Follow us on Twitter #CATribalTribune www.c-a-tribes.org/tribal-news Feb. 1, 2019 -Vol. 15, Issue 3 What is the JOM Cheyenne and Arapaho Rivers project Modernization Act and how will it benefit Native flows with information and rich history American Latoya Lonelodge Staff Reporter students Rosemary Stephens With strong winds come Editor-in-Chief strong hopes for future gen- erations where respective The Johnson O’Mal- Tribal cultures and languages ley (JOM) Modernization flourish within communities. Act requires the United Now, gusts of hope blows States Dept. of Interior to once again as Tribal officials update the count of Native and programs came together American students eligi- to discuss the Cheyenne and Arapaho Rivers project. ble for the JOM program On Jan. 24 the Cheyenne annually. The JOM pro- and Arapaho Tribal Environ- gram awards contracts to mental Program and Environ- support the needs of Na- mental Oversight Commit- tive American students. tee (EOC) hosted a meeting The contract amounts are where former Bureau of Rec- based on the number of lamation Archaeologist Bob students served, so the up- Blasing gave a presentation dated numbers would be of the project. The Cheyenne and Arap- reflected more regularly in aho Rivers project is a col- the contracts. laborative waterways project On Dec. 20, 2018 the of Tribal historical sites and U.S. Senate passed Sen- rivers. Archaeological maps ate Bill 943, the Johnson filled with history, ancestry Former Bureau of Reclamation Archaeologist Bob Blasing presents a map of Cheyenne River names for attendess to ob- O’Malley Supplemental and names of rivers across the serve. Blasing hopes to see the future of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Rivers project be made available online and accessible for Indian Education Program United States were displayed everyone to learn from. (Photo / Latoya Lonelodge) Modernization Act. The for attendees to observe and bill amends the JOM Act take part in discussion of pos- time and he came over and visited gradually put that together and came have it where they could see written sible future educational endeavors. the site and later on it evolved into up with a lot of sites,” Blasing said. versions of the Cheyenne and Arap- to direct the Secretary of The need to document signifi- trying to do a Geographic Informa- So many sites that they had to be aho names for each of the rivers or the Interior, in coordina- cant sites and names related to the tion System (GIS) project that would divided up by time periods. landmarks and also have a audio file tion with the Director of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes came allow the tribes to have a map of all “We started looking at maps of where you can click on it and actual- the Bureau of Indian Edu- when Blasing came across an ex- the Cheyenne historical areas that sites during the 1600s and 1700s and ly hear the name spoken by a native cation, to take initial steps posed burial site on Foss Lake over could be used for consultation, for then eventually Gordan came up with speaker,” Blasing said. to ensure full participation 10 years ago. historic preservation act and Native the idea to do a website where we can Yellowman, who the Dept. of Ed- of all qualified and eligible American Graves Protection and Re- bring it up and everybody can see it, ucation assistant executive director, “I was consulting with the tribe Indian students in the JOM patriation Act (NAGPRA), and we with the website they wanted to and met Gordan Yellowman at that RIVERS PROJECT / pg. 5 program. The bill also clarifies current contract- ing and reporting practices that address challenges in Twenty-eighth serving eligible students and obtaining accurate Kevin Stitt student counts. Oklahoma Governor In 1995 when JOM fed- eral funding was frozen Stitt sworn in as the 28th Oklahoma Governor and capped at 278,000 students nationally, it (OKLAHOMA CITY) get proposal and gives his Kevin Stitt spent most of State of the State address negatively impacted Na- the past year telling voters when the 2019 legislative tive families, students and how he could turn Okla- session kicks off on Feb. 4. communities. By law, the homa into a “Top 10 state” But his inaugural address U.S. has a trust responsi- when it comes to educa- provided clues to what his bility to Tribal nations, but tion, business and other priorities will be during his the population and funding categories. first year in office. formulas to fund that trust Now, after being Two years ago, the idea never grew, even though sworn in as Oklahoma’s of running for governor Indian Country has grown 28th governor, the new was still just a small mus- chief executive will be tard seed. rapidly since 1995. tasked with carrying out He suggests a compar- The U.S. Census