LCO's Little Newspaper

Odaawaa-Zaaga'iganing Babaamaajimoo-mazina'igaans

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

"The Pride of the Ojibwe"

June 24, 2024

In this Issue!

Fatal Accident

St. Francis 100 Years

New Health Center Director

Vern Martin Recognition

Eagle Feather Ceremony

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Julian Isham June 18

Kathy Prescott June 18

June Seidel June 20

Toni Trepania June 20

James Baker June 20

Christine Isham June 21

Jim Meyer June 21

Doreen Wolfe June 23

Mary Ellen Corbine June 24

Dan Gokee June 24

Michael Isham Sr June 26

Carla Gordon June 27

Edward Martin June 29

Julie Snow June 30

Richard Rusk June 30

Terrance Dewees June 30

If an elder would like to be added or removed from our birthday announcements please email Joe Morey at joe.morey@lco-nsn.gov

All enrolled members of the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe are encouraged to make sure your address is up to date in the LCO Citizenship Services office! Be sure your address is current since too much mail is being returned due to incorrect addresses. Check that your family members are updated as well. Also, contact the office if you have a death in the family. Please call Tiera at 715-558-7459 or Harmoni at 715-558-7429 to get your addresses updated right of way. Miigwech!

PS. Other member's cannot check on your status for you. You will need to all the office yourself if you are over 18 and not under a guardianship. You also must actually call the office to update and not send in an email as they have to verify it is you.

Upcoming Observed Holiday

The LCO Tribe will be observing the July 4th Weekend with the tribal administration building closed Thursday and Friday, July 4th and 5th.

Boozhoo Gakina Awiya

Dear Readers,

Fundraisers Held

There was a tragic accident this past weekend that resulted in the death of a 19-year old young local man, and critically injuring two teenage girls from LCO. The crash, upon initial investigation, may have been the result of another young 20-year old driver under the influence. Prayers go out to the families of these two young girls and for their full recovery.

One of the teenage girls critically injured in this accident has been identified by family members as Olivia Beaulieu of LCO. There are two fundraisers being held in the community to help her family with expenses and their extended stay in Duluth while she goes through her surgeries. Information on one of the fundraisers is in the flyer above and here is information on the other: Fundraiser on Friday, June 28: Tina Miller and Amanda Scheel are having a food sale this Friday at the LCO Ojibwe University from 11am-sold out. They will be serving hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, with green beans, frybread, dessert, and a beverage. $15 per plate. 100% of the proceeds will be going to the families of the two girls seriously injured in a car accident on June 21st. A donation jar will also be there if you aren’t hungry and just want to donate.

Scroll down to see all that's happening in Lac Courte Oreilles.

When you scroll down, you'll find that the newsletter is divided into sections beginning with the news headlines, jobs and other announcements section, followed by Tribal Court notices. Down below in the Flyer section you'll find Community Information, Community Events, Elder News and Events, and the College. In the Employment Opportunities section that has links to employment pages for the tribe, you'll find links to several of the latest job postings to the Tribal Website.

LATEST NEWS HEADLINES

Eagle Feather Ceremony Held at Sevenwinds for Native High School Graduates

By Terrell Boettcher

Sawyer County Record

Reprinted Courtesy of SCR

Read Full Story Here

Sixty-one Class of 2024 Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe graduates from high schools including Hayward, Lac Courte Oreilles, Winter, Chippewa Falls, and Eau Claire Memorial were honored with eagle feathers during a ceremony Wednesday, May 22, at the Sevenwinds Casino Conference Center.

The event was sponsored by the LCO Tribal Governing Board, Lac Courte Oreilles and Hayward Community School boards and Sevenwinds Casino, Lodge and Conference Center.

The keynote speaker, Hannah Orie, a 2017 graduate of Hayward High School, said “This is a huge accomplishment” for the graduates. “There are so many people from our entire community here to support you.”

One Killed, 2 Others Critically Injured in Rollover Accident

Press Release

Sawyer County Sheriff Doug Mrotek

Editor's Note: One of the teenage girls critically injured in this accident has been identified by family members as Olivia Beaulieu of LCO. There are two fundraisers being held in the community to help her family with expenses and their extended stay in Duluth while she goes through her surgeries. Information on those fundraisers are below the article.

