The Messenger Fall 2019

Robert Fowler Join us in Fond du Lac for Homecoming - October 19th! Chairman (920) 729-1033 [email protected]

Jessica Ryan Vice Chair (612) 508-3364 jlryan@ brothertownindians.org

Michelle Wood Treasurer (920) 602-0672 brothertowntreas@ brothertownindians.org

David Hankwitz Secretary (920) 923-6247 [email protected]

Skip Blanc Join us for singing, dancing, celebration, and more! (906) 280-0565 Doors: 9:00am Craig Cottrell Grand Entry: 9:30am (920) 265-6054 [email protected] Feast: 12:30pm

Dawn Kraintz Various activities and visiting throughout afternoon. (920) 979-9234 dmkraintz@ Bring a dish to share for the feast if you’re able! brothertownindians.org Seth Elsen Councilmembers, Peacemaker Sworn In at June Meeting (507) 254-3411 [email protected] Following the May Tribal election, Chairman Bob Fowler, Peacemakers Treasurer Michelle Wood, and Edd Welsh, Jr. Councilwoman Jessica Ryan Dennis Gramentz were sworn in by Councilman Renee Gralewicz Craig Cottrell for new three- Greg Wilson Greg Elsen year terms. Peacemaker Greg ------Elsen was also sworn in for a (920) 929-9964 five-year term. Jessica Ryan 311 Winnebago Drive was subsequently chosen to fill PO Box 2206 the vacant Vice Chair position, Fond du Lac, WI 59436 previously held by Chairman brothertownindians.org Fowler. Update from the Chairman After our last newsletter, I received a question regarding why we no longer request a set amount for dues. The short answer is dues are for clubs and we are the Brothertown Indian Nation. Because we operate under a nonprofit status, we do encourage our membership to voluntarily send donations. In the past Council suggested $35 yearly to help pay for newsletters and other mailings.

We have the opportunity to purchase the building we currently rent. After negotiation with the landlord, they came down to a price of $310,000, which we are taking into consideration after we do more research. Imagine if every adult member 18 and older would make a donation of $50 or more, we could make a down payment to purchase the Community Center and as Dawn Kraintz says, “It would truly be ours”. Once and if this happens, we will need an architect, carpenters, painters and other volunteers to donate their time to refurbish the hall.

Other financial needs are for mailings, our Homecoming, Picnic and Pow Wow, office supplies and another try for restoration of our Federal recognition. Newsletters alone cost the tribe about $1,000 an issue and yearly election ballots the same. As of now all travel and lodging to and for business and Tribal functions is paid by each individual. Dawn Kraintz, who heads Economic Development and Linda Shady, in the Administration Department, are both unpaid individuals who spend countless hours in the office doing work on behalf of our Tribe. In the future, I would like these to be paid positions so we would have someone in the office full time. I do realize not all members are financially able to make large donations while others are. We just ask you to do what your heart and head tell you to do.

I hope to see many of you at our Homecoming October 19th in Fond du Lac. Encourage your Brothertown family members to meet you there. Make sure you tour the museum and enjoy the day.

New Members Presented to Council June - August Roman Schreiber |Noa Thomas Easton and Oliva Norton Tuff and Westyn Hope Brice and Leona Laughery Benjamin and William Farris-Olsen Jaden and Isla Wolff Roman Schreiber (in father Lonie II’s arms), was presented to Chairman Fowler and Council, along with his mother, Liana, brother Max, and grandfather, Lonie. Donations Needed to Help Cover Mailing Costs Upcoming Events If you are one of the many members who receives the newsletter via email, the Tribe thanks you for helping reduce printing and Join us in Fond du Lac! mailing costs. If you receive the newsletter in via USPS, please Date Event consider a nominal donation. Costs associated with printing and 10/19/2019 Homecoming mailing the quarterly newsletter add up. Donations can be sent 10/20/2019 Council Meeting (10:00a) to the Tribe at: 11/16/2019 Council Meeting (10:00a) Council Meeting (10:00a); PO Box 2206, Fond du Lac, WI 54935. 12/14/2019 Taput ni! Holiday Potluck Brothertown in Pacific Northwest Gather in Eugene By Seth Elsen

This past August, more than 50 Brothertown gathered at the Many Nations Longhouse on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon. The 2019 gathering is the latest in a string of PNW Brothertown gatherings that have happened since the 1980s.

