Tag: Cherokee

The woodpecker is rich with symbolism for the Chickasaw Nation and a variety of other Native American tribes. When Ada artist Lokosh (Joshua D. Hinson, Ph.D.) paints and carves likenesses of the ivory-billed woodpecker, which is critically endangered or possibly extinct, he does so with a hope that the bird “still exists in the deep Louisiana swamps.” In September 2021,...

Some of Jacque Siegfried’s happiest childhood moments were her weekly cooking sessions with her father.  “My dad is Shawnee,” says Siegfried, “and he taught me respect for nature, and how what we need is available for us to use, if we know where to look.”  Thus began a lifelong journey of discovery. To learn more, Siegfried pored over history books and...

Infrastructure Updates Choctaw Nation It’s been an exciting summer for the Choctaw Nation, which opened a cultural center on July 23 and will cut the ribbon on a new, 1,000-room hotel tower this month. Stacey Halfmoon is senior director of the cultural center; she says the 100,000-square-foot center on 22 acres in Durant houses two exhibit halls, an art gallery, an auditorium,...

Developing Infrastructure Iron Horse is not your run-of-the-mill industrial park, says James C. Collard, director of economic development for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.  When the Canada-based Pro Pipe opens its $5.5 million factory at the tribal-owned park later this year, it will be doing so in the only active foreign trade zone on Native American land, says Collard. Pro Pipe will employ...

At many corners, vehicles are commanded to ᎠᎴᏫᏍᏙᏗ before they proceed into traffic. Along downtown avenues, signs stating Ꮭ ᎠᏗ ᏱᎩ mean drivers have to find other places to park. Street names and directions also appear in the Cherokee syllabary completed by Sequoyah in 1821. This is the heart of ᏣᎳᎩ. Tahlequah – the capital of the Cherokee Nation and the...

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Oklahoma Magazine found multilingual Oklahomans to say ‘I love you’ in their native languages. These include Russian, Arabic, Greek, English, American Sign Language, Hindi, French, Mvskoke, German, Mandarin, Spanish, Dutch, Farsi, Cherokee, Japanese and Turkish. A special thanks to the groups who helped make the video happen: the Tulsa Global Alliance, the Tulsa Speech and...

A photo album of these native Oklahomans is striking. One picture is of an accomplished TV and film actress strolling down the red carpet; there’s an action shot of a Division I college athlete. Other snaps include a successful fashion designer, a health-care professional receiving accolades from the U.S. surgeon general, and an internationally acclaimed poet. These are images of...

David Comingdeer has spent most of his 47 years dedicated to improving the lives of fellow Cherokees. The father of four and grandfather of six has been chief of the Echota Ground in Cherokee County for 17 years. It’s more of a cultural title than a political one, a lifetime appointment based on merit, leadership and service to the tribe. The...

It’s a difficult balancing act – focusing on the needs and talents of others while guiding those collective energies toward a common goal. Our Oklahomans of the Year have shown how to level those scales in divergent arenas. All four – the late musician Roy Clark, social justice advocate Moises Echeverria, Cherokee Principal Chief Bill John Baker and brand-new U.S....