One of the most critical issues for the entire tribal membership, particularly for elder community members, is timely communications from tribal government offices. As a way to remain transparent and communicate in a timely manner, The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is now using AlertMedia, a mass notification system, to communicate with Tribal citizens during emergency situations and to give a fast and simple way to stay safe and connected.
With the AlertMedia system, Tribal citizens will receive notifications and updates from the Tribal and Elder Councils via email, text, voice call and push notifications. Citizens can also reply to any notifications with questions or feedback, or by calling the inbound emergency phone number.
How to sign up: Signing up for AlertMedia is easy! Follow these steps to sign up and get connected today.
Look for the introductory email/text message from the AlertMedia system.
Save the phone number associated with the introductory text message.
Download the ‘AlertMedia Pro’ app for your iPhone or Android.
This system was implemented by the Tribe’s Tribal Council and Elder’s Council as a way to keep citizens safe and updated on all Tribal resources and happenings. For assistance signing up or with any questions, please reach out to Karen Pierite Dorsey at HR@tunica.org.
Funds will provide increased educational support services and programming
Marksville, LA – (Oct. 8, 2020) –The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Education Program (TBEP) has been selected to receive a grant from the United States Department of Education’s Indian Education Discretionary Grant Program to enhance the Tribe’s existing education efforts for its tribal children across the United States.
The grant will allow the Tribe to provide increased support services and enhanced programs to help improve the education outcomes among tribal youth. Specifically, it will allow the Tribe to continue and expand services to tribal youth in grades K-12 and provide in-person and online tutoring services, home school support resources, education counseling and mentorship, ACT/SAT prep, supplemental learning centers, additional language classes and cultural workshops, special education services and support for tribal students with disabilities.
“We are incredibly honored to have been selected to receive this grant by the Indian Education Discretionary Grant Program,” said Tunica-Biloxi Chairman Marshall Pierite. “The education and success of our tribal youth is imperative to the prosperity of our community and we are hopeful this much needed support will result in higher scholastic achievements for our youth for years to come.”
While the Tribe already provides a number of educational services free of charge to Tribal citizens, such as tutoring, mentoring, college and career planning and other services, it is critical for the future of the Tribe to increase the educational resources offered to their youth.
An assessment by the Tunica-Biloxi Education Department in 2019 found that the Tunica-Biloxi tribal youth are performing one to two grade levels below their non-tribal counterparts on average. Additionally, many begin experiencing academic difficulty early in their education which can continue to high school. Through the grant, the Tribe will increase educational resources by expanding to grades k-5 and making support available to all Tunica-Biloxi students regardless of residence, providing the appropriate services as well as fund the providers needed to enact those services.
“We strive to support our tribal youth consistently and want to help them succeed academically and prepare for college or vocational training when they graduate from high school,” said John Barbry, Director of Development & Programing for the Tunica-Biloxi Education Program. “This is why we have worked so hard to design a plan which we know will take our youth’s education to the next level. This grant will help us to put our plans into action.”
About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana: The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near Marksville, where they were skilled traders and entrepreneurs. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,200 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois.
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 for its reservation within the boundaries of Louisiana. The tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in Central Louisiana. Through its compact, negotiated by the late Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry Sr. and the State of Louisiana, the Tribe has assisted local governments in the area with its quarterly distribution of funds, totaling more than $40 million over two decades. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit www.tunica.org and “like” us on Facebook.
The United States Census Bureau has officially extended their data collection operations through Oct. 31st, 2020. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to participate in the 2020 Census. The information collected by the Census is incredibly important because it leads to more support and funding for our Tribe. Click here to submit your Census today!
Role has been filled by seasoned physician and expert in public health, Dr. Arthur Webb, MD
For a high-resolution photo of Dr. Webb, click here.
Marksville, La. – (Oct. 6, 2020) – In order to expand the Tribe’s medical services, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana has created the role of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) which has been filled by Dr. Arthur Webb, MD. Dr. Webb joins the Tribe’s staff with more than 20 years of experience as a practicing physician and is committed to enhancing and expanding the Tribe’s healthcare services for its citizens. Through this role, he will ensure that Tribal citizens have access to a full scope of medical treatment as well as preventative care.
