GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
Building a future of food security and food sovereignty
Office of the Chief
Aya,
This past year has been a whirlwind of growth and achievement for the Peoria Tribe. Numerous projects are nearing completion that will fulfill the Peoria Tribe’s goals of food sovereignty, accessible early childhood education, and increased revenue.
On the horizon is our Food Distribution Center, which will serve as both a hub for food supplies as well as the future retail market. It will allow the Tribe to serve three times as many citizens while also offering future office space for expanding Tribal departments.
In that same vein, the massive Greenhouse project is well underway and will provide fresh produce to our Food Distribution Center. This will directly benefit our citizens and continue the march towards food sovereignty and sustainability.
Expanding the Woodland Campus into the Rockdale building will provide infant and toddler classrooms and space for a preschool classroom. Improvements to the kitchen, multiple playgrounds, and accessible parking have been added as well.
The brand-new RV Park will attract travelers and increase revenue into the Tribe. Its location near our Buffalo Run Casino & Resort along with its higher end amenities will ensure a hugely successful addition to the Tribe’s enterprises.
The planning, the late nights, and the coordinated efforts of each department have made these projects a reality. The amount of pride I have for what the Peoria Tribe’s Team has accomplished is immeasurable.
With gratitude,
Chief Harper
A GROWING FUTURE
Greenhouse
ConstruCtion
BeGins
“When we get talked about in the history books, they talk about hunters and gatherers, well the truth is we weren’t on a random walk, picking things up as we went. It was intentional. It was practiced. It was cultivated. It was preparation for this season, but also preparation for next season as well. So this greenhouse is another version of that – what is old is new again. We’ve been years in planning for this project, and I couldn’t be prouder of it.” - Chief Harper at the Tribe’s Greenhouse Groundbreaking.
The Peoria Tribe has begun construction of a large, 35,000 sq ft greenhouse facility. Once completed by Spring of 2025, the Greenhouse will be growing produce year-round using hydroponic and soilless methods that will yield significantly greater quantities of vegetables than conventional field production.
Erin Barnes, Director of Natural Resources, says, “The Tribe has been working towards fighting food insecurity and how to better take care of the Peoria citizens within the community and this is a big step towards that.”
The greenhouse will provide high-quality food for all Peoria Tribe restaurants, child-care facilities, and elder care programs, as well as contribute to the food distribution system being developed by the Tribe’s Health and Human Services Department.
Top of page: construction of the greenhouse begins. Above: Sam Doty, Greenhouse manager. Below: Chief Harper, speaking at the groundbreaking.
Sam Doty, Greenhouse Manager, has been overseeing development of the facility for the Tribe and will manage its operation once constructed. Sam holds a master’s degree in Horticulture and boasts a tenured experience of managing greenhouses and organic vegetable farms in addition to teaching greenhouse management at the University of Arkansas and Utah Valley University.
“My first job in this whole world was filling pots with dirt at my Mom’s greenhouse when I was little… I’ve had the opportunity to study and teach horticulture at a university, manage an organic vegetable farm, grow food in greenhouses… and so this feels like the culmination of everything I’ve been doing in my education, my work, and philosophically,” said Sam.
The facility will have over 24,000 sq ft of growing space for lettuce, herbs, and other leafy greens, as well as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. Once operations are underway, the Tribe plans to expand the site with further growing opportunities.
Chief Harper reflected, “This greenhouse and the entire site will be a gamechanger; it will empower both our commercial enterprises and our Tribal operations to rely less on external resources and allow us to direct these newly developed resources to where they are needed. Like our cattle ranch, this greenhouse will contribute to the self-sufficiency and sovereignty that we’ve been moving towards in all our operations.”
Above: Erin Barnes, Director of Natural Resources, looks on as Sam Doty and Chief Harper congratulate each other after years of planning.
Below: 3D model of the architectural plan.
Above: 3D model of the architectural plan for the Greenhouse.
BEFORE
AFTER
Computer rendering of completed facility.
Photo of property taken Summer 2024.
FOOD SECURITY F
WHAT DOES BUILDING A SELF-SUFFICIENT NETWORK LOOK LIKE?
OOD SOVEREIGNTY
Just as the Greenhouse Facility will be providing food to the Peoria Tribe’s services and enterprises, other departments and facilities continue to contribute more and more to this internal flow of resources - all part of a long-term plan to empower Peoria with food security and food sovereignty.
What does that mean exactly? Food security is the access to enough nutritious food to feed a community, while food sovereignty takes that a step further and ensures that the community is also the producers and distributors of the food it consumes. Attaining this would allow the Peoria Tribe to create and control selfsustaining food resources and better serve the tribal citizens of our local community.
