Last week's Tribal General Election produced one newly-elected Tribal Council Member, Jared Poupart, and six re-elected Tribal Council Members: Treasurer William "Bill" Stone Sr., Secretary Jamie-Ann Allen, Jeffery J. Bauman, Sr., Louis "Louie" St. Germaine and Joseph G. Wildcat, Sr. Congratulations!

Before 1934, most Native American tribes did not have written laws or constitutions.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Commission, John Collier, appointed by Franklin Roosevelt, created the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). The 1934 law ended the allotment of Indian land, authorized the Secretary of Interior (BIA) to take land into trust for tribes, and attempted to rebuild tribal self-government. The IRA represented a compromise between those who supported tribal sovereignty and those who felt threatened by it.

Secretary of Interior Harold Ickes created a model tribal constitution and sent federal agents to Indian reservations across the country to promote it.

BIA agents presented tribes with a boilerplate constitution that included one executive branch of government, usually a tribal council, to pass laws and negotiate contracts. They did not create tribal courts or legislatures to ensure that the BIA had control over tribal governments.

It is up to our tribal membership to vote in a Secretarial Election, to remove the BIA Secretarial Approval from our own constitution (Article VIII). The Constitution Committee invites tribal members and descendants to meet at the William Wildcat Tribal Center in the Tribal Council Room on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday each month at 5:00 PM.

Article VIII: Time for Change

Join us in empowering our tribe by updating Article VIII, reclaiming our sovereignty, and shaping a better future together!

Why Update Article VIII?

Our tribal constitution was heavily influenced by the Federal Government, leading to restrictive wording that limits our freedom. Article VIII, which outlines the amendment process, requires us to ask for permission from the Secretary of Interior for constitutional amendments. It's time to regain our sovereignty and make decisions that benefit our community.

Our Goals:

1. Improve Article VIII wording to give our tribal membership more control over amendments.

2. Educate tribal members on the importance of this change.

3. Collaborate with the tribal election board to ensure a smooth election process.

Why Should You Care?

1. Protect Tribal Sovereignty: By updating Article VIII, we can reduce Federal Government control and strengthen our tribal membership's decision-making power.

2. Support Our Community: The current Article VIII was written by outsiders. Let's change it to suit our community's needs.

3. Your Voice Matters: Be heard and have a positive impact on our community by supporting this change.

4. Be a Part of History: Help shape the future of our tribe by participating in this historic moment.

Join us in improving Article VIII!

For more information, contact Charlene Theobald, [email protected]

Gov. Tony Evers today, in addition to events with the Oneida Nation and the Ho-Chunk Nation, recognized and celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day this week with a video message honoring Wisconsin’s Native Nations and reaffirming the state’s commitment to respecting Tribal Sovereignty and fostering strong government-to-government relationships to build a brighter, more prosperous future for the state and the Native Nations.

First recognized in 2019 when Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #50 to annually designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day, today marks the fifth consecutive year that Wisconsin has celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day. A copy of this year’s Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation is available here.

In 2021, in addition to recognizing the annual observance of Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #136, issuing a formal acknowledgment and apology for Wisconsin’s historical role in Indian boarding schools. The governor’s order also included a formal declaration of support for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. 

Wisconsin is home to 12 Native Nations, including the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Forest County Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, and Brothertown Indian Nation.

Tribal Council Calendar

Tribal Member Request Form and Rules for Zoom Meetings 

Tribal Payroll Calendar 2023

Tribal Holiday Calendar 2023

Tribal Council Meeting Dates & Agenda Request Deadline Dates

Tribal Election Board Meeting Schedule

Tribal Alcohol, Tobacco & Fireworks Committee Meeting Schedule

CCB Meeting Dates and Deadlines

CCB Authorization for Release of Personal Information

LDF Youth Funds Committee Meeting Schedule

Agenda Request Form

Tribal Council Resolution Template

Tribal Veteran Service Officers along with Wisconsin County Veteran Service Officers recently gathered together in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at a conference dedicated to serving veterans.  

Pictured above left to right: Gregg Duffek- Stockbridge Munsee TVSO, Melissa Doud (LdF)-WDVA Tribal Veteran Liaison, Lynette “Bee” Hopinkah-Tribal veteran office manager, Bruce Wilbur-Menominee, CVSO/TVSO, Connor Kestell-Oneida TVSO, Ronald “Stosh” Peterson-LdF TVSO, and Dean VanZile - Mole Lake Sakaogon TVSO.

Native Americans have one of the highest records of military service per capita of any ethnic group. In fact, 25 percent of able-bodied adult Native Americans enlist in the armed forces, compared to just 3 percent of the general population. Yet, less than 50 percent of eligible Native American Veterans apply for benefits they have earned. Tribal Veterans Service Officers work across government agencies to help promote awareness and to secure many local, state and federal benefits Native American Veterans earned through their service.

LDF Public School recently announced the Grade 7 Mighty Mathematicians (above). They earned the honor by increasing their scores on the AIMS Web assessment. They got to use a Snapchat filter because many of them didn’t want their picture taken. Congratulations!

Grade 4 students (below) helped pack lunches for the football team's away game. Mrs. Johnson shared that the football team said the sandwiches were very good. She thanked the 4th graders for helping Ms. Hernandez preparing the lunch.

Many job opportunities are listed at the end of this E-newsletter weekly. To improve awareness about the wide variety of jobs available, a featured employment opening will appear here every week. For all job openings, click this link to visit the Tribal Employment website page.

Peter Christensen Health Center has been awarded a renewed three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose X-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report that can be used for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR, founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care. The College serves more than 37,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

PCHC wishes to thank the staff of the PCHC Imaging/Radiology department for their work in maintaining this accreditation: Joan Buraglio, RT(R)(M), Valerie Hawn, RT(R)(CT) and Clinical Manager, Jennifer Jaeger, MSN, RN.

PCHC offers 3D Screening Mammography so to schedule your mammogram, contact PCHC at 715-588-3371 today!

To learn more about LDF Children's Trust, please review the flyer below, scan the QR code with the camera on your mobile phone, or click this video link.

Full descriptions of the LDF Business Development Corporation employment openings can be found on the LDF Business Development Corporation website. Current Openings Follow:

BDC: 

Human Resources Director and Janitor

LDF Holdings: 

Portfolio Support Agent

Ojibwe Market: 

Supervisor, Deli Clerk, and Produce Clerk