January 2013 P.O
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WICHITA AND AFFILIATED TRIBES NEWSLETTER January 2013 P.O. Box 729 Phone: 405.247.2425 Anadarko, OK 73005 Fax: 405.247.2430 Website: www.wichitatribe.com [email protected] Wichita Executive Committee Terms Expire 07/2016 President’s Report I hope this newsletter finds each Tribal Membership Input President of you well. We have been putting several There are several issues that Terri Parton things in the newsletter about things we are have been discussed over the last few years. We are trying to determine the best Vice-President working on and things that we want to work Jesse E. Jones towards. This is done as a way for us to way to address the issues. We all have our measure our progress. Sometimes things own ideas about how we would like to ad- Secretary take longer than we would like but we will dress them and even as a Committee we Myles Stephenson Jr. eventually get there. have differing views. Some want Absentee I think all of the programs have Voting and there are probably some that Treasurer submitted articles for this newsletter with don‟t, some want the blood quantum low- S. Robert White Jr. the exception of Social Services. We want ered and some don‟t and not everyone to encourage our employees to use this as wants a Revenue Allocation Plan. We Committee Member a measuring tool for their programs. We would like input from the Tribal member- Shirley Davilla ship on how you see these issues. There will try to fine tune some of the things as Committee Member we go along as far as reporting so that it is may be pros and cons that you as tribal Karen Thompson beneficial to the program directors and also members have experienced throughout to our membership. your work with other tribes regarding ab- Committee Member Because of the length of the sentee voting. Maybe you have family Gladys Walker newsletter and a new approach that we are members that are not members of any tribe taking, I want to just touch on a few topics that would be eligible if we lowered the Tribal Administrator of importance. I will be providing a report blood quantum. Maybe you have seen the Sam Caruso on my trip to the Inauguration in the Febru- pro‟s and con‟s of a Revenue Allocation ary edition of the newsletter. Plan. We want your input. This issues features: There is also a form in the news- IHS letter for you to complete if you would like As President, I sit on the IHS Page 2 to provide input and feedback. Instructions Health Board. We meet once a month. Draft Hotel Site Plan are on the form. There are a lot of concerns that people Page 3 Wichita History & Cultural Program Website mention in passing but I would like your Page 4 I have mentioned that we are input as to the Lawton Service Unit and the Program Reports working on getting a new website in past Anadarko Indian Health Clinic. As I have Page 5 newsletters. We received bids but wanted been talking to others I have seen a pat- Anadarko Industries tern of the same issues. There are some Page 6 to have demonstrations prior to selection. Vacancy Announcements We chose a company in the beginning of beyond our control because of the limited Page 7-9 January and we will be meeting this week funding but there are others that could be Program Reports on the design. There is a language module addressed. I would like to hear about some Wichita Tribal Youth-Faron Apauty Jr. and it has the capabilities to post immedi- of the things that you think could be im- Page 10-12 Program Reports ate updates, videos, etc. Hopefully, it will proved. Issues that you have had that we Pages 13-16 be something that will be beneficial to all may be able to address. I also want to Program Reports tribal members so that they will have ac- hear about improvements that you have Indian Trust Settlement cess to current information, vacancy an- seen. Youth Incentive Awards nouncements, etc. I think you will like it. (Continued on Page 2) 1 President’s Report Cont. Sugar Creek Casino be placed in the future. Again, these are just drafts and I am not sure how many of you have been to should not be taken as something that is definite but pos- Sugar Creek Casino. We would like your input about sibilities. The main thing is that we take precautions and your experiences while visiting there. Please list the do what is in the best interest of the Tribe in both the good things and things that you think can be improved short term and the long term. upon. How are we doing? Land There is a section on the form in this newsletter The Executive Committee looked at the pur- for other feedback. We want to know overall how we are chase of several parcels of land in our tribal jurisdiction. doing. Please list anything that you have seen that you The sellers of that property offered the Executive Com- like, the things that you don‟t and other things that you mittee a due diligence period to investigate the condition would like to see us doing that maybe we have not of the properties. This included looking at the legal, fi- thought of. nancial and environmental condition of the properties. Input and Feedback During this period, the Executive Committee determined This is intended to be a positive approach to there were issues of concern. For instance, one property working with our tribal membership. While we want to was located outside of the Tribe‟s jurisdiction and re- hear about the good we also need to hear about the bad quired significant renovations to existing buildings, anoth- so that we can begin to address issues. This is NOT er property was the subject of some ongoing litigation, intended to be something for people to put individuals and yet another property had been priced significantly down or gripe about people they don‟t like. Negativity higher than previously offered to the Tribe, in fact the only promotes more negativity. We are all Wichita and price had almost doubled and required additional evalua- we should all want to promote our Tribe in a good way tion of potential liabilities. Unfortunately, the Executive and do good things for our people. I hope that we can Committee and the sellers were unable to adequately get there. address these issues within the timeframe set by the Closing sellers. The Executive Committee has left open the pos- I want to say thank you to those who have intro- sibility of further discussions with the sellers to obtain duced me to other agencies that can assist the Tribe, such information and reach satisfactory terms. those who have forwarded grant information, who have There are additional properties that the Tribe offered to partner with our programs, who have sent has looked at. We have discussed a hotel. Below you cards, who have called, those who have made sugges- will see some proposed site plans on our current tions but especially those who have prayed for our Com- trust property where a hotel and event center could mittee and for our people. May God continue to bless each of you. 2 Wichita History & Cultural Program Texas Beyond History Cultural Education Program First Quarter Program Report The Title of this month‟s Wichita history article is the name of By Gary McAdams a website created by the Texas Archeological Research La- boratory and the Department of Anthropology at Texas State The following are the various activities of the Cultural Educa- University. The web address is http:// tion Program for the first quarter of FY-2013. www.texasbeyondhistory.net and is described as The Virtual Prepared Wichita History articles for the October, November, Museum of Texas‟ Cultural Heritage. and December 2012 Tribal Newsletters. I have also assisted with proofreading the newsletter each month. When you pull up the site‟s main page you will see a map of Texas containing various cultural heritage sites. Those relat- Assisted with the language video workshop conducted by the ed to the Wichita are: Buried City, Hank‟s House, Alibates, Sam Noble Museum Native Language Department in No- Harrell and Gilbert. The first four are deemed late prehistoric; vember and December 2012. their main period of occupation corresponds to A.D. 1100- 1500. The Gilbert site is categorized as an 18th century Gave presentations on Wichita history and culture at a work- shop conducted by the Oklahoma Department of Mental French contact trade center containing a large collection of Health and Substance Abuse Service on September 6, 2012 European trade goods and evidence of a major deer-hide production industry. and at the EPA Region 6 in Dallas, TX on November 29, 2012. The Buried City, Hank‟s House, Alibates and Harrell sites are Assisted with the production of a Wichita Language CD in representative of what archeologist call the Plains Village conjunction with the Sam Noble Museum Native Language Tradition; a cultural adaptation based on agriculture and bi- Department. son hunting. The Texas Beyond History site provides a lot of information without being too technical, though each of the On a weekly basis, the program receives and reviews 10-20 exhibits contain a list of credits and sources which may be of cultural resource surveys related to various federal and state interest to those of you who are more scientifically astute.