To do this, the Tribe needed to expand and build something new: a hub where all these resources come together...
THE CENTRAL HUB: FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER
A renovated structure near downtown Miami, OK will serve as the new Peoria Tribe Food Distribution Center. Upon completion, this facility will allow the Tribe to serve 3 times as many citizens as it is currently serving. Development of this project has been overseen by Food Security Manager, Jeremy Gillespie, who has been spearheading the “Peoria Fresh” Meal Program which provides free, minimally processed foods to Tribal Elders, Veterans, and more. Coordinating with the Tribe’s Greenhouse Manager, Sam Doty, alongside an inter-departmental effort, Jeremy has built upon Peoria Fresh to forge a network between the Greenhouse, the Distribution Center, other Tribal resources, and local producers. Jeremy has worked hard to ensure that these partnerships with local producers will both benefit Peoria citizens and the socially disadvantaged farmers and producers that contribute their food. Once the distribution center is completed, it will also act as a retail market and another source of revenue for the Tribe.
Top: The future Peoria Tribe Food Distribution Center, currently under construction.
Below: Jeremy Gillespie walks Peoria Elders Robert and Roberta Lindsley through the current temporary distribution center.
THE PEORIA TRIBE CATTLE RANCH PLAYS AN INTEGRAL ROLE
The Tribe’s Cattle Ranch already supplies beef to the Buffalo Run Casino & Resort, Peoria Ridge Golf Course, and Title VI Meal Services - a program that provides free daily food to Tribal elders in Ottawa County. Soon it will help supply the Food Distribution Center.
Earlier this year, the Peoria Tribe donated three full beefs to the Title VI Program. “This was one of the largest meat donations in our Tribe’s history and we’re proud to have it help enrich and sustain our Tribal elders - the backbone of our community,” said Chief Harper.
THE RESOURCES: GREENHOUSE, CATTLE RANCH, AND MORE
Above: Natural Resources Team Members unload a beef donation to the Adawe Community Center.
Below: One of the Peoria Tribe’s Black Angus cows.
THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES IT: KNOWLEDGE & COMMUNITY
and Food Distribution Center. Panels included
Founder of Native Farming Solutions; Courtney
Alberts Williams from Burning Cedar Sovereign
the Tribe participates in for collaboration and knowledge sharing. With the Tribe’s resources,
Chef Pyet DeSpain, the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s groundbreaking TV show, Next Level Chef, on Fox.
GOING HOME
Peoria t ri B e’s work in Peoria , Illinois
This year, the Peoria Tribe received a request from its homelands: the Peoria Riverfront Museum needed the Tribe’s skilled workers to fabricate installations for its new museum exhibition. This meant months of planning, building, and finally a journey across several states to personally install the final product.
THE PLAN: Chief Harper and team members discuss the challenges involved with transporting the build.
THE BUILD: Fourteen expertly handcrafted custom cases that will house hundreds of historic decoys.
THE PROJECT: The Tribe’s construction and fabrication department was commissioned by the Peoria Riverfront Museum to handcraft museum-quality display cases for a massive installation of historic duck and waterfowl decoys.
THE JOURNEY: Peoria Tribe team members load the dismantled display into the museum’s loading dock.
“We took a very practical thing, and we made it beautiful. Those of the next generations will come back and be inspired. We love the educational component of that.” - Chief Harper
THE INSTALL:
On August 5th, the Peoria Tribe’s Fabrication Department began the installation of the 14 display cases at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
Peoria Riverfront Museum CEO John Morris, Chief Harper, and some of the Peoria Tribe team members who helped make this project possible.
On August 26th, the official ribbon-cutting was held, where it was announced to the world that these cases would hold a collection of world-class decoys, featuring pieces from the American Folk Art Museum in New York.
This project is a milestone, marking the first major business partnership between Central Illinois and the Peoria Nation. It also symbolizes a meaningful homecoming for the Peoria Tribe to the city that bears its name.
During a dedication ceremony on August 26th, Chief Harper addressed attendees at the unveiling of the Center of American Decoys in the Riverfront Museum. As part of the event, Chief Harper was presented with a beautifully crafted duck decoy. In return, he gifted John Morris, President and CEO of the Peoria Riverfront Museum, a specially painted decoy featuring the Peoria Tribe’s emblem.
WILDLIFE PRAIRIE PARK
After the Ribbon Cutting, the Peoria Team was invited to take a tour of the nearby Wildlife Prairie Park, a place with strong ties to the Peoria Tribe. CEO Roberta English discussed the Tribe’s past, present, and future involvement in the region.
