Springer
Lena Snake
Elijah Snake
James Price
Levi Blackhawk
Darren Snake
King Earth
Yvette Warner
Loni Whitlok
Ben Crawford
Chris Agee
Garan Coons starts the ceremony
giving recognition to the Drum
Group and Veterans.
FLAG SONG: Winnebago Veterans carry in flags.
CALL TO ORDER: Ceremony
and Swearing in starts at 10:00 a.m.
OPENING PRAYER: Victor
Smith offered the opening prayer.
Garan Coons introduces Judge
Patrick Runge who will give the
oath to the newly elected members:
Melton Frenchman, James Snow,
and Louis LaRose.
HONOR SONG: Winnebago Singers.
ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN:
Patrick Runge calls for nominations
for Chairman.
Roland Warner nominates Frank
White.
Victoria Kitcheyan nominates Kenneth Mallory.
Nominations cease.
VOTE: Kenneth Mallory – 3 votes
Frank White – 6 votes
Frank White elected Chairman of
the Tribal Council.
Frank White assume the Chair of
the meeting.
ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN:
Chairman White calls for nominations for Vice-Chairman.
James Snow nominates Curtis St.
Cyr.
Victoria Kitcheyan nominates Kenneth Mallory.
Kenneth Mallory respectfully declines nomination.
Curtis St. Cyr elected Vice-Chairman of Tribal Council by acclimation.
ELECTION OF SECRETARY:
Chairman White calls for nominations for Secretary.
Louis LaRose nominates Kenneth
Mallory.
Roland Warner nominates Coly
Brown.
Nominations cease.
VOTE: Kenneth Mallory – 4
votes Coly Brown – 5 votes
Coly Brown elected Secretary of
the Tribal Council.
ELECTION OF TREASURER:
Curtis St. Cyr nominates Roland
Warner
Kenneth Mallory nominates Victoria
Kitcheyan
Nominations cease.
VOTE:
Roland Warner – 5
votes Victoria Kitcheyan – 4 votes
Roland Warner elected Treasurer
of the Tribal Council.
All Tribal Council extend thanks
and gratitude to the Tribal Membership.
Chairman White gives closing
remarks.
Winnebago Veterans retire the
flags.
Meeting adjourns at 11:15 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa Littlegeorge, Executive Assistant
Winnebago T ribal Chairman’s
Office
CONCUR:
Coly Brown, Secretary
Winnebago Tribal Council
Indianz.com…
on his Facebook page on September 14.
“Now I too am a victim of disenrollment.
I will fight it and we will win. Time for
a new constitution for the Omaha and
to rid ourselves of less than leaders on
our so-called tribal council. Shame on
them.”
The Omaha Tribe held its 214th
annual Umonhon Hedewachi Powwow
in Macy, Nebraska, this past August.
Shown here are dancers and spectators
at the 2016 event.
According to the September 10 letter to Keen from the Omaha Tribal
Council, the council made its decision
to disenroll Keen after learning he had
been enrolled in the Cherokee Nation
in 1992, 10 years after becoming an
Omaha tribal member.
On September 21, Omaha ViceChairman Orville Cayou sent a followup letter to the tribe’s citizens explaining the council’s decision to reassert the
tribe’s constitutional provisions.
“We would like to stress to our
membership that there is no mass disenrollment occurring,” he wrote. “We
understand our membership may have
concerns and we will be available to
answer any and all questions.”
Despite the tribe’s provision calling
for automatic disenrollment of citizens
who become enrolled in other tribes,
Galanda said he believes the tribe had
a responsibility to give Keen and the
other dually enrolled citizens a chance
to respond to the decision.
“The word ‘automatic’ does not mean
you don’t get due process,” he said.
While the Omaha Tribe’s decision
to rescind the citizenship of dually enrolled members concerns him, Galanda
said he’s even more concerned about
the council’s September 10 decision to
change the way the tribe decides who
can be citizens. According to a resolution passed by the council, the tribe has
reverted to basing citizenship decisions
on its 1964 citizenship roll, which is
essentially a list of citizens at that time.
Prior to the decision, the Omaha
Tribe had based its citizenship on its
1989 base roll. By reverting to an earlier base roll, the tribal council effectively reduced the number of people who
could then fulfill the tribe’s requirement
that citizens have at least one-quarter
Omaha blood quantum, Galanda said.
“Hundreds of Omaha Indians just
had their blood quantum adjusted
downward by honoring only the 1964
base rolls, and that portends disaster
for Omaha, meaning mass exodus and
mass disenrollment,” Galanda said.
Gabe Galanda, an attorney and citizen of the Round Valley Indian Tribes,
says the Omaha Tribe failed to provide
due process to those removed from its
rolls. Courtesy photo
Wolfe, however, argued the council’s
decision to base its citizenship requirements on the 1964 base roll was based
on a desire to correct past mistakes of
tribal leaders.
“Previous enrollment directors have
done things incorrectly,” he said. “We’re
not going to be part of wrongdoing.
We’re going to be part of correction.”
Galanda said the use of blood
quantum to decide tribal citizenship is
contrary to traditional Native practices.
Using blood quantum to determine
tribal citizenship became prevalent
after the passage of the 1934 Indian
Reorganization Act, which provided
tribes a means to preserve their lands
by placing them in federal trust and
established a way for tribes to create
governments, he said.
