eehiši iiyaayankwi 'where we are going' - Volume 22 Issue 1 (Spring 2023)

eehiši iiyaayankwi where we are going

2023 GENERAL COUNCIL SUMMARY

Aya,

As we head forward into spring, we take careful notice of the rainy days, the blooming trees, and the increasing temperatures as it illustrates the transformation of seasons. When I think of spring, I am often reminded of our plans as a Nation, seeking opportunities for growth with each passing of the season.

At our 2023 General Council meeting, we gathered with our Peoria family to share the stories of the last year. General Council was met with success as we heard business reports and discussed the years to come. As we invite citizens to another grand Peoria event, we remain focused on welcoming our traveling citizens with increased access to Tribal resources, comfortable stays, great dining experiences, and friendly staff. Thank you, for all those who attended for continuing to share the word with friends and family. Each year, we greet new faces at General Council, a true byproduct of our Nation’s development

In March, we also celebrate the first full year of our beautiful Peoria Tribe Campus. We now have a dedicated team of individuals working at the Cultural Resource Center, nearly full capacity at Woodland Academy, and the Peoria Tribe Community Center is providing a practical place for citizens to gather and celebrate. We look forward to further opportunities to expand new and current programs.

With spring in full bloom, we see the 26th Annual Peoria Powwow on the horizon. We so look forward to gathering again, competing through dance, sharing stories, and celebrating our intertribal family June 16th, 17th, and 18th, 2023.

I look forward to seeing each of you at the upcoming Powwow!

Be Well, Chief Harper

https://podcasts.apple.com/ us/podcast/bloodlines-talesof-indigenous-women/ id1648505321

CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT

Submitted byJeane Burgess

Jeane Burgess is excited to introduce her new podcast, “Bloodlines: Tales of Indigenous Women”. In this podcast, her mission is to shine a light on Native American women who are impacting their world, life and neighborhood. Season 2 will begin recording soon. Season 1 is complete and available on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are found. 12 women, 12 interviews, 12 episodes, 12 amazing stories. Many Peoria women are included, as well as various other tribes. You can find information at the link or QR code below. Please feel free to share the podcast.

If you have an idea for a guest or a question, please contact creator/host Jeane Burgess at jeane@wynnwynnmedia.com.

Bloodlines is a labor of love. I hope you’ll enjoy.

Laura Loberta Bowers

Donadine King

Charles Alva Mitchell Jr

Curtis Earl Morris

The Peoria Tribal Burial Assistance Benefit

The Peoria Tribal Burial Assistance Benefit is $10,000 per citizen.

All Burial Assistance Applications must be completed and returned with an original certified death certificate no later than 180 days from the date of death. All deceased must be enrolled members of the Peoria Tribe. Payment will be made directly to the funeral home. Please visit with the funeral home concerning this policy. This application is available online at peoriatribe. com/forms or by contacting the Tribal Programs Manager, Donna Harp via email at dharp@peoriatribe.com or by telephone at 918-540-2535 or 1-800-259-9987.

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2023 GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE PEORIA TRIBE

Following a visit to the polling location for the offices of Secretary and Third Councilman, Peoria Tribe facilities were open with staff present for citizens to tour, experience, and ask questions about services and resources each facility might offer! The Peoria Headquarters, Health and Human Services Center, Woodland Academy, Peoria Community Center, and the Cultural Resource Center are all open for servicing Peoria citizens. If you or a native family member need access to resources, please contact the Tribal Headquarters at 918.540.2535 to see which services can assist you!

To increase the knowledge of school-age and community members about the dangers of substance abuse and operating vehicles, the Peoria Tribe is offering a driving simulation program with a virtual, yet realistic approach. The simulator trailer was presented before the 2023 General Council Meeting for citizens to participate. The simulator trailer took citizens through virtual cities, expressways, residential areas, and two-lane country roads while road conditions change and virtual substance ‘intake’ increases, showing the participant how driving under the influence affects an individual’s ability to drive safely in all road conditions. The driving simualtor will be taken into high schools and community events to enhance awareness and knowledge of substance abuse!

Peoria Tribe citizens connected with staff, receiving giveaways and outreach information while sharing the projects and services that each department has offered in the year 2022.

Following the report from Buffalo Run Casino & Resort by Patrick Browne, Chief Craig Harper presented a framed print of The Wall Street Journal’s February 2023 publication which listed Buffalo Run Casino & Resort as one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work for In the Nation! The competition came through the National Association for Business Resources and distinguished winning companies through an assessment of their, “communication, work-life balance, employee education, diversity, recognition, retention and more” (TheBestandBrightest,2023).

