A Wyandotte Nation Publication

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The Turtle Speaks

Gyah'-Wish

Atak-ia

A Wyandotte Nation Publication

Volume 25, Issue 2

www.wyandotte-nation.org

May 2021

Long Time

Coming

Casino opens to huge crowd

Page 4-5

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) 678-2944

Inside:

•

PUBLIC NOTICE: Notice of Election, Annual Meeting

Chief Leaford Bearskin Memorial Preschool Pow-Wow

First Easter Egg Hunt a success

Page 2

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

Board of Directors

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

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

Councilperson.................... Ramona Reid

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

Councilperson......... Juanita McQuistion

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

Content

Public Notice: Election.......................... 3

FEATURE: Crosswinds Casino........ 4-5

Preschool Pow-Wow.............................. 6

WTOK: Johnson Retirement............ 6-7

Easter Egg Hunt...................................... 7

New 477 Program............................... 7-8

New Tribal Administration Building... 8

Tribal Department Reports............. 9-16

Important Numbers............................. 16

CALENDAR.......................................... 16

Editor/Design: William Swaim

Cover Photo:

Chief Billy

Friend & CEO

Kelly Carpino

cut the ribbon

at new casino.

Photo by William Swaim

Have News?

Share it

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

Phone: (918) 810-0089

www.facebook.com/WyandotteNation

www.twitter.com/WyandotteNation

www.instagram.com/wyandottenation

www.youtube.com/WyandotteNation

From the Chief

May 2021

Billy Friend

Dealing with change

There is one element that can be

counted on in our modern lives, and that

one element is change.

The Wyandotte Nation and the Wyandotte people are no strangers to change.

Throughout our history we have been

confronted with tremendous obstacles

and changes of environment.

However, the main responsibility of

our Wyandotte Nation government, now

and in the future, is service to the Wyandotte people and that has not changed.

Before every board meeting we pray and

offer thanks to God for the opportunity

given to us to serve the citizens of our

Tribe. Those of us who serve you in your

government are working hard to continue that service despite the hardships

we encountered this past year.

The lesson for us is we know change

will come, and that was reinforced this

past year during a worldwide pandemic.

As Wyandotte people we have become

good at adapting just as our ancestors

did in the past. Change is a constant the

Wyandotte Nation and the Wyandotte

people have faced with courage and success throughout our history.

Today, Wyandottes continue succeeding in this ever-changing world. A

commitment to education has been a

real key to our success. An ever-growing

number of Wyandottes are professionals, trades journeymen, artists, lawyers,

soldiers and so much more. Wyandottes

are succeeding in these areas because we

have recognized the changes in American society and stayed current with

those changes.

The health and welfare of our people

is what continues to drive our decisionmaking in every department of our tribal

From the Second Chief

government. Every team member here

at the Wyandotte Nation is committed

to serving the needs of our Wyandotte

people regardless of the challenges and

changes we encounter.

We have learned the one, true foundation to an effective and strong functioning government is serving the people

well. We believe once that foundation

begins to crumble, decline is inevitable.

We are absolutely committed to cultivating our path of growth, service and

success. We are open to change and we

understand being adaptable is critical.

Thank you for your concern and your

commitment to the Wyandotte Nation.

Your support and involvement are vital

to your effective government.

When we all work together as Wyandottes, we are bound to meet with

success!

Norman Hildebrand, Jr.

Glimpse of Seneca Indian School history

Kweh

Hello to all Wyandotte Citizens. Needless to say the past year has been one for

the record books. They will be talking

about and analyzing everything that

happened the past year for decades and

decades to come. The events that happened will be etched in history forever.

Take the Black Lives Matter movement,

that’s fine, but to me all lives matter no

matter the color of their skin. The truth

of the matter is Native Americans are

killed or abused at a higher rate than

Blacks. If you don’t believe me, look it

up, it is a small percentage higher but

nonetheless it is higher. I have nothing

against the Black Lives Matter movement but I think we should be concerned

about all people no matter the color of

their skin.

On a good note the new Administration Building is finished and everyone is

moved in, the building turned out very

nice hopefully it will be awhile before we

outgrow this building. The temporary

casino in Park City, Kansas, officially

opened March 2 and it is doing very

well. We have some housing projects in

the works and our newest Turtle Stop

outside of Seneca, Mo., should be done

sometime in June.

Let’s discuss the Turtle Talk for a

moment, we put it out quarterly to

inform our Tribal Citizens about what

is going on at the Wyandotte Nation,

the programs and services that we are

able to provide for our citizens. We put

a lot of time and expense in putting out

this piece of information every quarter

to keep our citizens informed of what

is available to them. All you have to do

is read it, there are a lot of articles included that hopefully make for interesting reading.

Since our new Administration Building is located on the hill where the Seneca Indian School was built in the early

1870s, I thought it would beneficial to

hear what one tribal citizen by the name

of Jared Silas Dawson had to say about

his experience attending the school:

“At this time, there was no school here

except the mission school that had been

established by the Quakers at what is

now Wyandotte, so my brother and I

were sent there to school. We stayed at

the school and were allowed to go home

each six weeks and to stay from Friday

to Sunday. Yes, some of us would run

away; I tried it once and they came after

me that night

about eleven

and I had to

go back, but

I would not have tried it again for the

next morning mother would have taken

me back and she would have made me

walk, and she would have ridden along

with me to see that I went. Uncle Jerry

Hubbard was in charge of the school

and we had good teachers, who although

strict, were good to us. We had very

poor clothing, food and quarters as they

would be judged now-a-days but they

were feeding, clothing and teaching us

at no expense to our parents and what

they received was allowed them from the

Government.

The boys had red duck pants put

together with rivets, hickory shirts of

blue and white, brogan shoes, common

black hats, no socks and no underwear.

The girls wore blue denim all made alike

with course canton flannel underwear,

heavy shoes and the little girls had copper toes on their shoes.

Our sleeping room or dorm, as you

See 2nd Chief, Page 3

May 2021

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 3

P ublic N otice

Notice of Annual Meeting and Election

On Sept. 11, 2021, the Wyandotte Nation shall hold their Annual Meeting and Election at the

Bearskin Healthcare and Wellness

Center near Wyandotte, Okla. The

Election will begin at 9 am.

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 14, 2021, with the

closing date June 13, 2021, at 4:30

pm. 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, Okla.

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 14, 2021, and no later

than June 13, 2021. 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)

shall be assessed for each candidate filing for Chief and Board of

Directors. Ten dollars ($10) 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,

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 Elections

shall be the Bearskin Healthcare

and Wellness Center Classroom,

Wyandotte, Okla. The polling shall

be opened from 9 am until 11 am.

Any voter in line at the polling place

but unable to cast a ballot before 11

am 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.

Dee Killion, Chairperson

Wyandotte Nation Election Board

N ews & N otes

Wyandotte Nation 1 of 24

Tribes to receive grant funding

for new housing units

WASHINGTON - The U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban

Development announced recently

over $90 million in grant awards to

24 Tribes and Tribally Designated

Housing Entities (TDHEs) across

the country to support new housing

construction, housing rehabilitation,

and critical infrastructure projects.

The funds were awarded through

HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant

(IHBG) Competitive program to

help construct new housing units for

low-income families living in Tribal

communities. HUD awarded the

Wyandotte Nation $1,341,647 in order to address and meet the needs of

underserved populations by developing affordable housing in a safe and

healthy environment for six eligible

families that meet the criteria of

NAHASDA and 24 CFR 1000.104.

“This past year was a stark reminder of just how important access

to safe, stable housing is—especially

in Tribal communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19

pandemic,” said Secretary Marcia L.

