FOR
MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Mark Butterfield, 800/294-9343, Ext. 1248 (Office of the President)
Sheila Herman, 800/782-4560, Ext. 8324 (Rainbow Casino)
Beth Anacker, 800/746-2486, Ext, 2131 (Ho-Chunk Casino)
Brad Chown, 800/657-4621, Ext. 4095 (Majestic Pines Casino)
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DODGE
CITY, KANSAS RESIDENT IS
ONE
MILLION DOLLARS RICHER TODAY!
BARABOO,
Wis. (December 21, 2002)- What would you do for a million dollars? Willis
Gordon Jr. of Dodge City, Kansas, a retired, self-employed truck driver
became a millionaire when his name was drawn in the Ho-Chunk Nation’s
3rd Annual Million Dollar Giveaway tonight. The event was
televised in a satellite simulcast from the Ho-Chunk Nation’s
four gaming enterprises: Ho-Chunk Casino, Bingo, Hotel & Convention
Center in Wisconsin Dells; Rainbow Casino & Bingo in
Nekoosa; Majestic Pines Casino, Bingo & Hotel in Black
River Falls; and DeJope Bingo in Madison. He was present at
Ho-Chunk Casino when the first player’s club number was randomly drawn.
“I
told my friend I needed an 8, and when it came up on the screen, all I
said was ‘Oh good!’” Gordon said afterwards. When asked how he would
spend his money, Gordon answered, “I don’t know, but I won’t be
changing my ways.”
This
is the third time for the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Million Dollar Giveaway.
Last year, the winner was Candace Porter of Reedsburg, Wis.
Candace is a wife and mother of two who decided to take the lump sum of
$500,000 instead of an annuity of $50,000 for 20 years. Gordon will decide
in the coming days how he will take his million dollars – one lump sum
or as an annuity.
The
promotion began October 1, 2002. Anyone who signed up for a free Players
Club membership was automatically entered into the drawing. Players could
earn additional entries by playing the slot and electronic gaming machines
as well as blackjack at the Ho-Chunk Nation Nation’s four gaming
enterprises up until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2002.
The
winner was selected in a random, computerized drawing at midnight Saturday
while thousands of guests looked on, hoping their number would be the
lucky one. The festivities began earlier that day when the four gaming
enterprises gave away $1,000 every hour to randomly selected players.
Beginning at 9 p.m., the four facilities were linked via satellite for a
live, television simulcast that featured the Ho-Chunk Native American
Dance Theater, a special appearance by Ho-Chunk Nation President Troy
Swallow, National Indian Gaming Association President Ernie Stevens Jr. of
the Oneida Nation, guest interviews, stunts, and previews of upcoming
Ho-Chunk events and promotions. The evening culminated with the live
drawing and a celebratory interview with the winner.
Thousands
of guest watched as Ho-Chunk Nation President Troy Swallow announced that Ho-Chunk
Nation Gaming would hold a fourth Million Dollar Giveaway this spring.
Registration begins on March 1, 2003 through May 16, 2003. The giveaway
will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2003.
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Season's Greetings from MIS and Records Management
M: Kelly Teigen, Kathy Lawrence,
Carmen Wodill, Bruce Hatlan, Jeff Martin, Tia Chick, Michelle Cherwenka,
Cornelius DeCora, Dave Lambert, Bobby Bird, Lael Hall, Stuart Mair, Marie
Wolfe, Sharon Cain, Bill Browne
I: Ken Twin, Phil Pachniak, Robyn
Donner, Tom Redbird III, Denise Thone, Bethany Schjedahl, Tanya Crowe
S: Rita Stewart, Rollie Moe,
Jennifer Louis, Dawn Schneider, Victoria Cloud, Elisa Smith, Walt Bublitz,
Jess Lozano, Denise Larry, Bob Moss, Corey Lewis, Drew Mackenzie
(not shown: Tom Hall, Deanne Murphy,
Jerry Redbird, Mike LittleWolf, Eileen Meers, Jill Pettibone, Lynne
Trainor, Harold Stewart, Jon Anderson, Josh Clist, Julie DeVries, Cindy
Driscoll, Orbert Goodbear, Mark Lubben, Joe Standiford, Kori Van Lanen,
Brian Ward)
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Letter to the Editor
The True History of "SHUNK
HILL"
(Hay-cho-kay Hi-wa-hi-wi-da a-woi-shok hi-wa-ga-ni-wi-na)
(We hold honor and respect for our grandfathers)
The history you are about to read does not
exist in any history books nor does it exist in any museum or classified
documents. This particular hill was revered as a holy place by the Ho-Chunk
people, like many other places in regards to the Ho-Chunk beliefs. This
documentation of the Ho-Chunk people has been revealed for a specific
purpose.
