Archived News Item

On June 20, 2014, the Delaware Tribe was approved to be placed under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Miami Agency. The Delaware Tribal Council passed a resolution in support of the move to the Miami BIA Agency on November 5, 2013.

Recently, representatives from the Miami Agency met with Chief Paula Pechonick and Tribal Council members for a briefing regarding the Delaware Tribe of Indians’ programs and services and also to formally make introductions between the two groups. In attendance at the briefing held on August 14 from the BIA Miami Agency were Paul Yates, the Superintendent, Mary King, Deputy Superintendent, Mike Longan, Self-Determination Assistant, and Jan Williams, Realty Specialist.

Chief Pechonick said “we are really looking forward to working with the Agency. I think it will be a really good working relationship and that the Superintendent and his staff will be very helpful.”

In describing how the idea came about, Chief Pechonick said that the BIA Eastern Oklahoma Regional Director Robert Impson had suggested that the Delaware Tribe switch to the Miami BIA Agency some time ago. So Chief Pechonick wrote both agencies a formal request letter to change affiliation to the Miami BIA Agency. Director Robert Impson approved the request and instructed the Miami Agency and the Delaware Tribe to follow through with a meeting and introductions.

Shown in photo (L-R): Mike Longan, Self-Determination Asst. Miami BIA; Jan Williams, Realty Specialist Miami BIA; Assistant Delaware Chief/Tribal Councilman Chester “Chet” Brooks; Mary King, Deputy Superintendent Miami BIA; Treasurer/Tribal Councilwoman Janifer Brown; Delaware Chief Paula Pechonick; Paul Yates, Superintendent Miami BIA; Tribal Councilwoman Jenifer Pechonick; Secretary/Tribal Councilwoman Verna Crawford; and Tribal Councilman Nate Young

The October 2014 issue of the Delaware Indian News is now online. Tribal members should receive their copy in the mail by October 1.

To view the newspaper in PDF format, please click here.

Official list of candidates for November 2014 election, from Delaware Tribe Election Board

Click on the link below to open the document

» 2014 Official Candidate Announcement

The Indian Summer Festival in Bartlesville, OK will be held September 18-21.

Oklahoma Indian Summer festival began 27 years ago as a way for the Chamber of Commerce to incorporate the Indian culture into a fall festival for Bartlesville. Today, Oklahoma Indian Summer continues to be a success due to the volunteer Executive Board as well as dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes throughout the year to host this premiere and unique festival.

The festival is free and open to the public who is welcome and invited to experience this legacy. Oklahoma Indian Summer is a 501c3 organization and is dependent on community support through commercial and corporate sponsors, fundraising and private donations.

Located at the Bartlesville Community Center, the annual festival is a cultural exchange which combines award-winning American Indian and Western art throughout the festival, a competition pow wow, entertainment and cultural demonstrations as well as many other special events in a family-oriented atmosphere. In celebration of 27 successful years of festival, the Committee is focused on tradition and innovation.

Friday and Saturday the festival opens at 10am and closes late night after the pow wow, both days full of activities and presentations. Last year also brought the return of Sunday festivities! Youth activities include Friday’s demonstration day for area school children and a youth art contest and show with a $1000 scholarship for Best of Show. Food concessions as well as arts and crafts vendors will be open throughout the festival.

Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend this premiere event of area cultures. For more information, contact Lori Pannell at (918) 397-2125 or coordinator@okindiansummer.org.

» Oklahoma Indian Summer Web Site

If you did not vote in the 2013 Election you will need to send in an Absentee Ballot Request Form. All forms must be sent by U.S.P.S. and be received by close of business on October 1, 2014.

https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/Absentee-Ballot-Request-Form.pdf

Mail the completed form to:

Delaware Election Board
PO Box 1198
Bartlesville, OK 74005

For further information please contact the Election Board by email at electionboard@delawaretribe.org or reach them at the voice mailbox at (918) 337-6586

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, the Delaware Tribe will host a Housing Seminar at the Delaware Tribal Complex, 170 NE Barbara, Bartlesville, Okla., in Forsythe Hall at the Community Center at 6 p.m.