“While the health and wellbeing of our citizens has always been top priority, it has become especially important over the past several months as we have worked to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Marshall Pierite, Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe. “Dr. Webb has so much compassion for his patients, understands Native American culture and has a wealth of experience in public health, which is why we’re confident that he will be an excellent fit for this role. We’re excited to see the good that Dr. Webb is able to do for our citizens.”
In his most recent role, Dr. Webb explored his passion for public health by assisting various Native American tribes across the country as a physician for Indian Health Services (IHS) over the past eight years. He also served as the medical director for the U.S Secret Service under the Obama Administration, Clinical Director for the United States Department of JusticeandEmergency Medicine Physician at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD.
Dr. Webb received his doctorate from Georgetown University School of Medicine, master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and bachelor’s degree from Penn State. Additionally, he published his research in a peer review journal.
“My greatest passion as a physician is finding ways to help those that need it most and not just meeting their immediate needs, but providing them with preventative care,” said Dr. Arthur Webb, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. “For this reason, I am extremely committed to working with Tribal leadership to bring complete wrap-around medical services to Tunica-Biloxi citizens across the country.”
Dr. Webb will work to create full-service medical clinics on the Tunica-Biloxi reservation in Marksville and at its center in Houston. His goal is to provide everything from dental care to podiatry and beyond to Tribal citizens through clinics and to pay particular attention to screenings and preventative care.
Additionally, as a part of the Tribe’s commitment to provide benefits to all Tribal members, regardless of location, Dr. Webb and the Tribal Council are working to provide telehealth services by way of virtual appointments.
“With Tribal members across the country, the Tribal Council expressed that it was particularly important to meet all Tunica-Biloxi citizens’ needs, not just those that live close to the reservation,” said Dr. Webb. “By providing all of these new resources, we hope to educate Tribal citizens on the importance of being proactive when it comes to their health.”
For updates and information on the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and its healthcare services, visit – https://www.tunicabiloxi.org/.
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About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana:
The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near Marksville, where they were skilled traders and entrepreneurs. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,200 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois. The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 for its reservation within the boundaries of Louisiana. The tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in Central Louisiana. Through its compact, negotiated by the late Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry Sr. and the State of Louisiana, the Tribe has assisted local governments in the area with its quarterly distribution of funds, totaling more than $40 million over two decades. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit www.tunica.org and “like” us on Facebook.
Several member of the Tunica-Biloxi Elder Council with Chairman Marshall Pierite
The Tribal Council of the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe has recently announced the appointment of 10 members to its Elders Council. Serving as officers of the group of elder wisdom keepers are Joanie Arteta, Chairperson, from Wake Forest, NC, Vice-Chairperson Brenda Lintinger, Covington, LA, Secretary Anna Farris, Houston, TX, Kathleen Ubnoske and Pamela Oglesby, Stephenville, TX and Marksville, LA, respectively as Co-Treasurers, Michelle Richardson , San Dimas, CA, David Jackson of Pineville, LA, Raymond Bertalotto, Sr. of Hamburg, LA, Joe Barbry and Rudy Wambsgans, III, both of Marksville, LA.
The group began laying the foundation for its existence and operations in early May 2020. The Tribal Council, the tribe’s governing body, approved the final version of organizational documents drafted by the tribe’s elders the first week of September 2020. During the previous four months, the Elders Council started planning programs that would benefit community elders and others.
“Our elders are vital to carrying the culture and traditions of our Tribe into the next generation,” said Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, Marshall Pierite. “The Elders Council will work diligently to show our elders how appreciated they truly are, meet their needs and spread their wisdom throughout the Tribe. We’re confident that this group of Tribal citizens will effectively achieve this mission.”
In mid-September, the Elders Council created Elder Care Packages that were mailed out to all tribal elders and included personal hygiene and self-health monitoring items. Several Elders Council members gathered on the reservation in Marksville, to sort and organize the care packages as a way to send a clear message to senior members of the Tribe that they are being thought of and that their potential needs were being addressed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricane season. For photos of this effort, click here.
In addition to the elder packages, ‘goodie bag—back to school backpacks’ are being prepared by the Tunica-Biloxi 7th Generation Youth Council for all school-aged tribal children. The Elders and Youth Councils and the Tribal Task Force are coordinating member service efforts to reduce shipping costs. Each package will contain some of the latest updates to services and programs important and available to our elders and all the members of the tribal community.