"Skunk Hill" commonly known as
"Gus'ga xe' ja" (pronounced, gunsh-kay xey-ja), or presently known
as "Powers Bluff", possesses an extremely immense spiritual
foundation of the origin of the Ho-Chunk Nation and other tribes as well.
Many anthropologists have documented the
origin of the Ho-Chunk Nation by interviews that were conducted by various
Ho-Chunk tribal members and other Native Americans over the past century.
However, the origin of the Ho-Chunk Nation also includes the conception of
many other tribes in North America. Tribal elders of various tribes
throughout the United States speak of their tribe's origination by stating
that two twins that have come from the Great Lakes area brought their people
into existence with a language and a belief in God, or the Great Spirit, or
the Creator, which ever name one feels comfortable with. The conception of
existence of the Ho-Chunk people has evolved over the centuries by people
who have proclaimed they possess the knowledge of this enlightening
evolution but have forgotten that they were instructed to keep the Ho-Chunk
language sacred as it pertains to their existence. The essence of this
belief has been given to other tribes of North America as the spiritual
foundation of their nations. The Ho-Chunk twins tha came from the Creator,
along with the blessing from Him, created the twelve clans of the Ho-Chunk
people and instructed them to take this blessing to all nations and share
this with them, as they were instructed by the Creator, to serve one another
as an acknowledgement of His blessing. The myriad of languages of the North
American tribes are quite similar to that of the Ho-Chunk's, which also
confirms the conception of these tribes and their name for God has been kept
sacred for generations. These tribes believe that, these two twins along
with these twelve clan chiefs that derived from the Great Lakes area, came
directly from the Creator and that they were instructed to flourish as a
nation and keep their language sacred as it is their only means of
communication with God..
The Ho-Chunk people believe that the Great
Spirit designated Skunk Hill as a holy site for their people, similar to
that of Mount Sinai was to Moses, dating back literally hundreds of years
before Jesus Christ walked the Earth. Skunk Hill was used as a place of
prayer by the Ho-Chunk people to communicate with the Creator, specifically,
to be utilized as a tabernacle for their young warriors in their search for
a blessing from Him, or commonly referred to as a vision quest. This
spiritual blessing received by these young warriors would then be
acknowledged as a guide for them during their tenure spent here on Mother
Earth. The quintessence of such blessings can be construed as a belief that
parallels that of a spiritual awakening to a priest's or rabbi's lifelong
commitment to
their respective churches or synagogues.
The beliefs of the Ho-Chunk people that have been handed down from
generation to generation have illustrated their role amongst the tribes of
North America has been noted to that of a keeper of peace. From time to
time, there have been tribes that have declared war on the Ho-Chunk people
because of their shortcomings for respect for one another and beliefs that
were given to them by the Creator. These battles have produced legends that
classified the Ho-Chunk warriors as cannibals because of their tactics of
war and beliefs of eliminating this evil disregard for the Great Spirit by
consuming the core of their enemies' motives, by literally consuming their
hearts. Some of these war-like tribes, that could not comprehend the Great
Spirit's love for His creation, drove various tribes into Ho-Chunk
territory, which stretched from half of what is now Minnesota, to the entire
state of Wisconsin including upper Michigan, down to the northern half of
Illinois and the northeastern tip of Iowa. It is by the respect and love for
the Creator that the Ho-Chunk people allowed various tribes to live amongst
them. To list a few, some of these tribes include the Chippewa, the
Potowatomi, the Menominee, the Oneida, the Mohican, and the Sioux.
These tribes have then learned of this
sacred and holy place that the Creator has blessed them with since the
beginning of time and inquired if it was possible to send their young
warriors there also to gain His love and wisdom. These tribes believed that
this blessing would then be utilized to help their people to flourish and
multiply as the Creator had intended for all His creation. The Ho-Chunks and
their unending respect and love for the Great Spirit and one another decided
to share this blessing with the other tribes hoping that someday all tribes
may unite in prayer and keep His word holy and sacred for all time.
