Address focuses on treasuring Tribal unity

Observer Staff

2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

(Editors note: The following State of the Tribe Address was delivered by Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Chief Fred Cantu Jr. on Jan. 29 during the community meeting at the Soaring Eagle Entertainment Hall.)

Good afternoon everyone.

I would like to start our meeting by saying "miigwetch" to the High Spirit Singers, the Anishnaabe Ogitchedaw Veteran & Warriors Society and Tribal Chaplain Lorna Call for opening us in the spirit of prayer.

On behalf of our Tribal Council, I appreciate you taking time to come out to today's community meeting and hope you enjoyed the information booths set up by many of our Tribal departments. Continuing to deliver quality services to our Tribal membership is a cornerstone of what we do and the main focus of my State of the Tribe address.

In the Book of Matthew, Chapter 6, verse 21, scripture informs "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." In quiet contemplation, I think of our Tribe and what our treasure is.

As I arrived at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort today, it occurred to me that some may say our treasure is there. Certainly, it is our main economic resource that provides much needed funding for Tribal programs; Tribal treasurer Audrey Falcon will later offer insight on how our finances are doing. I challenge you to look around and view the treasure of our Tribe. I pose to you-our treasure and most precious resource is each other � our members, our families and children.

One common thread woven into the fabric of our Tribe is a fundamental belief that the spiritual healing of family and our community is most important. It was the number one challenge in the strategic planning process in 1997, and was mentioned once again last year by Council, our Tribal program directors and the voices of our Tribal youth.

The heart of our Native people lies in the treasure of each other. Every successful community has its share of differences and all democratic governments encourage debate between individuals and government. Our community is no exception. Our Tribal government must be willing to listen and consider the needs, concerns and demands of our membership. Unfortunately, the debate at times has been divisive and counterproductive to the long-term interests of our Tribe and its members.

It is a time to heal. Healing begins when we all work together toward solutions � when we treat our fellow Tribal members with dignity and respect and when we realize that we all have a common bond and interest in our Tribe, our sovereignty and our continued success.

In listening to the Tribal membership and our youth, it will be a primary goal of our council administration to bring the dream of a reservation athletic center to reality. The groundwork laid from the last administration will continue and we will hear today some of the work of the Reservation Athletic Center Committee. This athletic center will provide much needed programs to our community and our children. It is one more important way to build and nourish this important treasure.

The heart of our Native people can be found in the precious treasure of our Elders. Our Tribal membership has remained patient as we have done our research to develop a re-design of the Sowmick Senior Center. This facility will, among other things, incorporate assisted living for our Elders.

The heart of our Native people can be found in our brothers and sisters who live in the Saganing area. I had an opportunity to join in the ribbon cutting of the Saganing Outreach Center and another goal of this administration is to host one of our regular scheduled monthly council meetings at the Saganing Outreach Center.

The heart of our Native people can be found in our outreach to others. Let this be this clear today-the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has been and will continue to be a positive force on federal, state, local and Tribal levels. Our Tribe must and will continue to actively assert its sovereignty and to protect its legitimate interests by continuing to take an active role on national issues affecting our Tribe. We have all heard of the unethical and illegal conduct of former Washington lobbyists.

While this conduct is reprehensible, the Falcon Administration secured an agreement to return the money that was wrongfully taken from our Tribe and now is the time to move forward with a positive agenda. Our Administration will take a positive agenda to Washington and will assert and protect our rights as a sovereign Nation on national issues affecting Native Tribes. We appreciate our friends like Congressman Dale Kildee and others of the Native American Caucus, who work with our Tribe to further issues that protect our right of sovereignty and other concerns close to our Native way of life.

I would further commend the outreach of council members, Michele Stanley, Ruth Moses and Lorna Call on their joining Tribal Police officers Kipp Moe, Jeremy Wilkins, Craig Wilson and Sgt. Jerry Smith on the State House of representatives floor on Jan. 24. Tribal Police Capt. Joe Kequom and Lt. Danielle Bannon accompanied them. This was the first time a Native Tribe was recognized in this manner in Michigan history-truly a proud moment for all of us.

The next day, I had the pleasure of joining the governor at the State of the State address, the second time in Michigan history where our Tribal Chief was present; the first was former Chief Audrey Falcon. We need our Tribal leaders to make this kind of commitment where we can tell the legislators who we are and what we are about. I was honored to share our Tribal history book with the Democratic and Republican leaders in Lansing.

My prior experience as your Tribal fire chief provided me with an awareness of the need of Tribal resources assisting emergency services. Looking at the continued efforts of the Tribal police and the outreach of our health professionals assisting in an overall community emergency action plan, I know we need to stay the course in this much need involvement. Our council administration will be actively pursuing those federal dollars to maintain homeland security efforts in our community and we will do this for the benefit of residents of our community.

In closing, the heart of our Native people can be found in our treasure of resolve. The resounding strength of our Native Tribes is we have been adaptable people and we know we need to grow and change with the times. One of the biggest challenges ahead of us is how we adapt to a continuing economic climate. Our Administration will actively pursue economic opportunities that will show our membership, in dollars, our commitment to increasing the financial strength of our Tribe.

Please remember, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." A clear spiritual direction for our Tribe has been laid in recent history. For those who attended the Ziibiwing Center reception where we unveiled our history book, we do have an opportunity to write new chapters to that Tribal history. Whether you believe it or not, we are writing that history every time we get together in the spirit of cooperation. Please help our administration write another chapter to that book that reflects our proud and continued efforts to move our Tribe and people forward into the next generations.

Miigwetch to all of you for coming. May God continue to bless us all.