October 1st
Debbie Heggie
Mark Bender

October 2nd
Joe Dan Rose

October 4th
Yvonne Soulier
Joe Corbine, Sr.

October 5th
Sam Livingston

October 7th Mike Powless Albert Whitebird	October 12th Emogene Basley
October 8th Francis Leoso Ed Neveaux	October 13th Mike Rufus Tom Deragon, Sr.
October 10th Delphine Hurd Walter Soulier	October 16th Deb Conley Karla Rufus Don Neveaux

It was a day for celebration and a time to honor and thank the Tribe's employees at the Tribal Employee Appreciation Party that was held yesterday at the Convention Center.

Tribal Chairman Mike Wiggins, Jr., began the event by welcoming the group and saying, "We are doing our best to celebrate all the good work our organization does, recognize our employees for their longevity, and just enjoy being together."

Among the honored guests at the event were the Tribe's longest-tenured employees. 

From left: Linda Stone (39 years), Rose DePerry (35), Cheryl Pero (31), Bernice Wiggins (31), Susan Houle (33), Bonnie Green (30) and Wayne Burns (37). Not pictured was Barbara Smart (39), who was ill and unable attend.

Each honoree received a blanket adorned with the Tribe's logo and a sculpture of an eagle. Together, this Great Eight has served the Tribe for a combined 275 years!

Chi Miigwech to everyone for your service and efforts!

	Mel and Raymond

Raymond S. Maday passed away at age 81 in 1999, but not long ago a special part of his legacy came home to the Bad River Reservation and touched the heart of his son.

"It's fantastic, it really is," said Mel Maday, who about a year ago reacquired the wild rice processing equipment once owned by his father for nearly 35 years.

For generations, the art of harvesting wild rice ("ricing") has been woven into the culture and consciousness of the Bad River Band. But when Raymond died, the ricing equipment became the property of his brother Carl. And when Carl passed away, his widow Agnes sold the equipment.

But to whom? And where did it go?

A nearly 20-year Maday family mystery ensued. Finally, Mel patched together the clues. After hearing from a friend of a friend, he learned that the equipment was in Wausau and in the possession of Curtis Bressette, an old family friend.

Still, it took Maday more than two months to connect with Curtis and reach him by phone. And before Mel could ask, Curtis offered to return the equipment to the Maday family and the Bad River Reservation. His asking price? Nothing.

Mel in his garage behind his father's electrically-powered wild rice harvesting equipment that was recently returned to the Mayday family after nearly 20 years.

According to Mel, Curtis just wanted a good home for the equipment, where it would be used. Mel said Curtis had been working the equipment just one day each ricing season for nearly 20 years.

In the early 1950s and into the 1960s, Mel said Tribal Members would set up a camp in the Kakagon Sloughs, harvest rice in the morning, and process it all day.

"At the end of the day they would have their finished product," Mel said. But he was quick to add, this was no one-day-and-done venture. "They did that over and over for probably two or three weeks," he said.

Mel recalled that the bounty of the harvest was shared with family, extended family, friends and just about anyone else with a hankering for this delicious delicacy.

Mel was the oldest of six children, two boys and four girls, raised by Raymond and Patricia Maday. He graduated from De Padua in Ashland in 1965, two years before the Catholic high school closed its doors in the spring of 1967. He retired as a machinist in 2011 from the C.G. Bretting Company.

All but five of Mel's 72 years have been spent on the Bad River Reservation. A tool and die maker by trade, he worked in Minneapolis for three years. He was drafted in 1969 and spent two years in the United States Marine Corps, but managed to avoid a tour in Vietnam.

"I'm one of the few Marines you'll ever meet who didn't go to war," he said, with a laugh.

But his heart was always on the Reservation. And so he returned. "I was the oldest son and there is a lot of responsibility in our family for that," Mel said.

With the return of the ricing equipment came a renewed responsibility and bond with his father, the man who raised him, the man he loved and admired.  And when it came to ricing, Mel had a good teacher in his dad. "He taught me how," Mel said. "He taught me everything - duck hunting, deer hunting, and how to find your way through the woods. We never even had compasses."

