February 27, 2019

Boozhoo,

We hope this finds you doing well and staying warm.

On Friday, we will greet Onaabani-Giizis (Hard Crust on the Snow Moon). As we welcome the new month, we'll also be welcoming Spring soon!

Daylight Savings Time will arrive on Sunday, March 10th. Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour.

As you view this week's e-newsletter, you'll see a new section titled Turning Ideas Into Actions, where the Bad River Planning Department is sharing projects and grant updates.

Scroll down to see the good news and activities happening in the Mashkiiziibii community.
News
Youth Excel in Hoop Shoot

On February 10th, three Bad River youth competed in the annual Knights of Columbus Hoop Shoot at the Our Lady of the Lake gymnasium.


Jackson Rose, son of Jackie and Joe Dan Rose, Ethan Greene, son of Val and Curt Greene, and Gavin Greene, son of Val and Curt Greene, will advance to the Diocesan Level Competition in March in Ladysmith.

Congratulations and good luck in Ladysmith!
Chairman Wiggins Named Top UWS Alumnus

UW-Superior Alumni Association member LaTisha Coffin presents Mike Wiggins,  Jr. with an outstanding alumni award. Wiggins was one of 25 UWS graduates given the honor, marking the 125th anniversary of the Superior campus founding. Contributed photo.
In the 25-plus years since Mike Wiggins, Jr. graduated from the University of Wisconsin Superior in 1992, he has dedicated himself to the protection and service of his community and environment.

He graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and served as a conservation warden with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) and as a home-school coordinator for the School District of Ashland.

He has since gone on to greater service for the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and is serving his third term as Tribal Chairman. Along the way, Wiggins, an avid hunter, fisherman and harvester has become an advocate for natural resources and environmental stewardship, as well as a mentor for young people, advising students to further their educations beyond high school.

One of those he urged to greater academic achievement is LaTisha Coffin, herself a UW Superior graduate who now works for GLIFWC.

"He was really instrumental in my life, when it came to moving forward with my education at UWS, as well as being really respectful and protective of the natural resources that we have here," she said.

For his achievements, Wiggins, who could not be reached for comment in this story, just was named one of UW-Superior's 25 outstanding graduates. His name, and those of 24 other alumni, were added to a list of 100 outstanding grads.

Alumni Board Director Heather Thompson said the noteworthy graduates list was brought to 125 names in recognition of the University's 125th anniversary.

"In 1993, the Alumni board decided to name the 100 outstanding alumni for the 100th anniversary. This year it was kind of a no-brainer to do it again and to add another 25. It's been a long time, we've obviously had alumni who have accomplished so much," she said. "I can almost guarantee it will happen again in another 25 years."

Thompson said Wiggins was an easy choice for the alumni board.

"Mike has really been a huge advocate not just for the rights of indigenous peoples, but also for our environment," she said. "He has done a lot in his lifetime for the community."

Coffin, a member of the UWS Alumni Association Board of Directors, said she could attest to that. Wiggins has been for years an advocate of reconciliation and unity within the Tribe.

"Along the way we have had these terrible things happen to our community - the passing of Jason Pero," she said, referring to the Bad River teen shot and killed by police in November of 2017. "These are not things you are trained for, how to deal with these community catastrophes. I think Mike has done well to focus, and to help us as Tribal Members to navigate these treacherous waters."

One of his notable stands has been to oppose the development of the Gogebic Taconite mine. Fellow Bad River Tribal Member and Elder Joe Rose said Wiggins' influence was important in rallying the Bad River community to oppose the development, which they feared could cause air and water pollution in the region, affecting Indian and non-Indian people alike.

"Mike is a very articulate speaker, very intelligent, and he has done his research on the various issues," he said. "He is a very strong supporter of the environment, of our clean water and fresh air."

Rose, who serves on the Ashland County Board, said Wiggins was easy to work with and had provided important leadership for his community.

"When we were fighting Gogebic Taconite, we were attending all the hearings downstate, and all the Senate and Assembly hearings, and he was very effectively involved and did speaking engagements at many different places, speaking about the mining issue," Rose said.

