A Wyandotte Nation Publication

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The Turtle Speaks

Gyah'-Wish

Atak-ia

A Wyandotte Nation Publication

Volume 26, Issue 2

www.wyandotte-nation.org

May 2022

Easter Egg Hunt

Kids enjoy

thrill of

the hunt

Page 4

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:

•

Preschool returns to newly renovated facilities

Newest Turtle Stop opens doors in Grove

Notice of Annual Meeting & Election

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..................... Rob Nesvold

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

Content

Easter Egg Hunt...................................... 4

School Renovation................................. 5

New Turtle Stop Opens.......................... 6

Pow-Wow Flyer....................................... 7

Tribal Department Reports............. 8-15

Community News & Notes................. 15

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

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

Editor/Design: William Swaim

Cover Photo:

The Easter

Bunny holds

a baby at the

annual Easter

Egg Hunt.

Photographer: 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

From the Chief

May 2022

Billy Friend

Strength in unity defines us

I hope this quarter’s Turtle Talk

finds all of our Wyandotte people

doing well and enjoying the spring

season. While for us here in Oklahoma, the threat and many times the

reality of strong storms and severe

weather ushers in spring, it is also a

time of growth, brilliant colors, and

new life. Everything begins to awaken and everywhere plants and trees

are in bloom. Spring is an exciting

time of year as we open our minds to

the many possibilities before us, and

to the blessings, we have received.

Just as the seasons change,

throughout history Wyandotte people

have been able to successfully adapt

to constantly changing situations.

One reason we have been able to succeed as a people and a nation is our

shared belief in certain core values.

Today, our values continue to

set the standard for how we do the

things we do. Those values also serve

as the foundation for our mission “to

improve the overall quality of life of

the Wyandotte people.”

That mission was developed

because the Wyandotte people

have always placed a high value on

enhancing the well-being of our family, our fellow Wyandottes, and the

Wyandotte Nation.

We are committed to helping one

another and working together because

we have long understood there is

strength in unity. That belief in the

power of unity is an important aspect

of our vision. The name given to one of

our ancestors was “Quindaro,” which

meant a bundle of sticks. Loosely interpreted, it means there is “strength

in unity.”

Our employees at the Wyandotte

Nation have always understood that

teamwork, honesty, and integrity

have always been essential to the

success of our Tribe. Teamwork is as

important today as ever because it is

the only way to fulfill our mission of

“improving the overall quality of life

of the Wyandotte people.”

For those who have not heard,

this past year the Board of Directors

separated our Cultural Department

from under the government division

and created another Division within

the Tribe. We did this because

we place a high value on cultural

From the Second Chief

identity. Culture binds us together

as a people. We have no future

without our history. Therefore, we

must strive to preserve our cultural

history and incorporate it into everything we do. Kim Garcia has been

appointed to lead this effort, and she

and her staff have done an outstanding job this past year.

While new projects are important,

and they are material signs of our

tribal growth, it is always the Wyandotte people who are the source of

our most significant tribal growth.

With the key building blocks of

quality education, jobs, housing, and

quality health care, our Tribe has

made tremendous strides in just one

generation. The greatest investment

we make and the investment that

produces by far the greatest return is

always in the Wyandotte people.

As I stated in the beginning, spring

is here and we are thankful for the

change of seasons. Let us also be

thankful for our Tribe, our families,

and our friends. United together,

we have achieved a great deal, and

possibilities are never-ending when

working together in the future.

Norman Hildebrand, Jr.

Good changes happening at Tribe

www.facebook.com/WyandotteNation

www.twitter.com/WyandotteNation

www.instagram.com/wyandottenation

www.youtube.com/WyandotteNation

Kweh Omateru

Hello my friends, well I guess the

tornado season is upon us here in

Oklahoma, the temperature has

been like a roller coaster, and we are

getting into the wind and rainy part

of the season. Well in Oklahoma that

could almost be any time of the year,

global warming has been messing

with our seasons the last several

years, we never know what we are

going to wake up to every morning.

Enough about that, here in Wyandotte, Okla., the Nation has been

progressing at a rapid rate. We were

talking to the engineering firm that

we use for a lot of our projects and

they said they are working on 10 dif-

ferent projects with us, so there will

be a huge change in the landscape

here in the Wyandotte Nation and

the surrounding area. These changes

will not only benefit our tribal

citizens but everyone in the area as

well. We will be building affordable

rental housing available to the public, an addition to the preschool, a

new Elder Services facility (Title VI),

a building for our domestic violence

department, and improving some of

the roads in our area. With all this

growth, we are working with the

Town of Wyandotte to increase the

size of the sewage treatment plant.

When you come in September for

the Gathering, Annual Meeting, and

Pow-Wow,

you will see

some of the

changes already completed and hopefully some under construction. Yes,

you heard me right we are having a

Pow-Wow this year, things are getting back to normal here slowly but

we are seeing improvement in the

daily lives of everyone in Oklahoma

and elsewhere.

There has been a lot of talk in the

news lately about the Indian Boarding Schools and the investigation the

Federal Government has started on

this issue. It should have been done

See 2nd Chief, Page 3

May 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 3

P ublic N otice

N otice of A nnual M eeting and E lection

On Sept. 10, 2022, 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 am.

The purpose of the election is to elect the following positions:

•

2nd Chief

•

1 Board of Director member

•

2 Grievance Committee members

Each position is a term of 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

13, 2022, with a closing date of June 12, 2022,

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, 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

13, 2022, and no later than June 12, 2022. No

later than three days following the close of the

filing period, the Election Board Secretary shall

post a complete list of all candidates along with

their respective office of candidacy at the Tribal

Complex.

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,

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 Can-

2nd Chief

Continued from Page 2

decades ago, but they have started

one now. Hopefully, something good

will come of it, but I will not hold my

breath. My history portion will be

about the Seneca Indian School that

existed here in Wyandotte. But first,

a little excerpt to explain why the

boarding schools were established, to

begin with.

“Kill the Indian, save the man”

was the motto of Capt. Richard Henry Pratt, the most prominent Indian

educator of the late 1800s. Progressive reformers like Pratt believed it

was essential to get Indian children

away from their families and nations

to prevent parents from raising the

children in their own cultures. So the

reformers founded boarding schools

where children could be isolated

from Indian languages, values, and

traditions. Culture erasure was the

stated goal.

