A Wyandotte Nation Publication

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The Turtle Speaks

Gyah'-Wish

Atak-ia

A Wyandotte Nation Publication

Volume 29, Issue 2

www.wyandotte-nation.org

May 2025

Annual Easter Egg Hunt

A Hoppin'

Good Time

Page 5

Gyah'-wish Atak-ia is published quarterly for Tribal

Citizens by the Wyandotte Nation at its headquarters in

Wyandotte, Okla.

The Wyandotte Nation

8 Turtle Drive

Wyandotte, OK 74370

(918) 678-2297

(800) 256-2539

Fax (918) 676-7022

Inside:

•

Education Center expands to meet growing needs

Notice of Annual Meeting & Election

Tribe named 'Large Business of the Year'

Page 2

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

Board of Directors

Chief........................................Billy Friend

Second Chief.....Norman Hildebrand, Jr.

Councilperson......................... Keith Gray

Councilperson........................ Vivian Fink

Councilperson..................... Rob Nesvold

Councilperson.......................Eric Lofland

Content

May Movie Night.................................... 4

Education Expansion............................. 5

Tribe named 'Business of the Year'....... 5

Easter Egg Hunt Pictures....................... 5

News & Notes.......................................... 6

Tribal Department Reports............. 7-16

Editor/Design: William Swaim

Cover Photo:

Posing with the

Easter Bunny

during annual

Easter Egg Hunt

near River Bend

Casino.

Photo: Joshua Garcia

Have News?

We want to hear from you! Send us

news or stories you may have or suggest

features for us to work on.

Email: wswaim@wyandotte-nation.org

www.facebook.com/WyandotteNation

From the Chief

Threads

www.instagram.com/wyandottenation

@wyandottenation@threads

www.youtube.com/WyandotteNation

Billy Friend

Summer Youth Internship, Town

Halls have become vital programs

Kweh, I hope this quarter’s newsletter finds you well and enjoying

the arrival of a new season.

I want to begin by expressing my

sincere gratitude to all of our Tribal

Citizens in the Southeastern United

States who joined us for our recent

Town Hall Meeting in Macon,

Georgia. It was a true honor to meet

so many of you and your families,

many for the very first time.

For over a decade now—12 years,

to be exact—we’ve made it a priority to take our annual meeting,

traditionally held in Oklahoma, to

communities across the country.

With more than 7,000 enrolled Wyandotte citizens and only 400–500

typically able to attend in Oklahoma, these Town Hall Meetings

have become a vital part of how we

stay connected. They’re one of the

most meaningful steps we’ve taken

as a Nation—strengthening our

bonds and ensuring every Wyandotte citizen feels seen, heard, and

proud of their identity.

Another initiative I’m incredibly

proud of is our Summer Youth Internship Program. Each summer,

20–25 Wyandotte youth between

the ages of 16 and 22 join us to

gain hands-on work experience

and, just as importantly, learn

more about their heritage and their

'As we move forward, I

challenge each of us to

keep the values of honor,

respect, and civility alive

in our homes, families,

and communities.'

role within our Nation. In a world

filled with digital noise—phones,

computers, social media—this

program offers space for reflection,

growth, and connection.

Throughout their time with us,

we focus on instilling three essential values that lie at the heart of

our community: honor, respect, and

civility.

• Honor is more than an

outward appearance; it’s the quiet

commitment to doing what’s right,

even when no one is watching. It’s

about preparation, thoughtfulness,

and integrity.

• Respect goes deeper than

simple politeness. It’s about listening with intention, helping others,

and working together. As Dave

Chief wisely said, “Respect means

From the Second Chief

www.x.com/WyandotteNation

May 2025

owning our own negativity and

not being a 'Blame Shifter.'” True

respect opens the door to harmony

and understanding.

• Civility—common courtesy—is something we don’t see

enough of today. Yet it’s essential

for meaningful communication and

healthy relationships. When we

engage with one another respectfully, even difficult conversations

can lead to positive outcomes.

It’s inspiring to see our young

people showing genuine respect for

our elders. Our elders, grounded in

a time of fewer distractions, carry

stories and wisdom that can guide

us all. We encourage our youth to

pause, listen, and connect—because in doing so, they’ll uncover

powerful lessons.

As we move forward, I challenge

each of us to keep the values of

honor, respect, and civility alive in

our homes, families, and communities. These time-honored principles

will serve you well—not only in

your personal life, but in every interaction you have. In today’s fastmoving world, it’s easy to lose sight

of what really matters. But staying

grounded in these values—that, I

believe, is the Wyandotte way.

Tizameh,

Chief Friend

Norman Hildebrand, Jr.

Town Hall in Georgia a success; Projects

taking shape after weather delays

Kweh Omateru

Hello my friends and fellow

Wyandotte Citizens, I hope everyone is fine and experiencing some

beautiful spring weather. We had a

great town hall meeting in Macon,

Ga. last month, we finally found a

place in the east where we can get

enough tribal citizens to make the

trip feasible.

Here on the Wyandotte Reservation everything is finally moving

along after some nasty weather

delays. The domestic violence

building that is going up is taking

shape, it will be a nice addition to

the Wyandotte Nation. We will be

starting a couple of road projects

east and west

of the Turtle Hill duplex addition.

The Pow-Wow grounds renovation

is moving along even though the

completion date will not be until

June.

See SECOND CHIEF, Page 3

May 2025

www.wyandotte-nation.org

P ublic N otice of A nnual M eeting & E lection

On September 13, 2025, the

Wyandotte Nation shall hold their

Annual Meeting and Election

at the Bearskin Healthcare and

Wellness Center near Wyandotte,

Oklahoma. The Election will begin

at 9:00 a.m.

The purpose of the election is to

elect the following positions:

• Chief

• 3 Board of Director Members

• 3 Grievance Committee

Members

The term of each position is four

years. Current members shall hold

their office until successors are duly

elected and given their oath of office.

The opening date to file for

candidacy is May 16, 2025 with

the closing date June 15, 2025 at

4:30 p.m. All qualified members of

the Wyandotte Nation who desire

his or her name to be placed on the

ballot as a candidate for Elective

Office must file a “Declaration of

Candidacy” in person with the

Election Board Secretary or a

designated representative at the

Wyandotte Nation Administration

Building located at 8 Turtle Drive,

Wyandotte, Oklahoma. No person

shall be a candidate for more than

one office at any one time. All such

filings of Declaration of Candidacy

must be filed no sooner than May

16, 2025 and no later than June

15, 2025. No later than three days

following the close of the filing

period, the Election Board Secretary shall cause to be posted at

the Tribal Complex a complete list

of all candidates along with their

respective office of candidacy.