"Mike is an eloquent and well-spoken person," agreed Coffin. "I think he is able to articulate his passions, which are not only for Bad River persons as individuals, but also as a protector and steward of this land, which we are trying to preserve for the next seven generations. Mike is able to take these larger issues and place them in the perspective of what we are to be as Anishinaabe people, what our life ways are meant to be. As a Tribal Member, to have somebody with that ability to stand up for us, for Mother Earth, is very important."
Dylan Jennings Speaks at Native American Workshop

Photo by Alex Sardjev
The Spurlock Museum hosted an 'Integrating Tribal Sovereignty and American Indian History into the Classroom' workshop on February 16th.

The workshop was led by Dylan Jennings, who focused on the incorporation of Native American values into our everyday lives and education in a respectful manner.

"Education is really the key to eliminating stereotypes that exist about Native people and the indigenous communities," Mr. Jennings said. "I think this is a great opportunity for people to come and learn about some of the Ojibwe cultural practices and traditions, and also about the song and dance."

The workshop is a part of Spurlock Museum's 17th annual Winter Tales celebration honoring the cultures of Native Americans. The William R. and Clarice V. Spurlock Museum, better known as the Spurlock Museum, is an ethnographic museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"Mr. Jennings himself is a Tribal leader, and so he talks personally about what it is like to be a Tribal Leader and what it's like for a Tribe in America to have sovereignty in America and what that means, and how that can be taught in the classroom," said Kim Sheahan, Director of Education for the Spurlock Museum.

Mr. Jennings is a Bad River Tribal Member as well as a UW Madison Alumni. He was given the name Bizhikiins. He is also an elected Tribal Council Member, and part of his job is to provide communities for the 8,000 Tribal Members he serves.

"We're a very vibrant and alive culture and still here, and you know our humor is just an amazing aspect of our way of life and part of I think how we've been able to survive for so long," Mr. Jennings said.
Choose Your Favorite Water Tower Design

Plans are moving forward for the new water tower, and your opinion is needed!

Please participate in this poll, and select your favorite water tower design.

There are two options -

Mashkiiziibii on Water Tower



Bad River Band on Water Tower



There will be an Elder breakfast next Tuesday, March 5th, for our Elders to share their opinions.

Voting closes on Wednesday, March 6th.

The feedback will be provided to the Water and Sewer Department, and shared in the March 13th e-newsletter.

Miigwech!
We Remember Our Ancestors

Nimikwendaagoziiyang ~ We Remember Our Ancestors

The Bad River Tribal Historic Preservation Office and Repatriation Committee are currently working on a project to create a Veteran's Memorial at the Veteran's Pavilion at the Bad River Cemetery.

Part of this project honors our Ancestors and their burial bundles long lost to museum collections and other sources that will be repatriated and reinterred at an undisclosed location, to prevent theft.


Multiple black granite slabs will be added that recognize each conflict and war that Tribal Members have been involved in throughout history, including the Civil War through more recent overseas conflicts.

Community members can help fund this effort by buying a brick to be included in the paving of the memorial. This project needs your support!

You don't have to have a Veteran in your family to contribute. By purchasing a brick, you become the sponsor and can create a customized engraved message on your brick that will be placed at the entry of the Veteran's Pavilion. Make it a family affair to Buy-a-Brick for your Ancestors and Loved Ones.

"It becomes a community effort to make this happen," Edith Leoso, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer shared. "It will become aesthetically pleasing for our Veterans and community members to come enjoy and reflect, and will also be handicap accessible."

Smaller bricks are $50 and larger patio blocks are $100 each. Proceeds from sales will go toward creating the Veterans Memorial, such as the purchase and installation of seven flags and concrete mounted flag poles estimated at $750 each; the purchase and installation of eight 4 feet high engraved black granite slabs mounted on two feet high black granite faced concrete recognizing all the wars and conflicts Tribal Members served in; solar lighting; cedar trees and fencing and other items to beautify the pavilion and area, honoring Veterans.

Fundraising will continue until the $125,000 goal is reached, or all projects are completed. For information on the amount of sales to date, contact the Tribal Treasurer or Accounting office.

You may contribute online or print the donation flyer.

For questions about the project, please email Edith Leoso or call 715-682-7123, extension 1662.
Welcome Ashley Stone

Photo by Ashley Stone
Ashley Stone was hired in January as the Bad River Economic Support Specialist.

