Newsroom

The Sault Tribe Board of Directors and Chairman Austin Lowes met today in a workshop with the intent to approve an all team member pay plan aligned with up-to-date compensation studies. After spending several hours in workshop this afternoon discussing how to proceed, the board canceled the special meeting called for today, Nov. 13, and decided to direct a more closely aligned collaboration across casino, enterprise and governmental divisions in order to ensure comparables and pay equity.  In preparation, the board engaged several external compensation consultants to bring forward recommendations. However, these different studies need to be reviewed across casino, enterprise and governmental divisions of the tribe. The board is resolved to set a short timeframe by which this review will be done before the end of 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience on behalf of our valued team members to the delay. You are the engine that drives our tribe and we appreciate your patience.

The Sault Ste Marie Kewadin Casino Gift Shop is having a Pre-Holiday Sale starting Nov. 15 through Nov. 29.

Get 25% off clothing, giftware, souvenirs, jewelry, publications and plush!

Excluded from the sale: already reduced items, food, beverages, amenities, newspapers, nicotine products and tribal artwork.

Pre-Holiday Sale Flyer

The Sault Tribe Board of Directors will be scheduling a series of open workshops to begin the review process of the proposed constitutional amendments brought forward at the Oct. 1, 2024, meeting. The documents as presented that day are available on the tribe’s website for member review. The first workshop session for this purpose has been scheduled for Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, beginning at 4 p.m. in the Whitefish Point Room at the Sault Casino. Members may attend in person or via Zoom; please use the regular board of directors workshop Zoom link available on the website. If you have not submitted a form to attend board workshops and meetings via Zoom, please be sure to complete and submit that form.

Constitutional Amendment Workshop Documents 

Canceled

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. —The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Board of Directors will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Sault Kewadin Casino, in person or via Zoom, https://zoom.us/j/83640619761. Those who have already registered for Zoom meetings need not register again.

On the agenda under Resolutions is: Sault Tribe Comprehensive Classification/ Compensation Study, Adopting 2024 EDC/Enterprise Compensation Study/Recomm.,
Adopting 2024 Kewadin Compensation Study/Recomm., and Amending Resolution 2024-255.

Preceding the meeting will be a board workshop beginning at 12 p.m. The agenda is: Sault Tribe, EDC, and Kewadin Casinos Compensation Studies (CLOSED). An agenda review will take place at 4:30 p.m., followed by the special meeting.

Resolutions

The following Sault Tribe Committees have vacant seats. Sault Tribe members interested in filling these vacancies should submit one letter of intent and three letters of recommendation (forms available online or contact Lona/Ashlee) from other members to Lona Stewart at 523 Ashmun Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783, or call 906‑635‑6050 with any questions.

Anishinaabe Cultural Committee - Four vacancies - two males (4-year term), two females (4-year term)
Child Welfare Committee - Two vacancies (4-year term); One vacancy - term expires November 2026; One vacancy - term expires January 2027
Higher Education Committee - Three vacancies (4-year term)
Special Needs/Enrollment Committee - (2-year term)
Unit II - Two vacancies
Unit III - Two vacancies
Unit IV - One vacancy
Elder Advisory Committee
Unit I - Sault - One alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Unit II - Newberry - One regular vacancy, one alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Unit II - Naubinway - One regular vacancy (4-year term)
Unit III - St. Ignace - One regular vacancy, two alternate vacancies (4-year term)
Unit IV - Escanaba - One regular vacancy, term set to expire August, 2026
Unit V - Marquette - One alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Elder Subcommittees
Unit I - Sault - One alternate vacancy – term expiring November 2026
Unit II - Naubinway - Two regular vacancies - both terms expiring May 2027
Unit III - St. Ignace - One regular vacancy - term expiring April 2027
Unit IV - Manistique - One regular vacancy - term expiring November 2026
Unit IV - Escanaba - One regular vacancy (4-year term), two regular vacancies - terms expiring May 2026, one alternate vacancy (4-year term)
Unit V - Munising - Two alternate vacancies (4-year term)
Unit V - Marquette - Two alternate vacancies - one 4-year term, one term expiring December 2027

The Sault Tribe Board of Directors’ Workshop Agenda for Nov. 12, 2024, is the following:
Closed Morning Session: Budgets at 10 a.m.; Executive Reports – Casinos/EDC at 10:30 a.m.;
Afternoon Session: 1 p.m., Broadband Project (Closed); 2 p.m., Relinquishments (3); 2:30 p.m., HR Policies Bid Review; and 3 p.m., Election Commission Session with Board.

