Aanii! Boozhoo! (Hi/ Hello)
Our entire goal is to bring back traditions. In light of recent events, we feel it is important now, more than ever, to band together to heal our community. You cannot take on big tasks if the community is shattered. We need to learn to work together, not against each other. We are here to hear the concerns and come up with solutions. To band together is to work together. To set aside what was, and to build what will be. For the healing of our Elders and creating a better path for our children is what culture is all about!
If you’d like to send in or request an activity, teaching, or if there is anything else you’d like to see happen, please email us at lrboibiskaabiiyangcommittee@gmail.com. We want to hear from you and make sure we are including everyone in our LRBOI Tribal Community.
Miigwech! (Thank you!)
Our entire goal is to bring back traditions. In light of recent events, we feel it is important now, more than ever, to band together to heal our community. You cannot take on big tasks if the community is shattered. We need to learn to work together, not against each other. We are here to hear the concerns and come up with solutions. To band together is to work together. To set aside what was, and to build what will be. For the healing of our Elders and creating a better path for our children is what culture is all about!
If you’d like to send in or request an activity, teaching, or if there is anything else you’d like to see happen, please email us at lrboibiskaabiiyangcommittee@gmail.com. We want to hear from you and make sure we are including everyone in our LRBOI Tribal Community.
Miigwech! (Thank you!)
Mission Statement
This Committee's mission is to promote, maintain and foster our history, culture, teachings, traditions, and ceremonies as Anishinaabe people that was fought for by those that walked before us, and as guaranteed by our constitution. We will work to preserve and make available equal opportunities in educational and cultural resources to all citizens through in person and virtual opportunities, as available and appropriate. This will be first and foremost at the direction of our elders and Clan mothers; and attained through the promotion and creation of cultural activities and workshops, traditional and contemporary tribal arts, and educational resources in indigenous history, stories, teachings, traditions, and ceremonies.
----------IN progress of changing!!!-----------
----------IN progress of changing!!!-----------
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Committee Members

Al Metzger, Elder Committee Member

Dr. Delia Ross, Secretary/Elder Committee Member
Aanii/Hello
My name is Delia Ross. I was born in Chicago, Illinois but I now live in a northwest suburb of Chicago. I was born to Alvina E. Bailey and Edward F. Lones. My grandparents were Moses (Chief Yellow Sky Eagle) and Delia Bailey. My great grandparents, James Wabaswa and Charti Espiew and Peter and Eliza Pean. I come from a large family of 15. I have 3 beautiful adult children and two grandchildren. My youngest son and husband have walked on.
I am 67 years old. I have spent all of my adult life teaching children that have special needs until I retired in 2012. While teaching in elementary school I would do programs for the children exposing them to our teachings and culture. I was always amazed as they viewed us as the Natives they would see on television. They didn’t believe we still existed. After I retired, I then began teaching adults who want to become teachers at a local university.
My purpose in becoming a member of this group is to help those who were not raised on our land. I lost my mother when I was young and was not able to learn about all of our traditions, language and culture from her. In recent years I have returned to learning more about our teachings and culture. Teaching a diversity class at the university has made me want to share our teachings with others who view Native Americans as non-existent. As I continue to learn more about our Anishnaabe life, I hope to help others learn too.
Miigwetch!
Aanii/Hello
My name is Delia Ross. I was born in Chicago, Illinois but I now live in a northwest suburb of Chicago. I was born to Alvina E. Bailey and Edward F. Lones. My grandparents were Moses (Chief Yellow Sky Eagle) and Delia Bailey. My great grandparents, James Wabaswa and Charti Espiew and Peter and Eliza Pean. I come from a large family of 15. I have 3 beautiful adult children and two grandchildren. My youngest son and husband have walked on.
I am 67 years old. I have spent all of my adult life teaching children that have special needs until I retired in 2012. While teaching in elementary school I would do programs for the children exposing them to our teachings and culture. I was always amazed as they viewed us as the Natives they would see on television. They didn’t believe we still existed. After I retired, I then began teaching adults who want to become teachers at a local university.
My purpose in becoming a member of this group is to help those who were not raised on our land. I lost my mother when I was young and was not able to learn about all of our traditions, language and culture from her. In recent years I have returned to learning more about our teachings and culture. Teaching a diversity class at the university has made me want to share our teachings with others who view Native Americans as non-existent. As I continue to learn more about our Anishnaabe life, I hope to help others learn too.
Miigwetch!

VACANT, Elder Committee Member
We have 1 more Elder Committee member opening
We have 1 more Elder Committee member opening

Vicki Wells, Committee Member
Aanii!
My name is Vicki Wells or Waabigekek (White Hawk), I am a member of Makwa (Bear) Clan and reside in Manistee, Michigan. I am super passionate about food and specifically our traditional foods. I am a member of the American Culinary Federation as a certified culinarian and am trying to bring our traditional foods to that environment. I graduated in May of 2020 from Great Lakes Culinary Institute where I earned my Culinary Arts Associates Degree and gained my Culinary Sales and Marketing Associates degree in December 2020. I focused on using our Indigenous ingredients in the professional atmosphere. I learned how to create recipes and use that science to curate new recipes in a modern or old way to bring our ingredients to front and center.
I believe food is medicine!
Sometimes we lose our way, and we feel lost. I know I did but getting to learn from other Indigenous chefs and eating our foods I found my way back. I want to bring you home through food as well. When you taste that first bite of a traditional dish you feel something change, something that wakes up that has been sleeping and lost. So, it is my hope and my heart's mission to bring that to our members.
I also like to teach on returning to our roots. I use almost all parts of the animals we gain from wild harvesting, the furs for moccasins and leather, bones for broth, teeth, and claws for jewelry, etc. With my teachings I try to include these things along with how to avoid glands and lymph nodes to keep the meat from going bitter or unsafe. Food safety is important to me.
Chii Miigwetch!
Aanii!
My name is Vicki Wells or Waabigekek (White Hawk), I am a member of Makwa (Bear) Clan and reside in Manistee, Michigan. I am super passionate about food and specifically our traditional foods. I am a member of the American Culinary Federation as a certified culinarian and am trying to bring our traditional foods to that environment. I graduated in May of 2020 from Great Lakes Culinary Institute where I earned my Culinary Arts Associates Degree and gained my Culinary Sales and Marketing Associates degree in December 2020. I focused on using our Indigenous ingredients in the professional atmosphere. I learned how to create recipes and use that science to curate new recipes in a modern or old way to bring our ingredients to front and center.
I believe food is medicine!
Sometimes we lose our way, and we feel lost. I know I did but getting to learn from other Indigenous chefs and eating our foods I found my way back. I want to bring you home through food as well. When you taste that first bite of a traditional dish you feel something change, something that wakes up that has been sleeping and lost. So, it is my hope and my heart's mission to bring that to our members.
I also like to teach on returning to our roots. I use almost all parts of the animals we gain from wild harvesting, the furs for moccasins and leather, bones for broth, teeth, and claws for jewelry, etc. With my teachings I try to include these things along with how to avoid glands and lymph nodes to keep the meat from going bitter or unsafe. Food safety is important to me.
Chii Miigwetch!

VACANT, Committee Member
We currently have 4 committee member openings.
We currently have 4 committee member openings.