With Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Gov. Reggie Wassana leading the way, many follow behind holding their MMIP posters at the MMIP Honor Parade in Concho, Okla. |
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Honoring Those Missing and Murdered
Families Gather at the second annual Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Honor Ceremony and Parade
By Latoya Lonelodge, Staff Reporter
Families and friends gather to honor their loved ones who have gone missing or been murdered at the second annual Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes’ Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Ceremony and Parade in Concho, Okla. Some holding giant signs with photos of their loved ones, while others showcase their loved ones’ photos on the front of t-shirts. In a sea of differing hues of red, they march, they cry, they remember the many lives affected by the MMIP crisis. Families were bringing light to their loved ones who still missing or murdered. Gathering at the Concho powwow grounds, many were at work decorating their vehicles for the parade, with the names and faces of their loved ones, making sure everyone knew who they were. In welcoming all participants and attendees to the honor ceremony and parade, Theresa Faris, board member of the newly established Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes MMIP Chapter, addressed the event’s message. “We gathered here today in Concho to support our missing, murdered Indigenous persons to have a honor parade for them,” Faris said. Faris said she also wanted to highlight the establishment of the MMIP chapter this year for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. “We want to honor all of our relatives and tribal members that have had someone lost due to this epidemic,” Faris said. Adding their stories should be shared because there usually isn’t enough media coverage and telling their stories is an important part of healing. “We come together because of the continuous effects of the MMIP cases in our community, because of the dire need for advocacy for our tribal members and to support each other across tribes, across the nation and state,” Faris said. In encouraging others to share their stories, Faris continued to share how the MMIP crisis continued to affect her and her family. “Sometimes it takes years for us to be able to talk about what happened but please find the courage to share your story. I’m personally connected to this movement as my cousin, Vanessa Youngbear and unborn child, also two classmates, were all murdered by intimate partner violence,” Faris said. Vanessa, a Cheyenne and Arapaho citizen, was described as beautiful, young and pregnant when she was murdered. “That hurt will always be there, but you can learn to heal eventually and when you have a loved one taken tragically and unexpectedly it leaves a lasting effect on your family, it’s vital to stick together,” Faris said. Many stood grasping posters of their loved ones and could empathize with Faris other stories involving MMIP cases were told. And their memories were brought back to life as friends and family members honored their loved ones. The honor ceremony included traditional honor songs, a jingle dress healing dance special and remarks were made by Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Gov. Reggie Wassana. “We’ve explored the fact that our missing and murdered indigenous people haven’t had the respect due because as Indian people, we always felt if something happened to one of our family members we weren’t one of those that were investigated or reviewed and our cases became set aside and became cold cases,” Gov. Wassana said. Gov. Wassana acknowledged LaRenda Morgan, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Governmental Affairs officer, in pushing for Ida’s Law that went into effect Nov. 1, 2021. The new law created a liaison office for missing and murdered Indigenous persons cases within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). “LaRenda always pushed that fact, we wrote letters, we’ve been trying to be involved at the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C., we’ve always done our best to make sure that we honor, we remember and that our brothers and sisters are not forgotten,” Gov. Wassana said. In addressing law makers and enforcers, Gov. Wassana said they need to understand that Native families and their feelings matter just as much as anybody else and that’s why it’s always important to keep these events alive. “That we keep that hope, keep that alive, keep that interest and keep acknowledging the fact that some people in our families are missing or they have been murdered and they shouldn’t be set aside to be cold cases, that we actually do something about it,” Gov. Wassana said. Following the ceremony, the parade marched on with attendees on foot holding their posters high and with purpose. Vehicles followed with floats attached and cars decorated symbolizing MMIP and the many lives of those who were taken too soon. Kayla Reynolds, with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Food Pantry, was in attendance with her family at the MMIP parade honoring her loved one. “My auntie went missing in March 2017, and so we’re just trying to bring her story out and her name to keep her story alive so we can bring her body back and give her a proper burial,” Kayla said. Kayla’s aunt, Tanya Begay, is Navajo and is from