March 2025 newsletter by tolowadeeni

DEE-NI' NUU-WEE-YA'

TAA-XEE NUM-NII~-MA~S (MARCH) 2025 - Volume 32, Issue 3

Nvn-nvst-'aa~-ta test bivalves for toxins

Natural Resources staff collect local clams and mussels

Staff with the Nation’s Nvn-nvst-'aa~-ta (Natural Resources) Department spent a cold February day collecting mussels and razor clams from local tidepools during a minus tide with the goal of testing the specimens for heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals The department was awarded funding through the Environmental Justice Action Grants program of the California Environmental Protection Agency to investigate toxin bioaccumulation in lat (seaweed), lhvmsr (smelt), dee-lhat (mussels), t’uu-she (clams), lhuk (salmon) and t’ii~-sli~ (steel-head). The specimens will be lab tested for more than 300 toxins including metals, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), and pesticides.

“The staff will also conduct community outreach to determine consumption rates for traditional foods so they can make sure our natural resources are healthy to eat," said Monica Hiner, Environmental Protection Manager for the Natural Resources Department. “These traditional foods have been essential to

the health and wellbeing of our people since time immemorial."

Joining Hiner in the collection of specimens were Environmental Division staff Brittney Ford and Robert Ford, as well as Marine Division staff Rosa Laucci, Rudy Lopez and Race Richards.

The primary mission of the 'Ee-xuu-dvn (Environmental Division) is to preserve and

protect culture and natural resources within the Nation's aboriginal territory to ensure a healthy and balanced environment that sustains Dee-ni' lifeways and the earth. Staff members do so by:

• Monitoring and assessing water quality and address concerns of pollutants and contaminants.

See Testing, Page 2

HONORING OUR PAST • SERVING OUR TRIBAL FAMILY PROTECTING

Tribal Resource Specialist Brittney Ford finds plenty of razor clams.

Staff from the Nation's Environmental and Marine divisions spend a winter afternoon collecting mussels for testing of toxins.

Testing

• Coordinating with other departments and outside agencies regarding concerns of water quality, air quality, and solid waste on ancestral lands or affecting Tribal Citizens.

• Promoting environmental awareness and stewardship of ancestral lands and waters.

Marine Division

The overall mission of the Si~s-xaa-dvn (Marine Division) is to:

• Conduct research on cultural keystone marine species.

• Gather field and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge to inform management decisions.

• Protect and restore our coastal and marine ecosystems.

• Promote and teach stewardship of ancestral lands and waters.

Tribal Resource Specialist Race Richards finds a large clam at a local tidepool in Smith River.

Mussels such as these are abundant along the beaches of Tolowa ancestral land.

Environmental Protection Manager Monica Hiner takes advantage of low tide to collect bivalves.

A super low tide exposes tidepools, making it easier for staff to access and harvest mussels.

All Tribal Council: council@tolowa-nsn.gov

Chairperson, Jeri Lynn Thompson (707) 951-3875, jeri.thompson@tolowa-nsn.gov

Vice Chair, Scott D. Sullivan (707) 954-6127, scott.sullivan@tolowa-nsn.gov

Secretary, Debbie Boardman (707) 951-0966, dboardman@tolowa-nsn.gov

Treasurer, Jaytuk Steinruck (707) 954-5971, jaytuk.steinruck@tolowa-nsn.gov

Council Member, Dr. Joseph Giovannetti (707) 218-6569, joseph.giovannetti@tolowa-nsn.gov

Council Member, Amanda O’Connell (707) 954-5271, amanda.oconnell@tolowa-nsn.gov

Council Member, Dorothy Wait (707) 218-7346, dwait@tolowa-nsn.gov

Executive Director, Troy Ralstin (707) 487-9255, ext. 1220, troy.ralstin@tolowa.com

Assistant Executive Director, Thomas Metz (707) 487-9255, ext. 1229, thomas.metz@tolowa.com

Administrative Services Director, Emily Reed (707) 487-9255 , ext. 1182, emily.reed@tolowa.com

Chief Financial Officer, Jose Tercilla (707) 487-9255, ext. 1115, jose.tercilla@tolowa.com

CFW Director, Teela James (707) 487-9255, ext. 1139, teela.james@tolowa.com

Community Development Director, Tim Hoone (707) 487-9255, ext. 1230, tim.hoone@tolowa.com

Education Director, Sheryl Steinruck (707) 487-9255, ext. 1173, sheryl.steinruck@tolowa.com