KEY TO THE CITY
The visit concluded with a special ceremony where Chief Harper was presented with the key to the city of Peoria by Mayor Rita Ali, further recognizing the historic and ongoing connection between the Tribe and the community of its homelands.
“In many ways, it’s among the most important presentations since these council chambers were constructed in 1897. On behalf of council members and all 113,100 people of the city of Peoria, Illinois, we welcome Chief Harper and the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.
[...] Our name is yours, and here in a place your ancestors lived for centuries, we say, WELCOME HOME.”
- Mayor of Peoria, Illinois, Rita Ali
2024 RECAP
WOODLAND FISHING
The Early Childhood and Natural Resources departments worked together so Woodland Academy students could take a field trip to the Peoria Tribe Aquatic Facility and go fishing!
NEW HOUSING
The Peoria Housing Authority has been busy at work on their new housing development on Q St. S.W. in Miami. A total of 15 homes will be built at this location. According to Jason Dollarhide, Executive Director of the Peoria Housing Authority, they received a $3 million Competitive Block Grant to build these housing rentals for Native Peoples.
MAY
JUNE
UINO
One of the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma Quarterly Meetings was hosted by the Peoria Tribe this year. At the Peoria Showplace in Buffalo Run Casino & Resort, Oklahoma’s Speaker of the House Charles McCall spoke on strengthening the relationship between the State and the 38 Sovereign Nations. The 31 Tribes in attendance discussed and debated a number of important Native topics like Tribal Member data privacy.
JULY
POWWOW
The 27th Annual Peoria Powwow took place across three days in June with great singing, competitive dancing, intertribal community, art market, and more. Pictured above: Head Lady Toni Tsatoke and Head Man Pat Moore.
Before we go forward into 2025, let’s look back at a year full of accomplishments, growth, and giving back to the community!
BACKPACK GIVEAWAY
Our Early Childhood Department and other volunteers handed off packs stuffed with school supplies to hundreds of vehicles for our Backpack Giveaway before the school year started. In total, the Tribe donated over 1000 backpacks to prepare students for their education!
RV PARK CONSTRUCTION
The Peoria Tribe began construction of an RV Park near the Buffalo Run Casino & Resort which, when completed, will be able to host guests in a whole new way and bring in visitors to Miami and the Tribe’s other enterprises.
AUG
4TH OF JULY
SEP OCT
FIVE MOONS FESTIVAL
A little rain didn’t stop our fireworks show from lighting up the skies for our 4th of July Celebration! Bubbles, foam machines, water slides, food trucks, and live music made it a night to remember. Thanks to our co-hosts: Buffalo Run Casino & Resort and City of Miami, Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma’s School of Dance continued its yearly celebration of the Five Moons - five ballerinas of Native descent that changed the art form, including Moscelyne Larkin of the Peoria Tribe. After educational panels and an art fair, the First Americans Museum hosted a stomp dance in the ballerinas’ honor. The next day, the OU School of Dance performed a classic Five Moons ballet.
STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
JOHN SIXKILLER-SOHAR
John Sixkiller-Sohar is a Fairland High School graduate, where he participated in the gifted program, football, basketball, powerlifting, and more, sharpening both his skills in academics and athletics. His family is very proud of him and looks forward to seeing his future!
ZOEY MITCHELL
Zoey Mitchell Graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology last May. She plans to continue at PSU in the fall to get her Masters in School Counseling. Zoey utilized the Peoria Tribe’s Education Scholarship to help achieve her academic goals!
CHEYENNE SIXKILLER-LASITER
Cheyenne Sixkiller-Lasiter is an MSSU Dental Hygiene Graduate, she is a first generation student. She graduated with PHI THETA KAPPA honors, served as an outstanding representative on multiple committees through MSSU, and received the Colgate Star award. She is accepting a career in public health service and will be pursuing a Master’s Degree in public health.
KENNEDI POGUE
Kennedi Pogue, recently won the 2024 Cheer STUNT National Championship as a member of the Oklahoma State University competitive cheer and STUNT team. Kennedi also finished as national championship runners-up in Daytona Beach in April as part of the OSU All-Girls team. She is a political science major, with a pre-law option, and has made the Dean’s Honor Roll.
CADEN POGUE
Caden Pogue, son of former Miami resident, Jason Pogue, recently graduated from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas in May 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Caden has also been an accomplished pitcher throughout his college years. In January, while completing his undergraduate degree, Caden began his pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Supply Chain Management and Logistics. He is expected to graduate in June 2025.