The rest of this article is an

interview with Jared Silas Dawson

in 1937:

“There was no school here except

the mission school that had been

established by the Quakers at what is

now Wyandotte, Okla., 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

coarse cotton flannel underwear,

heavy shoes and the little girls had

copper toes on their shoes.

Our sleeping room or dorm, as you

didacy. 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, Oklahoma. The

polling shall be open 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.

--Zach Shockey, Chairperson

Wyandotte Nation Election Board

“Responsibility is the thing people dread most of all. Yet it is the

one thing in the world that develops us, gives us manhood or

womanhood fibre.”

---Frank H. Crane

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.” --Jared Silas Dawson

I gave this as a presentation at

a middle school in Michigan a few

years ago. The Quakers received

$165 per student per year to house,

clothe and feed them. I am sure the

Quakers really cut corners with

these children to increase their profits -- it seemed that way to me, what

do you think? I am sure the Quakers

thought they were doing good for

these children but taking them from

their families for weeks at a time

was not right.

Page 4

Easter

Egg

Hunt

Despite the chilly morning, families

made their way to the Wyandotte Nation

Pow-Wow grounds Saturday, April 9, to

take part in the 2nd Annual Wyandotte

Nation Easter Egg Hunt. Children from a

few months old to 12 years took part in

the race to gather eggs filled with candy,

money and prizes.

Staff and volunteers were on hand early

in the morning to lay out the 5,000 eggs

for the community, who came out in

droves for the pre-Easter fun. The event

was sponsored by Family Services, CCDF,

the Cultural Division and Bearskin Healthcare & Wellness Center.

Photos By William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 5

Students, staff settle back into newly renovated facility after flooding

Overcoming adversity

By William Swaim

Wyandotte Nation

Rain is nothing new to Oklahoma. However, heavy rainfall last

summer caused unusual flooding

and left the Wyandotte Nation

Education staff adjusting to a new

reality.

“It was disbelief,” said Education Director Cristi Hudson of the

flooding that forced the school’s

closure. “The amount of water on

the back playground was unreal.

Just to know areas flooded that

normally don’t, and areas that

normally flood didn’t -- it was just

a dark cloud that hung over us for

a while between COVID and the

flood. Hopefully, that dark cloud

has moved on.”

The flooding also impacted their

next-door neighbors, the Elder Services Department, who were also

displaced and had to close their

doors for a time as well.

Education staff was already dealing with closures due to COVID-19

outbreaks and was adjusting again

after being displaced by the flood

June 26.

Now, after nearly nine months,

and several renovations later,

staff and students settled back

into their new and improved

classrooms. It has also helped that

everything has started to return to

normal following the pandemic.

“Great feeling just knowing we

were going to have everybody

together under the same roof,”

Hudson said of the return on

March 21 to the new and improved

facilities.

The flood forced a shutdown for a

week before reopening July 6 last

year – at several locations.

The biggest challenge Hudson

Renovations included:

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

(Pictured Above and Below) The Wyandotte Nation Education building underwent flooding and the newly renovated building now features expanded

classrooms, additional bathrooms and much more.

said was finding locations for

everything they do -- preschool,

infant/toddler, library, before/after

school programs, and more.

One of the most challenging aspects was finding a kitchen to work

out of, however, River Bend Casino

& Hotel stepped in to help, opening

up the Twin Bridges Restaurant

kitchen for use. Twin Bridges was

only open for dinner, so staff could

prepare breakfast and lunch there

and were able to clean up before

the restaurant started serving

dinner.

“Just finding locations for everything was the most challenging,

but once we found the location,

we were able to make everything

work,” Hudson said, commend-

ing her staff for stepping up and

coming together to make it work

despite the not ideal situation.

She said she was also appreciative of the Tribe’s different departments coming together and opening up their spaces for staff and

classrooms.

“Everybody was willing to pitch

in and do what they could to help.

It wasn’t the best-case scenario,

but we made everything work and

everyone worked together – and

that is the Tribe as a whole,”

Hudson said. “Other departments

opened up their saferooms and

classrooms to us. Everybody was

willing to step in and help in any

way they could.”

Some of the highlights of the

• New flooring throughout the

building.

• New paint throughout.

• Knocked down non-load bearing walls to expand the infant, oneyear-old, and toddlers classrooms,

and allowed more storage area for

kitchen supplies and food.

• Remodeled the cubby room to

allow more room for more cubbies.

• Added bathrooms to one-yearold and toddler classrooms.

• Updated sinks and faucets in all

bathrooms.

• Added a flex room for library

activities.

• Remodeled the library and

completed lab.

• Added a vestibule to the preschool entry.

• New teacher work area/copy

room.

• Moved offices to the Title VI

building.

• Enclosed walkway to new

offices

renovation include increasing the

size of rooms the kids are in, as

well as having new bathrooms in

the infant/toddler area, so each

classroom has its own bathroom.

Hudson said this is great for potty

training, and the toilets and sinks

are kids’ sizes.

The Wyandotte Nation Library

remains closed as they continue

some of the renovations, but Hudson said she is hopeful it is also

open soon. In the meantime, people

can visit the Library section on the

Wyandotte Nation website (https://

wyandotte-nation.org/services/

education/library/), fill out an application to become a patron, and

visit the virtual library (https://

okvirtuallibrary.overdrive.com/) to

check out titles and more.

You can also check out the

different programs and services

provided by the Education Department on the Tribe’s website (www.

wyandotte-nation.org).

Page 6

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

Economic Development News

May 2022

www.wtok.org

Turtle Stop Expansion

Newest Turtle Stop opens in Grove

By William Swaim

Wyandotte Nation

The Wyandotte Nation’s newest

Turtle Stop location in Grove held the

official ribbon-cutting with the Grove

Chamber of Commerce Wednesday,

March 2. The Turtle Stop added a

fourth store recently after purchasing

the OnCue Convenience Store,

located at 1101 E Hwy 10, for its

second location in Grove.

“We’re very excited for this day to be

here. We thank everybody for coming

out,” said Kelly Carpino, Wyandotte

Tribe of Oklahoma (WTOK) CEO.

“We are really excited to open our

second store in Grove. We have a lot

of continued plans for the store.”

Carpino said upcoming plans

include updates to the interior of the

store and expanding the food service

program to include pizza and hot deli

items already known by Turtle Stop

customers. This location will also

continue to operate as a Phillips 66

property.

