Native OK 2/22 Weekly Newsletter

An aerial view of the Nation’s Skyway36 property in Tulsa. Courtesy Photo

Skyway36 part of coalition competing for $70M EDA grant

The Osage Nation is working to expand its business interests into the field of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) research and development

Written byJessica Brent

Metropolitan planning organization INCOG has been selected as one of 60 finalists competing for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) “Build Back Better Regional Challenge.”

According to a Dec. 14 Tulsa World article, INCOG’s Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility (TRAM) Corridor proposal seeks approximately $70 million to implement four projects geared toward the Advanced Aerial Mobility industry:

Establishing a 114-nautical mile flight corridor for commercial drone flight testing that connects assets at Skyway36 and Osage Nation Ranch to OSU-Stillwater’s Flight Station
Opening center focused on strengthening Research and Development skills at Oklahoma State University
Funding certificate programs, degree programs and apprenticeships to enhance the region’s skilled workforce
Renovating the wastewater infrastructure of industrial parks to make sites more “pad-ready”

The coalition behind the INCOG-led proposal includes the city of Tulsa, Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity, Osage Nation, City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa Innovation Labs, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Tulsa Airports and Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce.

According to a presentation by Tulsa Innovation Labs at the January 2022 Build Back Better Partnership meeting, there are many regions investing in the Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) industry, but no clear regional hubs have emerged. The Tulsa region is well positioned to develop a “nationally-distinct corridor,” according to Tulsa Innovation Labs, when combining Skyway36’s approximately 2,300 square miles of Class G airspace, Osage Nation Ranch’s 43,000 acres, and OSU-Unmanned Systems Research Institute’s (USRI) approved flight..

The AAM field is a rapidly emerging industry. The National Business Aviation Association defines AAM as “a new concept of air transportation using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to move people and cargo between places not currently or easily served by surface transportation or existing aviation modes.” According to Deloitte Insights the AAM industry is expected to reach $115 billion annually by 2035 and generate more than 280,000 high-paying jobs. The “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” is EDA’s marquee American Rescue Plan program. A highly competitive grant, the TRAM Corridor Proposal was selected among 529 applicants. Each of the 60 finalists will receive a grant of about $500,000 to further develop the project proposals. The deadline for Phase 2 is March 15, with those grant recipients to be selected in September.

Cherokee Nation asks that artists be identified by special tribal enrollment

TAHLEQUAH — The Council of the Cherokee Nation is encouraging museums, media outlets and other entities to identify living Cherokee artists by their specific tribal enrollment.

“Cherokee artisans preserve our culture and heritage through their amazing work across a variety of mediums. It is important that we make every effort to ensure art that is referred to as Native art truly is created by enrolled citizens of federally recognized tribes,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

“I applaud this effort by the Council of the Cherokee Nation -- and specifically by At-Large Councilor Julia Coates and Deputy Speaker of the Council Victoria Vazquez -- to protect Cherokee artists.”

The resolution, approved on Feb. 14, requests a distinction be made between artists who are enrolled citizens of one of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes, as well as those who claim affiliation with, but are not enrolled citizens of, a federally recognized tribe.

“This resolution constitutes a request from the Cherokee Nation Council and Executive Branch administration that encourages museums, galleries, art shows, and media to distinguish between those artists who are citizens of federally-recognized Cherokee governments and communities from those who may be self-identified but have no actual tribal affiliation,” Coates said.

“As such, this request aligns with the intention of the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act to assist the public in understanding which works are those of legitimate Cherokee artists.”

Osage Nation Sovereignty Day set for March 19 in Tulsa

OSAGE RESERVATION – The Osage Nation’s 2022 Sovereignty Day Celebration and Dance is set for Saturday, March 19, at the Osage Casino and Hotel in Tulsa.

The celebration began as a response to the Osage Nation Constitution ratification on March 11, 2006. Since then, ON has held several dances in honor of this highly reverenced and historical event. Due to COVID-19, precautions were taken and the dance was canceled in 2020 and 2021.

The 2022 Sovereignty Day Celebration Committee consists of Andrea Kemble, Jane Perrier, Tim Lookout, Avis Ballard and Otto Hamilton. The event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend. Hand- sanitizing stations and facial coverings will be available onsite for attendees.

The event gets underway at 2 p.m., with supper at 5 p.m. and the grand entry at 7 p.m.

Silas Jefferson, far right

Black History Month: Silas Jefferson, Muscogee Freedman

In celebration of Black History Month, we take a closer look at Silas Jefferson, featured in these photos from the Gilcrease collection.

Silas Jefferson was a Muscogee Freedman and prominent figure in his community. Muscogee Freedmen include both mixed blood Black and Muscogee people and formerly enslaved African Americans that were once owned by tribal citizens during the late 19th century. Also known by his Mvskoke name, HotvlkeMekko, Jefferson was born in 1835 in Taskigi Tribal Town in Alabama and arrived in Indian Territory three years later when his family was forcibly removed from Mvskoke homelands and made their way west on the Trail of Tears. He claimed Mvskoke citizenship by blood through his mother Betsey McNac, a member of the influential Wind Clan, and became a clan leader as an adult. During the Civil War, he joined the Union as part of the First Indian Home Guard Regiment and later became the only Muscogee Freedman to represent one of the Creek Tribal Towns in council. Significantly, he also served as tribal interpreter and later, as a tribal liaison for Smithsonian Institution anthropologists who sought to learn about Mvskoke life and customs. Silas Jefferson died in 1913 near Beggs, Oklahoma.

These photographs of Hotvlke Mekko document the complexities of late 19th century race relations in Indian Territory when Freedmen in the Mvskoke Nation attended segregated schools but also voted and served in political posts in tribal governments.