But Raymond Maday's teachings went well beyond the expanse of the Bad River Reservation. "I think the biggest thing that kept me kind of out of trouble was my dad, he was a real family man," Mel said. "He loved us unconditionally. And he looked out for you. You'd be going somewhere with your girlfriend and he'd give you $20, $10. And you knew that was just about it for him, he didn't have any more. But he wanted you to have a good time."

Mel's father, however, was no submissive pushover. "He set guidelines," Mel recalled. "And he was bullheaded that you were gonna behave yourself and not be in trouble."

	Photo Courtesy of the Governor's office

Gov. Tony Evers, joined by Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, signed Executive Order #50, declaring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day in Wisconsin. The executive order was signed on Tuesday at the Indian Community School in Franklin.

In the executive order, Gov. Evers recognized the importance of the Native Nations to Wisconsin and reaffirmed the significance of Native Nations' sovereignty, culture, and history.

"Through this executive order, we recognize and appreciate our Tribal Nations and Indigenous people and their resilience, wisdom, and the contributions they make to our state," said Gov. Evers. "Native Americans in Wisconsin and throughout our country have suffered unjust treatment - often at the hands of our government - and today is about recognizing that Wisconsin would not be all that it is without Indigenous people."

"Today, we seek to recognize and honor our state's Indigenous communities while moving beyond a dated practice that perpetuates inaccurate teachings and honors genocide," Lt. Gov. Barnes said. 

"The story of Wisconsin's Indigenous people has long been one of resistance and resilience. In the coming years, our administration will work to ensure that story evolves into one that includes respect and justice."

Both Gov. Evers and Lt. Gov. Barnes, through this executive order, strongly encourage Wisconsin businesses, organizations, public institutions, and local governments to be in solidarity with Indigenous people by recognizing, celebrating and cultivating strong relationships with Wisconsin Native Nations.

In the middle of the 19th century, when Chief Buffalo signed a treaty with the United States government, it set the course for the Ojibwe Nation's future. On September 29th, 165 years later, more than a dozen bands of Chippewas gathered on Madeline Island to celebrate and commemorate the  Treaty of 1854.

	Joe Rose

"The Treaty of 1854 established reservations for the Lake Superior Ojibwe, in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. And it meant that we weren't going to be forcibly removed to the lands further west," said Joe Rose, 84, a revered Bad River Tribal Elder, who established the Native American Studies program at Northland College in Ashland and taught at the school for 38 years.

"And there was good news and bad news. The good news was that we remained on postage-stamp sizes of our ancestral lands, on reservations. But the bad news was that the Minnesota Ojibwe gave up millions of acres of their land, so it was still another land cession treaty."

However, the Treaty brought Ojibwe people together in 1854 and did so again last weekend for a four-day commemoration, celebration and family reunion at La Pointe on Madeline Island, where Chief Buffalo had signed the Treaty so long ago.
Sunday, beneath dark skies and a day-long rain that ranged from a light drizzle to a downpour, these hearty, undaunted Anishinaabe people ignored the weather under a rainbow of smiles.

The weekend, especially Sunday, was more fun than work. Included on the day's agenda, between the rain drops, was a sunrise ceremony, kayaking, youth lacrosse, Ojibwe arts and crafts booths, island tours, wild rice processing, a Powwow, filming an episode of the Mad Dog and Miller Grilling Challenge and, of course, plenty of food, drumming, singing and dancing.

Cecil Metoxen, 4 years old, of Bad River, was a dancer.	Billy Jo Nelis, 7 years old, of Bad River, played lacrosse with the older kids.

"Our main business is to help people understand more about treaties and our history and how we continue to exercise those rights today, So, for me it's significant that all these people are coming together to recognize those agreements and how we're continuing to live and exercise those rights today," Paula said.

	John Johnson of Lac du Flambeau

Of the weekend event, John Johnson, 55, a Tribal Elder and newly elected Tribal Council Member in Lac du Flambeau, said, "I would say it's a family reunion."

John also serves as Chairman of the Voigt Intertribal Task Force, which recommends policy regarding inland harvest seasons, resource management issues, and budgetary matters to the Board of Commissioners, as well as addressing matters that affect the Treaty Rights of the member Tribes.

"When we were all put on these reservations, we didn't make boundaries or anything. Each one of the statehoods are the ones who made the boundaries. But us Indians were made to roam and hunt, fish and gather in any way we could. You know, that Treaty gave us the rights to do that," John continued. "Right now, it's important to take care of our land and what our ancestors fought for so we can bring our children up in this world knowing that they have those rights."