Operational staff from WTOK,

Turtle Stop staff and Wyandotte

tribal leadership were on hand for

the ribbon-cutting, including Board

of Directors Second Chief Norman

Hildebrand, Vivian Fink, Eric

Lofland, and Ramona Reid, who made

the official cut to signify the opening.

The newest Turtle Stop was closed

for the transition but had a soft

(RIGHT)

Interior and

exterior

images of

the newest

Turtle Stop

location in

Grove, Okla.

Photos by

William Swaim

| Wyandotte

Nation

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

(ABOVE) Wyandotte Nation tribal leadership, along with economic development operational staff (WTOK) and representatives of the Grove Chamber of Commerce, officially cut the ribbon at the newest Turtle Stop location in Grove,

Okla. It is the second Turtle Stop location in Grove.

opening Monday, Feb. 28.

In addition to the two stores in

Grove, Turtle Stop currently has

locations in Wyandotte, Okla., and

in Seneca, Mo., which opened last

year. Turtle Stop is a Wyandotte

Tribe of Oklahoma (WTOK) business

enterprise. WTOK handles economic

development for the Tribe.

May 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 7

Board of Directors

approve additional

payment due to

COVID health

emergency

Application dates are May 2 – June 10,

2022

• Payment will be made to adults,

must be 18 by June 10, and enrolled as a

Wyandotte Nation citizen.

• Applications can be picked up from

the Family Services office, emailed upon

request, or found either on the tribal

website or Wyandotte Nation Facebook

page. Applications are also being mailed

to the current address on file for each

adult tribal citizen. Please only submit

one application and in only one format. If

you email the application you do not need

to also mail, fax, etc.

• Tribal citizens must submit a completed application to receive the payment.

• The deadline for applications to be

considered for payment is June 10. Applications must be hand delivered, mailed

emailed or faxed by this date. Applications sent via mail must be postmarked

by this date.

• Incomplete applications will be

returned. Please be sure to complete each

line and check every box that applies to

you. Review your application prior to submission to be certain it is legible, signed

and dated.

• You MUST select at least one item

from the “Need for Financial Assistance”

section. If selection is not made the

application will be returned to you as

incomplete.

• If you have received payments via

direct deposit and your account information has changed you must complete a new

Credit Authorization and submit a copy

of a voided check or other bank document

(deposit slips are not acceptable documentation) that displays the account AND routing

numbers. Any funds returned by the bank

due to errors in account information will

automatically be issued a paper check.

• Applications will be processed in the

order they are received. Please allow up

to four (4) weeks for processing.

• Only applications submitted via email

will receive a receipt response.

• The correct email address to submit

applications is wnfs@wyandotte-nation.

org. This address represents Wyandotte

Nation Family Services (wnfs). Common

errors for past applications have been

the transposing of the “f” and the “s” and

neglecting to use the hyphen (-).

Page 8

Human Resources

Submitted by Deana Howard, HR

Director

Angel Schaller and Whitney Moore

have joined the Education Department. Angel is the new Afterschool

Childcare Assistant

and Whitney will

work as a Substitute.

Angel attends

Wyandotte High

School and is a

junior. Angel loves

kids and animals.

Her hobbies include

riding horses, fourSCHALLER

wheelers, and playing card games. She enjoys spending

time with family and friends.

Whitney graduated from Northwood High School in Shreveport, LA,

and is set to graduate from Liberty University in August of 2022.

Whitney enjoys

spending time

with her husband

and kids who are

Wyandotte Nation

tribal citizens. Her

hobbies are crossstitch, quilting,

embroidery, and

going to her kids’

ballgames.

MOORE

We are pleased

to have Whitney and Angel, and

wish them much success in their new

positions.

The Wyandotte Nation Family Services Department is very happy to

welcome Jenny Reeves and Stephanie Still. Jenny will serve as our

Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault/

Elder Abuse Advocate. She has extensive experience working with and

helping people in the medical field,

and as an advocate in the child abuse

world. She enjoys

spending most of

her time with her

children, family,

and friends. In her

free time, you can

find her fishing,

hunting, and being

involved in any

outdoor activities.

Her passion in life

REEVES

is helping others.

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Stephanie will serve as a Sexual

Assault Advocate – Supervised Visitation Specialist.

She received her

Associate’s Degree

in Criminal Justice

from NEO A&M

College in Miami.

Stephanie has five

years of experience

as a victim advocate and forensic

interviewer. She

STILL

enjoys spending

time with her husband, children, and

her fur babies. In her free time, you

can find her watching her children

play sports.

We are very fortunate to have

Jenny and Stephanie on our team.

The Wyandotte Nation is happy

to welcome Kelly Witten as our

new Court Bailiff.

He has a wealth

of experience in

Advanced Law

Enforcement. In

his spare time, he

enjoys hunting,

fishing, golf, and

travel. He also enjoys spending time

with his wife, kids,

WITTEN

and grandkids. We

are very fortunate to have Kelly and

wish him much success in his new

position.

The Bearskin Healthcare and

Wellness Center is very happy to

welcome Brittney Larmon, LPN,

and Mallory Butterfield. Brittany

will serve as PRN Clinic Staff. She

attended VO-Tech LPN program

right out of high school; she worked

in geriatric care for 3 years while

obtaining her Associate’s in Science

at NEO College to

further her education. In her spare

time, she enjoys

hiking, eating at

new restaurants,

and spending time

outside. Brittney

also enjoys spendLARMON

ing time with her

family, watching her son play sports,

and going to concerts.

Mallory has joined the Fitness

Department as a

Substitute. Mallory is a Wyandotte

High School Senior.

She plans to attend

NEO College in the

fall and wants to be

a Physical Therapist. She enjoys

softball, basketball,

BUTTERFIELD drawing/art, and

spending time with

family and friends.

We are pleased to have Mallory

and Brittany, and wish them much

success in their new positions.

Family Services

Submitted by Dana Butterfield,

Family Services Director

Spring is definitely in the air in

Northeast Oklahoma! The trees and

flowers are starting to bloom, allergies

are in full swing and we have had a

hint or two of tornado watches. Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy some

moderate temperatures before the

heat of summer sets in.

We had another great turnout for

our Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday,

April 9, with approximately 5,000 eggs

filled with candy, toys, cash, and prize

tickets for the kiddos to collect. A big

thank you to all of the volunteers who

gave up time on their Saturday to help

make this event possible.

We are looking forward to tribal

events this year starting with Little

Turtles and Lacrosse camp in June.

