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Schimmel Family to Kick Off National UNITY Conference in July

WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA – Attendees of the UNITY conference next month will see and hear firsthand one of the most inspiring role models in Indian country as Jude Schimmel addresses them.

Jude Schimmel averaged 5.7 points per game and lead the team in assists with 106.

Jude Schimmel is a star on the basketball court and in the university classroom.

Louisville Cardinals super sixth woman, sophomore guard Jude Schimmel, who won the Elite 89 award for the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, will kick off the National UNITY Conference along with her parents Rick and Ceci Schimmel to be held in the greater Los Angeles area from July 12-16, 2013.

The Elite 89 is presented to the student athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating in the NCAA championship finals.

Schimmel, who is majoring in sociology, currently carries a 3.737 grade point average, which is the highest GPA among all players in the NCAA women’s basketball Final Four.

For the season, Jude averages 5.7 points per game and leads the team in assists with 106.

The Louisville women’s team lost to UConn in the national championship game last April. Jude’s sister Shoni is unable to attend as she will be playing in the World University Games in Russia.

Jude Schimmel in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship game

As many as 1200 Native American Youth Leaders from throughout the U.S. are expected to attend the UNITY conference in Woodland Hills just outside of LA.

Other confirmed keynote speakers include: The 1491s comedy group, Alex Shulte LPGA golfer, Charles Pierson CEO, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Leroy Not Afraid Crow Nation Legislative Branch, Justice of the Peace, and Deborah Parker, Vice Chairwoman of the Tulalip Tribes.

The lineup of this year’s Speakers is gearing up to make this National UNITY conference one of the best ever.

Lacrosse, Shinney & Double Ball: How Games Can Beat Historical Trauma

Jack McNeel, Indian Country Today Media Network

Native games, neuroscience, and historical trauma–they sound like an odd trio but collectively may provide answers to problems across Indian country. Educators, researchers, and youngsters from Alberta, Saskatchewan, the western U.S. and Alaska, even as far away as Delhi, India gathered at the First International Traditional Native Games Conference in Pablo, Montana on June 26-28.

Gregory Cajete, Tewa from Santa Clara Pueblo and director of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico, has authored five books dealing with Native games. “We see young children as they’re growing up, especially the first few years of their life. Everything is play. The human propensity to be athletic is a very integral part of natural forms of education. It’s also the way the brain develops.”

Jaak Panksepp, a neuroscientist at Washington State University, has studied games and their effect on the brain. “The most sophisticated emotion built into our brains is play,” he said. “If we take play out of the lives of our children we will have children that cannot grow up to be normal, vibrant, positive human beings that respect others and know how to interact with them. Play is the bridge to a full human life.”

The third element, historical trauma, is well documented among Indigenous Peoples. Native Americans have been subjected to it in many ways, including the period of boarding schools that altered tribal life–and tribal games. “Early on Native games were targeted to erase them,” Cajete said. “If you’re trying to subjugate a people you begin to go for those institutions that bring people together and have an influence in terms of how well they can be controlled. Native games were the focus of many agents at that time.”

A game of double ball elicits many smiles and much laughter. (Jack McNeel)

The loss of games at boarding schools was illustrated when 17 elders from the Blackfeet Nation were invited to watch as youngsters took part in some games, and to offer comments as tribal protocol dictates. In some cases the youngsters knew much more about the games than did the elders, most of whom had spent time in boarding schools during their early years.

Recovering and restoring those traditional games, getting them reintroduced in Native communities and in schools, is the goal of the International Traditional Games Society, hosts of the conference.

Young people, teens and pre-teens, came to the conference to learn and to compete in various games. Jeremy Red Eagle, Sioux, is a board member of the International Traditional Games Society. He brought 10 young people with him from Helena, Montana. “We focus on the positive things: our language, our ceremonies and culture, our song and dance-and our games.” Then Red Eagle commented on two weeks of traveling with these young people and how they were sticking together without fighting or arguments. “These games are the foundation of what started our youth program. These kids will be leaders in our communities.”

Many games are played on a field while many others can be played in a classroom or at home. Most are quite simple and can be played with materials readily available: rocks, limbs, sticks, balls of buckskin or yarn. The list goes on. Some are games of skill or endurance while others may be of intuition.

Lacrosse seemed to be the game of choice but shinney was not far behind. Double ball is another favorite, somewhat similar to the other two but using straight sticks with double balls made of two stuffed pouches and joined together by a short band, usually of tanned buckskin.

