Archived News Item

The Delaware War Mothers would like to extend their gratitude for all the support received from the tribal council, veterans, and tribal members. 2013 has been a rough year for membership but with the determination of its members 2014 should be even more exciting! Currently six different tribes are represented among the 25 members both locally and afar.

Hayden Griffith was elected princess for 2013 and 2014, and has represented the club well this year. She has participated in grand entries at powwows, NCAI in Tulsa, parades, veteran programs, and read to the Dewey first grade in recognition of the Oklahoma birthday celebration dressed in her regalia! This young lady is sure to do wonderful things in her lifetime and the members can’t wait to see her represent the club again in 2014. Thank you Hayden for a job well done!

This year the War Mothers participated in the grand entry at the Operation Eagle Powwow, Delaware Powwow, and Oklahoma Indian Summer. On July 5 the club held a Veterans Recognition program after lunch at the Delaware Community Center. Each veteran was recognized and presented with a keychain. In September the club sponsored a Turtle Toss during Delaware Days for the children and plan on making this a yearly event. A table was provided by the tribe during General Council for a bake sale, silent auction and raffle which brought in some much-needed funds to help the club support our veterans. On November 8 a Veterans Day program was held prior to lunch being served. Each veteran was recognized and presented with a veterans pin. Bucky Buck, veteran, and Bonnie Thaxton, mother of veteran, were the speakers for this year’s program. The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) also participated in the program with a small ceremony for the POW’s and MIA’s.

Our mission is to represent and honor our military relatives, so if you are a grandmother, mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister or aunt of a veteran Native American OR non-native but want to represent an Indian veteran and would be interested in joining, please attend one of our monthly meetings the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm in the Dining Hall at the Delaware Community Center. You may also contact Bess Marler at 918-440-1955, Tonya Anna at 918-533-8035 or email the club at delawarewarmothers@yahoo.com.

Again, thank you to all who contributed to and supported the Delaware War Mothers over this past year and most of all, thank you to each and every veteran for your service.

Veterans at Veteran’s Day celebration in Delaware Community Center on November 8, 2013	Delaware War Mothers fill Christmas “goodie bags” for our veterans. L-R, Barbara Wallace, Laura Maynor, Tonya Anna, Mary Watters, Pat Donnell, Cy Hughes, Chief Paula Pechonick.

By Sadie Haff

Born and raised in Washington State, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about my Delaware heritage. My parents, John William Haff and Olive Vanscoy Haff, told me what they knew of it, but I always wanted to know more. It wasn’t until the 1990’s and the internet and a couple of family reunions in Oklahoma (the Haff reunion in 2001 and the Haff/Marker reunion in 2003) that I started to learn about my Delaware heritage and met many of my relatives, most descended from Israel and Mary Haff. Two relatives in particular, Gloria Marker Fortney and Helen Woodall Vire, taught me much about Delaware history and, in particular, our family history.

In October of 2005 I was able to travel to Oklahoma and visit with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Matt Haff in Ketchum and many other relatives. I also got to spend several days in Vinita with Gloria and Helen, getting better acquainted and researching family genealogy at the library in Bartlesville. One evening we had an opportunity to attend a potluck dinner at the Delaware Community Center. We had a wonderful meal and had a great time visiting with the tribal members there that night. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

One woman I met was Paula Pechonick, who measured my feet for a pair of Delaware moccasins. I would later order a Delaware Tulip purse from her. I cherish both of these items still. A few years later Paula would become the Chief of the Delaware Tribe.

My life drastically changed in 2012, when I found myself at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco, WA, recovering from surgery. When lab tests showed that I had cancer and would need chemotherapy, I started to think about what I would do when chemo caused my hair to fall out. I decided that I would wear kerchiefs. My doctor had told me that women often chose a theme for their kerchiefs or made some kind of statement with them. I decided that I would like them made from Native American prints to honor my Delaware Indian heritage. My great-grandmother Mary Haff and my grandfather William Haff were part of the removal of the Delaware tribe from the reservation in Kansas to land in Oklahoma following the Civil War.

When I had a difficult time getting mentally prepared for the journey ahead, my brother Stan would tell me that I was a tougher Delaware than that. A cousin in Oklahoma told me that our ancestors weren’t moved from the East Coast to Ohio and then to Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma for me to “wimp out” now. She reminded me of the difficult journey that my great-grandmother and five-year-old grandfather had made from the reservation in Kansas to northeastern Oklahoma.

Friends and relatives had supplied me with material for kerchiefs and bandanas. I had also purchased Native American print material from a shop in Toppenish, WA that stocked material for the Yakama Indians for ribbon shirts and women’s blouses. One of my friends stayed up late at night to sew kerchiefs for me, while during the day she was packing up her household for a move to Texas. I wore these kerchiefs through the spring and summer of 2012, and they somehow made it easier to deal with the hair situation. They also reminded me of the love and wonderful care I had received from my family, South Hills Church family, and friends. In August the temperature turned to over 100 degrees in the Tri-Cities, and I made the decision to stop wearing them. Because I loved the beautiful material they were made from, I told a friend that I was keeping them and using the material for some craft project in the future. Patti Rogers, a friend from my school days, told me that instead of using the material for crafts, she would make a quilt out of it. With the addition of border material and backing, a beautiful quilt took shape.