Little Turtles focuses on children but

is a great time for families to come

together for crafts, language, history,

and games. The Culture Center staff

and Cultural Advisory Board are also

making plans for The Gathering,

which will start on Tuesday, Sept.

6, and will be a full schedule for arts

and crafts, history, language, and

fellowship with Wyandotte people

May 2022

from across the country. The Annual

Meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 10

at 10 am. in the Bearskin Healthcare

and Wellness Center gym. For the

past two years, the meeting has been

limited to adult tribal citizens, but a

decision has yet to be made regarding

this year. This is an election year,

so please be sure to have your tribal

card with you at the Annual Meeting. If you have a citizenship card

that includes your photo, that will be

the only identification you will need.

However, if your tribal card does not

include your photo, you will also need

to have a photo ID to vote and receive

the meeting handouts. Be sure to

read the election and Annual Meeting

notice in the August newsletter for

exact details.

The dates for the Pow-Wow are

Sept. 9-11 and we are all very excited

to see our tribal families and pow-wow

friends once again in the arena. It has

been a rough two years, many of us

have lost friends and family members,

so it will be good to hear the drum

again!

We are planning to host Town Halls

in either late October or early November in both Northern and Southern

California. Detailed information will

be available in the August issue of

the newsletter and tribal citizens who

reside within a 200-mile radius of the

meeting sites will be sent postcard

announcements with additional

information and directions to RSVP.

Continued on Page 9

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 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

Page 9

Continued from Page 8

According to tribal records, 509 tribal

citizens reside in the state of California, we hope to see many of you at the

meetings.

The Tribe's website and Facebook

page are great sources of our information for upcoming events and services.

In fact, most of the Family Services

applications are not only accessible

on the tribal website, but many of

them are now available for electronic

submission.

Please contact a staff member if

you have questions or need additional

information about all of the programs

available through the Family Services

Department.

deadline to be considered for enrollment at the 2022 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 2023 Annual

Meeting.

LIHEAP – Summer LIHEAP will

be available July 1 for tribal citizens

residing in Oklahoma and is incomebased. This is a small grant, so

funding is limited and is available on a

first-come, first-serve basis.

TRIBAL TAGS – 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 as well. Please call the

office for prices and additional information. Keep the following in mind

when renewing tags and purchasing

new vehicles:

A tribal citizen’s name must be on

the title at the time of sale. Tribal

staff cannot add or delete names.

Renewal notices are mailed as a

courtesy by the 15th of the month

before the expiration, but it is the

responsibility of the tribal citizen to

renew their vehicle regardless if they

receive the notice or not.

Current Oklahoma insurance

verification is required. Please have a

paper copy of this when coming to the

office. If you need to email it, please

send it to wnfs@wyandotte-nation.org

before you come to the office.

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 of 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 also 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, 2022, with

no exceptions.

Applications and receipts must be

original documents. 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 on July 1 for $100

NEW ENROLLEE BENEFIT Children will receive a $100 Walmart

gift card and a blanket with the Tribal

Turtle if an application is received

before their first birthday.

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

A big thanks to staff, volunteers and their families for 'laying' the eggs

Saturday morning April 9 at our annual Easter Egg Hunt despite the chilly

start, making this event possible for the community.

assistance to be paid directly to the

utility provider. Applications must be

received or postmarked by Sept. 30.

ELDERS ASSISTANCE – Available nationwide, a one-time payment

of $250 is available for tribal elders

aged 55 and over to help with personal

expenses. Please see the application

for additional information, which is

due no later than Sept. 30.

EXTRA-EXPENSE/EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – One-time

payment of $100 per students 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, 2022.

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, such as

life-threatening or terminal issues that

require multiple trips outside of the local area. It cannot be a chronic medical

issue. The program provides fuel

vouchers through the Turtle Stop

convenience store for local tribal

citizens or tribal citizens who

travel to the Bearskin Healthcare

and Wellness Center.

CHILD SAFETY SEATS - Each

child is eligible for three seats in different sizes and must be picked up at

the tribal office.

PROMOTING SAFE AND

STABLE FAMILIES/INDIAN

CHILD WELFARE – This program is

designed to help keep children in their

homes with the family or ensure that

federal guidelines are adhered to and

the best interest of the child is considered first and foremost if there is a

need for removal. If you are involved

in a child welfare case, please contact

either Tara Gragg or Carmalita Ward.

FOSTER FAMILY RECRUITMENT – Indian Child Welfare social

workers are actively seeking foster

families. Please contact the office for

more information if you think this

might be of interest to you and/or your

family.

ENROLLMENT – Aug. 15 is the

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. Account balances

can be obtained at any time via www.

myctrustmark.com or by calling 800-

Continued on Page 10

Page 10

Continued from Page 9

990-9058 option 2. 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.

which are not normally allowable

purchases.

BURIAL ASSISTANCE – On Oct.

1, 2021, the benefit for this program

increased to $2,000. The benefit will

pay to the funeral home or the family representative responsible for the

charges or can be reimbursed if the

funeral has been paid in full.

FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM – This program

provides advocacy and services to

victims/survivors of domestic violence,

sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, human trafficking, elder abuse as

well as other victims of crime. 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 coordinates quarterly

culture events in conjunction with

the Cultural Department as well

as several outreach and awareness

events throughout the year for the

community. The 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.

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,

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

Education

lradabaugh@wyandotte-nation.org

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

lisaarnold@wyandotte-nation.org

FVPP Manager, Cesilie Chandler, 918-678-3269, cchandler@

wyandotte-nation.org

Crime Victims Advocate, Kristi

Johnston, 918-678-6340, kjohnston@

wyandotte-nation.org

DV/Elder Abuse Advocate, Jenny Reeves, 918-678-6486, jreeves@

wyandottenation.org

SA Advocate/Supervised Visitation Specialist, Stephanie Still,

918-678-6373, sstill@wyandottenation.org

Family Violence Prevention

Program Hotline, 877-276-0669

Submitted by Cristi Hudson,

Education Director

Courtesy Photo

The Salad Bar made it's triumphant

return to our lunches.

Elder Services

Submitted by Brenda House, Elder

Services Director

We are so glad to be fully open now

and be able to offer our salad bar

once again. It is so good seeing our

Elders visiting and enjoying themselves.

We are continuing to work on the

plans for our new building and getting more excited every day!

Our Mother’s Day Dinner is Thursday, May 5.

