>> THE ANNUAL STATE OF THE
TRIBES ADDRESS AT THE STATE
CAPITOL TOOK PLACE THIS WEEK.
IN TONIGHT'S CLOSER LOOK, WE
HEAR FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI
COMMUNITY, NED DANIELS.
>> THE SUCCESS OF NOT ONLY
WISCONSIN'S TRIBAL NATIONS, BUT
FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE STATE,
DEPEND ON OUR RESILIENCE TO
CONTINUE TO TACKLE DIFFICULT
ISSUES.
WE MUST MAINTAIN A SHARP FOCUS
ON IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE
WE REPRESENT IN THE NEW DECADE
AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF ADDRESSING THE
COMPLEX CHANGES BEFORE US.
>> DANIELS SPOKE NAMELY TO THE
OPIOID EP DECK EPIDEMIC.
HE WAS THANKFUL FOR RECENT
LEGISLATION TO COMBAT ADDICTION.
HE DESCRIBED A WELLNESS CENTER
TO BE LOCATED AMONG NATIVE
NATIONS IN WISCONSIN.
WITH MORE ON THAT, WE TURN TO
SHANNON HOLSEY, PRESIDENT OF THE
STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE BAND OF THE
MOHICAN NATION, WHO JOINS US
FROM GREEN BAY.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> DESCRIBE WHY THIS YOUTH
TREATMENT CENTER IO NEEDED?
>> WELL, IT'S IMPERATIVE BECAUSE
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, THERE
IS NOTHING UNIQUE TO THAT OR
CULTURALLY CENTRIC TO THE NEED
OF YOUR PEOPLE AS RELATES TO
ADDICTION.
THIS IDEA WAS INSTILLED 20 YEARS
AGO.
AS TRIBAL NATIONS WE BELONG TO
THE GREAT LAKES INTERTRIBAL
COUNCIL.
20 YEARS AGO THEY HAD THE IDEA
THAT THEY NEEDED TO BRING
WELLNESS AND HEALING TO OUR
COMMUNITIES AND ESPECIALLY THE
MOST VULNERABLE, OUR YOUTH.
WE HAVE DECIDED THAT THE
DESIGNATION WILL BE IN CENTRAL
WISCONSIN PRIMARILY MOST LIKELY
MARATHON COUNTY AND PROBABLY IN
THE WAUSAU AREA DUE TO THE FACT
THAT IT HAS ACCESSIBILITY TO
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, WHICH IS
SOMETIMES ON TRIBAL RESERVATIONS
THE MOST CHALLENGING THING, IS
TO PROVIDE THOSE NECESSARY
RESOURCES AND FIND THE NECESSARY
PROFESSIONALS TO BRING THAT
HEALING TO OUR NATION.
>> I UNDERSTAND GAMING COMPACT
MONEY BACK IN '17 HELPED PALE
FOR THE PLANNING CENTER AND YOU
JUST MET WITH GOVERNOR EVERS AND
ATTORNEY GENERAL KAUL.
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT THIS
EFFORT?
>> IT WAS UNDER GOVERNOR
WALKER'S ADMINISTRATION THAT WE
RECEIVED MONEY TO DO A
FEASIBILITY STUDY AND BUSINESS
PLAN.
THEN THERE WAS A CONTINUATION OF
THOSE PRIORITIES IN GOVERNOR
EVERS' AND ATTORNEY GENERAL
KAUL'S INITIATIVES.
BECAUSE THAT ISSUE DOESN'T GO
AWAY BECAUSE YOU ELECT A NEW
GOVERNOR.
AND THEY'RE BOTH PASSIONATE.
GOVERNOR WALKER SERVED UNDER THE
-- EXCUSE ME, GOVERNOR EVERS
SERVED UNDER GOVERNOR WALKER'S
ADMINISTRATION, SO HE WAS WELL
AWARE OF THIS INITIATIVE.
HIM BEING IN THE REALM OF
EDUCATION, HE UNDERSTOOD THE
PERILS OF WHAT THAT COULD BE AND
THE DEVASTATION IT BRINGS TO THE
YOUTH IN CRISIS AND FAMILIES AND
COMMUNITIES.
HE VERY MUCH HAS THE PULSE ON
WHAT IS HAPPENING, AS DOES
ATTORNEY GENERAL KAUL.
WE'VE MET WITH HIM SEVERAL DAYS
AGO WITH REGARDS TO THIS AND HE
SPOKE OF IT.
AND IT'S JUST NOT A NATIVE
AMERICAN ISSUE, CLEARLY.
IT'S AN ISSUE IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT IF WE
DON'T BRING HEALING TO THIS
GENERATION, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE
AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF YOUNG
PEOPLE TO THIS ADDICTION AND
IT'S GOING TO CAUSE MUCH LARGER
ISSUE.