The seminar, presented by Legacy Tribal Consultants, will provide details of the Section 184 Native American Home Loan program. This event is free and open to the public. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

The Section 184 loan program offers competitive, low mortgage interest rates for: home purchase, refinance, rehab or construction including double-wide and modular homes — and loans are not limited to property on tribal lands.

Approved borrowers must be members of a federally recognized tribe with photo I.D. and tribal registration card.

Unlike traditional loan programs which are credit-score driven, Section 184 loans do not require a particular credit score. Instead, borrowers must demonstrate a pattern of good rental or mortgage history for the past two years, have all credit collections, judgments and tax liens paid, and have two years of work history in the same line of work and/or school enrollment.

Approved borrowers must be currently employed with verified income and those with past credit problems must provide written explanations of derogatory credit.

The loan program, guaranteed by the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has lower down-payment requirements than traditional loan programs. The Section 184 loan program offers borrower down payments of only 2.25% for mortgages over $50,000 and just 1.25% for mortgages under $50,000.

In addition, the source of down payment funds may be: borrower’s own funds, gift funds, secured loan funds or tribal down payment assistance.

Another attractive feature of the Section 184 loan program is that in purchase scenarios, contracts may specify that sellers pay prepaid fees, such as taxes and insurance, and other costs at the home closing. For more information, call the Delaware Tribe of Indians at 918-337-6590.

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Press Release Prepared by: Roseanne McKee, McKee Public Relations on behalf of the Delaware Tribe of Indians with permission of Chief Paula Pechonick.

Contact info: mckeepr@outlook.com or the Delaware Tribe of Indians: 918-337-6590.

On July 7, 2014, the Tribal Council meeting was held in Lawrence, KS for the first time in over 147 years. The Tribal Council met at the tribal property in North Lawrence to conduct the monthly meeting. Our Lawrence property is in the seat of the newly reclaimed jurisdiction area of the Delaware Tribe’s former reservation in Kansas. Our ancestors had to leave there in 1867 and move to the Cherokee Nation Indian Territory where the tribe has lived since. The Tribal Council concurred that it is important to establish this land base for tribal jurisdiction and thereby conducted an official meeting at this location. In January we began having quarterly Tribal Council meetings in Caney, KS and this month they met in Lawrence. Maintaining an official presence in Kansas demonstrates our resolve to expand governmental services there.

In November 2010 Chief Pechonick re-established the monthly meetings in Bartlesville soon after taking office. Prior to that, the previous administration conducted the Tribal Council meetings in several different towns in Oklahoma. Following the announcement of an expansion into Kansas, the quarterly meetings in Kansas are now a regular occurrence. Approximately 20 Tribal members and visitors in the Lawrence area attended the July 7th meeting and their enthusiasm was encouraging to the Tribal Council’s expansion efforts.

Tribal Council members with Brian and Kathy Pine, former owners of the Lawrence property.

The July 2014 issue of the Delaware Indian News is now online. Tribal members should receive their copy in the mail by July 1.

To view the newspaper in PDF format, please click here.

The Elders Committee voted to honor members of the Elders Committee who pass in 2014 and the future by placing a brick in their honor in the Memorial Garden in Bartlesville. The first two bricks the Elders Committee will provide will be for William W. Baughman, grandson of Katy Whiteturkey Day, and our Cherokee brother, Robert R. “Bob” Ladd, who passed away earlier this year.

But this is not all! The Memorial Garden needs lots of bricks! We invite families to purchase a brick for their loved ones who have gone before.

The bricks will be 12 x 12 inches in size, pewter in color. Each brick can have up to 8 lines with up to 20 characters, punctuation, and spaces for each line. The cost is $50.00 per brick.

To order a Memorial Brick, send us a description of what you want on your brick and a check payable to Delaware Elders Committee:

Delaware Tribe of Indians
Attn: Elders Committee
170 N. Barbara
Bartlesville, OK 74006

Need more information? Email: elders@delawaretribe.org or Call: Mary Randall 918-336-0584