And welcome, Welcome, Welcome. It is a time for part three of
our community connection right here on K one though one you trust and it is
a nineteen thirty three we're talking with the Delaware Tribe of Indians today. Devin
Witt is here and he's a housing specialist. But you've got a lot of
other things going there's more stuff on that title that you can fit on a
badge. I'm imagine. Absolutely, how are you doing today? Fantastic,
No, I'm super thankful to be here and be able to represent the Delaware
Tribe. A lot going on, absolutely, and that's actually one of the
most incredible things about working out the Tribe is that there's always something. So
like this week coming up, we're going to have the healthfare going on,
and so if you're not familiar, it's basically going to be a lot of
different vendors, mostly from Osage Nation and Cherokee Nation as well as some of
our departments, and we're really just trying to give back to the community and
spread that whether it's about mental health awareness, but also just health and fitness
as well. So it's incredible and so things like if you have children or
something, we have Smokey the Bear coming and Captain Supertooth from Delta Dental.
So it'll be a really good family friendly environment. So I'm excited. Well,
this is great, and you know, the Delaware Tribe has been a
big part of the community for a long time, but you've really been branching
out a lot here that in the recent last couple of years i've been here,
I've noticed you a lot more the trimpe you had the cooling centers here.
Oh my gosh, you guys probably saved some lives this summer. Yeah,
absolutely, it was. I'll tell you, it got super hot out
there, and I was so glad that we were able to help out the
community like that. And they actually just recently opened up the Health and Wellness
Center to open up more equipment, and so that's also given people more opportunities
to work out, which you know doesn't really get talked about too much anymore.
So it's really nice. Our director there, she has a really good
she can make personalized workouts, and some of the equipment too that you'll find
up a health and wellness center is pretty what's the word I'm looking for.
You can't find it anywhere else. Besides, like Kobe Scoby or the hospital.
It's a called a recumbent stepper and it's really to help people that are
going through physical therapy. Well, you know, when you've got something that's
pretty much, you know, almost unique, rare, you know that that
is that is nice to know that you have it there. Well, and
that's what's really nice, is uh, you know, sometimes it's taking those
little things and finding the gap. And so I feel like that's what the
Delaware tribe does best, is you know, where does the community have a
need and how can we fill that? And you've been feeling it quite nicely.
I might add too, a lot of things going on. I do
know that we have the issue metness. They mentioned the health and fair that
it's going to be there today. Lots of vendors too, and like you
said to mascots. But the thing is it's about getting well, staying well,
and you know, just maybe even get a little education on how to
keep yourself in a better frame. Well, and that's you talk about health
them on ess too. You can't help but bring up free giveaways, you
know, And I think that's something that's so. I know yesterday some of
the stuff that I saw was like thermometers and just kind of like general it's
incredible and so we've had a lot of help from the community and now we're
just ready to give it back. This is really good. This is really
good. You know, once you go to a thing like this, you
kind of get a feel for what's going on, and you also pick up
a couple of gentle reminders that maybe this is the way you should start leading
your life. Because you pick up an unhealthy habit early, oh yeah yeah,
and pretty soon you know it's going to dog you the rest of your
life. I'm speaking from experience, So pay attention to your healthcare professionals and
go in with an open mind. And we will have a tendency to be
stubborn, don't we. Oh absolutely, I'm the worst. It's actually it's
kind of incredible too. They started this for their employees, but they're doing
like a walk upon challenge. Okay, so thirty minutes every day we're being
challenged to get up and move around, and you know, I think that's
incredible. Even if it was just thirty minutes of walking around. You know,
you feel great after you're done, and I think you know, you
can't spread that message enough of you know, there is something that comes with
physical exercise that helps your body and helps your mind. You gotta love it.
You gotta love it. This is really pretty cool. I know that
there are a couple of other things you probably want to get into as well,
being with the you know, being the housing specialists. I understand we
got good word, I guess from the city council last night. Housing.
Oh, I haven't seen anything about what city council will say. Okay,
well it didn't meet a surprise. No, no, you're totally fine.
But the campus is boomed. Well, I'll tell you yeah, they're always
expanding. That's one of the great things is that we always have this growth
mindset going on, and you know, from the housing side, we're always
there to meet the needs. I'm super thankful that we're able to help kind
of low income communities to find homes and then get them back on their feet
so that way they can continue to move on and move forward in life.
Now, the tribe, you have tribal members all over the area here in
Kansas and and what have you, after being resettled from New York. Oh,
that's a long way. Well, but the way that the tribe communicates
is really exceptional and the way the tribe pulls together is pretty dark unique in
its own way. And then that's what's beautiful about it is that we don't
just help out Delaware travel members only. We try to keep it as open
as possible, you know, like we have our family and children's services as
well, and let's talk about that because that is really gold star. That
is top notch. It is insane. I can't say enough great things about
the women that that work there and the work that they do. It's i
know, it's changed so many different lives every day, and it's one of
those things the type of work that they do, you know, all the
it's very serious. The impact that it has on community members and families specifically,
you know it it's needed, especially in the community like this, Oh
wow, And it's always a phone call of way, isn't it well?
And that's the great thing about it is that we actually keep it open to
it doesn't matter whether you're tribal members or non tribal members. So the only
thing that they do is specifically for tribal members is Indian Child Welfare. But
but beyond that, the child support services, domestic violence, advocacy, So
whether that's helping you get a protective order, getting resources, referrals, you
know, domestic violence education, all those kinds of things. It's a tough
topic that how many people want to talk about, but it happens, and
having a resource there, especially in the community, like this is incredible.
