Tulalip News

How American Indians Benefit from the Affordable Care Act Takes Center Stage

August 28, 2013

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN – Some 400 American Indian tribal leaders and health care professionals are meeting at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, owned by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, at the National Indian Health Board’s 30th Annual Conference.

“We are delighted to have nearly 400 tribal leaders, elders and health care colleagues engaged in the current health care reform issues that impact every single person in our families and communities. From the American Indian and Alaska Native benefits through the Affordable Care Act to the renewal of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. It is important to be involved and informed on the policies that are improving health care services and accessibility to our tribal members,”

said NIHB Chairperson Cathy Abramson.

“We are pleased to have a number of federal agency representatives here today to provide this information, to answer our questions and to listen to our comments and concerns.”

On Tuesday, conference attendees heard from federal agencies that seek to improve health conditions in Indian country.

Indian Health Service

Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, acting director of the Indian Health Service, who provided an overview of the Affordable Care Act, leading up to the to the October 1st enrollment of the Insurance Marketplace of the Act.

“Meeting with tribes and tribal organizations, such as the NIHB, is a very important part of our agency consultation efforts and IHS’s priority to renew and strengthen our partnership with Tribes. We value our partnership with NIHB as we work together to change and improve the IHS and to eliminate health disparities in Indian country,”

Dr. Roubideaux said.

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with NIHB to host the second Native veterans’ health workshop track at this year’s conference.

“We are committed to nurturing an environment that fosters trust and provides culturally competent care for Native American veterans, including creating culturally sensitive outreach materials, incorporating traditional practices and rituals into treatment and ensuring the best possible experience when Native American veterans receive care from the VA,”

said John Garcia, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We at the VA are further committed to working with and for tribal leaders on a nation-to-nation basis to address the many issues being experienced by veterans and their families across Indian country.”

Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services

Mary Wakefield, Administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration said that under the leadership of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, one of the top goals is to improve health equity with Indian tribes.

“We want to eliminate health disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives. And, we believe we can do that by working toward two other goals – to strengthen the health workforce by expanding the supply of culturally competent primary health care providers in Indian country and Alaska and to improve access to quality health care and services by increasing the number of health care access points,”

Wakefield said.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Health and Human Services

Mirtha Beadle, Deputy Administrator for Operations with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in HHS focused her speech on behavioral health issues stating that American Indian and Alaska Natives have the highest level of substance abuse and dependence and unmet need.

“The emphasis is growing on screening and early intervention services. Evidence based practices are an important shift for behavioral health. There is an increased need to focus on bilingual populations in the US. American Indians and Alaska Natives stand to benefit substantially from the implementation of the Affordable Care Act,”

Beadle added.

Office of Personnel Management

Susan McNally, Senior Advisor in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provided n brief overview of the health plans that OPM directs under the Affordable Care Act. OPM will work with private insurance to offer two state health plans – the Multi-State Plan and the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, which OPM has managed for nearly 40 years.

The 30th Annual Consumer Conference continues today with a keynote address from Gold Olympic Medalist Billy Mills, updates from the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committees and the Tribal Technical Advisory Committee to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and a panel discussion on the definition of Indian in the Affordable Care Act.

Injunuity signs CD pact with record company

Tony Choate, Director, Chickasaw Nation Media Relations

ADA, Okla. – Musicians Brad Clonch and Jeff Carpenter, better known as the Native American band Injunuity, have inked a record deal with an Arizona company.

Phoenix-based Canyon Records and Injunuity came to agreement almost a year ago. Canyon will release the band’s independently produced third compact disc Fight For Survival. The 2010 release won the band Songwriters of the Year honors at the Native American Music Awards or “Nammy.” Nammy awards are the equivalent to mainstream music’s Grammy Awards.

“They (Canyon) are one of the largest distributors of Native American music nationally and internationally,” Clonch said. “They took the album and are redesigning the artwork. They are reproducing the recording tracks to give it more of a flare that they are accustomed to in terms of the Native flute. We signed on with them a year ago in October and they’ve been reworking Fight For Survival over the last year,” he added.

“Instead of Jeff and me selling CDs out of the trunks of our cars, it will be released to stores. Our music will be available in many locations. People will know ‘hey, here’s this new sound, this new band,’ ” Clonch said.

The musicians are expecting release of Canyon’s version of Fight For Survival soon and with it they expect to become busier performing at Native American festivals and venues nationally and internationally.

Not that they aren’t already busy.

