Restoration
Support the Tribe’s Effort for Restoration of Federal Recognition
RESTORATION PROGRESS UPDATE
Greeting Relatives
I want to thank the membership for your support and help with the restoration efforts. The hopes and dreams of all our relatives, past, present, and future, depend on restoration. I am sharing the following information to update you on what your Tribal Government has been doing to advance the cause of restoration and to let you know what progress has been made toward achieving restoration.
I want to than former Chairman Bob Fowler and Vice-Chair Jessica Ryan, for serving along with me on the Brothertown Indian Nation (BIN) Restoration Team. Special thanks to our attorney, Arlinda Locklear, one of the foremost restoration attorneys in the country, for her selfless pro bono work on behalf of Brothertown. I also want to thank the Tribal Council for its support and help. I thank those of you whose ongoing efforts help to keep the Nation up and running. No thank you would be complete without thanking the numerous volunteers whose help is essential to our ongoing efforts. Thanks to countless other individuals and groups who have contributed to the restoration effort and who continue to work diligently on behalf of our tribal members. If I overlooked anyone in the following report, or failed to thank you, or did not mention you by name, the omission was not intentional.
he following is a snapshot of what has been happening over the past few months related to the Nation’s progress toward our collective goal of restoration. As you all know, this has been a long road and as you might expect, we still have a long way to go. However, with your help and support, the Brothertown Indian Nation’s (BIN) Bill for restoration will be introduced in the United States Congress and Senate yet this year. Time is of the essence as the Bill must be introduced this year in order for Congress to have enough time to consider the Bill and ultimately pass it.
So, now to some of the most important highlights and positive steps toward Restoration:
Tribal Support: I am happy to report that Brothertown has the support of all the other Indian Nations in Wisconsin. Thanks to their support we have been able to garner support from a wider statewide audience. We have resolutions of support from the Oneida Nation, Stockbridge –Munsee Community (Band of Mohican Indians), the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and from the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, an organization that works to benefit all the tribal nations in Wisconsin through intertribal unity and support. We also have the support of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, one of our East Coast parent tribes. I urge all of you to thank our tribal relatives for their support.
Governor’s support: Another important development this year is a letter of support from Wisconsin Governor, Tony Evers, recommending restoration for Brothertown. I believe the support of the tribes was instrumental in getting the Governor’s support, and we thank them for their support and help. We also want to thank the Governor’s staff, especially Wenona Wolf, who took the time to spend the day on Lake Poygan along with project members from the Tribe’s Sea Grant Wild Rice Project. Special thanks to Vice-Chair Jessica Ryan and Councilman Skip Blanc for their work with the project. (view Skip here with some of the volunteers)
For months now the Governor has been referring to Brothertown as the 12th tribe in Wisconsin and has made every effort to include Brothertown in events along with the other tribes. I was invited to sit with all the other Tribal Leaders from Wisconsin at the Governor’s Swearing-in-Ceremony in Madison at the capital. Click here to see the Brothertown Chair with the Governor Tony Evers, his wife and Lt. Governor Rodriguez. Vice-Tribal Chair, Jessica Ryan, attended the Governor’s State of the Tribe’s address in Madison, along with Tribal Secretary, Melissa Kavonius, and Executive Coordinator and Council Member Dawn Kraintz (view picture here with Lt Governor Sarah Rodriguez).
The Governor’s letter was copied to the entire Wisconsin Congressional Delegation, which includes all of Wisconsin’s U.S. Congresspeople and Wisconsin’s two U.S. Senators. (Governor Ever’s letter can be viewed here) This is especially important as we continue to seek support from members of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation.
Wisconsin Congressional Delegation Support: The Restoration Team has been working with United States Senator Baldwin’s Office for several years. The Senator’s Regional Representative, Jennifer Garner, is very supportive of Brothertown and has provided invaluable guidance to us along the way. Jennifer has also been instrumental in helping us to build a relationship with the Senator’s policy staff in Washington D.C. The Restoration Team recently met with the policy staff and updated them regarding our grassroots support here in Wisconsin. We anticipate an answer from her office soon. The answer we want is for her to confirm that she has agreed to “drop” our Bill for Restoration in the United States Senate. Now is the time to write a personal letter to the Senator and tell her why Restoration is important to you and to your family. Please be sure to send me or the office a copy of your letter. You can download the Template letter here…
The Restoration Team, together with Council Members Michelle Wood and Austin Hammond, is working with Congressman Glenn Grothman from the 6th Congressional District, which covers Calumet and Fond du Lac Counties. The Congressman’s office is located in Fond du Lac at 525 North Peters Avenue #700. His phone # is 920-907-0624. His Chief of Staff is Allan Ott.
If you want to do something to help move your Tribe’s restoration effort along, a letter or a call or both to Congressman Grothman’s office at this time would really be helpful. Speak from the heart, tell him why being restored to our rightful place as a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe is important to your identity as an Indian person and how it honors your ancestors to be restored. You can download the Template letter here…
The Restoration Team is also reaching out to other members of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation. If you know and/or have a contact with any other member of the Delegation and/ or their staff, please contact me or the Restoration Team so we can work with you to make a connection with that member personally or with their office.
Mayors Support: Mayor Donald Merkes of Menasha and Mayor Jane B. Lang of Neenah wrote powerful letters of support on behalf of the Tribe and restoration. Former Mayor of Oshkosh, Lori Palmeri, now a Wisconsin State Senator, the 54 Assembly District, also wrote a strong letter of support. Thanks to Councilman Austin Hammond for his help in reaching out to these Mayors for support.
Social Justice Organizations: The BIN has the support of the following organizations: The Indigenous Peoples Allies Committee from the First Congregational Church, U.C.C., Appleton, WI (ALLIES), the Wisconsin Council of Churches, ESTER of the Fox Valley, and Fond du Lac United for Diversity (you can view the Resolution of Support here). Special thanks to Phil Gabrielson for his tireless support and help in connecting Brothertown with other religious and social justice organizations in Wisconsin.
Individuals, Scholars, and Historians Support: We have received many letters of support from Professors and Historians in Wisconsin and across the country. You can view one letter of support for restoration that we received from Professor Patricia Loew, PhD, a well-known historian and the author of “Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal.” Thank you, Professor Loew.
The Brothertown Indian Nation can be proud of the progress made by your Tribal Government but there are still many hurdles to overcome before we are restored. Everyone has something to contribute to the collective effort. I know it might be hard to figure out what you personally can do to help. If you want to help but can’t figure out exactly how to use your talents, please give me a call or one of the other Council members.
The BIN has a new Executive Coordinator, Dawn Kraintz, who can be reached at the main office phone number or in person at the Brothertown Indian Community Center on Winnebago Drive in the city of Fond du Lac. Dawn can also help you figure out a way to contribute to the restoration effort. You can always donate money to the Tribe or participate in one of the fund raising efforts.
Thank you all for your kind attention and support.
Written by Phyllis Tousey, Brothertown Chairwoman