Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska • Volume 50, Number 7 • Saturday, April 3, 2021 Bago Bits… HEMP? Is It the Future for the Winnebago Tribe On the afternoon of March 9th, it was an exciting day for the Winnebago Youth Crisis Intervention Center/Youth Shelter as they received the Ho-Chunk Way Employee Donations award delivered by Ho-Chunk, Inc. The HEMP Special meeting was displayed on the new LED screen for the community to view. On March 18th, the Whirling Thunder Wellness Program staff held a nutritional Winonah Leader Charge health promotion drive-up event in the Whirling Thunder parking lot for National WINNEBAGO, NE— On Tuesday, Nutrition Month. Pictured is the low carb ernments to produce hemp, but each “WTN declares hemp to be a valuable meal bundle that community members March 16th the Winnebago Tribal entity has to meet certain requirements agricultural crop and commodity that received for participating in their brief Council held a special virtual meeting to grow it. can be cultivated within the exterior survey. on hemp. The meeting was for the com- “Ho-Chunk Farms was 1 of 7 hemp boundaries of the reservation” shared munity to learn more about what the growers in Nebraska out of 175 appli- Bear Eagle. Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska (WTN) is cants in 2019” shared Aaron LaPointe Chairwoman Victoria Kitchey- doing in regard to hemp, answer ques- President of Winnebago Agriculture an shared, “the next steps the council tions, and to see how the WTN should and Industry. Currently, Winnebago is going to take is to identify what some proceed in the hemp industry. Agriculture and Industry is developing of those projects would be and what we It was mentioned during the special its own brand of smokable products want to do. Do we want to grow? Do meeting that hemp is not marijuana, known as Niota. “It is a pre rolled CBD we want to process? Do we want to do hemp refers to the “plant species Can- cone, it is under the 0.3 percent TCH transportation for the whole regional nabis sativa L. and any part of that threshold and we are working on a few area? Which of that vertical integrated plant, including the seeds thereof and things before we take this to market. process do we want to concentrate on all derivations, extracts, cannabinoids, We are excited because we want to have or build upon to compliment projects isomers, acids, salts, and salts of iso- our own brand, it is going to allow us that Aaron is already working on. There The Ho-Chunk Village Farmers Market mers, whether growing or not, with to market something that was grown is so much opportunity here but we are fi rst monthly event for March was a Paint a total delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol here, produced, manufactured and we looking for of course the tribal members Party with Poppin’ Brushes & Bottles held at the Woodland Trails building on (THC) concentration of not more than are selling” stated LaPointe. support as well as ideas. These are some the evening of March 20th. (Photo credits: 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. TCH “Hemp can be used for just about braining storming activities we want to Ho-Chunk Village Farmers Market) is the primary psychoactive component anything, right now were are using it start thinking about.” of cannabis” shared Jennifer Bear Eagle for its oils and smokable product but The Winnebago Communications of Big Fire Law Firm. The difference we defi nitely want to diversify into more Department was able to fi lm the HEMP between Marijuana versus hemp is hemp-based products” stated LaPointe. Special meeting for all tribal members that marijuana has a higher TCH level As of right now involvement we do have to view. It can be viewed on the Win- than hemp. is in the CBD market. One of our future nebago Tribe of Nebraska’s YouTube The 2018 Farm Bill allowed and plans to develop that from seed to fi nal Channel and Facebook page for addi- granted entities including tribal gov- product” continued LaPointe. tional information. Thomas Racing Representing the Tribe at the Speedway On Thursday, March 25th, the Win- nebago Public Health Department held a vaccination incentive event at the blue courts in downtown Winnebago for com- munity members that received their 2nd vaccination. Pictured is Alyssa Wolfe with the t-shirts that were distributed. Pictured L to R: Kadge Thomas and Jeffery Thomas. The Ho-Chunk Renaissance Program also held a community survey/t-shirt giveaway event in their parking lot on Winonah Leader Charge March 25th. Winnebago community mem- bers were able to drive-up, complete the WINNEBAGO, NE—Local Winnebago way around vehicles especially when 2021 IMCA racing