Jan 15, 2018 by Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

www.c-a-tribes.org/tribal-news

Jan. 15, 2018 -Volume 14, Issue 2

Welcoming in newly elected tribal officials By Rosemary Stephens Editor-in-Chief

With coming in of the New Year, also came the newly elected administration for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Inauguration for the governor, lieutenant governor, legislators and election commissioners was held Jan. 6, 2018 at the Southwest Oklahoma University’s Wellness Center in Weatherford, Okla. Present to take their oath of office were: Reggie Wassana, Governor Gib Miles, Lt. Governor Billie Sutton, Arapaho District 1 Legislator Kendricks Sleeper, Arapaho District 2 Legislator George Woods, Cheyenne District 2 Legislator Byron Byrd, Cheyenne District 4 Legislator Pat Smothers, Arapaho District 3 Election Commissioner Sandra Hinshaw, Cheyenne District 1 Election Commissioner Ramona Welch, Cheyenne District 3 Election Commissioner Not present was newly elected Arapaho 4 Election Commissioner Elizabeth Birdshead. Each individual was asked by Cheyenne and Arapaho Supreme Court Justice Daniel Webber to raise their right hand and to recite, “I ________________, do solemnly swear and affirm that I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and Laws of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. That I will perform the duties of my office with all honesty, integrity and sincerity. That I will not allow my personal feelings towards any person or situation to determine my decision on any matter. That I will uphold the best interests of the Cheyenne and Arap-

aho Tribes of Oklahoma. That I will not knowingly receive directly or indirectly any money or other valuable things for the performance or non-performance of any act or duty pertaining to my office other than the compensation allowed by law. These things I faithfully promise myself, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and every member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. So help me God.” Each newly elected official were asked to sign the Oath of Office with each being witnessed by Webbers’ signature. All positions are for a four-year term. Gov. Wassana announced, during his acceptance speech, the naming of Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal member John Youngbull as the new CEO of the tribes’ casinos and the creation of an inhouse legal team under the Executive Branch, naming tribal member Hershel Gorham to head the new legal team. “We are going to have our own in-house legal team because we have tribal members who are qualified, and let’s let them make that big money. I have always felt like attorney firms always try to keep us in turmoil and take all our money,” Wassana stated. “I’ll tell you this much, we all are going to work hard, we’re going to work together, it’s going to be learning experience and all the decisions are going to be new, and when we make some decisions, please work with us because we are all going to have a learning curve because none of us up here has done this before. Let’s support each other and look at this as a learning process and make the tribes one of the strongest tribes not only in the state but in the country. No one is going to do it but us … only us.”

Cheyenne District 1 Election Commissioner Sandra Hinshaw.

Cheyenne & Arapaho Governor Reggie Wassana. (Photos / Rosemary Stephens)

Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes Lt. Governor Gib Miles.

Cheyenne District 3 Election Commissioner Ramona Welch.

Arapaho District 2 Legislator Kendricks Sleeper.

Cheyenne District 2 Legislator George Woods.

Arapaho District 1 Legislator Billie Sutton.

Cheyenne District 4 Legislator Byron Byrd.

Arapaho District 3 Election Commissioner Patricia Smothers.

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Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

Darlington descendant honored during school visit By Latoya Lonelodge Staff Report

In Native communities many can agree that growing up, family and friends like to keep a close bond with one another whether it is through relations, work or education. Darlington Elementary School in El Reno, Okla. can attest to the family-like atmosphere they continue to support throughout their educational system. Many have come to know Darlington as a school they can always come back to, but the name Darlington itself carries significant weight. Darlington school was first Victor Marquis brought his family, Mai Marquis, Nathaniel Marquis, 6, and Maria Marestablished in 1967 and was quis, 14, for the visit at Darlington school. Marquis also brought three students from Darnamed after Brinton Darlinglington Christian School in Korea, Sarah Lee, 14, Cindy Hwang, 14, and David Kweon, 15. ton. In 1869 President Ulyss(Photo / Latoya Lonelodge) es S. Grant appointed Brinton School in Seoul, Korea. While many Arapahos. Darlington the first Indian agent of the emotions were shared during Marquis’ “He came to Indian Territory and he Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. visit, Marquis said he is filled with joy did not accept a military escort. One On Jan. 10, Victor Marquis, the when visiting Darlington school. thing that he said was, ‘God called me great-great-great grandson of Brinton “I’m joyful and thankful, I don’t to go there and the safest place to be is Darlington visited Darlington school think that Darlington himself sought in God’s will,’ thy will be done, he was for his second time. As a descendent for his name to be used or for him to trying to serve God and to come here of Darlington, Marquis felt it was imbe famous or anything like that. I think to help people, as I understand, he arportant to keep his bond with the school it was after he died that the school was rived here without the military escort, close, even having to travel all the way named after him, even the agency, I the people took note of that and said this from South Korea. think it wasn’t his intention to bring is different. All I know is that he rep“Darlington gave the last three years glory to his own name, though I think resented Jesus Christ and Jesus, whom of his life to show and demonstrate that we have an opportunity to maintain I follow, never raised a weapon against God’s love to people that are Native to that right kind of service to each other anyone,” Marquis said. America, the true American people. I’m as different ethnicities as I mentioned to Along with Marquis and his famithankful that I’m able to come here and the children today. God has given each ly’s visit, Darlington made certain to communicate that love just the same as of us special gifts, skills, abilities, per- greet Marquis in a traditional way. The he would have. None of his work is to sonalities and rather than ganging up on Darlington student body welcomed my credit, I’m just a descendent but I’m each other, we should be helping and Marquis and his family with an assemso thankful that we have the desire to serving one another to understand this bly in his honor, the Lord’s Prayer was come and communicate and develop a world better, to understand each other presented by students, Cheyenne Chief relationship between this community better,” Marquis said. Gordan Yellowman gave a brief introand my family once again to store that With faith and scripture in the root duction into the history of Cheyenne communication,” Marquis said. of Marquis’ family history, Darlington’s and Arapahos and a Pendleton blanket Marquis is a pastor and established faith was just as strong as he entered was also given to Marquis as a token of a school named Darlington Christian Indian Territory of the Cheyenne and appreciation.

Radiology upgrade at Clinton Indian Health Center (CLINTON-OK) The Clinton Indian Health Center has underwent a major upgrade to the Radiology Department. The upgrade is improving the delivery of care from diagnosis to intervention; improving clinical quality and patient experience. Radiology is better able to accommodate the needs of each of our patients from a wide range of sizes and ages. The new x-ray machine helps our radiology team to capture images at a higher quality, allowing for support of a more accurate diagnosis. The machine has simplified and shortened every step of a patients’ exam, allowing for images to be captured efficiently and with ease. The machine’s table may be moved in eight differed directions and lowered to make it easy for children, elderly, wheelchair, or impaired patients to get on and off of. The ultrasound system delivers picture-perfect images with excellent image resolution and detail. “This new machine has opened doors to do imaging our current Radiology Reading Group prohibited us from doing due to the age and detail of our previous machine,” said Stevi Brown, radiology supervisor. “The larger table allows for adjustments to be made for larger patients. This new machine also came with a printer, so we may give our expecting mothers some images for memories.” The mammography unit recently upgraded the software system to allow for three-dimensional (3D) imaging. “This upgrade will mean less images taken per patient,” said Brown. 3D mammograms use the same x-ray technology as regular two-dimensional (2D) mammograms. The procedure is the same from the patient’s point-of-view. In 2D mammograms, which take images only from the front and side, this may create images with overlapping breast tissue. Because 3D mammography provides images of the breast in

“slices” from many different angles, finding abnormalities and determining which abnormalities may be important may be easier with 3D tests Software updates to the Computed Tomography (CT) machine has been installed. The system, which previously generated 80 slices per rotation, may now capture 160 unique slices, giving the ability to perform a wide variety of advanced clinical procedures. “This technology will not increase the patient’s exposure to radiation, but improve the quality and resolution for each image,” said Brown. Previously, bone density scans were performed on the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) machine, which only captured the outside of the bone. This software purchase for the CT machine will now allow for bone density scans to be done on this machine, allowing for the inside of the bone to be viewed as well. Use of this technology can detect osteoporosis much earlier than DEXA. The vision of the CSU is to provide quality health care services focusing on prevention, restoration and collaborative relationships that are valued and “exceed the needs” of our patients, community and tribal partners. Like us on Facebook at Clinton Indian Health Center.

