LDF #2 includes two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes designed by Travois architects. A rendering of a four-bedroom home is shown above.

The Lac du Flambeau Chippewa Housing Authority recently secured nearly $15 million in financing through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to build and substantially renovate a combined 44 homes. This remarkable accomplishment will help the community combat overcrowding and a shortage of housing.

The Chippewa Housing Authority (CHA) is building 20 new single-family homes, a community center and a park, while simultaneously rehabilitating another 24 houses for members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. These two separate projects are referred to as Lac du Flambeau Chippewa Housing Authority #1 and #2 (LDF CHA #1 and #2) and represent $24.6 million in development.

Together, they’ll help to address an estimated shortage of 400 homes in the Lac du Flambeau community while also strengthening the Tribe’s future and sovereignty. 

“One of the long-term benefits of these projects is that it will help the Tribe be able to sustain Tribal membership here in the community,” CHA Executive Director Jeff Ackley said. “They will not have to move off the reservation to find other housing.”

To fund the developments, CHA partnered with Travois to successfully apply for two 2022 LIHTC allocations from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Association (WHEDA). LDF CHA #2 is the first Tribal LIHTC new construction project to have been awarded in Wisconsin since 2014.

“It’s quite an accomplishment for the Chippewa Housing Authority to be under construction on two LIHTC projects at once. In such a competitive environment, developers are lucky to receive one allocation of credits per funding round, so for CHA to receive two awards was quite a feat,” Travois Vice President for Housing Development Bryan Schuler said. “The community of Lac du Flambeau has not seen this level of transformative development since CHA’s prior LIHTC projects in 1998 and the early 2000s.”

In August, CHA closed with equity investor RBC Community Investments. As part of the LIHTC process, RBC Community Investments will provide nearly $15 million in equity that doesn’t need to be repaid.

“I think this is quite a monumental feat for a community to do that because a lot of times the developers that are applying for tax credits are the huge developers. They have a means to be able to do that, but we have a path and a way to be able to do that too in our Tribal communities.” Ackley said.

CHA acquired funding from several other sources to cover the remaining costs. The housing authority received $3.7 million through the American Rescue Plan Act and a $750,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.

The Tribal Council, the CHA Board of Commissioners, and the Tribe’s Business Development Corporation collaborated to fill a remaining gap in funding.

“Despite several obstacles, they were able to successfully close both projects with an equity investor and commence construction before the winter settles in” Travois project manager Abby Day said. “The homes will accommodate larger family sizes and include design features such as front porches and garages to fit the needs of the tribal members. Forty-four new and substantially renovated homes is a huge win for the community!”

LDF CHA LIHTC #1

The Tribe’s first LIHTC development comprises the rehabilitation of 24 single-family, including 15 ranch homes and nine split-level homes. The existing three-bedroom homes will be updated to feature four bedrooms and an additional bathroom to accommodate larger families and reduce overcrowding.

Travois architects have incorporated several green building techniques in the rehabilitation to lower energy use and utility costs for residents. Each home will receive new energy efficient windows and doors, increased wall and attic insulation, and high-efficiency HVAC systems.

The homes will serve members living at or below 60% of the area median income with certain units set aside for supportive services and veterans.

LDF CHA LIHTC #2

The second LIHTC development consists of 20 new single-family homes with two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts. Travois architects custom designed the new homes to feature open floor plans, covered front porches and kitchens with island or peninsula seating. Mudrooms with garage or exterior door access will act as an airlock in colder winter months.

The homes will serve members living at or below 60% of the area median income, ranging from families with children to Elders. There will be a set aside of units for unhoused relatives, people with special needs, residents who need supportive services and veterans.

Additionally, a new community building will include a community room, a full kitchen, an office, and a large front porch to facilitate events for members of the neighborhood, as well as a park with a playground.

Tribal President John Johnson recently discussed treaty rights with Wisconsin Public Radio's Kate Archer Kent. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the LCO v Voigt case, which reaffirmed tribal treaty rights. President Johnson also serves as chairman of the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission's Voigt Taskforce. Click this link to hear the full discussion.

If you want to see crucial dates and actions (pictured above) related to the LCO decision, click this link for a timeline of events.

Domestic violence is “a pattern of abusive behavior in any intimate or family relationship that is used by one person to gain or maintain control over another person.

The Lac du Flambeau Statewide Shelter Program offers shelter and a variety of services to all victims of domestic violence/sexual assault and their children. For help and information please call 1-800-236-7660 

Domestic violence can be physical or psychological, and it can affect anyone of any age, gender, race, or sexual orientation. This includes behaviors meant to scare, physically harm, or control a person.

While every relationship is different, domestic violence typically involves an unequal power dynamic in which one partner tries to assert control over the other in a variety of ways. Insults, threats, emotional, abuse, and sexual coercion all constitute domestic violence.