A filing fee of fifty dollars

($50.00) shall be assessed for each

candidate filing for Chief and

Board of Directors. Ten dollars

($10.00) will be assessed for Grievance Committee candidates. Each

candidate for Elective Office shall

be assessed these fees payable to

the Wyandotte Nation by Certified

Check, Cashier’s Check, Personal

Check or Money Order. These fees

shall be used for election purposes.

The filing fee shall be paid on the

same date the prospective candidate submits his or her Declaration

of Candidacy. Said filing fee is

non-refundable.

POLLING PLACE: The official

polling place for all Tribal Elec-

SECOND CHIEF

Continued from Page 2

I just returned from a self-governance conference in Arizona, right

now nobody knows what is going to

happen with this administration.

Some of our grants that we apply for

yearly are being done away with, we

don’t know if it will be temporary or

permanent. These are very uncertain times we are living in.

How about some history about

the greatest tribal nation in the

country, the Wyandotte Nation:

The Wyandottes are the one of

the most traveled Native American

tribes in the history of the North

American continent. It is commonly believed and many written

histories have stated that the Wyandotte are Huron. Many people

also assume that the Huron was a

single tribe of people. However, the

Huron was actually a confederacy

of five tribes. It received the name

Huron from early French explorers because of a hairstyle called

the “roach”. Worn by many of the

men, it resembled the thick bristly

hair on the back of wild boars that

roamed Europe. The Wyandotte

are directly related to the Huron

Confederacy through the Attignawantan, one of the five tribes of

the Confederacy.

The Wyandotte are descendants

of the Attignawantan, the Tionon-

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have

to tell people you are, you aren’t.”

--Margaret Hilda Thatcher

tati (Petun, Tobacco people) and

the Wenrorhonon or the neutrals

as they were sometimes called.

They were all different politically rather than culturally and

lived in close proximity to each

other in Canada. It was natural

for them to unite as one people

in 1649-1650 after the defeat of

the Huron Confederacy by the

Iroquois Cofederacy during the

Beaver Wars. After the dispersal from their homelands, the

Tionontati,Attignawantan and the

Wenro united and called themselves Wandat.

In 1701, Antoine de la Mothe

Cadillac, a Frenchman, invited

the Wyandot to settle near his

new fort – Fort Detroit. Within a

few years, we ventured south and

settled around Upper Sandusky,

Ohio where we grew as a tribe

and reclaimed a position of honor

among other tribes of the Ohio

Valley. Pressure from white settlers ultimately forced the Treaty

of 1843 and our removal to lands

west of the Mississippi River.

Some Wyandot chose to stay in the

Detroit area and did not move west

with the rest of the tribe. They still

live there today. Upper Sandusky

was our last Recognized Reservation. About a dozen Wyandotte

men went overland with the tribes

livestock while the rest of the tribe

boarded two paddlewheel boats

at Cincinnati, Ohio and made the

trek from there to the confluence

of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers. According to the treaty there

was supposed to be land in Kansas

for us, when we arrived there was

no land or planned provisions

available. We were dropped off in

a swampy area, disease quickly

swept through the people. Arrangements were quickly made and land

was purchased from the Delaware.

Our new reservation was located

on highly sought and fought over

land, which lead to the treaty of

1855 and the Wyandot being ter-

Page 3

tions shall be the Bearskin Healthcare and Wellness Center Classroom, Wyandotte, Oklahoma. The

polling shall be opened from 9:00

a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Any voter in

line at the polling place but unable

to cast a ballot before 11:00 a.m.

will be allowed to finish voting.

The polling place shall be staffed

by at least two (2) polling officials

designated by the Election Board.

Each voter will be required to

present a photo ID and Tribal

Membership Card. If the Tribal

Membership Card has a photo on

it, this will satisfy both of these

requirements.

-- Zach Shockey, Chairperson,

Wyandotte Nation Election

Board

minated as a tribe. Our land was

quickly allotted and ultimately sold

to white interests. In 1857, some

Wyandot who were unwilling to

accept U.S. citizenship relocated to

Indian Territory. They returned to

Kansas during the Civil War due

to difficulties inflicted upon them

by rebel Indian forces. As soon as

the war was over, they returned

to Indian Territory and sought

reinstatement as a tribe.

The treaty of 1867 with the United

States reinstated the Wyandotte as

a tribe in Indian Territory (Oklahoma). They created a register of

the whole people, resident in Kansas

and elsewhere. Those not registered

by the deadline or accepted back into

the tribe were called Absentee Wyandot. After the Civil War, approximately 200 Wyandot moved from

Kansas to Oklahoma. Land was

purchased from the Seneca tribe,

upon which we reestablished our

lives in a new land in spite of very

difficult circumstances. Although

we came to Oklahoma in order to

remain Indian, the challenges we

faced and the decisions we made

did not support the growth of our

traditional way of life.

This is a condensed version of

our tribal history, but it tells mainly of how we came to Oklahoma.

I hope everyone has a wonderful

spring and a fun filled summer.

May 2025

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 5

Preschool expands to meet growing needs

Photo: William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

The Wyandotte Nation Child Development Center expanded recently. With the

additional rooms, the Center can accept more children into classes with more

space to work with.

The Wyandotte Nation Preschool

has seen tremendous growth over

the years with a long waiting list

for those wanting to get into the

premier program.

With that growth came the need

for expanded services and space,

and the Tribe recently completed

an expansion of the Wyandotte Nation Child Development Center. It

will create more space and give the

Center the chance to accept more

kids into the program.

“The expansion and new building were extremely important in

allowing us to expand our childcare

services that we were already

offering,” said Workforce Development Director Cristi Hudson,

who oversees education for the

Tribe. “It allowed us to open more

infant and toddler classrooms,

provide larger classrooms for our

preschool classes, added an indoor

playground area for days that the

weather does not allow for outdoor

play, and a larger cafeteria for the

increase in the number of children

we now have.”

The expansion included adding

an infant, one-year old, and toddler

class. The Center now has two infant rooms, two one-year old rooms,

and three toddler rooms -- all in the

old space. The new space has four

preschool classrooms, an indoor

playground, two offices, storage

areas, and a conference room.

“The children and staff are loving

the new expansion,” Hudson said.