Fudge. “The funding HUD is awarding today will support much needed

affordable housing investments in

Indian Country.”

It is projected that this funding

will support the construction of

approximately 350 new housing

units, which will help spur economic

opportunities in these communities.

This year’s IHBG competition generated a lot of interest and was very

oversubscribed with a total of 141

applicantions submitted by Tribes

and TDHEs.

Students eligible for SNAP

The Wyandotte Nation recognizes

students are facing numerous challenges due to COVID-19.

Our 477 Social Service Program

wants to share beneficial information with you from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

2nd Chief

Continued from Page 2

would say today was without fire, hard

mattresses, coarse blankets and no

sheets. What did we have to eat? For

breakfast, we had boiled beef, gravy,

light bread, and weak coffee. For dinner,

cornbread, beans, gravy and water. For

supper, two tubs were filled with sliced

light bread, in one tub two slices were

put together with New Orleans molasses and there were rows of pegs about

two feet apart; we boys took our place

at these one boy to a peg with the larger

boys in front and these led up to where

two women were in charge of the two

tubs of bread and as a boy moved up

to the peg in front of the tub one of the

women would say “with or without” and

if he said “with” he was given two slices

of the light bread put together with

molasses and if he said “without” he was

handed two slices of dry bread, these we

took and went to where the pump was

for water and this was our supper.

Major Redpath who was the agent at

the Seneca Agency, came to the mission

one evening as we were receiving our

supper and shortly after the Government took over the school. I was seven

when this happened. After that we had

plenty to eat, good clothes, sheets, etc.

Then our clothes were grey uniforms

with red stripes and the girls received

blue flannel dresses.”

Due to the emergency, a change in

federal law has made more students

temporarily eligible for SNAP, which

provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of individuals

and families in need to move toward

self-sufficiency.

We encourage you to contact your

local SNAP office, visit https://www.

fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory for

a link to the SNAP State Directory

of Resources where you will find an

application for your state.

NOTE: SNAP state agencies

administer the program, process applications, and determine eligibility.

For more on the Wyandotte Nation's new 477 Program, see pages

7-8 in this edition.

“A great many people think

they are thinking when they

are merely rearranging their

prejudices.” --William James

This was a Works Progress Administration Indian-Pioneer Interview taken

in 1937. This is an example of what

life was like for students at the Seneca

Indian School in the early 1880s.

I am proud and honored to serve the

citizens of the Wyandotte Nation.

Page 4

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2021

Crosswinds opens for business

After long legal

battle, casino

opens to huge

crowd, long lines

By William Swaim

Wyandotte Nation

On Tuesday, March 2, after years

of legal battles, the Wyandotte

Nation opened the doors of the new

Crosswinds Casino in Park City,

Kansas. Many patrons waited in

their cars for hours for the casino, located at 777 N Jackpot Way, to open.

In the evening, a line of cars waiting

to get to Crosswinds Casino extended

out to I-135 off the 77th Street exit,

and patrons waited in long lines to

try out the newest addition to Park

City.

“Good evening. I just want to say

thank you to everybody for coming

out tonight, to the ribbon cutting and

the grand opening of Crosswinds Casino. It has been a long time coming,”

said Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy

Friend to applause from the crowd at

the ceremony.

The new 24-hour casino features

500 new slots, 200 VGT machines

with Red Spins, a High Limit

Lounge, a Bar & Café, Convenient

Parking, and 20,000 Sq. Feet of

Excitement. The bar and café, called

Bottles & Bites, serves breakfast

from 6 am to 10 am, and lunch and

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

The Wyandotte Nation flags flaps in the breeze in front of the newly opened Crosswinds Casino in Park City, Kansas.

(BELOW) Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse joins Wyandotte Nation Board of Directors Ramona Reid, Norman Hildebrand and Vivian Fink as well as a representative from Crossland Construction during the ribbon cutting

ceremony March 2.

dinner from 10 am to 2 am. It serves

a variety of foods and drinks. Due to

COVID-19 and safety precautions,

the casino could not open to its full

capacity, creating long lines on its

opening night.

“Our team is so excited to introduce Crosswinds Casino to Park City

and the surrounding communities,”

said Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma

(WTOK) CEO Kelly Carpino. WTOK

is the federally chartered corporation

of the Wyandotte Nation.

“Our focus with all of our gaming

properties is to provide a fun, clean

atmosphere with fan favorite slots

and great customer service. Crosswinds Casino is ready to deliver that

same experience to all of our guests.”

Chief Friend said it is was not

only a great day for the people of the

Wyandotte Nation, but also for the

people in the community as the Tribe

looked forward to being in Park City.

“This is a great night, it’s a great

night for the Wyandotte Nation,

a great night for the Wyandotte

people. Everything we do on the

economic side, the gaming side, it

enables us to further improve the

quality of life for our tribal citizens;

through scholarships, healthcare,

housing, through everything we do.

This money goes right back into

supporting the lives of our people,

and the people in our communities as

well,” Chief Friend said.

“We look forward to being here in

Park City, and becoming a stable

part of this community and giving

back to the programs here.”

At the ribbon cutting ceremony,

Chief Friend discussed what it took

to bring the casino to Park City.

He said the Wyandotte Nation in

1991 purchased 10 ½ acres where

they currently stood, and finally

closed on that land Nov. 25, 1992. At

that time, he said, the Tribe received

what we now know is a wrongful

opinion from the U.S. Government

from the Bureau of Indian Affairs

See CROSSWINDS, Page 5

May 2021

www.wyandotte-nation.org

"This is a great night, it’s a great night

for the Wyandotte Nation, a great

night for the Wyandotte people. Everything we do on the economic side, the

gaming side, it enables us to further

improve the quality of life for our

tribal citizens..."

-- Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend

CROSSWINDS

Continued from Page 4

that the land did not qualify for gaming.

Following that, the Tribe went on to focus on

the land in Kansas City, and eventually opened

up a casino after 12 years of litigation there, now

known as 7th Street Casino.

“Going through that legal process, what it

proved was, the Wyandottes had bought the right

piece of land the first time,” Chief Friend said.

“The 10 ½ acres did qualify for gaming. In 2006,

we reapplied with the Bureau of Indian Affairs

for an application to take this land into trust for

gaming purposes. From 2006-2020 I spent a lot of

time in Washington DC fighting a lot of people and

against a lot of ridiculous arguments.”

It was May 20, 2020, when Chief Friend received

a phone call from the Bureau of Indian Affairs saying the land had been put into trust and that the

land also qualified for gaming.

Chief Friend thanked a great many people who

supported the Tribe and its efforts at the ribbon

cutting. He gave a special thanks to the Wyandotte Nation Board of Directors, some of who

were on hand for the ceremony including Vivian

Fink, Ramona Reid and Second Chief Norman

Hildebrand, Jr., as well as Carpino, new General

Manager Kevin Lien and his Crosswinds Casino

staff. He went on to thank staff from the Tribe’s

7th Street Casino in Kansas City and staff from

the River Bend Casino & Hotel in Wyandotte. He

also thanked Crossland Construction, the Bank of

Oklahoma, the vendors, and officials representing

the city, county and chamber of commerce in Park

City and Sedgwick County for supporting the Tribe

All Photos by William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

A long line of patrons wait to get in the casino

around midnight the day of the grand opening.

(BELOW and RIGHT) A look at the interior before

the casino opened to the public, including some

of the food served at Bottles & Bites.

all these years.