Nicole Johnston, Inupiaq, chairs the World Eskimo Indian Olympics. She brought two young athletes to the conference to demonstrate games played in the far north. She is also a record holder in the women’s two-foot high kick. Their games are all designed for survival in the arctic north and thus very different from those which originated farther south.

The World Eskimo Indian Olympics ear pull event (Courtesy World Eskimo Indian Olympics)

The youth who participated in the games were honored at the final ceremony. Gifts were distributed including sets for shinney and double ball The visitors from Alaska gave gifts of an Indian stick pull stick and a kick-ball to the host organization.

Unselfish Leader, Shoni Schimmel Creates Path to Stardom

John Holt, Indian Country Today Media Network

Shoni Schimmel still smiles whenever someone approaches her with a compliment about the run that she and her Louisville teammates experienced during the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

The magical journey, which began with a 74-49 first-round win over Middle Tennessee on March 24, ended 16 days later in the national championship game with an upsetting loss to Connecticut.

Although Schimmel and Louisville didn’t ultimately win the crown, she is still proud of what was accomplished during the Cardinals’ historic 2012-13 season.

“As a team, we came together and really understood what basketball was about, and that’s what got us to the Final Four and to that national championship game,” Schimmel said. “We believed in ourselves and believed in one another and had each other’s back.”

Nearly three months since that NCAA title game defeat, the rising senior guard today is back in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for USA Women’s World University Games Team training camp.

Shoni returns to Louisville for her senior season this fall.

“It’s been great, just being able to get back and get back in the flow of things with everybody and get everything going,” Schimmel said. “Last night we played our first scrimmage together. It was pretty fun, but at the same time we weren’t all together yet.”

During the five weeks in between the conclusion of trials and the start of training camp, Schimmel was back at Louisville enrolled in two summer school sessions.

“I took an American Sign Language class,” she said. “It was actually a lot of fun.”

On the hardwood, from Schimmel’s point of view, dishing out an assist is more rewarding than scoring two points. Her favorite part of the game is distributing and she’s always had an unselfish mentality that is built around getting her teammates involved before herself.

“It’s easier for me to sit there and pass the ball and watch someone make an easy shot,” she noted. “I like to make that spectacular pass.”

Growing up in Mission, Oregon, Schimmel first picked up a basketball at the age of four. All seven of her siblings play the sport, and whenever she returns home, the entire family engages in pick-up games, even her four-year old little brother.

“I’m the competitive one out of all of them,” Schimmel said of the family basketball battles. “I’ll be getting mad and yelling at them and stuff like that just because I’m so competitive. My dad knows how to push my buttons a little bit, so me and him bump heads a little bit. But it’s always fun, and very competitive.”

Following her freshman season at Louisville, Schimmel’s sister, Jude, joined the Cardinal program. Originally, the plan was never for she and her sister to attend the same school, but Schimmel admitted as the pair grew older, the idea of playing together in college became more intriguing. She states that when she and Jude were kids, they watched the Disney Channel original film titled Double Teamed, which was based on the life stories of professional basketball players Heather and Heidi Burge, who are twins. The movie inspired Shoni and Jude that someday they could have the same level of success as the Heather and Heidi.

“We were like, ‘oh that’s us to a tee because they both played together, and then, they went off into the WNBA and played against each other,”’ Schimmel recalled.

The Cardinals’ sensational sister act: Jude, left, and Shoni Schimmel (courtesy Schimmel family)

These days, the sisters communicate all the time and even live together at school. At the same time, however, they rarely are allowed to room with each other during team road trips.

“She knows my every move when it comes to basketball,” Schimmel said of Jude. “Off the court we’re just as close.”

The best moment of Schimmel’s time at Louisville occurred during this season’s memorable NCAA Tournament run. In the regional semifinal, she and her Louisville teammates faced defending national champion Baylor. Heading into the game, analysts didn’t believe the Cardinals stood a chance. And honestly, could anyone blame them? Louisville had put together an impressive regular season, but Baylor appeared unstoppable. They entered the tournament as the top overall seed, featured the reigning National Player of the Year in Brittney Griner and were winners of 74 of their last 75 contests.

Yet despite what outsiders were saying and predicting, Louisville wouldn’t be fazed. The Cardinals led by 10 points at the intermission and extended their lead to 17 with 7 ½ minutes to play, before holding on for an 82-81 upset win for the ages. Schimmel, the Oklahoma City Regional Most Outstanding Player, led the way with 22 points, connecting on 5-of-8 3-pointers and also contributing a trio of steals.