Another positive for tribal elders will be an offer from AARP for a one-year membership to the company’s services and benefits for all tribal elders. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Elders Council, the Tribal Council and Mobiloans to cover the cost of access to AARP’s membership. EC Chairperson Joanie Arteta has been negotiating with the corporate offices of AARP to secure this opportunity for tribal elders. For those elders who already possess a membership with AARP, they should be able to apply the tribe’s contribution to their existing enrollment with the program. More information will be forthcoming. “It is really so important for our elders to know that we are thinking about them and that we care about the challenges they are facing. We want to communicate with them and all of our members, to let them know what programs and services are offered by the tribal government,” Chairwoman Joanie Arteta stated.
One of the most critical issues for the entire tribal membership, particularly for elder community members is timely communications from tribal government offices. An exciting new program for tribal members’ benefit will be the implementation of Alert Media, a communication software that keeps members up to date on live messages through mass notifications from the tribal government offices. The tribe’s Human Resources office will be sharing how members can sign up for this program. This will come in handy especially during times of crisis. Other services offered by AlertMedia include monitoring of Loneworker Safety, Wellness checks, Emergency Services, and Local Threat Monitoring, to name just a few of the advantages of www.AlertMedia.com
Currently under development is an Elder Relief Fund program that will support training and vo-tech opportunities for tribal elders, rental and mortgage assistance, and supplemental meal programs (this program has been operative since the early days of the nationwide COVID crisis). The Tunica-Biloxi Elders Council is pushing aggressively to provide valuable services to elder members by offering an additional level of vocal influence with elected officials. In the midst of so much upheaval as has been witnessed with the health pandemic and the regional weather threats, Elders Council members lobby continuously with the Tribal Council so that the needs of tribal elders are ever at the forefront.
The underlying theme and focus for the Tunica-Biloxi Elders Council will be working cooperatively with other tribal groups and government departments to raise the level of awareness of the needs of our elder members and tribal members overall. Meeting some of those issues whenever possible will be a primary objective for this very special group of tribal leaders. Excitement is at an all-time high with the anticipation of future programs targeting the special demands of our elder members.
For more information on the Tunica Biloxi Elder Council and the services and resources that it is providing, click here. Those interested in learning more can also contact Joanie Arteta at jarteta55@gmail.com.
Elder Care Packages
In September 2020, Tribal citizens came together to put together Elder Care Packages. This was just one of the Elders Council’s many initiatives to better serve our citizens.
LCRP is accepting applications for virtual language classes for all ages through Thursday, Oct. 29. Class time will be set based off of interest and availability. These classes are a fun way to learn the Tunica language!
If you are interested, we ask that you download and fill out a registration form below and return it to Jessica Barbry.
For questions, please contact Jessica Barbry for more information at 318-240-6469 or email jabarbry@tunica.org.
Over the weekend, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Council released a survey in order to gain insight in how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our citizens. The purpose of the survey is to help the Tribe to develop future programming to assist our citizens in the best possible way. Due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, we have authorized a COVID-19 relief assistance payment to each adult citizen by June 30, 2020.
Rest assured that by submitting your information through this survey, it will remain completely confidential. The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana has hired a third-party, HIPAA-certified consulting firm, Yona Consulting Services, as a way to safeguard our citizen’s personal information. Yona will confidentially review the data that you provide through this survey and send the Tribal Council and Tribal Administrator a comprehensive report. We will then review this report and determine how we can best assist our tribal citizens with their respective needs.
Additionally, The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana will not share your data with any entity other than a government agency that requests the use of this data for reporting and demographic purposes. The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana respects the privacy of its citizens and strictly adheres to HIPAA, and all other federal data privacy laws.
This COVID-19 relief payment with be made through the Tribe’s Health and Housing Assistance Program (“HHA”) which provides Tunica-Biloxi citizens with financial support to meet their basic living needs, such as safe and habitable housing, assistance with meals and home care, and assistance with medical expenses and non-prescription medications.
We care deeply for the health and well-being of our citizens and encourage each and every one of you to respond to this survey so we can better support you during this difficult time. We hope that by utilizing the information that you provide that we can continue to offer and expand meaningful support for Tribal citizens.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to myself and the rest of your Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Council. To access and fill out the survey, please click here.
As a way to ensure that their Tribal citizens and members of the Marksville community have proper testing resources, the Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is partnering with the Louisiana National Guard and The Louisiana Department of Health (LADH) to host a free, public COVID-19 testing site.
