October 2-8, 2023

Binaakwe-Giizis (Falling Leaves Moon)

Chi-Miigwech to all who joined our 1854 Treaty Day Commemoration activities this past weekend. It is important to remember our ancestors' efforts and sacrifices in affirming and protecting our treaty rights as Anishinaabeg!

The Chippewa Federation met on Friday at Legendary Waters, followed by Saturday's activities at Memorial Park on Mooningwanekaaning (Madeline Island).

There was a Buffalo Pipe Tobacco ceremony, food offering, and many wonderful words spoken by Tribal leaders and community members.

Stay tuned for more photos posted to the Tribe's Facebook page this week.

Learn about the 1854 Treaty online at www.redcliff-nsn.gov/1854treaty.

Contact the Red Cliff Tribal Historic Preservation Office with any questions at 715-779-3766.

Boozhoo Gaa-Miskwaabikaang,

In response to community feedback, the Tribe has initiated a market and feasibility study for a Community Wellness Center here in Gaa-Miskwaabikaang. A Wellness Center has been identified as a top community priority with strong support for a local facility that offers health and wellness programming and services for Red Cliff members.

On Wednesday October 18, community presentations will take place at Elder Housing, the Bayfield School, and Legendary Waters to share the findings of the recent market and feasibility study, and to get the community’s feedback on this project.

Members will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in an interactive vote for the types of services and facilities that they would like to see included as part of a new Community Wellness Center project. Please plan to join us at one or more of the following presentations:

Community Presentations

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Presentation to Elders at the Red Cliff Elder Center, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Presentation to Students at the Bayfield School, 1:30 pm to 3:15 pm.

Presentation to the Community at Legendary Waters, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

We hope to see you there and hear your thoughts about this exciting opportunity!

The Red Cliff Tribal Council is set to meet Monday October 2 at Legendary Waters.

The Regular Session is scheduled to begin at 4:30 PM. Community members are encouraged to attend.

Boozhoo Gaa-Miskwaabikaang,

Please join us at the Red Cliff Boys & Girls Club on October 17-19 for our Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) event.

This GONA event connects Red Cliff elders, youth, and program staff to address community identified issues.

Please call 715-779-3707 ext 2263 for more information.

Gaa-Miskwaabikaang was represented at the 2023 State of Education Address held in Madison on September 21.

Red Cliff elder Guyaushk (Jim Pete), along with his granddaughter Rokell, joined the Tribal Education Delegation at the State Capitol building. Guyaushk serves as President of the Wisconsin Indian Education Association.

See excerpts from State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly’s 2023 State of Education Address HERE.

Great job! Aho!

Boozhoo Gaa-Miskwaabikaang -- There will be field specialists checking the routes of fiber that will connect the main lines on the road to the side of homes over the next few weeks.

You may notice these field specialists walking on home properties to take measurements on where to latch up the fiber to the house.

If you have any issues or concerns about this, please call the Tribal Administration Building at 715-779-3700.

Boozhoo Elders! Until further notice, the daily elderly meals will continue to be available for pick up at the Food Distribution Building Monday through Friday between 12:00 - 1:00 PM. Home delivered meals will be delivered as usual.

Miigwech for understanding! Please contact Family & Human Services with any questions at 715-779-3706.

Howah! Mino Bimaadiziiwin Red Cliff Tribal Farm is now buying apples from Red Cliff Tribal members!

Apples will be used to make apple cider, and will be purchased for up to $0.50/pound depending on the quality. Please see flyer below for more details.

Contact the Farm with any questions by calling 715-779-3782 or via email to Farm@redcliff-nsn.gov.

Mino Bimaadiziiwin Red Cliff Tribal Farm will host its Harvest Feast & Potluck at 5:00 PM on Friday October 13!

Join us in celebrating the bounty of the harvest. Please feel free to bring a dish to share.

All are welcome!

The Farm is located at 36735 Aiken Road in Gaa-Miskwaabikaang.

The Red Cliff Tribal Council is seeking community members to serve on various boards and committees. These entities work to serve the community and provide a communication channel between the Tribal Council and the community.