We will be celebrating 50 years of

Older Americans Act Programs this

year and the month of May is Older

Americans Month, so we will have a

big party on May 19 from 10 am to

2 pm at the fairgrounds in Miami,

Okla. The fabulous Duke Mason

will be performing as well as Jack

the Bible Donkey. We will have a

person making balloon art and telling stories. We will be giving away

many prizes and two TVs. The Ice

Cream Truck will be there. We will

also have several vendors set up. Our

menu is brisket sandwiches, baked

May 2022

beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and

cupcakes so come on out and PARTY!

We are planning a trip to Will

Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.,

for the Horse Races and Casino, and

a trip to Branson, Mo., soon.

Our Father’s Day Dinner is Thursday, June 16.

Our next Car Bingo is Friday,

June 24 at the Border Town Parking

lot in Seneca, Mo. It will begin at

10 am and we will provide lunch at

11:30 am. We will have lots of prizes,

the ice cream truck and Duke Mason

will perform as well.

CAREGIVER

We have resumed our Caregiver

Support Group. It will be held on

the first Thursday of each month at

10:30 am in the Title VI Safe room.

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.

Elder Services Team:

Brenda House, Elder Services

Director, (918) 678-6327.

Stephanie Hamilton, Food Service Team Supervisor, (Office) 918

678-6390, (Kitchen) (918)-678-6328.

Seth Higginbotham, Robyn

Beaty, Ashley Gleidt and Randee Crouch Food Service Team

Members, (918) 678-6328.

Kweh,

The Education Department is excited to announce the completion of

the renovation project that took place

after our building took on water from

a flash flood last summer. The flood

did not stop us from continuing services, but it did misplace us from our

building for a little more than eight

months. It has been great having

everyone under the same roof again.

Wyandotte Nation’s Library is

still closed to the public. We are in

the process of updating the shelving for all books and are waiting on

them to arrive. While the Library is

closed, I encourage you to look into

the virtual library. If you have access

to the internet, you may create an

account using your phone, tablet, or

PC and visit our virtual library at

www.okvirtuallibrary.overdrive.com.

You can also download the “Libby”

app to access the virtual library. By

doing this, you will gain access to

several different eBooks, audiobooks,

magazines, and videos. If you do not

have a library card for Wyandotte

Nation’s Library, you may obtain one

online by filling out the application

on the website at www.wyandottenation.org. You may contact the

Librarian, Madeline Harnar, mharnar@wyandotte-nation.org for more

information.

Wyandotte Nation Child Development Center is currently full in our

infant/ones/toddler rooms, preschool,

and after school programs for the

2021-22 school year, but we are still

accepting applications to be placed

on a waiting list for all age groups:

infants, ones, toddlers, preschool,

and before/afterschool. Our summer

program is also full at this time,

however, filling out an application

and turning it in will get your child

on our waiting list. Now is a good

time to fill out a preschool application to secure your child a spot for

preschool during the 2022-23 school

year. The infant, ones, and toddler

programs have a waiting list for the

2022-23 school year. Applications

are available on our website, or you

may contact Lindsay Cooper for

Continued on Page 11

May 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

Housing

Continued from Page 10

an application by email, lcooper@

wyandotte-nation.org, or by phone

918-678-3267.

Wyandotte Nation Scholarship

Program is wrapping up the spring

2022 semester scholarships. If you

are currently in the scholarship

program, please remember to send in

the latest transcript that will have

your spring grades and fall schedule listed. Fall scholarships will be

processed beginning in August.

Here are a few Wyandotte Nation

Undergraduate Scholarship reminders:

• Undergraduate scholarships are

limited to eight (8) 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

program’s duration.

• Deadline for fall submission for

new scholarship applicants is May 1.

To obtain an Undergraduate,

Masters, or Vocational Scholarship

application, they are now available

on our website, or you can email

your request or any questions that

you may have to Evan Hotulke, our

Education Specialist at ehotulke@

wyandotte-nation.org; or by calling

his office at 918-678-6331. You may

also contact Evan for a Wyandotte

Nation Stole application. Stoles are

available to college graduates that

have participated in the Wyandotte

Nation Scholarship Program.

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,

918-678-3267 or lcooper@wyandottenation.org

Madeline Harnar – Librarian,

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

Evan Hotulke— Caseworker/

Education/Employment Special-

Page 11

Submitted by Kathy DeWeese,

Housing Director

The Nahasda (Native American

Housing and Self-Determination

Act) is a 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 assistance, as well as the day-to-day

activities of the Department.

If you are 55 and older, our

senior housing may be for you.

The duplexes are all two-bedroom,

equipped with appliances, and a

garage. All yard work 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.

Wyandotte Emergency Rental

Assistance Program, which is part

of the Consolidated Appropriation

Act of 2021, is still available. If

you need help with past due rent,

ist, 918-678-6331 or ehotulke@

wyandotte-nation.org

Kasey Lewis – Intake Clerk,

918-678-3268 or klewis@wyandottenation.org

Planning & Natural

Resources

Submitted by Christen Lee,

Environmental & Planning Director

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

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

drinking water sampling and septic

assessments for private homeown-

current rent, or utilities, please fill

out and return the application for

assistance, which is on the Wyandotte Nation website in the ‘Housing’

section. Income guidelines do apply.

This is a nationwide program. If you

have questions regarding this process,

please call or email our office. We will

be happy to talk with you.

Wyandotte Housing Assistance

Fund, which is part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021, is

available to homeowners affected by

COVID. If you are behind on your

mortgage payments, please fill out and

return the application for assistance,

which is also on the Wyandotte Nation

website. Income guidelines do apply.

This is a nationwide program. If you

have questions regarding this process,

please call or email our office.

Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is now

available for help with water utilities

in the state of Oklahoma. This program is income-based. Applications

are available on the website or by

calling our office.

The Splashpad at Heritage Acres

Park will be opening on May 27.

ers. 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.

Through our EPA Water 106

Grant, we have been preparing for

the upcoming spring sampling and

bio-assessment events that will be

taking place in April for both tribal

and non-tribal citizens within a

50-mile radius of Wyandotte Nation

and the Grand Lake Watershed.

Parameters sampled are for coliform bacteria, E. coli, heavy metals,

and nitrates. Our Water Technicians performed seven private well

samples in addition to three retakes

since the last article.