Congratulations to Buffalo Run Casino & Resort, the best and brightest to work for, for their effort in building richer lives for employees.

Following presentations from staff, election results were returned, and Treasurer, Jenney Rampey and Third Councilman, Scott Myers were inducted into office immediately. Thank you Tonya Mathews and Isabella Burrell for your dedicated service to the Peoria Tribe Business Committee, and congratulations to our newest council members Jenny Rampey and Scott Myers.

Following the 2023 General Council Meeting, all citizens exchanged their door prize tickets for 5 pounds of Peoria-raised ground Beef, compliments of the Peoria Tribe Natural Resources Department after a successful year at the Peoria Tribe Cattle Ranch located in Miami, Oklahoma.

During the presentation for Natural Resources, citizens were invited to reach out to Director, Erin Barnes, for property tours to learn more about what Peoria Nation has to offer.

After the meeting, citizens were invited to connect through a community dinner and stomp dancing at the Ottawa-Peoria Community Center hosted by the Peoria Tribe Cultural Preservation Department.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CHANGES WITHIN Health and Human Services Center

Tracy Coach, Director of HHS, and her team invited citizens and community members to showcase the resources and services that they can offer at the Open House of the NEW Health and Human Services Center, January 31! Following the move from Headquarters to Health and Human Services Center, we have had many positive program updates within our programs!

PEORIA ADVANTAGE MEETS FAMILY ADVOCATE

Family Advocate Manager

Shelby Betsey

Peoria citizen, Shelby Betsey, joins the Health and Human Services team in December of 2022 as the Family Advocate Manager. Previously overseeing Community Health, Betsey is experienced in wellness and advocacy as she takes on her new role, preventing child abuse by assisting parents with culturally relevant support!

Peoria Advantage offers family-spirit and parent-led gatherings to prevent child abuse inhome through group parental support! Group meetings with Shelby Betsey began March 2023 with multiple outreach and community events supporting child advocacy already on the calendar!

Shelby Betsey, Family Advocate Manager at HHS sbetsey@peoriatribe.com |

Preschool children of Woodland Academy wave bye to child abuse!’ with fun activity! Children were encouraged to create their own ‘leaf’ to decorate the trees of the Woodland Academy enterance!

Prevention Implementation Approaches

Facilitated and Sponsored Talking Circles, Warrior Down, White Bison Medicine Wheel and 12 Steps for Men and Women.

Distributed 44 naloxone trainings kits.

Received 60 donated fentanyl testing strips from partners.

Distributed 80 fentanyl testing strips within our target community.

Treatment Implementation Approaches

We were able to connect 7 community members to treatment and recovery services.

Trained 39 people within ' . ' key community sectors.

Trained 17 people to provide school-based prevention and education.

Educated 457 school-aged children on prevention and engaged them in activities related to the consequences of opioid and/or stimulant misuse.

Recovery Implementation Approaches

• Provided Recovery Support to several community members in these key areas:

• Alcohol- Related Disorders.

• Opioid Related Disorders.

• Cannabis- Related Disorders.

• Cocaine-Related Disorders.

•Inhalant- Related Disorders.

Educated 1,022 people on the consequences of opioid and/or stimulant misuse via prevention activities and outreach initiatives.

Educated 5,022 individuals on the consequences o f opioid and/or stimulant misuse through media campaigns.

Achievements on the horizon for PEORIA TOR:

Securing a contract w ith the State of Oklahoma to help us continue our great work.

Expanding our Peer Recovery Support Specialist Program.

Meet

Tracy Coach Director of Health and Human Ser vices

Whitney Chavez Peer Recovery Support Specialist

early childhood

SPRING 2023 Director of Early Childhood

Jolynn Kaiser

Spring means CCDF recertification for many of our subsidy families! Look for recertification packets in the mail in late April, early May.

Last winter, Early Childhood joined forces with the Peoria Tribe Cultural Preservation Department to create a Peoria children’s book titled peewaalia akincikoona (Peoria numbers) to teach children the Peoria Numbers 1-10!

We are preparing for an exciting spring. Woodland Academy hosted an engaging spring break for the school age children in our program. It was chilly outside, but the children had a blast!