Marcus "Airborne" Robinson and the Pittsburgh Bullets will host basketball clinic sessions and skills challenges at the Bayfield School Gym on October 13 and October 14!

Registration will take place prior to the start of each session, please arrive a few minutes before your session. View all times and details below.

Following these clinics, our very own Red Cliff Rainmakers will be playing against the Pittsburgh Bullets in an all-star game held at the Bayfield Gym.

If you have any questions, please call the Boys & Girls Club at 715-779-3722.

Changes to the Red Cliff Code of Laws Model Off Reservation Conservation Code are being proposed by the Red Cliff Legal Department.

View all details of the proposed changes HERE.

Public comment on this proposal is encouraged. Please drop your comments at the Tribal Administration Building, or forward them directly to the Tribal Council. This proposal will be voted upon on October 2, 2023 at the Tribal Council meeting.

Changes to the Red Cliff Code of Laws Chapter 40 are being proposed by the Red Cliff Legal Department.

View all details of the proposed changes HERE.

Public comment on this proposal is encouraged. Please drop your comments at the Tribal Administration Building, or forward them directly to the Tribal Council. This proposal will be voted upon on October 2, 2023 at the Tribal Council meeting.

Fall Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. This period is also sometimes called the Annual Election Period. During this time, you can make changes to your health insurance coverage, including adding, dropping, or changing your Medicare coverage. Even if you’re happy with your current health and drug coverage, Fall Open Enrollment is the time to review what you have, compare it with other options, and make sure that your current coverage still meets your needs for the coming year.

You can make as many changes as you need to your Medicare coverage during Fall Open Enrollment. The changes you can make include: 

1. Joining a new Medicare Advantage Plan
2. Joining a new Part D prescription drug plan 
3. Switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan 
4. Switching from a Medicare Advantage Plan to Original Medicare (with or without a Part D plan) 

Regardless of how you receive your Medicare coverage, you should consider:  

• Your access to health care providers you want to see 
• Your access to preferred pharmacies 
• Your access to benefits and services you need 
• The total costs for insurance premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing amounts  

If you have Original Medicare, visit this page or read the 2024 Medicare & You handbook to learn about Medicare’s benefits for the upcoming year. You should review any increases to Original Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance charges.  

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a stand-alone Part D plan, read your plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and/or Evidence of Coverage (EOC). Review these notices for any changes in: 

• The plan’s costs 
• The plan’s benefits and coverage rules 
• The plan’s formulary (list of drugs your plan covers) 

Make sure that your drugs will still be covered next year and that your providers and pharmacies are still in the plan’s network. If you are unhappy with any of your plan’s changes, you can enroll in a new plan. If you want assistance reviewing your options, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for individualized counseling.

Even if you are happy with your current Medicare coverage, consider other Medicare health and drug plan options in your area. For example, even if you do not plan to change your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you should check to see if there’s another plan in your area that will offer you better health and/or drug coverage at a more affordable price. Research shows that people with Medicare prescription drug coverage could lower their costs by shopping among plans each year. There could be another Part D plan in your area that covers the drugs you take with fewer restrictions and/or lower prices.

From Cindy Long, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service Administrator

Each opportunity to engage directly with the people we serve through our programs provides moments to learn and reflect. For far too long, decisions about the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, also known as FDPIR, were made for tribes rather than with tribes or even by tribes. But USDA is committed to turning that tide and making the future of FDPIR one marked by listening, understanding and collaboration. Last month’s National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, was the perfect occasion for FNS to discuss recent and upcoming changes to FDPIR with our tribal partners and hear feedback directly from those who would be impacted.

These actions include: 

• Enhancing the FDPIR food package. FNS worked with tribes to inform these improvements, effective Sept. 1, which include: 

o Doubling the eggs provided;

o Increasing the meat, poultry and fish participants can take by 67%;

o Increasing vegetables included by nearly 40%; and

o Adding strawberries and bison stew meat as options.

