Remembering See the Tribe’s Washington football Stephen Bowers 2020 graduates name change v COMMUNITY v 6A EDUCATION 1B-4B SPORTS v 5B www.seminoletribune.org Free Volume XLIV • Number 7 July 31, 2020 Fort Lauderdale woman hits Princesses step up to serve another year Seminole Pandemic forces Gaming record cancellation $3.85M jackpot of this year’s BY KEVIN JOHNSON Senior Editor pageant HOLLYWOOD — After celebrating BY KEVIN JOHNSON her 60th birthday just days earlier, a Fort Senior Editor Lauderdale woman had about four million more reasons to celebrate again. The woman, identified only as “Ms. HOLLYWOOD — The Seminole Laurie,” hit a slots jackpot for $3,854,682 Princess Pageant – one of the most important just past midnight on July 23 at Seminole and highly anticipated annual events on the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Tribe’s calendar – won’t be crowning a new “I am in absolute shock,” she said in a Miss Florida Seminole or Jr. Miss Florida press release from the casino. “You like to Seminole this year. dream big, but that’s really big. That’s not Pageant week was scheduled to be held even in the ballpark of what you think you during the last week of July culminating can win. That’s a lottery. It still feels like a with pageant night on Aug. 1 at Tribal dream.” headquarters’ auditorium, but all activities The casino said the jackpot is the highest have been cancelled as the COVID-19 payout in history for Seminole Gaming’s pandemic continues to plague the world six properties, two of which are located in throughout 2020, including hard-hit South Hollywood and the others are in Brighton, Florida. Coconut Creek, Immokalee and Tampa. If there is a silver lining in the The woman, who earlier had dinner with cancellation, it’s that the duties of the friends at Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, hit princesses will remain in good hands for the the jackpot on an IGT Megabucks game. 2020-21 year. The reigns of current Miss As for her plans with the massive Florida Seminole Durante Blais-Billie and Kevin Johnson windfall: “We’re talking about hurricane Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Aubee Billie have Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Aubee Billie, left, and Miss Florida Seminole Durante Blais-Billie, shown here at the FSU homecoming football game Oct. 26, 2019, windows. We talked about resurfacing the been extended for another year. will serve another year as the Tribe’s royalty after this year’s Princess Pageant, which was slated to be held Aug. 1, was cancelled due to the pandemic. pool or maybe getting a nicer condo after “It is unfortunate that a decision like retirement,” she said. this needs to be made, but I couldn’t be more After being closed for nearly three pleased to have both of these exceptional Program. “They are truly a joy to collaborate virtual appearances. We have the ability to 2020-21 year.” months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seminole women represent the Seminole with because they always bring a positive be creative with their reign through social casino reopened June 12 under new health Tribe of Florida for another year,” said attitude and strong sense of self to their media and virtual meeting applications. The title. The remaining half of 2020 could be Princess Program is very proud and excited and safety guidelines. Since the reboot, it has LaVonne Rose, director of the Princess F awarded more than $74.8 million in jackpots. challenging, but my hope for them is to make to work with Durante and Aubee for the See PRINCESSES on page 4A Cheyenne Kippenberger speaks at Congressional hearing and to have resources that prescribed me the BY JENNA KOPEC antidepressants that I needed,” Kippenberger Special to the Tribune said, “but mental health care should not be a privilege. This type of access to support facilities should be available all over Indian Seminole Tribe member and Miss Country.” Indian World Cheyenne Kippenberger spoke Kippenberger called for mental alongside other United National Indian health access for Natives living on and off Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) leaders on reservations and within educational settings July 16 in a Congressional hearing entitled beginning at preschool and continuing “Native Youth Perspectives on Mental through college. The services she suggested Health and Healing.” would provide Native youth with tools and Led by Arizona Congressman Ruben coping mechanisms they need. Gallego, chair of the Subcommittee for Kippenberger stated the importance Indigenous Peoples of the United States, the of having federally-funded programs virtual hearing was an opportunity for Native to protect mental health, but that also youth to share their experiences with mental provide “culturally competent care with health and what can be done to improve treatment paths not limited to just therapy mental health in indigenous communities or medications.” She stated that it’s across the nation. important that caregivers, at the very