“You still get that excitement,” Schimmel said looking back on the biggest win in Louisville women’s basketball history. “You still think about it, and it’s still there. I’ve only watched (the game) once. It was pretty crazy though.

“It was exciting. I was grinning the whole time watching it.”

Watch Louisville upset Baylor

On July 1, the USA World University Games Team departed for competition in Kazan, Russia. Having won gold at the World University Games the last four times USA Basketball sent an entry, Schimmel believes the USA has what it takes to keep its streak alive.

“It’s not really much pressure,” she said. “It’s more you want to go out there and keep doing it.”

When the team returns home on July 16, there won’t be any relaxation time for Schimmel. Instead, she’ll be boarding another flight. This time: to Los Angeles where she will meet her Louisville teammates at the 2013 ESPYS (the Cardinals’ win over Baylor has been nominated in the award ceremony’s Best Upset category).

“It’s a pretty hectic summer,” Schimmel said, “but at the same time, it’s very exciting and very thrilling.”

While the recent months have seen Schimmel evolve into someone with whom everyone surrounding women’s college basketball is now familiar, her No. 1 focus remains true.

“It’s awesome to be able to sit there and someone to say, ‘Hey you’re Shoni Schimmel or something like that,’” Schimmel acknowledged. “It’s cool. But at the same time, I’m just out there to play basketball.”

With one more collegiate season to go, expect Schimmel to continue progressing as well as to develop plenty more moments for her supporters to smile about. And if she’s fortunate enough to come home with a gold medal, anticipate the smiles to be bigger than ever before.

This story was first published on June 28 by USA Basketball and is reprinted here with permission of USA Basketball. To read the original story and to learn more about USA Basketball and the World University Games, click here.

Trail of Tears Is Used to Sell Bid to Bring 2024 Olympics to Tulsa

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

Tulsa2024, a private Olympic Exploratory Committee seeking to bring the 2024 Summer Olympic Games to Tulsa, Oklahoma, is using the Trail of Tears as a selling point. According to the Tulsa2024 website: “Over half of the States in the USA are of Native American origin. The Olympic Torch would travel though these Native American named states and follow one, or more of the many Trail of Tears to Indian Territory, and end in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, headquarters of the Cherokee Nation. The Olympic Torch would then travel from Tahlequah, OK to Tulsa to the start of the 2024 Games.”

As ICTMN reported in April, the city of Tulsa was indeed exploring a longshot bid to land the 2024 Games, with the support of Mayor Dewey Bartlett. But the ongoing effort, Tulsa2024, is entirely a private effort, according to city officials. The Tulsa Sports Commission has scheduled a press conference today to discuss the issue.

As Travis Waldron of ThinkProgess observes, the most absurd part of the Tulsa Olympic bid “amazingly isn’t the bid itself — it’s that organizers apparently think incorporating the Trail of Tears on the Olympic torch route as a ‘nod to the state’s American Indian history’ is a good idea

In a feature story on Tulsa’s Olympic bid efforts by Mary Pilon for The New York Times, published June 30, reference was made to the Trail of Tears idea: “In a nod to the state’s American Indian history, the Olympic torch would be led along the solemn Trail of Tears, not far from where field hockey would be played in Tahlequah.”

“Using the Trail of Tears as part of an Olympic bid is outrageous, but it’s also just an extension of the thoughtlessness the sports world has applied to Native Americans for decades,” says Waldron.

‘Full-Blooded Chief’ Redskins Defender Not a Chief! Reactions From Around the Web

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN)

Reactions to Deadspin’s Dave McKenna’s report yesterday, “Redskins’ Indian-Chief Defender: Not a Chief, Probably Not Indian,” are spreading across the Web and here ICTMN presents a few of the top ones. Meanwhile, still not a related peep out of the Pigskins camp yet, including in their “morning roundup of what the local and national media have to say about the Washington Redskins.” And the original May 3 interview with “Chief” Stephen Dodson, including the video, remains the same on Redskins.com.

1. Michael Tomasky, Newsweek/Daily Beast special correspondent and editor of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas

“Click through on the [Deadspin.com story link] to read about how sloppily and cavalierly and plain old incorrectly the WFO (Washington football organization, which I’ll use heretofore as shorthand) described Dodson’s alleged lineage, showing that no one at the organization really gave one-tenth of a shit about where these people actually come from.

