Miisaninawiind:Abitaaniibini-giizis:July 27-Aug 2, 2020
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Boozhoo and welcome to the Miisaninawiind weekly newsletter!
The Miisaniinawind brings you important news, announcements and updates, designed specifically for the Red Cliff community. But that's not all. The weekly eNewsletter will also provide news about neighboring tribes, communities and broader issues across Indian Country that matter to you.
If you have photos, news or information you'd like to share, please email submissions to [email protected].
Check our Facebook page
HERE
and our website
HERE
. We are working on a new website and can't wait to share it with you!
Want to receive the newsletter each week? Sign up
HERE
.
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COVID-19 Community Updates
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Various Tribal programs, services, and events have been canceled or temporarily suspended in our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.
An up-to-date list can be found on the Tribal Facebook page, and is updated continuously throughout each day.
You can also find a series of video updates from the Red Cliff Health Division on the Tribal Facebook page.
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Legendary Waters Enters Phase 4 of Reopening August 2
Limited hotel rooms to open, pool remains closed
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On August 2, 2020 Legendary Waters Resort and Casino will enter Phase 4 of its reopening plan and will accept hotel reservations on a limited basis. The 2nd and 3rd floors will open, and rooms will be alternated to allow for sufficient cleaning time between guests. Conjoining rooms will not be available, and the pool will remain closed.
Safety guidelines and social distancing protocol from previous reopening phases will remain in effect. Masks continue to be mandatory, and no smoking will be allowed indoors. Patrons are asked to enter through the main casino entrance for a brief non-invasive temperature check and hand sanitizer stations.
The Snack Bar will continue to offer take-out service, and the Outdoor Patio Bar along with the Gift Shop will be open with altered hours.
For hotel reservations please contact Legendary Waters Resort & Casino at 800-226-8478 or visit www.legendarywaters.com for more information.
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2020 Census
Calling All Tribal Members to Respond
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If you haven't responded to the 2020 Census, please do so! It only takes a couple minutes and is vital for Red Cliff and Indian Country!
The 2020 Census can be taken online at www.2020census.gov or by calling 844-330-2020.
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Local Businesses and Tribal Government Buildings Require Masks for Entry
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From the Tales of Laughing Fox
By Polecat Productions
"Maiingan Ikwe"
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Wolf Woman is a song, a story, a salve. It is past pain, current healing; it is reflection. And while this original work has much to offer its creator, Micheal Laughing Fox Charette, he never plays it on the full moon. “I’m afraid the Wolf Woman might answer back”, Laughing Fox has often quipped. But he is only ever half-joking. Because, like all good stories, there’s a light side and a dark side to this tale.
Wolf Woman tells of a time when Laughing Fox was a young man. He was feeling lost, as young men often are—looking for identity in the women he loved, and trying to mold himself to what others asked of him. One day he met a Wolf Woman and they began a fiery relationship. Laughing Fox was quick to bend himself to what he thought she wanted. But as time went on, he became less and less recognizable to himself. He acted out, as people often do when they feel lost—and one night, in a swirl of emotions, he smashed his beloved flute.
It was a time of darkness. Laughing Flute had ended things with his girlfriend and his daughter was moving far away. Now there was no one to mold himself around. He was forced to face himself. Who was he? What kind of man did he want to become? He missed his daughter so much he felt a giant hole in his heart. He didn’t know what to do so he picked up a new flute and he began to play….
Laughing Fox played the notes of the Wolf Woman song, but he still felt so stuck: stuck in his life, his job, stuck, stuck stuck. That’s when he stopped. He slowed down. He switched his hands around on the flute and he played the notes backwards. His breath moved in time with the song, he began to resonate with this melody he’d never heard before. In this moment he found strength; he found medicine.
Now the Wolf Woman song contains multitudes— moments of a time long ago, of loss, of healing, of the power of creativity and flow and facing oneself and getting unstuck. Wolf Woman reminds us that it is never too late to look at things with fresh eyes, to slow down, and to choose a new path.
Michael Laughing Fox Charette is a musician, storyteller, artist, and educator from the Red Cliff band of Ojibwe in Northern Wisconsin. He and the Little Turtle Singers are recording stories, drums, and flute music from their life and tribe to offer as an education tool and a way to preserve and share culture for generations to come.