>> AS TO THE TREATMENT CENTER
ITSELF, HOW WILL IT BE DIFFERENT
FROM OTHER YOUTH TREATMENT
CENTERS?
YOU KNOW, HOW WILL NATIVE
NATIONS' CULTURES BE
INCORPORATED?
>> WELL, IT'S DEEMED TO BE
CULTURALLY CENTRIC.
CENTRAL TO WHAT THAT IS IS I
UNDERSTAND THAT TREATMENT
CENTERS CAN SOMETIMES BE A VERY
CHALLENGING THING FOR ESPECIALLY
A YOUNG PERSON.
I CAN IMAGINE.
BUT THE FACT IS IS THAT WHAT WE
ARE TRYING TO DO IS EMULATE
SOMETHING THAT IS FAMILIAR TO
THEM TO HELP IN THE CARE AND
SOMETHING THAT'S FAMILIAR AS
THEY RETURN FROM CARE INTO THEIR
OWN COMMUNITIES.
WE THOUGHT WHAT WOULD BE BEST
AND WHAT WE KNOW BEST IS OUR
CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE
IMPERATIVE TO THE FOUNDATION OF
THE HEALING OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
OF COURSE, IT WILL BE COMBINED
WITH WESTERN MEDICINE AND
NECESSARY WRAP-AROUND SERVICES
THAT WE'LL NEED FOR THE
CONTINUATION NOT ONLY FOR THE
YOUTH IN TREATMENT, BUT ALSO FOR
THE FAMILY.
SO THERE IS GOING TO BE AN
OPPORTUNITY, MY IDEA OR OUR
VISION COLLECTIVELYING COLLECTIVELY AS TRIBAL
LEADERS, BUILT AROUND AN IDEA OF
11 NATIONS KNOWING THIS IS
SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE TO PROVIDE HEALTH AND
WELLNESS TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
BUT IF WE CAN'T AT THE MOST
GENERAL SENSE PROVIDE THE MOST
VULNERABLE PEOPLE, THEN WHAT
GOOD IS IT THAT WE DO AND WORK
FOR IF WE CAN'T BRING HEALING TO
THEM?
SO THE IDEA WAS IS THAT WE
ENJOIN OUR CULTURE AND OUR
TRADITIONS AND SOMETHING THAT
THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, IT
WILL PROVIDE THEM THE NECESSARY
TOOLS AS THEY GO ON THEIR
HEALING JOURNEY TO UTILIZE AND
GO BACK AND REVERT TO THOSE
TOOLS AS THEY RETURN TO THEIR
TRIBAL NATIONS AND PROVIDE THAT
LONG-TERM HEALING AND
SUSTAINABILITY TO THEIR HEALING.
>> YOU SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT HOW
THERE WILL BE WRAP-AROUND
SERVICES.
IS THAT SOMETHING CENTRAL TO THE
KIND OF TREATMENT APPROACH
THERE?
>> YES.
WE HAD LOOKED AT VARIOUS OPTIONS
OF HOW WE WERE GOING TO APPROACH
THIS.
SO WHEN YOU ASKED EARLIER WHAT
UNIQUENESS FROM A CULTURAL
PERSPECTIVE THAT WAS GOING TO
BE, WE BELIEVE THAT BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH PLAYS A LARGE PART IN
THAT AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN GET IN 90 OR 120
DAYS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE
ADDRESSED AT ITS CORE AND WILL
MOST LIKELY REQUIRE LONG-TERM
TREATMENT -- NOT TREATMENT, BUT
EXTERIOR TREATMENT FOR THAT
YOUNG PERSON.
BUT ALSO THE FAMILY OR THE
GUARDIAN THAT'S TASKED WITH THE
CARE OF THAT CHILD.
IT'S ABOUT DIET.
IT'S ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT'S SORT OF A
MIND/BODY/SPIRITUAL APPROACH
MORE HOLISTIC IN NATURE.
>> WHEN DO YOU EXPECT TO OPEN
THE DOORS?
>> WELL, WE ARE AT THE NEXT
PHASE.
UNDER THE NEW ADMINISTRATION OF
GOVERNOR WALKER AND THE
WISCONSIN LEGISLATION WE WERE
FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL
FUNDING TO DO ARCHITECTURAL
RENDING.
WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.
WE'RE PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE'RE
CLOSER TO FINDING ANOTHER
PARTNER TO JOIN US IN
FACILITATING AND EXECUTING THIS
ENDEAVOR.
>> ALL RIGHT.
PRESIDENT SHANNON HOLSEY, THAWR
VERY MUCH AND GOOD