Ashley is a Bad River Tribal Member and has lived in the community most of her life.

Ashley and her husband Jonathan Stone have three children: Nizhoni, Taye and Micah. She enjoys being active with her family and helping others when she can.

She is excited to use her professional skills with the Bad River Social and Family Services Department, and is thankful for the opportunity to contribute to her Tribe.

Ashley can be reached at her office in the Bad River Community Center or by phone at 715-682-7127, extension 1404.

Welcome Ashley! We wish you the best in your endeavors!
Welcome Lynn BigBoy

Lynn Bigboy was recently hired as the new Youth Services Director. Lynn is an enrolled Tribal Member of the Bad River Community, and previously worked as a Program Assistant for the Engineering Department at the Bureau of Indian Affairs for 18 years.

Lynn has also served as a member of the Ashland School Board for the past eight years.

"Helping youth is my passion," Lynn said. "This opportunity came and I wanted to take it. I wanted to work in my community."

Lynn begins her orientation this week to get acclimated to her new position.

Welcome Lynn! We wish you the best in your endeavors!
March is Women's History Month

Photo retrieved from Anchorage DSA Twitter
With the end of February quickly approaching, it's time to prepare for the month of March and all that it represents. 

In the United States, March has been designated as Women's History Month.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation declaring the week of March 8th as National Women's History Week.

In his proclamation he wrote, "From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well."

In 1981, Congress passed Public Law 97-28, which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as "Women's History Week".

After being petitioned by the National Women's History Project, Congress passed Public Law 100-9 which designated the entire month of March 1987 as "Women's History Month". Since then, Congress has passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year to be Women's History Month.

In recognizing the importance of women in our culture, we'd like to share an article about notable Native American women from history.



Read more about the Native American Women who have helped shape the United States.
Turning Ideas Into Actions
This is the new section for the Bad River Planning Department. Through this e-newsletter, we hope to keep the community up to date on the activities that the Tribal Planner and Grant Writers are a part of.

Awarded grants and other planning projects are some of the primary topics of this section. For questions about programs, we encourage you to call the specific department to ask about details supported under that program funding.
 
SAMHSA Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) Grant: Through collaborations between departments and the Bad River Drug Task Force, the Tribe applied for and was awarded this funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The TOR program aims to address the opioid crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to culturally appropriate and evidence-based treatment. This grant funding will provide various levels of support for prevention and intervention projects such as building a sweat lodge on Madeline Island, creating educational materials, developing prevention and intervention models, improvements to the Tribe's website to include prevention and intervention resources and education, creating an Anishinabe Biizindadedah ("Listening to One Another") Curriculum, support for the Gwayakobimaadiziwin Needle Exchange program, as well as support for cultural activities.

SAMHSA Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Project: The Bad River AODA Program received this MAT funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Bad River MAT project aims to improve the recovery process and options for Bad River community members who are experiencing opioid use disorder through use of pharmacological and behavioral based therapies including medication assisted treatment and the evidence-based program Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Disorders. The project aims to reduce substance abuse and the occurrence of overdose by integrating access to supportive treatment and recovery services for Tribal Members and community members in the Bad River Service Area. For questions about this program, please contact the AODA program at 715-682-7133.
 
OVC Grant: The Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) grant was awarded to the Bad River Social and Family Services Department to support a Victim Assistance Program.
 
TMS (Time Management System) Next Steps:
  • The vendor for the TMS system is MitreFinch.
  • As the Project Manager for the new time and attendance system (TMS), the Tribal Planner has rolled out the placement of the time clocks and has worked with various team members to enroll employees into the system. Currently, programmers are working on tailoring the system to each department's needs and preparing the online system to be user friendly for users and supervisors. Willie is verifying codes and helping ensure that the appropriate information will be calculated and carried over.
  • Frequently Asked Questions for the system are being updated as we meet with departments and that will be shared once we get clarification from MitreFinch and we have formulated well written answers.
  • We will keep you updated on the next steps and logins but please continue to use BOTH the new time clocks as well as the old time clock system so we can identify any issues prior to rolling this out.
  • Supervisors/Department Heads: We will schedule a training meeting with you as soon as we have a firm date from MitreFinch.
Head Start Update: Many departments have teamed up to ensure the new Head Start building stays on schedule. The Tribe is scheduled to break ground in May!