In the beginning of April, we celebrate the Week of the Young Child. This is a national week long event celebrating young children and their families. Woodland and Kahne Academy will participate in the themed days and, we invite you to celebrate with your families! The daily themes to celebrate:

• Music Monday

• Tasty Tuesday

• Work Together Wednesday

• Artsy Thursday

• Family Friday

natural resources

SPRING CLEANING 2023

Natural Resources Director - Erin Barnes

Merriam-Webster defines spring as a time or season for growth or development. New life is all around us, if you look closely. Cool season grasses are starting to send up new shoots, some trees are blooming, and jonquils and daffodils are showing off their pretty fragrant petals!

For the Natural Resources Department, spring is a hectic time; we are busy preparing everything for warmer temperatures! The Clean Water program is monitoring the spring rainfall and water quality, the Clean Air program is monitoring the ever-changing air quality between mold and pollen, the Aquatic Facility is getting ponds and fish ready for spawn, the Freshwater Mussel lab is working on getting the mussels that brood in the spring gathered, and the Peoria Cattle Ranch is keeping the cattle fed while welcoming new calves to the herd every day!

In efforts for clean land and new starts, the Environmental crew has been working on doing some “spring cleaning” around a few of the newer properties. In addition, we have been working hard to remove any trash, debris, and tires left by previous owners.

EARTH DAY

Natural Resources Director

Erin Barnes

We encourage each of you to get out and enjoy the outdoors! Host your own yard clean-up day, or find an area where you live to pick up trash! You can plant native tree species or native flowers to enjoy for decades to come. Native plants and trees are species that are naturally occurring in an area or region. If you are unsure of the native species in your area, you can find them on state and federal lists with a quick google search of your state. Planting native and naturally occurring species ensures we are not accidentally planting invasive species.

DOING YOUR PART TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTANTS

Environmental Specialist

EPA 106/319 Grants - Mindy Walker

Nonpoint source pollution can come from a variety of unsuspected places, such as oil, pet waste, pesticide, herbicide, fertilizer, road salt, bacteria, sediment, and any other contaminant that ends up on the ground naturally or unnaturally.

Nonpoint source pollution is somewhat challenging to control because it can come from many sources and locations. Most nonpoint source pollution occurs as a result of runoff.

But! There are ways to contribute to the reduction of NPS!

• Dispose of Oil and Household Chemicals Properly

• Maintain your Septic Tank

• Alternative Ways to Water Livestock (manual or automatic)

• Reduce Sediment Run-off from fields (such as planting native grasses)

• Reduce Nutrient Run-off from Fields

BIRDS, BEES, AND POLLEN... OH MY!

EPA 105 Grant – Air Quality Specialist – La Shell Thomas

For spring allergy sufferers, the joys of warmer weather, birds chirping, and flowers blooming come at a price. Bothersome nose and eye symptoms, breathing difficulties, and skin allergies set in as trees begin to pollinate between February and May.

Did you know?

A common myth regarding spring allergies is that, because symptoms often start in correlation with blooming flowers, flower pollens contribute to the problem. Our allergies are actually due to plants that spread pollen by wind which are different from flowering plants.

Wind-pollinated plants are not showy or eye-catching because they do not need to attract pollenators like bees or other insects. Flowering plants are bright and pretty to serve their purpose of catching pollinators’ attention. Flowering plant pollens are spread from plant to plant by the insects that visit them. For this reason, most of our pollen exposure is due to pollen in the air from wind-pollinated plants.

Many trees are primarily pollinated by wind, and tree pollens are the primary springtime allergen. The trees that cause the most issues in Oklahoma include oak, mulberry, mesquite, and hackwood.

When it comes to tree pollen-related allergies, here are some symptoms you may expect to experience: runny nose, coughing, congestion, sneezing, headaches, scratchy throat, itchy eyes, watery eyes, stuffy nose, and asthma symptoms. Your reactions may be mild or intense, and you could experience one or more of these symptoms.

Check Pollen.com, AccuWeather, and The Weather Channel or your trusted news station for allergy forecasts.

Index: a combination of weather factors that can trigger asthma symptoms. A higher index value means more people with asthma will potentially be affected by weather factors, such as temperature changes or air allergens.

Allergy index: a combination of weather factors and plant growth stages that increase pollen’s release and airborne spread. A higher index value represents a high pollen count and/or spread of pollen.