“The Wyandottes — there is one thing about

us in our history, we have always been known

as a people who adapt and persevere,” he

said. “It doesn’t matter the situation we found

ourselves in, our people were always good at

adapting and always good at persevering… we

continue to do that today.”

For more, visit the Crosswinds Casino website: www.crosswindscasino.com.

Page 5

Page 6

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2021

Chief Leaford Bearskin Memorial Preschool Pow-Wow

Photos By

William Swaim

The Chief Leaford Bearskin Memorial Preschool Pow-Wow was held April 13, at the Wyandotte Nation

Pow-Wow Grounds. Head Man Joshua Garcia (pictured above), a Wyandotte tribal citizen, goes around to the

students to congratulate them. Tribal Princess Sara Wright (pictured bottom left) was also the Head Lady at

the Pow-Wow. The Host Drum was Michael Killer & Medicine Eagle with Emcee Choogie Kingfisher.

Johnson retires as GM from River Bend Casino & Hotel

Longtime GM led casino through rebranding, renovation

By William Swaim

Wyandotte Nation

River Bend Casino & Hotel General Manager Gary Johnson retired

after 12 plus years with the property. Johnson began when it was

the Wyandotte Nation Casino and

guided the casino though a massive

renovation and expansion to what

it is now -- the River Bend Casino &

Hotel.

“When I look across our property

and the things we have done over

12 years, everywhere I look I can

see Gary’s handprint and where he

has had an impact,” said Wyandotte

Tribe of Oklahoma (WTOK) CEO

Kelly Carpino to Johnson during his

retirement celebration. WTOK is the

federally-chartered corporation of

the Wyandotte Nation. “I think even

more rewarding is the impact you

have had on people.”

During the retirement celebration,

Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend

and River Bend Casino & Hotel

employees thanked and presented

Johnson with several gifts.

“I just want to say how much

we appreciate Gary and what he

has done for the Wyandotte Nation,” Chief Billy Friend said at the

celebration. “He bought into what

See JOHNSON, Page 7

Wyandotte Nation

Chief Billy Friend,

right, presents

Gary Johnson,

retired General

Manager of River

Bend Casino &

Hotel (formerly

Wyandotte Nation

Casino) with a gift

during a retirement ceremony

at the casino.

Johnson helped

get the casino off

the ground and

later through its

rebranding and

renovation

William Swaim |

Wyandotte Nation

May 2021

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 7

New 477 Program offers services to assist citizens

By William Swaim

Wyandotte Nation

The Wyandotte Nation has a new program

that may be beneficial to you.

The Tribe provides services under Public

Law 102-477, which allows it to combine

certain formula-funded federal grants into a

single plan.

The ultimate goal of the new Wyandotte Nation 477 Program is to create safe and stable

families, raise educational achievement, develop and enhance employment opportunities,

integrate employment and training services,

and increase self-sufficiency.

The 477 Program provides services for

job training and work experience as well as

educational assistance. The Program provides

financial assistance for classroom training,

vocational training, and other job readiness

services.

“With our program, you can take a free

online Career assessment to help determine

the best career path for you,” said Michael

Lowery, Grant Writer/477 Coordinator for the

Wyandotte Nation.

The 477 Program also provides funding

assistance to the Native American community

in order to increase the availability, affordability, and quality of childcare services. Each

family is able to select an approved childcare

provider that fits their needs, which allows

families to maintain or achieve self-sufficiency

through work or education.

See 477 Program, Page 8

Wyandotte Nation hosts first Easter Egg Hunt

The Wyandotte Nation hosted an

Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March

27, at the Wyandotte Nation PowWow grounds for children ages

12 and under.

The Easter Bunny was on hand to

see kids race for the 6,000 Easter

eggs that were scattered and

filled with candy.

Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy

Friend said based on the success

of the first event, the Tribe will

consider making it an annual.

The event was sponsored by

the Wyandotte Nation Family

Services, the Cultural Division,

Bearskin Healthcare & Wellness

Center, and CCDF.

Photos By William Swaim

JOHNSON

Continued from Page 6

we were doing. Everything here we

do economically, the casino side, we

reinvest everything not only back

into our tribal citizens, we reinvest it

back into our properties and into our

employees.”

Chief Friend presented Johnson

with one of the highest honors the

Tribe gives to those who have had

a substantial impact, a handcrafted

knife, carved by tribal citizen Deryl

Wright.

In addition to the Tribe’s gift,

employees presented several gifts to

their former boss.

“It has been a heck of a ride, we

are going to miss you boss,” said

Casey Ellett, Marketing Manager

for River Bend Casino & Hotel. “The

thing we are proud of here is where

you have taken us. You have directed us, been our leader for 12 years,

we couldn’t have asked for anything

more. We are going to miss you and

good luck on your next step.”

Johnson spoke to all who came

out to wish him well, cracking a few

jokes, but also thankful for the help

as well the retirement well wishes.

“I thank everyone for all the

things you have done for me. It was

not a one-man show. Whatever I did

I couldn’t have done without you,”

Johnson said. “I will miss everyone

here. I will never forget this experience.”

River Bend Casino & Hotel has

another Gary in charge, this time

Gary Stella, who took over as the

new GM for the retired Johnson.

Page 8

477 Program

Continued from Page 7

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2021

We have moved: New Tribal Administration Building

477 Program Eligibility

Requirements

1. Complete, signed, and dated

application;

2. Member of a Federally Recognized

Tribe;

3. Selective Service Registration Card

(if applicable);

4. Proof of Residency in Service Area.

Additional Required Documents

Include (Financial/Educational

Assistance):

1. Driver’s License;

2. Social Security Card;

3. Financial Aid Needs Analysis;

4. Personal Statement for Service;

5. FAFSA Report.

Additional Required Documents

Include (Childcare Assistance):

1. Social Security Card

(all household members);

2. Birth Certificate of Children in

Daycare;

3. Verification of Income; and

4. Class schedule, if attending classes.

The Program provides a childcare

subsidy for eligible families that

meet income guidelines based on

their family size. Parents are responsible for a co-pay to the daycare

and the Tribe covers the remaining

childcare costs.

Wyandotte Nation’s 477 Plan

serves all counties within a 100-mile

radius from Wyandotte, Okla.

“Reach out to our office and let us

help you reduce or remove barriers

in your life preventing you from

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

Tribal government staff has moved into the new Tribal Administration Building, located at 8 Turtle Drive,

Wyandotte, OK 74370, and just across from Bearskin Healthcare & Wellness Center. NOTE: Housing and Courts

are located in the old administration building located at 64700 E. Hwy 60, Wyandotte, OK 74370.

reaching your educational or employment goals,” Lowery said.

The Wyandotte Nation is the only

Tribe of the nine tribes in Ottawa

County that offers the program.

For more information on the program, including an Introduction Video, Testimonial, service area map,

brochure and all applications, visit

the Facebook page: www.facebook.

com/WyandotteNation477Program

or website: www.wyandotte-nation.

org/477program.

On the Facebook page, job fairs,

events and other useful information will be posted so make sure to

‘follow’ the page. You can also find

the 477 Program on Twitter: www.

twitter.com/477Nation.

You can also contact the 477

Program staff (call: 918-678-3268

or email: wn477@wyandotte-nation.

org) or visit during office hours Monday – Thursday from 8 am - 4:30 pm

and Friday from 8 am – 3:30 pm.

The offices are located at 64790 East

Highway 60 Wyandotte, OK 74370.

The Wyandotte Nation is closed

on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal

Holidays.

NOTE: All services are contingent

upon the availability of funds and no

services are guaranteed.

May 2021

Human Resources

Submitted by Deana Howard, HR

Director

The Wyandotte Nation Family

Service Department is very happy to

welcome tribal citizen Katie Griffin.

