YouthSpring Kick-Off

department of education

Title VI Public Hearing Notice

Come & learn about the Indian Education Formula Grant program.

The goal of the Indian Education Formula Grant Program (Title VI) is to ensure that programs serving Indian children are of the highest quality and provide not only basic elementary and secondary educational needs, but also the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of Indian children.

Native children attending a public school with at least 10 Native students in the school district (at least 51% must be Pokagon Band citizens) can be a part of the Title VI grant. This public hearing will seek input from parents and the community about what the Pokagon Band Department of Education has planned for the 2023-2024 Title VI funds.

Monday, May 1 at 4:30 p.m.

Contact Susan Doyle at (269) 462-4229 or Susan.Doyle@PokagonBand-nsn.gov for a Microsoft Teams invite.

Grand Opening Celebrations at Four Winds South Bend

On Saturday, February 25, Pokagon Band citizens enjoyed the first look at the new South Bend hotel, Cedar Spa, Edgewater Café, and Ribbon Town Event Center. Citizen Day festivities included a carnival theme with a delicious lineup of food, games, face painting, a photo booth, and special visits by Spiderman, Elsa and Anna, Woody, and more. A carnival stilt walker and juggler added to the fun. Hundreds of lucky citizens enjoyed a free night at the hotel over that weekend, as well.

The following Wednesday, there was an official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new 23-story hotel tower. Pokagon Citizens and invited guests, along with the media were in attendance to officially welcome the public to the expansion which features 317 rooms including 83 suites, Cedar Spa, Edgewater Café, Ribbon Town Conference and Event Center, an outdoor swimming pool on the third floor, and terraces with spectacular views.

“The historical significance of South Bend to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, also known as Ribbon Town to our Tribe, cannot be understated,” expressed Rebecca Richards, Tribal Chairwoman. “We have called this land home for hundreds of years and we are extremely proud to offer this incredible casino resort, with all its new features and amenities, to our fellow residents in the community and the region. The continued success of our Four Winds Casinos and our ability to make a financial investment of this size would not be possible without the experience of our incredibly talented Four Winds Casinos operations team. We couldn’t be prouder of the result and are extremely excited for the public to experience everything Four Winds South Bend has to offer.”

BCCC Highlight – Representation Outreach Board

Pokagon Band Tribal Council entrusts boards, councils, and commissions (BCCCs) with significant responsibilities to complete on behalf of the Pokagon community. Some BCCCs are required by the Constitution, such as the Enrollment Committee, Election Board and Elders Council. Others have been developed over time to fill a need within the community, such as the Kee-BoonMein-Kaa Pow-wow Committee or the Tribal Art Committee. There are currently 98 individuals who serve on 21 different BCCCs for Pokagon Band.

This month, the Office of Tribal Council is happy to highlight the Representation Outreach Board (ROB)! The ROB is the newest BCCC as it was established by Tribal Council in March of 2021. The ROB was created as a response to the detrimental effect harmful stereotypes of Indigenous people have on Native American youth. The ROB works to educate the public about the harmful effects of stereotypical Native American themed images and encourages non-Native American institutions who use stereotypical themed images to discontinue use of such images. The group also provides support to tribal citizens who have negative experiences with Native themed imagery, the most common being tribal students who attend schools with Native mascots.

Julie Dye, ROB Vice Chairwoman describes the groups mission as “community empowerment.” She adds “it is imperative that we interrupt negative and inaccurate interpretations that erase our existence as contemporary people.” The ROB works to “dispel perceptions based on fantasies, fables and stereotypes and uplift the beauty and pride of our culture and actual lived history.” Madolyn Wesaw serves as Chair for the ROB. She says the ROB works on many issues related to stereotypical images, and mascot issues will continue to be a hot button issue for 2023. But Madolyn also expects the ROB to participate in a greater number of positive initiatives with surrounding communities.

The ROB has been approached in recent months by several local communities to assist in renaming public spaces and collaborating in art depictions. She hopes these collaborations are an indication that non-Native American institutions in the local community understand the importance of displaying authentic culturally appropriate images of Indigenous people.

Meetings for the ROB are open and held on a regular basis. Meetings are listed on the Bands website under Government, then Boards. All business conducted by the ROB is outlined within the ROB Code. The ROB Code can be found on the Band website under Government, then Codes and Ordinances. The Office of Tribal Council thanks all members of the ROB for the work they do in eliminating harmful stereotypes of indigenous people!

Are you a communications connoisseur? Join our Communications Innovation Group! We are a diverse group of individuals looking at ways to improve Pokagon Band Government communications. We meet monthly.

Five Reasons to Consider Becoming a Foster Parent to a Pokagon Child

1. You care about children and want to make a difference in their lives.

2. You don't feel like you're done parenting.

3. You want to have a positive impact on a child in our Pokagon community.

4. You want to provide a child the chance at a better life.

5. You feel as though you did a good job as a parent and would like to help other children, too.

You can start the foster parenting conversation with Christynn Black, Pokagon Band's Foster Care/Adoption Worker by emailing her at Christynn.Black@ PokagonBand-nsn.gov, or calling her at (269) 462-4216.

Deciding to become a foster parent is a big step, but the Department of Social Services will assist you every step of the way.