Figure 1. Daily National Allergy Map Found at Pollen.com

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Aquatic Facility – Environmental Specialist – Kyle Foster

Spring is in the air at the Peoria Tribe Aquatic Facility! We are starting to see increased temperatures during the day, and daylight is lasting a little longer, which means fish activity is increasing tremendously! Spring is a great time to get out and enjoy the outdoors while trying your luck at fishing. Shallow waters heat up quicker than deeper water, meaning that fish will start preparing to move into shallow areas in search of food and to prepare their nests. When we see water temperatures reach the upper 40s into the 50s, we know the fish will need to be sorted into spawning ponds soon.

We start this process by removing all broodfish from the ponds via seining. Then, we bring them inside our production building for sexing and sorting to determine male/female fish. In the past, we have done this visually by physically squeezing the fish to see if Roe (eggs) or Milt (semen) comes out of the fish, allowing us to determine the sex of the fish. This year we will be utilizing technology to ultrasound the fish to determine sex, which should significantly improve our accuracy when placing them into brooding ponds.

Because of how fish metabolize food in their body, we won’t feed them artificial food until the water temperature reaches a consistent 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure that the fish can process the food safely. If fish are fed this type of food before temperatures reach these numbers, the food will not process and, in turn, “sour” in their gut, ultimately leading to death. Fish do still eat in the winter, though, so we make sure all ponds holding fish for the winter are stocked with forage before the cold winter months.

We monitor our fish at the Aquatic Facility daily, and when water temperatures reach the upper 50s to 60 degrees, we know that we will see smallmouth bass fry very soon!

Environmental Specialists Seign Pond for Broodfish.

WHAT IS THE NEOSHO BOTTOMS MUSSEL RESTORATION PROJECT?

Environmental Specialist

Mussel Technician - Ashlyn Roten

The Peoria Tribe has been working with the Tar Creek Trustee Council to kickstart the Neosho Bottoms Mussel Restoration Project, which just received its funding at the beginning of this year.

What does this mean for us?

This project aims to evaluate whether mussels and suitable habitats are present within tributaries of the Spring and Neosho rivers. Some of the habitat features that may support mussels include substrate quality, bank stability, flow, water quality, and the presence of host fish for mussel species of interest. Because certain fish species are hosts for mussels’ early life stages, fish surveys in the tributaries will also be conducted. Once we find our best sites, we will test whether there is an adequate food base by placing “silos” containing mussels to observe their survival and growth. Once we find that these sights are suitable, we will reintroduce our federally protected species, the Neosho Mucket to assist with water clean up!

Prior to receiving our funding, we did preliminary survey work in 2022 to narrow down which sites were viable for our project. Goals for 2023 include assembling a field team, finalizing survey strategies, making a second river survey trip, gaining landowner permission, acquiring any remaining permits, and collecting Fatmucket brood stock.

TRIBUTARIES FOR CONSIDERATION:

2023 GENERAL COUNCIL

Natural Resources Director

Erin Barnes

Seeing and visiting with so many citizens during this year’s General Council Meeting was a blessing. Each year, our staff looks forward to seeing old friends, meeting new people, and sharing our work for the Peoria citizens, lands, and resources. This year we were able to provide Peoria beef sticks and beef bites, wildflower seed pots, and some fun items for the kiddos. At the end of the meeting, each voting Peoria citizen received a freezer bag with five pounds of Peoria ground beef!

We are in a season of growth and are very excited to see where this year will take us!

Natural Resources provides five pounds of Peoria beef to citizen following General Council Meeting, 2023.

Department of Natural Resources Team:

(From left) Kyle Foster, Erin Barnes, Ethan McLaughlin, Ashlyn Roten, La Shell Thomas, Regina Sapp

PEORIA CATTLE RANCH

Rangeland Manager - Bob King

Rangeland Support Specialist - Trey Seigrist

As of early spring, we have 70 new baby calves on the ground. So far, the spring calving season has not had any hiccups, and things are going smoothly with the spring rains and muddy pastures, which we are thankful for. Earlier this year, we burnt brush piles while it was safe.

As spring blooms and pastures dry, we are dragging pastures to spread and dissipate manure piles to help put some nutrients back into the soil. Breaking up the manure piles helps disolve the piles and allows grass to grow that would have been choked out by the pile, otherwise.

April will be a busy time at the ranch with weaning fall calves, working and vaccinating all the animals on the ranch, pasture dragging and spraying, finishing up spring calving, fertilizing, and preparing fields for summer planting.