The gathering, which happened on the traditional and ceded lands of the Coquille and Grand Ronde peoples, provided attendees with updates on various issues, such as federal recognition, Tribal elections, language revitalization projects, shape note singing, and more. A general overview of Brothertown history was also presented.

After a potluck featuring some traditional foods, eleven youth were presented to Council, part of the process for being enrolled. Two honor songs were performed on a drum brought by Robert Tryon with many other Brothertown members joining in.

Beading and medicine teachings followed later on, led by Jessica Ryan.

It was amazing to see so many other Brothertown come together. Many at the gathering have been coming since we re-started these in 2014, but there were so many new faces, interested to learn and meet relatives, share histories, and connect.

I want to thank Erin Farris-Olsen, Sybil Brown, Paul Werth, Sue Schuler, and Cheryl Snyder for their help in planning the gathering. Additionally, I want to thank Jessica Ryan, Dawn and Dan Kraintz, and Diane Fowler for traveling out from to join us. Without their help and presence, we could not have had youth presented.

We’re all looking forward to our next gathering, and hope to have details soon.

Taput ni! Brothertown Represented at 43rd Annual Mohican Powwow By Renee Gralewicz (MAJ, US Army Retired)

The Mohican powwow always honors veterans and this year (August 9 – 11), the focus was on the Revolutionary War and the roles our Native Nations played in securing the freedom of the colonies. Stockbridge-Munsee Vice President Matt Putnam called and invited us personally to participate in the event and to share our history and knowledge with those in attendance. I was honored to have been asked to represent the Brothertown Indian Nation and veterans.

Well, I know very little regarding Brothertown activities during that era, so I called upon relatives to help. Megan Fulopp was quick to help and pointed me toward a few documents. By the way, if you have not been following Renee Gralewicz, Jessica Ryan, and Skip Blanc. Photo courtesy of Kevin Kowalski. her blog, you should! (brothertowncitizen.com/)

The Oneida were invited to be the first guest speaker to discuss the Revolutionary War. They did a wonderful and detailed talk covering much of what I intended to say. So rather than being redundant, I focused instead on Brothertown’s statement of neutrality. I read General George Washington’s letter to the Brothertown acknowledging and respecting our neutrality along with asking us to not impede the Colonists’ efforts. Needless to say, though our leaders held a neutral position, they did not prohibit individuals from participating which many did in support of the Colonists. I read aloud the names of those we know who died in the war efforts: John Adams I, Samuel Adams I, Samuel Adams II, Dancers at the Mohican Powwow. Photo courtesy of Kevin Solomon Adams, Timothy Brushel, Andrew Curricomb II, Kowalski. David Occom, Thomas Patchauker, John Paul, Abraham Simons, Emanual Simons, James Simons I, John Skeesuck II, Benjamin Toucee, and Roger Wauby. Following my talk, an honor song was played for the Brothertown. Brothertown Citizens available for the dance included Jessica Ryan, Skip Blanc, Tom Smith, Bob Fowler with his wife Dianne, and Mary Healy Hartill, one of our west coast transplants.

I love this gathering as many of my relatives are Mohican and it’s one of the few times of the year I see them. The dancing was amazing, the dancers amazing, and their regalia awe inspiring. Renee Gralewicz, Jessica Ryan, and Skip Blanc, along with th I hope to see more relatives at our October 19 representatives from other Tribes. Photo courtesy of Kevin Homecoming. Please join us! Kowalski. Algae Blooms in – What Are They?

Each year, you may notice that Lake Winnebago and other waterways develop a pea soup-like color. It might smell bad, it can be thick, and it can be dangerous. This phenomenon is called blue-green algae, or more specifically, Cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria can occur naturally in warm, slow-moving waters, and is exacerbated by nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, temperature spikes, precipitation, and abundant sunlight, fueling the growth of the bacteria into a full-on bloom. These blooms are not new, but they may be becoming more frequent and intense as a result of increased nutrient loading from human sources, such as fertilizers and failing septic systems.