On June 21, 2024 at 3:16AM, the Sawyer County Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a single vehicle rollover with multiple injuries. The crash was located on Highline Road south of the intersection of Williams Road in the Town of Bass Lake. Sawyer County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted by the City and Town of Hayward Police Departments, LCO Police Department, Sawyer County EMS, Wisconsin State Patrol, Town of Bass Lake & Town of Hayward Fire Departments and the City of Hayward Fire Departments responded to the scene.

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A Thank You!

Huge shout out to Big Fish Golf & Events for hosting another amazing prom for us! Thank you to the staff who helped out, our generous donors, the parents and community for making this an unforgettable night! ❤️‍🔥Our students are just awesome!

ELDER RECOGNITION: Vern Martin

By Joe Morey

News Editor

Vern Martin, an esteemed member of our community, embodies the spirit of service and dedication. Born in 1941, Vern is a proud veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. However, his service to his nation did not end when he hung up his uniform. He seamlessly transitioned from military service to community service, dedicating the better part of his life to making our community a better place for everyone.

“I’ve been carrying the flags ever since I got out of the military,” Vern explained. “After my divorce, I started to follow the traditional ways.”

Scott Johnson Named New LCO Health Center Director

By Joe Morey

News Editor

In an announcement on June 7th, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians named Scott Johnson as the new Lac Courte Oreilles Health Center Director.

“Scott brings with him a wealth of administrative experience and a deep commitment to improving the health and well-being of our community,” The LCO Tribe announced. “His official start date will be June 10, 2024. Please join us in welcoming Scott to his new role and supporting him as he works to enhance our health services.”

Johnson replaced Gary Girard who had served as the director for the past several years.

“At this time, we also wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Gary Girard, our outgoing Health Director. Gary's dedication and hard work have greatly contributed to the progress and success of our Health Center. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

LDF Says No to Lower Payments to Keep Disputed Roads Open

Wisconsin Public Radio Staff

Read Full Story Here

The Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians said it will not accommodate a plan passed by the Town of Lac du Flambeau Board that would reduce monthly payments to the tribe to keep town roads on its reservation open.

In a letter to Town Chairman Matt Gaulke sent Friday, Tribe President John Johnson wrote that failure to comply with an agreement reached last year between the town and the tribe would “result in the Tribe taking necessary actions to protect lands and territory of the Tribe’s treaty defined Reservation.”

In January 2023, members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa put up barricades on four roads on the reservation. Town residents on those roads found themselves cut off from their homes. Some used snowmobiles to cross a frozen lake to get on and off their properties.

Rising Tensions in LDF as Road Dispute Continues Between Tribe and Town

By Danielle Kaeding

Wisconsin Public Radio

Read Full Story Here

In January 2023, members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa put up barricades on four roads on the reservation.

To the residents who found themselves cut off from their homes, the move seemed to come out of the blue. In fact, it was the result of a decade-long dispute between the tribe, the town of Lac du Flambeau and title companies over expired easements on town roads that were never renewed.

“We try to find peaceful resolutions, but it doesn’t happen all the time,” said John Johnson, Sr., the tribe’s president. “And it feels like our voices are going unheard in our own territory, which we have sovereignty over.”

St. Francis Solanus Parish Celebrates Church’s Centennial

Isaac Hopke

Special to the Catholic Herald

St. Francis Solanus Mission in Reserve celebrated the 100-year anniversary of its locally quarried stone church on June 2, the Feast of Corpus Christi. The event, which included Mass, a Eucharistic procession, feast, powwow and fireworks, attracted a large crowd. (Photos by Isaac Hopke)

In the most rural parts of the state, there sits a humble yet awe-inspiring mission church and school on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation. The historic stone church stands as a guardian to the lake it borders, Lac Courte Oreilles.

The parish contains a rich history of missionary work, providing Catholic education to the surrounding community while merging ancient Native culture with the traditions of the Catholic Church. Its story began well over a century ago, but a monumental achievement was celebrated on the Feast of Corpus Christi – the church’s centennial year.