• Partnering with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the Food Safety and Inspection Service to make it easier for bison raised by tribes to be included in the FDPIR food package.

• Adding new FDPIR Nutrition Education materials that participating tribes can order at no cost.

• Proposing changes to FDPIR regulations to level out differences in eligibility and benefits provided through FDPIR and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. These changes are open for comment until Oct. 13.

• Putting the power back in the hands of tribal nations to select and purchase foods for their FDPIR food packages directly rather than going through USDA. We’ve recently added eight additional tribes to the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project, which helps better align the packages with tribal dietary preferences, supports indigenous agricultural producers, and honors tribal sovereignty.

FNS will continue to make collaborative work with tribes a top priority. Working together, the future is looking bright for FDPIR.

Attention those participating in the WI DHS FoodShare Program,

You may be receiving a letter from DHS regarding QUEST cards being potentially compromised.

The DHS recommends that you change your QUEST card pin number by calling QUEST Card Service.

Please contact Red Cliff Family & Human Services with any questions at 715-779-3706.

The Red Cliff Education Department and Library can help community members applying for the SAVE program to save on their student loan repayments. This program is recommended for folks who have a high monthly loan payment and may save people in paying a more "affordable" amount or may assist in forgiving some of the amount.

The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, like other income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, calculates your monthly payment amount based on your income and family size. The SAVE Plan provides the lowest monthly payments of any IDR plan available to nearly all student borrowers.

Learn more and apply here.

Please contact the Red Cliff Education Department with any questions at 715-779-3766.

Click to access the entire ECC October newsletter

The Red Cliff Education Department is offering additional financial support for those who have already applied for the Higher Education and Job Training Program.

Want to apply for the scholarship? Here's what we need from you:

Application, Education Plan, Unofficial Transcript, Fall/Spring Schedule.

Click HERE to learn more and access an application.

The Housing Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet on Thursday October 12 at Legendary Waters at 5 PM.

For more information on this free training to become a certified Home Health Aide, please contact ROSS Resource Coordinator Deb Morris at 715-779-3744 ext 3514.

Red Cliff Chippewa Housing Authority is accepting applications for housing and housing assistance!

RCCHA provides clean, safe, adequate, and affordable housing for qualified families and elders.

Housing options to apply for include low rent, 6-plex, 4-plex, Elderly, Tax Credit, Tax Credit Rehab.

Oski-Ombendaam New Hope Supportive Housing

The Oski-Ombendaam New Hope housing contains efficiency, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. The goal of New Hope housing is to provide supportive services to those individuals and families while providing clean, safe, adequate, and affordable housing.

You are also able to apply for Home Repair Assistance and Down Payment Assistance.

Click HERE to access an application.

Red Cliff Chippewa Housing Authority tenants have access to a Residential Resource Coordinator. The coordinator will help tenants get connected with various resources.

This service is available to Housing tenants Monday through Friday at New Hope Building A, at 37580 Pageant Road.

Please call 715-779-3744 extension 3514 with any questions.

Click to access the entire Treaty Natural Resources Division Ganawenjigaade newsletter for niibin (summer) 2023.

Tribal Members have opportunities to collect birch bark from US Forest Service potential timber sale locations. Opportunities are available in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and Ottawa National Forest.

Anyone interested should follow this link, then click on the "birch maps" tab. Under that tab, there are maps of both national forests that show the areas open to birch bark collecting and the approximate size of trees in that stand, if that data is available.

Please note: Tribal members should not remove bark from trees that are already marked with paint. Birch bark can be collected until a timber sale contract has been awarded. Once a timber sale contract has been awarded, tribal members would need to get permission from the timber sale purchaser to collect birch bark within the timber sale units.  

If anyone has questions, they can contact contact Alex Bohman at abohman@glifwc.org or 715-685-2125.

Click HERE to order online!

Wisconsin Conservation Voices is looking for a Native Vote Director who has a deep commitment to Wisconsin’s tribal communities, enjoys managing staff and developing programs, and believes in the power of voting to create positive change. This is a full-time position and there is geographic flexibility within the state. The full position description can be found HERE.