RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 44 ka:si:h ke?etara:kwa:ri “I’m going to tell you something“ - A publication of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes WICHITA TRIBAL NEWS Volume 1 Edition 9 Anadarko, OK November 2015 P.O. Box 729 Anadarko, OK 73005 TRIBAL MEMBERS RECEIVE Submissions are welcome and can be made at [email protected] HONOR FROM OKLAHOMA AARP On October 6, 2015, the AARP (American Association of Re- tired People) held the 7th Annual AARP Oklahoma Indian El- November 2015 der Honors. This ceremony honors fifty elders for their contri- Distributed November 16, 2015 butions to their Tribal Nation, state and/or community. Two Phone: 405-247-2425 Wichita tribal members were given this distinction, with infor- Fax: 405-247-2430 mation about each below. The nomination process is open to Website: www.wichitatribe.com individuals as well as tribal governments. If you want to recom- mend an elder for the next ceremony, the nomination process should begin in late Spring, 2016. Follow this puclication and www.wichitatribe.com for future dates and information. This edition features James Warren (Warden) Ross is a full- the following: blood Wichita who was born and raised in Gracemont on the family’s original allotment. He is the son of the late Milo Steven Ross and Lorene Elizabeth Warden Ross. His paternal grand- parents are the late James Ross and Bertha Stephens Provost James Ross with President Terri Parton at awards ceremony Page 2 Ross and his maternal grandparents are the late Dennis Warden President’s Report and Ruby Hendrix Warden. It was his maternal grandfather, Dennis Warden that gave James his Wichita name, Kokish-so- kits or Little Rabbit. James was then referred to as “Bunny” throughout his childhood and even into his adult years. Page 3 James was fortunate to have been raised with his ma- Hinton Hotel RFP ternal great-great-grandmother in the home. In keeping with Elder Payment Info Wichita tradition, Wah-kits, who was born in 1867, was his im- mediate caretaker for the first years of his life. It was not un- Editor’s Note common to see her working the large family cornfield with little James bound to her breast, as so many other Wichita mothers and grandmothers had done for centuries. It was at the knee of Wah-kits that James grew to understand the traditional ways of Page 4 the Wichita people. Community News He is a service veteran and served in the U.S. Army from 1961 through 1965 as a Russian linguist and translator. In 1984, he graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Masters of Business Administration degree and has worked at Mr. Ross receiving his honor Tinker Air Force Base for 24 years as a Contracting Officer in Page 5 procurement. Over the past 25 years and while at Tinker, he Obituary has served in several leadership posisiton on the Tinker In- Notices ter-Tribal Council, including the Chairman of the American In- dian Heritage Committee, Tinker, 1990-2008 and the Tinker Inter-Tribal Council 1988-2008, as President and serving in all Page 6-10 other Council offices. Tribal Program Quarterly He has resided in the Oklahoma City area for most of Reports his life and has served on several civic and community boards and commissions related to Native American causes, includ- ing the Mayor’s Commission on Indian Affairs 1993-95; REST, Homeless Day Center, Board Advisor on NA homeless 1996- 98; the Native American Leadership Academy, Phillips Uni- Page 10-11 versity, March 1997; the Board Builders Program- Minorities Commission Quarterly on Non-Profit Boards, April 1997; Red Earth Festival, 1994-99; Reports and the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, 1994-2008. James has actively participated in Wichita tribal government Mrs. Irving was unable to attend, and her niece, Michelle Conroy, and cultural events all his life. He served as the Chairman of accepted on her behalf the Constitution Committee form 1981 to 1982 and served as a Committeeman on the Wichita Executive Committee from 1984 to 1987. He served as Chairman of the Wichita Tribe Industrial Development Commission from 1994 to 2009. Elfrieda Conroy Irving is an enrolled Wichita member and the old- est living female tribal member. Through her distinguished career as a nurse, which Wichita Executive Committee culminated in her election as President of the American Indian & Alaska Native Nurses Terms Expire 07/2016 Association, she displayed kindness and humility caring for thousands of Native peo- Terri Parton- President ple. Mrs. Irving was born at Kiowa Indian Hospital where she later worked as a nurse Jesse E. Jones- Vice President for 20 years before working as surgical nurse at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and as Myles Stephenson Jr.