Next Generation of Basketball Stars Make Their College Choices

By Curtis DeCora

Rising Stars Basketball

Rising Stars Basketball, a local sports club created to help northern Wisconsin athletes realize their maximum potential while also helping them strive to become college-bound student athletes. Rising Stars Basketball, operated by Lac Courte Oreilles tribal member, Curtis DeCora, started the organization in 2020, and since has helped four athletes realize their dreams of becoming college basketball athletes.

10th Book Excerpt: The New Schoolmaster Arrives at Pahquahwong

The following is the tenth of a series of book excerpts the LCO News will feature from local author, John Dettloff. The excerpts will be from his new book.

Detloff has lived on the Chippewa Flowage, near New Post, for over 50 years. His family has had a small resort just east of New Post for 56 seasons and for 40 years he has been writing historical articles about the flowage, tribal history (especially Old Post), old guides, old resorts, and fishing.

His new book called Whispers of the Past, A History of the Chippewa Flowage, released on November 1st, gives a comprehensive history of the flowage going back to the fur trade era.

According to Detloff, the book profiles in great detail the people of the "Chippewa Basin" (the area that became flooded by the flowage) and talks about the 300 plus people who were affected by and displaced by the flowage. There were probably 250 plus tribal members and nearly 100 non-tribal members that were affected.

From the Book:

The Government Day School at Pahquahwong, constructed in 1885, was a two-story, hand-hewn log structure that – other than Thad Thayer’s hotel – was probably the most striking building in the village. The succession of schoolmasters who taught at this school between 1885 and 1894 were Louis Manypenny, Emma Banty, James Dobie, and Andrew Geraghty. Geraghty had been teaching at Vermillion Lake, Minnesota before coming to The Post. The new instructor who was assigned to switch posts with Geraghty by the fall term of 1894 was thirty-three-year-old Charles K. Dunster.

NATIVE NEWS:

Ho-Chunk Nation Decriminalizes Cannabis, But What Does It Mean?

By Robert D'Andrea

Wisconsin Public Radio

Read Full Story Here

The Ho-Chunk Nation will decriminalize cannabis on tribal lands and Ho-Chunk police will not issue citations for possession, according to an announcement released April 30.

While advocates celebrate this as a step toward legalization, tribal law experts advise the drug is still illegal.

“This is a step in the process for them to get to a spot where they are not just decriminalizing, but feel that they can put in a regulatory structure to cultivate, grow, or possess hemp,” said Rob Pero, founder of the nonprofit Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association.

Still, legal experts question how quickly any broader change can happen.

“It remains illegal under state law and federal law,” said Scott Idleman, a professor at Marquette University Law School.

An FAQ distributed within the Ho-Chunk nation indicates county or state police could still issue citations, Pero said.

NATIVE NEWS: Limited Progress on 4-Year-Old MMIW Oregon Report Stating an ‘Emergency’

By Melanie Henshaw

Opb.org

Investigate West

Carolyn DeFord was hoping for change. She was hoping for answers. She’s been hoping for 24 years.

It was Feb. 18, 2019, and DeFord was making the long trip from her home in central Washington to Oregon — a drive she had made many times to search for her missing mother, Leona Kinsey, who disappeared from her home in La Grande, Oregon, in 1998. This time the drive was different. DeFord was traveling to testify in the Oregon Capitol.

A first-of-its-kind bill in Oregon would declare missing Native American women a statewide emergency, launch an investigation into the crisis and produce a report designed to decipher the underpinnings of the problem. DeFord, a citizen of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, thought it could make a real difference.

Article & Flyer Submission.

If you have something you wish to share with the Lac Courte Oreilles Community,

please Email Me your information by 5 pm Wednesday for the Friday edition

Chi-Miigwech

Joe Morey, Public Relations Director

Lac Courte Oreilles Band

Phone: 715-699-6014

C-Store Has LCO Apparel!

LCO Apparel is now available at the LCO CStore. Hooded sweatshirts/ T-Shirts in many different colors.

Upcoming Holidays

The Tribe will celebrate Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19th, and Independence Day on Thursday and Friday, July 4th and 5th. The Tribal Office and other Tribal Buildings will be closed to observe the holiday.