“It has allowed us to spread the

children out more throughout the

day, giving us more space to run

around in.”

In addition to the expansion, the

Center hired additional infant and

toddler staff as well as additional

kitchen staff. In 2024, the Center

was recognized and certified as a

5-Star Childcare Facility.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt a hoppin' good time

Wyandotte Nation

named ‘Large

Business of the Year’

Photos: Joshua Garcia | Wyandotte Nation

The Tribe held its 5th Annual Easter Egg Hunt near River Bend Casino & Hotel. The event is hosted annually by Family Services, Education, the Bearskin

Healthcare & Wellness Center, and the Cultural Division.

The Miami Regional Chamber of

Commerce (MRCC) recognized the

Wyandotte Nation as the ‘Large Business of the Year’ at its recent 16th

Annual MRCC Awards Gala. Also up

for nomination were Family Dental

Associates and Newell Coach.

The 2025 MRCC Awards Gala

also recognized several individuals

for their work as well as other businesses, including: New Business of

the Year - Shawnee Skies Training

Center & Shooting Complex; Small

Business of the Year - Johnson

Brothers Grain & Livestock; Medium Business of the Year - NEO

Orthopedics & Rehabilitation.

Page 6

Bryce wins scholarship,

looks to help Wyandotte

youth reconnect to outdoors

(From National Interscholastic Cycling

Association)

To assist with the expenses of returning to

the sport of mountain biking for his sophomore season as a “Trail Hawk,” Caleb Bryce

of the West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling

League applied for and was awarded this

diversity, community service and sport promotion based scholarship.

The Trek Pathfinder Scholarship was

introduced in 2021 by Trek and the National

Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) to

bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion

to youth mountain biking by providing people

of color with the bikes, gear, and resources

they need to overcome historical barriers to

the sport. Not only does Caleb enjoy the sport

but also his teams commitment to caring for

the outdoor spaces they utilize in-cluding the

beautiful trails shared with nature enthusiasts of all types in his home state of West

Virginia. Caleb's commitment to trail clearing

and clean up as well his promise to promote

the sport within his Tribe set Caleb apart

from other applicants.

It is the desire of Caleb and his family

(Mother, Rebecca Bryce, Long family descendant) to see more Wyandotte youth around the

Country taking part in the sport that reconnects them to outdoor spaces while developing

strong bodies and character.

Obit: Clarice D’Adrian

Clarice D’Adrian, known lovingly as Dee,

passed away at the age of 94, leaving behind

a legacy of love, strength, and devotion to her

family and friends. Born on October 13, 1930,

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2025

in Jay, Oklahoma, she was the proud daughter

of Mike (Adrian Lon) and Minnie Hays. Dee

was the second of six

girls in the Hays family,

spending her early years

in Oklahoma with her

sisters LaWanda, Treva,

and June before moving

to Washington State in

that late 1930’s. It was

here that the family grew

to include twins Joy and

Jean, and they remained

lifelong companions and

best friends.

At the age of 17, Dee

married the love of her life, James Taylor,

on January 1, 1948. Their love was deep and

enduring, lasting for 68 years until Jim's passing in 2016. Together, they raised four children:

Michael, Jim, Jan, and Gary. Their life in the

Navy took them across the United States and

beyond, including California, Hawaii (twice),

and Maryland, before settling on Whidbey

Island, Washington in 1971, where they would

spend the remainder of their years creating

countless memories.

Throughout her life, Dee was a devoted wife

and mother. She worked for Lockheed Martin

in California, cared for her children during

their first time in Hawaii, and later worked at

the Navy Exchange in both Hawaii and Maryland. Upon settling in Whidbey Island, she was

promoted to Supervisor at the Navy Exchange,

where she worked in that role until her retirement. Dee was a treasured employee at the NEX

and was a leader her counterparts looked up to.

Dee’s professional journey was marked by lifelong friendships and a career she was proud of.

Dee was a passionate traveler and cherished

the many memories created with her family, often taking road trips across the country in their

motor home. She loved hosting family holidays,

gardening, and relishing the joys of watching

her family grow, especially her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who adored her.

Her home was always open to others, offering

unwavering support, guidance, love, and plenty

of laughter. Dee’s kindness, wisdom, and joyful

spirit touched the lives of all who knew her. She

was a true matriarch, beloved by her family,

friends, and all who had the privilege of crossing

her path.

Dee is survived by her children, Michael

(Debbie) Taylor, Jim (Mimi) Taylor, Jan (Joe)

Johnson, and Gary Taylor; her grandchildren,

Peggy (Joe) Lupo, Angie (Al) Nall, Susie (Jaime)

Johnson, Jaime (Yo) Fujikawa, Jennifer (Mike)

Whitney, Jason (Melissa) Taylor, Tanya (Heather) Taylor; great-grandchildren, Airika, Airiana,

JB, Ashlyn, Taylor, Addie, Maddie, Cameron,

Ayla, Conner, Kyler, Lil Michael, Morgan, and

Logan; and a great-great-grandchild, Georgia

Dee. She is also survived by her sisters,

LaWanda Burgoyne, Joyce Heffron, and Jean

Fritz, along with numerous extended family

members and friends.

Dee was preceded in death by her loving

husband, Jim, her parents, Mike (Adrian Lon)

and Minnie Hays, her sisters June Austin

and Treva Rogers, and her best friend, Beth

Butler.

A life well-lived, Dee’s legacy will endure

in the hearts of all those who were blessed

to know her. She will be deeply missed but

forever remembered with love.

N ews & N otes

Town Hall Meeting brought

to the SE for the 1st time

In 2013, with the hope of reaching more tribal

citizens outside the tribal reservation area of

Wyandotte, Oklahoma, Wyandotte Nation Chief

Billy Friend established Town Hall Meetings.

The first Town Hall was held in Seattle and

the Tribe made its first trip to the southeast

recently with a visit to Macon, Georgia. Thanks

to all who were able to join us. The Town Halls

are held to help keep tribal citizens informed as

well as provide them better connections to the

Tribe and to other tribal citizens in their area.

Beaty retires: We honored Robyn

Beaty in February on her retirement from Elder

Services after 6+ years. Congratulations Robyn

on your retirement and we wish you the best!

May 2025

Human Resources

Submitted by Deana Howard, HR

Director

They Wyandotte Nation Turtle

Tots Program would like to welcome

Jayden Baron as a new Afterschool

Childcare Assistant. Jayden is currently a sophomore

at Wyandotte

Schools where he

is a member of the

schools’ band team.