In fact, Clonch, who plays Native flute and is an accomplished pianist, and Carpenter, a multi-talented guitarist and saxophone player, recently ventured to Switzerland for a Native American concert known as Apache Moon. They departed Oklahoma in July and returned home about a week later.

Each raves about the experience, the welcome they received and how they were able to do radio and television interviews to inform people about their music, Chickasaw history and culture.

The festival’s organizer, Davide Buzzi, is interested in Native American music and culture. He organized the festival in Semione, Switzerland, approximately 10 years ago. Both musicians said the opportunity to visit with Europeans and share what it means to be Native American was exciting. Both work for the Chickasaw Nation. Carpenter is Chickasaw and Clonch is Mississippi Choctaw.

“There are still a lot of stereotypes about Native Americans, especially (in Europe),” Clonch said. “A lot of them think we still live on reservations, ride horses, and live in teepees. It’s actually very cool. Instead of them coming to America, we traveled to Europe to share our culture with them.” The pair explained to European media while some tribes did live in teepees, the Chickasaws lived in villages comprised of a summer home and winter home made of mud huts with a thatch roof.

“We were able to educate them on that and show them it’s not always what Hollywood portrays,” Clonch explained. “We were able to teach them some Chickasaws words and we sat down for many interviews where we talked about the Chickasaw Nation, how it was removed from the ancestral home lands and how it has thrived and continues to thrive in Oklahoma.”

With a newly-released fourth CD titled Spirits, a recording contract, and interest in the group spreading globally, Injunuity hits the road again in September.

A two-day festival celebrating Native Americans is held annually in Tuscumbia, Ala. Injunuity will make its sixth appearance there in as many years.

“That festival is probably one of the biggest reasons we still exist,” Carpenter notes with a big smile. “The reception we get out there was just unbelievable.”

“When you go to an area where people don’t experience (Native music) every day, they are just in awe of it,” Clonch said.

To learn more about the band and performance dates, visit www.injunuity.net.

Danger Zone: 15 Tribes With Unemployment Rates Over 80 Percent

Vincent Schilling, Indian Country Today Media Network

Indian Country Today Media Network continues to highlight the issues of jobs and economic development in Indian country in conjunction with the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom which was yesterday, August 28. In 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs released the 2005 American Indian Population and Labor Force Report. Based on this report, ICTMN has compiled a list of tribes that struggle with the highest rates of unemployment for tribal members that are available to work.

Though this report is federally mandated to be released no less than biennially, no newer numbers have been reported although a report in 2013 is currently in the works.

In order to provide an accurate overview and as not to skew percentages too broadly we listed tribes that list their tribal enrollments above 1,000 and have at least 500 unemployed. Additionally, since a large amount of Alaskan tribes have smaller numbers and thus percentages can change at a lower ratio and could be vastly different as of 2013, we focused on tribes in the lower 48 states.

Sokaogon Chippewa Community

93 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 1,274

Available for work 961

Unemployed 894

The Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Mole Lake, Wisconsin has the highest percentage of unemployed tribal members at 93 percent with 894 unemployed. Out of those that are employed, 79 percent are still living below national poverty standards. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists Wisconsin as having an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent.

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians

91 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 1,342

Available for work 595

Unemployed 544

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians reservation territory lies in Temecula, California. Of those that are employed, none live below poverty standards. With the opening of the Pechanga Resort and Casino in 2002, the tribe looks to continue its development of the tribal economy. The BLS lists California as having an 8.7 percent unemployment rate.

Oglala Sioux Tribe of Pine Ridge

89 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 43,146

Available for work 29,539

Unemployed 26,408

Perhaps most infamous for its levels of unemployment and poor living conditions for the majority of its tribal residents the Oglala Sioux of Pine Ridge also has the highest number of unemployed. Unlike South Dakota which has 3.9 percent unemployment, Pine Ridge has an approximate 85 percent higher rating than the state.

Though well over 1,000 residents on the reservation are employed, 34 percent of those are still living below poverty standards.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

88 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 15,376

Available for work 11,205

Unemployed 9,893

The Lakota Nation is comprised of more than 3 million acres of land in central South Dakota with approximately 70 percent living on the reservation. Approximately 1,300 residents are employed that live on the reservation, 100 percent are still living below poverty standards.