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RICO civil lawsuit just lost momentum

By Rosemary Stephens, Editor-in-Chief

In an unexpected move, Rick Dane Moore, attorney representing the plaintiffs in the RICO civil lawsuit, Case number CIV-17-1048-F, filed a voluntary dismissal on Jan. 8 bringing the momentum of the case to a screeching halt. A statement from Moore posted on Facebook read; “The mental, emotional and financial strain is not worth it when there is absolutely no compensation or good faith coming from the tribe to cooperate in the lawsuit. Your office (referring to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Council office) does not have the administrative resources sufficient to keep up with the requirements of document production and investigation as we move forward.” Moore goes on to say, “I have given the Tribal Council continued support and performance but no part of the contract to pay my firm for attorney fees and expenses has been made and you are in breach and have defaulted on the contract for nearly two years now.” Sources report there is not a signed contract between Moore and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes on file authorizing him to file a RICO lawsuit, and the contract to hire

By Jesse Dougherty The laughter of children playing basketball, all crowded around the hoop as the ball spilled over the rim, carried out of the school playground and into an otherwise silent Saturday afternoon in mid-December. Three stray dogs, looking for food or shelter or anything to do, walked along the sidewalk. A biting wind whipped off the prairie and inside the second-to-last house on the last street on the western edge of town sat Mya Fourstar, running three fingers through her straightened brown hair, squinting into the dining room table. “I hope I play better than last night,” she said at her grandmother’s, where she lives with her kid sister and four younger cousins. “I really hope.” Mya hates the day after off games, when time drips by and all she can think about is a lopsided loss and missed shots and missed opportunity. Basketball is an escape from the troubles surrounding her, a core part of her American Indian identity, and the heartbeat of Frazer, where the sport is a lifeline and high school stars are often divisive symbols of hope. But basketball also makes Mya put more pressure on herself, to be found where college basketball players aren’t often recruited, to stand out on these pale-yellow plains and leave the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, the only home she has ever known. She starts to hear the whispered doubts on days such as this. The night before, as Frazer School slipped further and further behind Froid/Medicine Lake, a dad in the opponent’s stands said, “That girl can’t play against tough competition like this.” Others say she can’t match those 40-point games of two years ago, the ones that attracted college coaches and made that 13-year-old from Frazer course into conversations throughout northeast Montana. Or can’t reach her dream of becoming the first Division I basketball player to come out of Frazer, where teenagers often stay put after high school. But those people are wrong, the 16-yearold sophomore tells herself, just as she has since she started filling stat sheets as an eighth-grader. Mya soon walked through

Moore as Tribal Council attorney was never signed by former Cheyenne and Arapaho Governor Eddie Hamilton. Jennifer Plummer (Wilkinson), Tribal Council Coordinator, first announced news of the lawsuit via the Office of Tribal Council Facebook page two days prior to the 2017 Primary election. The suit listed plaintiffs as the “Tribal Council of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma,” and individual tribal citizens, Jennifer Wilkinson (Plummer), Darryl Seger, Wilma Blackbear, Michael Bell and Jane Nightwalker. Defendants included a multitude of tribal members, non-tribal members and law firms. According to the HG.org Website, “Rick Dane Moore & Associates Law Firm, PLLC is located in Norman, Oklahoma and offers a wide variety of legal services to clients throughout the region, including Oklahoma City, Moore, Lawton, and Chickasha. Practice areas encompass breach of contract, business disputes, business start-ups, civil appeals, contempt/ hearing on assets, covenant enforcement, forcible entry, government grants, Homeowners Association matters, landlord disputes, Native American Law, personal injury, property law,

the kitchen and past her mother, who was asleep on a bed in the living room as 2 p.m. neared, before tossing her backpack over a tan blazer and gold-sequined shirt. Then she climbed into her Aunt Sasha’s white Lincoln and started toward another game that, like all the rest of them, has the chance to take her somewhere else. “Anywhere but here,” Mya said. “Anywhere but here.” The reservation is home to the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine tribes. Frazer is home to about 400 people and no stoplights and is marked by two water towers that bear its name. There is a single gas pump that hasn’t offered oil for two years. There is a post office, a box-shaped general store, the Beer Mug for carryout and sit-down drinks, a three-room preschool and a high school that has 37 students this year. The nearest groceries are 19 miles away in Wolf Point. The nearest firetruck is 14 miles in the other direction. There are hints of the religious groups that tried, and failed, to influence the natives: a boarded-up, single-room Baptist mission, a Catholic church closed because of mold in the basement, a burnt-down Mormon church a few hundred feet down the road, with only the five front steps and a few piles of concrete left at the foot of an endless prairie. The rest of the tiny town is filled with short houses and basketball hoops. The sport is a constant in modern American Indian history, which is often rife with stories of addiction and heartache. There are rims along the Frazer sidewalks, in driveways, at the end of gravel roads, some tipped over and others standing tall. When driving into the east end of town off U.S. 2, Frazer’s first offering is a hoop nailed to an old telephone pole, the backboard browned by the Montana winters, the net frayed, the rim barely hanging on. “For a lot of kids, basketball is the only thing to do here,” said Sasha Fourstar, Mya’s 40-year-old aunt who played for the Frazer Lady Bearcubs in the 1990s. “When I was growing up, alcoholism was the problem. Now it’s drugs, meth. Basketball can keep you out of the addiction cycle and maybe get you out of here.”

Rosemary Stephens, Editor-in-Chief 405-422-7446 / rmstephens@c-a-tribes.org Society of Professional Journalists members

Frazer sophomore Mya Fourstar goes up for a shot after splitting defenders against Froid/ Medicine Lake. (Photos by Jonathan Newton) Mya first looked beyond Frazer when she was 12 years old, quick with the ball in her hands, a good shooter growing into her 5-foot-8 frame. She already saw older kids trying drugs, drinking, starting families in high school, not even considering college as a possibility. She wanted more. She scored 50 points against Dodson as an eighth-grader, and her name spread. The University of Montana soon sent a recruiting letter, Montana State showed interest, too, and doubt and jealousy followed. Mya, slender and soft-spoken, set a goal of playing for Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash. But many Frazer natives describe the reservation as having the characteristics of a crab bucket, where people want to drag down whoever is closest to the top. Outside of that 50-point game, a school record, Mya netted at least 40 points three more times as an eighth-grader. She was told it wouldn’t last. She averaged 30.5 points per game as a freshman. Some called her a ball hog. She scored a combined 56 points in Frazer’s two wins at the Wolf Point Tip Off earlier this season. She heard the competition isn’t tough enough in Class C, made up of Montana’s smallest public schools. As Mya inches further into her sophomore

Cheyenne and Arapaho r i b a l T r i b u n e

quiet title actions, slander and libel, and trademarks.” In a final written statement on the Office of Tribal Council Facebook page Moore said, “I appreciate that you have done a great deal to help your people fight the corruption in your tribe, but as I have said repeatedly, the level of resources needed to Rick Dane Moore, RICO work through the impending litigation can easily be mea- attorney for the plaintiffs sured in seven digit numbers. voluntarily withdrew the You cannot expect me to case on Jan. 8. continue spending my family’s money, risking liability for sanctions and making sacrifices for your tribe when your tribes remain in disarray and refuse to honor obligations to my firm after nearly two years have elapsed.”