least, Kippenberger was joined by three other must understand the trauma that the Native youth leaders from different tribes: Marco population has withstood after years of Ovando, of the Shoshone Paiute Tribe; genocide, broken treaties and persecution. If Laticia Gonzales, of the Bishop Paiute; and possible, she would like to see mental health Robert “Scottie” Miller, of the Swinomish workers that are part of Native communities Indian Tribal Community. and who can truly understand the struggles Currently, American Indians and Alaska of Native youth. Natives have disproportionately higher Finally, Kippenberger called for the rates of depression, substance abuse, PTSD, U.S. government to fund research regarding intergenerational trauma and suicide. In mental health among Native populations. Screenshot fact, suicide is the second leading cause of “How do we know what needs to be Miss Indian World Cheyenne Kippenberger speaks during a Congressional hearing about Native youth and mental health July 16. death among Natives. Kippenberger has put done or provided without understanding mental health at the forefront of her reign as what is occurring in the lives of our Native Miss Indian World, which has been extended people?” she asked. “We need accurate spirituality and as for many back home, one All of the panelists acknowledged they agreed that Natives are able to “rally” an additional year due to this year’s MIW research and data to prove what we know cannot exist without the other,” Ovando said. the added toll that COVID-19 is taking through all of their strifes. Ovando cited a pageant being cancelled because of the has been occurring for decades in our Miller, who agreed that there is an on reservations and Native communities. pen pal system between youth and elders, pandemic. community.” urgent need for increased access to mental Native communities are considered a the two groups he says are struggling most, During her statements in the hearing, Kippenberger’s points were in line with health care for reservations, stated that there vulnerable population to the disease and among the Shoshone and Kippenberger, Kippenberger called for increased access the statements the other leaders gave. Her is also a need to destigmatize mental health some communities have struggled to keep mentioned weekly Zoom calls among to mental health services and counseling on emphasis on the need to understand and services, especially among tribes that he members safe physically and mentally. members who are willing to do “whatever it the reservations, citing her own experience embrace culture was in sync with Ovando’s describes as less outwardly emotional. Each panelist agreed that either takes” to support one another. with the Center for Behavioral Health on the primary message regarding the rediscovery “Part of [solving this issue] would just limited access to basic necessities or the Hollywood Reservation. and preservation of Native culture and be education and advocating that you don’t cancellation of important community “I am aware of the privilege it is to have spirituality. need to have a problem to go to a counselor. events have impacted the mental health access to a therapist on my own reservation “My mental health is tied to my And that it’s normal,” Miller said. of the communities as a whole. However, Historic win for tribes in McGirt v. Oklahoma case BY JENNA KOPEC disestablished by the U.S. government. In “The Court is not going to be in the Jimcy McGirt of rape. McGirt, who is a jurisdiction of the United States” if that Special to the Tribune other words, potentially 47 percent of the business of taking away tribal rights without registered member of the Seminole Nation crime was committed “within the Indian state is still Native land. Congressional intent anymore,” Riyaz in Oklahoma, argued that he could not be country.” In other words, only the tribal In early July, the nation watched the Native leaders and allies are praising Kanji, the lawyer who argued the McGirt tried by the state government for the crime or U.S. government has jurisdiction over Supreme Court of the United States make the decision as a long-overdue step toward case on the tribe’s behalf, told The Atlantic. because it would have taken place on land crimes that happen on reservations, not the a landmark decision regarding the rights keeping the U.S. government’s promise to “We will be quoting that decision for the rest that belongs to the Creek Nation per an 1866 state of Native American tribes throughout the Native people. As the U.S. has a long history of our lives.” treaty. country. On July 9, Chief Justice Neil of violating the treaties made with Native This information is important because Background on the treaty Gorsuch authored the majority opinion, Americans, Gorsuch definitively stated that Background on the case according to the Major Crimes Act (MCA), signed by four other justices, in McGirt only Congress has the power to extinguish “any Indian who commits” a crime “against Although the reservation was clearly v.