Youth Build Grant: In partnership with Northwest Wisconsin CEP, Workforce Resource Menononie and Western Dairyland of Eau Claire, the Bad River Tribe and Red Cliff Tribal Housing will build one house on each reservation this summer. This is an education and training program that helps at-risk youth earn credits and receive training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals. Read more about this US Department of Labor funding here. The Tribal Planner will continue to work on details of this program, and we will share more information as soon as it's outlined.

We have several other projects that we want to update you on so we will provide more updates in the next e-newsletter!

Tribal Planning & Grants Team
Doug Jennings, Tribal Planner
Charles Connors, Sr., Grant Writer
Lucy Koivisto LVT, MSA, Grant Writer
Community Information
Spring Forward on March 10th

Natural Resources Department Seeking Recycled Items

The Natural Resources Department is seeking the following recycled items:
  • 2-liter repurposed pop bottles (capped)
  • 2" plastic containers (like cream cheese or yogurt cups)
  • Brown grocery bags
We are now collecting the listed items for the upcoming 2019 Bad River Natural Resources Department Open House in March. If you wish to provide these items, we kindly ask that you thoroughly rinse out the 2-liter pop bottles, as well as any plastic containers.

Please drop items off at the Natural Resource Office with staff members Florence or Jessica.

We are accepting these items now through February 28th. Please help reach our goal of 100 of each item.
Bad River Student Scholarship Opportunity

Cobell Scholarship Opportunity

WIEA Call for Artists - Deadline Extended to March 1st

Social Security Video Service

New Public Health Program - Case Management

GLIFWC Internship Opportunities
GLIFWC 2019 Internship Opportunities -
Application Deadline March 1st

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) is happy to announce available internships for its 2019 GLIFWC Summer Internship Program! In 2019, GLIFWC will be offering 15 unique internships from its various divisions, including Biological Services, Planning and Development, Public Information, Enforcement, and Administration.

Through this internship program, college students will work one-on-one with their GLIFWC mentors in various divisions and learn about necessary coursework, college degrees and trainings which result in gainful employment in a multitude of careers, including natural resource and stewardship careers with Tribes. Also, students will participate in a variety of traditional Anishinaabe cultural events and learn about the importance of treaty reserved rights to the Anishinaabe people and their history in preserving these rights.

Hear from past GLIFWC Interns -


Completed applications (as outlined within the Opportunity Announcement) are  due by March 1, 2019 by 4:30 pm.

Below are the Internship Opportunity Announcement and the individual Internship Position Descriptions. Please feel free to send to any and all interested college students! Internship Positions Descriptions are also available for viewing at  www.glifwc.org under the "Employment" section.
Community Events
Lacrosse - Every Monday

Move Project - Every Tuesday

Beading Circle - Every Wednesday

Bad River Wrestling - Every Wednesday and Friday

Maple Sugar Season 2019 Planning Meeting - Today

Parent Information Night on Human Trafficking - Today

Bringing Protective Factors - March 2nd and March 9th

Boater's Safety Course - March 4th, 6th and 7th

UW-Extension Online Parenting Class - March 5th

Dine & Learn - March 14th

Basic Life Support Certification Training - March 22nd

Diabetes Clinic - March 26th

Natural Resources Department Open House - March 27th

Upcoming Pow Wows
Mole Lake - March 2nd and March 3rd

Indian Summer Fest Winter Pow Wow - March 9th and March 10th

Forest County Potawatomi - March 23rd and March 24th

Employment Opportunities
Visit these sites for current employment opportunities:





2020 Census Jobs

Refer a Friend Internet Promotion
Financial Self-Sufficiency
Share Your News!
Share Your News

Share your good news with the community!

The e-newsletter is sent every other Wednesday.

Email your information and story ideas, and please include your contact information so that we can follow up with you.   Please include a photo if possible.

Chi Miigwech!

Kim Swisher, Adam VanZile and Daleth Mountjoy
Tribal Communications
Office:  715-437-0090
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