P. O. Box 38, Concho, OK 73022 Fax: 405-422-8204 Oklahoma Press Association member

year, there are people who want her to succeed, fail, leave Frazer, stay put, be a leader, a follower, a dominant scorer, a teammate who shares the ball more. But some days, in an era and sport that overexpose successful young athletes, it seems like her biggest worry is not being seen at all. “It’s really hard for anyone to get off the reservation. You don’t see it happen a lot,” Mya said. “I think about my future a lot more than you could imagine. I think about it all the time.” The court felt small. The rim did, too. Mya was double-teamed whenever she started to drive, and, despite hitting a floater and a three-point shot in the first few minutes, she had just five points as halftime neared. In a loss to Froid/Medicine Lake the night before, she had finished with seven points and five assists as the Redhawks bothered her with three girls standing 6 feet or taller. After that game, Mya wore a Gonzaga shirt and, with her hair still damp from a shower, leaned into her aunt’s arms. “You played well,” Sasha said, wrapping Mya in a bear hug. “I don’t know,” muttered Mya, lifting her long, lean arms to hug back. “Not well enough.” Mya Fourstar / pg. 6

Latoya Lonelodge, Reporter/Advertising Sales 405-422-7608 / llonelodge@c-a-tribes.org Native American Journalist Association member

DISCLAIMER: Letters to the editor, opinions and commentaries do not reflect the views of the Tribune unless specified. Correspondence must be signed and include a return address and telephone number for verification, otherwise it will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Submission of a letter does not guarantee its publication. Photographs, news stories or other materials in this publication may not be reprinted without prior permission. Printed by Lindsay Web Press, Lindsay, Okla. 2010-2017 NATIVE AMERICAN JOURNALIST ASSOCIATION MEDIA AWARD WINNER & 2012-2017 AWARD WINNER OF THE OPA BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST

E a t i n g healthy for

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Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

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DIABETES

Tara Conway, MS, RD, LD, CDE C&A Diabetes Wellness Program

It’s A New Year

It’s the New Year and a time to remind you of all the services the Diabetes Wellness Program (DWP) has to offer. We strive to offer a wide variety of services to meet your needs. The DWP is funded by Indian Health Services Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) grant. In the past three years the focus of the SDPI grant has changed from not only providing services but to education and prevention of diabetes. Recently an endocrinologist spoke at the monthly diabetes Senate Caucus meeting regarding diabetes and children. He divided the room in half and stated that this side of the room will be diagnosed with diabetes and that is what he is seeing now regarding children and youth. He stated the most difficult thing, as a doctor, was having to tell parents that it was too late to reverse diabetes. The endocrinologist showed studies and statistics regarding children and youth and diabetes that once they are diagnosed with diabetes it’s too late to reverse the disease. Metformin is the only medication approved to treat persons under 18 with diabetes, and after five years the benefits metformin provides in controlling diabetes diminishes and the children/youth will need to take insulin to control their diabetes. Once they are on insulin, they will never be able to come off the insulin. It is predicted that

this generation will not outlive their parents and why it is very important that we work together to prevent diabetes. The DWP program consists of administrative staff, fitness personnel, a registered nurse, a registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator and an eyeglass specialist. Every three months the DWP provides buffalo to all persons diagnosed with diabetes and elders who resides within the C-A service area. For persons who are diagnosed with diabetes the DWP can provide wellness shoes every six months. The DWP can also assist in providing eye glasses to persons who are diagnosed with diabetes. Obesity is the number one cause of type 2 diabetes and we can prevent that. Losing five to seven percent of your current weight can prevent or delay the diagnosis of diabetes. We need at least 150 minutes a week of exercise and our children and youth need an hour a day. If you or our children are overweight, now is the time to make changes for improved health. Come by and utilize these vital benefits our program has to offer. We look forward to seeing and working with you to reach your health goals in 2018. For more information and tips on eating contact Tara Conway @ Diabetes Wellness Program 405-422-7685 or tconway@c-atribes.org.

Cheyenne & Arapaho TV 47 temporary outage

Starting in mid-January, Cheyenne and Arapaho Television (CATV 47) will be off the air temporarily due to required equipment changes and installation. The temporary outage is part of The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadcast spectrum auction, a $20 billion dollar project involving dozens of broadcasters nationwide, that ended in spring of 2017. Cheyenne and Arapaho TV’s frequency was purchased by T-Mobile, but our long-standing relationship with First Nations Experience (FNX) and KVCR in San Bernadino, CA allows CATV 47 to continue broadcasting as one of the few Native-owned TV stations in the United States. Through negotiations with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), T-Mobile, and KVCR/FNX, funding has been secured to make the required changes to Cheyenne and Arapaho TV’s antenna and transmitter. CATV 47 estimates the outage to be between one and four weeks, as the timeline depends on the availability of tower crews, equipment,

Audit Preparation for Tribes and Tribal Organizations Jan. 25-26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nev. For more information or to register visit www.falmouthinstitute.com. The eighth annual Native American Human Resources Conference Jan. 28-30, 2018 at the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, Calif. For more information or to register visit www.nativenationevents.

and of course, the Oklahoma weather. Cheyenne & Arapaho Television Director Randy Burleson told us: “The cost of the Engineering Consultant/Contractor, necessary equipment and installation crews amount to roughly $80,000 which will be covered by the funding provided by T-Mobile and PBS. Just to be clear… Thanks to our partnership with FNX and the generosity of PBS and T-Mobile … No Tribal funds were used for this transition. We owe a debt of gratitude to KVCR and FNX and Micah Wright and Sahar Khadjenoury for assisting us with making this happen with PBS and T-Mobile. This would not have happened without their help and assistance. We would also like to thank Dana Golub and Susana Lopez with PBS and Mark Bishop with T-Mobile for allowing T-Mobile funding to be passed on to our station to assist with this transition.” Further updates will be shared via Cheyenne and Arapaho Television’s Facebook page.

org. 2018 State of Indian Nations Address Feb. 12, 2018 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians will deliver the annual State of Indian Nations Address. For more information or to register contact Amy Gay by email, agay@ncai.org.

