Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Serves Our Community
Nearly 2,600 firefighters are battling the wildfires known as the Smith River Fire Complex which consists of 27 separate blazes that first ignited in our homelands on Aug. 15 from several lightning strikes. Due to the location of the fires, Pacific Power deenergized the transmission lines feeding electricity to our Community. In response to this the Nation operated a comfort shelter at the Howonquet Hall Community Center. This comfort shelter was open to our entire Del Norte County community. We offered showers, coffee, water, charging stations, clean air, and light snacks. Other items donated to help the community were food boxes, and ice to keep your food and drinks cold. Dat-naa-svt Community Center was also open to housing tenants during designated hours until power resumed.
Del Norte County had no electricity in some areas for up to six days. Power is currently available to our community through hundreds of generators. It’s a temporary fix until Pacific Power can access and repair damaged lines caused by the fire. Due to the complexity and expansive geographic area of the Smith River Complex, Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 13 (NWIMT13) has joined with California Interagency Incident Management Team 15 (CAIIMT-15) to manage the emerging incident. The addition of NWIMT-13 will be beneficial in providing management of resources assigned to the northern reaches of the Complex to aid in fire suppression activities and improved safety. CAIIMT-15 will continue suppression efforts on fires south of the California/Oregon border. Both teams will be working closely together as they share a mutual interest to provide for the safety and welfare of the affected public and firefighting personnel. The Smith River Complex has grown to over 70,000 acres with little containment.
Additional resources will continue to arrive to the incident, including six strike teams of both structure and wildland engines. These engines will be incorporated into the suppression efforts to protect communities and critical infrastructure. Law enforcement personnel from multiple jurisdictions are also assisting with incident safety and security. If you are in the Del Norte County, area please sign up for their Community Alert System to receive emergency notifications, https:// member.everbridge.net/index/892807736723128#/signup
We also encourage you to sign up for the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation CivicReady Emergency Notifications, https://www.tolowa-nsn.gov/136/Alerts-Notifications
For the latest road conditions please visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov
Effective Sunday, August 20, 2023, the Six Rivers National Forest has issued a forest-wide closure order. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/srnf/notices/?
cid=FSEPRD1096395
The American Red Cross has opened a shelter at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds (421 US-101 N, Crescent City, CA 95531) for those who are displaced
by evacuations.
Red Cross disaster workers are partnering with local officials to help ensure evacuees receive basic necessities, including food, water and shelter. Please refer to the following social media pages for additional information:
Smith River Complex Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incidentinformation/casrf-smith-rivercomplex Facebook: Six River National Forest: https:// www.facebook.com/ SixRiversNF
Del Norte Office of Emergency Services: https:// www.facebook.com/ DelNorteOfficeOfEmergencyServices
Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office: https:// www.facebook.com/ DelNorteCountySheriff Department
Josephine County Emergency Management: https:// www.facebook.com/ josephinecountyEM Rogue River-
Siskiyou National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/ R6RRSNF/
Two above photos shared on Facebook
Tolowa Crew-1 heads out with BIA Forestry & Wildland Fire ManagementPacific Region to the Smith River Complex
NVN-NVST-
We would also like to thank our Natural Resources Department Staff and especially our Tribal Heritage Preservation Officer for all her efforts during the Smith River Fire Complex.
LHETLH-XAT-NE
All Tribal Council: council@tolowa.com
Chairperson, Jeri Lynn Thompson 707-951-3875, jeri.thompson@tolowa.com
Vice Chair, Scott D. Sullivan
(707) 954-6127, scott.sullivan@tolowa.com
Secretary, Debbie Boardman
(707) 951-0966, dboardman@tolowa.com
Treasurer, Jaytuk Steinruck
(707) 954-5971, jaytuk.steinruck@tolowa.com
Council Member, Dr. Joseph Giovannetti
(707) 218-6569, joseph.giovannetti@tolowa.com
Council Member, Amanda O’Connell
(707) 954-5271, amanda.oconnell@tolowa.com
Council Member, Dorothy Wait
(707) 218-7346, dwait@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
Education Director, Sheryl Steinruck
(707) 487-9255, ext. 1173, sheryl.steinruck@tolowa.com
Executive Director, Troy Ralstin
(707) 487-9255, ext. 1220, troy.ralstin@tolowa.com
Housing Manager, Jeri Robertson
(707) 487-9255, ext. 1605, jeri.robertson@tolowa.com
Information Services Director, Darryl Yarak
(707) 487-9255, ext.1205, darryl.yarak@tolowa.com
Natural Resources Director, Rachel McCain
(707) 487-3233, rachel.mccain@tolowa.com
Planning Director, Tim Hoone
(707) 487-9255, ext. 1230, tim.hoone@tolowa.com
Records & Enrollment 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.com
Tribal Council Attorney, Karen Pennington
707-487-9255, ext. 1165, karen.pennington@tolowa.com
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’
Lha’ - duy Num-nii~-ma~s (September) 2023 All rights reserved. Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Government Newsletter published by the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, 12801 Mouth of Smith River Road, Smith River CA 95567. Phone: 707-487-9255. Website: www.tolowa-nsn.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 Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation.