Gallup, N.M. Jacqueline Reynolds, a relative of Begay, said when her cousin went missing in 2017 they put a report in with the Navajo Nation. Jacqueline said Begay was in a domestic violence case involving her boyfriend. “We went through all kinds of different people from Arizona to New Mexico and her boyfriend was caught in Texas,” Jacqueline said. The perpetrator confessed to killing four other people in Texas as well as his girlfriend, who Jacqueline said was her cousin Tanya. “Right now he’s in jail in Texas and the FBI is questioning him and asking questions about her. We’re just waiting to find out where her remains are so we can have some closure, but he’s still not talking,” Jacqueline said. Begay’s story is just one of many unsolved MMIP cases in the U.S. and families like Begay’s are actively seeking justice and closure for their loved ones. “Murder is the third leading cause of Indigenous death so with Oklahoma being the 10th state with the highest leading Indigenous people crisis going on, I feel like everybody just overlooks us cause they think we got so much, not knowing the tragedy our people have been through,” Kayla said. Kayla said her family still mourns the loss of their loved one and that events like the MMIP Honor Ceremony and Parade brings recognition to all the women. “I think with our people, being resilient and strong is letting everybody know we’re here for everybody, we’re just a big community,” Kayla said. The parade ended at the R.E.Sp.E.C.T. Gym down Black Kettle Drive in Concho, where an art contest for MMIP was held for ages 17 and under; and 18 and older categories. Bringing the day’s events to an end, Sabrina Norris, part of the planning committee for the MMIP parade, said she was impressed with how the event turned out. “I think the more people who find out about our parade, the more that they want to get together because they want to honor our loved ones and I think that’s a very important part in having this parade,” Norris said. In bringing the community together for the event, Norris said it’s important to have a healing ceremony because “we’ve all lost somebody." “The most important thing is just remembering our loved ones and knowing that we have not ever forgotten them and just bringing them to light,” Norris said. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, in the United States (U.S.) and across other countries, Indigenous peoples, particularly women and girls, are disproportionately affected by violence. In the U.S., 84% of American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) women and 82% of AI/AN men experience violent victimizations in their lifetime. In the report, 3.6% of the missing persons included in the National Missing and Unidentified Person System were identified as AI/AN, which is approximately four times their percentage in the U.S. population.
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Nez Perce Tribe to Reveal Plans for Virtual Power Plant at RES2022 Lapwai, Idaho- The Nez Perce Tribe is anticipating an exciting reveal at the 2022 Reservation Economic Summit (RES) May 23-26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Executive Director, Jesse Leighton will lead an educational breakout session offering tribes the opportunity to take part in a Native-led Virtual Power Plant (VPP). “Nimiipuu Energy is a tribally owned energy company working toward eliminating the Tribe’s energy purchased from outside sources; by producing all of the energy we consume. Our plan is to install a variety of energy projects that will total 500+ Megawatts by 2027,” stated Leighton. “In addition we are a utility cooperative dedicated to implementing 5+ Gigawatts of alternatively produced power throughout Indian Country.” A VPP is a network of distributed power, generating units and/or storage systems that can be interconnected through software management. Each system is independently owned and operated, but the network is controlled centrally allowing dispersed resources to respond to energy supply and demand. Tesla is currently building the world’s largest VPP with a projected 50,000 residential solar + battery systems in South Australia, totaling 250 Megawatts. To date, Nimiipuu Energy has completed three solar installations and four other projects are already underway. Additionally, projects are also beginning on residential homes located on the Nez Perce Reservation. “Our goal is to produce 500+ Megawatts and become completely self-reliant for energy. The ultimate objective now, is to provide this opportunity to other tribes by offering assistance to develop and implement their own systems that can interconnect with the VPP, creating the largest network of systems in the world,” Leighton concluded. The “Virtual Power Plant in Indian Country” breakout session at RES will take place Wednesday, May 25 from 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. (PST). |
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Members of the Potawatomi Fire warm up before their game against the Rockwall 7’ers on April 22. Gaylord News/Steven Plaisance |
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Potawatomi Fire pro basketball team drawing community support
By Steven Plaisance Gaylord News
SHAWNEE – Oklahoma’s newest professional sports team, the Potawatomi Fire, is 14-6 and in fourth place in The Basketball League’s central division in its inaugural season — not bad for a team that is less than a year old.