Combat Childhood Obesity

One in three children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids as risk for health problems that were once only seen in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. Get active outside Now that temperatures outside are cooling down, begin participating in outdoor activities more. For instance you can walk around the neighborhood, go on a bike ride or play basketball at the park. Limit screen time Keep screen time (time spent on the computer, watching TV or playing video games) to two hours or less a day. Make healthy meals Buy and serve more seasonal vegetables,

Former Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairman joins First Nation Healthcare

By Levi Rickert (TULSA, OK) Dave Archambault II, the former tribal chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, has joined FirstNation HealthCare as a full-time executive. Archambault who led the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance to Dakota Access pipeline, will be the Tulsa-based firm’s Chief Consulting Officer. Part of his responsibilities will include bolstering FirstNation HealthCare’s strategies for working with tribal governments in Indian Country. FirstNation HealthCare is the only Indian-owned broker and claims administrator in the United States which exclusively focuses on tribal governments and American Indian business enterprises. “During the Standing Rock movement, I

committed to continuing to fight against injusties committed against all those who came to stand with us at Standing Rock. Of all the great injustices committed against Indigenous poeple in the United States, one of the greatest is certainly the broken treaty promise of providing healthcare to Native peoples,” says Archambault. “Today, we recognize our ability to work outside the system forced upon us and instead to create our own opportunity and success story within a different framework. FirstNation HealthCare is doing that on behalf of the health care of tribal citizens.” Welcoming Archambault to FirstNation HealthCare is former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R – Colorado), a board member and strat-

fruits and whole-grain foods for a healthy and inexpensive meal. “Taking small steps as a family can help your child stay healthy,” Roby Sunday-Allen, CEO of Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) said. “When parents teach their children healthy eating habits and encourage exercise at an early age, they create routines that will be beneficial to their lifestyle as they grow up.” While the population of American Indian children with diabetes is on the decline, American Indians increasingly face health challenges from lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity and poor diet. One in two American Indian children will develop type 2 diabetes as a result of obesity. This is a much higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group.

Dave Archambault II, former chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe joins Tulsa-base healthcare firm as their chief consulting officer. (Courtesy photo)

egist at the firm. “Dave Archambault is the embodiment of a modern day deplomatic warrior, and it is clear to anyonw that he fought on behalf of his tribe with the purest and strongest of intentions,” comments Senator Campbell. “I am confident that he will continue to bring that spirit forward

throughout his career and am grateful that he joined FirstNation as we work together in futherance of Native American health and wellbeing.” Archambault was defeated in his bid for reelection to be tribal chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in September by Mike Faith. Art by Dallin Maybee, Northern Arapaho and Seneca. He was raised on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation in Western New York, but he also has family on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming. He is an award winning performer and artist and sells his beadwork and ledger art at various Indian art markets including the prestigious Santa Fe Indian Art Market. (Photo by Wendy McEaherndy)

BRIEFS AT A GLANCE Basic Bookkeeping: Federal Grants and Contracts Accounting for Tribes and Tribal Organizations Feb. 12-13, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nev. For more information or to register visit www.falmouthinstitute.com. National Reservation Economic Summit (RES) March 5-8, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nev. For more information or to register visit

www.ncaied.org.

Tribal Interior Budget Council March 20-22, 2018 at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. For more information or to register visit www.ncai.org. Federal Bar Association Indian Law Conference April 5-6, 2018 at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more

information or to register visit www.fedbar.org. The 2018 National Johnson O’Malley Association Conference April 9-11, 2018 at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Okla. For more information or to register visit www.njoma.com. The 36th annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian

Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect April 15-18, 2018 in Achorage, Alaska. For more information or to register email training@nicwa.org. The National UNITY Conference - Finding Wellness & Healing Within Our Cultures July 6-10, 2018 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo. For more information or to register visit www.unityinc.org.

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Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

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Oklahoma Indian Legal Services enters it’s 37th year of providing legal services to Oklahoma tribal members Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS) is a non-profit legal services organization providing free legal representation to low-income citizens facing issues with federal Indian law. OILS has been in existence since 1981 and is part of the same network as Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO). The organization employs six attorneys who provide legal services to tribal citizens across the state. According to Stephanie Hudson, Executive Director of OILS, issues that tribal citizens face can be different and more complicated. Those issues include the Indian Child Welfare Act, probate on restricted Indian lands, wills for trust and restricted Indian lands, tribal housing problems, tribal sovereignty and individual rights. Individual tribal citizens can find it difficult to navigate the different federal laws, state laws, administrative codes and tribal laws that can be encountered when dealing

with land or child welfare issues. Last year, OILS saw an increase in the number of grandparents seeking a guardianship or an adoption for their grandchildren in state district courts. “There is a large opioid crisis going on in Oklahoma,” Hudson said. “What a lot of citizens don’t realize is if the Indian Child Welfare Act is not followed, the guardianship could be vacated later.” OILS also provides legal education classes for attorneys who do not regularly practice federal Indian law, because many have questions about the Indian Child Welfare Act. Hudson said, “OILS is required to follow federal poverty guidelines when determining who can receive assistance. Our primary funder is the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, DC. We must follow their guidelines which allows us to provide services to applicants whose family income does not exceed 125 percent of the federal poverty guide-

lines.” She said it does cut out some people who are employed from being able to receive our services. “There is a real issue in the United States with people who are employed that still can’t afford an attorney. There are many people representing themselves in state district and tribal courts,” Hudson said. However, Hudson said there are options for those who don’t meet the guidelines including organizations like the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Indian Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association. If you have a legal issue that does not involve federal Indian law, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO) takes applications by telephone. Their phone number is 888-534-5243. Tribal citizens in Oklahoma with a federal Indian law issue can apply for services with Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS). Applications are completed by telephone by calling 800-658-1497.

AARP Oklahoma opens nominations for 10th annual 2018 Indian Elder Honors

Albert Lujan GrayEagle was one of the many elders honored at the 2017 Indian Elder Honors for his selfless acts of kindness and donating 200 flutes to Completing the Circle, a foster children home. (Photo / Latoya Lonelodge)

Celebration to Recognize Impact on Tribal Nations, Family and Community (OKLAHOMA CITY) AARP Oklahoma is accepting nominations for its 10th annual Indian Elder Honors to celebrate 50 Native American elders who have positively impacted their community, family, tribe and nation. Since its inception in 2009, AARP Oklahoma has recognized 450 elders from all 39 tribal nations in Oklahoma. “The AARP Indian Elder Honors recognizes the extraordinary contribution of Indian elders, many of whom have never been recognized before,” AARP Oklahoma Volunteer State President Joe Ann Vermillion said. Last year’s honorees from 33 Oklahoma tribal nations included teachers, veterans,

nurses, artists, tribal leaders, language and culture preservationists, and even a champion archer and a 10-time champion arm wrestler. AARP State Director Sean Voskuhl said, “This event celebrates a lifetime of service from these distinguished elders. The common thread between the honorees, regardless of the contribution, is the commitment to community and service.” This year’s Indian Elder Honors will be held Oct. 2, 2018 in Oklahoma City. Nomination applications are online at www. aarp.cvent.com/2018IndianElders. Nominations may be submitted electronically or mailed to AARP Oklahoma, 126 N. Bryant, Edmond, OK, 73034. Nominees must be an enrolled member of a feder-

ally-recognized Oklahoma tribal nation, age 50+, and must be living. Nominees do not have to be AARP members. For more information, please contact Mashell Sourjohn at 405-715-4474 or msourjohn@aarp.org . The deadline for submitting nominations is April 30, 2018. ABOUT AARP With 400,000 members in Oklahoma and nearly 38 million members nationwide, AARP is dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. As the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment.

