The Abinoojiyag Resource Center (ARC), Domestic Abuse Program (DAP), and the Crimes Victim Program (CVP) are hosting a Family Awareness Event on Friday, April 26th.

The Drug Task Force will be seeking community input on the Tribal Action Plan. In addition, a discussion on removing the stigma of mental illnesses will take place.

The programs aim to enhance awareness of child abuse and sexual abuse, and provide resources and information to our community about who is available and who to turn to if help is needed. Information will be available, and staff will be at the event to answer questions.

There will be a big drawing at this event, and organizers are asking for donations for the winning family. The theme of the drawing is the Ultimate Camping Package.

For more information, please  email Lynn Bigboy  or call 715-682-7111, extension 1439.

The Head Start Easter Parade took place on April 17th, and the Easter Bunny visited with children.

Chi Miigwech to Lynn Bigboy for sharing these photos.

By Rianna Turner, Yale Daily News

	Photo from the Yale Daily News

At the outset of spring, Book Trader Cafe's expansive, floor-length windows allow the afternoon sun to slice across the room. The light is harsh, straining the eyesight of those who occupy the too-small tables. Katherine McCleary '18 sits at the corner of two tables pushed together - a necessary feat for a conversation amongst four people. With her back facing west, she is rendered a silhouette.

"In the fall of 2015, as all stories start," McCleary, who identifies as Little Shell Chippewa-Cree, said, "there were a lot of discussions about representations of race and ethnicity on campus."

She shared knowing glances and a giggle with the other two students around the table - Leah Shrestinian '18 and Joseph Zordan '19, who identifies as Bad River Ojibwe. McCleary and Shrestinian have acquired their degrees and Zordan is finishing his last semester, but all three have remained on campus in order to finish one final project at Yale: curating the largest exhibit of indigenous North American art to ever go on view at the Yale University Art Gallery, or YUAG. The exhibit, which was recently titled "Place, Nations, Generations, Beings: 200 Years of Indigenous North American Art" will be on view at the YUAG from November 1, 2019 to June 21, 2020.

The process behind this exhibit has taken years - years of activist efforts from on-campus Native American students and professors, years of grappling with institutional barriers and pushback, years of dedicated work by the student curators and centuries of history to contend with.

The student curators had three distinct goals, which foster conversations that will fundamentally alter the ways in which Yale institutions interact with and exhibit indigenous art.

Read the full story

Congratulations Joseph on your accomplishments and upcoming graduation!

By Levi Rickert, Native News Online

American Indian journalist Patty Loew, a Tribal citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.

Loew is professor in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications and co-director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University (CNAIR).

At CNAIR, she helps advance research and scholarship about Native nations, communities and people. Loew is author of " Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal," now in its second edition, which won the Wisconsin Library Association's 2002 Outstanding Book Award.

The Academy was founded in 1780 by John Adams, James Bowdoin and others who believed the new republic should honor exceptionally accomplished individuals and engage them in advancing the public good. The Academy's dual mission remains essentially the same 239 years later with honorees from increasingly diverse fields and with the work now focused on the arts, democracy, education, global affairs and science.

Loew is among five individuals from Northwestern University to be elected this year. Additionally, this year's class includes more than 200 individuals with compelling achievements in academic, business, government and public affairs. Perhaps, the most notable name among the more than 200 is former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

The new class will be inducted at a ceremony in October in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Congratulations Patty!

* The EPA defines the term "Brownfield" as an abandoned, idled or under-used real property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of environmental contamination. Some examples are: oil spills, underground storage tanks, and open dumps. (definition sourced from EPA brownfields webpage)

The Bad River Brownfields Program was implemented in 2013 to address contaminated sites across the reservation. The contaminated sites include papermill sludge sites, underground storage tanks, and open dumping sites.

Because the program is relatively new, there is a need to re-evaluate the priorities of the program moving forward.

Please participate in this community survey.

The results of this survey will help the program continue to grow and expand. Increasing the efficiency of the program will help in the cleanup and prevention of environmental contamination.

Your time and contribution to the program are greatly appreciated!

The four current activities of the brownfield program include, but are not limited to:

• Timely survey and inventory of brownfield sites
• Oversight and enforcement of compliance regarding brownfield sites
• Provide Meaningful Opportunities for Public Participation
• Cleanup plan, verification, and certification that clean-up is complete

The survey closes on Sunday, April 28, 2019.

	Sample gathered at the site of a canine fatality. Submitted photo.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service are seeking the public's help in solving several cases involving the poisoning deaths of domestic dogs and wildlife since December.

Dog deaths have occurred in Bayfield, Marinette and Florence Counties; however, it is unknown if other counties could be involved. In addition to the unfortunate poisoning of these family pets, investigators also found dead coyotes, weasels, raccoons and one wolf that they suspect also were poisoned. Lab tests are underway to confirm the cause of death in these wildlife cases.

The deaths occurred on public properties in these counties managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Goodman Timber Company.

