Native OK 1/18 Weekly Newsletter

A rendering of the new Choctaw resort in Hochatown. (Photo provided by Choctaw Nation)

Choctaw Nation to break ground on new resort

HOCHATOWN – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is planning a spring groundbreaking for an entertainment and resort development in Hochatown.

The development is a brand-new concept with a design and experience that will reflect the rich culture of the Choctaw people, according to a news release.

The four-story, 202,000 square-foot development will include 100 hotel rooms, 600 slot machines, eight table games, several restaurants and bars, a pool, an outdoor venue with an amphitheater, a beer garden and a family-friendly game zone.

A 12,00- square-feet mercantile will adjoin the property offering a small market, convenient food options and a fuel station with 24 pumps. Guests will experience the Choctaw culture through the design of the facility and can shop for Choctaw art in the mercantile.

“The project will create more than 2,000 new construction jobs and an economic impact of more than $211 million during the building period," said Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton. “We are proud to be a part of this project and look forward to providing more opportunities and financial success for our tribal members, our state, and all Oklahomans."

"We are thrilled to add a new entertainment venue to the region that is unlike any other in the state. From parents to children, this will offer something for everyone in the family," said Janie Dillard, senior executive officer for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Building upon a history of collaboration, Manhattan Construction Company and JCJ Architecture are the lead partners for the project. The expected completion date is the fall of 2023. The new development will be at the corner of N. U.S. Highway 259 and OK-259A and will bring more than 400 ongoing hospitality jobs to the Hochatown area.

Prominent Native Artist, Dana Tiger

Dana Tiger to be honored next month at Kennedy Center

MUSCOGEE – Native artist and community activist Dana Tiger has been named a 2022 Community Spirit Award honoree by the First Peoples Fund and We the Peoples Before.

The honor will be presented during the First Peoples Fund’s 25^th anniversary celebration of Native cultural expression and sovereignty, to be held Feb. 3-6 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Dana Tiger, a watercolor artist, is the daughter of Jerome Tiger, the Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole painter who achieved worldwide fame before his death at age 26.

“As a Community Spirit Award honoree, you embody the values and knowledge at the heart of First Peoples Fund and We The Peoples Before,” wrote Lori Pourier, president of the South Dakota-based organization, in a letter to Tiger.

“We The Peoples Before is a collaboration in recognition of the rightful place of Native cultural practice as a central influence on the national landscape of arts and culture in the United States.”

We the Peoples Before celebrates the strength, resilience and joy that Native communities build through cultural practices such as music, dance, clothing design, basket weaving, beading and storytelling, Pourier said.

The mainstage production at We The Peoples Before will be bookended by workshops, performance and in-depth conversations at the REACH — the Kennedy’s Center’s newest living theatre.

This celebration will include the Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards reception, the Collective Spirit Legacy Fund reception and auction, a We The Peoples Before stage production of storytelling and performances, educational programs, culture bearer panel discussions and an Indigenous foodways session.

Millennium Stage performances will feature dance, spoken word and hip hop artists. A tribal sovereignty panel discussion and original short film screenings are also planned.

Since 2000, the First Peoples Fund has recognized more than 100 culture bearers across Indian Country for sustaining and growing understanding of the creative practices and cultural values of their Peoples.

The Cherokee Nation Veterans Color Guard has reorganized as a nonprofit to continue honoring veterans and presenting the national colors.

Reorganized Cherokee Nation Color Guard seeking donor funds

TAHLEQUAH — The Cherokee Nation Veterans Color Guard has reorganized as a nonprofit organization to continue honoring veterans and presenting the national colors during tribal events.

The color guard has operated as a separate, non-governmental not-for-profit since 1996. It relies on volunteer military veterans to present colors at official Cherokee Nation events and serve at veteran funerals across the reservation, according to a news release from the Cherokee Nation.

In early 2021, Cherokee citizen and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven Morales began working with the Cherokee Nation’s Veterans Affairs department, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner to establish a 501 (c)(19), giving it a special tax-exempt status as a veteran’s organization, and to operate more efficiently and raise funds to sustain itself. The organization is in the final stages of achieving 501(c)(19) status.

“Before we reorganized, raising and spending funds was difficult,” said Morales, who serves as commander. “Assistance from Cherokee Nation to gain status as a nonprofit tax-exempt corporation will allow us to operate at the level that our board expects and, most importantly, veterans and their families need.”

Hoskin said it’s important for Cherokee citizens to understand that the Color Guard is an independent, nonprofit entity that relies on donations and volunteer work.

“Cherokee Nation reveres all those who served our country and continue serving in the Armed Forces to defend our freedom,” Hoskin said. “Veterans deserve our respect, and one way to show this is to support our color guard.”

The fiscal year 2022 budget, approved by the Council of the Cherokee Nation, included $10,000 for the color guard. Warner encouraged citizens to do their part by assisting veterans and showing support for the color guard.

Morales said the organization is now on a path of sustainability.

“Chief Hoskin, Deputy Chief Warner, Secretary of Veteran Affairs S. Joe Crittenden, council members and many others have been so wonderful to work with,” Morales said. “Our board, which works as a team, can now focus more time on serving and honoring veterans and their families, which is our passion. It’s great to be able to assist.”

The Cherokee Nation Veterans Color Guard can be reached on its Facebook page or by calling Morales at 702-443-0722, or the Cherokee Nation Veterans Center at 918-772-4166. Donations can be mailed to 156 Reasor St., PMB #101, Tahlequah OK 74464.

Chickasaw Nation launches Chikasha Emoji App

The Chikasha Emoji App recently introduced emoji 2.0 designs reinterpreted through a Chickasaw aesthetic and cultural framework. The app includes Chickasaw language textisms that are visual, shorthand forms of words and phrases, developed by learners of the Chickasaw language, according to a news release from the Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office.

“People use social media and text every day,” said Joshua D. Hinson (Lokosh), executive officer of the Chickasaw Nation Language Preservation Division.

“In the last decade it has become a critical component of digital messaging. We are committed to bring Chickasaw cultural identity and language into the future. It only makes sense that we would offer something like the Chikasha Emoji App for our tribal citizens.”

The Chikasha Emoji App will allow users to incorporate Chickasaw emojis into their daily digital communications. Once installed, Chickasaw emojis can be used across multiple devices and applications.

Visit Chickasaw.net/Language to find more ways to incorporate the Chickasaw language into your daily routine.

The Chikasha Emoji App can be found on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.