The Apache Tribe of Oklahoma

87 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 1,860

Available for work 1,702

Unemployed 1,485

The Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, also known as the Plains Apache is a federally recognized tribe located in Anadarko, Oklahoma. With 87 percent unemployment and about 1,700 tribal members available to work, only slightly over 200 are employed. Of that 200+, 100 are living below the standards of poverty. Oklahoma State’s unemployment sits at 5.3 percent.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

86 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 6,461

Available for work 3,565

Unemployed 3,074

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that straddles the border of North and South Dakota is the sixth largest reservation in land area in the United Sates as well as holding sixth place on our list. With tribal enrollment of 6,461 and more than 3,565 available to work, only 491 are employed. The 3,074 out of work equates to 86 percent unemployment. Of those employed more than 200 or 43 percent are living below poverty standards.

Little Traverse Bay Band

86 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 4,073

Available for work 1,657

Unemployed 1,427

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, which traditional homelands lay on the northwestern shores of Michigan States Lower Peninsula, are number seven on the list with 86 percent unemployment. Though 18 percent of those employed are living below the standards of poverty, it still overcomes a comparison to Michigan’s relatively “high” unemployment rate of 8.8 percent.

Round Valley Indian Tribes

86 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 3,785

Available for work 1,450

Unemployed 1,241

The Round Valley Indian Reservation which lies primarily in Mendocino County, California is number eight with 86 percent unemployment for its 1,450 members available for work. Only 209 are employed and more than half of that number or 54 percent are living in poverty. California’s unemployment currently sits at 8.7 percent.

Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation

86 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 3,724

Available for work 2,686

Unemployed 2,248

The Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation which shares reservation territory with the Northern Arapaho and whose reservation covers 2.2 million acres in Central Wyoming, hold the number nine spot with 84 percent unemployment for its more than 3,700 tribal members. Of the 2,686 available for work, 2,248 are unemployed. Of the 438 employed, 187 are living in poverty conditions. Wyoming’s unemployment rate is 4.6 percent.

Rosebud Sioux Tribe

83 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 26,237

Available for work 14,428

Unemployed 11,909

With 26,237 enrolled members and over 14,428 available for work, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota with 11,909 members without work and unemployment at 83 percent holds the number 2 spot in terms of number of tribal members without a job. It holds the number 10 spot in terms of unemployment percent. Of the 2,519 that are employed, 1,920 or 76 percent are still living in poverty.

Walker River Paiute Tribe

83 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 2,979

Available for work 850

Unemployed 705

The Walker River Paiute Reservation, located in Midwestern Nevada about 100 miles southeast of Reno, Nevada has an 83 percent unemployment rate for its nearly 3,000 members, with 850 available for work and only 145 employed. Nevada’s unemployment currently sits at a “high” of 9.5 percent.

Winnebago Tribe

82 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 4,321

Available for work 1,055

Unemployed 870

The Winnebago Indian Reservation, which lies in northeastern Nebraska and has the largest community in the Village of Winnebago has an unemployment rating of 82 percent since only 185 of the 1,055 available have work. Of those working, 172 or 93 percent are living in poverty. Nebraska’s unemployment rate in comparison is currently 4.2 percent.

Puyallup Tribe

82 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 3,547

Available for work 12,437* (includes non-enrolled workers)

Unemployed 10,250

As a Coast Salish Tribe from western Washington State in today’s Tacoma, the Puyallup Tribe has an 82 percent unemployment rate for its 12,437 available to work, translating to 10,250 unemployed. Of the 2,187 working, 1,412 are living below poverty standards. Washington State has unemployment of 6.9 percent.

Bad River Band

81 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 6,875

Available for work 1,800

Unemployed 1,465

The Bad River Band of the Ojibwe / Chippewa is located on the south shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin. At 81 percent unemployment, Bad River holds the number 14 spot with 335 employed out of the 1,800 available. Of those employed 273 or 81 percent are living below poverty standards. By comparison, Wisconsin State has unemployment of 6.8 percent.

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes-Fort Hall

81 percent unemployment

Tribal enrollment 4,796

Available for work 9,593* (includes non-enrolled workers)

Unemployed 7,757

The Fort Hall Indian Reservation of the Shoshone-Bannock is located in southeastern Idaho on the Snake River Plain. With more than 7,500 unemployed, the tribe holds the number 15 spot with 81 percent unemployment. Of those employed, 747 or 41 percent live below poverty. Idaho in comparison has an unemployment rate of 6.6 percent.

Gold Medalist Billy Mills Inspires Healthy Living with His Own Experiences

Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills at yesterday's NIHB Conference — Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills at yesterday’s NIHB Conference

Source: Native News Today, August 29, 2013

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN – Olympic Gold Medalist and humanitarian warrior, Billy Mills brought people to their feet in standing ovation as he shared his experiences with diabetes and traditional healing in the second day plenary session of the National Indian Health Board’s 30th Annual Consumer Conference.

