Bay Mills Indian Community

BMIC has updated the pandemic response plan.

We are currently operating at Level 3 as of March 23.   You can view the entire plan here.

Spring Clean-up Dumpsters

Dumpsters arrive on May 10 and will be on site until May 24. They will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week. If the dumpsters fill up, maintenance will shut them down in order to empty them. The dumpsters will be picked up on May 24, but will be open until they are removed.

Survey: Spirit Stone Trail- Trail Marker Design

The Spirit Stone Trail Committee is seeking community feedback regarding the design for trail markers that will be placed along the Spirit Stone Trail.  'Spirit Stone' is a translation of the name Shingabawassin, an Ojibwe Chief from the Crane Clan who played a significant role in the history of the Brimley/Bay Mills area, and was a signatory to the 1820 Treaty of Sault Ste. Marie. 

Services announced

The family of Geraldine Parish and Amelia LeBlanc would like to share the following announcement to help our Tribal Nation say baamaapii as we celebrate the life of these two matriarchs. The burials of Amelia LeBlanc and Geraldine Parish will take place on June 1 at  Mission Hill Cemetery. Prayers for Geraldine will take place at 10:30 a.m. with burial to immediately follow. Prayers for Amelia will take place at 11 a.m. with burial to immediately follow. There may be a luncheon to follow. Location and individuals who can attend is to be determined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The family will make an announcement as the date approaches. Donations of side dishes by family and friends after the burial services would be greatly appreciated.

• Read the March issue of Bay Mills News here

Information regarding elder utilities

Quarter 1 payments were issued in December, Quarter 2 was done in March, and Quarter 3 payments will be processed in June (letters will be sent out toward the end of May to each elder).  If you have not received Quarter 1 or 2 payments, please contact Kathi Carrick at 906-248-8116.

Bay Mart hours 

Open daily, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Five customer capacity- No public restroom

Four Seasons Market and Deli

• Starting on Monday, April 12, the market will open at 9 a.m. daily

•REVISED SHELTER AT HOME ORDER FOR BMIC (Nov. 2020)

• BMIC issues travel advisory

Tribal Enrollment Services hours by appointment

The Bay Mills Enrollment office will be remote at this time.  The office is open Monday thru Friday from 8 am to  4:30 pm.  If assistance or an appointment is needed, please call Phyllis at 906.248.8131 or email her at phyllism@baymills.org.

• Read the February issue of Bay Mills News

• Covid-19 Plan for BMIC

• Bay Mills Shelter At Home Fact Sheet

• Biology Dept. releases birdwatching guide

• Check out the EUP Digital Recreation Guide!

• Sign up for the weekly tribal member update

Commercial Fishing Notice:

Commercial fishing licenses can still be issued by appointment.  Please call Justin Carrick at (906) 322-3453 to schedule an appointment.  Once the license is received at the conservation office, the member will need to take the paperwork to the BIA office to complete the process.  The BIA office hours have changed.  The BIA will be completing fishing licenses on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All other treaty activity licenses will still be available by scheduling an appointment.  Please use the contact information provided above.

Food Pantry available to BMIC tribal members

The Bay Mills Food Pantry is available to assist Bay Mills tribal members in need. The program is not income based. Bay Mills Commodities will be in charge of the pantry, which is located at the Waishkey Center at this time.

“We recognize that there are times when people come up short and have a need. We hope the pantry helps to assist families in those emergency situations,” said Kristine Schwiderson, Commodity Food Program director.

The program will eventually move to the commodities building. Schwiderson is currently working with community resources to acquire additional offerings. She hopes to have fresh vegetables and meat later this year.

Anyone in need of access to the food pantry can call Schwiderson or her staffer John Napoletano at 906-248-2527 or 906-248-2528 to make an appointment. Community members who wish to donate to the program can utilize the above contact information as well.

BMIC has a new cardboard compactor available for use

Have you heard the news? Recycling cardboard just got a whole lot easier! Bay Mills Maintenance Department is now accepting all corrugated cardboard from both tribal and non-tribal folks free of charge! You can feel twice as good about recycling with Bay Mills because your cardboard supports other maintenance and waste management efforts at BMIC!   Drop off your cardboard in the white garage behind the BMIC trash compactor. Open same hours as the trash compactor.   For more information contact 906-248-8154.

Check out the online anonymous suggestion box

Bay Mills Executive Council has launched “Suggestion Ox,” an online tool that allows tribal members to provide feedback to the council on an anonymous basis. You can submit you comments/ suggestions online (see the upper right corner of this page) using the suggestion box provided. Please refrain from profanity or accusations. This suggestion box (above left) is designed to answer community questions and keep the lines of communication open between the community and the leadership. This can be found under “Member Resources,” located on this web page. (You can obtain the password to this section of the website by calling tribal administration at 906-248-3241.)

Did you know about the text message service for health appointments?

Bay Mills Health Center patients can now get appointment reminders via text messaging. This text messaging reminder system allows patients to receive text messages instead of phone call reminders. Patients can respond confirming, rescheduling or canceling appointments with a short text message response. To enroll simply complete a text message opt in/out form at your next appointment or print it out and return it to the health center. You will continue to receive phone calls and you will not receive text message appointment reminders until a form is received back.

ATTENTION ELDERS!

Reminder About Lunch Program It is required that we follow the Administration on Aging (AoA) Title VI Nutrition Services (Elder Lunch Program) established guidelines. This is a reminder that we must deliver lunches to only those Elders eligible under the program and follow the safety standards for home delivered meals. As stated in the Title VI Resource Manual: Elders should only be on the home delivered meal program if they are unable to leave their homes without great difficulty due to illness, disability or general frailty, and have a physicians  signature and statement on file. Delivered meals will not be left at the home if the participant is not there. Congregate lunch meals are served at noon at the Armella Parker Elders Center on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Breakfast is offered on Friday mornings (9 a.m.  to 10:30 a.m.). We encourage all elders to attend.

Social Services in need of foster homes

Native American foster homes are needed. For more information on how to become a foster home, call Bay Mills Social Services at 906-248-8303.

Tribal Member Updates

Interested in receiving the tribal member update via newsletter each week? Send an e-mail to newspaper@baymills.org with "Tribal Subscriber" in the subject line. Every Thursday morning you will receive the update of events and news pertaining to Bay Mills Indian Community. If you have signed up for the update and not received it, please check your "Junk" or "Spam" filters. 

License Plate Hours

If you need to renew or acquire tribal license plates you can do so at the tribal administration by appointment only at this time. 

Notice to tribal members regarding tax exemption

If you are State Tax exempt and enrollment does not have your social security number on file, you are not listed on the tax exemption list that goes out monthly. As a result, you will have your return  rejected from the State when you file.  Please contact Phyllis Malloy in enrollment to update your information.

Sales Tax Exemption information

The Accounting Department no longer processes Tribal Certificates of Exemption for Sales Tax and Use Tax for tribal members living in the Agreement Area or vehicle registrations for tribal members living on the reservation.   Those in need of a Sales Tax Exemption form when building or remodeling a home, or buying a mobile home, car, van, truck, motorcycle, boat, snowmobile or off-road vehicle after can obtain the form from the Tribal Center receptionist. The Exemption Certificate must be received before the paperwork for the purchase has been completed. A refund for Sales Tax cannot be given after the sale has been processed. Those needing to renew, transfer or obtain vehicle registration for a vehicle or trailer also must go to the Tribal Center receptionist. You must be residing on the reservation to be in compliance with the Motor Vehicle Registration Ordinance.