September 2019 Newsletter
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Absentee Shawnee News si ta we ke se fe wa October 2019 • www.astribe.com • Volume 30, No. 10 li si wi nwi wilted-leaves month “Among the Shawnee” Law Governing Adoptions of Thunderbird Entertainment Native American Center Continue Renovations Children Upheld By KEVIN McGILL NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 1978 law giving preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings involving American Indian children is constitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, reversing a lower court judge in a case fraught with emotional arguments over adoptive families being “torn apart” and the urgency of protecting tribal families and cultures. The decision from a three-judge panel the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in New Orleans upholds the Indian Child Welfare Act in a lawsuit involving non-Indian families in multiple states who adopted or sought to adopt Native American children. Opponents of the law called it an Thunderbird Entertainment Center, The Shawnee casino will be getting a fresh The changes will be impactful to casinos unconstitutional race-based intrusion Norman and Shawnee continue to look indoors with an added video wall by presenting an updated look and on states’ powers to govern adoptions. work on renovations on the interior and for showing sporting events and a larger inviting atmosphere thus, translating But the 5th Circuit majority disagreed, exterior of both casino facilities. seating area for enjoying our already great into more traffic and business to both saying the law’s definition of an “Indian food options. The change will enhance casinos. child” is a political classification. In Norman the upcoming projects are our Food & Beverage offered and bring The opinion by Judge James L. Dennis to coincide with the new exterior paint an improved sense of entertainment to the Lisa D. Frazier, Marketing Director said the U.S. Supreme Court has long and mural completed back in July; facility. recognized that Congress has broad additional renovations will include power to regulate Native American rocked accents areas, new signange, tribes. And it said the act’s definition of and a resurfaced parking lot. Indian child is broad. “As Defendants explain, under some We are currently reviewing bids for tribal membership laws, eligibility border lighting, up lights for the mural extends to children without Indian blood, area selecting the best candidate to such as the descendants of former slaves complete the work. Currently under of tribes who became members after construction is a scenic rocked they were freed, or the descendants of retaining wall that is being erected at adopted white persons,” Dennis wrote. the entrance, we have included with this “Accordingly, a child may fall under article photos of the work in progress. ICWA upheld pg 4 Absentee Shawnee Tribal Police and Cleveland County Sheriff’s Take CCSO Oath Special Interest: Trunk or Treat! October 24 EST. 1845 FREE FUN EVENT SEE INSIDE ESTABLISHED 1845 Pictured left to right are: Undersheriff Blake Green, Officer Rickey Jones, Capt. Steven Crisp, Officer Trevour Story, Officer Jason Reid, Officer Russell Harjo, and Officer James Woolbright. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office has served the citizens of Cleveland County since 1889. Under Sheriff Todd Gibson, our Mission: Putting others before ourselves as we compassionately serve and courageously protect is something we live daily. The Sheriff’s Pictured left to right are: Undersheriff Blake Green, Officer Rickey Jones, Capt. Steven Crisp, Officer Trevour Story, Officer Jason Reid, Officer Russell Harjo, Officer James Woolbright and Chief Deputy Jose Chavez. Office is committed to Transparency, Integrity, Relationships with the As part of the cross-commissioning of Absentee Shawnee Tribal Police and the community and other agencies to increase Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, several officers took the CCSO oath of office efficiency, Innovation to improve today administered by Undersheriff Blake Green and committed to uphold our training and learning opportunities and Mission, Vision and Values while working in our jurisdiction. continuously improve. 2 www. astribe.com Executive Committee October 2019 Edwina Butler-Wolfe Kenneth Blanchard John Johnson Phillip Ellis Atheda Fletcher GOVERNOR LT. GOVERNOR SECRETARY TREASURER REPRESENTATIVE Governor’s Letters were sent out from the Oklahoma Representative’s motivation, and makes communication Turnpike Authority to the Absentee easier— both internally and externally. REPORT Shawnee Tribe and the Citizen Potawatomi REPORT Governor Edwina Butler-Wolfe Nation for our approval. We did send in a Atheda Fletcher 405 275-4030 Ext: 6308 Work PH: 405-275-4030 Ext. 6239 405 481-0397 Cell Number (tribal) letter of approval in support of the naming Assisted Living Action (ALA) of “Kickapoo Turnpike”. We congratulate Cell PH: 405-287-5247 Committee. email: [email protected] our neighboring tribe, the Kickapoo The ALA Committee