The quilt is finished and my hair is back. The quilt will always remind me of the many wonderful health care providers, friends, family, and many other people who helped and supported me and gave me encouragement during my recovery. The quilt also serves as a reminder of my Delaware heritage, and I am proud to be a member of the Delaware tribe.

Tri-Cities Cancer Center
7350 W. Deschutes Avenue
Kennewick, WA
509-783-9894
www.tccancer.org

Sadie Haff proudly holding her quilt which has a tag listing her DTI registration number, the date she finished chemo, and the date the quilt was made.

Sadie Haff and Cindy Miller, a Tri-Cities Cancer Center staff member, showing the entire quilt.

On November 1, 2014 there will be an election for Chief, three Tribal Council seats, and two Associate Judge positions on the Tribal Court. You may vote in person at the official polling sites or obtain an absentee ballot.

If you cannot vote in person, be sure to apply to get an absentee ballot for tribal elections. It’s easy to do so; just fill out the form below and mail it in.

If you voted in the November 2013 election, you are already on the list and do not need to re-register. Likewise, once you have registered for an absentee ballot you will remain on the list until you fail to vote in three consecutive elections, after which you will need to re-register.

PLEASE NOTE: We need one form per voter. You may copy this form if you need multiple copies. There is also a printed copy in the January and April 2014 issues of the Delaware Indian News.

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By Jim Rementer

Two years ago former assistant chief Mike Pace was invited to Germany to tell Lenape stories at the Karl May Festival, At the time he had another commitment that caused him to return to the United States not long after the festival. But he said that sometime he would like to return to Germany for a vacation.

In June of this year Mike and his wife Ella were able to return for that vacation, accompanied by Jim Rementer. He found that once again he became a spokesman for his Delaware Tribe. Fortunately this is what Mike does on an almost daily basis in his job at the Conner Prairie Museum near Indianapolis.

One of the first events he was taken to on this trip was a medieval conference in Wallhalben, Germany, where he participated in a number of events. He was asked to talk a bit about his Delaware Tribe. He did so and also presented some Delaware dollars to the conference leaders. He was joined at the conference by a Cheyenne named Michael Running Wolf, Jr., and his fiancée Caroline Old Coyote, a Crow Indian who is one half German and fluent in the German language. They also gave talks about their tribes.

Toward the end of his vacation Mike was once again called upon to contribute to a documentary being made about Indian people. So, on the day he was leaving in the morning, we were taken to a small rustic area by a stream not too far from Munich where the interview was conducted.

The tribe should be proud of Mike and Ella, whose efforts to spread goodwill and cultural knowledge greatly expand the Tribe’s reputation. Wanishi to both of them, and to a good friend of the tribe, Robert Goetzenberger, for his help in making the trip arrangements!!

Michael and Caroline.	Mike and Robert have a gift exchange.
Mike demonstrates the Delaware Bean Dance.	Mike and Hans Traxel have a gift exchange.
Mike inspects the structure of an old building from the 1500s in Wil, Switzerland.	Michael and Mike.
Suzanne attempting to get good audio for the video.	The filming location.

The Delaware Enterprise Authority (DEA) was formed as an independent body from the Tribal Council and Trust Board to research, evaluate, and maintain business ventures and/or economic development projects for the economic benefit of the Delaware Tribe and its members.

As constituted now, the DEA has a seven member Board of Directors. Currently there are three vacancies that we would like to fill immediately.

The Board of Directors has regular monthly meetings, or as frequently as deemed necessary to manage the affairs of the Authority. Meetings may be conducted through the use of any means of communication by which all participants may simultaneously hear and communicate with each other.

Qualifications:

• a) A Board Member may be a member or non-member of the Tribe. At least three Board Members shall be members of the Tribe, but no more than three Board Members at any one time may be members of the Tribal Council or Tribal Trust Board;
• b) No person shall be barred from serving on the Board because they are an employee of an enterprise of DEA or the Tribe; has a business contractual relationship with DEA or the Tribe; or operates a private business within the Tribal Jurisdiction. However, no such Board Member shall be entitled or permitted to participate in or be present at any portion of a meeting (except in their capacity as a member of the public or as an employee), or to be counted or treated as a member of the Board, concerning any matter involving his or her individual right, obligations or status;
• c) Each Board Member shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and legally capable of entering into a binding contract;
• d) Each Board Member shall take an oath to support and defend the constitution and laws of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the United States of America;
• e) If the DEA is engaged in gaming operations, each Board Member is not eligible and shall be barred from serving as a Board Member until such time as a Primary Management Official License is issued to the individual trustee by the Delaware Tribe of Indians Gaming Commission pursuant to the application process of submitting to finger printing, a background investigation, and a suitability determination.

