Delaware Indian News The Official Publication of the Delaware Tribe of Indians Delaware Tribe of Indians 5100 Tuxedo Blvd. Bartlesville, OK 74006 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Lënapeí Pampil July 2015 ▪ Volume 38, Issue No. III Congratulations to Recent Graduates Left to right. Delaware member Crystal Thaxton-Dombrovsky, on left, graduating with a Nursing degree; Maggie Gray from our neighboring Osage Nation, congrats on graduating from Haskell (pictured with her mother Jennifer); congrats Delaware member Lori Hasselman, who received her AA in Media Communications at Haskell (she was also awarded Haskell Student of the Year!). Left to right. Andrew Dean Humphrey, 2015 graduate of Oologah High School; member Myckie Jacobsen graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies; congrats Bear Tompkins, Native Studies grad at Haskell; congrats Delaware member Amy Jay Wiley, graduate from the University of Miami with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Exercise Physiology and minor in Chemistry (receiving her degree from President Donna Shalala); Chance Haller, Valedictorian, Susan B. English School in Seldovia, Alaska. Page 2 Lënapeí Pampil (Delaware Indian News) July 2015 Comments from Chief Chet Brooks From the Desk of Tribal Council Secretary, Dr. Nicky Kay Michael anishi Wuli Kisku Nipan –Thanks Wfor the good Summer Day! er Part II of Constitution and Article Synonyms for the word correspon- In the first six months of 2015 most of PI of the Bylaws, the Tribal Council dence include: communication, writ- the Tribal Council and I have been very Secretary is in charge of ALL the Tribe’s ing, contact, letters, post, mail, relation, busy. During February, Assistant Chief correspondence: match, agreement, fitness, comparison, Bonnie Jo Griffith and I attended the Na- “The Council Secretary shall have harmony, coincidence, similarity, anal- tional Congress of American Indians Mid- charge of all tribal correspondence ogy, correlation, conformity, comparabil- Winter Conference. We were present at and it shall be his duty to submit ity, concurrence, congruity. all general sessions and each of us went promptly to the Superintendent of Recent events as the Secretary have led to several breakout sessions of interest. the Jurisdiction and the Bureau of In- me to prepare this information to the rest Short discussions also occurred with FBI dian Affairs copies of all minutes...” of the Tribal Council and to our member- representatives and the Office of Native ship. Unfortunately, my position has been American Affairs – Small Business Ad- The literal definition of “correspon- called into question when I have insisted ministration. dence”: that the Tribal Council be included in any At least three talks have been held with Any written or digital communica- correspondence. I feel that no one of our Cherokee Nation Chief Bill John Baker tion exchanged by two or more par- Tribal Council members should act alone and two or more meetings have been ties. Correspondences may come outside the scope of the constitution. held with the Cherokee Nation Secretary in the form of letters, emails, text Therefore, as a safety precaution to the of State and Cherokee Attorney General. messages, voicemails, notes, or Tribal Council officers and members, as The Cherokee Nation has recently opened postcards. Correspondences are im- well as to the Tribe, the Secretary should a new Medical Clinic at Ochelata, OK portant for most businesses because at the very least, be courtesy copied and which will provide convenient dental, op- 15 Elders, Cultural Preservation Commit- they serve as a paper trail of events allowed to correspond as the point of tometry and general medical care to our tee, and Veteran Committee members will from point A to point B (Read more: contact as referenced in the Delaware Washington County, OK tribal members. attend this event, most expenses paid by http://www.businessdictionary. Tribe Constitution. Thanks go out to Cherokee Nation. their respective Trust Committees. com/definition/correspondence. Wanishi ok weli sikòn.