Katie will serve

as our Domestic

Violence/Sexual

Assault/Elder

Abuse Advocate.

She graduated from

Seneca High School

and attended

MSSU. Katie is a

Certified Nursing

Assistant, and also

GRIFFIN

participated in our

Summer Youth Intern program for

three years. She enjoys spending

most of her time having fun with her

family, friends, and her 2-year-old

son. In her free time, you can find

her crafting, cooking, and playing

pickle ball. We are very fortunate to

have Katie on our team and wish her

much success in her new position.

The Accounting Department is

happy to welcome Eric Fonseca. Eric

will serve as the

Controller for the

Wyandotte Nation.

Eric graduated

from NEO A&M

College and LLC

with an Associate’s

Degree in Forestry

and Accounting.

He earned his

Bachelor’s Degree

FONSECA

in Accounting from

Ashford University, and has his

Master’s Degree in Accounting from

MSSU. He brings a wealth of experience in Accounting. His hobbies

include basketball, golf, NCAAD, and

watching TV, movies. His spare time

includes spending time with his family, traveling, playing soccer, basketball and tennis. We

are very fortunate

to have Eric on our

team and wish him

much success in his

new position.

The Accounting

Department is also

happy to welcome

Shelby Desha.

Shelby will serve

DESHA

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

as the Accounting Specialist for the

Wyandotte Nation. Shelby graduated from NEO with an Associate’s

Degree in applied Science with an

emphasis in Accounting. In her spare

time, she enjoys stand up paddle

boarding, video games, kickboxing, hiking, and running. She loves

spending time with her husband,

daughter, two dogs and her cat. We

are very fortunate to have Shelby on

our team and wish her much success

in her new position.

The Wyandotte Nation Education

Department would like to welcome

back Krisha Arnall to her new position as Infant Caregiver, Chloe Sikes

as a Substitute, and Allie Briggs and

Ethan Krebs as part-time Afterschool Childcare Assistants.

Krisha graduated

from Picher High

School, and attended Labette Community College where

she played softball.

She enjoys working out, puzzles,

coloring, taking

pictures, softball,

basketball and

ARNALL

shopping in her

spare time. Krisha also loves spending time with her two kids, friends

and family, being outdoors in the

summer, bowling, dancing, and going

on fun adventures. We are happy to

have Krisha back on our team.

Allie is a Wyandotte tribal citizen.

Allie has experience with children

as she worked for

the Wyandotte Nation in our Summer

Youth Program.

She attended Neosho High School

and is currently at

BRIGGS

MSSU, with a major in Psychology.

Her hobbies include

spending time with

her family, cooking

and traveling. We

are happy to have

Allie on our team.

Ethan has experience in childcare,

including babysitting for many

KREBS

years, and also served as a paraprofessional for Fairland Public Schools.

His hobbies include music, video

games and working out. We are

happy to have Ethan join our team.

Chloe attends

Seneca High

School. Her hobbies include band,

spending time with

family and attending church. We are

pleased to have

Chloe and wish her

much success in her

new position.

SIKES

We are excited to have Caleb

Friend in his new position as IT

Technician. Caleb is a tribal citizen

and has worked for different entities of the Wyandotte Nation for

almost six years.

He is eager to get

started in his new

role after recently

going back to school

and receiving his

CompTia A+ and

MTA Networking

Fundamentals

FRIEND

certifications. Caleb

has excellent customer service skills

and has done a great job assisting

wherever he is needed, and helped

to get several departments up and

running in our new Administration

Building. We are very excited and

wish Caleb much success!

The Planning and Natural Resources Department welcomes John

Gerhard, who

previously worked

for the Tribe in

Maintenance.

John, a citizen of

the Wyandotte

Nation, received

his Bachelor’s

Degree in Business

Administration.

In his spare time,

GERHARD

John enjoys playing

sports and is a musician. He also

likes construction projects. We are

very fortunate to have John join our

team.

The Wyandotte Nation Police

Department is proud to welcome R.

Page 9

Mickey Rogers. Mickey has nearly

three years’ experience with Law Enforcement. He attended NEO A&M

and graduated

from Miami High

School. Mickey

enjoys spending

time with his

family and chasing

the kids from one

activity to the next.

In his spare time

ROGERS

enjoys fishing, golf

and floating on Grand Lake. We are

very fortunate to have Mickey and

wish him much success in his new

position.

The Bearskin Healthcare and

Wellness Center is very happy to

welcome Jade Robertson, RN, Tanya

Jackson, and Casey LeadingFox, RN,

as PRN Clinic Staff.

Jade grew up In Wyandotte. She

has a nursing degree, and graduated

nursing school at

NEO and received

her Bachelor’s

Degree in Science

in Nursing from

Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

She has worked

in healthcare as

Clinic Liaison from

ROBERTSON 2015-2019. Jade

spends all her free

time with her family, husband and

two girls. She is excited to come back

and serve the community. We are

very fortunate to have Jade on our

team and wish her much success in

her new position.

Tanya graduated from Fairland

High School and received her

Medical Laboratory

Tech from NEO.

Tanya also received

her Bachelors in

Psychology. She

has worked in the

health industry

for a number of

years. In her spare

time, she enjoys

time with family

JACKSON

and watching her

daughter in Marching Band. Tanya

also enjoys reading and gardening.

Continued on Page 10

Page 10

Continued from Page 9

We are very fortunate to have Tanya

on our team and wish her much success in her new position.

Casey has worked for five years

as an LPN and five years as an RN.

In her spare time,

she enjoys reading,

sewing, gardening, and cooking.

Casey also enjoys

spending time

with her family;

they work together

outside, take care of

their animals and

LEADINGFOX property and attend

Pow-Wow’s where

her husband dances and other family

members sing. We are very fortunate

to have Casey on our team and wish

her much success in her new position.

The Wyandotte Nation Gaming

Department is very happy to welcome

Jennifer Mead. Jennifer will serve as

a new Background

Investigator/Compliance Officer in

Park City, Kansas.

Jennifer comes to

us from Crosswinds

Casino in Kansas.

Jennifer brings

with her a wealth

of knowledge. She

has WTI Computer,

MEAD

Networking and

Administration background. Jennifer

enjoys Camping, outdoors and sports.

She loves spending time with family

and friends. We are very fortunate to

have Jennifer join our team and wish

her much success in her new position.

The Facilities Department is very

excited to welcome Joe Vance as

custodian. Joe graduated from East

Newton High School. He has over 20

years’ experience in

customer service.

In his spare time,

he enjoys horseback

riding and playing video games.

Joe also enjoys

spending time with

friends and family.

We are very happy

to have Joe on our

VANCE

Facilities team and

wish him much success in his new

position.

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Family Services

Submitted by Dana Butterfield,

Family Services Director

The Family Services staff, along

with other administrative departments, have settled into the new

Administration Complex located on

the hill near the Bearskin Healthcare & Wellness Center and Cultural

Center. We are excited to be in our

new space and look forward to seeing

more of our tribal citizens faceto-face. The past 12 months have

certainly been a challenge for us all,

but we as Wyandotte people have

persevered, just as our ancestors did.

We are looking forward to attending

in-person events this year starting with

Little Turtles, which will be held June

25–27. Planning for The Gathering,

Annual Meeting and the Pow-Wow are

also in the works for Sept. 7–12. This

is an election year, so please be sure to

have your tribal card with you at the

Annual Meeting Saturday, Sept. 11.