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GLIFWC Job Opening
Outreach Coordinator
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This is a 1-year full time position that may be renewed with continued funding through the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (GLIFWC’s) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants.
GLIFWC is located on the Bad River Indian Reservation in Odanah, Wisconsin.
Under the direction of the Director of the Public Information Office, the Wildlife Section Leader, the Environmental Biologist and the Great Lakes Program Coordinator and the supervision of the Great Lakes Program Coordinator, the Outreach Coordinator will perform duties in a manner consistent with Commission policies and procedures.
Compensation is set between $32,805 - $36,564. Applications are due by August 7, 2020.
Click
HERE
to learn more about the position and for details on how to apply.
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DePerry Hired as Wiring Technician
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Boozhoo, my name is Nick DePerry and I have been recently hired as a wiring technician for the tribe.
I am also currently enrolled in LCOOC pursuing my degree in Native American Studies.
I am happily married to my wife Amaris Andrews-DePerry and together we are raising our 8 children together. Miigwech!
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Behavioral Health July Newsletter
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The Behavioral Health Department has released its July Newsletter.
Click
HERE
to view the full newsletter!
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Nooji Center Online Recovery Meetings
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Monday-Nooji Back to Basics (of recovery) Group, 3:00PM
Meeting ID: 895 5518 5791 Password: 986872
By Phone: +1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 895 5518 5791 Password: 986872
Tuesday-Nooji Alanon Group, 6:00PM
Meeting ID: 854 2274 5354 Password: 454818
By Phone: +1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 854 2274 5354 Password: 454818
Wednesday-Nooji Wellbriety Group, 6:00PM
ID: 745 466 870 Password: nicetry
By Phone: +1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 745 466 870 Password: 456125
Thursday-Nooji Narcotics Anonymous, 10:00AM
Meeting ID: 889 5617 2863 Password: 031549
Friday-Nooji Alcoholics Anonymous, 6:00PM
Meeting ID:326 283 9434 Password: REDCLIFF
By Phone: +1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 326 283 9434 Password: 836811
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Benefits are available for those interested in purchasing food at local farmers' markets.
**Please note you must be a WIC participant to qualify.**
For more information contact Heidi Livingston at 715-779-3707 ext. 2261 or
Amaris Andrews-DePerry at 715-779-3707 ext. 2307
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For other Health Center information or general questions call: 715-779-3707 or Email
[email protected]
Click
HERE
to visit the Red Cliff Community Health Center website
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Click
HERE
to receive the Zoom access link!
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Various Family and Human Services offerings have unique guidelines and hours in response to COVID-19.
See the Notices section toward the top of this newsletter for more information. You can also call the Family Human Services Division
at 715-779-3706.
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The Division has released its July Newsletter.
Click
HERE
to view the full newsletter!
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Isham-Chase Scholarship Announced at LCOOC
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Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (LCOOC) is excited to announce the creation of the Isham-Chase Scholarship, a contribution from Mr. Mic Isham and Mrs. Monica Chase. The family has committed to $8,000, supporting a $1,000 scholarship each fall and spring semester over a course of four years.
“As the first person in my family to attend College I credit LCOOC for most of the success that I’ve had, from my GED to supporting through completing my bachelors degree at Northland College, and setting my children on a path to success. The College is part of the solution to many issues that our community faces,” shares Mic Isham, Executive Director of GLIFWC.
Increased scholarship offerings reduce the barriers of tuition and textbook costs for Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College students. This reduction in barriers supports the College’s mission to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwe.
“The growth that LCOOC has had over the past two years – developing bachelors programs, launching a capital campaign, athletics, and more is a part of how we support student success in our community. My dad and I decided to collaborate our backgrounds and provide this scholarship to students who are interested in the natural resources or legal fields,” Monica Chase, Attorney for LCO Child Support Services, and LCOOC Board of Regents Vice Chair said.
The scholarship application will be available on the college website,
www.lco.edu/scholarships
and open to Native American undergraduate students to apply. For further questions, call 715-634-4790 ext. 186 or email
[email protected]
.
About Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College
The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College’s mission is to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwe.
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (LCOOC) is a non-profit Ojibwe tribal college. Our focus is to help Native students advance themselves in the world, while studying their own history and language. We are an open-door institution which welcomes anyone who would like to work toward a better tomorrow. LCOOC does not discriminate based upon race and will not deny admission to any Native student regardless of tribal enrollment or affiliation.