While these blooms eventually will dissipate, they can pose risks to both humans and animals if toxins are present within the bacteria. Rashes, nausea, and headaches are just a few of the human health effects of exposure. Beyond land, though, the impacts can be far-reaching. As a bloom dies, the decomposition can result in a depletion of dissolved oxygen, creating a dead zone for aquatic species and fish. Blue-green algae on Lake Winnebago. Photo What Can Be Done to Control Blue-Green Algae? courtesy of UW-Green Bay. Though these blooms occur naturally, their intensity and frequency can be reduced by controlling the amount of nutrients that find their way into the Lake Winnebago Watershed. Here are a few ways you can help: • Limit use of fertilizers • Regularly inspect and pump your septic system • Clean up pet waste • Plant and maintain vegetation buffers along the shoreline • Keep yard waste from entering the water or storm Blue-green algae on Lake Winnebago. Photo drains courtesy of Action News 2. Tribe Featured in Mosaics Podcast in Over the course of this past summer, The Public’s Radio, a station broadcasting throughout Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts, began airing a podcast about the American immigration experience past and present. In the series, three episodes are focused on the Brothertown Indian Nation.

The first of the three episodes, The Betrayal of , introduces Occom, his travels to Europe to raise funds for an institution devoted to education Indians, and the eventual betrayal of Occom by Eleazor Wheeler with the formation of . The second episode, Journey to Brothertown, picks up with the formation of what would eventually become Brothertown, migration and forced relocation throughout New England and eventually to Wisconsin. The last episode, The Brothertown Fight for Recognition, details the Tribe’s arrival in Wisconsin, efforts to secure citizenship, and our ongoing efforts to regain federal recognition.

All three episodes, along with the full series, can be heard by visiting www.thepublicsradio.org/show/mosaic. Brothertown History Celebrated at Northern Spark Festival By Jessica Ryan

Brothertown Indian Nation was afforded the opportunity to be represented at Northern Spark, an annual late-night art festival in the Twin Cities area that took place in June. Northern Spark creates a theme to push artists’ creativity around cultural and societal issues. This year’s theme was “We Are Here: Resilience, Renewal & Regeneration,” putting focus on the Native American community. Many activities were taking place to celebrate the event. A section of Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis was shut down between Bloomington and 13th Avenue, an historically high American Indian part of Above: The Sacred Harp Singers performing a song from Thomas Commuck’s Indian Melodies. Below: Bracelets made by Tamara Aupaumut. town. On that section, there were artists that decolonized the Franklin library, Lacrosse games were held in the middle of the street all night long, and performance art was shared. All My Relations Art Gallery featured artwork from the current show “Bring her home: Stolen Daughters of Turtle Island” which focuses on missing and murdered indigenous women.

The Sacred Harp Singers were located in the Minnesota Chippewa building at 1308 Franklin Avenue, next to the Franklin Library where Local Artist and Brothertown descendant Tamara Aupaumut and her children worked on The Decolonization of the Library. The Sacred Harp Singers featured some songs From the Indian Melodies songbook that were originally published by Brothertown’s own Thomas Commuck in 1845. Thomas Commuck was the first published Native American. Brothertown Indian Nation was represented at Northern Spark by Brothertown descendent Tasha Thompson and welcomed by Sacred Harp singer Alex Jenkins-White. While The Sacred Harp singers did most of the heavy lifting, Tasha set up a beading table where she beaded crosses and feathers using porcupine quills. She also had a kids’ area set up on the table with bigger beads so kids could make their own bracelets. Alex and singers moved all the chairs to the center of the room for the traditional sacred harp or shape note singing square. Tuners were sung from three books: The Sacred Harp, The Shenandoah Harmony, and The Indian Melodies book. The Sacred Harp Singers sang from 9pm to 2am. There was a steady stream of people who came in and were encouraged to join in the singing. Overall, it was such an amazing event to be able to be a part of. It was also a wonderful opportunity to be able to educate the community about who we are as Brothertown as well as sharing the spotlight with the shape note singers who have brought Thomas Commuck’s work alive again. It’s truly an unspeakable type of feeling to hear work that was created over 150 years ago by a relative, just completely come to life and transplant you into their world. It’s almost like getting into a time machine and traveling to 1845 for 3 minutes. It was inspiring as well, because 150 years later, we are still here: Resilient as ever! Please, if you haven’t heard of Shape Note singing visit www.fasola.org and attend your nearest singing event. Welch Family Donates Tribal Record Book By Megan Fulopp