If you don’t have a citizenship card

that includes your photo, you will

also need to have a photo ID. If you

are in need of a citizenship card with

your photo, stop by our office or give

us a call and we can provide you with

options on how to obtain one. We do

get several questions regarding the

“expiration date” and why the citizenship cards expire. There are a couple

of reasons why an expiration date is

included, first is so the card can be

used as an official form of ID (when a

photo and signature are included) and

the second being a way to keep our

tribal citizen records up-to-date.

Town Halls are still pending with

possible plans to host them in October in both Northern and Southern

California. More information will be

available in the August issue of the

newsletter. If we are able to move forward with the meetings, citizens who

reside within a 200-mile radius of the

meeting sites will be mailed post card

announcements with details.

We encourage tribal citizens to

read the newsletters in detail. There

is so much good and useful information shared here. Unfortunately,

we have citizens who miss tribal

services and programs. Program

and service announcements are also

posted on our website www.wyandotte-nation.org and the Facebook

page so it will be helpful for citizens

to utilize those resources as well.

Below you will find details about all

of the programs available through the

Family Services Department. Family Services program information can

also be found on the website under the

Community/Family Services tab. If

you have questions or need additional

information please don’t hesitate to

contact a member of the staff.

LIHEAP – Summer LIHEAP will

be available July 1 for tribal citizens

residing in Oklahoma and is income

based. This is a small grant, so

funding is limited and is available on

a first come, first serve basis.

School Supplies – PLEASE

READ CAREFULLY-INCOMPLETE

APPLICATIONS WILL BE RETURNED FOR CORRECTIONS:

Applications will be available beginning July 1 on the Wyandotte Nation

website, at the Family Services office

or can be faxed/emailed to you. Tribal

citizens residing in the 4-state area

(OK, KS, AR, MO) can receive a $100

Walmart gift card or submit receipts

for reimbursement up to $100. Please

note there are separate applications

for the gift card and reimbursement.

The correct application must be used.

Tribal citizens who reside outside

of the 4-state area will be eligible for

the $100 reimbursement program.

Eligible items for the program are

school supplies, clothing, shoes,

socks and school supply fees charged

by schools. Applications must be

received or postmarked by Sept.

30, 2021 no exceptions. Applications and receipts must be original

documents and a separate receipt

for each child is required. Faxed or

emailed applications and receipts

will not be accepted. There will be

additional information available with

the applications beginning July 1.

Senior Energy – Tribal citizens

55 and older nationwide are eligible

for this program. Applications will be

available July 1 for $100 assistance

to be paid directly to the utility provider. Applications must be received

or postmarked by Sept 30.

Elders Assistance – One-time expense for $250 for tribal elders aged

55 and over who reside in the 4-state

area (OK, KS, AR, MO) Applications

May 2021

must be received or postmarked by

Sept. 30, 2021 to be eligible.

Extra-Expense/Extracurricular Activities – One-time payment

of $100 per student aged Pre – K

through 12th grade for tribal citizens

who reside in the 4-state area (OK,

KS, MO, AR). Applications must be

received or postmarked by Sept. 30.

Jr/Sr Benefit - $250 benefit for

expenses associated with the Junior

and Senior years of High School.

This benefit is available to Wyandotte Nation citizens who reside in

the 4-state area (OK, KS, MO, AR)

and applications must be received or

postmarked by Sept. 30, 2021.

Fuel Assistance – Fuel assistance

programs include: Hardship – personal hardships, travel for work/job

interviews, etc.; Medical – travel to/

from doctor/dental appointments and

pick up prescriptions; Major Medical – extreme medical issues (must

be life threaten, terminal, etc. not

chronic medical issues) that require

multiple trips outside of the local

area. Program provides fuel vouchers

through the Turtle Stop convenience

store for local tribal citizens or tribal

citizens who travel to the Bearskin

Healthcare & Wellness Center.

Child Safety Seats - Each child

is eligible for three seats in different

sizes and must be picked up at the

tribal office.

Continued on Page 11

TAG REMINDERS:

• Must be an enrolled citizen of the

Wyandotte Nation, an Oklahoma

resident AND the car must be principally garaged in Oklahoma Indian

country.

• Oklahoma Insurance Verification

must accompany renewals (except

for RV’s and Travel Trailers).

• If you are purchasing a new/used

vehicle, the Tribal citizen’s name

MUST be on the Title at the time of

assignment. Wyandotte Nation Tax

Commission staff CAN NOT add or

delete names.

For questions, please call

(918) 678-6353

May 2021

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

Continued from Page 10

Promoting Safe & Stable Families/Indian Child Welfare – This

program is funded through a federal

grant from the Administration for

Children and Families. It is designed

to help keep children in their homes

with the family, or ensure that if

there is a need for removal, federal

guidelines are adhered to and the

best interest of the child is considered

first and foremost. If you are involved

in a child welfare case please contact

either Tara or Carmalita.

Enrollment – Aug. 15 is the deadline to be considered for enrollment at

the 2021 Annual Meeting. Applications must be submitted along with an

original state certified birth certificate.

Applications can be submitted at any

time throughout the year and birth

certificates will be returned within

10-14 business days. Applications

received after this date will be held

until the 2022 Annual Meeting so it’s

extremely important to get the applications to us in a timely manner.

New Enrollee Benefit - If a

child’s application is received prior to

their first birthday, they will receive

a $100 Walmart gift card and a

blanket with the Tribal Turtle.

Tribal Tags – Please note that

Tiffany Garner is the new Tag

Administrator for this program and

the primary contact. Her contact

information is listed later in this

article. Tribal citizens must reside

in Oklahoma AND the vehicle must

be “primarily garaged” in Oklahoma

Indian Country to be eligible for this

program. Passenger, RV, Motorcycle

and Handicap tags are available.

Please call the office for prices and

additional information. Things to

keep in mind when renewing tags

and purchasing new vehicles:

• Tribal citizen’s name MUST be

on the title at the time of sale. Staff

cannot add or delete names.

• Renewal notices are mailed as

a courtesy by the 15th of the month

prior to the expiration, but it is the

responsibility of the tribal citizen to

renew their vehicle regardless if they

receive the notice.

• Current insurance verification is

required. Please have a paper copy

of this when coming to the office. If

you need to email it, please send to

Page 11

wnfs@wyandotte-nation.org BEFORE you come to the office.

Supplemental Health Benefit

(Benny Card) - $1,000 per year

benefit for adult (18 and over) tribal

citizens beginning Jan. 1 each year.

Tribal citizens who have enrolled

Wyandotte Nation dependents will

receive an additional $1,000 for a

maximum of $2,000 per account.

Please note that this program is

only for enrolled Wyandotte Nation

citizens and does not cover spouses,

step-children, etc. Quarterly statements are mailed by Trustmark and

account balances can be obtained at

any time via www.myctrustmark.

com or by calling 800-990-9058 ext

42086. Family Services staff can

also answer questions about the

program, but may need to refer you to

Trustmark in some instances. Due to

the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS is

currently allowing purchases for such

items as PPE, hand sanitizer, ibuprofen, aspirin, cold medicine, etc. that

are not normally allowable purchases.

Burial Assistance - $1,500 to be

paid to the funeral home or to the

family representative if the funeral

is paid in full.

Family Violence Prevention

Program – Program provides

advocacy and services to victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual

assault, dating violence, stalking,

human trafficking and elder abuse.

This program is available to any

person residing within a 25-mile

radius of the tribal headquarters

and limited advocacy can be provided for Wyandotte Nation citizens

nationwide. The Program also hosts

quarterly culture events in conjunction with the Cultural Department

as well as several outreach and

awareness events throughout the

year for the community. This program continues to expand based on

the increased needs within the local

community. If you are in a situation

where you feel helpless, please call

one of our Advocates and they will do

their best to help you either through

our program or by connecting you

with a program in your area.