Richard Lafernier, of Red Cliff, pointed out that treaty rights mean little when they are not recognized and respected by Non-Native Americans. He recalled a time in about 1984 when he and his friends were spearfishing on Nelson Lake near Hayward, only to have rocks thrown at them.

"A lot of the picket signs said, 'Save a fish. Kill an Indian,' " Richard recalled. "We still live through some of those things today. So, when we talk about historical trauma, those are the things we look at and how we're discriminated against."

Eric Chapman, a Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council Member, said the Treaty of 1854 commemoration weekend was an important time to learn and remember.

"It's to remember that migration story. The Anishinaabe people came from the East Coast together. We came here together! Even though we live on separate reservations now, part of the Treaty Day event is coming together again as one great Nation," Eric said.

The spirit of Chief Buffalo was there as well. Believed to have been born in 1759 in La Pointe, the great Chippewa leader was 95 when he met with U.S. government representatives on September 30, 1854 and signed the Treaty in front of the headquarters of the American Fur Company. That building was destroyed by fire in 1923, and only a small plaque, placed in 1926, marks the historic spot, which is difficult to find today. View more history on Chief Buffalo.

Plaque marks the spot where Chief Buffalo signed the Treaty of 1854	"Ojibway Nation" Marker
La Pointe Welcome Sign	Grave of Chief Buffalo

Chief Buffalo died at age 96 on September 7, 1855. He is buried alone in La Pointe, surrounded by a tight grove of trees. His grave, like the plaque, is difficult to locate. But his legacy and the gifts to his people can forever be clearly seen.

Press Release by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Wisconsin's 11 federally recognized Tribal governments met with state and federal officials on Monday to update a commitment to partnership on transportation-related issues. The partnership agreement, initially launched in 2005, sets the framework for government-to-government cooperation on project development and labor issues that transcend state, federal and Tribal jurisdictions.

"This agreement is about providing guidance and structure for us to enjoy a deeper and more meaningful understanding of our unique operational needs," said Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary-Designee Craig Thompson. "Our signatures today mark a new chapter in important relationships we want to continue cultivating for the benefit of our communities and future generations."

The partnership agreement has prompted initiatives among WisDOT and Wisconsin's Tribal governments, such as the Inter-Tribal Task Force, annual consultation meetings, and skills training programs in Native American communities.

"Good, strong partnerships take time, understanding and communication. For nearly 15 years, Wisconsin's 11 Tribes have worked with state and federal government to advocate for transportation projects that leverage community impact," said Shannon Holsey, President of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council Inc. and President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. "Expansion of the partnership agreement is another positive step forward for us all."

The partnership agreement followed Gov. Jim Doyle's Executive Order 39 in 2004. The agreement was last updated in fall 2010. Earlier this year, Gov. Tony Evers issued Executive Order 18 reaffirming the importance of the inter-governmental relationships. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes attended the signing event in Bayfield.

"Partnership is an important component of progress, and it's exciting to see Native Nations and state and federal governments coming together to re-energize a core connection and chart a path forward," said Lt. Gov. Barnes. "This partnership agreement embodies the spirit of Governor Evers' Executive Order 18. As a state, we have the responsibility to uphold and respect Tribal sovereignty - just as we have a responsibility to help Native communities overcome the barriers they face because of historical injustices."

Lacey Adams is a sweet young woman with an even sweeter job. She bakes the palate-pleasing desserts at the Manomin Restaurant.

If you've heard she makes "fabulous desserts," you're not alone. And she's heard it, as well. "Yeah, I've been told that by a lot of people," said Lacey, her voice mixed with equal parts pride and modesty. "Every once in a while, people are posting about it on Facebook and I'll get tagged."

She admits being a bit surprised by all the attention her kitchen skills have gotten. No, Lacey's baking abilities didn't come from advanced culinary training. She's just a dedicated young woman who can take the words of a recipe and make them speak the language of mouth-watering desserts. She honed her skills the old-school way - through hard work, while keeping her eyes and ears open to learning.

"Mostly on the job," she said, pointing to the origin of her baking talents. "Looking up recipes, looking at cookbooks, and changing a few things. I think it's really easy to find good recipes."

