The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation has been in a cooperative agreement with the Smith River Fire Protection District (District) for over ten (10) years. Every year the District and the Nation re-negotiate the payments based on the valuation of Trust properties located on or near the reservation.

Tribal Trust properties are held in Trust by the United States of American and are not subject to State and/or County property taxes as other fee-simple properties in Del Norte County are. As part of our agreement with the District, the Nation makes an annual payment to Smith River Fire Protection District which compensates for this lost tax revenue.

In May of this year, the Tribe received a request for a payment which was over 20 times the previous years’ payment. This triggered the necessity to discuss further the payment between the Smith River Fire Protection District and the Nation, to determine how this new dollar amount was arrived at.

All basic life support and fire services are still being provided to the residents on and off-reservation, as they were prior with SRFPD and Del Norte Ambulance.

The Tribe is currently in negotiations with the Smith River Fire Protection for rates which are in line with other commercial properties throughout Del Norte County so the District can continue to provide services to the Lucky 7 Enterprises as it has done for the last ten years.

August 11, 2020
US CENSUS EVENT OFFERS TRIBAL CITIZENS ASSISTANCE COMPLETING THE US CENSUS
Download Public Notice 2020-01-23

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is hosting another census event. We teamed up with the US Census Bureau to bring an in-person opportunity to respond to the 2020 Census.

A Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) is a nationwide operation that is taking place across the country in low responding areas to promote and assist with responding to the 2020 Census.

At our MQA event, there will be official Census workers there to guide individuals through the Census questionnaire, question by question.
Call the Tribal Administration Office at (707) 487-9255 for more information.

August 6, 2020
TOLOWA DEE-NI’ NATION EDUCATIONAL – COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS DISBURSEMENT
Download Public Notice # 2020-01-22

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is pleased to announce the COVID-19 relief
funds to assist the membership on their need to respond to the educational
needs of our youth. This pandemic has changed the delivery of education
services to all of our students and these funds will assist our minor
membership.

All Tribal minor citizens who have not turned 18 years old by June 30,
2020 will be receiving a COVID-19 relief disbursement for educational
purposes in August 2020.

We ask that you allow up to 3 weeks for delivery of the disbursement. If
you do not receive it within the 3 week time frame, please contact the
Tribal Administration Office at (707) 487-9255 Monday thru Thursday,
8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: August 4, 2020
Contact: Tribal Administration, (707) 487-9255
Download Release 

TOLOWA DEE-NI’ NATION’S NEXT STEP IN THE RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Smith River, CA – The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation unanimously approves an expenditure plan totaling $10,675,172 as part of the Nation’s share of an $8 billion dollar allocation set aside in the CARES Act funding from the US
Treasury in response to support Tribal governments recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nation’s Respond, Recover and Rebuild expenditure plan will largely offset unbudgeted expenses due to the global coronavirus outbreak. Funds have been allocated to add important safety measures to infrastructure and
facilities for the protection of employees and citizens, increase service delivery for citizens and invest in the continued strengthening of our community recovery.

Faced with the worst crisis of our generation, we have reacted and adjusted to make the tough but necessary decisions, taking appropriate steps to protect our governmental functions and programs due to the more than $2.5 million in revenue shortfall sustained from the COVID-19 restrictions. “We the Tribal Council are striving to continue to build a stronger tribe and community even during this Tribal, State and National crisis,” said Tribal
Chairperson Leann McCallum. “We are looking at multiple ways to offer relief to citizens through our vital programs, as part of the continued goal of continue to provide for the general welfare of our membership”.

“Unfortunately, many employers across the country have had to make drastic program cuts along with mass layoffs or business shutdowns,” Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Jeri Lynn Thompson Vice Chairman stated, “We the council are very proud that the Nation did not have to completely take that route in our operations. We are able to make appropriate reductions to continue to pay our government employees so they did not financially suffer while keeping essential tribal services operational.”

The Attorney General’s office issued an opinion of federal CARES Act funding saying funds should be directed to necessary expenses and programs that support the recovery of the Tribe from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Tribal ‘per capita scheme’ is a prohibited use of the funds and the funds must be tied to costs incurred due to the public health emergency the Nation is facing. The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s plan is to help guide all facets of the Tribal Government and citizen concerns.

Our spending plan is allocated to multiple areas; personal protective equipment (PPE), adding facility space for employee’s social distancing, investment in information technology (IT) for preparations to continued operational restrictions, restoration of operations, payroll functions, continued investment to assist the Tribal citizens with economic recovery and for the on-going response to COVID-19.

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Council has modified the Tribe’s FY2020 budget to accommodate our spending plan and will continue to monitor and provide input on the plan as it further develops. Plans will be subject to
change as the pandemic and needs change. Councilmember Dr. Joseph Giovannetti stated, “We will continue to work together to meet this un-seen predator head-on and ensure our continued survival of the Tolowa people and as an end result be a stronger united people”.

Waa-saa-ghitlh-‘a ~ Wee-ni Naa-ch’aa-ghitlh-ni (OUR HERITAGE IS WHY WE ARE STRONG)

August 3, 2020

ANNUAL DEE-NI’ NIGHT AND DAY CANCELLED

Download Public Notice # 2020-01- 21

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Council has made the difficult decision to cancel the 15th Annual Dee-ni’ Night and Day events in the efforts to maintain the health and safety of Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s citizens and employees.

If you have questions, please contact the Tribal Administration Office at (707) 487-9255 Monday thru Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

July 28, 2020
NO SUMMER & HOLIDAY GIFT PAYMENTS
Download PN #2020-01-20

The current National COVID-19 pandemic event caused the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Council to authorize a temporary closure of the Lucky 7 Enterprise operations in March, April, and May 2020, as a precautionary effort to maintain the health and safety of Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s citizens, employees and patrons. This closure has negatively affected the revenues that are generated in order to provide the citizen gift payments.

In response to the revenue losses, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Council has made the difficult decision to not disburse gift payments to the Tribal Citizens for August and November. As a response to the pandemic, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation provided economic recovery funds in June 2020 to all adult citizens. We are diligently working on providing further economic recovery funds under the CARES Act funding for all citizens.

If you have questions, please contact the Tribal Administration Office at
(707) 487-9255 Monday thru Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.