Foster Family Recruitment –

Indian Child Welfare social workers

are actively seeking foster families.

If you think this might be something

you would be interested in please contact the office for more information.

Family Services Staff:

Director, Dana Butterfield, 918678-6319, dbutterfield@wyandottenation.org

ICW Supervisor, Tara Gragg,

918-678-6355, tgragg@wyandottenation.org

ICW Worker, Carmalita Ward,

918-678-6485, cward@wyandottenation.org

Tag Administrator, Tiffany

Garner, 918-678-6353, tgarner@

wyandotte-nation.org

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

lradabaugh@wyandotte-nation.org

DV Advocate/Educator Supervisor, Lisa Arnold, 918-678-6324,

lisaarnold@wyandotte-nation.org

DV/SA Advocate, Cesilie Hale,

918-678-3269, chale@wyandottenation.org

DV/Elder Abuse Advocate, Katie

Griffin, 918-678-6486, kgriffin@

wyandotte-nation.org

Family Services email: wnfs@

wyandotte-nation.org.

Family Violence Prevention Program: fvpp@wyandotte-nation.org.

Elder Services

Submitted by Brenda House, Elder

Services Director

On March 22, after over a year of

serving drive thru meals, we were

finally able to open our dining room

for congregate meals. Everyone was

so happy to see each other again

face-to-face. We have not brought the

salad bar back yet but are hoping to

sometime in the near future.

Since the weather is getting

warmer we were able to start our

Car Bingo once again. We held our

first one March 31 at the First Christian Church parking lot in Miami,

Okla. Our next ones will be April 30,

May 20, June 11 and June 25. We

will alternate between the Bordertown Casino parking lot and the

First Christian Church parking lot.

Duke Mason will sing from 2-3 pm

and Bingo will begin at 3 pm. There

will be a lot of door prizes and fun!

Participants must be 55 or older.

Come out and play with us!

Our beading classes will resume

Wednesday and Thursday, May 5-6,

and will continue every week.

Our Mother’s Day Dinner will be

Thursday, May 6, and our Father’s

Continued on Page 12

Wyandotte Nation

Family Services Programs

Dates to Remember

Elder’s Assistance: Oct. 1 – Sept. 30

Senior Energy - Winter: Oct. 1 – Feb. 28

Senior Energy - Summer: July 1 – Sept. 30

LIHEAP - (if available) Winter: Dec. 1 – Feb. 28

LIHEAP - (if available) Summer: July 1 – Sept. 30

School Supplies: July 1 – Sept. 30

Children’s Winter Clothing: Nov. 1 – Feb. 28

Extracurricular Activities: Oct. 1 – Sept. 30

Jr./Sr. High School Assistance: Oct. 1 – Sept. 30

Wyandotte Nation Annual Meeting: Sept. 11

Children’s Christmas Party: Dec. 11

Note: All applications must be in our office or post marked on or before the

last day of the program.

Page 12

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Continued from Page 11

Day Dinner will be Thursday, June

17.

CAREGIVER

Our in-person Caregiver Support

Group will resume Thursday, May 6,

and will be held the first Thursday

of each month in the Artie Nesvold

Community Center (Title VI) Safe

Room beginning at 10:30 am. This

group is for all current and former

caregivers. It is also for grandparents raising grandchildren.

It is always a pleasure serving the

Wyandotte Nation citizens. Please

feel free to call us anytime.

Department Contacts:

Brenda House, Elder Services

Director, (918) 678-6327.

Stephanie Hamilton, Food

Service Team Supervisor, (918) 6786328, (Office) 6390

Seth Higginbotham, Chris

Rhodes, Robyn Beaty and Ashley

Webb, Food Service Team Members

(918) 678-6328

Menu, (918) 678-6326

Education

Submitted by Cristi Hudson,

Education Director

Kweh,

Wyandotte Nation Scholarship

Program will begin processing fall

2021 semester scholarships soon. If

you are currently on the scholarship

program, you will need to email,

mail, or fax our Education Specialist,

Evan Hotulke your latest transcript.

Your transcript will need to include

your spring 2021 grades and your

fall 2021 schedule.

Reminder: the deadline for fall

submissions is May 1, 2021.

Here are a few Wyandotte Nation

Undergraduate Scholarship reminders:

• Undergraduate scholarships are

limited to eight semesters.

• Students will be placed on

probation for failure to complete 12

hours or more with a minimum of a

2.0 GPA.

• Students will be allowed one

probationary semester during the

programs duration.

• Deadline for spring submission

is Feb. 15.

• Deadline for fall submission is

May 1.

To obtain an Undergraduate or

Masters Scholarship application the

Wyandotte Nation offers, you can

email your request or any questions

you may have to Evan Hotulke, our

Education Specialist at ehotulke@

wyandotte-nation.org; or by calling

his office at 918-678-6331.

Wyandotte Nation Honor Stoles:

Wyandotte Nation honor stoles are

distributed to graduates of a postsecondary institution. The Stole Program is available for college students

who have participated in our scholarship program and are a Wyandotte

Nation Citizen. Students graduating

from high school and vocational programs are not eligible. Tribal citizens

may request a stole by contacting the

Education Department to request an

application for the stole. The student

will need to supply proof of graduation along with the application and

your latest transcript during the

final semester.

Children enrolled in the Wyandotte Nation Child Development

Center is back to attending our

programs Monday through Friday. If

you have a child, ages 3-5, and live

in the Wyandotte, OK area, we are

accepting applications for the upcoming preschool year.

Applications are available by

emailing Lindsay Cooper at lcooper@

wyandotte-nation.org or you can

request one by calling Lindsay at

918-678-3267. Our Infant, One-year

old and Toddler programs are currently full. You may contact Lindsay

to request an application to get your

child on the waiting list.

The Wyandotte Nation Library is

operating full time. The hours are

Monday through Thursday 8 am to

4:30 pm and Friday 8 am to 3:30 pm.

Our Librarian, Madeline Harnar,

has been busy planning different

STEM activities for our toddler class,

preschool classes, and afterschool

program.

The children have loved participating in these activities with Madeline.

Madeline’s contact information:

mharnar@wyandotee-naiton.org, and

her office phone is 918-678-6332, you

may contact her with library needs

you may have.

Wyandotte Nation is providing

services under Public Law 102-477,

which allows us to combine certain

formula-funded federal grants into a

single plan. Our goal is to create safe

and stable families, raise educational

achievement, develop and enhance

employment opportunities, integrate

employment and training services,

and increase self-sufficiency.

Wyandotte Nation’s 477 Program services all counties within

a 100-mile radius from our Tribal

Headquarters in Wyandotte, Okla.

Services provided under the 477 Program include: job training and work

experience, educational assistance,

and childcare assistance. Eligibility

requirements:

• Complete, singed, and dated

application

• Member of a federally recognized tribe

• Selective Service Registration

Card

• Proof of residency in Service

Area

Additional required documents

will be needed once you are placed

with a service. You may request an

application to apply for any of our

477 services by emailing wn477@

wyandotte-nation.org or by calling

Kasey Lewis at 918-678-3268.

We are available to assist you with

the application process in any of our

programs and we look forward to

working with you soon.

