July, 2014
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Ethnobotanist Visits Tribal Headquarters
George Hill, who in 1972 wrote a paper Delaware Indian use of plants, published in Oklahoma Anthropological Newsletter (March 1972), visits with Chief Paula Pechonick.
Veterans Committee Report
By Kenny Brown, Chair
Attention Lenape Veterans! The Delaware Tribe of Indians Veterans Committee was officially formed on Feb 26, 2014. John Sumpter called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm and called for election of officers. Elected were:
Chair – Kenny Brown
Vice Chair – Homer Scott
Secretary/Treasurer – Susan Cade
Lenape Color Guard Unit Leader – John Sumpter
Meetings will be held quarterly. The next meeting will be held August 13, 6 pm at the Delaware Community Center in Bartlesville and we encourage all our Veterans to attend.
The Tribal Enrollment Department is gathering information on our tribal veterans. The forms are available on the Delaware Tribe’s website, and we are asking all of our men and women who have served or are currently serving to fill out the forms.
The Veterans Wall of Honor was recently unveiled and we are seeking additional pictures. If your picture or the picture of an ancestor isn’t on display, and you would like it to be, bring it to the Delaware War Mothers. They will get a copy made for the wall and get the original back to you. The copy becomes the Tribe’s property for permanent display.
The Lenape Veterans Color Guard is looking for additional members. For more information email John Sumpter (longwalkerlongwalk@sbcglobal.net) or Kenny Brown (kennybrown27@ cox.net).
The Veterans Committee will be gathering information on activities and events of interest to Veterans. We will also catalog organizations and resources that help meet the needs of Veterans. Pray for your Veterans.
The 50th Annual Delaware Pow Wow, by Mary Watters
War Mothers Entry – When they came in, I was particularly proud of our Granddaughter, Jennifer Revard. She came in and I’m sure you noticed her headdress. Her Aunt made this for her because she doesn’t have any hair yet. She’s been through a very bad year of breast cancer and so her hair hasn’t completely started to grow back in yet. She wanted to dance and she wanted to wear her traditional dress, “so you know I can’t dance without something on my head” and our ansipelaona doesn’t cover all your hair, just the back. So anyway Laura did some research and she found a picture of Susan Elkhair in some of the papers of the history of the Delaware. Laura ordered a hat, a top hat, and bought a little sheet of metal. She got some creepers to cut the metal. She fixed a band around this hat. She got feathers to go around the band. A friend helped with the feathers that decorated this hat. And this hat is what Jennifer wore. It created a stir because this had not been seen in years and years. She was very proud to wear it and represent the Elder Delaware. That night afterwards, Mike Pace, whose mother was from the Elkhair family, presented Jennifer with a broach that had belonged to Susan Elkhair and had been passed down through generations to him. He ended up with it and he gave it to Jennifer. So it was really an emotional and happy time because she told us all “Thank You” for this past year what she’s been through and what her friends and family and relatives have helped her and she said “it’s over and I won”! And this was really a special moment for me and this moment that we had our honor dance as Gilbert and I were picked as “Honor Elders” and we were led in by our grandsons, great grandsons and grandsons- in- law. They reached across the arena in front of us as we came in and then we had about, I can’t remember how many came and shook hands with us and how they made us feel completely honored. It was one of the most special moments in our lives and we appreciate everybody that was there and everybody that came and shook hands with us. It was a wonderful, wonderful Pow Wow to me.
 Jennifer Revard with her headdress, flanked by Mary and Gilbert Watters. |
 Susan Elkhair wearing the original headdress. |
Thoughts on the 50th Annual Delaware Powwow
By Bear Tompkins, Head-Man Dancer
My name is Bear Tompkins, I am a member of the Delaware tribe, and I was the head-man dancer at the Delaware powwow. This year was the 50th annual Delaware powwow. It was a very memorable powwow and a very big honor for my family and me. We were honored when the powwow committee asked me to be this year’s head-man dancer. My parents Ray and Sandy Tompkins pre- pared for an entire year, getting everything ready for my special, and my mom spent a considerable amount of time on my regalia (outfit). I am very thankful for them and all the support they gave me through this. My grandparents Walt and Pat Donnell have always worked hard every year to prepare our camp for the upcoming year. My grandmother has always helped with my regalia and she made me a brand new shirt and vest for this year’s powwow. My uncle Doug sang his song for my special. I remember last year when I was asked to be head-man, I went to my uncle right away and asked him to sing a song for me. He said he would and he did not disappoint. The song he sang was composed for him and it was such an honor for him to sing it for my special. My great uncle Dee Ketchum spoke for me at my special. All of my family was there this year to support me, of course, they are there every year. But they showed me how much they care and how much they love me by all pitching in and helping out with the process. I could not have done anything without them. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family.
The powwow this year was great! Thursday night, the Culture Preservation, had their night out at the powwow grounds. The turnout was really big and a lot of young kids and children were stomp dancing around the fire and dancing to our Lenape social dance songs. Friday and Saturday night the powwow was in full effect. The dancers were looking keen in their regalia and the drum sounded sweet! All of the Delaware families were camping out all weekend and the fires were kept burning all night. Some even got in a little trouble for being a little too rowdy! But that’s just kids being kids. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and that’s what it is all about. We all had a great time even if Sunday night was rained out. The 50th annual Delaware powwow was certainly one to be remembered. May God bless us all. Wanishi!