- Secretary head nurse at Haskell Indian Junior College. She graduated as a Cadet Nurse from S. Robert White Jr.- Treasurer historic Sage Hospital which operated the first nursing school for Native Americans in Gando, Arizona. She is the granddaughter of John Conroy, Sr. (American Man), who Shirley Davilla- Committee Member fought in the Battle of Little Big Horn and Walter Lamar, a full-blooded Wichita Med- Karen Thompson- Committee Member icine man. More information about Mrs. Irving can be found in the February edition Gladys Walker- Committee Member of this publication found at http://wichitatribe.com/media/35740/newspaper_feb15. James Nelson Jr.-Tribal Administrator pdf. Editor- Amber Luke Wic Wichita Tribal News Two Ni:cho:?e:kitakih to:k?as ders, administration and the Tribe. We hope that each one that had anything to do with the meal gets a blessing from it. Elder Payments & Other Upcoming President’s Report no upfront Things for Elders November Edition cost for the The information regarding the By Terri Parton, plan such Elder Payments, Elder turkeys as premi- and hams and AoA dinner for President ums paid by November 19, 2015 Christmas are included again the Tribe. in this newspaper. We invite However, our elders and tribal members The holidays are upon us. It’s we will be to come and share a meal with November and a good time paying an us during the holidays. for our people. Thanksgiving, administra- food, family and just a good tive fee for Home Improvement time to be Wichita. We are the admin- finishing up on a lot of things istration of Program that we have been working on the benefits. As reported in the last newspa- and getting ready to move on Please make per, we are working on moving several things in the New Year. sure you the Home Improvement Pro- fill out the gram from the Wichita Hous- Tribal Member Health forms and ing Authority to a tribal pro- get those gram. We hope to have some Plan information on how to apply For the last year, we have turned in as soon as pos- in the January newspaper if been working to get a Tribal gic plan that will involve tribal have our tribal flag flying at the sible. not sooner. Member Health Plan in place. membership in the planning complex. (Photo of the new On November 18, 2015, the of our future. flag and pole is seen above) Storm Shelters Wichita Executive Commit- Hinton Travel Inn There was a survey about tee approved resolutions and Renovations Mazzio’s Building White House Tribal storm shelters in the October documents to move the tribal We have put out an RFP for edition and in this edition. member health plan forward. Renovations for the Nations Conference renovations for the Hinton In the December newspaper, I As of November 19, 2015, we Beginning November 23, 2015, Wichita Child Travel Inn. We hope to begin will be providing my report on have received several surveys, each enrolled tribal member Development Center renovations in early January. the White House Tribal Na- there have been a lot of verbal will be mailed an application The Mazzio’s building reno- tions Conference. However, requests for a storm shelter. and welcome letter describing vations for our Wichita Child Strategic Planning during trip we had a meeting It is important that you com- the benefits. The application Development Center continue When we first came into office set up and met with staff of the plete the survey and turn it in has to be returned by Decem- to move forward. We should in 2012, we had several proj- Assistant Secretary’s office. so that we can get an idea of ber 26, 2015 to start receiving look for the new center to open ects that we knew needed to be William Norman from Hobbs, the need for a storm shelter benefits. Each enrolled tribal during the beginning of 2016. done. We moved forward with Straus, Dean and Walker along program. member will receive a Tribal (A few progress photos are those things that were things with Moriah O’Brien from Member Plan health card in seen below) visions of past leadership. We their DC office and I attend- the mail after they fill out the Revenue Allocation want to be able to leave our vi- ed the meeting. Topics of dis- Plan applications. Several of the sions and your visions behind Wichita History cussion included issues with As of this date, November 19, programs that are already ad- for future generations so that Center getting our Federal Charter, 2015, no plan has been sub- ministered here will go under they can carry those things on On November 18, 2015, we Trust Applications and WCD mitted by the group that was this plan including: special too. We have signed agree- signed the contract to move land exchange approved.