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Join the Cultural Preservation Committee for a meal, followed by song & dance practice! Located in the FCS Building.

Be it known that as of November 4, 2024, there is an announcement of a vacancy on the Trust Board. The vacancy shall be posted a minimum of 21 days. Interested candidates should submit their letter of interest and qualifications to the Trust Board to be considered. Please send letters of interest and qualifications to Dana Murrell @ dmurrrell@delawaretribe.org by November 25,2024

The 2024 Delaware Tribe of Indians General Election has been completed. Listed below are the names of the winners of the following races:

Tribal Council

• Evelyn Kay Anderson
• Rusty Creed Brown
• Lindsey Nicole Harris

Trust Board Chair

• Farrell A. Burks

Trust Board

• Cray Regis Bauxmont-Flynn

Appellate Tribal Judge

• Cameron Ann Fraser

For full results, see the PDF below.

The October 2024 issue of the Delaware Indian News is now available online. To view the newspaper, click the link below:

» View October 2024 Delaware Indian News

For other issues of the Delaware Indian News, select Delaware Indian News in the top menu bar.

Blue Whale Materials Selected for $55 Million DOE Award Negotiation to Expand Bartlesville, OK Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Facility

Investment Will Expand Operations to Process up to 50,000 Tons of Li-ion Feedstock Annually. Approximately $3M to Go Towards Workforce Development and Community Outreach

Bartlesville, OK – September 20, 2024 – Blue Whale Materials (BWM), a leader in advanced lithium-ion battery recycling, has been selected for negotiation of an award of over $55 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Program.

The selection is part of BWM’s larger $110 million expansion initiative, which will enable BWM’s Bartlesville, Oklahoma state-of-the-art facility to process up to 50,000 tons of battery feedstock annually and produce enough valuable critical minerals to power over 100,000 electric vehicles annually.

The expanded operations will convert 3.5 times more end-of-life batteries and production scrap into Blacksand™, a high-purity, dry, mixed-metal precursor that stands apart from conventional black mass. This state-of-the-art process recovers up to 98% of the cobalt and nickel in lithium-ion batteries and production scrap and significantly reduces contaminants such as aluminum, copper, and fluorine – resulting in a high metal recovery rate and creating an optimized input for downstream metal refiners and battery material manufacturers.

BWM is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy. By scaling up operations, BWM will further establish itself as a leading supplier of critical minerals for electric vehicle manufacturers, battery producers, and energy storage companies. The expansion is another meaningful step toward creating a closed loop and sustainable feedstock solutions for spent lithium-ion batteries.

The expansion is expected to create 150 permanent jobs and 180 construction jobs, boosting local employment in Bartlesville and will help contribute to the state’s sustainable growth.

Approximately $3M of the grant would go towards workforce development and community outreach through expanded partnership programs with The Delaware Tribe of Indians, Blue Star Recyclers, Tri County Tech, and James Emmett and Company.

“The DOE’s backing underscores the importance of building a sustainable and resilient supply chain for critical minerals right here in the U.S.,” said BWM CEO Robert Kang. “This expansion not only supports our mission but also fuels economic growth in Bartlesville, a historic energy community.”

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt expressed his support for the project: “The State of Oklahoma welcomes this additional investment to expand the Blue Whale Materials li-ion battery recycling plant in Bartlesville. This investment aligns with our state’s focus on self-sufficiency in critical materials production and will bring quality jobs and investment to Oklahoma.”

“This selection for award by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is further validation of BWM’s pioneering battery recycling process, and Ara Partners is proud to have partnered with Blue Whale Materials to submit the proposal for award. Government partnerships are essential to decarbonize the industrial economy and increase U.S. manufacturing capabilities,” said Reese Goldsmith, Head of Government Affairs for Ara Partners.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Elizabeth Norton

Brunswick Group

(202) 290-6408

enorton@brunswickgroup.com

For more information about Blue Whale Materials, please visit www.bluewhalematerials.com

UPDATE: Change in Criteria

Any veteran deceased or alive that served in Korea from 1950-55 in-country or in Naval operations supporting NATO are eligible for the award. Veterans or Family members may fill out the application with proof (DD214). Applications must be turned in to the Lenape Veterans Office by October 11. The Awardees will be notified of date and location of the awards ceremony. The next date will be November 2 in Tulsa. Please send all applications to:

Steven Donnell c/o Lenape Veterans Center
Delaware Tribe of Indians
5100 Tuxedo Blvd
Bartlesville OK 74006

Are You A Korean War Veteran?

If you’re a Korean War Veteran that served in Korea in 1950-53, the South Korean government would like to thank you for your service with the Ambassador for Peace Medal presented by the Emissary of the South Korean government.

Please contact American Legion Adjutant Kim Vincent at

(405) 282-2589 (Office) or (619) 807-8431 (Cell)

Or contact Steven Donnell, Service Officer, at (760) 401-2056 (Cell).

The Lenape Wellness & Fitness Center located at the Delaware Tribe of Indians Headquarters in Bartlesville Oklahoma is open daily Monday-Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Admission is free for Delaware or Cherokee members. Members of other tribes may purchase memberships for $10/month, while non-tribal members may purchase memberships for $20/month. There is also an option to use the Center without a monthly membership for a daily fee of $2/day. There is no running or playing in the gym, and no children under 12 are allowed on gym equipment.

For more information, contact Wellness Director Cody Blackmon by email at cblackmon@delawaretribe.org or by phone at (918) 337-6586.

The Delaware Tribe of Indians Housing Committee continues to hold Open Meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00 P.M. The July, September, and November meetings are to be held at the Chelsea Boys & Girls Club in Chelsea, OK, and the June, August, and October meetings are to be held at the main tribal campus in Bartlesville, OK. Please note: The Housing Committee has changed their meeting date from June 20 to June 27 at 6:00 P.M. This meeting will be held at Bartlesville Tribal Headquarters in the Tribal Council Chambers. Please see the flyer below for further details.

The Tribe on March 27 recognized the first recipients of the Warrior Medal of Freedom, the Tribe’s highest honor. The honor was presented to those who served in the military for their taking the oath to protect our Tribe and Nation against all enemies, and the civilian award is for the Warrior who fought to keep our sovereignty and culture alive and continues to fight for our rights. Below, Elder & Navy Veteran Steven Donnell presents the award to Chief Brad KillsCrow (US Navy), Sarah Boyd (US Army Combat Veteran-Iraq), and Annette Ketchum for her lifetime work keeping tribal sovereignty and cultural preservation alive. Other Awardees not photographed were Jim Baker (US Army) and Marcus Falleaf (US Marine Corps).