Our water Tech I and Tech II

personnel were quite busy during

January, performing five private well

samples. These samples were tested

for bacteria and E.coli and of the five

wells sampled, three of the five came

back unsatisfactory, meaning they

tested positive for either bacteria or

E.coli. Letters are mailed to each

residence with notification of the results, as well as a disinfection sheet

for the wells that tested unsatisfactory. Department Staff has been

participating in virtual Meetings due

to COVID restrictions. These meetings are with EPA, DOI, BIA, ODEQ,

and other tribes regularly. The staff

has also been participating in online

training for GIS/GPS Mapping and

Tribal Well Compliance issues.

The Grants Department has been

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

tribe’s mission but the short- and longterm goals as well. The Grant Writers

submitted applications to the Department of Health and Human Services

for various Family Violence Prevention and Services grants. The Tribe is

requesting HHS funds to continue to

support victims of sexual assault and

their dependents and provide on-site

mobile COVID-19 testing to domestic

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: Craig; Creek; Delaware;

Mayes; Nowata; Okfuskee; Okmulgee; Ottawa; Rogers; Tulsa; Wagoner; Washington.

Department Staff:

Kathy DeWeese-Housing Director

Don Graham- Housing Specialist

Paul Parker- Project Coordinator

Levi Griffin- Project Coordinator

Randy Qualls- Residential Maintenance Technician

Drew Lankford-Residential Maintenance Technician

Continued on Page 12

Page 12

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2022

T ribal D epartment R eports

Continued from Page 11

violence clients and their dependents.

We also applied for non-competitive

funds based on the contract amount

and square footage addition to the

Bearskin Healthcare and Wellness

Center for medical equipment from the

Indian Health Service. Another grant

is a combination of three (3) environmental grants known as the Performance Partnership Grants (PPG) to

the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA). Finally, the writers submitted

two applications to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for two Purpose

Areas under the Coordinated Tribal

Assistance Solicitation. Awarded funds

under the first Purpose Area will allow

the Tribe to hire, train, and equip two

new police officers to help handle the

high volume of added crime activity

in the community. Grant monies from

the second Purpose Area will assist

the Tribe by developing and creating

a comprehensive justice system-wide

strategic plan based upon needs assessments as well as the tribe’s goals,

needs, and mission statement.

The BIA Self-Governance Coordinator submitted a new route in the National Tribal Transportation Facility

Inventory (NTTFI). The new route

number is 0128. The new street name

Little Turtle Place, which is the culde-sac for the “Tiny Homes” located

at Heritage Acres. The Coordinator

also submitted an annual report to

the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on

expenditures of Roads Funding. This

report reflects expenditures for each

project funded with Indian Reservation Roads funding.

The ‘477’ Coordinator submitted

the program’s annual narrative, statistical, and financial reports to the

Department of the Interior. Under

Public Law 102-477, Wyandotte Nation integrates job training programs,

vocational training, employment

assistance for adult Indians, education scholarships, and social services

programs. Wyandotte Nation combines and coordinates employment,

training, and related services to serve

tribally-determined goals consistent

with the policy of Self-Governance.

Through our ‘477’ Program, we

were able to offer reimbursements

to five childcare providers for their

required health and safety training,

such as CPR. Mini-grants (Reimbursements) were used to purchase

and install touchless water fountains

Tires collected during April's Tire Collection event at the Lost Creek Recycling Center.

for better student accessibility to

water and sanitation protocols during COVID. We assisted childcare

facilities with purchasing vans for

transporting students to childcare

centers from schools and driveways

where children are dropped off at

their daycare. We also offered reimbursements for our childcare providers to do summer field trips.

In addition to the program providing childcare for 88 families and 167

children, we also helped clients either

obtain, maintain, or sustain their

employment through training and

tuition assistance, and other related

services. Several clients that received

tuition assistance are on track to

earn a Bachelor’s Degree in fields of

study, such as Business Management,

Elementary Education, Business

Administration, English, Political

Science, and Psychology. Others are

desiring to advance their education

with degrees in Pre-Med and Biomedical Engineering. Some clients began

training for new careers in Dental

Hygiene, Cosmetology, Construction

Technology, Esthetics, and Nursing.

We also had two clients earn their

Bachelor’s Degree and have entered

the workforce.

The Planning and Natural Re-

sources Department is also dedicated to researching and applying

for federal, state, and foundation

grants to benefit the Tribe and tribal

community. Projects often serve the

1,294 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

desires to serve and create a positive

impact on all Wyandottes.

Feel free to contact our department

if you have a community project idea

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

for a grant.

Department Contacts:

Director Christen Lee, clee@

wyandotte-nation.org

Environmental Program Manager Kathleen Welch, kwelch@

wyandotte-nation.org

Environmental Technician 1

Janice Wilson, jwilson@wyandottenation.org

Continued on Page 13

May 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

T ribal D epartment R eports

Continued from Page 12

Environmental Technician 2

John Gerhard, jgerhard@wyandottenation.org

Recycling Center Coordinator

John Quick, jquick@wyandottenation.org

Land Management Technician

Robby Graham, rgraham@wyandotte-nation.org

Water Utilities Operator Braulio

Ramirez, bramirez@wyandottenation.org

Grant Writer / BIA Self-Governance Coordinator Debbie Dry,

ddry@wyandotte-nation.org

Grant Writer 2/ 477 Coordinator Michael Lowery, mlowery@

wyandotte-nation.org

Tribal Heritage

Submitted by Kim Garcia,

Cultural Preservation Officer

Kweh ǫmatęruʔ,

The staff at the Cultural Center and

Museum is so excited about the improved website! The calendar of events

has helped us tremendously with the

ability to inform tribal citizens and

community members about upcoming

events. As you may notice though, a

lot of the historic resources that were

on the website previously are no longer

available. All of those resources were

saved and they will be put on a separate

website specifically for Wyandotte

Culture.

For the first quarter of the year,

we have been working on this year’s

schedule with classes, demonstrations,

and events. Each month we have Waⁿdat

Wednesday - a basic language class on

the 3rd Wednesday, Wyandotte History:

Reading the Wampum – a history class

on the last Tuesday, and, starting in May,

we will have Beading Classes on the 2nd

Thursday of the month and Wyandotte

Craft Time the last Thursday of the

month both in-person and on Zoom.