Some of his hobbies

include collecting

retro-tech, being

with his friends

and playing in the

band. He enjoys

BARON

spending as much

time as possible with his friends

from school. Fun fact about Jayden,

he has watched every single episode

and movie of the Dragon Ball franchise and he got to meet the voice

actor for little Goku. We are excited

to have Jayden join the Wyandotte

Nation Family in the Education

Department and wish him the best

of luck!

The Wyandotte Nation Turtle

Tots Program would like to welcome

Addison Stovall as

a new After School

Childcare Assistant. She currently

attends Wyandotte

High School. Some

of her hobbies

include fishing and

showing pigs. Addison enjoys spending time with her

STOVALL

family and friends

in her spare time. We are thrilled to

have Addison join our team in the

education department and wish her

all the best!

The Wyandotte Nation Police

Department would like to welcome

Arthur Scribner

as a new Police

Officer. He received

his education from

MSSU in Joplin

and has worked in

Law Enforcement

for the last 3 years.

Some of Arthur’s

hobbies include

hunting, fishing,

SCRIBNER

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

and video games. In his spare time,

Arthur enjoys spending time with his

girlfriend and her two boys relaxing

and just enjoying life. We are grateful to have Arthur join the Wyandotte Nation Family and we wish

him much success in his career!

The Wyandotte Nation Environmental Department would like

to welcome Curtis

Brodrick as the

new Environmental Recycling Technician. In his spare

time Curtis enjoys

spending time with

his family. We are

excited for Curtis

BRODRICK

to join our team

and wish him great success with the

Wyandotte Nation!

The Wyandotte Nation Bearskin

Clinic would like to welcome Hailey

Streeter to the family as a Pharmacy

Tech Sub. Hailey

is a member of the

Wyandotte Nation. She received

her Pharmacy

Technician training at WTI in

Joplin. Some of her

hobbies include

painting, drawing,

sculpting with

STREETER

clay and other art

activities. In Hailey’s spare time,

she enjoys spending time with her

grandma, playing video games and

watching movies with her fiancé. We

are grateful to have Hailey join the

Wyandotte Nation family and wish

her much success in the Pharmacy!

Family Services

Submitted by Dana Butterfield,

Family Services Director

The first quarter of 2025 has been

busy with many activities and events

such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Winter

Gathering, Town Hall and many

classes hosted by the Cultural Center

and Museum.

The first-ever Town Hall Meeting

to be hosted in the Southeast part of

the country took place on Saturday,

March 29 in Macon, GA, with more

than 60 people in attendance. When

we began planning for this event, we

weren’t sure what to expect as our

citizens are spread out across several

states, but we were extremely pleased

with the attendance. Many participants traveled five hours or more to

be able to attend their first Tribal

event. We look forward to adding this

location to our Town Hall cycle.

On April 12 the Tribe hosted the

5th Annual Easter Egg hunt for the

community and had another wonderful turnout. Children 12 and under

were able to gather up shares of the

over 10,000 eggs. Many of the eggs

included prizes and cash! This has

turned into such a fun event for our

families and we look forward to being

back at the new and improved PowWow grounds next year.

Everyone should have received the

2025 Services Brochure in the mail.

This Brochure includes all tribal

programs and is a great reference tool

when looking for services. Programs

and services can also be found on our

website along with applications. If

you did not receive a Brochure please

let us know and we can get one in the

mail to you. Along this same line, if

you need to update your address, you

can also do this through the website

under the Services/Family Services

tab.

Enrollment:

As a reminder, Enrollment applications must either be hand delivered

or postmarked by August 15 to be

considered for citizenship at the

2025 Annual Meeting. Applications

must be submitted with an original

state certified birth certificate (long

form that includes the parents’ full

name). Many states now offer shortform certificates that don’t list all of

the information necessary to trace

lineage, so be sure to submit applications early in case the birth certificate

you have doesn’t meet this criteria or

if birth certificate has errors. Also,

enrollment applications are updated

each year, to be sure that you’re using

the current application, please contact the Enrollment Officer to verify.

This application is not available on

our website, but one can be mailed or

Page 7

emailed to you when requested.

Tags:

The Tag office is open Monday –

Thursday 8 am to 4:30 pm and Friday

8 am to 3:30 pm. However, there may

be times when the office will need to

close. We do our best to give advance

notice of these times, but if you are

traveling a distance to visit the office,

it’s best to call in advance. We also

ask that if you’re registering a vehicle

for the first time that you arrive 20

to 30 minutes before the close of

business as these do take additional

time to process. The Tribe encourages

all Tribal citizens who have their

vehicles registered with the Tribe

and travel on Oklahoma toll roads,

to either obtain a PikePass or utilize

the PlatePay system to pay their tolls.

Currently, the Oklahoma Turnpike

authority does not have access to addresses for our citizens, but we are in

the process of negotiating an agreement with them.

Indian Child Welfare (ICW):

The Indian Child Welfare Act of

1978 is a United States federal law

that governs jurisdiction over the

removal of American Indian children

from their families in custody, foster

care, and adoption cases. The Wyandotte Nation ICW staff work with

families across the country seeking

outcomes that are in the best interest

of the Wyandotte child. If you are

currently involved in a state case, and

are not working with the Tribe’s ICW

workers please, reach out to them.

We are also in need of foster homes!

Especially if you live within 100 miles

of tribal headquarters. If you are

interested in fostering and/or adopting you can contact Tara Gragg and

she can help walk you through the

process of becoming certified.

Victim Services:

Victim Services staff offer a broad

range of services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating

violence, stalking, human trafficking,

child abuse, elder abuse and other

violent crimes. Services are determined on a case-by-case basis to meet

the individual needs of each client.

The service area for this program is

100 miles from the tribal complex.

Continued on Page 8

Page 8

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2025

T ribal D epartment R eports

Education

Submitted by Cristi Hudson,

Workforce Development Director

Wyandotte Nation Library:

Kweh! As we welcome the warmer

days of spring, the Wyandotte Nation

Historical Library is excited to share

what’s blooming in our corner of the

community!

Mark your calendars: Library

Movie Night is back in Bear Park on

Thursday, May 9 at 8 pm! We’ll be

showing a fun, action-packed favorite

chosen by our very own students

from the Wyandotte Nation Child

Development Center’s after-school

program. We loved seeing their

excitement during the vote and can’t

wait to watch this family-friendly

classic together under the stars!