con- his ambitious campaign ison between his run for firms American Indians pledge. governor and Jesus’ para- are among the fastest Stitt laid out the vision ble of the mustard seed in growing populations in for how he will get to that Matthew, Mark and Luke. America. According to goal to the hundreds who Jesus was referring to the the National Indian Ed- crowded the state Capitol’s growth of the “Kingdom ucation Association, the south plaza for his inaugu- of Heaven” or “Kingdom FY18 federal budget allo- Above: Kevin Stitt ral address. of God” from a tiny seed to stands before a packed The speech echoed a large plant. Stitt’s speech cated only $15 million of crowd thanking all who many of his talking points makes various religious the estimated $42 million helped him get to this point. from the campaign: hold- references. required for fully funding Left: Cheyenne and ing agencies more account- “I traveled the country JOM in the U.S. Arapaho Gov. Reggie able, reducing regulations visiting my offices in other There are more than Wassana and Lt. Gov. Gib for businesses, continuing states, seeing their econ- 130,000 Indian school- Miles attend Stitt’s inaugu- criminal justice reforms omies take off and thrive. aged children in Oklahoma ration. and making more progress They were recovering from public schools … one of Pictured L-R: Cheyenne to attract and retain the best our nation’s historic reces- the highest in the country. and Arapaho Gov. Wassa- teachers. sion. I would then come Oklahoma continues to be na, Sara Stitt, Oklahoma How Stitt plans to meet home to the state that I Gov. Stitt and Cheyenne these goals won’t be known love to find us struggling, one of the worst states for and Arapaho Lt. Gov. Gib K-12 school funding cuts. until he releases his bud- STITT pg. 6 Miles. (Courtesy photos) Since 2008 Oklahoma has slashed education fund- I am motivated. I see untapped potential. I see opportunity. I see great ing by almost 25 percent, men and women around me. I see promises to be kept. I see jobs. I see which is one reason why “ the new JOM Moderniza- progress. I see a Top Ten Oklahoma.” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tion Act is so important. PAGE 2 Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune Tsistsistas & Hinonoei Native American tribes say impact of extended government shutdown looms By Kimberly Barker With the government shut- down now reaching over four weeks, several Native Amer- ican tribes in Oklahoma will be affected if it continues. Vital departments and pro- grams such as domestic abuse services will be at risk of ter- Notice to All Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal mination if the government member Federal Employees on Furlough Due to doesn’t reopen in the near Government Shutdown future, according to tribal of- Gov. Reggie Wassana has approved emer- ficials. gency assistance for qualifying Tribal members Area tribes such as the who are currently out of work due to the Federal Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Government shutdown. Individuals may apply Oklahoma and the Wyan- through the H.O.P.E. Program for utility assis- dotte Nation are no strangers tance (60 percent), food card assistance and to government shutdowns rent/mortgage assistance (60 percent). For more and have contingency plans additional day of delay for December reimbursements, but information or to apply contact the H.O.P.E. Pro- in place for scenarios such as this, but the officials say their again, there just wouldn’t be any services,” Wallace said. “If gram at 405-422-7580 or toll free at 800-247-4612 resources are limited. Cherokee Nation Secretary of State they (victims) needed to go to a place of shelter, they wouldn’t ext. 27580. Chuck Hoskin Jr. said a federal government shutdown dis- be able to do that.” rupts tribes’ daily operations. Cathleen Osborne-Gowey, the tribe’s Family Violence “That’s the disruptive nature of this shutdown, it’s not only Prevention Program administrator, said essentially all of its dollars that flow into a particular program, it’s the fact that on federal funding for the program will be frozen by that date if a day-to-day basis, we’re engaged with these agencies, plan- a decision isn’t reached by then. ning for the future,” Hoskin said. “When that grinds to a halt, “It’s very scary for us,” Osborne-Gowey said. “Our Fami- it has a domino effect, in terms of policy planning and future ly Violence Prevention Program is funded solely through fed- planning.” eral accounts. At that point, the tribe will have to use general With no border wall compromise in sight, many tribes funds to try to cover the salaries to keep the program going, in have expressed concern for how long they’ll be able to sup- terms of operating normally until the shutdown ends.