“We are so honored to have Billy here with us today. His words are inspiring and he truly makes everyone feel special. He is someone filled with positive energy. I believe the Creator is using him to help make our people achieve their dreams whether it’s running a marathon, living a healthier lifestyle or improving their health through traditional foods and healing,”

said NIHB Chairperson Cathy Abramson.

“Billy is a great advocate for health, not just physically, but spiritually and mentally too. His message today was truly inspirational for those who are suffering from diseases, like diabetes, in hopes that they renew their health.”

Mills, Oglala Lakota, who grew up on the reservation has lived with borderline diabetes for most of his life. In his speech today, he told a story about tingling fingers and blurry vision – both symptoms of diabetes as he ran in the Olympic race that won him the gold medal.

“One lap to go. I was pushed. I didn’t quit but I could feel myself accept third place. I will let them get 10 yards ahead of me. At this point I could feel the tingling sensation, with my vision coming and going. 150 meters to go and I was nine yards behind, 120 meters and 8.5 meters behind, 100 meters and 8 meters behind. Someone cut into me, but the fourth lane opened up. Lifting my knees, strengthening my stride I took my opportunity. As I went by in the center of my opponent’s jersey was an eagle, and I heard my dad, ‘if you follow the teachings you will have the wings of an eagle.’

In my mind, I was thinking I will never be this close again.

Then I felt the tape break across my chest. A Japanese official said, ‘Who are you?’ At that point, I had to find the German and tell him that his eagle helped me win. I found him but there was no eagle on his jersey, just the Olympic rings. It was a simple perception. Perceptions can create us or destroy us. We need to take control of them. Diabetes can take control of us. The traditional virtues and values give us confidence and clarity to take control. Realizing that is the easy part, the hard part is doing it every day,”

Mills said.

The growing epidemic of diabetes represents one of Indian Country’s public health challenges. American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest prevalence of diabetes amongst all US racial and ethnic groups. In response to this epidemic, Congress established the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) in 1997, and is up for renewal in 2014.

In an update today on the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee, Buford Rolin, Chair of the Committee said that Special Diabetes Program for Indians continues to improve the health of Indian country and has led to significant advances in diabetes treatment, prevention, and education. SDPI programs across Indian country are achieving dramatic reductions in risk factors such as blood pressure, weight, bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

“Diabetes is an issue that we care so passionately about. Our collaborative efforts, as tribal leaders and tribal health care professionals, will help keep Indian country on a path to a diabetes-free future. It is important that Congress renew this program past fiscal year 2014. The lives of our people depend on it,”

added Rolin, who is also the Chairman of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Fukushima crisis new blow to fishermen’s hopes

In this Aug. 26, 2013 photo, fisherman Fumio Suzuki watches the sunrise aboard his boat Ebisu Maru before the star of fishing in the waters off Iwaki, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Japan. Suzuki's trawler is one of 14 at his port helping to conduct once-a-week fishing expeditions in rotation to measure radiation levels of fish they catch in the waters off Fukushima. Fishermen in the area hope to resume test catches following favorable sampling results more than two years after the disaster, though for now fishing is suspended due to leaks of radiation-contaminated water from storage tanks at the nuclear power plant. Photo: Koji Ueda — In this Aug. 26, 2013 photo, fisherman Fumio Suzuki watches the sunrise aboard his boat Ebisu Maru before the star of fishing in the waters off Iwaki, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Japan. Suzuki’s trawler is one of 14 at his port helping to conduct once-a-week fishing expeditions in rotation to measure radiation levels of fish they catch in the waters off Fukushima. Fishermen in the area hope to resume test catches following favorable sampling results more than two years after the disaster, though for now fishing is suspended due to leaks of radiation-contaminated water from storage tanks at the nuclear power plant. Photo: Koji Ueda

By MIKI TODA and KOJI UEDA, Associated Press

YOTSUKURA, Japan (AP) — Third-generation fisherman Fumio Suzuki sets out into the Pacific Ocean every seven weeks. Not to catch fish to sell, but to catch fish that can be tested for radiation.

For the last 2 ½ years, fishermen from the port of Yotsukura near the stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant have been mostly stuck on land with little to do. There is no commercial fishing along most of the Fukushima coast. In a nation highly sensitive to food safety, there is no market for the fish caught near the stricken plant because the meltdowns it suffered contaminated the ocean water and marine life with radiation.