season. “In 2021, we survey, and receive an “I LOVE NISOC” tribal members Jeff Thomas Jr. and his it comes to doing it ourselves. He also hope to do better and place in the top 10 t-shirt! brother Kadge Thomas are carrying on made sure our family was together no in the overall season” said Thomas Jr. their father’s legacy as a stock car racer. matter what obstacle came our way” “Thank you to all the sponsors, the They regularly compete at Raceway said Thomas Jr. helping hands who help get us ready Park in Jefferson, SD. Thomas Jr. and his brother Kadge and our family support because it is a “Dad started it out, he was into mo- Thomas throughout the years took an dangerous sport” shared Thomas Jr. tor sports. He fi nally got to do it in 2008 interest in racing. “It was exciting to If you are interested in becoming a when he bought his fi rst car. He did watch” said Thomas Jr. Both brothers sponsor or would like more informa- well his fi rst year. In 2009, he bought knew what it took to be a race car driver tion, contact: a more competitive car and competed and completed in the 2020 season. well receiving rookie of the year. This Thomas Jr. placing 11th in the overall JEFF THOMAS JR. motivated him to keep going and do stats and Kadge Thomas placing 12th THOMAS RACING #T69 more. He won many races and trophies” place overall. The brothers switched to 1041 Eagleview St. shared Thomas Jr. a higher division and are currently rac- Winnebago, NE 68071 Jeff Thomas Sr. sadly passed away ing stock cars. 712-308-1207 The Ho-Chunk Renaissance Program an- in the fall of 2019 due to health issues. Thomas Jr. and his brother are cur- [email protected] nounced their Annual Egg Hunt clues to “He always made sure we knew our rently in the process of preparing for the LED screen in Winnebago from March 29-April 2. (Gold: $300, Silver: $200, Bronze: $150) Visit us at www.winnebagotribe.com Page 2 — Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, April 3, 2021 BAGO NEWS Next WIN News Deadline: April 13th Winnebago Indian News, Saturday, April 3, 2021 — Page 3 TRIBAL NEWS First COVID-19 Variant Detected in Winnebago Construction Updates in the Winnebago Community Emilee Longuski A mutated COVID-19 strain called Clans Unity Hospital or the Winnebago B.1.1.7 has now been confirmed in Public Health Department who are 16 Winnebago years and older can sign-up for the Winnebago, NE – Winnebago Com- COVID-19 vaccine by calling (402) 878- prehensive Healthcare System (WCHS), 2258 or by fi lling out the form and sub- comprised of the Winnebago Public mitting it online at www.Winnebago- Health Department (WPHD) and Twelve PublicHealth.com/VaccineWaitingList. Clans Unity Hospital (TCUH), has con- The Pfi zer vaccine that is administered fi rmed that an individual living in Win- in Winnebago is about 95% effective at nebago tested positive for a COVID-19 preventing COVID-19 and its variants. variant that was fi rst identifi ed in the In general, vaccinated individuals who United Kingdom (UK) and is called are infected with COVID-19 experience B.1.1.7. This variant is a mutated strain mild symptoms and are at less risk of of the virus that causes COVID-19, mortality. An estimated 59% of the Win- and is known to spread quicker and be nebago population that is 16 years old deadlier than other COVID-19 variants. and over has received at least one dose Similar to the flu, these viruses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far. constantly change through mutation About: WCHS is operated by the and cause new variants of the virus Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and March 2021 Construction updates include: to occur over time. These variants of consists of two divisions. Twelve Clans the virus that causes COVID-19 have Unity Hospital is a 13-bed state-of- 03/29 D oing removals (Asphalt, light poles, and concrete). Fire hall will have been confi rmed in the United States the-art healthcare facility that serves access out and in on the north side of the station. Beck and Mercer stay open, and globally. Scientist are still study- an estimated 10,000 Native Americans Mathewson is closed. A reminder parking is not allowed and foot traffi c is dis- ing these variants, but they do seem to who live on the Winnebago Reserva- couraged from the parking lot across Highway 77 to the east of the Post Offi ce. spread more easily than other variants tion and in the surrounding region. Please park west or south of the post offi ce and access on foot from there. and have led to an alarming increase in Healthcare services provided by the the number of cases of COVID-19 and hospital include an outpatient clinic, 04/05 Laying pipe, rough grading and drying dirt on the south end.