February 2021 Open Meeting Summary

Tribal Open Meeting Summary 2/5/2021 held via Zoom

1. CM’s Marion, Susan, Alan, Marie, Glenn and CoC Dalton present. VC Cheryl, 2C John, and Filekeeper Starla present.

2. Financial Report (as of 2/5/2021, 12pm)

   1. General Fund: $24,051.17

   2. Building Fund: $3779.64

3. Online votes

   1. 1/26 Allow David Perry to stay in the office again

      1. Alan-yes, Marie-yes, Marion-yes, Glenn-yes, Susan-yes, Dalton-yes

   2. 1/30 Accept January meeting summary with change

      1. Alan-yes, Marie-yes, Marion-yes, Glenn-yes, Susan-yes, Dalton-yes

4. New Business

   1. Committee Reports

      1. Buildings & Grounds: Glenn C

         1. Still too wet on the grounds to work

      2. Arts & Crafts: Susan

         1. Nothing new at this time

      3. Pauwau: Michelle

         1. Nothing new at this time

      4. Drum: Alan & Glenn C

         1. Nothing new at this time

      5. Campground: 2C John

         1. Nothing; waiting until end of February to start

         2. Glenn C: motion to amend last month’s motion and schedule with GSW&S; Susan seconded

            1. 2C John: will call Chief on Monday

            2. Alan-yes, Marie-yes, Marion-yes, Glenn-yes, Susan-yes, Dalton-yes

      6. Files: Daton

         1. Met 1/16 via Zoom

         2. Got started with setup

            1. Want a day to train every committee member on the different parts of getting and ID to printing and renewing ID cards in case someone gets ill

            2. Discussed getting a new ID printer

            3. VC Cheryl: CMA may take a more active role in printing ID cards for tribes

            4. 2C John: thought it was to show benefits for SC (fishing & hunting licenses)

            5. Perhaps there could be something put on the regular DMV license noting tribal affiliation

            6. Susan: this has been in discussion for a couple of years

            7. VC Cheryl: Kevin Dyda has been sent an honorary application

            8. He feels it’s unfair if he has to show genealogical ties

            9. Explained the process to him: nominate & at 1 year review, grant full membership

            10. Glenn: nothing wrong with the current process

            11. VC Cheryl: he’s concerned that he couldn’t be made a full member

            12. Dalton: Michelle pointed out that membership isn’t a right

            13. We have a lot of members who aren’t helping

            14. It sounds like he cares; you could nominate him for a vote

            15. Susan: ask him to show up to open meetings and share so that we can ask him why he wants to be a member

            16. Alan: Is he a member of another tribe?

            17. VC Cheryl: no

            18. VC Cheryl read the email from him aloud

            19. 2C John asked her to share the email to Tribal Council

            20. 2C John: it shouldn’t be a problem if he’s contributing and showing interest

         3. Marion: Rick H left the radios in the tribal office under the table

            1. Somehow the files were unlocked; need to be more careful

            2. VC Cheryl: keys were definitely locked up

            3. Marion: not sure that he went into the files room

            4. 2C John: why does Donnie need a key to the office?

            5. Dalton: I think so he can maintain it

            6. Glenn: office key is the same to the files room key

            7. Susan: definitely need to change it

            8. Glenn: Do you want me to take care of it?

            9. All agreed to it; no roll call vote taken

            10. Glenn: Who gets a key?

            11. Dalton: Tribal Council, Secretary, Filekeeper, Files Committee

            12. Susan: just make 7, all on Files Committee

            13. Dalton: and Chief

            14. Glenn motioned to change indoor office lock and give keys to the Files Committee & Chief; Susan seconded

            15. Alan-yes, Marie-yes, Marion-yes, Glenn-yes, Susan-yes, Dalton-yes

         4. Working out a rotation in call members to update their information

            1. Susan: 2C John said he hasn’t called anyone yet

            2. Starla: working up divvying up members

            3. Dalton: we’ll begin working on it 2/20 at the meeting

         5. Dalton: we discussed pros & cons of scrubbing the roll & its process

         6. We discussed spreadsheets and ID renewal letters

         7. Discussed putting a checklist in the file of items that are supposed to be there, checking the items off as we receive them

         8. Started a waiting list for ID cards

            1. Dalton: will contact Jeanie; item missing

            2. VC Cheryl: will contact Pail; item missing

   2. VC Cheryl

      1. Dr. Acosta and Bamber (?) met at the office

         1. Looking at revamping the Native American Advisory Committee (NAAC)

         2. Talked about being stripped of our language and its impact on culture

         3. People can be uncomfortable with fire and spirituality because of their own spirituality

            1. Will take some education

         4. Education Task Force: Dr Acosta said that the CMA under Smith was not inclusive to Native Americans

            1. Think there are changes coming to CMA

         5. Native Americans can apply for money from CMA for businesses

      2. Pat Hennigan (?) is an advocate for Natives

         1. Alan: supposed to hear from him about a time/ day to meet

      3. There is a need for a Native history textbook

      4. Committee: have to have an agenda to participate

      5. Conservative Land Trust: possibly put our land in trust to keep it from being used for anything other than Native Americans

      6. MMIW: complying data

      7. HBCU: for inclusiveness, accepting more people of color

      8. Looking at funding from CRM tribal systems

      9. SCIAC & committees currently working separate from CMA

         1. We lobby & advocate

         2. CMA helps pass legislation

         3. Change SCIAC to a special interest group

   3. Chief’s thoughts given by VC Cheryl

      1. Civic Engagement class for members to teach advocacy

      2. Someone wanted our judges to resolve another tribe’s issues

         1. Alan: at least they would be unbiased

         2. Dalton: other tribes would have to bring it to us

            1. VC Cheryl: create a memorandum of understanding so people can request our judges

            2. Dalton: it would be prestigious for our tribe

            3. Our judges are trained by the state; get them to recognize them as judges for other state tribes

            4. VC Cheryl: problem is if other tribes would agree to allow their cases to be heard by district judges

            5. Dalton: tribal leaders could set up a circuit and tribes could set up a line of judges

            6. Glenn: with state seup districts, gives natives a choice

            7. VC Cheryl: it’s not new; it’s done in other parts of the country

      3. Public testimony for PFAS Coalition

         1. Looking at contamination of blood and diseases in the water of communities of color

            1. If you have a well on your land, have it tested ($15 by DHEC)

   4. Marion: talked to Chief & Mark about the fire

      1. Getting a list of names to invite via email

      2. Spring fire is 3/20

   5. Marion: David P left a thank you note for allowing him to stay on grounds

   6. Susan: MUSChealth.org: can sign up there for vaccine date

   7. VC Cheryl: CCU museum project coming along; we will loan items

   8. Chief sent out an email asking for people to be interviewed during Spring equinox; helpful if Iris could be there

Susan motioned to close the meeting; Marion seconded.

Meeting adjourned at 8:53 pm.

Respectfully submitted by Michelle Hatcher on 2/27/2021 at 7:11 am.