Breakaway roping contender IFR48 making personal appearance at Shorty’s Caboy Hattery (OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) Chloe Lee Cox, breakaway roping contestant at this year’s International Finals Rodeo (IFR48) will be signing autographs from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Jan. 18 and 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Jan. 20 at Shorty’s Caboy Hattery in Stockyards City. The 5’7, 18 year old, originally from Gunnedah, NSW Australia, will be partnering with her 12 year old American Quarter Horse Boicket Bob and her four-year-old American Quarter Horse So High Fantasy in this year’s competition. Cox is a high school senior currently living in Salisbury, N.C., and lives by the quote, “You only fail when you stop trying.” Cox began her rodeo career later in life than most of her fellow competitors, but she hasn’t let this stop her from pursuing her dreams. She aspires to become not only International Professional Rodeo Association’s (IPRA) World Breakaway Roping Champion but also the Womens’

Professional Rodeo Association’s (WPRA) champion as well. The 2017 season was Cox’s rookie year in the IPRA. Her appearance at this year’s IFR48 is her first International Finals qualification in her short four-year roping career, but it certainly won’t be her last. She said her love of the sport and her faith in God has led her to great accomplishments both in and out of the arena. “My best rodeo memory would be Pawnee, Okla., in 2017. It had been a tough summer and I was struggling to win a check. There were 82 of the best breakaway ropers competing at Pawnee for Saturday morning slack, which for a rookie was quite daunting. With the odds stacked against me I came out on top and won the biggest rodeo of my career,” Cox said. “This lit a fire under me and proved to myself that I had the ability to win against anyone.” This year’s IFR48 will be held Jan. 1921 at the Oklahoma City State Fairgrounds.

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Mya Fourstar continued from pg. 3 Mya has never scored fewer than 10 points in back-to-back games. Now here she was, fearing that could happen, her name echoing all around the Scobey gym. “You got this, Mya!” shouted Frazer superintendent Melanie Blount-Cole from behind the scorer’s table. “Get up on Mya!” yelled the Scobey coach, crouching into a defensive stance himself as Mya caught the ball behind the threepoint line. “Go Mya, go, go,” urged her Aunt Sasha after Mya grabbed a defensive rebound. “Go, go, go. Come on.” Between plays, Mya glanced at the scoreboard before her eyes trailed to behind the baseline. That is where Sasha and Jewel Ackerman-Fourstar, Mya’s grandmother, sat as Mya looked to them for some sign that she was doing okay. Mya’s ponytail bounced against the back of her neck, her mouth seemed stuck in a straight line, her eyes boiled in frustration. Jewel and Sasha smiled at her, offered a few claps of encouragement, and pointed her attention back to the game. “The high school players on the reservation put a ton of pressure on themselves,” said Kenny Smoker, a basketball star in Poplar, Mont., in the mid-1970s who is now part of the tribal government on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. “A lot is expected of them from a lot of people. They need someone in their lives, a positive influence, to remind them that they can be kids.” Mya’s parents split up when she was a baby, and Jewel, who was raised by her grandmother, didn’t want Mya bouncing between homes. So Mya moved in when she was 7 years old and has since lived with her grandmother, who takes care of six grandchildren during the week and eight on the weekends. Mya sees her mom from time to time and will visit her dad in nearby Wolf Point on weekends when she doesn’t have games. Jewel, who is Mya’s primary guardian, has been Frazer’s Head Start preschool teacher for 34 years and has watched the town cycle through addictions that have gripped her family and neighbors. She shields the kids from this as best she can, steering their attention to school work and keeping them inside after night falls. She tells the young ones to be like Mya, with her straight A’s and college plans. According to the 2010 U.S. Census report, 9.8 percent of Frazer’s population is college educated and 32.8 percent unemployed. Residents who work are often employed by the school, construction companies or the tribal government. “We live in poverty,” Jewel said. “I spoil some of the grandkids because I think they deserve it. They don’t have anybody else. But

Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

Mya works so hard for everything she gets. She always has.” A lot of that work is with Sasha, who was once, like Mya, a teenager looking to get out. Sasha enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school, served in Iraq for a time before she was medically discharged in 2004 and came back to Frazer to help other kids see more of the world. She is the town mayor — “I went to the meeting for the free food a few years back and walked out the mayor,” she says — and was the Frazer girls’ varsity basketball coach for two years before she was replaced before this season. Sasha trains Mya and fields calls and emails from college coaches. Montana doesn’t have the same kind of summer AAU scene that gives exposure to high school players across the country. High-level players in Montana attract college coaches in the state playoffs or at sporadic summer tournaments with travel teams. For Mya, at a school that hasn’t made it to the divisional round of the state tournament in almost two decades, the best recruiting tool is word of mouth and individual camps hosted by colleges. Mya is Frazer’s second-tallest player and its main ballhandler, tasked with scoring and setting up the offense. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a mid-major college coach who has seen Mya play said she is a Division I talent and thinks Mya could be a spot-up shooter who also plays some point guard at the next level. For all of basketball’s importance in American Indian culture, reservation stars in the sport don’t often turn into Division I players. Coaches and professors pinpoint low academic standards and a lack of overall exposure as reasons for this, and there are also historic trends of American Indian kids returning home shortly after enrolling in college. Mya is a straight-A student and stresses over each assignment, knowing she will need a near-flawless transcript to attract Division I schools or, should she instead play Division II, qualify for academic scholarships. The attention on her, compounded by challenges all Frazer teenagers face in trying to move away, leads to constant scrutiny. Sasha remembers one day during Mya’s eighthgrade year, after her niece strung together two high-scoring games over a weekend, in which Mya came up to her in tears. An adult in town told Mya she was a ball hog who thought she was too good for Frazer and, as Sasha recalls, “will just end up like everyone else.” “It’s really hard for someone to see somebody else succeed,” Sasha said of what Mya

Tsistsistas & Hinonoei

Mya Fourstar walks Frazer School’s halls, which feature posters of her ancestors from the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes. faces. “I have heard adults bring her down. It happens a lot. I just think they may get so jealous that their life is so stuck in a rut, so it’s a, ‘If I’m going to be miserable, then you’re going to be miserable, too,’ type of attitude. It’s tough to be in the limelight around here, because then you have a target on your back.” Against Scobey, Mya found a rhythm after halftime. She hit a running floater through a foul, made the free throw, swished a three-pointer a minute later, nailed another floater off a sharp crossover and then dashed behind a defender before catching a pass and scooping the ball through the rim. That totaled 10 points in one quarter, bottling all of Mya’s potential into eight minutes of Frazer’s second loss of the season. When Mya looked back at Jewel and Sasha, a heavy breath raising her shoulders up and down, a smile crept across her round face. “Is that girl a senior?” asked a woman wearing a Scobey shirt. “No,” answered the man sitting next to her in the third row. “That must be Mya Fourstar.” The temperature dropped into single digits, putting patches of ice on the winding road. An airplane could be heard humming overhead, flying somewhere between the paper-flat plains and stars that looked like nickels on a black tablecloth. Mya is accustomed to such late-night drives, surrounded by darkness aside from the few passing headlights, as Frazer travels at least an hour for most road games. It is easy for her to plot her entire future on such a

blank canvas: break Frazer’s all-time scoring record, play college basketball at Gonzaga, move somewhere where she can shop without driving hours to reach her favorite stores, earn a degree in sports medicine and come back to coach the Frazer girls’ basketball team when she’s older. The next morning, she will work out with Sasha at the wellness center in Wolf Point, run intervals on the treadmill, lift weights and prepare for her next chance to play so well that college coaches cannot look away. They will later have the family’s weekly Sunday dinner, when all her cousins and siblings and aunts pack into Jewel’s house to eat “Indian tacos” and dip homemade bread in sweet Juneberry soup. That is when Mya can feel normal, like a teenager without a nagging, distant dream, worried about what she will wear to school Monday morning, collecting sneakers and vinyl records, and counting the days until her pink braces come off in February. Frazer is still home, however much Mya wants to be somewhere else. The school hallways are full of immediate and extended family members. The creek starts running in the spring, if winter brings enough snow, and she and her friends always take photos of each other along the rocks. Mya has a cozy, quiet room at her grandmother’s, with a tapestry hanging from the ceiling, white Christmas lights lining the walls and her plan written on a painting behind a propped-open closet door. “Don’t forget where you came from,” the painting reads. “But never lose sight of where you are going.”