Enrollment & Elections, Angel Escobar 707-487-9255, ext. 1181, angel.escobar@tolowa.com

Housing Manager, Jeri Robertson (707) 487-9255, ext. 1605, jeri.robertson@tolowa.com

Human Resources Director, Jeff Davis (707) 487-9255, ext. 1213, jeff.davis@tolowa.com

Natural Resources Director, Rachel McCain (707) 487-3233, rachel.mccain@tolowa.com

Records Manager, Staci Barr 707-487-9255, ext.1180, staci.barr@tolowa.com

Self-Governance Officer, Darrel Aubrey 707-487-9255, ext.1159, darrel.aubrey@tolowa-nsn.gov

Tribal Court Administrator, Elsie Petrie 707-487-9255, ext. 1162, elsie.petrie@tolowa.com

Tribal Employment Rights Officer, Brian Millett (707) 487-9255, ext. 1222, brian.millett@tolowa.com

Tribal Heritage Preservation Office, Cynthia Ford (707) 487-9255, ext. 1174, cynthia.ford@tolowa.com

DAY MIN’-NE’

Taa-xee Num-nii~-ma~s (March) 2025 Tribal Government Newsletter published by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, 12801 Mouth of Smith River Road, Smith River CA 95567. Website: www.tolowansn.gov. Articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Tribal Council of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation or their staff. The Tribal Council of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation reserves the right to use their discretion in the information they publish. As per the Tribal Council of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, no article shall be published or acknowledged in the tribal newsletter that does not promote and protect the best interests of the Nation. For information, contact Public Information Officer: Scott Graves, scott.graves@tolowa.com, 707-487-9255.

Meyers Creek Beach near Pistol River, Oregon.

All Tribal Citizens are invited to the Nation's annual General Membership Meeting scheduled for Saturday, March 15, at the Tolowa Event Center at Lucky 7 Casino from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Doors will open at 8 a.m. with a free breakfast. The meeting will begin promptly at 9 a.m., followed by lunch at noon.

The General Membership Meeting will be held in person as well as on Zoom. Look for the Zoom link on the Citizens Portal.

Youth Activities

Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation is providing activities for youth during the General Membership Meeting. This is available to all household children ages 3 years and older. Youth should be potty trained and not sick.

Youth 3-5 years old will be at Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Head Start. Youth 6 years and older will be at Howonquet Hall Community Center. Staff will provide ageappropriate activities throughout the day. Doors will open for youth drop off and sign-in at 7:45 am. Pre-registration is encouraged, www.surveymonkey.com/ r/2025GMMYouth

All children in Tolowa Deeni' Nation households who are attending the General Membership Meeting are welcome to attend. Youth need to be picked up immediately after the meeting has ended.

Council Nomination Process

Any enrolled member who is 21 or older at the time of nomination, who has never been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude in any jurisdiction, and has continuously resided within Del Norte, Humboldt, Curry, Josephine or Coos counties for a period of one (1) year immediately prior to being nominated as a candidate for the Council is eligible to seek and hold Tribal Council office.

Nominations will be heard in person or via Zoom during the 2025 General Membership Meeting. Written nominations will also be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday March 14, 2025, at the Nation's Headquarters: 12801 Mouth of Smith River Road, Smith River, CA 95567 or by email to angel. escobar@tolowa.com.

2024 Annual Report

Copies of the 2024 Annual Report will be available at the General Membership Meeting. Tribal Citizens can access it online starting March 3 via the Citizens Portal at www.tolowa-nsn.gov. If you would like to request a printed copy of the Annual Report call the Headquarters Office and one will be mailed to you.

Tribal Heritage Preservation Office staff Cynthia Ford and Kelsey Padgette present during the 2024 annual meeting.

Making gratitude boxes brings families closer together

On Jan. 28, 2025, the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) program, both of Community and Family Wellness, hosted a "Gratitude Boxes" family unity activity at Howonquet Hall Community Center.

The evening began with an opening prayer followed by ch’ee-tr’a~ (dinner).

grateful for in their lives. Participants then used their creative skills to create their individual gratitude boxes. Once completed they were able to add strips of paper with all of their grateful sayings inside for them to open and read for future use.

at future Family Unity Activity events, please register with the link provided on our flyers that are posted monthly on TDN social media sites and listed in the newsletter. These activities are open to Native American/ Alaskan Native families residing in our service area with at least one child under the age of 18 living in the home.

