Registration below!
Thursday, April 18, 2024
“Promoting Culturally Based Traditions to Bridge the Achievement Gap”
Youth Day Luncheon: Served in the Community Center
MIEA YOUTH DAY: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Meshakwad Community Center – 38043 Hinckley Road, Hinckley, MN 55037 Phone 320-336-0220. The community Center is adjacent to the Hotel.
9:00-9:15 AM Welcome!
9:15-9:45 AM Speaker: Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe District II Representative
Wendy Merrill
Wendy Merrill is the newest member of the Band Assembly and was elected to serve as the District II Representative in 2022. Merrill grew up in District I of the Mille Lacs Reservation, where she was raised by her parents Melanie & Jeff Sam until she was 16 then she moved to Chiminising. Merrill currently resides in the Chiminising community (DIIA) in Isle. Wendy and her husband, Carlos Merrill, have three children together; Amelio, Nevaeh, and Carols Jr. In addition, they have added to their family by taking in their nieces Celleia, Brooklynn, and Rihanna, and their nephew Derek.
Representative Merrill’s education includes; receiving her GED,
Associate in Arts degree from Central Lakes Community College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Scholastica, with a focus on Organizational Behavior and a minor in Psychology.
2018 was a big year for Merrill as she was able to celebrate another important milestone, the achievement of a Master’s degree. Her degree program, through the University of Minnesota -Duluth, was called the Masters of Tribal Administration and Governance. This program was designed for current or future tribal administrators, council members, and tribal leaders. Her graduation from this program came at a pivotal moment, as she was asked to take on a new role in the Legislative Branch of government as the Legislative Affairs Director working directly for Secretary-Treasurer Sheldon Boyd.
In 2020, Merrill decided to tackle a new academic goal of earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA), with completion in May 2022. Also, in 2020, she was recruited to serve as the Assistant General Manager of Grand Casino Mille Lacs.
As Representative Merrill learned about the world through the lens of an academic, she also felt a gravitational pull to have a voice in the education system, specifically around tribal youth. She serves on the American Indian Parent Committee for close to 10 years.
Culturally, Representative Merrill and her family are active in the Ceremonial Drum society of the Mille Lacs Band and surrounding communities. She embraces the beauty and importance of her culture.
Representative Merrill announced her intention to run for Mille Lacs Band elected office, as the District II Representative in December 2021. She won the Primary Election on April 6th, 2022, and was sworn into office on July 12th, 2022.
9:45-10:15 AM Speaker: Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe District I Representative
Virgil Wind
Virgil Wind is a member of Band Assembly and was elected to serve as the District I Representative in 2020. Wind grew up in District I of the Mille Lacs Reservation, where he was raised by his grandparents, the late Sonny and Dorothy Wind.
Wind is known as a collaborative leader who is committed to getting things done for the betterment of Band members. “I’m going in knowing that my personal feelings and biases really don’t count at all compared to the needs of 4,800 Band members who want to leave a better world for our future generations. If we take a collaborative approach mentality and maintain the willingness to have hard conversations as a team and as a family, we will be worlds ahead of where we are today.”
In addition to his service to the Band, Wind is an active community volunteer, serving as chairman of the Onamia Public School Board, and a member of the local Indian parent committee. He also volunteers in support of youth sports and for his children’s activities. Wind enjoys participating in cultural activities, playing volleyball, and spending time with his fiancé Nicole and his five kids, Dionne, Keenan, Josh, Jakob, and Emma.
Prior to joining Band Assembly, Wind was an entrepreneur and business owner, operating an independent contracting business for the past 27 years.
10:15-10:30 AM Break
10:30-12:00 PM Dr. Daniel Ninham– Indigenous games
12:00-1:00 PM Youth Luncheon
1:00-2:00 PM “Teaching Drum & Dance” with Joe Bigbear-Teaching about the hoop dance style, along with hoop dance demonstrations by first grade student of north branch school-Mattias BigBear and Mattias’ Grandfather-Zhoongwewegaboo. 2:00-3:00 PM Eldayshun “Day Dayz” Big Bear- will tell his life story which includes losing his father, his best friend but also how he overcame heartache, found an outlet, and pushed through the downs in life. He will also be using team building exercises in his session. Eldayshun is a mentor, coach, and Native poet. He coaches the Mille Lacs Raiders C-Squad basketball team, FTS AAU basketball team, and has several songs out on all platforms. Eldayshun strives to be the difference.