Tsistsistas & Hinonoei

Jan. 11 Happy 4th Birthday to our Aniah, Love mom and Nei’woo

Jan. 27 Happy 66th “Big-Time-Sue” From all your friends and relatives that love you

Daisy Gould Green, ‘Bear Woman’ was born July 29, 1929 in Colony, Okla. to Perry and Gertrude (Cleveland) Gould. She departed this life early morning, Dec. 30, 2017 at her home in Canton, Okla., surrounded by her loving family. Daisy attended Concho

Danny Jo LittleThunder, 51, was born Nov. 1, 1966 in Clinton, Okla., to Harry Bernard Starr and Frankie Lou Medicinebird. He departed this life on Jan. 6, 2018 in Oklahoma City. Danny attended school in Thomas, Okla. and graduated from Watonga High School with the Class of 1985. He

Gregory Kent Walker, of El Reno, Okla. departed this life with his family by his side at the Anadarko Physicians Hospital on Jan. 3, 2018, at the age of 48.

Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

January 30 Happy 17th Birthday Dyson With Love from all of us, dad, Ang, Lakin, Dorian, Ja’Dawn and Andre’

Happy Birthday Russell Stoneroad Jan. 9 May you be blessed with many more. Love, Amy, momma, Lisa, Geno, Karla, Pebbles and all the kiddos

January 26 Happy 14th Birthday Lakin, With Love from all of us, mom, Earl, sissy, bubba, Dyson and Dorian

Happy 17 Birthday Milan Ethan Ryan Brooks! We love you! Love Mom, Marlon, and William

January 30th Happy 2nd Birthday Mary Ella Mowatt Mary Ella, mommy and daddy love you so much, you are our world!

Happy 9th anniversary!

OBITS

schools, and married Albert Green Jr. Her hobbies included going to the casino, sitting on her front porch with her dogs and grandkids. She also enjoyed cruising at the lake. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Albert Green Jr., son Rupert Gould, two daughters, Carol Green-Nelson and Alberta Green-Deason, one granddaughter Amy Gould, two brothers, Garland Wesley Gould and Robert Allen Gould and one sister Ora Mae Gould Whiteplume. Daisy is survived by four children, son Jimmy Gould of Longdale, Okla., daughter Myra Gould of Canton, Okla., daughter Adrianna Gould of Mustang, Okla., and son Johnnie Green of Can-

ton, Okla., one sister Myrtle Gould Glosson, 20 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and many extended family members. A traditional Native American wake service was held Jan. 2 at the Canton Native American Gymnasium in Canton, Okla. Funeral services were held Jan. 3 at the same venue with pallbearers Eli Burchett, Justin Burchett, Travis Burchett, Ricky Gonzales, James Gould and Alex Matthews. Honorary Bearers were Bryce Burchett, Dominic Gonzales, Perry Gould, Timothy Scott and Robin Whiteplume. An Interment followed by the Canton Cemetery in Canton, Okla.

also attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Okla. He was a good basketball player in high school. Danny married Dawne Wymer on Aug. 14, 1998 in Watonga. He went to the Sun Dance at Seiling, Okla., for four years. Danny was a Cheyenne Chief, and his Cheyenne name was “White Antelope.” Danny was preceded in death by his parents, one aunt Sherry Lynn Whiteman, uncles Gerald Medicinebird, Frank ‘Butch’ Medicinebird Jr. and Joe Medicinebird. He is survived by his wife Dawne LittleThunder of the home, one son Isiaha Post of Oklahoma City, four sisters, Mary Starr of Canton, Okla., Sharilyn LittleThunder of

Watonga, Okla., Paula Meat of Oklahoma City and Berniece LittleThunder of Canton, Okla., three brothers, Michael Starr of Oklahoma City, Carlos Lime and Kenny Lime, both of Watonga, Okla., step-father Delbert Hail of Watonga, Okla., and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family. Wake services were held Jan. 9 at the Cheyenne & Arapaho Multi-Purpose Building in Watonga, Okla. Funeral services were held Jan. 10 at the same venue with Rev. George Akeen Jr. and Rev. Gerald Panana officiating, followed by an Interment at the Cantonment Cemetery in Canton, Okla.

Greg was born Jan. 13, 1969 in Clinton, Okla. to Rodman and Victoria (Green) Walker. He graduated Canton High School in the Class of 1987. Greg attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University at Alva, Okla. Greg is survived by his mother Victoria Walker of El Reno, Okla., two daughters, Kaycee Walker and Carley Meat, both of El Reno, Okla., one brother George Walker Sr., two sisters, Shawna Rodriguez of Stillwater, Okla., and Jennifer Green of El Reno, Okla., four grand-

children, Dakota Levi, Jade Twins, Justice Twins and James Twins Jr. Greg was preceded in death by his father Rodman Walker, sister Ronda Walker, grandparents Sampson and Cordelia (Howlingbuffalo) Walker, Albert Green Sr., and Lola (Whiteman) Green. Traditional wake services were held Jan. 7 at the Canton Community Center in Canton, Okla. Funeral services were held Jan. 8 at the Canton Christian Church with Rev. Gerald Panana officiating. Interment followed in the Canton Cemetery.

Nora Carolyn Magpie Feb. 3, 1960 Jan. 3, 2018 An all night wake service was held for Nora Carolyn Magpie on Jan. 7 at the Clinton Community Center in Clinton, Okla. Funeral services were held Jan. 8 at the same venue, followed by an Interment at the Down Woman Cemetery.

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January 30 Happy Birthday Ronnie Mowatt! Love you with all my heart babe! Looking forward to many many more

January 21 Happy Birthday mom! Wishing you many more! Your family loves you and thank you for being such a great mom and grandmother

Act of Kindness Makenzie Cometsevah was blessed with more than enough gifts over the holidays and wanted to give back. Makenzie said she wanted to give Mary Geary’s granddaughter a gift, a pay if forward gift for all the caring and love Mary Geary has shown to her. Thank you Mary.