WOODLAND CAMPUS UPDATES
The Early Childhood Program has been busy making some exciting updates to Campus! All of the original concrete paths are being updated, repaired, and in some spaces new concrete paths are being poured. When finished, classrooms or individuals will be able to walk the golf cart path as one continuous track with no gaps. Sidewalks are being created to connect the golf cart paths to the buildings, and there will be a sidewalk that connects Woodland Academy to the Cultural Resource Center!
New gardens are also nearing completion, right outside Woodland. This will be a beautiful space for children to learn about the process of growing food. We will work closely with our Greenhouse Manager when this is up and going. Each classroom will have their own raised garden bed to care for, with the freedom to plant various fruits, vegetables, and flowers of their choosing. There will be water within the fence so that program teachers can help the children water their plants as they grow. Two mud kitchens will reside within the fence so that children may explore their harvest, dissect vegetables, wash their produce,
and hopefully sample the food they’ve grown!
We have placed concrete pads along the golf course that will soon hold benches for resting places while taking a walk through the golf course. Six picnic tables will be placed near the creek, just off Elm Street. These will be usable for picnics, completing homework outside, or maybe even creating art pieces of the beautiful area.
CITIZEN HIGHLIGHTS
DAKOTA SIXKILLER
Aya and Osiyo,
I am very excited to share about the program I have begun facilitating for Native American families residing in Tulsa, OK, whose lives have been negatively impacted by Intimate Partner Violence. The program is a Batterer’s Intervention Program (BIP) for Native American men who use violence and control tactics in their intimate relationships. I facilitate the groups and tailor the curriculum to meet the cultural needs of Native American men who are court appointed to the program. The Batterer’s Intervention Program is a 52-week, nonclinical, educational program certified by the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General.
Participants must commit to non-violence within their relationships and are held accountable for their actions and statements during the program. Participants must complete an initial assessment and program orientation before beginning the BIP program. The program addresses the unique legal perimeters brought forth by the landmark case McGirt vs. Oklahoma (2020) in which the State of Oklahoma could not bring charges against Native Americans for alleged crimes committed on Tribal land. Each participant in the Native American BIP program is a tribal citizen whose case is affected by the McGirt ruling.
The program utilizes a nationally recognized batterers intervention curriculum known as the Duluth Model, the Mending the Sacred Hoop Curriculum, and the Family Peace Initiative. The priority of the BIP group is the safety of the partners and children, and the goal is to end the cycle of violence for Native American families. In the program, we utilize the Mending the Sacred Hoop curriculum to educate group members on the ways violence was forced into our culture during colonialism.
The central theme of Mending the Sacred Hoop is “violence is not our tradition.” In the program, we view violence as a learned behavior that can be discontinued through education and accountability to change.
The program is now underway with its first cohort. My vision for this program is to integrate cultural elements into the curriculum such as ceremonies, cultural mentors, and group activities that focus on generational change. I am very honored to have this opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of Native American families. As a facilitator, not only do I help facilitate change, I also facilitate hope for the next 7 generations for Native American families. By challenging group members use of power and control tactics, teaching them how to discontinue violent and controlling behavior, and engaging group members in cultural activities, the program represents a beacon of hope and restoration to an original sense of healthy relationships as Native Americans.
Neewe and Wado
Dakota Sixkiller, M. Ed., LPC Licensed Professional Counselor
The Peoria Tribe Health and Human Services Department empowers our Tribal community with outreach programs that improve health, safety, and quality of life. Whether it’s health and wellness, mental health, food assistance, substance use issues, or domestic concerns, Health and Human Services is here to help those in need. Please follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/peoriatribehealth for more information on our programs and always-growing services.
Our Comprehensive Services:
Health and Wellness
Provides general health services like wellness checks, counseling, and flu shot clinics.
Indian Child Welfare
Preventing the break-ups of Peoria families by strengthening and empowering families with safety, stability, and nurturing home environments.
Peer Recovery
Peer recovery support for mental health and/or substance use issues, from guidance to transportation to essential services. Part of the 988 Tribal Response Program empowering suicide prevention.
Peoria Fresh
Food assistance programs providing minimally processed foods to families who may not qualify for other assistance programs.
Peoria Family Connect
Family support and resources including childcare education, parent group sessions, cultural gatherings, and voluntary home visitations.
Peoria Shield
Prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence, as well as support for victims with services like transportation, referrals, advocacy, and more.