Lacey makes it sound so simple. She would have you believe that anyone who can read a recipe can cook or bake. But, to be sure, there are many out there with burnt entrees who would strongly disagree. Most are adept at making reservations. But food? Not so much. And Lacey admits to having the occasional faux pas with the pastry, as well. "Oh, I've had plenty of screw-ups," she said, with a laugh.

Lacey began waitressing at the restaurant in June 2017, shortly after graduating from Ashland High School. She has been the Manomin's baker since January 2018.

And her baking skills have stunned and pleased her supervisor, Linton Rembert, Food Service Manager at the Bad River Casino. "You know, I can't even really put that into words. I was just amazed at how well she could bake. And she doesn't bake very much at home. This is the very first place she ever baked in a commercial setting. And she's just excellent at it. ... She's a natural," Linton said.

Her baking skills, and rave reviews from her boss and satisfied customers, have earned Lacey some freedom in the kitchen. "Mostly I'm able to make whatever I want, most of the time," said Lacey, who works from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. But, she was quick to point to her #1 go-to dessert. "The peanut butter cookies," she said. "People really like those."

Lacey has a 4-year-old sister, Bella, and a 26-year old brother, Andre. She lives here with her mother, Nora Adams.

Like most young people, she's not looking upon her first job as her last. She is interested in early childhood education and body piercing, and is considering pursuing the former, possibly at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. "I was planning on going to school in Duluth next fall. I plan on sticking around for at least another year ," Lacey said.

So, grab those delicious peanut butter cookies while you can.

We are calling on our friends, allies and supporters of life to help us ensure that our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have a voice and receive justice.


Please share this message via social media, calling for support of this bill and encourage your networks to contact their local legislators! Stand with us, stand with our sisters, bring them justice!

Email Rep. Voss at [email protected]

Thank You for your time and consideration.

Maec Waewaenen,

Women of Menikanaehkem - Not Us. Not Today.

Abi Fergus has focused her professional life and education on the goal of conserving and protecting the natural resources of the Bad River Reservation.

Abi hails from Holland, Michigan, is single and lives in Ashland. Since late July, she has been the Wildlife Specialist for the Tribe's Natural Resources Department. 

Besides her full-time job as Wildlife Specialist, she is also pursuing a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She is taking online classes so she doesn't have to be away from her work in Bad River.

"I want everything I do (with her degree) to be really applicable to what I do as a professional. It's unique to be a conservationist for a Tribe because when you go to school you're trained in a Western mindset. And it really doesn't prepare you for working for a Tribe," Abi said. "Because then you're using some Western science, but you're also using all the rich traditional knowledge that Tribes have and a different way of going about conservation."

Her masters, Abi said, is called, "environment and resources," but the University of Wisconsin has allowed her the freedom to take courses that are tailored to what she does specific to her new job.

Abi graduated from Alma College in Michigan in December 2017 with a degree in biology and has served the Tribe ever since. She shared that she began as an intern, and then helped get input for the Ma'iingan (wolf) Management Plan.

"I have been working with Bad River, in other capacities, for two years," she said. "I moved up here after college and worked as wildlife technician last season. And then I became a graduate student, funded by Bad River, to look at how to keep predators away from livestock farms, so the Tribe can build relationships with those landowners and better protect, ma'iingan, specifically the wolf."

The Wildlife Specialist position opened up last spring while Abi was in grad school in Madison. She replaced Lacey Hill-Kastern, Abi's former supervisor, who took a job with the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council.

"She had the job for almost 10 years, I believe. Now, she's a Tribal liaison for all the Wisconsin Tribes," Abi said of Lacey.

As Wildlife Specialist, Abi's supervisor is Naomi Tillison, the Director of the Bad River Natural Resources Department.

"She's doing great. We're really excited to have Abi join our team," Naomi said. "And we're excited to watch her reevaluate and expand the wildlife program. Abi is in a really unique position. She is a Tribal employee, and we also support her graduate research on ma'iingan."

Lacey Hill-Kastern left a proud legacy and the Wildlife Program in good shape.
"Lacey did an amazing job," Naomi said. "We definitely miss having Lacey as part of our team."

But the beat goes on for the new Wildlife Specialist as the Tribe moves forward in this important area.