Some perpetrators may use children, pets, or other family members as emotional leverage to get their victim to do what they want. Victims of domestic violence experience diminished self-worth, anxiety, depression, and a general sense of helplessness that can take time and professional help to overcome.

The aim of emotional abuse is to chip away at your feelings of self-worth and independence—leaving you feeling that there is no way out of the relationship, or that without your abusive partner, you have nothing.

Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse such as yelling, name-calling, blaming, and shaming. Isolation, intimidation, and controlling behavior are also forms of emotional abuse.

Abusers who use emotional or psychological abuse often throw in threats of physical violence or other repercussions if you do not do as they want.

The scars of emotional abuse are very real and they run deep. You may think that physical abuse is far worse than emotional abuse, since physical violence can send you to the hospital and leave you with physical wounds. Emotional abuse can be just as damaging—sometimes even more so.

Despite what many people believe, domestic violence and abuse does not take place because of an abuser loses control over their behavior. In fact, abusive behavior and violence is a deliberate choice to gain control. Perpetrators use a variety of tactics to manipulate you and exert their power, including:

Dominance – Abusive individuals need to feel in charge of the relationship. They may make decisions for you and the family, tell you what to do, and expect you to obey without question. Your abuser may treat you like a servant, child, or even as their possession.

Humiliation – An abuser will do everything they can to lower your self-esteem or make you feel defective in some way. After all, if you believe you are worthless and that no one else will want you, you are less likely to leave. Insults, name-calling, shaming, and public put-downs are all weapons of abuse designed to erode your self-worth and make you feel powerless.

Isolation – In order to increase your dependence on them, an abusive partner will cut you off from the outside world. They may keep you from seeing family or friends, or even prevent you from going to work or school. You may have to ask permission to do anything, go anywhere, or see anyone.

Threats – Abusers commonly use threats to keep their partners from leaving or scare them into dropping charges. Your abuser may threaten to hurt or kill you, your children, other family members, or even pets. They may also threaten to commit suicide, file false charges against you, or report you to child services.

Intimidation – Your abuser may use a variety of intimidation tactics designed to scare you into submission. Such tactics include making threatening looks or gestures, smashing things in front of you, destroying property, hurting your pets, or putting weapons on display. The message behind these actions is that violent consequences will follow if you do not obey.

Denial and blame – Abusers are adept at making excuses for the inexcusable. They may blame their abusive and violent behavior on a bad childhood, a bad day, or even on you and the kids, the victims of their abuse. They may minimize the abuse or deny that it occurred. Often, they will shift the responsibility on to you: somehow, their violent and abusive behavior is your fault.

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

By Carol Ann Amour

Back in 2020 Wayne Valliere was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. Because of covid, though, NEA was unable to present the award or host an in person celebration at the time. But that all changed on Friday, September 29th when the 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Ceremony and Reception was held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

And what a celebration it was. Top notch entertainment, a banquet, the unveiling of his portrait in the Library of Congress, an audience with State Senator Tammy Baldwin, speeches, and ceremony. 

“It was an incredibly humbling experience,” Valliere said.

The NEA National Heritage Fellowships is the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. Each year since 1982, the program has recognized recipients' artistic excellence, lifetime achievement, and contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage.

“The 2023 National Heritage Fellows exemplify what it means to live an artful life. Their rich and diverse art forms connect us to the past, strengthen our communities today, and give hope to future generations in ways that only the arts can. Our nation is strengthened through their meaningful practices, expressions, and preservation of traditional artistry.” — NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD

The initial Heritage Fellow announcement that included Wayne Valliere, was made by the National Endowment back in 2020. 

“Congratulations to Wayne Valliere, Sr., a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, on his recent recognition as a 2020 National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)! Mr. Valliere is a traditional birchbark canoe builder from Lac du Flambeau and works as an Ojibwe language and culture teacher at the Lac du Flambeau Public School”

Valliere has constructed canoes with students, apprentices and community members at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Indian Community School of Milwaukee, Northwestern University, and Purdue University, to name just a few of his projects. Wherever he goes he teaches about the importance of his ancestral teachings, the vast scientific and environmental knowledge his ancestors possessed, the importance of all of us working together to care for the environment, and the power and value of intercultural understanding. He is an excellent storyteller and a compelling teacher.

One of his most recent projects was done through a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board to the Warehouse Community Arts Center in Eagle River supporting the building of a summer wigwam with the participation of dozens of tribal members from Waaswaaganing and folks from surrounding communities working together.

Click the link below to see a story about Wayne and his work that appeared in Love Wisconsin a couple of years ago. https://www.lovewi.com/wayne/

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 Generalist and Janitor

LDF Holdings: 

Portfolio Support Agent

Ojibwe Market: 

Deli Clerk and Cashier

Woodland Cannabis: 

Dispensary Retail Manager