Let's go back to the campus here. There's a new gym facility that's kind
of being is it being redone or just expanded a brand new Where are we
We're adding more equipment to really trying to expand on the program and getting more
people involved. You know how it is with a gym. You know,
at the start of the year, everyone's there, but by the end of
it, you know, it's obvious you could shoot a cannon off and not
hit anything. Yeah, exactly. So really that's what we're trying to douse,
just revitalize it. U Now, I do know for like non Delaware
or Cherokee members, there is a small fee. It's like two dollars a
day or twenty dollars a month, I believe, if no contract. Well,
but beyond that, you know, they do offer things like they have
a shower and a full locker room, and I use that full body massage
chair as much as I possibly can. And sweet, I didn't know you
had that at going on in there. Yeah, I'll tell you. You
know, it's it's one of the most sought after items after goodness sake.
Well, this is absolutely tremendous. You guys have a web page to trybe
has a web page, and I gotta tell you that is stacked with a
lot of information everything from politics, to social to cultural to you know,
just what's happening in the neighborhood. Well, and that's what I really like
about. We're actually trying to find different ways that we can communicate with tribal
members. So we actually do have our our own app that we use.
H it's called Lenape Connect and it's for especially Delaware tribal members and maybe aren't
in the Bartlesville area, should still be able to get news and information and
also interact with each other on a kind of a social level. And so
I think it's incredible and very unique, to say the least. Well,
you know, you got a lot going on. You have Lenape Reserved that's
always busy. Yeah, oh yeah, and everything. And I understand there's
also going to be an electronics pickup or a drop off. This we get
as well, so I'm not too familiar with that one here, but but
we are going to talk about, of course, the healthfare and the big
event and the vendors and everything, because this is this is the big highlight
here as far as just keeping people well and putting on the path to stay
well. Now, most people are like me, do they like their doctors
socially really don't want to get poke and prodded. But you know, if
you pay attention to what you're gonna witness at the healthfare, chances are you
won't have to make that appointment for that hey what's this because you've kind of
stayed away from hey, what's causing this? Well? And I also feel
like, dude, having a group setting, you know, it's not that
that one on one like a super personal experience, and so you know,
I think it's more inviting and welcoming. And then whenever you have a wide
range of vendors that are going to be there from different departments, whether it's
from the tribe or Cherokee Nation, you know there's gonna be a lot of
resources, there, a lot of information, and that's one of the great
things about what all of the tribes are doing is that they have these programs
ready to go. You know, they just need people to sign up and
and really know, the have to do is ask a question. You know,
it's not like you're going to be around strangers. Yea, yeah,
going to be pretty much around family and friendly and you know, the anxiety
threshold lot to be pretty much next to nothing because it's although it is a
health fair, there's also a social aspect to it well. And forsythe Hall
is a very welcoming place. You know, I can say personally because I
got married there a few years ago, but no, it's it's a really
good place. And Trudy the title sixth director there, she's doing great work.
They actually offer elders classes saw on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from ten
in the morning till eleven. You can come in and do some exercises kind
of get you staying in shape good. And then for anybody that doesn't know,
on Thursdays from one to two we actually have bingo for our elders and
I'll tell you that's a great time. That's fun. I just don't walk
in there as they're playing kind of get serious, there were a little bit.
Oh it does. It's incredible, you know, you can't happens out
there is absolutely beautiful and when I see the size of the building, it's
a good size building, but it's just hard to imagine how much is contained
right there on your campus. You got that beautiful pond there, You've got
a nice walking space, green space, and then the inside buildings are how
is it just a whole wealth of important things for the trial and they just
remodeled a lot of it too, So it's a beautiful walkway as you come
into the travel headquarters the Lenape Early Learning Center. I can't say enough great
things about them either. I think they're in the race for the number one
daycare in Bartlesville. Make sure you guys vote for that. There you go.
So let's get the time of the date again for the healthfare. Yes,
so it's going to be September fifteenth, from nine to noon for kind
of kiddos and stuff like that's worth smoking. The Bear and Captain two fair
will be there, and then from twelve to three it's going to be for
everybody else. I do believe we're going to be serving lunch there as well.
So if you're hungry healthy lunch. Yeah, yes, sir, So
I would highly encourage everyone to at least stop by, say hi, and
just see what we have to offer. And if people have questions, can
they just go to the website or do they need to call some Absolutely so
all of our resources are right there on the website on the home page.
If you do have any questions, I always highly encouraged just call the front
office and they can get you connected to whatever department that you need, whether
it's community services, family and Children's services, housing enrollment. So we've got
a lot to offer. Dvin Witsman, our guest, he's with the Delaware
Tribe of Indians. Anything we might have missed. I think we covered a
lot. Well, we did. We tried to get the as much as
we possibly can't. I told him it's not sixteen minutes, it's more like
sixteen over a cup of coffee. I think, yes, sir. And
you got a podcast going on, can you? Oh? Yeah? Yeah,
So I have my own podcast that's a local show called Whitson Podcast w
I T T S. And I really enjoyed doing I wanted to call it
entertainment, but it kind of turned into social political commentary, but it's from
the unique perspective of a father and son younger generation, kind of older generation,
and that different ideals. All right, well, I thank you for
being with us here today. Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you
for having me Tom. Alrighty