Editor: Emily Reed, Public Relations Manager (707) 487-9225 ext. 1182 public.relations@tolowa.com
Motions May 11, 2023
WAA-'AA-DVN NUY-NII~-'A~ (CONSENT AGENDA):
M/S/C (Sullivan/Wait) 6-0-1 Motion to adopt the consent agenda including: Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) letter
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
NUU-DA'-YE'-DVN (COMMUNITY AND FAMILY WELLNESS):
M/S/C (Wait/O’Connell) 6-0-1 Motion to approve name change from Community and Family Wellness Services to Community and Family Wellness.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
TR'VT-DVN (FISCAL):
M/S/C (Boardman/Giovannetti) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT2311-1232 with AMR Inc., for one year, not to exceed $50k
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
TR'VM-DAN' DEE-NI'-DVN (TRIBAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION OFFICE):
M/S/C (Boardman/Sullivan) 6-0-1 Motion to approve appointing Loren Me’-lash-ne Bommelyn to the Culture Committee.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Boardman/Wait) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Natural Resources Department to be involved in the inter-Tribal Eco System Restoration Learning Summit, and use of the Tribal Seal.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
YUU-NVLH-TS'IT-DVN (EDUCATION):
M/S/C (O’Connell/Sullivan) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT-2371 -1234 with Michelle Pali not to exceed $15,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Sullivan/Boardman) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT2371-1235 with William Bommelyn Sr. not to exceed $20,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Boardman/Giovannetti) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT2371-1228 with Rebecca Mayhew with the addition of videography not to exceed $15,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (O’Connell/Steinruck) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT2371-1236 with the Del Norte County Office of Education not to exceed $82,882.27.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Sullivan/Steinruck) 6-0-1 Motion to approve chairperson to sign the letter addressed to Chancellor Castro, CSU requesting to waive all tuition and related fees to every American Indian Student enrolled, with the addition of identifying who said the quote “Kill the Indian”.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
Motions June 8, 2023
DEE-NI' K'WEE-CH'VT-T'E'SR-DVN (ENROLLMENT):
M/S/C (Sullivan/O’Connell) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Resolution 202324 Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Tribal Membership Applications (3). With editing on spelling of a name.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
WAA-'AA-DVN NUY-NII~-'A~ (CONSENT AGENDA):
M/S/C (Boardman/Wait) 6-0-1 Motion to adopt the consent agenda including: Surveillance Policy section 7: number 22 Surveillance employee restrictions; Internal Auditor/Compliance Officer job description; Wellness Services Division Manager Job description; Education, Health & Disabilities Coordinator Job description.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
MII~-XVSH-XAY CH'EE-NVK (ADMINISTRATION):
M/S/C (Boardman/Steinruck) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Resolution 2023-22 Ending the State of Emergency due to the Global Pandemic. With changes spelling out HHS, Health and Human Services.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
NVN-NVST-'AA~-TA (NATURAL RESOURCES):
M/S/C (Steinruck/Sullivan) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Resolution 202321 Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Hazard Mitigation Plan. With additions
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Sullivan/Giovannetti) 5-1-1 Motion to approve Resolution 2023
-25 Emergency Closure of 2023 Smith River Fall Chinook Salmon Fishing Season.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: Steinruck; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Boardman/Sullivan) 5-1-1 Motion to approve appointing the Smith River Alliance Advisory Board members.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, Wait; Duu: O’Connell; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (O’Connell/Steinruck) 6-0-1 Motion to approve agreement with Tolowa Dunes Stewards
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
YUU-NVLH-TS'IT-DVN (EDUCATION):
M/S/C (Sullivan/Steinruck) 6-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT-22711123 with Dave Severns modification #1 not to exceed $140,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
MVLH-DVT-SVN-DVN (INFORMATION SERVICES):
M/S/C (O’Connell/Wait) 6-0-1 Motion to approve the grant application to California Public Utilities Commission for local area technical assistance funding for $500k for continued design and engineering of fiber and wireless network plan.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
NUU-DA'-YE'-DVN (COMMUNITY AND FAMILY WELLNESS):
M/S/C (Boardman/Wait) 6-0-1 Motion to approve applying for the 2023 OVC Set-Aside in the amount of $311,785 to develop prevention services to families affected by child abuse.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Boardman, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell, Wait; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
Motions June 22, 2023
WAA-'AA-DVN NUY-NII~-'A~ (CONSENT AGENDA):
M/S/C (Sullivan/Steinruck) 4-0-1 Motion to approve the consent agenda including: Agenda 2023-182: Telework Policy
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O’Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
NVN-NVST-'AA~-TA (NATURAL RESOURCES):
M/S/C (O’Connell/Sullivan) 4-0-1 Motion to approve contract CT-2340
