A Message from the Chief
He’ kulamàlsi hàch? I hope all is well with you and your relatives. The summer is on us. I hope you are staying cool and hydrated!
Our two Indian Community Development Block Grants (ICDBG) finished in April and May. The projects included an expansion of the kitchen in the Delaware Tribal Community Center which serves the Title VI Elder Nutrition Program each week day at noon (if you haven’t seen the kitchen or the program you should stop by!), construction of the Social Services building and parking lot, and as required by the city, extension of Barbara Avenue and expansion of the retention pond. In a separate project, the Tribe established a Memorial Garden area near the pond and walking path. We anticipate the development of this area as this season permits and look forward to next spring’s Memorial Gardens, Community Garden, and Traditional Garden. We are listening for Veteran’s Memorial ideas.
Along with shuffling programs (per the grant) into the Social Services Building, my office has now moved into the Community Center.
The ICDBG application for 2014 is for a new childcare center in Bartlesville. The current program is full and is in need of more space. If the grant is awarded, the plan for the current existing childcare building is to use this space to expand the Tribe’s Library, Museum and Archives.
The Housing Program purchased an apartment complex in Bartlesville formally called “Irene Apartments,” now renamed “The Lodges.” There have been more problems than expected—how silly, I should expect less? But we are working on it.
Housing Program expansion areas are determined by evaluation of the waiting list. If you are interested in living at a particular area you need to make your interest known to the Program, so appropriate resources can be directed to areas of interest in the annual Indian Housing Plan.
In cooperation with the Delaware Child Development Program, in April I hosted the first gathering of the female tribal leaders of Oklahoma. Of the eight female tribal leaders at the time (Governor, President, Chief or Chairman) five were able to attend, as well as our female council members.
UINOKT (United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas) has reorganized. I have been attending UINOKT meetings to listen to and discuss issues with other tribal leaders across the area affecting multiple tribes. In June, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin came to talk to the tribes. This was the first time in history that Oklahoma’s governor has done so.
The Delawares were invited to the Wyandotte County Museum in Kansas exhibit opening for the traveling Smithsonian exhibition “Native Words, Native Warriors,” about Native code talkers (for details go to http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/codetalkers/main.htm). The museum is located within our last reservation boundaries so we took a vanful of tribal members April 21.
We were ably guided by Doug Spangler, who not only showed us the museum but also our old stomp grounds. We also visited Ne-Con-He-Con’s grave site.
The next day a vanful went to Oklahoma City to the First Lutheran Church for the opening of time capsule buried for 100 years! The capsule contained some papers from Charles Journeycake, and other Native American items.
On May 9 we had a meeting with the Cherokee on the Aid-to-Tribal Government (ATG) monies and other MOA issues. Also in May, a delegation visited the Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana to discuss economic development and organizational opportunities for the Tribe.
On May 22 we officially opened our new Social Services Building, with a smoke-off ceremony and a ribbon-cutting in cooperation with the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce. Incidentally, the Tribe has also joined the Chamber.
Council member Annette Ketchum and I went to tribal member’s Jacque McDonald art show in Joplin.
Finally, we are still working on our “Return to Kansas” project!
Have a good summer!
Lapich Knewël,
Chief Pechonick
ppechonick@delawaretribe.org
918-337-6590
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