While you’re visiting Bear Park,

don’t forget to check out our Story

Book Walk! We’re currently in the

process of updating our display, and

soon it will feature the story, “Up In

The Garden, Down In The Dirt” by

Kate Messner-a beautiful story that

celebrates the wonders of nature and

the busy world beneath our feet.

(FAMILY SERVICES)

Continued from Page 7

The staff also provide several outreach

and awareness events throughout the

year to help bring attention to not only

the services they provide, but also the

prevalence of these issues within the

community. Some of the upcoming

events they will be participating with

include; the Miami Senior Center open

house on May 2, Honoring women

social dance also on May 2, an MMIP

awareness walk on May 9 at the

Rotary Park in Miami, an MMIP event

in conjunction with the Seneca Indian

School Alumni Annual meeting on

June 6 and a Family Fun Night hosted

by the WNCCM on June 13.

As always, we encourage tribal citizens to attend as many tribal events

and functions as possible. They are

a great opportunity to learn about

your history, culture and language,

as well as meet and build relationships with tribal citizens. Some of

these events include: The Gathering

of Little Turtles, June 20-22, The

Gathering, September 8-12 and the

Pow-Wow, September 12-14. The

Cultural Department and Cultural

Advisory Board spend a great deal of

time and effort into making each of

these events memorable, entertaining

and informative. Also, the Annual

Meeting will be held on Saturday,

September 13. Tribal citizens who

attend the meeting will be required

to show their tribal ID to receive the

meeting stipend. If the tribal ID does

not include a photo, a photo ID will

need to be provided as well. CDIB’s

will not be accepted as proof of citizenship. Additional meeting details

will be announced in the August

newsletter.

As always, it is an honor and a privilege to serve the Wyandotte people.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if

you have questions about any of our

programs.

FAMILY SERVICES STAFF:

Contact email for Family Services:

wnfs@wyandotte-nation.org

Director, Dana Butterfield 918-6786319

ICW/APS Supervisor, Tara Gragg

918-678-6355

ICW Worker, Carmalita Ward, 918678-6485

Tag Administrator, Tiffany Garner, 918-678-6353

Family Services Specialist, Leeanna Radabaugh, 918-678-6329

Enrollment Officer, Haylee Botts,

918-678-6377

Family Services Front Desk,

Kailey Bearskin, 918-678-6321

Contact email for Victim Services: 477vs@wyandotte-nation.org

Toll Free number for FVPP: 877276-0669

Program Manager, Chelsea King,

918-678-3257

Lead Advocate, Gabby Ezell, 918678-6402

Crime Victims’ Advocates: Kristi

Johnston, Becky Maples, Hannah

Rhodes, Alexia King and Lacy Butler

Supervised Visitation Specialist,

Shaela Neal, 918-678-6324

Both Library Movie Night and the

Story Book Walk are made possible

by the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, grant number NAE-254945-OLS.

We are also gearing up for some

exciting new programs launching

this summer! While we’re not ready

to spill all the details just yet, we

promise there are some creative

and engaging opportunities on the

horizon for readers, learners, and

explorers of all ages. Stay tuned, we

can’t wait to share more soon!

As always, we invite you to stop by

the library and explore our growing collection of books, DVDs, and

resources. Don’t forget that we also

offer access to the Oklahoma Virtual

Library, where you can enjoy eBooks,

audiobooks, and more.

Library Hours are Monday Thursday 8 am to 4:30 pm and

Friday 8 am to 3:30 pm.

To register as a library patron or to

learn more about virtual access, visit

us in person or check out our website

Continued on Page 9

May is MMIP

Awareness Month

Missing and Murdered

Indigenous People (MMIP)

Awareness Month is May.

It's a month dedicated to

raising awareness about

the disproportionately high

rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women,

girls, Two-Spirit individuals, and people. Red Dress

Day, a specific day within

this month, is on May 5th

and is a national day of

awareness for MMIP.

For decades, American

Indian and Alaska Native

(AIAN) Communities have

struggled with high rates

of assault, abduction, and

murder of tribal members.

A 2016 Study by the National

Institute of Justice found that

more than four in five or 84.3%

of Native American women

have experienced violence in

their lifetime, including 56.1%

who have experienced sexual

violence as well as rates of

murder, rape and violent crimes

are all higher than the national

averages. When looking at

missing and murdered cases,

data shows that AIAN women

make up a significant portion of

missing and murdered individuals. Statistics also show that

approximately 1,500 AIAN

missing persons have been

entered into the National Crime

Information Center throughout

the US and approximately 2,700

cases of Murder and Non-Negligent Homicide Offenses have

been reported to the Federal

Government’s Uniform Crime

Reporting program. In total, the

BIA estimates there are approximately 4,200 missing and

murdered cases that have gone

unsolved.

Please join Wyandotte Nation

staff as we raise awareness during the month of May for MMIP.

May 2025

Continued from Page 8

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

(EDUCATION)

residing within our service area to

reach their educational & employment goals. Through these services,

Wyandotte Nation hopes to reduce

joblessness within the communities we serve. Currently there are

21 participants that have received

educational services through the 477

program. Staff has worked diligently

the past couple of months to ensure

students receive their scholarships

for the beginning of the spring

semester as well as attended several

scholarship fairs to promote the

program.

at www.wyandotte-nation.org.

For questions, contact our librarian, Madeline Harnar, at mharnar@

wyandotte-nation.org or call

918-678-6332.

Wyandotte Nation 477 Program:

The 477 Program or Workforce &

Social Services Program is a federally funded program that combines

a variety of services to better meet

the needs of our tribal community for

those who reside within our 100mile service area. To apply for the

program, clients must complete the

initial 477 Application for Services,

provide proof of tribal membership,

proof of residency, and provide their

Selective Service Registration Card

(males only from 18 - 25). Other

documentation may be required to

coincide with the type of service

requested.

Applications and forms can be

found on the Wyandotte Nation

website under the “Services” tab and

clicking “477 Program”. Inquiries

for 477 services can also be made by

calling (918) 678-3268, or by emailing the team at wn477@wyandottenation.org.

The 477 Program provides comprehensive support services, including

education, employment/workforce

and job training, youth services,

childcare subsidy, child welfare,

victim services, family violence assistance, and LIHEAP. Our program

remains dedicated to supporting

families by tailoring services to their

unique needs, fostering safe and

stable family environments, and

boosting the economy through job

creation and employment opportunities. We strive to increase access

to high-quality childcare, ensuring

continuity for parents and families

as they pursue gainful employment,

career advancement, or educational

goals. The 477 Program also offers

community members opportunities

that promote self-sufficiency.