Department Contacts:

Cristi Hudson – Education

Director, 918-678-6334 or chudson@

wyandotte-nation.org

Sami Butterfield – Caseworker/

Childcare Specialist, 918-678-6330 or

sbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org

Lindsay Cooper – Early Childhood Program Coordinator, 918-6783267 or lcooper@wyandotte-nation.

org

Madeline Harnar – Librarian,

918-678-6332 or mharnar@wyandotte-nation.org

Evan Hotulke — Caseworker/

Education/Employment Specialist,

918-678-6331 or ehotulke@wyandotte-nation.org

Kasey Lewis – Intake Clerk,

918-678-3268 or klewis@wyandottenation.org

May 2021

Planning & Natural

Resources

Submitted by Christen Lee,

Environmental & Planning Director

The Wyandotte Nation’s mission

is, “To advance the standard of living

of the Tribe…and to promote in any

other way the general welfare of the

Indians of the Wyandotte Nation.”

To carry this mission forward in

our tribal community, the Planning

and Natural Resources Department

provide a variety of services including, but not limited to, private well

drinking water sampling and septic

assessments for private homeowners. We also encourage and provide

a place to recycle. Lost Creek Recycling Center is open to the community and surrounding area Monday

through Thursday from 8 am to 4:30

pm and 8 am to 3:30 pm on Friday.

The facility can accept the following

materials: paper, plastic, cardboard,

tin and aluminum.

Thank you for recycling so many

materials during the winter months!

Usually we see a decrease in recyclable products during late winter

and early spring, but many of you

continue to bring us your metals,

plastics, and paper.

Amounts collected for the months

of January through March are listed

on page 13 in this article.

Our department stays busy with

monthly and quarterly sampling as

well as monitoring of eight sites on

area lakes and streams within Wyandotte Nation’s Historic Jurisdiction. We adjusted our schedule due

to measureable amounts of snow and

heavy rain, but the staff presses on

to ensure all sampling is completed

in accordance with our Water Grant.

We also stay busy sampling several

private wells and overseeing the process of getting Well #1 back online

for the Wyandotte Nation Utilities

Department.

In January, staff worked with a

Certified Oklahoma Department of

Environmental Quality (ODEQ) Contractor to assess and replace a failing

septic system located within approximately 0.25 miles from the Neosho

River. Thankfully, we were awarded

a Non-point Source Water Pollution

Continued on Page 13

May 2021

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

Housing

Continued from Page 12

Submitted by Kathy DeWeese,

Housing Director

Grant from EPA that allows us to

replace one failing system a year.

Spring is here! The birds are singing. Grass is green, and flowers are

blooming. Enjoy warmer temperatures and the great outdoors, but be

mindful of snakes and ticks.

Many in the community are beginning to request permission to fish

around the Lost Creek area. Please

contact the Land Management

Specialist if you need any hunting or

fishing permits on tribal property.

Meet the Department

Each newsletter provides you with

names, information, and duties performed by our department. We will

begin highlighting a different staff

member each quarter. This quarter

we are showcasing John Gerhard.

We welcomed John Gerhard as our

new Water Tech II employee. John

is a Wyandotte Nation tribal citizen

who is a great asset

to our department.

John will help with

water sampling

and monitoring,

assisting at the

recycle center, and

learning ArcGIS

mapping, which is

used for creating

maps, compiling

GERHARD

geographic data,

analyzing mapped information,

using maps and geographic information in a range of applications, and

managing geographic information in

a database.

The Planning and Natural Resources Department is also dedicated

to researching and applying for

federal, state, and foundation grants

to benefit the Tribe and tribal com-

Page 13

The Wyandotte Nation received

Emergency Rental Assistance,

which is part of the Consolidated

Appropriation Act of 2021. If you

are in need of help with past due

rent, current rent, or utilities,

please fill out and return the application for assistance, which is found

on the Wyandotte Nation website.

Income guidelines do apply. This is

a nationwide program.

The Community Center received

water damage after the big freeze

we had in February. The Housing

Offices were temporarily moved to

the old administration building. By

the time you are reading this, we

hope to be back in our offices at the

Community Center.

If you are in need of a rental

home, please fill out an application

and return it to the Housing Office.

Federal income guidelines apply.

If you are 55 and older, our

senior housing may be for you. The

duplexes are all two bedrooms, are

equipped with appliances, and a

garage. All yardwork is done for

you. Title VI (Elder food program)

and Bearskin Clinic are close by. If

you are interested, please fill out

an application and return it to the

housing office.

NAHASDA (Native American

Housing and Self-Determination

Act) is the program governed by the

Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD). Each year a

Housing Plan must be submitted

and approved by HUD. This plan

provides for the upkeep of NAHASDA units, rental assistance to

college students, and down payment

munity. Projects often serve tribal

citizens within a 50-mile radius of

tribal headquarters; however, some

formula funded grants may serve

citizens within a 100-mile radius.

Ultimately, the department’s desire

is to serve and create a positive

impact on all Wyandottes across the

United States. Feel free to contact

Emergency rental Assistance Program

The Consolidated Appropriations

Act of 2021 created the Emergency

Rental Assistance Program and makes

available $25 billion provided directly to States, U.S. Territories, local

governments, and Indian Tribes. This

program is utilized to administer assistance to renters, landlords and utility

providers that have been affected by

the COVID 19 pandemic and economic

insecurity.

Wyandotte Nation is a participant in

the program and announces to tribal

citizens that have been affected by this

pandemic, the availability of funding to

lessen the burden of rent and utilities.

What is covered:

• Past due rent

• Past due utilities including,

water, gas, propane and electric

• Rental assistance up to three

months forward

Who qualifies:

• Tribal members 18 years and

assistance, as well as the day-to-day

activities of the department.

IHS -121 Program

This program is funded through

the Department of Health & Human

Services to ensure safe drinking water

and proper sanitation facilities for our

tribal families. These services include

drilling wells, installing septic systems,

rural water hook-ups, and connections

to city water and sewer. There are no

income guidelines. Tribal members

must reside in the following counties:

our department if you have a community project idea for a grant.

Department Contacts:

Director Christen Lee, clee@wyandotte-nation.org

Environmental Program Manager

Kathleen Welch, kwelch@wyandottenation.org

•

older who are renting

Demonstrated risk of

experiencing homelessness

or housing instability

Experienced a reduction in

household income, incurred

significant costs, experienced a financial hardship

due to the COVID-19

pandemic, or have qualified

for unemployment benefits

since March 13, 2020.

Household income at or below 80% of the area median

income, in the county you

reside.

Applications are available on

the Wyandotte Nation website,

www.wyandotte-nation.org. You

may also call 918-678-6339, or

918-678-6336, or email kdeweese@wyandotte-nation.org.

Please contact us for any questions or concerns you may have.

We are here to assist you.

Craig; Creek; Delaware; Mayes;

Nowata; Okfuskee; Okmulgee;

Ottawa; Rogers; Tulsa; Wagoner;

Washington.

Department Contacts:

Kathy DeWeese-Housing Director

Don Graham- Housing Specialist

Paul Parker- Project Coordinator

Levi Griffin- Project Coordinator

Larry Hamilton- Residential Maintenance Technician

Drew Lankford-Residential Maintenance Technician

Environmental Technician 1 Janice

Wilson, jwilson@wyandotte-nation.org

Environmental Technician 2 John

Gerhard, jgerhard@wyandotte-nation.org

Recycling Center Coordinator John

Quick, jquick@wyandotte-nation.org

Land Management Technician Robby

Graham, rgraham@wyandotte-nation.org

Water Utilities Operator Braulio,

Ramirez bramirez@wyandotte-nation.org

Grant Writer / BIA Self-Governance

Coordinator Debbie Dry, ddry@

wyandotte-nation.org

Grant Writer 2/ 477 Coordinator

Michael Lowery, mlowery@wyandottenation.org

Page 14

Healthcare

Submitted by Kelly Friend, Health

Services Director

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Based on evidence from clinical

trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

was 95% effective at preventing

laboratory-confirmed COVID-19

illness in people without evidence of

previous infection.

