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Announcing “Bottle Fundraiser” for the New Cultural Center….

CHALLENGE: I challenge you to grab a bottle and fill it with coins, when full, cash in and send check, money order or on pay-pal for this challenge. Thank you to all who have made a donation towards this since the February 19 th meeting.

Goal: $5,000 – for the NEW Brothertown Indians Cultural Center…

Now that we have new property. Let’s raise some money for repairs and getting it ready for a Grand Opening!

We’ll need your professional help as well. Calling all Painters, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, roofers, etc.

Contact me at dmkraintz@brothertownindians.org or call 920-929-9964

Homelands and Anniversary Bus Tour

The planning continues and details continue to be updated… please mark your calendar and plan on attending he Home Lands Tour 2023. If there are any questions, please contact: Calumetandcross@gmail.com.

Tentative Itinerary October 7-15, 2023.

Planning continues, stay tuned….or contact Calumet and Cross to offer with helping in the planning!

Program organized by United for Diversity.

https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/ Tonight is a Blanket Exercise and you are invited! A blanket exercise is a powerful interactive teaching of often neglected, “untold stories” of First Nation history, and an opportunity to engage with our indigenous siblings in relationship building and healing. There is no cost to attend, but a free will offering will be taken for Brothertown Indian Nation to offset food costs in the meal they are preparing for us. SPACE IS LIMITED so please register TODAY! Here is the link: https://forms.gle/9hEc8aSak747D2ZT6 . This program is not intended for young children.

Important: Meet The Candidates 2023

Live event This Sunday, April 16,2023
Time: 07:30pm EST, 6:30pm CST, 5:30pm MST, and 4:30pm PST

ALL candidates, citizens, and Brothertown descendants are invited to attend the “Meet the Candidates”

Sign-in details at bottom of this release –

The May 2023 Tribal election is fast approaching – nominations are made this Saturday March 18th! This year, the Secretary position, two Council seats, and a Peacemaker position are on the ballot.

View and download candidates extensive bios, in the 2023 Voter’s Guide here…

View Election Committee detailed information here.

all ballots will be sent to Members we have addresses on file for.

If any member does not receive a ballot by May 1st, Absentee ballots can be requested by emailing the Committee at elections@brothertownindians.org

The candidates for the 2023 Brothertown Indian Nation elections have been announced as follows: 

Secretary:3-year term (1 open position)

Melissa Kavonius

Council: 3-year term (2 open positions)

Faith Ottery
Renee Patterson
Hector Marroquin
Skip Blanc

Peacemaker: 5-year term (1 open position)

Tom Smith

Zoom Sign-in Information

Topic: Meet the Candidates-2023
Time: Apr 16, 2023: 07:30pm EST, 6:30pm CST, 5:30pm MST, and 4:30pm PST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82307046038?pwd=em5oMVBVb2JrRE50RzA1ck5DNWJJdz09

Meeting ID: 823 0704 6038
Passcode: 731125
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View photos of the 6th annual Powwow at the BINCC

View photos of the most recent Brothertown Indian Nation Powwow which happened yesterday’s April 1, 2023. View the April 1, 2023 Powwow Gallery This marks the 20th gallery added to the website in recent weeks.

These are a priority in support of our Restoration process – as it openly showing a continuous and thriving Tribe, inclusive, engaged, and close Tribal family. A special thank you for all our members who have posted and sent to the website committee. We are still trying to fill in the gaps. If you have any photos from past events – please email webmaster@brothertownindians.org – recent events if anyone has any photos include both this years Snow Snake event and the Snow Snake event in 2022, and any of the recent BIN picnics….

Additionally, if you want to view all the recently added Tribal archived Galleries, use the links below to all events of the Brothertown Indian Nation we have photos for:

Article on the Brothertown Tribe in the Rippon Press

Fond du Lac County tribe seeks federal recognition

by Kat Griffith, Fond du Lac Country District 1 supervisor   Mar 24, 2023

Wisconsin native Vets line up outside the Capital for the State of the Tribes address last week.
submitted photo
Kat Griffith

At the first County Board meeting I attended I was intrigued to hear a request from the Brothertown Indian Tribe asking Fond du Lac County to support its petition for federal recognition.

Embarrassing confession: Until that night I did not know there was a tribe based in our county!

Here’s a brief primer on the Brothertown and its important request.

Who are the Brothertown Indians?

The Brothertown are descendants of the residents of seven Christianized tribal villages in Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York. The seven original tribes were decimated by the diseases, famines and wars that accompanied European settlement.

Missionaries gathered some survivors together into seven “Praying Towns” and many of the young men and women attended a mission boarding school. There, they reimagined a shared future and decided to form a single community together.

They requested and received land from the Oneida Tribe of New York, where they founded the Brothertown community in 1784. Eventually they prospered there. However, between 1796 and 1815, unscrupulous land speculators and the state of New York — via fraudulent and illegal treaties, leases and acquisitions — dispossessed both the Oneida and the Brothertown Tribes of most of their land.

Read the entire interesting article here on he Ripon Press newspaper

Important Reminder: Election Nominations Due this Saturday’s Council Meeting

The May 2023 Tribal election is fast approaching – nominations are made this Saturday March 18th! This year, the Secretary position, two Council seats, and a Peacemaker position are on the ballot. Per the Tribe’s constitution, the Elections Committee will provide a report at the March Council meeting, identifying nominees. Nominations may also be taken from the floor at that meeting.

If you would like to learn more or express interest, you can contact Shaun Nadolny at shaunnadolny@hotmail.com or (414-403-3339) . The March Council meeting will take place this Saturday, March 18th at 10am CST at the BINCC.

The Brothertown Indian Nation Galleries continue to expand!

These are an important way to show how we all come together as a Tribal Family. Celebrating as a family no matter where we are or come from. While centered in our ancestral home in Brothertown, Wisconsin, all members are vital to our Brothertown family. When we come together to celebrate or join in an event, the miles melt away. You can feel the fun, inclusiveness and respect for each other in the following photos. Enjoy these and they will continue to grow as our Tribe does.

The website and communications committee ask if anyone has photos of any event (past or present) to please forward them to webmaster@brothertownindians.org. These galleries are both for members and also showcase who we are as a tribe to the outside world.

View the 19th Annual State of the Tribes

19th Annual State of the Tribes

Yesterday’s 2023 State of the Tribes Address delivered from the State Capitol in Madison was  given by Sokaogon Chippewa Community Chairman Robert VanZile.  Many topics were covered and called on state lawmakers to help improve rural health care, fight the opioid crisis and tackle environmental issues. Additionally, Chairman VanZile   called on state lawmakers Tuesday to work with tribal leaders as they craft their budget this year. “Every budget cycle, there is an opportunity for local, county, state, and tribal governments to collaborate on critical services and investments to bring greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of those services,” VanZile said.

Another moment of pride for the Brothertown Indian Nation was the recognition of the Tribe by Chairman Robert VanZile to Jessica Ryan Vice -Chair who was in attendance. Also attending and representing the Tribe were Dawn Kraintz-Council and Melissa Kavonius-Secretary   The entire State of the Tribes can be viewed here…

WI Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez with Jessica Ryan-Vice-Chair), Dawn Kraintz-Council, Melissa Kavonius-Secretary
WI Tribal Nation’s Veterans posted
with Eagle Staffs and Colors around the rotunda
Gathering around the drum and preparing to start grand entry
on the east side of the capitol
Grand entry outside the Capitol