“We’re wrapping up our first season with the Potawatomi Fire and we’re excited about how the team and community are investing in each other,” said David Qualls, the Fire’s general manager and designated tribal spokesman for the team.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation became the first tribe in Oklahoma and the U.S. to own a professional sports team when it founded the Fire in October of 2021.
“Diversifying in this way helps CPN make use of FireLake Arena and attracts a new demographic of fans—it’s a different fan base than single-event sports like boxing or MMA,” Qualls said.
“We have Native players on our team and this has given them an opportunity to play at a level that’s higher than high school or college, and hopefully is a stepping stone in their careers. They’re professional basketball players.”
Qualls, who has served as director of Citizen Potawatomi’s FireLake Arena since 2018, became general manager after playing an instrumental role in bringing the franchise to Shawnee. Qualls is a longtime employee of Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
“I had bought this basketball court as a product for the arena to do basketball tournaments, high school, maybe some college,” Qualls said. “Last spring, I caught a press release of this TBL and that they were expanding from 16 teams to 29 teams that year. I got to look into the semantics of it, the budget and cost and what the return would be. It just fit the business model of something we could do here.”
Qualls presented the idea to tribal leaders, who attended a TBL game in Enid to ensure it would be a worthwhile investment. They were impressed with the community involvement in Enid and signed off on the proposal. The league now has more than 40 teams divided into four divisions.
Thus far, the Fire have proven to be a great investment, selling about 1,200 tickets per game, about half the arena’s capacity. Qualls said the team reached its goal of turning a profit in its first season.
Qualls said the nature of the investment fit nicely with Citizen Potawatomi’s pre-existing infrastructure. Such a venture would have been more difficult if the tribe didn’t already own and operate an arena.
“It wouldn't have been impossible, but it would have required a group of investors. You would have been bouncing around between two or three high schools. It would have taken a lot more people, a lot more work, a lot longer diligence period, a lot longer payback period. You probably wouldn’t have been able to do it as professionally because simply, the budgets wouldn't let you do it.”
He said some TBL teams broadcast their games with an iPad, with quality comparable to a Facebook livestream. In contrast, the Fire maintains a full audio and visual staff that produces a high quality livestream for every home game, complete with audio commentary.
After receiving approval from tribal leadership, Qualls began searching for a head coach. The first name on his list: Derrick Rowland, TBL-championship-winning coach of the Albany Patroons.
Qualls figured it would be difficult to lure Rowland from his established dynasty, but Rowland was eager for the challenge and excited by the prospect of coaching the Fire.
“It wasn't that tough of a decision,” Rowland said. “I had a lot of success there. But this just looked like a new challenge. It intrigued me that this was their first year having a team and I knew the background and the history of the Potawatomi Nation. And I just wanted to be a part of this historical thing that they're doing. So when I looked at everything, it was a pretty easy decision for me to come and try to do some of the things here that I've done in Albany.”
Rowland isn’t the only one excited by the idea of a tribal-owned team. He’s found success using that fact as part of his recruiting pitch to potential new players.
“Everything we do, we're playing for history, because this is historical. Being the first Native-owned team in the state, a lot comes with that. And that's appealing to the players as well. But yeah, that's a part of my motivation to get across to the players. And it's special.”
Another key part of his pitch is the team’s access to FireLake arena.
“It’s a huge advantage for us because we don't have to go through the arena fees. Many teams do, that's part of their budget. We have access to the arena all the time, and it's just a great place to improve yourself and work on your basketball game.”
One player who didn’t need a sales pitch is Tevin Foster, a guard from Lawton. Foster is a citizen of the Comanche Nation.
“I was like, man, this is gonna be a good opportunity if I can get on with this team and be part of a Native pro basketball team sponsored by and promoted by a Native tribe,” Foster said. “I was like, man, it's gonna be a good opportunity for me. It's gonna be history.”