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EMPLOYMENT

Employment: Submit a tribal application, resume, diploma(s), transcripts, valid copy of Oklahoma state driver’s license and a copy of CDIB (if applidable) to Personnel Department, PO Box 38, Concho, OK 73022 or email atisdale@c-a-tribes.org. Headstart Transportation/ Floater F-T / Concho Closing: Until Filled

Transit Driver II (2) OnCall Status Closing: Until Filled

Qualifications: Must have a valid Oklahoma driver’s license and be willing to obtain a CDL and Bus Driver’s certificate within 90 days of hire. Must be in good physical health, which allows lifting and moving. Ability to work independently. Knowledge of Head Start is desirable. A high school diploma or GED required. Must be familiar with federal, regional, state and local tribal regulations as they apply to the specific area of program operations. Ability to manage physically active children, ages 3-5 within a weight range up to 60 pounds, including lifting, restraining, guiding, pursuing, withstanding sudden movements. SALARY: Negotiable

Qualifications: Valid Oklahoma Class D driver’s license required. Must possess or be willing to obtain CPR certification. Transit drivers must pass a pre-employment drug screening process and subject to random drug testing. Must be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds with no physical barriers. Applicant must be able to communicate effectively to patrons and supervisors any findings or incidents. High school diploma or GED equivalent required. Cheyenne-Arapaho preference. SALARY: Negotiable

Office Clerk Enrollment Office Closing: Until Filled Qualifications: High school diploma or G.E.D. required. Previous experience required in general office procedures, filing, typing, data entry, answering phones and working with the public. Highly proficient time and stress management skills. Proficient knowledge of office administration. Knowledge of program policies and regulations a plus. Ability to relate and work with the Indian and non-Indian communities. Cheyenne-Arapaho preference. SALARY: Negotiable Surveillance Operator Clinton Overnights Gaming Commission Closing: Until Filled Qualifications: Must pass pre-employment drug test. Must be able to qualify and maintain a Cheyenne- Arapaho Gaming License. SALARY: Negotiable Adult Education Counselor/Clinton & Canton Closing: Until Filled

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in education or related field preferred or an equivalent of combination of experience, substituting one year of experience in teaching for each year of the required education. Must possess a current Oklahoma driver’s license and have a clean driving record. Must pass OSBI background check. Must be able to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays not to exceed 29 hours/ week. Cheyenne and Arapaho preference. SALARY: Negotiable

Office Manager-FT Burial Program Department of Enrollment Closing: Until Filled

Qualifications: High school graduate or G.E.D. certification required, with a minimum of Administrative Assistant Certification or with a minimum of two years of administrative or clerical experience. Skills in greeting and working with the public are essential. Must have a valid Oklahoma driver’s license and dependable transportation. Must be willing to work other than normal working hours. Cheyenne-Arapaho tribal preference. SALARY: Negotiable Arapaho District 1 Administrative Assistant Closing: Jan. 23, 2018

Qualifications: High school graduate or G.E.D. certification required. Must be willing to learn the legislative process and procedures. Ability to perform the essential job functions. Knowlege of policies, practices and procedures. Working knowledge of computer software programs. Ability to relate and work with the general public. Willing to work weekends or holidays, if needed. Must possess a valid Oklahoma driver’s license. Arapaho District 1 registered voter preference. SALARY: Negotiable

Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

NOTICE OF NEW LOCATION

Tsistsistas & Hinonoei

LEGAL NOTICES

The Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune offices are now located at 1600 S. Hwy. 66, Suite 8 in El Reno, Okla. Please stop in and visit us. We hope to see more of you in a newly convenient location. Happy New Year! Education Manager Head Start Closing: Until Filled

Probate Officer Land Management Office Closing: Until Filled

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in childhood education or advanced degree or bachelor’s degree or advanced degree and equivalent coursework in early childhood education with early education teaching experience. A minimum of three years teaching experience in early childhood program. Computer experience a must. Knowledge of Head Start Performance standards. Ability to clearly articulate the program’s goals and philosophy and the role of the early childhood development. Leadership in the area of planning, organizing, monitoring and implementing program design. Must maintain compliance with Criminal History Registry, random drug testing required. SALARY: Negotiable

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree and/or managerial work experience in areas relative to Land Management. Some college and/ or work experience equivalent. Work experience of five years or more in any of the following areas is preferred, oil and gas, land management, real estate, energy, natural resources, title and abstract or tribal land management. Must have knowledge in the operation of various office machines. Computer skills and knowledge of TAAMS, Land Management software, and other wordprocessing programs. A bility to communicate and relate to Indian and non-Indian communities. Must possess a current Oklahoma driver’s license and pass background check. Must provide a Motor Vehicle Report that is applicable to tribal insurance policy. Native American preference. SALARY: Negotiable

Cheyenne Junior Apprentice Language Program Closing: Until filled

Qualifications: High school graduate or G.E.D. certification required. Experience learning Cheyenne, Arapaho or another foreign language. Experience teaching or leading a group of people. Ability to use language related technology such as recording devices, video conferencing tools and electronic dictionaries. Ability to work flexible schedule. Ability to work with children, adult learners and elders. Must pass background check, possess a valid Oklahoma driver’s license and have a clean driving record. SALARY: Negotiable

ATTENTION High School Juniors and Seniors If you are wanting to take any upcoming ACT tests, please contact Higher Education for assistance with payments. You will need to create an account on ACT.org and complete your profile before payment will be made for the test. Please send in gaming appication along with CDIB. Contact Emily Chavez at 405-422-7436, emwilson@c-a-tribes.org or Hannah Prairie Chief, 405-422-7646, hprairiechief@c-a-tribes.org.

Letter to the Editor:

To the people of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, we are welcoming in a new year. We should let this year be one for growth, let’s allow our hearts to be set right and by doing so renew our people. Maheo has blessed me with an opportunity to gain wisdom and through this wisdom I have been able to renovate my self. Now I, through his wisdom, can better serve my tribe, spiritual duties, friends and family. Here is a little wisdom I would like to share in hopes of maybe just touching one person’s heart. Sweet Medicine’s prophecy says, “There will be powerful strangers that will come into your country and the history of your people will be lost forever.” Through Maheo’s wisdom I now understand these words, these strangers are not whom we thought, it was not the white men. These strangers are alcohol, meth, material worth, money and sexual immorality. The most powerful strangers then brought the principles of human nature. These strangers took our ability as we once did, selfless with the betterment of the tribe in every thought and action we had. This was corrupted through worldly desires and passion, self-gain and self-preservation. Human nature’s principles replaced our tribal characters and virtues. When Sweet Medicine said, “The history of your people will be lost forever,” he didn’t mean the Cheyenne people would be wiped off the planet. He meant through these new principles, our connection to Maheo and our ancestors would be lost. In this lost connection, our spirit dies and the history of our people is gone forever. If we forget how our elders carried themselves daily, their character, selflessness and virtues they held firm to, our spirit dies and our history is gone forever. In the old days every thought and action was made in how it would benefit the tribe. Nobody has ever wanted to better theirselves so they can be alone. They always want to help others. The happiness and joy they found they want to share with others. The way in which a people’s history is lost and you forget their roots and what they hold in reverence. It is forgotten by not remembering your ancestor’s love, devotion and influence they had on their people. By learning human nature you become weak to inward lusts and outward reduction.

