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Tribal member
Leland Butler has
photo exhibit
— pg. 6
april 1, 2024
Facebook Live event
features new GM
Angie Blackwell
Spring break fun
By Danielle Harrison
T
Smoke Signals editor
he Tribe held another Face-
book Live event on Wednes-
day, March 27, to introduce
the membership to new General
Manager Angie Blackwell.
“Today, we have a new element
in our Tribal government,” Tribal
Council Chairwoman Cheryle A.
Kennedy said.
“We were ad-
vertising for a
general man-
ager for quite a
while and there
were many
qualified people
Angie Blackwell
that we looked
at. Today, I’m here to introduce
our new general manager. Welcome
aboard and welcome to your first
Facebook Live.”
Blackwell, 56, began her new
role in February. Prior to becoming
general manager, she worked as the
Tribe’s Early Childhood Education
Program Manager, a position she
held for several years.
She has also served as a Tribal
Council Vice Chair and Spirit
Mountain Community Fund Di-
rector. Additionally, Blackwell has
worked as a family life educator
through her business Blackwell
See FB LIVE
continued on page 9
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Satara Blanchard, 14, works a cookie to her mouth while competing in a challenge game during hayu-munk
skukum Spring Break Camp 2024 at B’nai B’rith Camp in Otis on Tuesday, March 26. On the left, Aven Cox, 15,
also participates in the challenge where the youth start with the cookie on their forehead and can only use facial
movements to get the cookie to their mouth. Twenty-six sixth-through 12th-grade youth attended the annual
camp that ran Monday to Wednesday, March 25-27. See more photos on page 8.
Years of Service awards honor 72 employees
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals editor
F
irst-quarter employees hired
in either January, February
or March, with at least five
years of service to the Tribe, were
honored during a Years of Service
breakfast event at the Tribal gym
on Thursday, March 21.
The employees represented a
combined total of 959 years of
service.
Tribal Council member Jon
A. George gave the invocation
and Tribal Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy welcomed
employees.
“I’m pleased to be here and to
celebrate all of you,” she said. “You
are the builders of our nation and
our people. You do excellent work
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
to make sure our services to the
membership are carried out. I re-
ally appreciate every one of you.”
Other Tribal Council members in
attendance included Secretary Mi-
chael Cherry and Denise Harvey.
New General Manager Angie
Blackwell introduced herself to
the employees in attendance and
served as event emcee.
“I am launching into a phase of
learning who you are and what
you all do,” she said. “My only goal
is to advance the mission that the
visionaries set out when the Tribe
was restored. Every single one of
you is a part of that mission.”
Blackwell handed out service
See SERVICE
continued on page 7
Tribal Council member Jon A. George hugs Tribal Records Administrator Kim
Mueller as she is recognized during the first-quarter Years of Service event
held in the Tribal gym on Thursday, March 21. Mueller has worked for the
Tribe for 29 years.