Foster has firsthand experience with the tribal basketball community in Oklahoma and the surrounding region, and he’s excited by the impact the Fire is having.
“Back home I train a lot of kids, and most of them are Native American. Being a part of this will help elevate the Native American community,” Foster said.
Foster’s presence has added a new dimension to the team, on and off the court.
“Having Tevin here has been great, with his Native background, and you know, he's a great player,” Rowland said. “He plays hard. He's smart. He's coachable. He's everything you look for in a player. And he definitely brings insight to some of the stuff that we just didn't know.”
The Fire have four games remaining in their first regular season before entering the playoffs and vying for the ultimate goal: a TBL championship.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
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Sterlin Harjo (Seminole Creek/Muskogee Creek), showrunner/co-creator of Reservation Dogs, will meet with this year's Indigenous List writers |
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IllumiNative, The Black List, Sundance Institute Announce The Second Indigenous Screenwriting List
IllumiNative, The Black List, and the Sundance Institute announced the eight finalists of The Indigenous List. These Indigenous screenwriters represent the best and most promising Native creatives in the film and television industry. The Indigenous List was launched in 2020 to provide a platform for Indigenous writers to showcase their scripts, create additional pathways and opportunities within the industry, and support the development of the next generation of screenwriters. With the recent release of critically acclaimed Native-authored and centered shows, including Rutherford Falls and Reservation Dogs, as well as complex and powerful films like Wild Indian and Night Raiders, there has been a rise in demand for Native created and led stories. This year’s Indigenous List writers will have the opportunity to meet with four Indigenous creatives who have first look and/or overall development deals at major studios, including; Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache), producer and former director of the Sundance Indigenous Program, first-look deal for Film and TV at Amazon Studios; Michael Greyeyes (Nêhiyaw-Plains Cree), critically-acclaimed actor (Wildhood and Firestarter) and director (Acting Good), First-look Film deal at Blumhouse, Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo), showrunner/co-creator Rutherford Falls, Overall TV deal at Universal TV; and Sterlin Harjo (Seminole Creek/Muskogee Creek), showrunner/co-creator of Reservation Dogs, Overall TV deal at FX. “The Indigenous List provides an intimate look at the depth of talent and power of Native creatives in the entertainment industry,” said Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and executive director of IllumiNative. “These Indigenous writers are leading the way and showing the power of Native authored stories. I’m so grateful to The Black List, the Sundance Institute, and the Indigenous creatives who are supporting the next generation of Native writers.” “As always it’s a joy to introduce the industry to a new group of incredibly exciting writers and I personally look forward to watching the films and television shows that will be born of these introductions,” said Black List founder Franklin Leonard. “Everyone should be so lucky as to collaborate with folks like IllumiNative, Sundance Institute, Bird, Michael, Sierra, and Sterlin to do this sort of work. Read these scripts, everyone!” "My team and I are thrilled again to be a part of showcasing the best work by Indigenous artists working across a variety of genres, formats, and stylistic approaches. The work in this year's list is a testament to the innovation and creative possibilities of what happens when Indigenous talent makes their own work on their own terms.” said Adam Piron, Director of Indigenous Program. The 2022 Indigenous List screenwriters and their scripts include: HOW TO DEAL WITH SYSTEMIC RACISM IN THE AFTERLIFE Lyle Westman is dead and over it. When he discovers he has to spend 1400 years haunting in redface, he decides to strike back at the systemic problems plaguing the afterlife. BETWEEN On a mysterious sinking island off the coast of Louisiana, home to a tight-knit Native community, a compulsive man finds himself up against untold tribal secrets, disappearing children, and the unearthing of a repressed traumatic past. DON'T FREAK What do you do when your ex writes a song about you and becomes the biggest popstar in the world? If you kidnap your best friend, steal a horse, and crash Good Morning America to confront her were on your breakup bingo card, then you win! SWEETNESS OF THE BLOOD Rose Home Gun returns to her childhood home on the Blackfeet Reservation when ghosts of the past rise to threaten her reality -- and her sanity. THE BARON Love is a battlefield when a brash, flamboyant, gay