Read Tomasky’s article: Dan Snyder’s Indian Chief Is Neither

2. Mike Florio, NBCSports.com Pro Football Talk primary editor and contributor

“[The] Redskins, who apparently have chosen to dispense with steps like vetting a guest, put [Dodson] on their in-house web show, described him as a Chief, and had him explain why he supports the name. And, yes, the guy actually said that Native Americans on the “reservation” actually great each other with, “Hey, what’s up, redskin?””

Read Florio’s column: Defense of Redskins name includes fake Chief

3. Eric Malinowski, BuzzFeed.com senior sports writer

“The ridiculousness of Dan Snyder’s ridiculous tenure as Washington Redskins owner is something we’ve all become familiar with, but it’s reassuring to know that someone so comfortable in their role can always come up with a new trick or two.”

Read Malinowski’s story: Loathsome Owner Outdoes Self By Employing Dubious “Chief” To Defend “Redskins” Name

Stealth moving to Langley, B.C.

Genna Martin / The HeraldWashington Stealth players thank the fans at Comcast Arena following a win over Edmonton in April. — Genna Martin / The Herald
Washington Stealth players thank the fans at Comcast Arena following a win over Edmonton in April.

Source: The Herald

The Washington Stealth are leaving Everett.

The National Lacrosse League’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the franchise’s relocation to British Columbia on Thursday, NLL.com reported. The move is effective immediately. The team will play at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.

The Stealth played four seasons in Everett after relocating from San Jose, Calif., after the 2009 season.

Although the team enjoyed considerable success on the field — appearing in three NLL title games and winning the championship in 2010 — attendance at Comcast Arena lagged well below the league average.

“We are excited to bring the National Lacrosse League back to BC,” Stealth owner Denise Watkins told NLL.com. “Our goal is to bring our brand of Stealth lacrosse with us and continue the strong tradition we have built into the Greater Vancouver market.”

A Conversation With Sprint Car Racing Champion Glenn Styres

Vincent Schilling, Indian Country Today Media Network

Though Sprint Car racing champion Glenn Styres, Tuscarora, may have the number zero emblazoned on his car and his jacket , he is certainly not a zero on the track or in his life. As of April 2012, when ICTMN last spoke with him, Styres boasted 27 career victories racing 360 and 410 Sprint Cars.

Since that time he has had added a few more wins. And he’s also won by losing–pounds, that is. Styres made a healthy effort to lose weight, and he’s been successful. And that’s helping him on the race track, too.

In a conversation with ICTMN, Styres, the owner of Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario and 2012 winner of the King of the 360’s, talked about his success in his professional and personal lives and how the two concepts work well together for a life of continuous achievements.

How have things been going the last year?

You know, I’ve won three of the last four races. I started out the season and I swear to God I could have won the first one I was in, but I started my victory speech before I crossed the finish line. I guess you call it counting your chickens before they’re hatched or some damn thing like that.

What else has been going on for you?

In January, I went to the C hili Bowl Nationals . It’s a race that I race in every year. I had gained a lot of weight and I was not taking care of myself. I broke my wrist; I had shoulder surgery, knee surgery and suffered from ailment after ailment.

The weight just creeped on. Before I knew it, I was 250 pounds and I did not fit in my car very good. My face was squishing into my helmet’s windshield. I was really snug in the car, I was really uncomfortable and it was dangerous and I couldn’t breathe.

Something happened where I said, ‘This is it, and I’m going to turn my health around.’ I got a personal trainer and a nutritionist, I focused, worked hard and after 12 weeks, I am now 202 pounds. I lost 48 pounds.

I was speaking to someone at the office and told her, “I hope I do well this year.” She said, “You are already working on it. What you are doing today is creating your future.’”I never forgot that. For six weeks, I have maintained my weight. I have now set a new goal to be 195 pounds with my personal trainer.

I was 27 years old when I was last 205 lbs. I haven’t been 195 since high school.

That is impressive to make such a healthy change. Has it affected your ability to race a Sprint Car?

My car loves the new weight. I have laid down the fastest laps, I am strong in the car and I don’t run out of wind like I used to. I don’t lose focus. It is something short of a miracle.

I’ve been fortunate to work with such people as Sylvester Stallone, Tiger Woods and Al Pacino, and if I’m going to be representing diabetes I am not a very good representative. I didn’t like the way I looked. I want to practice what I preach.

To do this, I have been carrying my lunch bag with me with all my fruits and vegetables, which is hard to do in this day and age because this whole industry is designed for failure. You can’t go to a restaurant and get a salad, there’s too much crap in it. I stay out of restaurants now. If I go to a restaurant, I make my shake and I will go in and have a light salad.

