SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WWW.HOCHUNKINC.COM PATHWAYS QUARTERLY UPDATE

Each day’s work is a step for tomorrow.

MAKING A GOOD HOME, GOOD LIFE As the Winnebago community grows, housing remains a crucial priority.

In March, innovative plans for the next community development milestone received the Urban Design Award from the Chapter of the American Planning Association.

“People used to be forced to leave the reservation to find quality housing, and sometimes, they were leaving the problems of a poorer community,” said Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc. “We want any Tribal member who can contribute to our community, to our growth, to be here and to be able to live in a high-quality home.”

The original 40-acre Ho-Chunk Village master-planned community is reaching capacity. It was established in the early 2000s as a residential-commercial development. Expansion plans, called “Village 2.0,” include adjacent land, providing 281 new housing units from townhomes to smaller cottages.

Community spaces include a plaza, natural playscape, public art installations and community garden plots and orchards, plus a trail system that winds through restored wetlands and native prairies.

Part of the APA Nebraska Chapter’s mission is to better local communities by increasing awareness of planning and its impact on people and their environments. In selecting Village 2.0 as an award-winner, judges highlighted the sensitive design approach—it takes into consideration ecology, topography, tradition and the need to provide housing options for different family types, sizes and income levels.

“Our goal is to be the best small community in the state,” Morgan said. “We’re on our way.” GETTING AN EDUCATION This year’s summer internship program drew a record number of interns—19 in Winnebago and two in the D.C. area.

Over the course of 11 weeks, they’ll have the opportunity to explore their interests and develop new skills, learn more about Winnebago culture and traditions, meet company leaders, and go on field trips and worksite tours.

First-year interns recently toured the Bellevue, Nebraska, office for Flatwater Group and All Native Group, the government contracting divisions of Ho-Chunk, Inc. They also visited the Small Business Administration District Office in Omaha.

They learned how Ho-Chunk, Inc.’s government contracting divisions have benefited from the 8(a) Business Development and the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Empowerment Contracting programs. Both are designed to help entrepreneurs gain a foothold in government contracting, encourage economic development and increase employment opportunities.

One goal of the Ho-Chunk, Inc. Summer Internship Program is to provide valuable work experience to outstanding college students while also helping us identify tribal members for potential employment.

In addition to working across a variety of sectors—from farming to accounting—our interns will be involved in the 153rd Annual Winnebago Homecoming Powwow and Celebration and visit Dynamic Homes, our system-built home manufacturing company, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

TRIBE TO TRIBE Two Ho-Chunk, Inc. companies and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska provided flood relief to the Oglala Tribe in .

“It’s one tribe trying to help another,” said Aaron LaPointe, manager of Ho-Chunk Farms. “We have resources here. Since they’re in need, we want to share what we can.”

A late-season blizzard and rapid snow melt produced major flooding.

Roads washed out and became too muddy to travel. Waterline breaks left many without access to water. Ranchers struggled to get to and care for their livestock.

In response, Ho-Chunk Farms donated 20 round bales, and SweetGrass Trading Company donated two pallets of bottled water. HO-CHUNK WAY: LIVING OUR MISSION We’ve raised more than $100,000 Donations now through summer 2020 will HoChunk Renaissance provides accessible for local organizations through our support HoChunk Renaissance, the official language-learning tools and resources, language program of the Winnebago Tribe of including textbooks, apps and classes. employee donations program. Nebraska. Ho-Chunk Way focuses on the Winnebago Started in 2017, Ho-Chunk Way builds on the “You can’t have language without culture and Tribe’s priorities: youth, education, jobs, mission of Ho-Chunk, Inc. to provide a better culture without language. We’ve been the entity housing and elders. way of life for Winnebago Tribal members. driving the revitalization of both,” said Lewis “Bleu” St. Cyr, director of HoChunk Renaissance. Employees can enroll in automatic payroll Each year, an employee committee identifies a deductions to support the program. specific priority program that needs financial The HoChunk language is endangered. support. Past recipients include the Winnebago Less than 10 fluent speakers reside on the Ho-Chunk, Inc. matches employee donations Senior Center and the Boys & Girls Club of the . up to $25,000 annually. Hocak Nisoc Haci.

SUPPORTING FUTURE GENERATIONS Working toward a shared vision of education and “That’s part of our sustainability entrepreneurship, Ho-Chunk, Inc. has contributed initiative,” Morgan said. “We can $20,000 to Little Priest Tribal College. get more students, but we need housing. We’re competing against The funds will help with some of the college’s immediate the local housing shortage.” needs and long-term goals. Ho-Chunk, Inc. is working with “We’ll put it to work, centered on student success,” said the Winnebago Tribe and other Maunka Morgan, president of Little Priest Tribal College. partners to create more housing “It’s got to all cycle back to that.” for all income levels. A major part of that effort is the proposed Already, $5,000 has been used to establish 10 new $500 expansion of the Ho-Chunk Village scholarships for local high school students. (featured on the cover).

The remaining $15,000 went into the college’s general fund, There are a number of possibilities which could benefit any number of projects, including a for Little Priest Tribal College to small business incubator that would provide additional build student housing and expand program and support services to the community. its presence in the existing Ho-Chunk Village or in the new Right now, the top priority is student housing. Plans call for development, Morgan said. a 200-unit residence hall. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Ho-Chunk, Inc. has more than 1,200 Recently, she volunteered to run as a guide employees worldwide. Not only with one of two blind participants in the group and discovered the need for more guides do they make a difference in the through the DC Chapter of Achilles International, Winnebago community but also in which empowers people with disabilities to the places where they live. participate in running events to promote personal achievement. Christina Costa with All Native Group provides support for all procurement-related tasks After learning about this organization, she served for one of ANG’s largest DOS contracts. as a guide in the Semper Fi 5K, a run/walk that Outside of work, she belongs to a running benefits wounded veterans and their families. group in Alexandria, Virginia. She invited her colleagues volunteer, too.

HONORED GUESTS

Ho-Chunk Trading Group hosted guests from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Idaho (pictured left). We shared our approach to economic development and provided a tour of our facilities in Winnebago. We also shared the story of our company and community with a group from the Sherwood Foundation, led by Susan Buffett. Their visit also included a tour of Winnebago housing developments.

Rep. Don Bacon, representing Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, and his staff met with Ho-Chunk, Inc. employees and interns, as well as Winnebago Tribal Council members. The congressman toured our community’s progress, including the newly constructed farmers market.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION Sam Burrish, Ho-Chunk, Inc. Communications Manager [email protected] • 712-266-6452 hochunkinc.com