This decision by the Ho-Chunk people had
spread throughout North America and numerous tribes likewise inquired to
gain access to such holy and sacred place for their people. But, there were
some that possessed intentions that were not of divine nature and the
Ho-Chunks were forced to protect this blessing by driving the corrupted
hearts and minds as far away as possible. The Ho-Chunks warned the various
tribes living amongst them that this place shall always be revered as a gift
from the Creator and any other intentions for such a place would produce
anguish and suffering to those who exercised ungodly-like acts or lifestyles
or anything that opposed His blessing.
Correspondingly, the Ho-Chunk people
illustrated their respect and honor for the Great Spirit and their fallen
chiefs, clan chiefs, and warriors by entombing them encompassing the base of
Skunk Hill. They were precisely placed in areas in accordance to their clan
beliefs and laws that they were blessed with by the Creator. These tombs
that were prepared for such people consisted of their earthly possessions
and have been honored by their descendants for hundreds of years. The fact
of the matter is, that the Ho-Chunk people arrived at the conclusion that
such a place of extremely spiritual potency may be subject to further
invasions of ungodly acts of war or desecration, so they decided to prepare
burial sites away from such holy and /or sacred place. This piece of history
cannot be found in any history books or literature but rather heard with an
open mind and the willingness to learn the truth of such sacred places of
the Indigenous people of North America. The origination of the Ho-Chunk
Nation has been handed down from generation to generation as it was told by
my grandfather, Mr. Lot Smith, and my great uncle Mr. Edward Wilson, my
grandfather, Mr. Harold McKee, my nephew Mr. Michael Whitesnake, my uncle
Mr. Edmund Lincoln, my nephew, Mr. Rueben Snake, my grandfather, Mr. Lyle
Greendeer, Sr., my grandfather, Mr. Raymond Deere, and many others before
them that have cherished and nourished this unique piece of significant
history. Mind you, these burial rituals have been said that they occurred
hundred of years before Jesus Christ walked Mother Earth, so it is safe to
say that this particular holy ground, like many others throughout the United
States, have been kept secret for hundreds of generations for reasons only
known to the Creator.
I have taken time to research various
legends of originations of other tribes during my travels of numerous tribes
throughout the United States while accompanying my father, Rev. Anthony
Smith, Sr., on his quests to assist them in his own humble way to preserve,
protect, and nurture such wonderful gifts of worship. The infinite forms
religious preferences of these tribes, that each hold with heartfelt
beliefs, were illustrated by their elders and their prayers of thanksgiving
and peace of their history and existence was conveyed to us knowing we would
offer our prayers to ask the Great Spirit to bless their prayers. I truly
believe that the Creator intended this information to be formulated as a
prayer to remind all of us that we are all here to display respect and
compassion for one another. To name a few, some of these highly respected
elders of various tribes were my grandfather, Mr. Howard Williams of the
Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, my uncle, Mr. Newlon Dion of the Nakota Nation of
South Dakota, my uncle, Mr. Earl Arkinson, Sr. of the Chippewa-Cree Nation
of Montana, my grandfasther, Mr. Alfred Driver of the Three-Affiliated
Tribes of North Dakota, my grandfather, Mr. Joseph Rockboy of the Nakota
Nation of South Dakota, my grandfather, Mr. Nathan Brown of the Caddo Nation
of Oklahoma, my grandfather, Mr. Michael Keyeani of the Navajo Nation of
Arizona, and many others that believed this to be so.
