MVSKOKE RESERVATION- On Aug. 11, the Health, Education, and Welfare Committee held an in-person meeting. Passed legislation will go on to the next full council meeting, unless otherwise noted.
The committee addressed the following legislation, the interpretation of which is attributed to language in the bills:
NCA 26-110 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing the expenditure of the opioid settlement funds in the amount of $920,969 for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Veteran Affairs Service Office for a veteran wellness program passed 3-0. Representative Lora Harjo-King sponsored the bill.
According to the bill, the opioid settlement funds will be used to create a Veteran Wellness Program to assist in supporting veterans and their family members. “I believe we need a native-led program to create safe spaces where their grief is heard,” Grover Wind, Secretary of Veteran Affairs, said during the discussion. “They’re not afraid to speak out, and they find hope is held there for them.”
NCA 26-111 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing the expenditure of the Marathon Petroleum Community Investment Programs grant of $45,000 for the benefit of the emergency management department passed 3-0. Representative Mary Crawford sponsored the bill.
According to the bill, the grant funds will be used for the purchase of HazMat response equipment to protect public health and the environment, and ensure responder safety. Heath Underwood, Emergency Management Director, clarified during discussion that the grant would be used for the purchase of gas masks, gas detectors, and a decontamination tent.
NCA 26-112 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing the expenditure of the Youth Service America grant of $1,000 for the benefit of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Youth Services passed 3-0. Rep. Crawford sponsored the bill.
According to the bill, the grant funds will be used to lead a youth-driven 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance project focused on addressing food insecurity.
NCA 26-113 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing the expenditure of the Tulsa Community Foundation Grant of $10,000 for the benefit of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Employment and Training Administration passed 3-0. Rep. Harjo-King sponsored the bill.
According to the bill, the grant funds will be used to encourage participation in Career Readiness by removing employment barriers and rewarding participants.
NCA 26-114 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing a supplemental appropriation of $1.7 million for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation School Clothing Program fy 2026 budget passed 3-0. Mary Crawford sponsored the bill.
According to the bill, the School Clothing Program anticipates a potential shortfall during the 2026 school clothing season based on last year’s expenditures. The supplemental appropriation of funds was requested to offset the potential shortfall.
Rep. Crawford asked how many students were still pending. An employee from the Department of Social Services clarified that there are 2,379 applications pending, not students, adding that there might be more than one student in a household.
Representative Dode Barnett asked whether the number of applications had increased since last year, whether the need was unanticipated, or whether the number of applications was on target for its usual level. The department representative clarified that the number of applications was on target for what they usually are. However, the increased speed of approvals has created a shortfall before the next school year.
Rep. Barnett also asked, in recent years, how many times the Department of Social Services requested a special appropriation. The employee from the Department of Social Services said this was the first time for school clothing.
The bill was forwarded to BFJ for funding.
NCA 26-115 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing the expenditure of grant funds in the amount of $10,000 awarded from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the benefit of the College of the Muscogee Nation passed 3-0. Rep. Harjo-King sponsored the bill.
According to the bill, the grant funds will be used to support attendance at the American Library Association Conference. Dr. Monte Randall, President of the College of Muscogee Nation, clarified that the grant funds would be used to purchase four laptops and eighteen laptop bags, and to allocate roughly $2,000 for new books and supplies and roughly $3,000 for the travel of the CMN librarian.
NCA 26-116 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation amending NCA 26-001 (a law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation authorizing the expenditure of grant funds in the amount of $23,340 awarded from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for children and families for the benefit of the Head Start preschool program and appropriating a tribal match) Representative Darrell Proctor sponsored the bill. It passed 3-0.
Cora Camren, Head Start manager, explained that the Head Start program had received a federal Cost of Living Adjustment of 0.635% and, to meet the 20% federal match, needed an increase to the match budget.
NCA 26-117 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation amending MCNCA title 18, §2-104, entitled “Vocational Training; Tribal Grants.” Representative Darrell Proctor sponsored the bill. It passed 3-0.
The amendment addresses changes to the bill’s language. The award will be sent to the student’s enrolled institution rather than the student’s home address.
NCA 26-118 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation amending MCNCA title 35, chapter 8, entitled “Tribal Energy.” Rep. Barnett sponsored the bill. It was postponed indefinitely 3-0.
The amendment addresses changes to the bill’s language. If adopted, the utility bill would be in the name of the eligible citizen, the spouse of the eligible citizen, or the legal guardian of the eligible citizen, unless the utility must remain in the landlord’s name. Applicants of the “Tribal Energy Assistance Program” may participate twice yearly and the grants will be decreased from $600 to $400 per household.
During the discussion, Rep. Barnett invited Carmin Tecumseh-Williams, Secretary of Community and Human Services, to speak. Tecumseh-Williams clarified that this decision was made to continue providing the benefits available within budget, outside the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant.
“We knew that we did not want to, one, cut anybody off; exclude anyone,” Tecumseh-Williams said. “The monies or the budget that we know that we had were the monies that we had decided this is how we’re going to do it in order to continue to provide some level of benefits to our citizens without completely cutting it off.”
NCA 26-119 A law of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation amending MCNCA title 35, chapter 13, entitled “Tribal Burial Assistance and Food for Funeral Assistance Program”. Rep. Barnett sponsored the bill. It was postponed indefinitely, 3-0.
According to the amendment, the assistance provided to alleviate some funeral costs and/or the cost of vaults or burial plots will change from $7,000 to $5,000. The Food for Funeral provided to the deceased’s family will change from $750 to $450.
In other business, Secretary of Health Shawn Terry invited guest speaker Dr. Gerson Koshi, newly appointed Clinical Director of the Muscogee Creek Nation Health Limb Salvage Program, to present the Limb Salvage Program initiative to the MCNNC.
To view the full agenda, visit mcnnc.com.
