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Idaho Ballers team says thanks to all
First of all, we would like to thank the parents that trusted us with your kids and letting us take them to Fallon Nevada for their 4th Annual youth basketball tournament March 7 & 8, 2008.
The kids did great and we hope that they truly enjoyed the trip. The ride home was long but we made it.
On behalf of the Idaho Ballers, we would like to thank Fort Hall Recreation for helping out with entry fee and Delbert Farmer for helping us out with travel funds, Ramona Darrough for assisting us with rooms in Reno; the boys really enjoyed themselves in the big game room at the Nugget Hotel & Casino.
We did some fundraisers during the end of season league tournament and we are grateful for that opportunity.
The kids all did great, the kids played 6 games total; they lost their second game and played four games on Sunday to get back into Championship game. The kids won 2nd place for their efforts.
The 7th & 8th grade Idaho Ballers team consisted of Keith Moore, Alonzo Ramos, Andre Graves, Shawn Running Horse, Danny Sanchez, Antonio Rivas, Cerissa Reyes, Tallia Jim, Kelsey Evening and Joi Thomas. Congratulation to Keith and Tallia, they were awarded team all-stars. The Elko No Namers won the 7th & 8th Grade Division.
Antonio, Ken Evening and Tyler Moore also played on a 4-6 grade team Fox Peak from Fallon and they won 3rd place in their division. Tyler also played in the 1-3 grade division with Rippers from Fallon and they won 3rd place in their division.
We are planning some more fundraisers in the near future as we are planning on taking the 7 & 8th grade team to two more tournaments this month Elko and Owyhee. Thanks again, George Moore, Coach and Wendy Farmer
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OPINION
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Sending well wishes across the miles
Long time Comanche friend of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and countless others, Reaves Nahwooks is being treated for liver cancer. Reaves is known for helping originate the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Festival when he served as Recreation Director in the early 1960’s.
He also helped organize the Shoshonean Reunion that is now conducted every year at various sites.
Anyone wanting to wish him well can send a note to him at PO Box 477, Cache, Oklahoma, 73527. His daughter Susie says Reaves wants to express love to all the people in his life and I know that the same would be expressed in return.
Get well Reaves and may the Creator watch over you and all of your family members.
Redesign We’ve done a redesign of the newspaper incorporating a new logo, page toppers and type changes. Thank you to Roselynn Wahtomy, Ben Dann and Sara Broncho who all assisted in the new design. Please be patient with us as we tweak the updates.
Lori Edmo-Suppah, editor |
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FHBC:Ellis Gaming Inc. investment will earn money for Tribes future
Dear Tribal Members:
We write this letter to inform you about the recent investment in the Ellis Gaming, Inc., Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. We also plan on scheduling a meeting where the Ellis project will be presented and discussed.
On a daily basis, we as Tribal leaders make challenging and difficult decisions for the future of our Tribal members and the many issues facing our community. We each seek a better life for our relatives, better health, better education and a stronger economy. We seek to preserve and protect our Fort Bridger Treaty, Reservation and cultural ways of life. There is no/doubt that a strong economy plays a major role in preserving our sovereignty and helps us secure a brighter future for our people. The Business Council views this, recent investment as an opportunity to benefit the future generations of the Tribes. Some may not realize or recognize that fact today, but will do so in the future.
Each year, under the Tribes' Investment Policy, the Fort Hall Business Council has invested the Tribes' money in many different areas including Certificate of Deposits, Treasury bonds, mutual funds, savings accounts, municipal bonds and stocks. Currently, the Tribes have over 300 accounts in their investment portfolio. Given the instability and unpredictability in the stock market the past months, the Tribes have lost money in their investments, but that does not mean the Tribes are going to sell all the investments. Instead, they will ride out the waves. There is risk in any investment made by the Tribes.
The Tribes recent investment in the Ellis Gaming Inc. casino, hotel, condominiums, event, training and retail center project in Las Vegas followed and adhered to the Tribal Investment principles of safety, liquidity and return. The decision for such an investment was based upon a due diligence review and standard of prudence, not speculation, but for investment considering the probable safety of the Tribes' own capital as well as the probable income to be derived from the investment.