According to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) American Indian/Alaska

Native (AI/AN) People have the

highest COVID-19 hospitalization

rate at 281 per 100,000 – a rate 5.3

times higher than for non-Hispanic

Whites. Aggregated national data on

death rates shows that AI/AN People

are experiencing the second highest

COVID-19 death rate, at 60.5 deaths

per 100,000. Everyone 16 years of

age and older is now eligible for a

COVID-19 vaccination. Widespread

vaccination is the critical tool to

helping stop the pandemic.

Here at Bearskin Healthcare, since

Dec. 22, 2020, over 5,019 individuals

have completed or begun the vaccination process. Over 9,400 injections

have been given!

Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations

are available.

Per the CDC, Moderna

General Information

Name: mRNA-1273

Manufacturer: ModernaTX, Inc.

Type of Vaccine: mRNA

Number of Shots: 2 shots, one

month (28 days) apart

How Given: Shot in the muscle of

the upper arm

Does NOT Contain: Eggs, preservatives, latex

The Moderna vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 years and

older.

Based on evidence from clinical

trials, the Moderna vaccine was

94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in

people who received two doses who

had no evidence of being previously

infected.

What’s the difference in Moderna

and Pfizer?

Possible Side Effects for both vaccinations include:

Per the CDC, Pfizer

General Information

Name: BNT162b2

Manufacturer: Pfizer, Inc.

Type of Vaccine: mRNA

Number of Shots: 2 shots, 21

days apart

How Given: Shot in the muscle of

the upper arm

Does NOT Contain: Eggs, preservatives, latex

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is

recommended for people aged 16

years and older.

May 2021

In the arm where you got the shot:

• Pain • Redness • Swelling

Throughout the rest of your body:

• Tiredness • Headache • Muscle

pain • Chills • Fever • Nausea

These side effects usually start

within a day or two of getting the

vaccine. Side effects might affect

your ability to do daily activities, but

they should go away in a few days.

Who Should NOT Get Vaccinated

If you have had a severe allergic

reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction, even if it was

not severe:

•to any ingredient in an mRNA

COVID-19 vaccine (such as polyethylene glycol), you should not get an

mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.*

• or after getting the first dose

of the vaccine, you should not get a

second dose of either of the mRNA

COVID-19 vaccines.

An allergic reaction is consid-

Continued on Page 15

May 2021

Continued from Page 14

ered severe when a person needs

to be treated with epinephrine or

hospital. Learn about common side

effects of COVID-19 vaccines and

when to call a doctor.

An immediate allergic reaction

means a reaction within 4 hours

of getting vaccinated, including

symptoms such as hives, swelling, or

wheezing (respiratory distress).

Vaccinations are still available! Call 918-678-3228 to schedule yours today!

Department Contacts:

Kelly Friend, Director 918-678-3259

John Bearden, Compliance Officer

/ Vaccines 918-678-6482

Sheryl Hogan, Business Services

Manager 918-678-3226

Ashley Crawford, Eastern Shawnee

Liaison / Dental, Optometry, Audiology 918-678-3222

Bridget Hart, Purchased/Referred

Care 918-678-3227

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

Deana Sweatt, Pharmacist 918678-3247

Refills, Automated Pharmacy Refill

Line 918-678-3244

Tribal Heritage

Submitted by Kim Garcia,

Cultural Preservation Officer

A lot of work has been done during our restructuring phase at the

Cultural Division. We are diligently

working on updating procedures,

learning new crafts to teach, preparing language curriculum, contacting

artists to teach classes, and more.

Some of the highlights of what we’ve

been doing are:

• Revisions to the cemetery –

We have contracted to add a columbarium in the cemetery that can

hold urns from cremations. This will

be completed during the summer.

We are also updating the cemetery

records in order to better serve the

community.

• Learning new crafts – Chris

has been working on pucker-toe

moccasins (our traditional style) and

wampum belts. We also joined the

Eastern Shawnees and learned about

tapping maple trees and boiling

down the sap to make syrup.

• Building a raised beds garden – Chris built several raised beds

and has planted traditional 3 sisters

garden (corn, beans, and squash). He

also planted tobacco, sage, and sweet

grass to be used for our own ceremonial purposes. He hopes to use the

garden for an educational experience

for tribal citizens and the community. Also, he hopes to harvest from

the garden and provide traditional

recipes.

• Restructuring the library

– Beci has been making additions

to the library to make it a research

library for Wyandotte Citizens.

• Language – Beci is working

with our linguist, Dr. Craig Kopris,

to revamp our language program.

They are making corrections to older

material and creating curriculum to

be coming out in the summer.

• Ancestors’ Project – Beci has

organized this project to work with

Wyandotte Citizens on their genealogy. She has begun by creating several family trees through ancestry.

com.

• Facebook Live classes on

the Wyandotte Nation Cultural

Center Facebook Page – Every

other Wednesday, at noon (CST),

Kim teaches beading classes through

Facebook Live. If you’re not able to

make it at that time, the classes are

recorded and posted to the page.

• Zoom meetings – We have had

several Zoom meetings to discuss the

Waⁿdat language, Ancestors’ Projects, Social Hours, and craft classes.

We want to continue using Zoom for

classes even once we go to in-person

so we can include more people. It’s

been fun getting to know people from

all over.

• Scheduling for in-person

classes – In May, we are transitioning to hosting classes in-person at

the Cultural Center. We have been

contacting teachers for crafts, dance

classes, and more. Our intentions

are to do as much as we can through

Zoom as well.

• Golf Scramble – this year’s golf

Page 15

scramble is June 11. Contact Sherri

Clemons for more information.

• Independence Day Celebration – the fireworks will be held on

July 2. Plan on joining us for live

music, food vendors, and a great

fireworks show!

Also, this summer we are hosting

lacrosse camp June 22-24, 9 am to 2

pm each day. Please check the website for registration or go to www.

surveymonkey.com/r/LAX2021 to

Gathering of Little Turtles 2021

will begin at 9 am on Friday, June

25 and will last through Sunday,

June 27. Our theme this year is

turtles and we are planning a lot of

fun activities for our kids. If your

little turtle (child) would like to learn

more about being Wyandotte, please

check the website for registration or

go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/

GLT2021 to register. We have a

book of rooms at the River Bend Casino for $59 a night. Mention Little

Turtles while booking to get the rate.

Lastly, we are excited to announce

a scholarship that we are providing

to one lucky family to attend the

Gathering and Pow-Wow this year.

Visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/

PowWow2021 for more details and

to apply.

facebook.com/Wyandotteculturalcenter for updates. If you don’t

have access to the internet to register for any of the above events, you

can contact any of us at the Cultural

Center and we can assist you to get

you registered. We can also put you

on a list to be contacted for future

classes.

Department Contacts:

Kim Garcia

kgarcia@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6317

Sherri Clemons

sclemons@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6344

Teresa Wilson

twilson@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6385

Chris Houk

chouk@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6318

Beci Wright

bwright@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6480

Page 16

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Calendar of Events

Important

Numbers

Police Department

Ronnie Gilmore (918) 678-6365

rgilmore@wntpd.com

Family Services / Enrollment

Dana Butterfield (918) 678-6319

dbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org

Leeanna Radabaugh, (918) 678-6329

lradabaugh@wyandotte-nation.org