Archives

He’! Nipen (summer) is about gone! Did you get everything accomplished that you wanted to do?

I have been to visit North Lawrence, KS several times. The Tribal Council had their July meeting there with a roomful of people in attendance. It was a really happy meeting with Tribal members in attendance who do not normally get to attend Council meetings. We’ve met with Haskell Indian Nations University (which just celebrated
their 130th anniversary), KU, KSU, the city of Lawrence, Douglas County, the school district, the USDA, and Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.

But in the end, we will do what’s best for the Tribe! We would like to have a multi-purpose building to house the programs we have in Bartlesville and Caney such as Elder Nutrition, Housing and Child Support Services. We would like to have offices and classrooms to further our culture, our language and other projects with other programs.

In August, the BIA from the Miami agency visited us in Bartlesville to discuss our move from the Eastern Muskogee Region BIA office to the Miami Agency. The Miami Agency and the nine other Tribes under its authority are excited for the Delaware Tribe to join them. The BIA approved “Start-Up” monies for the Tribe. These monies are provided to help the Tribe administer the Tribe’s ATG (Aid to Tribal Government) contract. We have been pursuing a direct contract relationship with the BIA since I took office in 2010. Under the Cherokee MOA, previously, our ATG was administered to the Tribe by the Cherokee Nation. We accomplished a modification to the MOA to change this restriction and to allow for direct funding from the BIA. Now that we are able to contract directly, the Miami Agency is working with us to obtain additional funding.

The election process is moving along and is in this DIN. I appreciate the election committee’s dedication to helping Tribal members vote. I hope that you will vote in person on November 1, or before by absentee ballot, in
this very important election.

I hope you enjoy the information about our programs and services in each issue of the DIN. I want to thank Greg Brown as well as all the program directors and Tribal members who submit information to share with the membership
as a whole.

I encourage you to check out our website www.delawaretribe.org and our official Facebook page “Delaware Tribe of Indians” if you have access to the internet. I also encourage those who are able to come to our General Council on November 8. Our goal is to have an orderly, informative meeting to share with you the successes of the Tribe and plan for the future.

As always, please update your addresses as well as those of your relatives through enrollment and take a moment today to contact Enrollment to determine what you need to do to help your relatives get enrolled.

Be nicer than you have to be and help those in need.

Lapich knewël! (See you soon)!
Chief Paula Pechonick