• Childcare Assistance - the

Childcare Assistance or Childcare

Subsidy, is designed to assist low income families in paying for daycare.

Eligible families are those who have

children ages 0 through 12 years old,

meet income criteria, and have provided initial documentation. At this

Page 9

Photo: William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

(ABOVE) Head Man Joshua Garcia, Head Lady and Wyandotte Nation Princess

Chloe Friend, and Education staff lead the preschoolers during Grand Entry of

the annual Chief Leaford Bearskin Memorial Pow-Wow held at the Wyandotte

High School Gym Thursday, April 17. (BELOW) During a series of songs,

family and friends joined their preschoolers during the Bearskin Memorial

Pow-Wow.

time, subsidy

is providing

services for

approximately

130 children at

various childcare providers

throughout the

service area.

The program

can also provide training

to area childcare providers

to ensure they

are meeting

state standards and

requirements. The program partners

with other tribes in the area to serve

providers in meeting their training needs and also provide family

engagement activities within the

community. Program staff have been

busy recertifying current childcare

subsidy recipients and are now working on this year’s Week of the Young

Child events as well as planning

enrichment activities and training

opportunities for families and childcare providers in the area.

• Education, Employment,

Training - the Education portion of

477 offers scholarships, workforce &

job training assistance, & vocational

training to help fund tribal students

Wyandotte Nation Child Development Center:

The Wyandotte Nation Child

Development Center is working

hard to wrap up another school year.

This year has been filled with lots of

learning and lots of exciting events

from class parties and field trips to

special visitors. January brought

us a visit from Mrs. Chaille Bates,

a local Veterinarian. We welcomed

her and a few furry friends into our

facility so she could talk to us about

caring for animals. In February we

celebrated Valentine’s Day with class

parties and our 100th Day of School

with Field Trips to Ocean Adventure

and SOAR. March brought us lots

of excitement with dress up days for

Read Across America Week in conjunction with Dr. Seuss’ birthday as

well as Spring Break. We also had

a visit from the Wyandotte Nation

Environmental Department to teach

us about the importance of taking

care of the Earth and recycling. We

held our Easter class parties and egg

hunts on April 16. We also worked

very hard with the Wyandotte

Nation Cultural Department to get

ready for our Annual Leaford Bearskin Memorial Preschool Pow-Wow

on Thursday, April 17 (See pictures

in this issue). This event was held at

the Wyandotte Public School Gymnasium.

Our End of Year Program and

Graduation Ceremony is quickly

approaching on Monday, May 12 at

the Bearskin Healthcare & Wellness

Center Gymnasium beginning at

7:00pm. Our last day of school will

Continued on Page 10

Page 10

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Healthcare &

Wellness

Housing

Submitted by Kathy DeWeese, Housing Director

The Heritage Acres Community Center is available to

rent for weekend events. It

includes a room with tables

and chairs (seating for approximately 70), a kitchen area, and

a game room with pool tables,

ping pong, shuffleboard, air

hockey, and a basketball game.

The dates do fill up quickly, so

please contact the office as soon

as possible to check on dates if

you are interested. There is a

$25 deposit required to reserve

the date, which is returned after

rental if the facility is left clean

and free of damage. The rental

cost is $50 for tribal members

and employees, and $75.00 for

non-tribal members.

The Housing Department

provides rental units and

homeownership units for tribal

families. The Heritage Acres

Housing Addition has family

units consisting of 2-bedroom

duplexes and 3-bedroom homes.

Senior Housing is also provided

May 2025

for tribal families who are 55 and

older. Senior housing consists of

2-bedroom duplexes with a garage

and all appliances. Routine home

maintenance and yard work is taken

care of by the housing maintenance

staff. The family housing units and

senior units are in close proximity

to the park and splash pad, Title VI

(Elder food program), and Bearskin

Health & Wellness Center. Wyandotte Nation was able to purchase

property to the north of the existing

housing addition that will create

additional space for the housing

addition to expand. Plans have been

made to construct (8) additional

family units in the existing housing

addition area, while infrastructure

and (16) additional senior units

will be constructed on the property

expansion. Infrastructure is planned

to begin this spring, while construction on the housing units is expected

to begin this fall. Federal income

guidelines do apply for the housing

programs. If you are interested in

any of these, applications can be

found online at the Wyandotte Nation website, or they can be picked

up at our office location at 14325

Porcupine Road, Wyandotte, OK

74370.

Additional covered picnic

areas are currently being added

to Bear Park for smaller group

sizes. The large pavilion and

smaller picnic areas are available to the public on a first-come,

first-serve basis. Plans are in

the works to expand the splash

pad later in the year to add some

new features and a larger area

for kids to play in. The park

includes a basketball court,

playground equipment, swings, a

small zip line, and also a walking trail that circles the entire

playground area.

DEPARTMENT STAFF:

Kathy DeWeese, Housing

Director

Valari Richards, Assistant

Housing Director

Jocelyn Metcalf, Housing

Specialist

Levi Griffin/Paul Parker,

Project Coordinators

Randy Qualls/Drew Lankford, Residential Maintenance

Technicians

Submitted by Kelly Friend, Health

Services Director

Are you a resident within the Bearskin

Healthcare Service Delivery Area?

With recent changes in priorities

for healthcare through Indian Health

Services, there’s a greater focus on

preventive care. As of October 1, 2024,

you might be eligible for additional

services, including dental that may have

been deferred or denied in the past. To

ensure you are prepared, please note the

following details:

Patients living within the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) Service

Delivery area

• Wyandotte or Eastern Shawnee

Tribal Citizens who reside in the following counties: Ottawa, Craig, Mayes,

Wagoner, Delaware, Rogers, Okmulgee,

Nowata, Tulsa, Creek, Okfuskee and

Washington

• Patient must be an active patient,

with a visit once every 3 years.

• Patient must complete an Alternate

Resource Form (ARF).

• Patient must have current Oklahoma Driver’s License or Oklahoma

Continued on Page 11

(EDUCATION)

Continued from Page 9

be Tuesday, May 13. Upcoming closures for our facility include May 16

for Employee Appreciation Day, and

May 26 for Memorial Day. The first

day of our Summer Program will

be Wednesday, May 14 for students

enrolled with us.