To attend the scheduled workshop, except for closed session or items, go to https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84149623333. Those who have already registered to Zoom Board of Directors meetings need not register for workshops.

Agenda

Due to a scheduling error, there will not be a mobile pantry distribution for November at the Big Bear Arena. To find food resources near you, please visit https://www.feedwm.org/findfood/ and use the map to locate food pantries and meal programs (green apple and milk icon), upcoming Mobile Food Pantries (blue truck icon), and Gather 2 Grow sites (orange reading person icon) near you.

The next scheduled distribution at the Big Bear Arena is Dec. 12, 2024.

All tribal government offices and health clinics are closed today in observance of JKL Day. Joseph K. Lumsden was a US Marine Corps veteran, musician, elementary school teacher, among many other accomplishments, and was Sault Tribe’s first chairman. Our tribal school is named for him. Also known as Veterans Day, Nov. 11 is Joseph K. Lumsden Day is a tribal holiday.

Joseph K. Lumsden

Sault Tribe recently welcomed its new Chief Information Officer, Raymonde Czerwinski. Wanting to get away from long drive times, congested traffic and California in general, Czerwinski had been looking for another position when he saw the tribe’s job offering posted on Indeed.

“It intrigues me, working for a tribe and the potential use of technology to have a positive impact on the people,” Czerwinski said.

Czerwinski interviewed for the position and visited the Sault in May and June and said he fell in love with the area. “I’ve touched snow about twice in my life,” he said. “So it’s a totally different environment—both work wise, culturally and geographically. I like the challenges and new experiences.”

Czerwinski began his career over 30 years ago as a customer service staffer, spending 22 years in information technology and over 12 years in senior and executive leadership roles (VP of IT and chief technology officer-CTO). “I have a unique expertise in leading transformative digital initiatives across various industries. My methodology merges technology insight with leadership—centered on innovation, user-centric strategies, and operational excellence. I have developed and executed comprehensive IT strategic roadmaps highlighting enhanced user experiences, scalability, and team development while focusing on business objectives,” he said.

Under the direction of the tribe’s board of directors, Czerwinski is responsible for providing leadership, designing and leading the tribe’s information technology strategy, and supporting business operations, including ensuring the secure use of information technology across the tribal organization.

More recently, he worked as a chief executive consultant for a company based in Corona, Calif., from April 2023, and as a CTO at a large Irvine-based financial services firm until he began his current position in August. In that position, he optimized tech spending to maximize return on investments, collaborated to expand service ranges, enhanced IT solutions, cybersecurity, and sustainable tech practices while promoting digital transformation and operational improvement, among other initiatives.

Czerwinski holds a Bachelor of Science in business management, graduating in 2014 from California Baptist University. He is also a Microsoft Certified Professional, CompTIA A+.

Czerwinski has been married to his high school sweetheart, Anna, for 29 years and they have two sons, Noah, 17, and Anthony, 25, who recently became engaged to his girlfriend of eight years – Nayelli “Nelly” Terran. Czerwinski’s wife will be making the move to the Sault after their younger son graduates from high school this spring.

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Transportation Department BIA Tribal Transportation Program – Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)

Notice is hereby given of availability for public review and comment of the following document: Draft FY2025-2028 Transportation Improvement Plan.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Transportation Department invites membership and the public to review and comment on the Draft 2025-2028 TIP. The 30-day review period will begin on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2024. This notice is in accordance with 25 CFR 17:170.413, 170.422, 170.423. The TIP is the short-term strategic transportation plan detailing the departments planning, maintenance, safety, construction, transit, and administrative projects over the next five years. The Draft 2025-2028 TIP will be available for review at the following location:

Tribal Administrative Offices
523 Ashmun St.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

The TIP is a federally mandated document that provides a brief description of each project that will use federal transportation funds. Projects must be listed on the TIP to use federal funding. In addition, this Public Notice satisfies the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians public participation process for the development of its Program of Projects.

The department will accept comments from the public on TIP until the close of business day on Dec. 6, 2024, at 5 p.m. In addition, comments can be sent to Wendy Hoffman, Transportation Department, 523 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 or sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For questions or concerns about the TIP, contact Wendy Hoffman at 906‑635‑6050.

Special accommodations: The location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for any accommodations can be made by calling Wendy Hoffman at 906‑635‑6050 at least 48 hours in advance.