■ Delaware Child Development broke The Trust Education and Community html#ixzz3de1XqsYX). ground on a new Child Development Cen- Services Committees are functioning well ter Building on June 2nd. Construction is in providing scholarships and other need- expected to be completed in February or ed services to tribal members. March 2016. The building will more than In regard to economic development, the Thank You and Congratulations double our child care capacity and will free Tulsa Solicitors Office has been holding up Delaware Community Center space to up a Trust Land Application for the past Former Council Member Verna Crawford provide offices for several more tribal em- year or more. We recently learned that his finally made it, after missing the last always done their best. The Council must ployees. Thank you to Sherry Rackliff and review was complete and it had been sent two deadlines for the DIN. I wanted to monitor, promote and enhance all cur- all Child Care staff. to Washington, DC for final review. The I take some time and thank everyone who rent tribal functions, as well as plan for The Historic Preservation Office recent- Tribal Attorney and I traveled to Washing- voted for me in the last Tribal Council the future. The Delaware Tribe is moving ly completed a 2000-mile trip to several ton to check the status of this question June Election. I also wished to send out a spe- ahead with services to tribal members, locations arranging recovery of objects. 3rd-5th. Daniel Black, Daniel Smith and cial “thank you” to everyone that took the improved governmental functions and Thanks go to Dr. Brice Obermeyer and a Solicitor were visited at BIA and posi- time and voted. Every vote counts, so be economic development. The only way Oversight Committee Chairman Titus tive news was received. However, it may sure and vote in the 2016 elections! this may be accomplished is for all of us Frenchman for their hard work. In addi- be several months before the final ruling I congratulate the new Council mem- to work together. As they say, “United tion, this office has arranged a free 10-day is issued. While in DC we also visited the bers and give them 100% of my support. We Stand, Divided We Fall.” trip for five of our highs-school Delaware Office of Native American Affairs at the I have always, and will always support I am still Secretary of the Trust Board students and a chaperone. The trip will be Small Business Administration, and our the elected tribal officials. I ask all Dela- and will continue to serve the Delaware to Delaware Water Gap National Park with Congressman Jim Bridenstine and his leg- ware tribal members do the same. Their people. NPS covering all expenses in late July. islative representative. We also visited the job is difficult and our Tribal Council has Wanishi.■ The students will participate in confer- Delaware part of the new Treaty Exhibit at ences about archeology, natural resources the Museum of the American Indian. and other activities including a canoe trip With the continued support and diligent on the Delaware River. In late July another work of our Tribal Council, Trust Board, Check Out the Tribal Web Site cultural activity will be a five-day trip to Committees and Tribal Staff the Creator Have you visited our Tribe’s web site recently? a gathering of tribes at the Stockbridge will bless the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Munsee Reservation in Wisconsin. Over Wanishi■ www.delawaretribe.org July 2015 Lënapeí Pampil (Delaware Indian News) Page 3 From the Desk of Assistant Chief From the Desk of Council Member Bonnie Jo Griffith Benita Shea o many exciting things hap- is a lot of promise now in the honor. Unfortunately the Fed- t’s been eight months since I X-ray lab, along with a dentist’s Spening in our tribe!! hydroponics arena of business. eral Court sided with the school. Ihave had the honor of joining office. I am sure many of our The Child Support Services A USDA grant has been applied We took this to court and at the the council. I am proud to serve members will have the opportu- grant has been awarded in full for and should that come through last minute were stunned by the our tribe! I believe this council nity to utilize this new facility. and progress is being made to we feel this will be a definite rev- betrayal of a tribal council mem- has the combined strengths to Economic ventures are in get that department up and run- enue generator for the Delaware ber. People who are subpoenaed overcome any adversity or dif- progress. The Child Support En- ning. Curtis Zunigha will be the Tribe of Indians. I am extremely against their will do not sit in a ferences. We speak our minds forcement grant was awarded in Director of that program and is excited about this and think that Witness Room discussing things and know that at the end of the April and is on the ground run- pushing to get it fully staffed good things will happen with our with the defense attorneys. day, our main objective is to ning with Curtis Zunigha at the and functioning. We are all ex- tribe if this comes to fruition. The groundbreaking for the strengthen our tribe. While I re- helm. Section 8a was applied for cited here as this department was The Tahkox E2 LLC is work- new Child Care facility was held alize that we can’t please all of and the USDA grant was submit- in the red for some time but we ing on its first contract and we June 2 so we should see construc- the people all of the time, I will ted.