We are currently accepting enrollment for our 3-4 Year Old Preschool

classrooms as well as our 4-5 Year

Old Pre-K classrooms for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year which

begins on August 12, 2025. To be

eligible for these classrooms students

must be 3 years old on or before

September 1, 2025 and be fully potty

trained. We are accepting applications for our waiting lists for our

Infant/Toddler Classrooms for the

upcoming school year as well. For

information on enrolling your child

or joining our waiting lists please

reach out to Lindsay Cooper by

phone at 918-678-3267 or email at

lcooper@wyandotte-nation.org. You

can also find information about our

program online at https://wyandottenation.org/services/education/turtletots/

Wyandotte Nation Scholarship

Program:

The Wyandotte Nation Education

Department has several scholarship programs for members to apply

for to receive assistance for school

or job training. These scholarships

can be used to help with the costs of

Concurrent, Bachelors, Masters, and

Vocational opportunities. We are currently serving more than 250 mem-

bers in their schooling and training.

The Education Specialist is currently

working through new applications

for the upcoming 2025-2026 school

year in the Wyandotte Nation Undergrad Program. With the May 1st

deadline approaching, do not forget

to apply if you are a new participant

in our scholarship programs. If you

are a participant in our scholarship

program, please remember to register for the spring semester. The Education Department will not submit

any further scholarships without the

proper information submitted first.

In order to do so, you need to submit

a grades report for the completed

term, and your class schedule for

this current term. You may email it

to our Education Specialist, mail in

to the Education Building, or submit

it through the tribal website.

The WN Education Department

now has applications available for

graduation stoles for college students’ receiving their Associates,

Bachelors, and Masters Degrees.

This process can take a few weeks to

mail out so submit all applications

accordingly. This application and list

of required documents is located on

the tribal website under the Education Section.

If you have any questions regarding any of our scholarships

programs, please reach out to our

Education Specialist:

Evan Hotulke

(918) 678-6331

ehotulke@wyandotte-nation.org

8 Turtle Drive Wyandotte, OK

74370

May 2025

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

(HEALTH)

Continued from Page 10

Identification on file.

• Patient must have Tribal Membership Card on file.

• Patient must have insurance or

Soonercare denial on file, and Affordable

Care Act proof of eligibility.

• Patient must sign a rules agreement

(every 3 years).

• Must meet residency requirements – utility bill in patients name with

physical address – lease agreement, gas,

electric, internet, cable.

o If only one utility bill, the

following documents will be acceptable

as the second document – previous years

taxes (front page verifying state), land

tax statement, recent school records,

mortgage statement

o For individuals that do not

have 2 of the above documents and reside

with other individuals – notarized affidavit verifying residence will be accepted.

•

DENTAL

Patient must meet the above

requirements.

Appointment must be authorized

prior to visit (Please allow 2

weeks minimum).

Must use provider within insurance network or contracted with

Bearskin Healthcare

AUDIOLOGY

Appointment must be authorized

prior to visit (Please allow 2

weeks’ minimum)

OPTOMETRY

Must be seen by provider at

Bearskin Healthcare once every

three years to be eligible

Must be authorized prior to visit

Must use provider within insurance network or contracted with

Bearskin Healthcare

$250 for single vision – includes

one exam and one pair or glasses

•

OR contacts

$300 for multi-focal vision –

includes one exam and one pair or

glasses OR contacts

Patients living outside the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) Service

Delivery area

•

ADULT DENTAL

Must be seen by provider at

Bearskin Healthcare once every

three years to be eligible

Must be authorized prior to visit

up to $750 per year, excludes

orthodontics and whitening

As funding allows

ADULT EMERGENCY DENTAL

• Must be seen by provider at

Bearskin Healthcare once every

three years to be eligible

• Must be authorized prior to visit

• Services must be provided by a

provider within insurance network or by a Bearskin Contracted

provider

• Up to $1000 per year

• Services provided – limited x-ray,

limited exam, extractions, recementing of crowns, partials and/

or dentures, wisdom teeth removal

• As funding allows

•

OPTOMETRY

Must be seen by provider at

Bearskin Healthcare once every

three years to be eligible

Must be authorized prior to visit

Must use provider within insurance network or contracted with

Bearskin Healthcare

$250 for single vision – includes

one exam and one pair or glasses

OR contacts

$300 for multi-focal vision –

includes one exam and one pair or

glasses OR contacts

As funding allows

Page 11

Page 12

Planning & Natural

Resources

Christen Lee, Environmental &

Planning Director

ENVIRONMENT

January

With the New Year upon us, our

department continues to stay busy

with our day to day work activities.

Our two Water Technicians John Gerhard and Ryan Haggard, continue to

sample 8 local water sites throughout

the month, and perform private well

sampling.

Staff also participates in several

in-person and online meetings with

other tribal, state and federal entities,

to keep informed with environmental

issues.

On January 31, Christen Lee and

Kathy Welch had an information

booth at the “We are Wyandotte”

River Bend Employee event.

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

environmental

departments.

March

Well, finally

the temperatures are starting to warm

up a bit, but

we still had

a few winter

like days to

contend with.

On March

19, Kathy

gave an education presentation on

recycling to the Community Shelter

Organization. The event took place at

April Events:

April 22: Our department hosted a

Lunch and Learn at the Wyandotte

Nation Cultural Center.

April 21 – 27: We hosted a Spring

Tire Collection event at the Lost

Creek Recycle Center.

Services Provided

• Private Well Drinking Water

Sampling

• Private Home Owners Septic

Asssessments

• Lost Creek Recycle Center

--Submitted by Kathleen Welch,

Environmental Department Manager

the Quapaw Fire Station in Wyandotte.

On March 26, Ryan and John held

an environmental education event at

the Wyandotte Turtle Tots Preschool.

Ryan and John talked to the kids

about the weather changes and the

effects it has on the environment.

February

On February 10 we welcomed a

new employee to our department,

Curtis Brodrick. Curtis has taken

over the duties as our Recycling

Technician for the Lost Creek Recycle

Center.

On February 27, Kathy along with

Kristi Laughlin of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, gave presentations for the

Sperry-Galligar Audubon Society, at

Pittsburg State University, Kansas.

The presentations had information

about both of the tribes, and the

Other Environmental Duties:

Each month, department staff

performs monitoring and sampling on

8 sites within the Wyandotte Nation

Historic Jurisdictional area streams

and water bodies. During this timeframe, staff also performed quarterly

nutrient sampling on three lost creek

sites, and e-coli sampling on all 8

sites.