is collaborating Hello Tribal People! Tribe of Oklahoma, for a great honor and closely with our Clinic and the AST It seems Fall Season is here but it does not recognition of the State. Greetings Tribal Members: Housing Authority on its Assisted feel like it as the temperature is still in the My monthly article will be fairly Living and Independent Living high eighties and low nineties. The General Governor August and September short this time since the Fall General Meetings initiatives. We anticipate that WIPFLI Council Meeting is scheduled for October Council is right around the corner. The 19, 2019 at 10:00 am at the Absentee will finalize the market study and departments for which I have oversight Shawnee Tribal Complex. Hope to see August feasibility study by October. Once everyone there! 21st 6:00 pm United Indian Nations and I will be providing comprehensive we receive this information, we will Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Board reports for the General Council book. provide informational meetings for GAMING COMPACT Member Meeting In Pawnee, Oklahoma I hope that tribal members will be able tribal members. At our last meeting, Since the release of the September to attend the 2019 Fall General Council our guest speaker was from the CP newsletter, Tribal Leaders have met and sent 22nd 1:00 pm Tribal Leaders Gaming on October 19. If you are unable to Community Development Corporation another letter out on September 10, 2019 Compact Meeting at the Grand Casino attend and would like to review the who explained the Community to the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General Council book, it will be posted Facilities Relending Loan Program. General – Mike Hunter (AG). As this issue 29th 2:00 pm meeting with EC on the tribe’s website after the General This program provides loans for continues, most, if not all tribal nations in Council meeting. The website address 30th essential community infrastructure Oklahoma, are still standing together as AST Day (Closed) is www.astribe.com one. The Tribal Leaders Meeting was held so that people who live and work in at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 31st Senior Games OKC Played 3 on 3 rural areas can enjoy the same basic September 10, 2019 at 1:00 pm. Basketball The following is a brief summary of quality of life and services as those in Tribal Nations that were in attendance: activities since last month’s article. urban areas. All federally recognized Absentee Shawnee Tribe September tribes are eligible borrowers for these Pawnee Nation 2ND Labor Day (Closed) Cultural Preservation. program funds. The ALA will be Eastern Shawnee Tribe The CP Department staff has been very looking at various vehicles for possible Ottawa Tribe 6th Walk through at new CTSA Building busy conducting all sorts of activities. funding for our projects. Much work Sac and Fox Nation 10:00 am All of its activities are announced and planning is still ahead of us. Kickapoo Tribe in our AST newspaper. If you have Iowa Tribe 7th Tribal Leaders invite from OU questions or comments, please do not Gaming Commission Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe President attend OU Football hesitate to contact the CP staff. The Alabama Quassarte Tribe Town I continue to work with the Gaming CP Director, Andrea Ellis-Harrison, Quapaw Nation 9th 9:00 am Tribal Court Commission staff to improve and take Delaware Nation will be providing an update on its corrective action in many areas. As Comanche Nation 10th 1:00 pm Oklahoma Indian Gaming activities in a separate article in this part of my responsibilities of oversight, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town Association Tribal Leaders Meeting month’s edition. I have attended OIGA hosted Tribal Fort Sill Apache Gaming Compact Osage Casino, Tulsa, Leaders meetings on the subject of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe Oklahoma Human Resources. renewal of the State Gaming Compact. Miami Tribe of Oklahoma The HR Department has successfully I, Governor-elect John Johnson Citizen Potawatomi Nation 11th 6:00 pm Traveled to Osage Casino rolled out the new 401(k) plan. and Treasurer Phil Ellis continue to Osage Nation for Reception for Fawn Sharp running for The HR staff conducted a series Cherokee Nation NCAI President schedule time to meet with legislative of informational meetings where representatives to share our story on Seminole Nation employees were provided with key Chickasaw Nation 12th 8:00 am United Indian Nations how we support our local communities information and opportunities to ask Choctaw Nation Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, Inc., Meeting and all Oklahomans. It is vital that all Muscogee (Creek) Nation at the Osage Casino Tulsa, Oklahoma questions. The 401(k) Plan had not Oklahomans have the facts and figures Kaw Nation 13th 2:00 pm Finley and Cook Meeting – undergone an assessment in over 10 on how much tribes contribute to the Tonkawa Tribe CTSA Financials years—so it was way past time to success of the State of Oklahoma. Seneca-Cayuga Nation assess and upgrade.