A sliver of hope emerged after recent sampling results showed a decline in radioactivity in some fish species. But a new crisis spawned by fresh leaks of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant last week may have dashed those prospects.

Fishermen like 47-year-old Suzuki now wonder whether they ever will be able to resume fishing, a mainstay for many small rural communities like Yotsukura, 45 kilometers (30 miles) south of the Fukushima plant. His son has already moved on, looking for work in construction.

“The operators (of the plant) are reacting too late every time in whatever they do,” said Suzuki, who works with his 79-year-old father Choji after inheriting the family business from him.

“We say, ‘Don’t spill contaminated water,’ and they spilled contaminated water. They are always a step behind so that is why we can’t trust them,” Suzuki said, as his trawler, the Ebisu Maru, traveled before dawn to a point about 45 kilometers (30 miles) offshore from the Fukushima plant to bring back a test catch.

With his father at the wheel, Suzuki dropped the heavy nets out the back of the boat, as the black of night faded to a sapphire sky, tinged orange at the horizon.

As the sun rose over a glassy sea, father and son hauled in the heavily laden nets and then set to the hard work of sorting the fish: sardines, starfish, sole, sea bream, sand sharks, tossing them into yellow and blue plastic baskets as sea gulls screamed and swooped overhead.

Five hours later, the Ebisu Maru docked at Yotsukura where waiting fishermen dumped the samples into coolers and rushed them to a nearby laboratory to be gutted and tested.

Suzuki says his fisheries co-operative will decide sometime soon whether to persist in gathering samples.

For now they will have to survive on compensation from the government and Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant’s operator.

The cooperative also had plans to start larger-scale test catches next month that would potentially also be for consumption if radiation levels were deemed safe.

But those plans were put on hold after more bad news last week: authorities discovered that a massive amount of partially treated, radioactive water was leaking from tanks at Fukushima, the fifth and so far the worst, breach.

The water, stored in 1,000 tanks, is pumped into three damaged reactors to keep their melted fuel cool. Much of the water leaked into the ground but some may have escaped into the sea through a rain-water gutter.

On Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority upgraded its rating of the leak to a “serious incident,” or level 3, up from a level 1 on the international scale of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

It remains unclear what the environmental impact from the latest contamination will be on sea life. Scientists have said contamination tends to be carried by a southward current and largely diluted as it spreads.

Nobuyuki Hatta, director of the Fukushima Prefecture Fisheries Research Center, said the trend had been positive before the latest leaks, with fewer fish found exceeding radiation limits.

The government’s safety limit is 100 becquerels per kilogram, but local officials have set a stricter bar of 50 becquerels, said Hatta, who still expects test fishing to resume in September.

It all depends on the type of fish, their habitat and what they eat. Out of 170 types of fish tested, 42 fish species are off limits due to concern they are too radioactive, another 15 species show little or no signs of contamination. Few, if any, show any detectable levels of cesium.

Tests take over a month and are complicated. The time lag makes it difficult to say at any given point if sea life caught off the Fukushima coast is really safe to eat.

Also, local labs lack the ability to test fish for other toxic elements such as strontium and tritium. Scientists say strontium should be particularly watched for, as it accumulates in bones. TEPCO’s monitoring results of sea water show spikes in strontium levels in recent weeks.

Suzuki has little faith in the future of his business.

“People in the fishing business have no choice but to give up,” he said. “Many have mostly given up already.”

___

Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Tulalip Backpack Distribution, Aug 29

11AM – 6PM, Tulalip Quil Ceda Elementary School

Open to Native American students in kindergarten-12th grade that are enrolled members of the Tulalip Tribe – or – other Natives that must be enrolled in the Marysville School District. Tribal ID and/or tribal affiliation verifcation required.

Community Meeting, Mission Beach Improvements, Sept 10

Community Meeting, Tulalip tribal members only

5-7:30 PM, Tulalip Administration Building

Tulalip on Lopez Island

Lopez-group — Tulalip youth at Lopez Island
Photo/Andrew Gobin

Lopez Island − Two aging piers, a bit of history and a lot of fun. Tulalip kids paid a visit to the tribes’ property at MacKaye Harbor on Thursday, August 22.

Tulalip Youth Services offers a plethora of activities during the summer to occupy kids, including movie premiers, whirly ball, and trips to Wildwaves. This year, youth services wanted to do something different.

“We usually do the same things, make the same trips, but those things are typically open year round,” said Tony Hatch, who organized the trip. “We wanted to do something special, something different. So we brought the kids up here to learn about the tribes’ fishing history.”

