Meskwaki Food Sovereignty is excited to announce a new mentorship program starting in December 2019.

The Indigenous Foods Culinary Mentorship program will be open to any community member interested in working with ancestral foods using both traditional and modern cooking methods. Find out more information at our upcoming meeting on Wednesday, November 20th.

This Informational Meeting will be on Wed., Nov. 20th starting at 5:00 pm in the Tribal Center Snack Bar. Light refreshments will be served. If you are interested but unable to attend please call us at (641) 484-9584.

The Meskwaki Diabetes Program will now be accepting recipes for the Healthy Recipe Contest until November 12th!

Recipe submissions can be made by email (see below) or drop-in at the Health Clinic. Submissions must include your name, current phone number and recipe. A prize will be awarded to every submission after the cook-off!

*Please note that a healthy recipe meets these general guidelines:

• Low to moderate in fat content
• Low in added sugar
• Low in sodium
• High in vitamins, minerals and fiber

On November 15th, the Top 5 Recipe contestants will be announced. These individuals will go on to make their recipe at the cook-off. The Diabetes Program will provide all ingredients.

On November 20th, the Cook-off will be held! Cooking starts at 5:00 pm at the Tribal Center for contestants. Voting and tasting starts at 6:00 pm for the public. Come on over to eat some tasty food and to vote for your favorites! The Top 2 recipes will win additional prizes.

We hope to see you there!

See email addresses below for submissions:

• Linda Winter Chaser, Program Coordinator, dc.mhc@meskwaki-nsn.gov
• Megan Koehn, Registered Dietitian, rd.mhc@meskwaki-nsn.gov
• Ashley Aylsworth, Health Educator, he3.mhc@meskwaki-nsn.gov

You’re Invited to a Community Forum to discuss the implementation of “Neighborhood Watch” groups on the Settlement

Wednesday, November 20th at the Tribal Center Gym. Meeting will begin at 5:30 pm and end at 7:00 pm, dinner will be served at 5:30.

Working together we can make a difference!

Meskwaki Natural Resources is having a Calendar Photo Contest – Photos must be submitted digitally to oa.mdnr@meskwaki-nsn.gov by Friday, November 21st no later than 4:30 pm.

MNR Photo Contest Details:

• Winners will be announced on Nov. 25th
• Photos can be in black and white and/or color
• All photos will be rated on a point system:
  • Photos can be taken on or off the Settlement
  • Extra points will be awarded for photos taken on the Settlement
  • Photos must be Natural Resource related or a Natural Resource activity
  • Extra points for clarity, neatness, and quality
• Photos can be taken by community members and Tribal employees
  • Submit up to four (4) photos per person (1 photo per season)

PRIZES:

• 1st Place – $100
• 2nd Place – $75
• 3rd Place – $50
• 4th Place – $25

The TOP 12 photos will be published in the 2020 MNR Calendar!

For questions, contact the MNR Offices at (641) 484-3511

Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel will be hosting a FREE Event, Waln & Winder, on Friday, November 22nd. This event is open to all Meskwaki Community Members.

Frank Waln and Tanaya Winder will be at the MBCH on Friday, November 22nd. Doors open at 7:00 pm the show begins at 8:00 pm and will be held in the Meskwaki Veterans Convention Center.

“Frank Waln is an award winning Sicangu Lakota Hip Hop artist and music producer from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.  A recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Waln attended Columbia College Chicago where he received a BA in Audio Arts and Acoustics. Waln’s awards include three Native American Music Awards, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 2014 Native American 40 Under 40, the 2014 Chicago Mayor’s Award for Civic Engagement, and the 2016 3Arts Grant for Chicago Artists. Frank Waln travels the world telling his story through performance and doing workshops focusing on self-empowerment and expression of truth. ” – Frank Waln. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://frankwaln.com/about/

“Tanaya Winder is a poet, writer, artist and educator who was raised on the Southern Ute reservation in Ignacio, CO. An enrolled member of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, her background includes Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, Diné, and Black heritages. Tanaya writes and teaches about different expressions of love. Tanaya is the Director of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Upward Bound Program, which services 103 Native American youth from 5 states, 12 high schools, and 5 reservations across the country. She continues to teach as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico. She co-founded the Sing Our Rivers Red traveling earring exhibit to raise awareness about murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. She is a 2016 National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development “40 Under 40” list of emerging American Indian leaders recipient and a 2017 First Peoples Fund Artists in Business Leadership fellows.” – Tanaya Winder. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tanayawinder.com/about/

Help Fight Hunger In Our Community! The 4th Annual Arrest Hunger Food Drive is  currently being held from November 1st through November 25th. There will be Donation bags and/or boxes left at each home and Tribal Office on the Settlement. Your support is greatly appreciated!

During the Meskwaki Veterans Powwow at the Meskwaki High School on Saturday, November 9th there will be a donation box available to place food drive donations.

On November 21st and 22nd the Probation department, Police Department and Diabetes Program will be collecting donations from each home and tribal office, (please leave outside your door).

On November 25th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm community members may come to the Tribal Center to pick-up donations.

For more information please call (641) 484-9285.

The 4th Annual Arrest Hunger Food Drive is sponsored by: Meskwaki Nation Probation Department, Meskwaki Nation Police Department, Meskwaki Diabetes Program.

Join us on Thanksgiving morning for the 2019 Meskwaki Nation Turkey Trot!

Thursday, November 28th at the Meskwaki Tribal Health Clinic. Entry Fee: 2 non-perishable food items.

Registration Opens at 7:30 am, Fun Run/Walk Begins at 8:00 am. Route will start at the Clinic, loop the Tribal Center parking lot, and back to the Clinic.

*Hooded sweatshirts and gloves available while supplies last! (First come, first serve.)

**Door prizes to be given away at the end of the run. – Bring additional non-perishable food items for additional entries. Must be present to win!

***Top male and female finishers will receive award. Top 3 male and 3 female winners to receive pies.

Questions? Call Rudy Papakee at (641) 484-4094.

All donations will be divided between the Meskwaki Seniors and Tama County Food Pantry.

2019 Holiday Expo and Vendor Application Information

Save the Date for the 2019 Meskwaki Holiday Expo Event!

Friday, November 29th through Sunday, December 1st to be held in the Meskwaki Veteran’s Convention Center at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. Open Daily! Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

If you’d like to be a Vendor complete the form below!

2019 Holiday Expo and Vendor Application Information

Save the Date for the 2019 Meskwaki Holiday Expo Event!

Friday, November 29th through Sunday, December 1st to be held in the Meskwaki Veteran’s Convention Center at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. Open Daily! Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

If you’d like to be a Vendor, complete the form below!

Join the Meskwaki Diabetes Program along with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach program for Free Well-being Lunch and Learns on Tuesdays in December and January from 12:00 – 12:45 pm at the Meskwaki Health Clinic. A FREE lunch will be provided at each Lunch and Learn!

Dates:

December 3, 2019 – Time for Me: Understanding Well-being

December 10, 2019 – Building Strong Relationships

December 17, 2019 – Managing Your Money

January 7, 2020 – Enjoying Good Health and Energy

To sign up, please call (641) 484-4094 and ask to speak with Megan, Ashley or Linda.