Category: General

By Public Relations Officer Ken Luchterhand

Viewed as an opportunity to reach out to tribal governments, U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh stopped by to visit with Ho-Chunk officials at the Tribal Office Building on Tuesday, May 25.

His visit was part of a Wisconsin tour that included stops in Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Madison.

Walsh met with HCN President Marlon WhiteEagle, HCN Labor Department Executive Director Angela Ward, HCN Personnel Executive Director Kimberly Lonetree, and HCN Public Relations Officer Ken Luchterhand in the Office of the President Conference Room.

“I don’t want this to be a one-time visit arrangement, where I forget about you as soon as I leave. I want to continue a working relationship with the Ho-Chunk Nation and to maintain contact,” Walsh said.

President WhiteEagle was pleased for the opportunity.

“Secretary Walsh pledged to not just take a photo with us, but to continue the relationship with information sharing and he didn’t rule out additional visits to the Ho-Chunk Nation,” said President WhiteEagle. “He mentioned President Biden shared in his Cabinet meetings that the President is determined to work with tribes, or tribal governments.”

Walsh joined the Laborers’ Union Local 223 at age 21 and served as the union’s president until he became the mayor of Boston in 2013.

Walsh was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1997.  He was the chairman of the Committee on Ethics, and served as a co-chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party Labor Caucus. During his tenure he also served as the co-chair for the Special Commission on Public Construction Reform.

He was the mayor of Boston until earlier this spring, when he resigned his position to become the U.S. Secretary of Labor. He was confirmed for the position by the United States Senate on March 22, 2021.

“Walsh showing up here shows that he is willing to work with tribes,” Ward said. “He asked if we thought the federal government has a good working relationship with the tribes. I said ‘no.’ He said that he wants to improve that relationship.”

Walsh visited the Ho-Chunk Department of Labor office, met with the Labor Department staff, and said he wants to continue a line of communication.

“That was good effort on his part – he wants to work with our Department of Labor. I believe he took our comments to heart and was actually listening to what we had to say,” Ward said.

President WhiteEagle was pleased with the visit and hopes the lines of communication remain open.

“It’s great when our federal counterparts come to visit the Ho-Chunk Nation. The visit went well and was a productive meeting to establish contacts with the U.S. Labor Department to increase the likelihood of future use of their programs and services,” WhiteEagle said.

“We are always looking for other sources of funding to help support our tribal programs and services across the board,” he said.

City of Madison Alder Arvina Martin was elected by her peers as City Council vice president on Thursday, April 22.

“I want to congratulate Alder Arvina Martin on her reelection to the Madison City Council and her election as Vice President of the Council,” said Madison Mayor Satya Conway-Rhodes.

“Alder Arvina Martin is the first Ho-Chunk Nation member to be elected to Madison’s Council Leadership. She has been instrumental in so many City efforts, including our recent work to create a community alternative response emergency service for behavioral health emergencies,” Rhodes-Conway said.

“I hope she will serve as an inspiration to young Ho-Chunk everywhere,” she said.

HO-CHUNK NATION COVID-19 ORDERS

Administrative Order	Summary	Date Posted
Administrative Order Mar. 11, 2020-4	Postpone March Madness	03/11/2020
Resolution 3-12-20A Administrative Order Mar. 13, 2020-1	Declaration of State of Emergency, 50 person limit COVID-19 Pandemic	03/13/2020
Administrative Order Mar. 17, 2020-1	First Gaming Closure	03/17/2020
Administrative Order Mar. 20, 2020-1	Mass Gatherings (no more than 10 people gathering in a room)	03/20/2020
Administrative Order Mar. 20-1 AMENDED Administrative Order Mar. 31, 2020 OOP[1] Administrative Order Apr. 3, 2020-1	40 hrs pd Admin Leave to be used by April 3, 2020 Maintain essentl govt functions, min travel, outdoor activities allowed Gaming Facility Closures	04/03/2020
Administrative Order Apr. 16, 2020-1	Face Masks	04/16/2020
Resolution 4-28-20B Continued Declaration Administrative Order May 4, 2020-1	Phase II, Continuing State of Emergency, limit travel, etc. Hours of Operation	05/04/2020
Administrative Order May 22nd, 2020	Reopening of Gaming Facilities	05/22/2020
Administrative Order May 26, 2020-1	Lifting Administrative Orders 3-17-20-1 and 4-3-20-1 by President[2]	May 26th, 2020

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[1] Joint Resolution w/Legislature and Admin Order known as 3-31-20D CII HPERA HIRAICERA Mar. 31, 2020

[2] This Order states “Further, the President of the Ho-Chunk Nation continues to recommend that maintaining a safe distance, avoiding unnecessary gatherings and following precautions recommended by facilities shall be practiced at all times.”

Ernie Stevens, Jr., Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), presented the Ho-Chunk Nation with more than 4,000 facemasks for safety during the COVID pandemic.

Stevens and NIGA Senior Administrative Assistant Ricky Granquist came to the Tribal Office Building on Tuesday, April 27, to offer the facemasks to President Marlon WhiteEagle on behalf of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Stevens also honored President WhiteEagle with the NIGA Badge of Honor pin, which he pinned onto WhiteEagle’s jacket lapel.

“We just want to help keep everyone safe during these times of health uncertainty,” Stevens said.

The facemasks were donated by famous basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar through his Skyhook Foundation. They were offered to NIGA to be distributed to the Native American tribes.

The masks, fabricated by the Ford Motor Company, will be distributed through Ho-Chunk facilities and programs.