Galanda said those tribes that established governments under the Indian
Reorganization Act have often been the
ones that have suffered the most from
government corruption and dysfunction. Those tribes have lost connection
to their traditional forms of leadership,
which provided ways for preventing any
one person from becoming too powerful, he said.
“The politician sees that void in spiritual or religious or cultural leadership
or peacemaking and they go even harder
towards whatever they’re after – getting
rid of people, absconding with more
money, staying in power,” Galanda said.
He said the Omaha Tribe certainly
has experienced tribal corruption, having seen many of its leaders prosecuted
following a 2012 scandal involving a
$389,000 payment to several council
members and tribal members. The payment was meant to be an incentive for
those who helped prepare documents
for a contract support costs case that
went all the way to the U.S. Supreme
Court.
But the tribe hadn't actually received
any money from the case at that point,
and nine tribal leaders were later indicted for misusing federal funds.
Taylor Keen is seen her performing as Chief Standing Bear, the Ponca
leader who brought his people back to
Nebraska in the late 1800s. Photo: Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs
More recently, the tribe came under
fire for failing to properly spend Federal Emergency Management Agency
funds following disastrous flooding
along the Missouri River in 2011 that
destroyed 11 tribal-owned homes and
damaged the tribe’s casino and irrigations systems.
According to a 2017 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office
of Inspector General, the OIG could only
verify $3 million of the $16.9 million
awarded to the tribe for flood recovery.
“This appears to be a tribe, from
what I’ve read in the headlines, that’s
lost its way,” Galanda said.
He said tribes that conduct mass
disenrollments often do so in order to
increase the amount of financial support the tribe can provide to individual
members, whether it be through per
capita payments or through social or
health care programs.
Efforts to educate tribes about the
negative impacts of disenrollment
have reduced the number of mass disenrollments in recent years, Galanda
said. Public disclosure of mass disenrollments also has helped to shame
tribal leaders from removing citizens
from their tribal rolls, he said.
But much work remains, he said.
National Native organizations like
the National Congress of American Indians and the National Indian Gaming
Association need to start talking about
disenrollment in order to make it clear
that it is not an acceptable practice in
Indian Country, Galanda said.
“They have contributed to the epidemic that is disenrollment by their
silence,” he said. “They’ve enabled the
next group of tribal politicians like the
Omaha leadership to do what they’re
doing to their own relatives because
they’re not placing blame or shame
where it belongs, which is on the people
that would do this to their own people.”
Beyond public shame, however, tribal
citizens have little recourse for fighting disenrollment because tribes are
granted almost unfettered jurisdiction in deciding citizenship, Galanda
said. The only hope most dis-enrollees
have of regaining tribal citizenship is
through political action and removal
of tribal leaders who conduct mass disenrollments, he said.
Among the Omaha people, Keen and
the other 16 dually enrolled citizens
who recently lost their tribal citizenship
aren’t the first to be removed the tribe’s
membership.
Rick Grant, 43, was notified in
March that the tribal council had removed him as a citizen because of his
concurrent enrollment in the Santee
Sioux Tribe.
Grant, who had served as an information technology manager for the
tribe’s health clinic, said he believes the
decision to remove him as a citizen was
politically motivated. He said he had
become critical of tribal leadership in
the months prior to being disenrolled.
He has since moved to North Dakota
but says he is hopeful the decision to
remove him as an Omaha tribal citizen
can still be reversed through political
action.
“I was born an Omaha and I’m going
to die an Omaha,” he said. “They tried
to take all of that away from me. They
tried to take away the place I call home.”
Promient Native voices, including actor Irene Bedard, have taken part in the
“Stop Disenrollment” campaign aimed
at documenting mass disenrollments
in Indian Country.
Like Grant, Keen believes the decision to rescind his tribal citizenship was
politically motivated.
Following recent tribal government
scandals, corrupt tribal leaders within
the tribe have fewer ways of enriching
themselves financially, he said. Disenrollment allows them to increase the
amount of financial support for each
tribal member, he said.
And disenrolling Keen, in particular, allowed the tribe to remove him as
chairman of the Blackbird Bend Corporation, the Omaha Tribe’s economic
development arm. He said he worries
tribal leaders will take advantage of the
leadership vacuum they’ve created in
that organization, which Keen served
for eight years.
“I don’t know how much that has
to do with this,” he said. “I guess they
think they can get away with it.”
Wolfe said the council’s decision to
disenroll dually enrolled citizens had
nothing to do with Keen’s role in the
tribal corporation. As for the council’s
decision to remove him as chairman of
the corporation, Wolfe said the council
decided it was time for a change within
the organization.
“For him to attack us in this way,
this is being disrespectful,” he said.
“This has nothing to do with the Blackbird Bend Corporation.”
Keen said he has begun a political
movement to change the tribe’s constitution in order to allow Omaha tribal
citizens to be enrolled in other tribes
as well.
“No piece of paper or resolution from
a broken form of government is going to
take away my identity,” he said. “If their
intention was to hurt me, well, they’ve
made a martyr out of me.”
For this and more stories from around
Indian Country visit us at www.indianz.
com
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.