Quarterly, we host the Wyandotte Nation

Book Club where we discuss a book by

a native author. This summer, we will be

meeting weekly with the interns, as well

as any Wyandotte youth that would like

to join, to learn more about Wyandotte

Culture. We are excited for the return

of Lacrosse Camp and the Gathering

of Little Turtles this summer! We are

expecting record numbers! We also have

some exciting classes scheduled coming

up. Please check the Tribe’s website or

Wyandotte Nation Cultural Center Facebook page for registration information.

Upcoming Events (2022)

(Dates subject to change – please

watch the Tribe’s website and the Wyandotte Nation Cultural Center Facebook

page for all updates)

• May TBD – Wyandotte Basics Class with

Beci Wright

• May 7 – Demonstrations at Overland Park

Arboretum

• May 11 – Wyandotte Nation Book Club:

“The Reason You Walk: A Memoir” by Wab

Kinew with Beci Wright

• May 12 – Beading Class with Kim Garcia

• May 18 - Waⁿdat Wednesday with Beci

Wright

• May 24 – Wyandotte History: Reading the

Wampum – Strange Foods with Lloyd Divine

• May 26 – Wyandotte Craft Time with

Kim Garcia

• May 27 – Pow-Wow Golf Scramble

• June 4 – Shawl Class with Carolyn Nott

• June 7 – Wyandotte Youth Night

• June 9 – Beading Class with Kim Garcia

• June 11 – Leather Belt Class with Chris

Houk

• June 14 - Wyandotte Youth Night

• June 15 - Waⁿdat Wednesday with Beci

Wright

• June 21 - Wyandotte Youth Night

• June 21-24 – Lacrosse Camp

• June 24-26 – Gathering of Little Turtles

• June 28 - Wyandotte Youth Night

• June 28 - Wyandotte History: Reading the

Wampum – Hygiene – with Lloyd Divine

• June 30 – Wyandotte Craft Time with

Kim Garcia

• July 2 – Wyandotte Nation Fireworks

• July 5 – Wyandotte Youth Night

• July 9 – Fingerweaving Class with Patty

Harjo-Shinn

• July 12 – Wyandotte Youth Night

• July 14 – Beading Class with Kim Garcia

• July 20 - Waⁿdat Wednesday with Beci

Wright

• July 26 - Wyandotte History: Reading

the Wampum 7:30 pm – Warfare with Lloyd

Divine

• July 28 – Wyandotte Craft Time with Kim

Garcia

• Aug. 2 – Wyandotte Youth Night

• Aug. 9 - Wyandotte Youth Night

• Sept. 6-9 – The Gathering

• Sept. 9-11 – Wyandotte Nation Pow-Wow

As always, the Wyandotte Nation Cultural Center and Museum is open to the

public for research, as a workshop, or

just come to visit! We would love to see

you any day and we are looking forward

to the return of all of our events!

Eskwayęʔ,

Department Contacts:

Kim Garcia

kgarcia@wyandotte-nation.org

Directory of Wyandotte Names

Being gifted a traditional name in our Wandat language means that no other Wyandotte has the

same name. If you have been gifted a name in the past, please be sure to add it to our Directory at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WNames so we can ensure it is not used by anyone else during

your lifetime. (Over the years, records have been kept in several places and we don’t want to accidentally overlook anyone!) Tižamęh!

If you cannot access the online Directory, please send: your English name, address, birthday,

Wyandotte name, when & where you received it, and any story associated with it you’d like to share

with the Cultural Center. We’d appreciate it!

Please send name questions & inquiries to bwright@wyandotte-nation.org.

Page 13

918-678-6317

Sherri Clemons

sclemons@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6344

Chris Houk

chouk@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6318

Beci Wright

bwright@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6480

Teresa Wilson

twilson@wyandotte-nation.org

918-678-6385

Wyandotte

Book Club!

The Cultural Center is hosting an online book club every

quarter. Our next meeting will

be May 11 (offered once during

the day, once in the evening –

you can attend either or both

sessions).

Our May selection is The

'Reason You Walk: A Memoir' by

Wab Kinew and you can read it

or listen to it as an audiobook.

Support your local independent

bookstore when you can.

To register for Book Club (if

you never have before) and

receive the zoom link, please go

to: https://www.surveymonkey.

com/r/WyandotteBookClub

If you’d like to suggest future

titles, they 1) must be written by

a native author, 2) must be available in paperback, and 3) must

be available as an audiobook.

If you are interested in leading

a future session, please let us

know at bwright@wyandottenation.org.

Our August title will be 'The

Seed Keeper' by Diane Wilson.

Page 14

Healthcare

Submitted by Kelly Friend, Health

Services Director

The Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services is providing

equitable relief to individuals who

could not submit premium-Part A

or Part B enrollment or disenrollment requests timely due to challenges contacting us by phone. This

relief applies to the 2022 General

Enrollment Period, Initial Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Period.

If you were unable to enroll or

disenroll in Medicare because you

could not reach them by phone

after Jan. 1, 2022, you will be

granted additional time, through

Dec. 30, 2022.

For more information, call 1-800772-1213 or use their Office Locator

(ssa.gov) to find the number for a

local office.

Short Bio for Vicky Weidner, MD:

I’m a small-town Oklahoma girl

who was born and raised in Woodward, Okla. After attending the

University of Central Oklahoma,

I attended the University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City for medical

school and a year of Internal Medicine internship. The only time I

have lived outside of Oklahoma was

during three years of residency in

Emergency Medicine in Columbia,

South Carolina. I loved the South

Carolinians with their soft accents

and warm southern manners but

family and home called me back to

Tulsa where I worked at the Saint

Francis Trauma Emergency Center

for 20 years. Some of my colleagues

and I started the residency in Emergency Medicine at the University

of Oklahoma and I served as the

Director of the Simulation Center

and taught residents and medical

students in the emergency department and simulation center.

My husband is Brian Edwards

and if you know him, you are a

lucky person. I am very blessed

to have him as my lifetime best

friend. Together we have raised

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

four young adults. Our first grandbaby arrived last summer and we

are tickled to death to be able to

see him almost daily.

Brian began to work for the Grand

River Dam Authority in 2012 and his

home base is in Langley. In 2017,

after a lengthy illness and recovery,

I began to work in the Integris Grove

Emergency Department. We love

Northeastern Oklahoma and the

people here. I am very excited to be

welcomed into the Bearskin Clinic

and for the opportunity to continue to

care for the people of this region.

My hobbies are walking with my

dogs, sewing costumes for my daughter’s entertainment business, and

feeding birds. My passions are God,

my family, and caring for patients.