The evening continued with families listening to this month's story "We are Grateful" written by Traci Sorell. Each da'-ye' (family) received a copy of the min'-ch'v-ghvt-t'e'sr (book) to take home with them.

Participants were able to discuss what gratitude meant to them and what they were

At the end of the night, in appreciation for their participation, each da'-ye' (family) received a picnic backpack with an insulated cooler. Shu' shaa nin-la to all who participated in this month’s activity.

If you would like to join us

For more information about future Family Unity Activities, contact Maggie Wyckoff at 707487-9255 ext 1135; or email maggie.wyckoff@tolowa.com. – Submitted by Community and Family Wellness

Robert Person, right, works with youth Diane Hall-Richards and Angela Camacho.

Nellie Fox, left, and TiAnna Early get creative with their gratitude boxes.

Nellie Westbury-Fox shows off her completed gratitude box.

Gratitude box by Robert Person. Gratitude boxes by TiAnna Early, left, and Cari Nelson. Gratitude box by Nellie Westbury-Fox.

Nation joins cultural burn training

The Nation’s Tribal Resources Field Crew, part of the Habitat and Wildlife Division, participated in a cultural burning training in late January with the Cultural Fire Management Council (CFMC). Crews from both the Nation and CFMC trained together in the Weitchpec area to gain and share knowledge and experience of how to put good fire on the land.

“Our crew really appreciates the training and collaboration with

CFMC,” said Tribal Resource Field Specialist Armando Lopez. “CFMC is a non-profit that leads cultural burning on Yurok reservation and ancestral lands. The non-profit hosts an annual cultural burning training exchange, which we have attended the last couple of years.”

The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation crew members who attended the burn were: Armando Lopez- crew lead; William Gensaw; Walker Gensaw; Sam Goodlin; and Roberto Aguilar.

Tribal Resource Field Technician Walker Gensaw.

Tribal Resource Field Specialist Armando Lopez ignites brush as part of the cultural burn effort.

Tribal Resource Field Technicians Willie Gensaw and Samuel Goodlin.

Left:Crews with Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and the CFMC prepare for a several days of cultural burning in the Weitchpec area.

Right:Tribal Resource Field Technician Sam Goodlin sits half way up a hillside, keeping an eye on burning vegetation.

Tolowa language students create story with Japanese visitors

The Waa-tr'vslh-'a~ Department recently had a rewarding experience interacting with Japanese students from Rikuzentakata High School. Tolowa 2 language class students at Del Norte High School collaborated with Rikuzentakata Xee-she to create a collaborative short story written in Japanese and Tolowa. Five groups of students each contributed a sentence and an illustration to the story's narrative. Once the story was complete, two representatives from each group read aloud and recorded their sentences in Japanese and Tolowa, which were then incorporated into a QR code. (Scan the QR codes below to hear the audio clips.)

"We were delighted to present these unique short stories as gifts for the Rikuzentakata Xee-she students to take home," said Mattie Bommelyn, Language Specialist for the Nation's Waatr'vslh-'a~ Division. "Furthermore, we had the honor of showcasing the stunning beauty of our Tolowa Dee-ni' homeland where we embarked on a short but enriching hike to the Grove of the Titans, offering a memorable and educational experience for all."

—Submitted by Mattie Bommelyn

Kou, Ken, Marcus Thao, Daniel Gomez, Blake Owen. Ban-lhts'uu-tre', Amelia Rinn, Kana Salo, Mai Onodera.

Andrea Escalara, Tey-me-tret Hostler, Seaira Brundin, Yocelin Zuniga Vidal, Yuna Nakamura.

Riko Okada, Charley Tygart, Deja Travis, Towa Sasaki, Katie Wood, Cadence Travis.

Elle Jacot, Miu, Rio Oikawa, Kansas Coulson, Estefany Zuniga.

A visit by Japanese students from Rikuzentakata High School with their peers from Del Norte High School included a trip to The Grove of the Titans trail located in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

Sunset on Rowdy Creek.

Photo by Shelly Reynolds

This arch rock is located on the coast between Brookings and Gold Beach.

CH' EE-NVK-T'I

Steller first year for athlete Cione Johnson-Baltodano

Multi-sport athlete Cione Johnson–Baltodano, Tribal Citizen and seventh grader at Azalea Middle School in Brookings, has done herself, her family, her school and her Nation proud.