“We’re so grateful to the National Guard and Department of Health for making this testing site possible,” said Tunica-Biloxi Chairman Marshall Pierite. “Early detection and treatment of this virus is so important which is why we’re doing everything we can to make these resources more accessible to our local community.”
The site will run on Monday, June 29 – Thursday, July 2 from 8 – 11 a.m. It will be located on Earl J. Barbry Sr. Blvd in Marksville between Highway 1 and Slim Lemoine Rd. There will be signage around the testing area to direct visitors on where to go.
The site will provide free testing to the general public, Tribal Government employees, Paragon employees, Tribal citizens and their children.
This is just one of several ways that the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and their partners have worked to protect Tribal citizens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Native Americans, like other minority groups and those in lower-income communities, are among those most impacted by this virus. For this reason, Native American tribes have a responsibility to protect the health and wellbeing of their citizens. For more information on Tunica-Biloxi’s COVID-19 response, click here.
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is shipping healthy meals to their most vulnerable in Louisiana, Texas, Illinois and across nation
MARSKVILLE, LA – (April 16, 2020) – Today, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and its members are proud to announce that tribal elders across the county will be receiving packages of healthy meals which will sustain them for the next 4-5 weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shipments are designed to assure the Tribe’s elders remain safe and fed no matter where they are located. As the elder population is one of the most vulnerable to the virus, the Tribal Council felt it was important to facilitate an easy meal distribution to its citizens living away from the Tribe’s reservation, many of them without access to federal services or in areas under curfew which restrict their access to grocery stores nearby.
“We must continue to do all that we can to support our elders and keep them healthy and safe,” said Tunica-Biloxi Vice Chairman Marshall Ray Sampson, Sr. “As a Tribe, we honor our elders in all that we do. They are our forbearers who have paved the way for our continued success as a people. I am grateful to the Tribal Council for working together with key staff members to make this feeding effort so effective so quickly.”
The 200+ meals are being sent out via FedEx as one-time shipments of 16 pre-packaged meals to all tribal elders in tribal areas in Marksville, LA; Chicago, IL; and Houston, TX. Additionally, some meals were also shipped to elder tribal members living as far as California, Michigan and Idaho as well as some additional areas throughout the nation.
The meals, which have been prepared fresh and frozen, are friendly to those with diabetes and other health considerations. Each includes a starch, vegetable and a protein. Several meal options include Creole Blackened Chicken, Meatloaf, Chicken Piccata, BBQ Turkey Burgers, Farmhouse Pork Tenderloin, Bean Chili and breakfast options as well.
“Many of our elders have been unable to leave their homes on the reservation and across the country. We must do everything we can to ensure that we are caring for those in need, no matter where they currently reside,” said Council Member Jeremy Zahn, who introduced the program due to the nationwide impact of COVID-19. “We are committed to continuing this program, and the Tribe urges each of our members to contact us for assistance as we weather this pandemic.”
The measure to fund the meal distribution was passed with a unanimous vote of approval from the Tribal Council on April 2. The Tribal Council is continuing to work with Nikki McDonald, Director of the American Indian Center of Houston, and Tunica-Biloxi families throughout the country to assess continuing needs for its members.
“This is an important effort to keep our treasured Tribal elders safe and healthy,” said McDonald. “We are grateful and proud that we could get this program coordinated so quickly. It will have a huge impact in bettering the lives of our members in this trying time.”
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About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana:
The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near Marksville, where they were skilled traders and entrepreneurs. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,200 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois. The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 for its reservation within the boundaries of Louisiana. The tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in Central Louisiana. Through its compact, negotiated by the late Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry Sr. and the State of Louisiana, the Tribe has assisted local governments in the area with its quarterly distribution of funds, totaling more than $40 million over two decades. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit www.tunica.org and “like” us on Facebook.
Congratulations to Juston Broussard, Teyanna Pierite Simon, and Ryan Lopez for receiving scholarships to attend the 2020 Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang 2020) at the University of Montana. The scholarships cover tuition, meals, housing and travel costs for the 2-week institute.
CoLang is an international institute for language activists, teachers, linguists and students from language communities and academia to obtain hands-on skills in language documentation and revitalization as practiced in collaborative contexts as well as in technology and basic linguistics in community-based research contexts. The Institute creates multi-dimensional networks among community language workers, teachers, researchers, and students. CoLang 2020 will be hosted by the University of Montana in collaboration with Chief Dull Knife College.