"This is a good time for us to evaluate what the Tribe wants for the wildlife program, since there is turnover for the first time in 10 years. Traditionally, the things that we focused on, and that we will continue to focus on, are doing population monitoring of ma'iingan," Abi said. "And doing conservation. Anishinaabe and ma'iingan are brothers, and Ojibwe people and wolves have very close relationships, so that, of course is always a priority."

"But then, big picture, I'm looking at how to most effectively conserve the bio-diversity of the Reservation. That's looking at habitat issues and looking at endangered species issues. We help protect the endangered piping plover," she continued.

The piping plover is a sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird. Abi said Bad River has been able to take part in critical conservation of important species.

Abi has two offices, frequently working in the field when the weather cooperates, and at her desk in the Chief Blackbird Center. "In the field, a significant responsibility is data-collection work and conservation work that spans from trying to influence federal policy to benefit Tribes and to get wildlife funding. And the Tribes have demonstrated leadership in being proactive about addressing climate-change issues."

"Changing forest structures change the makeup of the wildlife," Abi said. "We're seeing issues with wild rice with more extreme weather events. The water levels are different. If we don't have manoomin (wild rice) growing in a healthy manner, the whole Kakagon Sloughs and Bad River Sloughs aren't as diverse as they should be. And that's something that Tribal Members are very concerned with right now."

It has often been said that if you have a difficult job that needs to be done well, give it to a busy person. That busy person is Lisa Fawn Whitebird.

Lisa recently became the first Administrative Assistant in the history of the Tribe's Facilities Department. But as vitally important as that new responsibility is, it's just the tip of the iceberg of jobs she calls her own.

She has been Administrative Assistant since September 6th, just a little more than a month, but she also works part time as a server at the Deep Water Grille in Ashland, and she has run a children's daycare service for more than 13 years. She could lecture on the subject of busy, but would do it with a pleasant smile.

Which brings us to her most important job of all: the single parent of three children, ranging in age from 7 to 17. She happily accepts the challenges of raising Rayonah, 17, Patience, 13 and Francis, 7. And like many, she enjoys the rewards that come from parenthood.

She also lives in the real world, where she must bring home a paycheck, or paychecks as the case might be, to keep her family going. And her latest job has the built-in stress of being the first of its kind for the Tribe. So, in some respects she's not re-inventing, she's inventing the wheel.

"I do feel some pressure, but my supervisor Scott Vaughan, has helped me quite a bit getting into the swing of things," Lisa said. "Also, Jamie Weaver in accounting, has helped me a lot with the purchase orders and the way things are run through here. But I do feel the pressure because it's a new position."

Scott is the Maintenance Supervisor, and Lisa's immediate boss is Donald Neveaux, the Facilities Department Head. She shares an office with her new colleagues in the Chief Blackbird Center.

Before joining the Facilities Department, Lisa worked briefly as an Assistant Teacher in Early Childhood Development in the Head Start program.

As Administrative Assistant, she is in charge of paying the bills for all the Tribally-owned buildings, such as heat, lights and trash removal, to mention a few. "I pay lots of bills," Lisa said, laughing. "If anything breaks, we fix it. We also clean and maintain all of the buildings."

The "we" she referred to are the 10 full-time maintenance and 11 limited-term employees. The staff assists with the showers at the Powwow and fairgrounds, the cabins on Madeline Island, and a myriad of other maintenance duties.

"We are the backbone of the Tribe," Lisa said of the Facilities Department. "We keep all garbage up to date, and the buildings clean. That includes the Admin building, the Community Center, the Elderly Building, the Food Sovereignty Building, and the land buy-back house."

Her new role as Administrative Assistant has a sharp focus on the rentals of the Community Center and the Administration Center, as well as the kitchens at both facilities. Lisa replaces Mary Nelis as the point person for securing these rentals. Anyone wishing to rent either places should contact Lisa for placement on the Community Calendar. She can be reached by phone at 715-682-7111, extension 1517. Lisa will probably answer immediately, but let it ring a couple of times. After all, she is one busy woman.

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Visit these sites for current employment opportunities:

Bad River Lodge and Casino

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College

Job Center of Wisconsin

Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program (CEP)

City of Ashland - Deputy Clerk - Deadline to apply is October 11, 2019, at 4:00 pm.