By Michelle Beaudin
LCO Tribal Governing Board Member
I am pleased to provide you with an update on the progress and activities of my work over the past year. I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your continued support
and involvement in our efforts to make our community a better place. I want to let our Tribal Members know the work that I have been doing for you and I apologize for not getting information out to you on a more consistent basis. We have come a long way from when I first was elected to the Tribal Governing Board, we were 3 years behind on audits and our
accounting records were in a shambles and our indirect cost rates were 4 years behind.
Now with a lot of work and the increase in staffing, we are all caught up and the audit was submitted on time this year and we have a current indirect cost rate and have
negotiated one for FY 2025. We are currently under-budget, and it looks like we will finish the fiscal year that way.
Our New Health Center construction is on schedule, and it should be ready by February 2025. Our new apartment building is full as is all our other housing, we received a grant to build 12 homes plus another 4 homes (Under ARPA) for home ownership. We know that we still need more housing and are looking for more resources to continue to grow our communities.
LCO Housing Authority has conveyed the Community buildings in New Post, Signor, and Reserve to the Tribe, we are looking for ideas from the communities on what they would like to use the buildings for. We fought against MRI surveying done on our reservation and any of our ceded territory and protect our treaty rights.
I have been a little busy in my office, attending our Governing Board Meetings, I am on some local committees and have been attending meetings such as; New Post Community meetings, the Big Fish Board, the Sawyer County/LCO Economic Development Board,
Giwii-minobimaadizimin Substance Prevention Coalition Meeting, the State of WI MMIP Task Force. On these boards, we have been working on issues and challenges that our
people have and how we can help our people be prosperous. I have collaborated with local businesses and other organizations to create partnerships that have allowed us to expand our reach and impact within the community.
Community Events: We have successfully organized several community events, such as seasonal cultural events, and holiday celebrations, which have brought our community together and fostered a sense of unity and belonging. I have been also trying to attend all the Tribal Member funerals that I am able to, to support our families in their time of grief to assist them and express my condolences. To those families that I was unable to attend their family member’s funerals, I send you all my deepest sympathies and apologies for not being able to be there for you.
With the support of some of my fellow Councilmembers, I have also been meeting with our Federal Partners (mostly by Zoom meetings) such as; Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Consultation, HHS Consultation, National Congress of American Indians, Tribal Interior Budget Council, Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Education, Department of Justice-Public Safety, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Energy, U.S. Forest Service, US Geographical Survey Department, Indian Health Service Community Health Aide Program Tribal Advisory Group, and Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes.
I, along with other Tribal leaders from across our region and across the country have been bringing to the forefront the issues that plague all of our communities and we have been advocating for;
FUNDING: more equalized funding, more flexibility and direct funding for tribes, true nation to nation relationships and treatment with Tribes. 105 Leasing agreements approvals and mandatory funding, funding for school safety, ICW, road maintenance, education, farm bill, boarding schools, public safety, school safety, , more equalized funding for K-12 Schools and Tribal Colleges & Universities, additional funding for Native languages, School funding for students under ¼ blood quantum and/or non-enrolled, pay increases for BIE staff, funding needed to help tribes with climate change, food sustainability funding, Need of tribal data for increase funding for the Unmet need in Indian Country.
HEALTH: AODA Treatment Centers, addressing opioid epidemic and homelessness, more work and resources for MMIP, staffing shortages in health, behavior health, AODA, telehealth, suicide prevention, and increase the availability of providers in different areas of specialties.
LAND & ENVIRONMENT: We have been advocating for Co-Stewardship/Co-Management of all lands within Ceded Territories with funding to support this effort. Repatriation efforts enforcement, climate change, environmental protections, broadband to include Tribal Historic Preservation Officers.
UPCOMING ELECTIONS: Discussion on “Get out the Native Vote (GOTV)” and how important it is to get our communities registered and informed on voting.
LOBBYING EFFORTS: We met with other Native organizations and their lobbyists and discussed how we can help each other and have a bigger voice in Washington DC. We Tribal Leaders created resolutions to submit to congress and strategized on what our issues are and which representatives we need to meet with. We then went to Capitol Hill and met with Senators, Congress members, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and advocated for more funding and talked about issues and barriers that tribes are facing and Tribal Leaders are fighting for data & digital sovereignty for tribes and our information to be protected from external threats.
Looking ahead, we are committed to continuing our efforts to address the needs of our community and to make a positive impact on the lives of our residents. We are also open to feedback and suggestions from the community on how we can further improve and expand our initiatives.
We would like to extend our gratitude to all of our volunteers and community partners who have contributed to the success of our people. Our Tribal Distributions went very well and are thankful to all the helpers that we had. We truly appreciate your support and dedication. I will be advocating & supporting more assistance to our people in this manner and hopefully we can reach more people.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to working together to create a stronger and more vibrant community.
My door is always open, please feel free to come and see me.
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