Last summer’s intense drought took a huge toll on our grass, so rebuilding good grass foundations with weed control will be a priority. By spraying pastures early in the spring, we plan to eliminate weeds before they can start growing, leaving more nutrients in the soil for grass to utilize and thrive. There’s an old saying about weeds: one weed takes in enough nutrients from the soil to remove one pound of grass from a pasture. Most of the weeds we are fighting, are not good forage for cattle, can thrive through a drought, and easily take over a pasture that has little competition from the grass.

Peoria Cattle Ranch Brush Pile Burn, Spring 2023.

Peoria Cattle Ranch Spring Calf, 2023.

Director of Finance - Bill Chase

$ 2,294,308.35

Unaudited Summary Expenditure Budget Report

Summary Budget Comparison from 4/1/2022 through 12/31/2022

Elder Care and Disability Reimbursement Program

The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma has established a program to aid the elderly and disabled population that could benefit from an additional funding source to supplement their households, and/or disability needs, without restricting or interfering with other government programs.

The Elder Care and Disability Reimbursement Program (ECDRP) will make available up to $2,500 per fiscal year (April 1st- March 31st) for eligible tribal citizens. Each eligible tribal citizen is limited to 3 requests for services per fiscal year, not to exceed maximum total of $2,500.

Eligibility:

• Individual must be a current enrolled living citizen of the Peoria Tribe, 65 years or older, evidenced by a Photo ID.

• Eligible adult tribal citizen must provide an award letter or benefit statement from the Social Security Administration (dated within last 90 days), to receive disability benefits. All Payments will be made to the representative payee as designated on Disability or SSI records.

• Minors or other disabled individuals already receiving Disability Social Security or SSI benefits payable to a representative payee, will be eligible for tribal reimbursement program

• Minors not receiving SSI benefits must have documentation of state or federal Determination of Disability to receive reimbursement.

• ORIGINAL RECEIPT(S), not copies, must be sent to the tribal office, and be dated within the fiscal year of the application date. All receipts must come from the vendor or service provider, contain the vendor’s contact information, and a detailed summary of product(s) and services.

• An approved application signed by applicant or legal representative must be on file. A new application is to be submitted each Fiscal year.

• Eligibility for both programs cease upon tribal citizen’s death.

Insurance and Taxes:

• Life Insurance

• Home Owner’s Insurance

• Automotive Insurance

• Healthcare Insurance

• Personal Content Insurance for renters

• Property Tax

Note: ALL insurance/proof of ownership of property must be in the name of the eligible tribal citizen to qualify for payment.

Utilities:

• Electric

• Natural gas

• Propane

• Water

• Rent/Mortgage

• Trash services

• Telephone services

Note: ALL utilities must be in the name of the eligible tribal citizen to qualify for payment.

Health Care Expenses:

• Prescription eye glasses

• Dentures

• Medical Alert Service

• Prescription medication

• Health care deductibles

• Physician prescribed ambulatory product (wheelchair, cane, walker)

• Hearing aids

• Miscellaneous items prescribed by a physician

Note: ALL prescriptions and deductibles must be in the name of the eligible tribal citizen to qualify for payment

All denied benefits will be reviewed by a 3 person Review Committee comprised of the Chief and 2 accounting staff members. Individuals will not be permitted to receive benefits as both “elderly” and “disabled.” Applicants may only utilize one program.

You may also review the policies and procedures on peoriatribe.com/eldercare or contact the office to receive a copy. If you have any questions feel free to contact Tribal Programs at 918-540-2535 at the Peoria Tribal office.

Application for Elder Care & Disability Reimbursement Program

PO Box 1527, Miami, OK 74355

918-540-2535

Tribal Citizen Name:_________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

City State Zip Code

Phone Number: _____

(Only 3 applications will be accepted per tribal citizen per fiscal year)

Tribal Roll #:________ Birth date: ____/____/_______

(Attach copy of membership card)

Program Applying for: (check one)

Elder Care: ______ Disability: _____

Total of attached receipts: $_______________

MUST BE ATTACHED: (check list below)

Copy of Tribal Membership Card

Copy of Photo I.D.

Original Receipts of Purchases for items or services (stated in guidelines)

Disability applicants will also need: Award Letter, Benefit Statement or Determination of Disability documentation.

Date: ___________ Signture:_________________________________

DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE/OFFICE USE ONLY

Date Received: __________ Membership confirmed: _______

Reimbursement Requisition ____ Check mailed______