For hundreds of years, the Ho-Chunk people,
along with other tribes of North America, have prophesized the coming of
holy man coming from east. They tell that this certain man comes directly
from the Great Spirit and that He is to save the world of all their
broken-spirited hearts and misguided deeds so they may believe and enter
into His kingdom. The man they spoke of was Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In essence, Skunk Hill is that compared to
a unique combination of holy and hallowed places to that of the Roman
Catholic Church in Rome, Italy, the Shaolin Temple on Mount Songshan at
Denfeng in the Henan Province, the great Prince Siddhatta's temple- who
became Buddha, the Arlington National Cemetary, and of course Mount Sinai,
where Moses spoke to God. To exercise anything but reverence and prayer at
these particular places would be considered blasphemous. The teaching of the
Ho-Chunk people entail numerous critical issues regarding the duties and
responsibilities of each tribal member and the clans they represent but they
have one above all others, the respect of other religious preferences of
non-Ho-Chunks. Moreover, the blessings that the Ho-Chunk people received
from the Creator, in regards to possessing the ability to communicate
directly to Him in retrospect of actual audio conversations, are identical
to that of the missing book of St. Thomas of the New Testament. The missing
book of St. Thomas explicitly talks of this unyielding love that the Great
Spirit has for each one of us and that this spirit that he blessed us with
allows us to be a part of Him. Meaning, the "Kingdom of God" is in
all of us, not in a specific denomination or a distinct location or in any
one man. We need only to believe in Him and in ourselves and the sacrifices
or offerings we submit on His behalf, is for Him only. And to show our
appreciation for this wonderful blessing, we worship Him by honoring all of
His creation.
The Ho-Chunk people believe that when other
tribes arrives in their territory it is truly a wonderful blessing sent by
the Creator. Their belief that God had blessed them with was to respect and
display compassion for all of His creation. That someday, the Great Spirit
would send them a gift that would bring back compassion for one another.
Some tribes have foreseen this in the form of a man, some in the form of an
animal, or some in the form of the stars and planets, and so on.
This particular belief was construed by the
white settlers as a means to rid them of this continent and they felt
compelled to destroy the Indigenous people's beliefs by ridding them of
their lives and desecrating their holy and sacred places of worship. Even to
the extent of preventing them from speaking their native languages.
What has astonished the Indigenous people
of North America was the fact that the main reason the white settlers came
to this great land was the freedom to live as a free nation, but most of
all, the freedom to worship the way they chose. Through all the hardships
that was inflicted upon the native people of this great continent, they
continue to believe that someday, the Great Spirit will bless them and
illustrate to the rest of the world that it is He that made us, and not we
ourselves. They continue to believe that this tyranny and sacrilegious
behavior will soon come to and end and the whole world will unite in prayer
and live as His children in peace and harmony.
In conclusion, Iwould like to apologize and
ask for your forgiveness for not conveying this information sooner. I was
told to enlighten everyone of this holy and sacred place of worship in order
to find peace and harmony amongst the native people and non-native people
that have given themselves to the protection, preservation, and the
righteous decision of how everyone could benefit by its holiness and
divinity. The main objective of us all is to show God that we appreciate
this life He has given us by showing respect and kindness to one another.
Our deeds that we portray in our short time here on Mother Earth reflects
our offspring and paves a path for them. If we choose a wide and bright path
for ourselves by helping one another, then we have chosen that same path for
our descendants. This is what our elders have passed down to us from
generation to generation.
Please keep in mind that this short piece
of history was depicted in a general description of actual events that had
transpired in order to honor the respect of our elders. They have been
instructed also not to reveal our origination or our sacred ceremonies in
detail for reasons that have been handed down to them by their forefathers.
I believe the purpose of this enlightening biography of the Ho-Chunk Nation
has been revealed for a number of reasons, but one in particular appears to
shine through more than the others, to bring back respect and compassion for
one another as the Great Spirit meant it to be.
Mauna na-jo-na-ja-wi-na Wai-I-ni-gi
Namp-wi-na
(Earthmaker, thank you for blessing us all)
Respectfully,
Tta-g-skoTT
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SEASON'S
GREETINGS
Veterans Affairs: (left to right): Caralee Murphy, Jason Ennis and
Margaret Garvin.
Security/Maintenance: Back (left to right): Ray Lopez, Maynard Rave, Deb
Olson, Lance Blackdeer, Barb Littlewolf. Front: (Left to right):
Melissa Redbird, Betty Gerke, Judy Youngthunder, Amber Culpitt, Beverly
Thunder. Not pictured: Dawn Littlegeorge, George Johnson, Richard Luke,
Shelley Lamp, Donna Travis, Curtis Redbird.
Fleet: (left to right): Pat Reardon, Mark Potoracke, Larry Fisher,
Jeff Hendricks, Laura Snake
OOP: Front: Anne Thundercloud (left) and Melissa Corbesia. Standing
(left to right): Mark Butterfield, Troy Swallow, Nikki Burnstad, Tara
Blackdeer, Jeriah Rave. Not pictured: Greg Garvin, Guy Beebe, Mary Thunder
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