Staff has attended several online

and in person meetings and trainings

such as RTOC, NATURE, TECO,

TCTC, TCTCIT, TSMD and others.

Department Contacts:

Kathleen Welch (Env. Department Manager) 918-678-6335

Ryan Haggard (Env. Technician

I) 918-678-6345

John Gerhard (Env. Technician

II) 918-678-6396

Curtis Brodrick (Recycling

Tech) 918-678-6352

Jalin Enyart (Jalin Enyart

(Recycling Tech II)

Notice: For private well sampling

appointments, contact Kathleen

Welch, John Gerhard or Ryan Haggard.

Grants Awarded from January thru March 2025

Indian Housing Block Grant

May 2025

PLANNING

The Grants Department has been

busy researching, writing, and submitting applications to not only meet

the Tribe’s mission but the short- and

long-term goals as well. We recently

received several grant awards that

will allow the Tribe and its departments to serve Wyandotte citizens

within our service area and beyond,

when possible.

• The Indian Housing Block Grant

will allow for the construction of 8

new duplexes, totaling 16 new housing units, available to seniors once

completed.

• $228,014 from the Office of

Violence Against Women, to advance

the Wyandotte Nation’s Probation

Enhancement Project. Grant funds

awarded will be used for monitoring

devices, testing kits, software, as well

as training.

• $139,772 from the Institute of

Museum and Library Services, for the

Library Enhancement, will be used to

create a seed library, Tiny Tots Preschool will create and maintain “Tots

Garden”, and outdoor reading and

STEAM play space, AWE after school

Edge Station and Cricut exploration

Continued on Page 13

$3,454,914

Grants Submitted from January thru March 2025

Justice for Families-Office of Violence Against Women

$228,014

Native American Library Services Enhancement Grant-Institute of Museum and

$139,772

Library Services

Native American Library Services Basic Grant-Institute of Museum and Library

$10,000

Services

Legal Services-Office of Violence Against Women

$367,190

Native American Career and Technical Education Program-Department of Education $1,562,144

Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation-Department of Justice

$1,556,662

May 2025

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

(PLANNING)

Elder Services

Continued from Page 12

opportunity.

• $10,000 from the Institute of

Museum and Library Services-Basic

Library Grant, will provide books and

journals, as well as two conferences.

• 367,190 for Legal Services

through the Office of Violence Against

Women, will provide salaries of

Project Coordinator, a Staff Attorney,

as well as a contracted Supervising

Attorney. Office equipment/ supplies,

and travel have also been budgeted.

• $1,562,144 for Native American

Career and Technical Education

Program through the Department

of Education. This program will

provide funding for key staff as well

as support 25 program participants

per year in obtaining post-secondary

and technical education at Northeast

Tech. This is a 5-year project.

• $1,556,662 from the Department

of Justice for the Coordinated Tribal

Assistance Solicitation. There are

two parts to the application. Purpose

Area 1 will provide a salary for a

Wildlife and Conservation Officer,

overtime, equipment, vehicle, and

training. This officer will enforce

hunting, fishing, trapping and other

related and general laws within

Wyandotte Nation the Reservation.

Purpose Area 3 will provide support

for the only two full-time court staff

members.

Projects:

The ICDBG-21 Pow-Wow Grounds

Project. Work is underway, and expected to be complete in the Summer.

We are working with Create-4-All

Architect/Engineer, on the Bearskin

Gymnasium expansion. This is

funded by HUD, and is an ICDBG-23.

--Submitted by Debbie Dry-Grant

Writer/BIA Self-Governance Coordinator

Department Contacts:

Christen Lee (Planning &

Natural Resources Director) 918678-6341

Debbie Dry (Grant Writer/BIA/

Self Governance Coordinator)

918-678-6315

David Groves (Grant Writer)

918-678-6309

Page 13

Submitted by Brenda House,

Elder Services Director

Greetings all!

The Miami Senior Center will

have an Open House Friday,

May 2 at 10 am. There will be

vendors providing healthcare resources, speakers, incentives and

lunch provided. The center is

located at 2104 Denver Harnar

Drive, Miami, OK.

Mother’s Day Dinner is Thursday, May 8 from 11:30 am to 1

pm. Our menu will be pot roast

and sides.

June 10 is the Ottawa County

Senior Day at Buffalo Run Casino

in Miami, OK from 9 am to 1

pm. There will be vendor booths,

speakers, games and incentives.

The amazing Duke Mason will

provide the music. Lunch and

light breakfast snacks provided.

Father’s Day Dinner is Thursday, June 12 from 11:30 am to

1 pm. Our menu will be brisket

and sides.

We are making plans to go to

Branson, MO in June. The date

has yet to be determined.

CAREGIVER:

Our Caregiver Support Group

is the first Thursday of each

month from 10:30 am - 11:30

am in the conference/safe room.

Lunch provided in the Title VI

dining room following the meeting. This group is for all current

and former caregivers. It is also

for grandparents raising grandchildren.

We are continuing to provide

respite care vouchers for Caregivers to have a much-needed

break.

SENIOR TURTLES GIFT

SHOP:

The Senior Turtles Gift Shop

is open. The hours are 10 am to 2

pm Monday-Friday.

If you would be interested in

joining our Senior Turtles Gift

Shop Group, please contact

Brenda or anyone in the group.

Photo: William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

Our Artie Nesvold Elders Center hosted its annual Valentine's Day lunch

and gave a few gifts! Our Oldest Valentine at 91 years young was John

Peyton. Our Longest Married (65 years!) -- Ronald and Mary Addison

(Pictured Above). Our Newlyweds (2 years) were Larry and Janice Spoon.

And the one Married the Most Times (and Willing to Admit It!) was Cheryl

McKibben (7 times).

The number

for the gift

shop is 918678-6491.

It is always

a pleasure

serving the

Wyandotte

Nation Citizens. Please

feel free to call

us anytime.

Elder Services Team:

Brenda

House, Elder

Services

Director, (918) 678-6327.

Food Service Team Members

(918) 678-6328: Seth Higginbotham,

Amanda Turner, Kelli Snell, Kayla

Ezell and Susan Skaggs.

Menu: Available on the Wyandotte Nation website.

Page 14

Important

Numbers

Family Services / Enrollment

wnfs@wyandotte-nation.org

Dana Butterfield (918) 678-6319

Leeanna Radabaugh, (918) 678-6329

Haylee Botts, (918) 678-6377