A majority of what we teach about our tribes history is how they died and not how they lived. Ask any man in our tribe about our past warriors, they will tell you they were great warriors who fought great battles, if you ask them to fight like our ancestors did they would relish the opportunity. What we should ask them is, “Do you think you could love, attain wisdom, serve your tribe with the same selflessness as those warriors did. Carry yourself with dignity the way they did. Live with the same reverence, humility and family duty they had?” We are not fighting the cavalry like they had done. Our war is now against alcohol, meth, greed, exploitation of our own youth to gangs and violence, sexual immortality, our worldly desires and passion for our own selfish gain. Just as a speck of pollen can grow a rose bush, one person can change a tribe, sincere love in perpetual and even if one person had sincere love, others could grow in it. By teaching our youth the bad things we suffered in history we plant seeds of anger, resentment and hate. By not forgiving their atrocities we limit our children’s cultivation of growth and wisdom. Lets teach them our elder’s love, benevolence and selflessness. By doing this we ensure they will be the best version of themselves. Then they will be sincere in their duties and devotion. We would all do this by making sure if we cultivate ourselves we can renovate our tribe. We cultivate through sincerity and discipline. The best habits will make you the best man. Let’s not let the history of our people be forgotten through the death of our spirit. Let’s ensure our part in our tribes history by the example we leave, the people will want to follow. The way history is not forgotten is by making our own history. This is how we should live; our example will be followed ten generations from now. Let’s not pray what’s in our hearts and hope our ancestors and Maheo hear us. Let’s instead know Maheo and our ancestor’s hearts and hope we can hear them in our prayers. How blessed would we be then. It is our hearts that are corrupted but through the purity of Maheo’s and our ancestor’s hearts we can be refined and in doing so ensure our people’s history last forever. Haho. Nicholas Faulkner Davis Correctional Facility Holdenville, Okla.

Tsistsistas & Hinonoei

Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

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Dariney Slinkey, Riverside Indian School Interview/Photos by Rosemary Stephens

Senior for Riverside Indian School basketball team, Dariney Slinkey is a soft-spoken gentle girl off the court. On the court her gentleness is replaced is a hard driven competitor who loves the game. A 5’6 small guard, Slinkey hopes to step beyond high school into the world of college play. Slinkey was born and raised in El Reno, Okla., and up until last spring attended El Reno High School. She transferred to Riverside Indian School and said it was the best move she ever made, “it’s a lot more opportunities for me.” When did you first begin playing and how? In the third grade at Darlington. Like my whole life was at Darlington and that’s the main thing they do there and I really liked it. What is it about the sport that you love the best? How the people know you from basketball. What has been your biggest accomplishment in the sport so far? I am more dedicated than ever before. What is your biggest accomplishment in the classroom so far? Here it’s like what I get on tests. My math is the best I ever done, I am in pre calculus. What is your GPA (if known)? Last I checked it was 3.2. What goals have you

set for yourself in sports, school? To make it to state in basketball and in school it’s to graduate. What actions are you taking to reach these goals? I go hard in practice, communicating and not giving up. What has been the most exciting game you have played in? I would say the Apache, but that was a championship I was ready for, but other than that one I would have to say our first home game because it was my first time ever playing on this court and it was exciting. What is the best advice you have ever been given and who gave you that advice? To never give up and keep on trying. Even if you do fail, just keep on going because even if you hit bottom than you can just come up because there’s just not any other way to go but up … a few people have told me that. Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? Well I have a tattoo of it. (Dariney turns her wrist over and written inside is, ‘I Am Enough.’ Who or what inspires you the most? There’s a few people, mostly my parents who are always there for me. They are at every game in the stands. What does your routine

workout consist of to stay fit for your sport? How often? To stay fit in basketball it’s just shooting and running. I do it every day that my knees or ankle allow me to. What are one or two things in your training, that you feel are keys to you being successful in your sport? Communication and teamwork. What is your favorite meal before or after a game? Before a game I like to eat candy and after the game I like getting McDonalds. Who has had the biggest impact on your life? My step-dad. What are some of your hobbies (what do you like to do when not playing sports)? Well here, there’s really nothing else to do, so I come to the gym when I get out of school and wait until it’s our turn to practice and then I stay after practice and shoot around and then I go back to the dorm. At home I like to hang out with my friends and go places. What kinds of music do you enjoy listening to? I like listening to rap and hip-hop. What is one thing about you that no one else knows? Everyone thinks I am mean and stuff because of how I walk around and don’t seem to pay attention, but I am like really nice. Were you ever bullied in school? What steps do you

feel should be taken to protect those being bullied in schools today? Yes and I think someone should be by your side all the time and when you are feeling down to have someone there to talk about it. I think the teachers, workers, see someone down and walking around with their head down they should go over there and talk to them, tell them it’s okay because probably someone isn’t telling them that enough. How do you combat drug & alcohol use by peer pressure? Well really none of my friends do, so we hang out together, when we go out we just drive around and go out to eat and stuff like that. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? I think it would be how people see Native Americans. Because they only see them as alcoholics and stuff, but we’re really not and we all can change that. What would be a dream come true for you in your life? To get a basketball scholarship … a full ride. Who is your favorite athlete of all time? Baker Mayfield. Which team is your favorite team? The OKC Thunder. What are your immediate plans after graduating high

school? I want to go to college to play basketball, but there aren’t colleges looking at me right now. I went with the school to tour colleges and I really like Ft. Lewis, but after high school I really want to go to college. What would be your advice to younger kids coming up behind you?

Keep an open mind, to try it because they might really like it. Dariney’s parents are Amber Black Owl and Elijah Sandy. Her grandparents are William Blackowl and Sidonia Blackowl. She has two older sisters, Arianne Slinkey and Tiara Slinkey and one younger sister, Madison Slinkey.

Darlington Chiefs basketball teams compete in big school tournament The seventh and eighth grade Darlington Chiefs basketball teams traveled to Edmond on Jan. 4-6, 2018 to compete in the Edmond Central ‘8th Grade Invitational Basketball Tournament.’ This was the first year for the Chiefs and Lady Chiefs to participate in the tournament. The tournament consisted of four Edmond schools, two schools from Norman, one from Putnam City and Darlington was the

eighth and final school. In the first round of the tournament, Darlington boys went up against Putnam City Cooper. It was a one-point game at halftime with the Chiefs in the lead 19-18. During the second half Darlington used their press to pull away from the bigger and more athletic Cooper team to win 44-30. The Lady Chiefs opened up the tournament against the host school Edmond Central. The Lady Chiefs were far superior than their and won 43-8 after a shaky first half. On Friday, Jan. 5, both Darlington teams had a chance to make it to the championship with a win. The Lady Chiefs were up against the number one seed Edmond Sequoyah. The Lady Chiefs had a good showing but came up short 43-31 to advance to the third place game. In the final game of the night the Darlington boys were up against the second seed Edmond Summit. The Chiefs opened up the game with a 28-10 halftime advantage and

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cruised to a 43-28 win. The Chiefs advanced to the championship game on Saturday night, Jan. 6. Darlington Lady Chiefs went up against Putnam City Cooper on Saturday afternoon playing for third place. The girls had a big halftime lead but Cooper battled back. It was a close game in the fourth quarter as Darlington pulled out the victory 33-31. The Lady Chiefs went 2-1 on the weekend to pull their record to 9-4 on the year. In the championship game, Darlington boys, who were the sixth seed, were pitted against the number one seed Norman Whittier. Just like the previous games, Darlington boys raced out to a big 26-11 half time lead. In the second half, the bigger and more athletic Whittier caused turnovers to cut the lead. Darlington couldn’t overcome all the advantages that Whittier had and ended up losing 52-46 in overtime. It was quite an accomplishment for the Darlington teams to compete at such a large tournament. Each school that Darlington faced is in the highest classification of schools in Oklahoma. Darlington’s seventh and eighth grade enrollment combined is 40 students. The schools in the tournament ranged from 500-1000 students for eighth grade only.

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Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune

Tsistsistas & Hinonoei