Meetings: The Board of Directors shall have regular monthly meetings, or as frequent as deemed necessary to manage the affairs of the Authority. Meetings may be conducted through the use of any means of communication by which all participants may simultaneously hear and communicate with each other. Every three months, the Board members shall agree on the regular meeting times, dates, and locations for the next three months; and the President shall promptly distribute such dates, times, and locations. Once this schedule of regular meetings is set, no additional notice need be given of regular meetings.

Per the DEA’s charter, the Board is appointed by the Chief. Appointments will be made as soon as possible, so please send a letter of interest to her office at:

Office of the Chief
Delaware Tribe of Indians
170 NE Barbara Ave
Bartlesville, OK 74006

or by email at

ppechonick@delawaretribe.org

Please include in the subject “DEA Board.”

Information may also be hand-delivered to the above address.

Beginning December 15, Don Mason, Jr., will be starting a no-cost wills clinic. Any Delaware, needing a simple will, may apply for acceptance to the clinic. Those wishing to apply must meet certain criteria. Applicants must have a Delaware Tribal roll number. Also, wills clinic is open only to those seeking a simple will. Those Delaware with more complex estates likely will not qualify for the clinic. The clinic is intended as a public service for those Delaware with small or minimal estates.

Feel free to contact Don Mason at 918.344.7828

There will be a special meeting of the Delaware Trust Board on Monday, December 16, 2013 at 1:30 PM in the Delaware Community Center, Bartlesville.

AGENDA

Prayer
Roll Call
I. Approve 2014 Budget with changes approved in New Trust Document
Adjourn

Library to honor Bacone College art professor
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer

Monday, November 25, 2013

Artist and educator Ruthe Blalock Jones, who has influenced several generations of artists through her work at Bacone College, is the 2014 inductee into the Tulsa City-County Library’s American Indian Resource Center’s Circle of Honor.

The induction will take place March 1, 2014, at Hardesty Regional Library’s Connor’s Cove, 8316 E. 93rd St. The event will also mark the start of the library’s month-long American Indian Festival of Words, honoring the achievements and accomplishments of Native Americans.

Jones called the honor “humbling and gratifying,” in large part because of the previous honorees, which include Charles Chibitty, Wilma Mankiller, Neal McCaleb, Bill Mills and Kirke Kickingbird

“As an artist, I believe we are all interested in honoring and preserving the culture and traditions of our families and tribes,” Jones said. “That is what I have tried to do, with help along the way from my parents, relatives and friends, teachers, collectors and others.”

Jones, who is of Shawnee-Delaware-Peoria descent, was born in Claremore, and began studying art with Charles Banks Wilson at age 10. Three years later, one of her works earned an Honorable Mention in the Philbrook Indian Annual, which at the time was one of the nation’s most prestigious art events for American Indian artists.

She attended Bacone College and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Tulsa in 1972. In 2011, she was appointed Commissioner of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board by Department of the Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar. She is director emeritus and associate professor of Art at Bacone College.

Her work — paintings, drawings and various styles of printmaking — focuses on traditional American Indian ceremonial and social events.

Jones’ paintings have been shown in Japan and Uganda as well as throughout the United States, and her work is part of the permanent collections of such institutions as the Heard Museum, the Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of Natural History.

The Circle of Honor ceremony recognizes an American Indian for his or her achievements by acknowledging the inductee’s contributions that have enriched others’ lives and by celebrating the inductee’s action in the face of adversity, commitment to the preservation of American Indian culture and legacy for future generations.

It is sponsored by the Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation, Cherokee Builders Inc., American Indian Resource Center and the Tulsa Library Trust. The award consists of a $5,000 honorarium and a medallion featuring the American Indian Resource Center’s turtle logo.

For more information, call 918-549-7323, or visit tulsalibrary.org/airc

From Tulsa World, November 25, 2013.

Congratulations to Larry Joe Brooks, Mary Watters, and Homer Scott on their election to the Trust Board.

The new Trust Board Master Plan and the proposed 2014 budget were also adopted.

• New Trust Board Document (from October 2013 Delaware Indian News)
• FY 2014 Trust Board Budget (from October 2013 Delaware Indian News)

Thanks to all Delaware tribal members who voted in the election!

A certified copy of the results of the election is on file at the Tribal Offices at 170 NE Barbara, Bartlesville, OK.

FINAL RESULTS OF THE 2013 GENERAL ELECTION

Watchetaker Hall (584 NW Bingo Rd, Lawton, OK 73507)
Comanche Complex

MC – Wallace Coffey and Tim TallChief
Head Singer – Berkey Monoessy
Head Gourd Dancer – Elijah Crowles
Head Lady Dancer – Patty Beaston
AD – Keith Wetselline
Security – Brian Wahnee
Host Gourd – Comanche Little Ponies

Gourd Dance 1-5
Supper 5-6 (provided)
Gourd Dance 6-8ish

Not responsible for any accidents or thefts
No alcohol or drugs allowed

Contact Info: Angie Goodfox 405-476-8914 or Robin Coffey-Hopkins 405-205-5518

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