-1245 with Pacific Watershed Associates, Inc.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O’Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (O’Connell/Sullivan) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Contract is CT2340-1246 with Colin Weeks not to exceed $7,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O’Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Sullivan/O’Connell) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Contract is CT2340-1247 with Nants’vn Jones-Scott not to exceed $7,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O’Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
TR'VM-DAN' DEE-NI'-DVN (TRIBAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION OFFICE):
M/S/C (Steinruck/Sullivan) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Tribal Loan Collection Request #28 to Loren Me’lashne Bommelyn for Nee-dash.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O’Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
MVN'-DVN (HOUSING):
M/S/C (Sullivan/O’Connell) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Title 10, Chapter 1, Housing, and evictions
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Steinruck/Giovannetti) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Resolution 2023-26, 2022 Tribal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Grant Application.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
MVSH-XE NUU-DVTLH-TESH-DVN (OSG):
M/S/C (O’Connell/Giovannetti) 4-0-1 Motion to approve with changes the letter supporting AB 81
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
NUU-DA'-YE'-DVN (COMMUNITY AND FAMILY WELLNESS):
M/S/C (Sullivan/Steinruck) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Chairperson signature on the Tribal Dependency Representation Letter of Interest.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (O’Connell/Steinruck) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Resolution 2023 -27 California Board State and Community Corrections Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) grant program.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
YUU-NVLH-TS'IT-DVN (EDUCATION):
M/S/C (O’Connell/Steinruck) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT2371-1240 with Tim Lee in the amount of $15,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Sullivan/O’Connell) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT-2271 -1119 modification #2 with Jessica Cherry, Wild and Free Art not to exceed $13,000
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
M/S/C (Sullivan/Giovannetti) 4-0-1 Motion to approve Contract CT2371-1248 with the American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) Tribal Touring Program (TTP) not to exceed $143,000.
'Ay~: Sullivan, Steinruck, Giovannetti, O'Connell; Duu: 0; Xwee-la: Thompson
HR Corner
Submitted By: Tim Thomson, HR Generalist
Welcome Back! Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation’s Naa-dvtlh-nvsh-nee-dvn, Human Resources Department’s helpful tips to land that successful job you’ve been dreaming about! This month we will focus on Interviewing!
The Interview
So, you’ve been selected to be interviewed for a job, way to go! But, you’re not there yet, you still have to wow them. Here are some steps to make your interview go smoothly. Be ready!
Have all your tools ready for the interview to review if and when you need to refer to them: Resume – they should have it, but if they question something on it, it’s at your fingertips
Application – if they ask you about something here, you can refer to it pretty fast Job History – double check the dates match in your application and resume References – Have these ready in case they ask you for them during the interview
Do some research; look up questions they could ask and write down how you would answer. The first question a lot of employers like to ask is “Tell us a little bit about yourself”. The more prepared you are, the better. These might not be the questions they will ask, but they could be similar. This will give you more confidence going to your interview.
Write your answers out, even if it’s obvious you’re reading them, it will show you came prepared to answer questions, and that you’re serious about getting the job.
Practice! (Mock Interviews)
Ask a friend, a family member, maybe even a current co-worker to help you do mock interviews. This helps immensely, will help put you at ease and boost your confidence once you do the real interview.
Your interviewer can give you invaluable feedback on your interviewing skills. You can make notes to not say a certain word or phrase too much, or to focus more on your skills and why you have what they’re looking for.
According to Forbes Magazine, preparing for an interview takes more than memorizing your resume and being able to speak about your past roles. Making a good impression and asking thoughtful questions will set you apart from other candidates. Read more about it in the link below:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelcyvjoseph/2019/03/30/interview-101-the-dos-and-donts Research (What do you know? Wow them!)
Look up the company on-line. Take notes on the company’s mission, vision statement, and goals. These are things interviewers like to hear, and will really tell them how serious you are about working at their company. This will be your moment to shine when you mention, “I have a question about your company’s mission statement and how this job directly affects this?”
They will probably say, “Great Question”, and it might raise some eyebrows that you took the time to look up anything about them.
These steps will help give you confidence and ease about how you interview, you got this!
Email us at HR@tolowa.com. Come work for us at www.tolowansn.gov/jobs or scan the QR code with your phone’s camera!
