As you scroll down, you'll find upcoming activities, important notices and information that we hope is helpful to you.

On Wednesday, August 17th, the Youth Center took a field trip to the Lumberjack Steam Train and Camp 5 Museum. It was a beautiful, hot day, and the weather could not have been better.

When we arrived, we boarded on the Lumberjack Special Steam Train and were off to see the Camp 5 Museum! The kids were able to see animals, feed them, and learn a little about Camp 5 and its history.

One thing we were able to see and learn about was the ancient dugout canoe that Chief C. Ackley found as a young man many years ago buried in the banks of Bishop Lake. We discovered that the canoe is on loan to the museum per an agreement made with the Connor family and Chief Ackley. The kids thought this was so cool, as they never knew about this canoe and that it actually came from our Tribe.

The day was filled with learning and a lot of fun. We packed a huge cooler of 40 lunches and had lunch at the museum. We then rode the train back to the station and headed for home.

I would like to thank all the parents, grandparents, and everyone that volunteered and helped to make this a wonderful memory for the kids. Everyone had a great time!!

The Employee Fun Day was last Thursday, and it was a great turnout. We're all looking forward to doing it again next year.

Thank you to the Tribal Council for letting everyone come together and have this day of fun. 

Thanks to Anna Roberts for being our cook, and thank you to Leelyn VanZile for helping me organize this event.

Congratulations to all our winners!

Thank you to all of the businesses that donated to our event, including:

Thank you,

Wendy Smith,

Youth Center Manager

(715) 478-6443

By Ben Meyer, WXPR

A traditional teaching lodge now stands ready for use by Sokaogon Chippewa tribal members in Forest County.

Tribal members built it by hand earlier this month, a process that includes both physical and spiritual efforts.

“People actually lived throughout the winter in these, because we were nomadic,” explained Sokaogon Chippewa tribal elder Wayne LaBine as the lodge was constructed.

LaBine was overseeing the construction of the lodge near Mole Lake.

Dear Tribal Members,

As we wrap up the summer months, we want to provide updates on the progress of the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) planning being undertaken by the Sokaogon Chippewa Community Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The initiatives being implemented through the ARPA process are the result of information collected through surveys, meetings, and interviews with the community. With that information, the Tribal Council has been able to make informed decisions for the Tribe.

ARPA provided $20 billion to be disbursed to all Tribes based on the number of members and tribal economies, with no consideration given to whether the Tribe was urban or rural. The lowest amount a Tribe received was $1 million and the highest was $900 million. Our Tribe received $13.6 million; based on our Tribe’s needs, however, these monies do not go far enough.

From the time of disbursal, our Tribe has been given 36 months to allocate or return this money. Some Tribes have not allocated or spent any money because they cannot agree on how to best use the money. Other Tribes spent it all within the first month of receiving the funds. Our Tribal Council has been thoughtful as to the use of your ARPA funds. Our Tribal Council has set aside 20% of the ARPA funding received, to use as seed money to plan for “shovel-ready” projects in an effort to “go after” substantially larger funding. To date, our Tribe is working on plans to get your share of almost $18 billion dollars in competitive grants. This $18 billion in funding includes the following:

Read the full update here.

Your continued input is very important to ensuring your Tribal Council has various community viewpoints. If you have any additional comments, please contact the Interim Director of Human Resources, Kimberlee Soldier, at 715-622-0191.

The Tribe was recently granted 401 certification for our waste water treatment facility National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

Anyone can review the discharge permit and email comments to John Colletti, U.S. EPA Permits Branch.

View the full Public Notice here.

The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) introduced the Summer Fill Program that began July 11, 2022.

Eligible customers must receive a referral from their local community action agency. Click here for contact information in your area.

For more information, contact Kimberlee A. Soldier, Interim Director, Human Resources, at 715-478-7663.

Mole Lake Casino Opportunities:

View the application here.

For more information, please visit the Casino's website or contact Thomas E. Van Zile, Human Resource Manager of the Mole Lake Casino Lodge & Conference Center, at 715-478-7549.

The weekly e-newsletter is sent every Thursday morning, excluding holidays.

If you have something you wish to share, please email your information by Tuesday afternoon.