Out of all the vehicles in the world to race, you chose to race Sprint. What is a 360 or 410 Sprint Car and why did you choose this particular vehicle?

This is my analogy of a Sprint Car. You have heard of the UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship]? It is very violent and an all or nothing kind of fighting. That is Sprint Car racing. It is the fastest and most violent form of motorsports with 4 wheels you could ever imagine.

If you get somebody that races Formula One cars to come and race one of these, they will say ‘Are you freaking nuts? I ain’t freaking driving one of them.’

These things take you for a ride, you don’t drive them. This car is two seconds faster than NASCAR or Formula One’s. They took this car to Bristol to find the fastest racecar; The Sprint Car was by far the most dominant, had the most horsepower per pound and was the most feared car to drive.

Sprint cars weigh about 1,450 pounds. The 360 is 740 horsepower and the 410 car is 900 horsepower. But the 410s have an aluminum front engine, which makes the front end a lot lighter. It is wicked and spooky. Just to drive the 410 car has taken me several years to get used to.

I talked to Donny Schatz, a World of Outlaws champion, and said, “these things are scary, they petrify me.” I asked him, “how long is it going to take for me to get used to these things?” He said, “It doesn’t go away.” I said, “you gotta be kidding me.”

Driving a Sprint Car is going 160 miles an hour in a snowstorm on roads you don’t know. That is basically how much you pucker up driving these things.

You were heading out to the Knoxville Nationals last August. How’d it go?

Out of 150 cars approximately, I was the sixth fastest overall. And I was 250 pounds at the time. I am going to go down there this year 50 pounds lighter and I got a special engine made which is 30 pounds lighter so I am taking 80 pounds off my car. Those guys are going to catch hell.

What’s your career highlight?

The biggest race of my career was in East Bay, Florida in February, The King of 360’s which was a copy0,000 to win show, I missed practice, our event was Thursday night and I started 42nd in points – which is last place. I still turned up number one at the end of the night. It was spectacular. On the last corner, on the last pass it was wicked.

In general, what would you say are the key factors to your success?

The biggest thing is that your attitude controls your altitude. If you have a good attitude you get a lot of help and a lot of support. In this industry I see a lot of bad attitudes and they’re not around for very long. With me, it is “yes sir, no sir.” To carry yourself as well-mannered and as a polite businessman is key. If you do the right thing, the right things will happen.

It is tough, because I didn’t start racing until late. I was 35 years old when I started. A lot of people are retiring at this time. For me to get into a sport at such a late age and not ever having driven a Sprint Car, now that I think about it, it’s quite amazing.

One of the analogies I use is that driving one of the Sprint cars is like learning to play a fine instrument like a violin or piano. It takes 12 years to become a phenomenon. I started racing in 2000 so this is my 13th year. I am telling you, my car is magical. My whole team and everything is magical. I am just speechless.

I don’t know how to describe it, but I am at the point in my car that I don’t know what my feet are doing, I don’t know what my hands are doing, they are just trained and conditioned now to do whatever they have to do without me thinking about it. It is an amazing feeling. I have people coming up to me that say, ‘Man, you just make that look so easy, that car is just gliding around.’

I don’t know how to describe the feeling, the energy – I am so proud, I don’t know how to describe it. I can have the worst day of my life, but when I get into that car, everything just disappears. It is just paradise.

Do you have any words of advice for a young person who wants to get into car racing?

I have always said to anybody that would listen, “Never give up on your dreams. Dream big and keep dreaming and just keep it in sight. Look at my dream; it didn’t happen until I was 35.”

Washington High School Drops Redskins Mascot

Indian Country Today Media Network

Despite widespread community support for keeping the name, Port Townsend High School in Port Townsend, Washington will drop its Redskins name and mascot. The Port Townsend School Board voted unanimously last night to make the change, according to the Associated Press.

The school board’s decision was made on the recommendation of a study group that found that the name was offensive to Native Americans and it should be retired. But this didn’t sit well with the nearly 300 people in attendance last night, with many routinely cheering speakers who opposed the name change and booing those who took an opposing view, reports the Peninsula Daily News.

With Port Townsend’s decision, only one high school in Washington state still uses Redskins as its mascot, Wellpinit, according to the Capital News Service’s The Other Redskins study.

Students and community members will select a new mascot and nickname for Port Townsend High.

Her Son Kyle May Have a World Series Ring, but Leslie Lohse Is an All-Star

Indian Country Today Media Network

Her son, Kyle Lohse, who has a World Series ring and is a starting pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers, may get most of the national headlines, but Leslie Lohse is one of the most successful businesswomen in California and a prominent tribal leader. And her leadership is being recognized and utilized.

