Caddo Nation News Archives

Caddo Nation News Archives - November 2004

All Staff meeting scheduled for 8 November 2004

There will be an all staff meeting on Monday, November 8, 2004 at 10:00 AM in the Caddo Nation conference room. Directors, please have all your staff present, as we will have a special guest to present an opportunity for all employees and their families in regards to low cost payroll deduction, funeral services, and burial policies. I believe this will be a super opportunity for all employees and it will also be offered to the entire membership. The guests are going to speak about the possibility of building a funeral home on the Caddo property for all tribal members. Please do your best to attend, and there will be a gift available for all who come. Thank you for your time and attention.

Lionel Ahdunko
Office Manager

11 November 2004: The Caddo Tribal Complex will be closed for Veterans Day.

13 November 2004, 9 AM: Mandatory Firefighter Refresher Course at the Caddo Tribal Complex Conference Room. For more information, contact LD in the Firefighter Office at 405.656.2344, ext. 244

25 and 26 November 2004: The Caddo Tribal Complex will be closed for Thanksgiving.

27 November 2004: Caddo Heritage Museum Annual Dance. This year's honorees are Louis Weller, Lyman Kionute, Thurman Parton, and Helen Tanner. Stratford Williams will be the MC. We will also honor the Museum's princess, Danielle Conder. For more information, contact the Museum at 405.656.2344.

From Chairperson LaRue Parker (4 November 2004)

Five Council members have asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take all 638 Programs from the tribe and give them back to the Bureau. As of 11-02-04 we no longer have a Social Services Program, Direct Employment Assistance, or Aid to Tribal Government. All inquiries on these programs should be directed to the Anadarko Agency or call the Anadarko Representative, Binger Representative, or the Ft. Cobb representative. We have phone numbers and addresses at the complex for these people. I cannot tell you how sorry I can about these actions. We are going backward.

s- LaRue Parker
Chairperson, Caddo Nation

Office Manager Lionel Ahdunko has provided the following announcements (5 November 2004):

1. A Caddo Nation Employee Drug Testing Policy is in place and mandatory employee testing will begin soon.

2. A Procurement Policy modification was passed by the Tribal Council and will expedite program capital expenditures.

3. A Finance Director position was posted in the Native American Times and the Oklahoma Job-Link Network. We have three applicants for the position so far. Interviews for the Finance Director will be on November 18, 2004 at 3:00 PM with an interview panel.

4. The Tribal Council is seeking budget cuts and cost saving remedies to continue services to the Caddo people. The Chairperson is asking all directors and coordinators to be more accountable for their expenses and staff.

5. The Tribal Council has approved the following budgets: Museum, $37,400.18; Health, $5,000; Education, $35,000; and Election Board $15,000.

6. A nomination to the Museum Board was approved by the Tribal Council. Stacy Halfmoon is now a member of the Board.

7. The Caddo Nation offices will be closed on November 11, 2004 and November 25 and 26, 2004, to acknowledge the Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day holidays.

8. Due to a shortage of funds and programs cuts, the Council was forced to abolish the Law Enforcement Program on a temporary basis. The Program will be closed until further notice.

9. On December 2, 2004, the Caddo Nation will be opening a Job-Link / Workforce extension office at the tribal complex. This office is operated by a state employment specialist to assist people with resumes, job placement, and so forth is the state of Oklahoma and the surrounding areas. The office can be used by Caddo and non-Caddo people alike. The specialist's name is Kenneth Allen. Please come by and see Kenneth for a complete job search. Kenneth will be here every other Thursday starting on December 2nd.

10. The Caddo Nation is pushing forward in a positive manner and is still providing services to our Caddo community. Let us all pray for the Council to come together for the common cause and good for the welfare of this great nation.

11. The Caddo Nation Vehicle Title and Registration Department is no longer accepting checks due to the rise in checks returned for insufficient funds. The department will only accept money orders and cashiers checks from now on. The insufficient fund checks have been turned over to the Caddo Country district attorney's office for prosecution.

12. The Caddo Nation will have turkeys to give away for the Thanksgiving holiday. Call for more information on the date and time of the give away.

Firefighter Refresher Course scheduled for 13 November 2004 (2 November 2004)

The Caddo Nation Firefighters will have their Refresher Course for the 2005 fire season on Saturday, 13 November 2004. All returning firefighters are urged to attend. This is an 8 hour course, and participation in mandatory in order to receive a red card for the 2005 fire season. The course will be held at the Caddo Tribal Complex Conference Room and will start promptly at 9 AM. For more information, call the Firefighter Office at 405.656.2344, extension 244.

BIA rejects removed Council member's request for enrollment information (29 October 2004)

Anna Donaghey, a former member of the Caddo Nation Tribal Council, recently requested that the BIA release sensitive and private tribal enrollment information to her. Writing on her own personal stationary, Donaghey sent the following letter to the Agency:

October 20, 2004

Ms. Betty B. Tippiconnie
Superintendent, Anadarko Agency
Bureau of Indian Affairs
P.O. Box 309
Anadarko, OK 73005

Dear Ms. Tippiconnie:

This letter is to request supporting Resolutions from the Caddo Indian Nation to put Caddo individuals on the Caddo Tribal Roll from May 8, 2003 to current. We also request copies of the Code Sheets the Enrollment Clerk, Caddo Nation, sends to the Anadarko Agency for the purpose of updating the Agency's records for the same timeframe.

Because of the urgency of this information, I ask, if possible, this information be provided to me by close of business on October 20, 2004.

Sincerely,

[sgnd] Anna Donaghey
Anna Donaghey
Anadarko Representative
Caddo Nation of Oklahoma

Cc: Lonnie Emhoolah

In response, Betty Tippeconnie directed Donaghey to address such a request to the Caddo Nation Enrollment Office in the following reply.

October 27, 2004

Anna Donaghey
[address omitted for privacy reasons]
Anadarko, OK 73005

Dear Ms. Donaghey:

This is in response to the enclosed letter dated October 20, 2004, requesting Caddo Tribal Enrollment Resolutions from May 8, 2003 to the current date and copies of the Caddo Enrollment Code Sheets. This is to inform you that the Anadarko Agency does not have any resolutions on file nor code sheets. The Tribal Code Sheets are on file with the Caddo Nation Enrollment Clerk. Please contact your Tribal Enrollment Clerk for the information/documents.

Sincerely,

Betty B. Tippeconnie
Superintendent

Enclosure
cc: LaRue Parker, Caddo Chairman

Enrollment information is held in strict confidentiality. No information is released to anyone, even current or former Council members, without an appropriately completed information request form submitted to the Enrollment Clerk. This is a blatant attempt to usurp the confidentiality measures put in place to protect the privacy of members of the Caddo tribe. Furthermore, Donaghey never clearly states her purpose for requesting this information. Does she plan on enrolling Caddo people at her house? The official enrollment place is at the Caddo tribal complex. Any other arrangement is not official and will not be recognized by the Caddo tribe.

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