He and Ron Iukes reminisced about fishing and staying on the docks during the summer.

“It’s good that the kids see this part of our history, and where we fished off the reservation,” Hatch added. “Here, they also get to see some of the tribes’ property that has been put on the back burner.”

Tulalip fishermen used to fish the San Juan Islands more frequently, which led to the purchase of land. Today, four tracts of land are owned by Tulalip, the first purchased in 1986, two in 1993, and one in 2005, according to the San Juan County Assessor. They still fish there today, though not as often as the decades leading in to the 1980s and early 1990s.

The tribe did plan to renovate the docks, and began work on one in recent years, but the project has not progressed since.

Hatch said, “It is unclear what Tulalip will do with the land, but we’d like to plan an end of the year camp next year.”

UA will celebrate a cultural exhibition, “Drums, Tomahawks and the Horse”

Akron, Ohio, Aug. 27, 2013— Native American cultural artifacts rarely seen in this region will be on display at the University of Akron’s Center of the History of Psychology. The objects are part of the Jim and Vanita Oelschlager Collection.

The exhibition, “Drums, Tomahawks and the Horse: Native American Cultural Tools,” will be introduced with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 7 from noon to 4 p.m. at the University of Akron Center for the History of Psychology.

The exhibit will feature drums, tomahawks, shields, headdresses and other tools related to Native American life and the use of the horse. It will highlight artistic expression in objects such as beaded moccasins, painted buffalo robes, decorations with porcupine quills and ledger drawings.

These cultural artifacts represent tools used during the late 1700s to the early 1900s and will be placed in an historical context with maps and timelines of selected events of change in the lives of Native Americans.

“The opening celebration will begin with a traditional Lakota blessing and song by Joey Tiger,” said Dr. Lynn Metzger, research associate of the Department of Anthropology and Classical Studies, “Native American Lakota traditional dancers will perform with regalia and drums in order to remind us the sacred traditions are still alive. Demonstrations of atlatl throwing and flint knapping will connect us back to prehistoric tools.”

UA’s Center for the History of Psychology is located at 73 College St. in Akron. Running through Feb. 15, 2014, the exhibition is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 330-972-7285 or visit uakron.edu/chp.

Cherokee Nation Youth Choir in Thanksgiving Parade

2013 Cherokee National Youth Choir (L to R): Front row: Sean Sikora, Austin Jones, Jessalyn McCarter, Brandon Doyle and Seif Drywater. Second row: Saundra Downey, Tabitha Fishinghawk, Skylar Glass, Bailey Justice, Cierra Fields and Chloe Martinez. Third row: Shay Downey, Lacie Melton, Alayna Harkreader, Makayla Hernandez, Marissa Williams, Madison Shoemaker, Garrett Million, Caidlen Dunham, Kaleigh Christie, Natalie Gibson, Roxanna Seay and Zakry Fine. Not pictured: Dalyn Patterson, Mariah O’Field, Jaycee Jackson and Diamond Rock.

Source: Grand Lake News

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. —The Cherokee National Youth Choir will trade their traditional Thanksgiving turkey and dressing meal to travel to New York City and sing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It’s the second time the Cherokee National Youth Choir has been invited to the parade. The choir participated in 2007.

“We are thrilled to be invited back to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Cherokee National Youth Choir Director Mary Kay Henderson. “It is very humbling, and our students take the opportunity very seriously. They know they are representing the Cherokee Nation on the parade route.”

Henderson said the 2 ½-mile parade, with more than 4 million people in attendance and viewers watching nationally, is mind boggling and something the 28 choir members will never forget.

The group is practicing weekly and held numerous fundraisers. The tribe will underwrite the majority of the trip.

The Cherokee National Youth Choir was founded in 2000 to keep youth interested in the culture and involved with speaking the Cherokee language. The choir has produced 11 albums, with the most recent being “Cherokee America” in 2012. The song choice for the Macy’s Day Parade won’t be revealed until on the parade route.

The public can hear the Cherokee National Youth Choir during several concerts at the Cherokee National Holiday. The choir will perform during the art show at the Tahlequah Armory Municipal Center at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. They also perform at Principal Chief Bill John Baker’s State of the Nation address about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Court House Square, and 2 p.m. at the Tahlequah Armory Municipal Center. Admission is free.

For more information on the Cherokee National Youth Choir, contact Mary Kay Henderson at 918-772-4172 or marykay-henderson@cherokee.org.