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Tribal Member Jacob Seely Awarded Degree
Pittsburg State University of Pittsburg, Kansas awarded a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, to Jacob Seely of McPherson, Kansas at the Commencement ceremonies on Friday May 9, 2014. Jacob is the son of James and Jeanie Seely of McPherson, Kansas, the grandson of the late Walter Seely of Lindsborg, Kansas and the great grandson of the late Eva Louise Seely of Lindsborg, Kansas.
Message from the Chief
He’! I hope you are staying cool this summer. I want to remind low-income tribal members that there is help from several programs within the Tribe to assist with the cost of keeping your home cool. Call the office if you are having difficulties with the summer heat. Drink plenty of water, and if you can avoid the midday sun you’ll be in better shape. We have been fortunate to get a lot of rain so far this summer. We needed it!
As always, I want to give you some highlights of events since the last issue of the paper. In April, Curtis Zunigha (Tribal Manager), Anita Davis Mathis (Director, Cultural Resources) and I went to Muncie, IN to view a film that Ball State University produced. The students and teachers came to Bartlesville during Delaware Days to film. It is about the time when the Tribe was in Indiana 1795- 1821. A special thank you to the tribal members who made it out to the event.
The Tribe received a grant from the Heritage Foundation in Kansas to work on plans for the Lawrence property. Currently we are leasing the property for agriculture at $2100 a month. The Tribal Council will hold the July 7 meeting in Lawrence. We hope to live broadcast the meeting in Bartlesville, but at the least, we will post the video of the meeting on the website.
We worked to secure a plan to release our BIA 638 money (Aid to Tribal Governments) and I am happy to announce (after three years of working for this) that the money has been released directly to the Tribe (instead of going through the Cherokees as it has since the MOA was put into place). Thank you to the Cherokee Nation for working with us to accomplish this. We are currently working on a proposal for additional monies from the BIA.
The 50th Annual Delaware Pow Wow was May 23-25. I hope that you were able to attend. If you didn’t, start plan- ning for next year, Memorial Day weekend. And come to Delaware Days September 26th and 27th. The Pow Wow was a success although Sunday night’s dances were rained out.
We have a new Housing Director, Vickie Bratton, who has been nose-to-the-grindstone to strengthen the Housing Program and provide leadership for a promising future. We have hired three new employees in June: two in Accounting and an IT person to replace Greg Brown, who is relocating to Maryland to be close to his wife’s family and their daughter, who is going to school in Pennsylvania. He let us know that he will miss us, but he was given an opportunity that he just couldn’t refuse! We all hate to see Greg go as he has been our DIN editor and website coordinator for two years. He’s done a wonderful job for the Tribe wearing many hats. He was originally hired in 2010 to work as the Tribe’s Archaeologist/NAGPRA assistant. He has assured us that he will continue to work on the paper and the website as long as he is able and will help with the transition the new IT person.
I want to assure you that every open position at the Tribe is advertised, that applications are reviewed for qualifications, and then qualified applicants are interviewed. The selection process is a coordinated effort of Human Resources, our Tribal Manager, and appropriate Department leadership. I have seen some negative campaigning about nepotism, but I, along with the Tribal Council, can stand firm that tribal employees are hired based on qualifications, not relations.
Cy Hughes is serving as the Chairman of the Election Board for 2014. She served on the 2012 election committee. The election rules are published on page 6. The election will be on November 1 this year. You may need to fill out the form for absentee ballot on page 8. If you voted by absentee ballot in the last election, the rules state you should automatically receive a ballot. I know that the committee and the Tribal Enrollment Department are working to put together the list.
The Trust Board fall scholar- ships applications are due at the end of the month. The Tribal Council voted to contribute $16,000 to the Education Committee to fund 2014 Fall scholarships.
Last month, we began a news- letter which will be distributed more frequently than the DIN. This will be available electronically at the Tribal offices, and at events. If you wish to receive emails from the Tribe, let the Enrollment Department know (up- dates@delawaretribe.org).
Just for fun, and in support of the Delaware Scholarship Fund, Monterey’s Little Mexico restaurant in Bartlesville has been sponsoring a fundraiser for the tribe. The first Wednesday of the month, those with a coupon will have 20% of their meal bill donated to the fund. Coupons are available on request at the Tribal Office. So, join in the fundraiser and provide scholarship money!
Tribal members (and employees) Leslie Fall-Leaf and Chris Miller keep the Enrollment Department staffed each weekday. They are eager to help you get your family enrolled and keep your information current.
Just a reminder—the Delaware tribal rolls are open for all descendants of the 1904 Per Capita roll to enroll as full members of the Tribe. If a person is able to trace their lineage to this roll (per our Constitution,) they are eligible to be Tribal members. No cutoff dates! No blood quantum minimum! And we do NOT prohibit you from being enrolled with another Tribe for the purpose of membership. Remember, if a Delaware you know isn’t receiving information from the Tribe, then the Enrollment Department needs to know. Leslie and Chris are happy to help with the enrollment process.
If you have questions about Tribal programs or services our staff is here to assist you. We try to pack the DIN and website with information that will interest you. The Tribe is on Facebook, and we are working on the newsletter to keep more frequent contact with Tribal members who are local and/or have access to email. We have open meetings at least once a month, but usually more. We have open records for the general welfare of the Tribe. The Tribal Council and I are accessible to you by phone, by email, or even by personal visit. Please con- tact any of us —you don’t have to wait until an official Council meeting or General Council! Re- member, everyone that you meet is facing a battle of their own—so be nicer than you have to be and Welanipen!! (I hope you have a good summer!)
Chief Paula Pechonick
D5 Creation