Current Job Listings

Visit the Tribe's employment page for a full listing of current jobs

Visit Sevenwinds Casino for their employment oppportunities

Visit LCO Ojibwe College for their employment opportunities

Visit lcofinancial.com for LCO Financial Services Job Listings

Enrollment Clerk

Quick Stop Manager

VR Job Developer

Elder Center Director

Enrollment Aide

Assistant Attorney General

Health Center Director

Custodian/Maintenance

Check out the Tribe's Jobs Page

Currently over 100 job opportunities here at Lac Courte Oreilles listed!

Curtis DeCora Hired as New Hayward High Basketball Coach

By Ross Patterman

Writer for Sawyer County Gazette

There will be a new face prowling the sidelines for the Hayward Hurricanes boys’ basketball team this winter. Curtis DeCora, a 2003 graduate of Hayward High, will take over for Patrick Harrison as the Head Coach for the Hurricanes in 2024.

DeCora brings in a wealth of knowledge from his years as a player and a coach. A former three-year starting point guard for NCAA D-III Northland College in Ashland from 2004-06, DeCora spent a brief moment playing in the Premier Basketball League before embarking on a coaching career that includes nearly twenty years spent in Sawyer County.

Master Craftsman Whose Metal and Woodworking Equipment Donated to LCOOU is Remembered

By Danielle R. Krol

Stepdaughter of Oscar Mattle

On July 25, 2022, the Cable, WI community lost a dear friend and a legendary figure, Oscar Mattle. He was 91 years old. The night before he passed away, over a Sunday night dinner, Mattle expressed to his stepdaughter Danielle Krol, “How did I get so lucky to live on Lake Owen? This is my paradise.” This was a question and sentiment that Oscar expressed throughout the 30 years that he was married to Danielle’s mother, Genevieve Krol-Mattle, who died in 2016.

The Difference Between Independent and Assisted Living

By Don Posh

IndiGO

There seems to be some confusion regarding independent living and assisted living. The differences are like night and day. In assisted living there is a facility, which assists residents that live in an apartment like setting, and the assistance is based on individual needs. Independent living is completely different. The main idea is to find the supports to keep an individual with a disability in their own home or to age in place. An AARP study revealed 87% of seniors want to age in place and avoid a nursing facility.

HHS 45th Reunion (Class of '79) Invites Their Former Classmates

ATTENTION PARENTS: The graduating class of ‘79 is having our 45th reunion this summer at the Sawmill Saloon in Seeley, WI. July 6 from 4:30 to 10pm. We would like to extend an invitation to everyone from Stone Lake, LCO and Hayward! We have had some good times together since grade school. Come join us for fellowship, laughter and the sharing of our own personal stories. Come for the buffet or show up when you have free time. Bring some pictures to pin on the boards, then help plan for the 50Th Reunion! We miss you! See you there! www.eventbrite.com and search the town of Seeley and then HHS 45th reunion to sign up for the buffet if you would like dinner. -Tracie Peters, reunion committee member tp4665@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

B&G CLUB TRIP TO ISLE, MN YOUTH POWWOW

From the Boys & Girls Club of Lac Courte Oreilles Facebook Page: The youth took a trip to Isle, MN for a youth powwow on April 28.

COOP'S PIZZA CELEBRATES NEW REMODEL

In the images below along with pictures of the new Coop’s are from L to R: Susan Fibert (Chamber Board President), Robert Davis (Chamber Board Member), Kathy Baker (Chamber Board Member), Melissa Jordan (Chamber Board Member), Lora Hills (Coop's Pizza), Debbie Houston (Coop's Pizza Owner), Sam Mittlesdorf (Coop's Pizza Owner), Chyenne Morgan (Coop's Pizza), Marnie Christensen (Chamber Ambassador), Chris Ruckdaschel (Chamber Executive Director), Brianna McKenzie (Chamber Associate Director).

LCOOU FACULTY AWARDS PRESENTED

Congratulations to Dr. Michael “Migizi” Sullivan for receiving Faculty of the Year Award and to TRiO Assistant Director Mary Revoy Lopez for receiving Adjunct Faculty of the Year Award at the 2024 Student Awards Banquet. We celebrated their hard work and accomplishments, as well as those of our students’, with a banquet on Friday, May 17.

Thank you all for showing up to voice your love and support!