Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)

Darrell Seki Sr. seeks re-election as Red Lake Tribal Chairman

I, Chairman Darrell G. Seki, Sr. of the Red Lake Nation, am announcing that I am seeking re-election. I am humbly asking for support of our tribal members for another four (4) year term.

Four (4) years ago when I became Chairman, the Red Lake Nation had loans for the Red Lake Gaming, Inc. for the following projects: New Warroad Casino, New Red Lake Casino, Red Lake Convenience Store, Propane Business and Dollar Store/Fireworks. Tribal Government loans were for the following projects: Red Lake Government Center, Red Lake Nation Tribal College and other infrastructures. With Tribal Council efforts, over 10 million dollars has been paid off on the loans. So with that, we, as the new administration had to be creative to address the needs of our Nation with the funds and funding available to the Tribe.

As Tribal Chairman, I have always emphasized that one does not succeed alone in Tribal Government, to make things work; it takes collaboration, cooperation, communication, commitment and trust. Working together is the way to make better lives for our tribal membership, on and off the reservation. I said when I first ran that I would not make promises I could not fulfill. The promises I made were kept, but I didn't do it alone. If we all work together diligently, we can make things happen.

The following infrastructure initiatives have been funded: 1) Two Fire Departments; 2) Two fire trucks; 3) Chemical Dependency Treatment Center; 4) Dialysis Center. Ground breaking will occur when weather permits. We also upgraded the Red Lake Food Shelf and the Transfer Station. We had recent deliveries of two (2) new garbage trucks and four (4) new ambulances.

The new Red Lake Nation Solar Energy initiative is the most promising of all, indeed the first solar panels were raised on the Red Lake Nation Government Center on Friday, March 23, 2018. Phase I of the Solar initiative in process is rooftop and solar storage for all government buildings, schools and casinos. Phase II, which will break ground soon, is a solar farm on 100 acres of reservation land capable of 15 megawatts of power. This will lay the foundation for Phase III of the solar initiative will end with a Red Lake Nation Electrical Public Utility that will provide electricity for the entire Nation.

The battle against opiates and drug epidemic will continue.

Here is the stats from 2014-2017.

Heroin/Grams Street value

2012 12.20 grams $1,525.00

2013 11.40 grams $1,482.00

2014 2.91 grams $378.30

2015 2015.00 grams $261,950.00

2016 68.99 grams $8,968.70

2017 248.99 $32,368.70

TOTAL: 2,359.49 grams $306,672.70

Meth/Grams Street value

2012 0.00 grams $0

2013 8.10 grams $1,053.00

2014 18.39 grams $2,390.70

2015 35.29 grams $4,587.70

2016 2,387.09 grams $310,321.70

2017 1,183.24 grams $153,821.20

TOTAL: 3,632.11 grams $472,174.30

Marijuana/Grams Street Value

2012 28.00 grams $1,120.00

2013 2,517 grams $100,680.00

2014 116.95 grams $4,678.00

2015 154.33 grams $6,173.20

2016 14,601.00 grams $584,040.00

2017 4,449.55 grams $177,982.00

TOTAL: 21,866.83 grams $874,673.20

Crack/Cocaine Street Value

2016 2.80 grams $280.00

2017 42.74 grams $3,419.20

TOTAL: 45.54 grams $3,699.20

Overall Drugs Seized/Grams (2012 to 2017): 27,903.97

Overall Street Value Seized (2012 to 2017): $1,657,219.40

Overall currency seized (2012 to 2017): $93,861.46

Arrests (2012 to 2017): 367

Drug search warrants (2014 to 2017): 152

Other important items of note that I and the Tribal Council will continue to work on includes: Cultural and Language revitalization, constitutional reform and finding solutions regarding suicides amongst the youth and adult. Work with the school board and the school administration to ensure that our students are safe in the schools. We need to address that our women get equal opportunities and equal pay. We will continue to work with the Youth Council and keep pushing to create an Elders Council.

In 2016, with persistence and determination of the Tribal Council, an additional 65,000 acres of formerly ceded lands were restored back to tribal ownership. We will continue to fight for our land.

We as the Council will be working together to find solutions for challenges that both on and off reservation members are facing such as housing, education, health care needs, employment, transportation, elder and youth issues. We will continue funding the Liaison position at the Red Lake Embassy in Minneapolis.

THE FUTURE:

The Red Lake Nation invested on a project in the Twin Cities for 1.7 million dollars called the Mino-Bimaadiziwin Housing Development. It'll provide 109 housing units of which 20% will be designated for homeless, new Embassy office, Family6 and Children Services office, Health Care, Support Services, Child Support, Women's Shelter, Oshkiimaajitahdah (TANF/Employment Services), Abinoojiyag Noojimoo Wigamag (Children's Healing Center), and Vocational Rehabilitation.

For the future, we have a new and exciting opportunity for housing, something known as Net-Zero (No electric or heat cost). It would be a pilot project in each community and it could include four-plex housing for elders and others on a fixed income. A Net-Zero Halfway House for our Chemical Health Program is a possibility also.

We as the Red Lake Nation will protect our Natural Resources to the fullest, protect our land, boundaries, and most of all, you as our Tribal Members of our Nation. We will not tolerated trespassing on our lands, our lakes and we will uphold that accordingly.

 

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