We agree the Ellis Gaming Inc. investment is not the ordinary run of the mill investment like a savings account or mutual fund, but nonetheless is an investment to earn money for the Tribes' present and future needs. The Tribes chose to diversify their investments rather than simply investing in bonds and mutual funds. Casinos, hotels, convention centers are a thriving business in Las Vegas and continue to show a profit. Older casinos are being torn down to build new casinos because investors know they will make a profit in their investment. The Tribes' casino investment in the Ellis Gaming, Inc. is no different. The investment money comes from the Gaming Economic Development fund, and established economic development funds and General Fund carryover, the same sources which funded the investments portfolio.
The Tribal membership should know the following facts about the casino development:
• The investment was made under the Tribes' Investment Policy
• The Tribes are considered a Preferred Share Holder which means they have a say in the direction of the casino project. They have a seat on the Advisory Board.
• The Tribes' investment is to purchase the land where the casino will be located. The land option and feasibility studies have been completed. Zoning and other licenses are in progress. Financing for project is in process.
• The value of the land in three weeks has increased 25% per acre.
• The Tribes are only one of numerous tribal investors in the Ellis Gaming Inc. casino project. This project includes international gaming companies, and countries around the world.
• In the event the deal is not completed, in the worst case scenario, the land can be sold to other investors and the Tribes will still make a profit on their initial investment.
• This investment will not take away from the new Tribal casino development plans. The Tribes are seeking separate financing for the new casino.
• The location of the casino, the south Las Vegas strip, is the fastest growing area in Las Vegas. The location will be between the McCarran Airport and the future international airport. There is about 70 acres.
• The casino will have a tribal gaming training center where tribal employees and representatives can reside and receive training.
• This investment is intended to provide for future generations of Tribal members.
• Tribal distributions will continue to be provided to the Tribal membership. • The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act does not apply to the casino.
Under the land option purchase agreements the Tribes and others were required to sign confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements to keep the deal from being disclosed to the public. This was done so that the price of the land purchase would not go up in Las Vegas and not be known by other competitors. Unfortunately, the deal was recently released by a Muckleshoot Tribal representative and it became public. That employee was immediately fired by the Muckleshoot Tribe because of the agreements. Local news reporters are now trying to gain information from Tribal officials, but we will not be releasing any public statements. We ask your cooperation in this matter.
The Business Council was entrusted to make decisions for you. We believe that this is a sound business and financial investment that will bring profits to the Tribes. We ask your support of our decision. Again, we will be scheduling a Tribal membership meeting at which Ellis Gaming will be present to provide information and answer your questions.
Fort Hall Business Council |
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Fort Hall Landowners Preserving Our Land Empowerment Class to be offered
As we approach another summer, we need to think back to the winters past and wonder with each passing year, how many loved ones, young and old, will be leaving us.
As the coordinator for the last 15 years for Land Alliance, I am interested in providing a basic outreach class to land owners to get acquainted with where your allotments are located, who is leasing it, how is your lease money calculated how much interest you may own and how does one read your 'Title Status Report' and your 'Individual Tribal Interest'. Our FHLA office has come a long way in achieving many land issues and there are a lot more to be done. In publishing this notice to all landowners here in Fort Hall and to people who have inherited land here but live in other states, I am hoping to create enough interest among you to take the time to gather all your trust land documents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, so in our classes we will help you to understand how to read your land documents.
We all must realize that our land is how we are known as Shoshone-Bannock people and if we do not take care of what we have, one day we will become people without land, our generations to come will not have land to identify themselves with.
For the last 15 years the non-profit Fort Hall Landowners Alliance has worked tirelessly to bring to light the many wrongs that have happened to our trust lands by the government managers. It is time we all take an active part in finding out how we can best manage our own interest, along with family co-owners, on the allotments we inherited from our elders and families who have gone to their resting place.
As the Coordinator of FHLA, I plan on starting a outreach program in the month of April/2008 to help land owners, young and old, how to collect your trust land information from the local BIA office to help you to understand the government documents, what does the 90 day notice mean, how to calculate your 0.00002456 decimal interest in an allotment, how to negotiate a better lease rate, what is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Continues Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP.) Have a say in how your range land is used.
I encourage anyone that is interested in this type of program to contact me at my Cell phone number 208-339-6858 or have a message at our Tribal office 208-478-3960.
Preserving our land takes work from all of us; we must take action on how to stop the fractionation of our land, to leave land to generations to come. If we don't, the long arm of the federal government will write us off as a tribe. Please let me know. Ernestine Broncho Werelus; Dir/Coord.
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