Phone: 918.544.6424
Office Address: 319 A St SW, Miami, OK 74354
Website: PeoriaTribe.com/peoriatribehealth
918.540.2535
918.540.2538
ELECTION NOTICE AND CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY
CHIEF
Craig Harper
SECOND CHIEF
Rosanna Dobbs
The Election Committee of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma announces a Tribal Election for the following positions: Second Chief, Second Councilman, and two (2) positions on the Grievance Committee. The election will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Peoria Tribal Administration Building Conference Room, 118 South Eight Tribes Trail in Miami, Oklahoma. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 12 noon. Any member of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma shall be eligible to vote, provided the member is eighteen (18) years of age or over on the date of election. Members will be required to present a valid government issued identification card (Tribal Card or Driver’s License) at the time of voting. The ballots will be counted and tabulated and the results announced immediately. In the event no candidate receives a majority vote, the Election Committee will immediately conduct a run-off election.
According to the Election Ordinance, in the event that only one candidate files for elective office, that candidate shall be declared elected. In the event that a candidate is declared elected, it will not be necessary for the Peoria Tribe to conduct an election, by ballot, for that elective office. Furthermore, in the event that a candidate is declared elected, that candidate shall assume office upon taking the Oath of Office.
In the event that no one files for an elective office in accordance with the forty-five (45) day Nomination policy, the Election Committee shall issue a second Election Notice.
CANDIDACY FILING DEADLINE
All candidates must file their Declaration of Candidacy Application, Authorization for Release, Candidate Statement, and Form W-9 Employee’s Withholding Certificate and pay the filing fee, in person, with the Election Committee or the Committee’s designated representative at the Peoria Tribal office building, 118 South Eight Tribes Trail in Miami, Oklahoma, during normal working hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday). The deadline for filing is 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES
The following qualifications for candidates must be satisfied in accordance with the Constitution of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma:
Article IX, Section 5
Qualifications of Candidates – Any member of the Peoria Tribe who is at least twenty-five (25) years of age on the date of election; and who has never been convicted of a felony in a court of competent jurisdiction, shall qualify as a candidate for membership on the Business Committee or Grievance Committee.
Any member of the Peoria Tribe who files for an elective office and is currently holding another
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
If you know anyone who has moved or Tribal Member households not receiving newsletters, please urge them to contact the Enrollment Office or fill out the form online or by mail.
We have several members with no address on file. Any and all help is appreciated in finding these members.
Total number of enrolled citizens: 3,779
Total number of citizens with no address on file: 948
HOW TO REGISTER YOUR ADDRESS
Complete the address verification & release of information form digitally at: jotform.com/peoriatribe/update or scan the QR Code to the right!
You can also download and print a copy at: peoriatribe.com/forms under “Enrollment” section.
Return completed print copies to: Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma Attn: Enrollment Office PO Box 1527 Miami OK 74355
Thank you to all who have and will assist in this ongoing endeavor. All help is valued! Requirements: Written
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma Tribal Trust Funds Summary
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma Summary Budget Comparison- Tribal Programs
Notes: Education is split 50%/50% due to semesters. Tribal Properties includes Capital Expenditures. Children’s Christmas will occur before December 31. 2024 ARPA funding end date. Total Budgets below include 25% of revenue in some Programs to be offset by the related expenses.
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma Summary Budget Comparison- Grants
FLAG SYSTEM
The Peoria Tribe Natural Resources Department is happy to announce that we will be starting a flag program for schools and other community centers in our local area. The program utilizes color-coded flags to represent varying levels of air pollution. Green flags signal good air quality, while yellow, orange, and red indicate moderate to unhealthy conditions, prompting appropriate precautions. Deployed in schools and public spaces, these flags prompt awareness and action, empowering individuals to make informed decisions regarding outdoor activities and health management. You can receive air quality updates and wild fire information to your email by signing up at airnow.gov or enviroflash.info
THE HERD GROWS
Our buffalo herd continues to expand! The buffalo calf pictured here is just one of a few new additions to our herd!
UPCOMING CALENDAR
SCHOOL GRANT
The Peoria Tribe was recently one of the recipients of the USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants, receiving $193,015 for kitchen construction and classroom gardens at the Peoria Tribe Early Childhood Development Department’s Rockdale Facility.
Etta Jean Adcox
Elizabeth Beach
James Alfred Blalock Jr
Richard Allen Blalock
Robert William Burns
Jim Barton Finley
Donna Jean Fitzgibbon
Garrett Lane Giles
Janis Kay Green
Wanda Ellen Hanson
Steven Cullen Kinder
David Lee King
Cynthis Faye Lanning
Leona Cecile Lewin
Cathleen Anne Nichols
Marvin Curtis Peckham
Katherine Elena Raya
Anita Roseberry Renner
Donald Eugene Renner
Barbara June Rodriguez
Carisa Diane Roten
Volume 23 Issue 3 2024