At the Tribal Council meeting in June, the Brothertown Indian Nation received a very generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Russel Welch: a 231-year-old Brothertown Indian Record book. Records of the Brothertown Indians, as the book’s cover reads, was originally begun by our ancestors in 1788 in New York. It continued to be updated regularly with important Brothertown correspondence and records until 1810 and was updated once more in the year 1901. Since the late 1800’s, the book has been safeguarded and passed down through the generations of the Fowler/Kindness/Welch families until its donation this past June. “My main concern is that this book is kept safe,” said Mr. Welch. “After much thought about where to pass this book next, I decided it should be kept in Fond du Lac with the Brothertown Indians of Wisconsin.” First cousin Cheri Welch, who was present at the event, said it was “very emotional for many of us. It gave me goosebumps and kind of choked me up.” Councilwoman Jessica Ryan admitted that “as a lawyer, and as a judge, it is especially humbling to read, in our own historic record book, how our ancestors and relatives worked together to honor that long-time cultural value of finding, returning to, and maintaining that place of balance and harmony among our People.” Mr. Welch remembers that he first learned about the book when he was 6 or 7 years old. It had been given to his father, Corliss in 1934 and was always kept protected and on a shelf in a closet. The book passed on to Russel when his father died in 1975. Corliss had received the book from his aunt, Lura Fowler Kindness who, in turn, had received it from her father, William Fowler. The family is not certain how William came to have the book. However, page 270 of Annals and Recollections of Oneida County (New York) may offer clues of its whereabouts prior to Mr. Fowler’s ownership: “Some time in the year 1850, the tribe now at Green Bay sent by a messenger for both books but for some reason the messenger did not obtain the book containing their town records, but did that containing their judicial proceedings [now more commonly known as the Peacemaker’s Record Book and a part of The Brothertown Collection] which he took to Green Bay.” Throughout the years, the family received several offers from private collectors to purchase the book and from the Wisconsin Historical Society seeking its donation. One such incident was memorialized by Native American researcher Coe Hayne in 1934. After visiting and speaking with the Brothertown Indians, he wrote a five-page paper on the history of the Tribe and its people which he titled The Long Trail of the Brothertown Indians. In this paper, Hayne mentions that he visited with Mrs. Lura Fowler Kindness who showed him the book and told him, “There were antique hunters in our village a few years ago. They asked me to sell this record book to them. I would as soon part with my life.”

Left: Russel and his wife, Jan, present the book to Chairman Robert Fowler.

Right: Lura Fowler Kindness with the book.

Brothertown Nation Incorporated 311 Winnebago Drive Fond du Lac, WI 54935-2541 Return Mail to: PO Box 2206 Fond du Lac, WI 54936-2206

The mission of the Brothertown Tribe is to continue a stable and dynamic government which will promote and maintain the spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, and economic well being of our citizens; to restore and preserve our unique historical, cultural, and traditional beliefs; to preserve and protect our sovereignty in order to achieve self-determination and self- sufficiency; to promote a positive image of integrity, honesty, respect and fairness when pursuing cultural, economic and social initiatives; to promote peace and harmony for the fulfillment of our vision as community where all people can prosper and grow in mind,body and spirit.

The Brothertown Tribe recognizes and accepts the relationships which must be forged between all who will be affected by our sovereignty. It is in faith we undertake these tasks and it shall be with a spirit of cooperation and friendship that we reach the goals which we have set