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Boys and Girls Club of Gitchigami
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Click
HERE
to register for the Virtual Teen Summit!
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Frog Bay Temporarily Closed Due To Storm
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Check the Frog Bay Tribal National Park Facebook page for more up-to-date announcements.
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TNR Summer Ganawenjigaade Newsletter
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The Treaty Natural Resources Department has released its Summer 2020 Ganawenjigaade newsletter.
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Todd Mattson, Transfer Station Manager
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Todd Mattson is the new Transfer Station Manager. Todd was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin. Todd has 13 years prior experience with a Housing Authority. He has a beautiful wife and step-daughter and resides in the Bay Area.
When not at work Todd enjoys hunting, fishing and being outdoors with his dog and family.
"I look forward to getting to know everyone! See you at the Transfer Station!”
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Legendary Waters Resort & Casino
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News Across Indian Country
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2020 Virtual Bayfield County Fair
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The Bayfield County Fair has retooled and has started taking entries online. Wisconsin residents can enter up to twelve items accompanied by a photo and/or video that will be judged and awarded premiums.
There is no fee to enter the Fair this year. Entries can be submitted now until July 31
st
, either on the Fair website or using the ShoWorks Passport app (available for Android and iPhone). Judging will take place during the week leading up to the original Fair dates of August 6-9, 2020.
Once the items have been judged, they will be available to the public for display online. Ribbons will be sent to those requesting them and premiums will be awarded as usual.
The Bayfield County 4H Market Sale will also take place online when judging has been completed. More details to come on how to bid on Market Sale animals, but it will be using the same software.
For more information and a copy of our Premium List containing instructions, rules and information on how to enter, visit
www.bayfieldcounty.org/2020fair
. Contact the Bayfield County Fair office with any questions at (715) 373-3493 or
[email protected]
.
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PSC Extends Utility Disconnection Moratorium:
Customers who aren't able to pay utility bill won't be penalized
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The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) voted 2-1 to stay a portion of its June 26 order to extend the moratorium on utility residential customer disconnections and refusal of service for nonpayment until September 1. The additional time will allow PSC staff to collect more data and information from utilities on their disconnection plans, allow for comment from customer organizations, and monitor further the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The move comes as COVID-19 positive cases in Wisconsin have more than doubled since the PSC met in June to order the end of the moratorium.
"We continue to closely monitor COVID-19 and its impact on utility customers in Wisconsin. The data has shown that the coronavirus has ballooned since our discussion on June 11," said PSC Chairperson, Rebecca Cameron Valcq. "It is our obligation to strike a balance to ensure the financial health of utilities, but also ensure customer safeguards are in place. It is our role to provide clarity to utilities, but be nimble enough to press the pause button when it is in the public interest to do so. We must press the pause button today on utility disconnections as the risk to public health is far greater today than it was a month ago, while the financial impact to utilities has been minimal."
In light of the extension, the PSC is still strongly urging customers to seek a payment plan with their utility or apply for energy assistance to avoid a large debt and possible disconnection when the moratorium ends.
If customers are having difficulty paying their energy bills, they may be eligible for assistance from the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP). To determine eligibility or find out where to apply for assistance, go to http://homeenergyplus.wi.gov/ or call 1-866-HEATWIS.
If customers cannot reach an agreement with their utility, they are urged to contact the PSC by calling 1-800-225-7729, or by filing a complaint on the PSC website.
In June, the PSC voted to lift the temporary moratorium on utility disconnections for nonpayment that was put in place in March, during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
However, the PSC required that a utility postpone disconnection for 21 days where there is a positive COVID-19 test and up to an additional 21 days if the person is still under quarantine following the original postponement.
The PSC is continuing to monitor utilities' disconnection plans, payment plan terms, and customer notices to ensure they conform to existing orders, administrative codes, and
state law. The Commissioners plan to meet on August 20 to discuss if further
modifications or extensions should be provided beyond September 1.
For information on the PSC's previous actions regarding utility disconnections for
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WI Task Force looks to expand internet access to rural Indigenous reservations
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By Frank Vaisvilas
Green Bay Press-Gazette
RED CLIFF – A task force created by Gov. Tony Evers this month may help expand broadband access across the state, including on Native American rural reservations.