This photo shows an actual sample recovered by WDNR law enforcement at one of the locations of a canine fatality.

Investigators say the poison was found on the ground in rural areas and subsequently was ingested by the dogs. Each dog died in less than 30 minutes after ingestion. People walking their pets are recommended to keep them on leashes to restrict their movements off roadways to avoid contact with any possible poison.

If you have information or a tip - no matter how insignificant it may seem - please contact the WDNR Violation Hotline. You may confidentially report by calling or texting: 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. You also may report online. The hotline is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained staff relay report information to conservation wardens.

The Bad River Tribal Youth Leadership & Resilience Initiative ( BRTYLRI) will bring together a group of promising young Tribal Members to learn about the language, culture, leadership, mentoring and history of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Nation.

This is an opportunity to engage your spirit and learn all those hunting, gathering and traditional ways while strengthening yourself, family and community.

If you are ready to be a leader, between the ages of 10-17, and want to learn how to work with others and help make great things happen for your Nation, sign up for BRTYLRI today!

The first meeting is May 22nd at 6:00 pm at the Community Center.

For more information or to sign up, please email Lynn Bigboy or call 715-682-7111, extension 1439.

Applications are now being accepted for the Bad River 2019 Summer Youth Program. This program, for youth ages 14 to 17 years old, will take place in July and August, and offers four tracks for youth to choose from: 

• BR Youth DNR - June 24th through July 26th. Eight hours per day - five weeks total of 40 hours per week.
• BR Summer Youth Crew - June 24th through July 19th. Eight hours per day - four weeks total of 32-40 hours per week.
• BR Youth Outdoors - July 22nd through August 16th - eight hours per day - four weeks total of 40 hours per week.
• BR Youth Leadership - TBD - internship - submit letter of recommendation from teacher or Elder.

Applications must be submitted by 4:30 pm on Wednesday, May 1st.

Orientation for the Circle of Youth will be held on Wednesday, May 15th, at the Community Center.

Applications are to be dropped off at the Bad River Social Services Department - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF program), located at the Bad River Community Center. 

If you have any questions or need more information, please email Lynn Bigboy or call 715-682-7111, extension 1439.

View the Summer Youth Program Application

	Senator Gaylord Nelson overlooking the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, a waterway he worked to protect as the first "Wild and Scenic River" in the United States. Photo courtesy of Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day website.

The first Earth Day, observed across the country on April 22, 1970, crystallized a growing public concern about ecological crises. Earth Day was the product of local grassroots action to increase environmental awareness, but it also focused the nation's political agenda on urgent environmental issues.

It was a legislator from Wisconsin, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, who, in September 1969, proposed a national teach-in on the environment to send a message to Washington that public opinion supported a bold political agenda on environmental problems.

Inspired by the campus activism of the late 1960s, he employed a team of student activists to help him respond to the public pressure for a national day on the environment.

However, Senator Nelson insisted the first Earth Day's activities be created not by organizers in Washington, but by individuals and groups in their own communities. As a result of this empowering vision, 1 in 10 Americans participated in the first Earth Day, drawing extensive attention from the media and jump-starting an era of bold environmental legislation.

Learn more about Earth Day.

Despite the risk, drivers increasingly report using their phones while behind the wheel. Nearly half (49 percent) of drivers report recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving. Nearly 35 percent have sent a text or email.

It's a problem especially prevalent in teenage drivers. Teen drivers face a troubling combination of both distraction and inexperience. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), six out of 10 teen crashes involve driver distraction. In 2017, 297 people died in crashes involving distracted teen drivers.

The most common forms of driver distraction include:

• Phone calls or texting
• Speech-to-text or virtual assistants
• Programming or referencing GPS
• Adjusting music or controls
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Handling children or pets
• Applying makeup

The AAA has compiled a list of tips to help avoid distracted driving and keep our roads safer for everyone and a special resource for parents of teen drivers.

• Don't text and drive. Put aside electronic distractions and never use text messaging, email, video games or internet functions, including those built into the vehicle, while driving.
• Know where you're going. Pre-program your GPS and adjust seats, mirrors, climate controls and sound systems before putting the car in motion.
• Secure Items. Properly secure children and pets and store loose possessions and other items that could roll around in the car.
• Snack Smart. Avoid messy foods that can be difficult to manage.

Learn more about the AAA Foundation's research into distracted driving. 

Click on the image to view a larger version

Click on the image to view a larger version

Lacrosse Mondays at 4:30 pm Community Center	MOVE Project - Ladies Workout Tuesdays at 4:30 pm Community Center A weekly workout class open to women, girls, ladies and moms of all ages. Join us for a 45-60 minute workout, all equipment provided, just bring gym shoes/clothes and water.
Beading Circle Wednesdays at 2:00 pm Bad River THPO Building	Language Table 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 6:00 pm Bad River Head Start

Visit these sites for current employment opportunities:

Bad River Lodge and Casino

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College

Job Center of Wisconsin

Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program (CEP)