Department Contacts:

Kelly Friend, Director 918-6783259

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

Deana Sweatt, Pharmacist 918678-3247

Refills, Automated Pharmacy Refill

Line 918-678-3244

Tribal citizens may be

eligible for these

benefits:

• Up to $275 towards glasses or

contacts

• Up to $1,000 on Adult emergency dental

• Up to $2,075 toward audiology services for hearing aids

• Up to $750 toward Adult

dental services

• Children’s dental is unlimited.

Call 918-678-3222 to find out

more information.

May 2022

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 15

C ommunity N ews & N otes

Tribe helps Seneca

Police replace

vehicles

The Wyandotte Nation presented

the Seneca Police Department with

a $40,000 check to use toward the

purchase of vehicles.

“It’s a wonderful donation to us. We

are short of cars,” said Seneca Chief

of Police James Altic. “I just want to

thank the Wyandotte Nation for the

donation, and our City Council would

like to thank them for the donation. It

really is beneficial to us.”

Chief Altic said the department

was down a couple of vehicles after a

recent shooting and wreck. He said the

purchase request is already in and the

department should see the vehicles in

the next few weeks.

For the Tribe, Wyandotte Nation

Chief Billy Friend said they were glad

to be in a position to help the Seneca

Police Department and the community.

“For us, Seneca is part of our

extended community. We have a lot of

tribal citizens who reside in the town

and we also have businesses that are

in Seneca,” Chief Friend said. “It’s important for us the community there is

well protected and served. The Seneca

Police Department has done a great job

for years of doing that.

Gragg recipient of

scholarship

William Swaim | Wyandotte Nation

From left, Seneca Police Officer April Altic, Officer Roger Wilson, Police Chief

James Altic, Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend, Wyandotte Nation Board

Members Ramona Reid, Second Chief Norman Hildebrand, Jr., and Vivian Fink.

“We saw that there was a need there

and we were in a position to help, and

we feel great about that.”

Funds for the donation came from

revenue generated by businesses in

the Tribe’s corporation, Wyandotte

Tribe of Oklahoma (WTOK), like the

Turtle Stop convenience store located

in Seneca, Mo.

“We are able to take those revenues,

distribute those, and help people here

in our community,” Chief Friend said.

“We’ve always been very communityminded. We realize when you are in

a rural community, you have a lot of

neighbors, and Seneca has always been

a good neighbor to us.”

Both Chiefs said the relationship

between the Seneca PD and Tribe has

been strong, especially as the Wyandotte Nation Tribal Police Department

(WNTPD) works closely with the

Seneca PD on a daily basis.

“It’s just natural for us to be able to

reach out and help them, and we are

glad we were able to do that,” Chief

Friend said. “We want to continue to

cultivate and build those relationships

-- the stronger our communities are,

the safer they are.”

KINGSTON, Ontario -- Modern Métis Woman (MMW) announced that one

of their 2021-2022 scholarship recipients is Hannah Gragg from Full Sail

University. Gragg is a member of the

Wyandotte

Nation.

Through

the Tribe’s

Summer

Youth

Intern

Program,

Gragg has

assisted in

the kitchen,

daycare,

and the Wyandotte Cultural Center.

She enjoys beading and holds valuable

teachings associated with other forms

of art. Gragg honors the women in her

community and expresses the importance of educational justice.

MMW is a private, non-profit, microfinance organization that lends itself to

furthering Indigenous women's education. Carleigh Milburn, the founder

of Modern Métis Woman, started this

organization in 2017 with her personal

funds to support Indigenous women's

education. MMW provides scholarships

to Indigenous women yearly.

Language Notes

By Beci Wright

Wyandotte Nation

Kweh ǫmatęruʔ ! (Hello,

friends!)

We are well into yęráhke:ⁿdeh

(springtime) now! The yaⁿgyut

(plants) are back from their winter

sleep and mowing urúʔtaʔ (grass)

is a common occurrence.

Yęráhke:ⁿdeh is also a time

where we start yaękwakeh (garden

or field). At the Cultural Center,

we plant the three sisters, known in

Waⁿdat as ǫmakyaʔtáⁿditahkwih

(our sustenance).

First is unę ́ haʔ (corn) to grow

high for uyá:reʔsaʔ (beans) to grow

around her stalk, giving her nitrogen in

return, leaving unyǫ́hšaʔ (squash*) to

shade the roots, hold in the water, and

discourage uhá:yętaʔ (weeds).

*Our word for squash is also our word

for melon and cucumber.

Hataʔúh šękwahs ? (What are you

planting?)

To answer, put what you will plant in

front of enyękwaʔ (I will plant) because

in Waⁿdat we put the new or important

information first. For example: tihšǫ́t

enyękwaʔ (I will plant strawberries.)

Hataʔúh šękwahs ?

__________

enyękwaʔ

Here are a few more answers to

choose from:

uⁿdátsaʔ (wheat) utę ́ ʔraʔ (turnips)

uⁿdáweⁿdaʔ (potatoes) utsíʔtsaʔ (flowers) unę ́ hstaʔ (seed)

Remember: AUDIO files for all

bolded vocabulary are available at wandat.org (click on “Turtle Talk”) and join

us every third Wednesday of the month

at Wandat Wednesdays (on ZOOM) to

practice together.

Tižamęh! Etsiskwayęʔ (I will see

y’all again)!

(To sign up for the monthly Waⁿdat

Wednesdays online afternoon or evening,

go to: https://www.surveymonkey.

com/r/WandatWed to receive the zoom

link and reminders. If you are having difficulty getting to the audio files, contact

me and we’ll try to work out an alternative. Be sure to send any comments or

suggestions, especially those on

your language & culture wishlist, to:

bwright@wyandotte-nation.org.)

Pronunciation Reminders: ʔ is

a glottal stop, like in the middle

of “uh-oh!”; the little hook under

a vowel means it is nasal – try to

pronounce it using your nose rather

than the back of your throat. The

colon: is a lengthener – say the

vowel that comes before it twice as

long as you would normally. And

the little accent tells you where to

put the stress.

-- Language support courtesy of our

Wyandotte Nation Linguist, Dr. Craig

Kopris. All mistakes are my own. –

Beci

Page 16

Wyandotte Nation | Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

Calendar of Events

Important

Numbers

Family Services / Enrollment

Dana Butterfield (918) 678-6319

dbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org

Leeanna Radabaugh, (918) 678-6329

lradabaugh@wyandotte-nation.org