Much of the problem in getting high-speed internet access to rural communities lies in the many miles of communications lines that would have to be installed.
Without government investment in that infrastructure, providing access would not be economically feasible for private companies, officials said.
“Having awareness of the problem is a first step,” said Theron Rutyna, IT director for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, who sits on the newly formed task force. “Now, that awareness is at the top of government, we should be able to do something about it.”
Satellite internet or cellphone mobile “hot spots” may be available for rural residents, but they don’t provide the speeds or allowable data amounts needed for extended periods of today’s online activities, such as video conferencing.
Sovereign tribal governments also have their own laws regarding permits, contracts and taxes, adding an administrative layer to installing broadband infrastructure on reservations.
“Getting to know all of that can be a significant obstacle for a broadband company,” Rutyna said.
Not only do more people in Wisconsin face slower Internet speeds than the national average, but about a quarter of residents in rural areas also lack access to at least one broadband service, according to the Federal Communications Commission’s 2020 Broadband Deployment Report.
The new task force will advise the governor and legislature on broadband policy and strategies for expanding high speed internet statewide.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that access to high-speed broadband is a necessity, not a luxury, and folks across our state have had to adapt from kids and educators shifting to virtual classrooms, workers having to work from home and even folks using telemedicine to visit with their doctor,” Evers said in a press release. “This task force will bring together experts from across the state to research and recommend solution that state leaders can adopt to connect every person in Wisconsin.”
The shortcomings were especially apparent this spring when students were learning at during the pandemic. Rutyna estimates that up to 60% of rural Indigenous students did not have access to adequate internet service to do their homework.
In the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa reservation, Internet provider Frontier was the only company with consistent service. However, the company did not have enough accounts available to service every household on the reservation even if every family could afford it, according to Samantha Maki, director of education for the tribe.
And the company’s bandwidth speed usually allowed for only one device to be streaming in a household at times on the Forest County Potawatomi Community reservation. That was a problem for families with multiple students, according to Thomas Boelter, director of education and culture for that tribe.
“Frontier would like to be able to provide higher speed broadband to all households, however upgrading broadband infrastructure in rural areas is economically challenging,” said Javier Mendoza, vice president of corporate communications for Frontier.
Frontier is partnering with Connect America Fund, a federal effort to deliver internet access with download speeds of at least 10 Mbps to 76,000 Wisconsin households, including the tribal communities of Lac du Flambeau Band, Potawatomi and Ho Chunk Nation.
The company also is planning to utilize the fund to expand broadband service in 2020 to customers in the Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Menominee Indian Tribe and Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians.
“We will also continue to evaluate and execute strategies to improve our service and ensure our customers have access to reliable and affordable service,” Mendoza said.
Rutyna is joined by 23 others on the task force, including representatives of AT&T, Charter Communications, TDS Telecommunications and several members of the state legislature.
The governor’s budget earmarked $48 million earlier this year for a two-year broadband expansion grant program.
Yet, it is unlikely that reservations will see any significant broadband infrastructure improvements this summer should e-learning have to continue into the fall, Rutyna said.
But the tribes are finding ways to prepare nonetheless.
An AT&T communications tower was installed last year on the Red Cliff reservation. Infrastructure enabling an increase in wireless internet to service much of the reservation might be able to be installed this summer, according to Rutyna.
The Potawatomi tribe had purchased some educational programs that could be downloaded so students could work on them offline when internet service slowed or was unavailable.
In addition, the Lac du Flambeau tribe is installing WiFi boosters in government buildings, so students can access the internet from the parking lots of those buildings.
The task force hopes to help meet the state’s goal of providing affordable broadband access to all of Wisconsin’s residents by 2025.
“We are hopeful that this task force will greatly benefit Wisconsin’s Indian Country,” said Red Cliff Vice Chairman Nathan Gordon.
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Follow the link below to see announcements for upcoming events!
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Red Cliff Tribal Administration Office
88455 Pike Road
Bayfield, Wi. 54814
715-779-3700
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![Laughing Fox [Maiingan Ikwe] (Wolf Woman)](https://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/thumbnail?url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hejc27SUotQ/hqdefault.jpg)