Prussian military commander runs into his ex at Valley Forge after he’s hired by George Washington to whip the fledgling American Army into shape during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War. Comps: THE GREAT meets DICKINSON. DECOLONIZE When the United States is given back to Indigenous people, two self-involved millennials are forced into a leadership role they didn't sign up for. THE TAOTAOMONA A child of divorce goes on a hunt to capture a mythical creature that lives in the jungle, serendipitously bringing his family closer in the process. JUNE ROSE In San Francisco in the late 1960s, a housewife and mother of three teenagers belatedly discovers her Cherokee heritage and defies her conservative husband -- and her Cherokee father -- to join the Red Power and feminist movements. Additionally, we are pleased to share the following updates for alumni of the very first Indigenous List: ● Joey Clift's BUNKER BOSS and its placement on the inaugural Indigenous List led directly to meetings and writing opportunities on Nickelodeon and PBS projects. ● Alika Maikau's Indigenous List script MOLOKA'I BOUND was selected to receive a $500,000 production grant from Google and ARRAY to help further foster its path towards the big screen. ● Kathryn Machi was selected as a finalist for the IllumiNative 2022 Pop Culture Producers Program, was a quarterfinalist in the 2020 Big Break TV pilot competition, and has received additional support from Film Collaborative San Francisco. She was signed by her manager, Brian Judy, Bohemia Group, after his read of JUNE ROSE in the summer of 2020. Kathryn's script, FIREBIRD, was optioned by Endeavor Content as a result of her placement on the 2020 Indigenous List. ● Erica Tremblay and Miciana Alise’s FANCY DANCE is fully financed and will shoot this summer. ABOUT ILLUMINATIVE: IllumiNative is a Native woman-led racial and social justice organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of—and challenging the narrative about—Native peoples. Our mission is to build power for Native peoples by amplifying contemporary Native voices, stories, and issues to advance justice, equity, and self-determination. We envision a future where the self-determination and sovereignty of Native peoples is respected and supported; where our children see themselves reflected in the world around them; and where Native peoples author and drive our own narrative. ABOUT THE BLACK LIST: The Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives' favorite unproduced screenplays, was founded in 2005. Since then, at least 440 Black List scripts have been produced, grossing over $30 billion in box office worldwide. Black List movies have won 54 Academy Awards from 267 nominations, including four of the last twelve Best Picture Oscars and eleven of the last 28 Best Screenplay Oscars. In October of 2012, the Black List launched a unique online community where screenwriters make their work available to readers, buyers and employers. Since its inception, it has hosted nearly 80,000 screenplays and teleplays and provided more than 130,000 script evaluations. As a direct result of introductions made on the Black List, dozens of writers have found representation at major talent agencies and management companies, as well as sold or optioned their screenplays. Several films have been produced from scripts showcased on the website including Golden Globe nominated NIGHTINGALE, starring David Oyelowo. Currently, the Black List hosts over 5,000 scripts by approximately 3,700 writer members. These scripts are available for download by industry professionals ranging from agency assistants, to studio and network presidents, to A-list actors and directors. The Black List’s first feature production, COME AS YOU ARE, debuted at SXSW in 2019 and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (98% Critics, 80% Audience). Its second feature, BREAKING NEWS IN YUBA COUNTY, directed by Oscar-nominated director Tate Taylor and starring Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Regina Hall, Awkwafina, Wanda Sykes, and Juliette Lewis, was released in February 2021 by MGM Studios.
ABOUT SUNDANCE INSTITUTE: As a champion and curator of independent stories for the stage and screen, the Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists in film and digital media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute's signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings artists together to learn from each other and Sundance advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. The Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Zola, On the Record, Boys State, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, City So Real, Top of the Lake, Between the World & Me, Wild Goose Dreams and Fun Home. Join the Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. |
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| Adam Proctor | Native Oklahoma Magazine | 918.409.7252 |
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