On June 18, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of Leslie Lohse to the California State Athletic Commission.

Lohse, of Glenn, is a Board Member of the California Tribal Business Alliance and tribal council treasurer and assistant administrator for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians since 1998. She is a member of the Rolling Hills Clinic Board of Directors and member of Tehama County, Girls Inc.

Lohse was chair of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Central California Agency Policy Committee, vice president at the National Congress of American Indians, board member of Northern Valley Indian Health, member of the Bay Delta Public Advisory Committee and served on the National Indian Health Services Budget Committee.

“Representing the Governor on the California State Athletic Commission is very much an honor,” Lohse said. “This is in line with my commitment to support and promote a vibrant California. Our Governor and the Legislature are working hard to ensure California is flourishing. I’m happy to be part of the team moving our state forward.”

Although this position requires Senate confirmation, that legislative formality is expected to be taken care of quickly and affirmatively.

Leslie Lohse’s son Kyle was signed as a free agent by the Brewers before the start of the season.

In addition to business and tribal work, Lohse has worked tirelessly to help women and girls succeed. She is a founding board member of the national non-profit organization Girls Inc. in Tehama County.

“Today’s women are faced with many decisions that our moms did not, or were not encouraged to deal with from a position of strength,” Lohse told Global Gaming Business in 2011. “Therefore, it is imperative to show our young girls and women that it’s OK to speak up from a position of knowledge and strength.”

Lohse learned this lessen on her own based on her family dynamic growing up. Being the 12th of 14 children and having six older brothers, she learned at an early age how to hold her own.

“I knew it was important for them to understand there wasn’t always one way,” she todl GGB, with a laugh. “I may not have been as physically strong as they were, but I definitely could compete and do well, even win sometimes due to my ability to think outside the box.”

Lohse was also named the 2012 Woman of the Year for California’s Second Assembly District.

“Leslie is a passionate and dedicated citizen who ably serves her revered and historic Nomlaki tribe, her community and her state through her selfless leadership,” said Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. “Her energy and abilities have ensured a bright future for generations now and yet to be born in the north state.”

Leslie, as Treasurer of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Band of Indians, participated in putting together the Tribe’s purchase of over 2,000 acres near Corning, and was instrumental in bringing about the construction of the 70,000-square-foot Rolling Hills Casino that includes three restaurants. She also played an active role in the tribe’s success in bringing about two new hotels next to the casino, the John Daly Signature links-style Sevillano Golf Course, and a private hunting club to the tribal lands. The tribe recently opened the Rolling Hills Clinic, on in Corning and one in Red Bluff, to provide medical and dental services for the county.

The health clinic is especially important to Leslie, who is an active community advocate dedicated to making Tehama County a safer, healthier, and more prosperous community.

Lohse and her husband, Larry, live in Willows. In addition to Kyle, they have a second son, Erik, and four grandchildren.

Mohawk Driver Derek White Driving in NASCAR Race This Weekend

Indian Country Today Media Network

Derek White, Mohawk, from Kahnawake, will handle the driving duties of the SR2 Motorsports No. 24 VIP Poker Toyota this weekend in the running of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America in Elkhart, Wisconsin.

“I am excited to get back behind the wheel for SR2 this weekend,” stated White. “I drove for the team in a few events last year and really got to know everyone very well. We were running solidly inside the Top 10 at Montreal last year before getting caught up in someone else’s mess on the last lap.That familiarity sure does help and I will look to use that to my advantage when we unload at Road America. I am appreciative of the support of VIP Poker this week as well and I look forward to putting on a great show for them.”

The Road America event will be White’s fifth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He made four starts in the 2012 season with SR2 Motorsports with a best finish of 18th at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

He also has three career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and 30 in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series where he was the Rookie of the Year in 2010.

“It is great to have Derek back with our SR2 team,” added SR2 Motorsports team owner Jason Sciavicco. “We had some great races together last year and everyone expects another solid performance this weekend at Road America.

We should have had a top-10 finish at the Montreal road course event last year but some bad luck on the last lap ruined that. Road America is a very exciting race and Derek is a strong road racer so we feel a fun weekend is ahead of us.”

The running of the Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America begins at 5:00 p.m./ET on Saturday, June 22. The race can be viewed live nationally on ESPN and heard on affiliated MRN radio stations and on Sirius NASCAR Radio 90.