In cross country competition, her first endeavor as a student athlete, Cione got better and better as the season progressed. At the Coquille invitational, she had a knockdown, drag out, backand-forth battle with another runner, who wanted it just as

badly. Cione proved to herself that day that she has what it takes, crossing the finish line ahead of her opponent and beating her best 3,000-meter time by 1:20 seconds. At the District Championships, Cione raised her banner high once more, finishing in fourth place out of a packed field and winning a medal.

Next, Cione aspired to become a wrestler, thanks to her cousin and tribal member Golden Rule, who is an outstanding wrestler

for Del Norte High School. During the summer of 2024, Golden gave Cione some hands-on tips and head knowledge about wrestling, providing Cione with a head of steam when she Joined the team of Bruin grapplers. Her uncanny tenacity and fighting spirit led her through a season during which she improved her wrestling skills with each practice and won most of her matches. She culminated the 2024 wrestling season by becoming District Champion and being voted by the Far West League wrestling coaches as the Outstanding Wrestler of the meet.

Cione, you have accomplished much in your

first year of sports competition, so keep up the hard work in sports and school. The sky is the limit! Next up for Cione is track and field and we know she’ll do great!

We love you, mom and dad. – Submitted by Tim Johnson

Hunting success for Boardman

Megan Boardman, 32, displays a deer she obtained while hunting in Oregon’s Malheur County in October, 2024.

Megan, who has been hunting since she was very young, used a 7mm Magnum rifle that her father made for her.

– Submitted by Shelly Reynolds

Employee of the Year: Shannon Quinn

The Nation’s Employee of the Year Fiscal Manager Shannon Quinn serves as an inspiring leader for her team responsible for the many moving parts of the financial operations that serve every department and all employees. She always makes herself available to provide advice, along with support and guidance to anyone who reaches out.

“Shannon brings her personal touch to the table,” said Jose Tercilla, Chief Financial Officer, “Her skills and talents are already a huge asset for the Nation and the finance team, but her personal

approach and knowledge makes her a very valuable asset, as staff and Tribal Citizens feel comfortable going to her for everything, including the knowledge to empower themselves.”

Shannon said, “I enjoy being a small part of the bigger picture of what the Nation stands for and what it is trying to accomplish. It makes coming to work more than about just numbers, and I’m proud to be just one piece of a bigger goal and mission—that includes working with and helping both staff and tribal citizens in whatever capacity that I can.”

Employee of the month

Hannah Pavola Administrative Assistant (CFW)

Hannah willingly takes up tasks and completes them with little to no supervision. She has a well of knowledge that makes it easy to delegate projects, knowing the work will get done quickly. She is the office superhero, swooping in to save the day with her speedy task completion! Hannah is very approachable and very kind and respectful of all people. Even on hard days she stays optimistic and positive.

Employees of the Month for 2024

Eight Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation staff members selected as Employees of the Month in 2024 were recognized during the first quarterly all staff meeting on Jan. 31, 2025, at Howonquet Hall.

Left to right: Suntayea Steinruck, Shannon Quinn, Sarah Wentz, Monica Calvillo, Nicol Aubrey, Mieng Yang. Not pictured: Shelly Reynolds and Jason Paquette.

Shannon Quinn receives the "Employee of the Year' award from Executive Officer Troy Ralstin.

Open Dee-ni' Development board positions

Tribal and non-Tribal citizens are encouraged to apply for positions on the Nation’s Board of Directors for Dee-ni' Development, which manages the business affairs of the Corporation. The board shall have supervision, control, and direction of the Corporation, shall determine its policies or changes therein within the limits of the byLaws, and shall actively promote its purposes.

There will be a total of five positions on the board and directors will be appointed by the Tribal Council for a three-year term, on a staggered basis. The term of directors shall not exceed three years. The board shall be composed of five Directors to be appointed by the Tribal Council. At all times, no less than three directors shall be citizens of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, of which one director shall be a current member of the Tribal Council. Candidates shall be at least 25 years of age and a U.S. citizen. Board member qualifications shall include business and industry experience, financial and/or accounting, legal, economics, and mergers and acquisitions. Individual board members should possess at least one of these core competencies. Board members are not required to possess all the stated competencies.

Applications can be found at www.tolowa-nsn.gov, the Nation’s headquarters, or send an email to recording.secretary@tolowa.com

Towering redwoods at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

COUNCIL MOTIONS

Motions for November 14, 2024

WAA-'AA-DVN NUY-NII~-'A~ (CONSENT AGENDA):

M/S/C (O’Connell/Boardman)

4-0-1 Motion to adopt the consent agenda including: regular meeting minutes for August 22, 2024.