Anadisgoi Magazine - Summer 2014

SUMMER 2014

NEW ERA for Health Care

Washington DC celebrates

CHEROKEE DAYS

Tribal minimum wage

I NC R E A SES

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

OSIYO.......................................................................4 Letter from Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Letter from CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses

BRIEFS................................................................. 5

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Cherokee Nation Donates $450K to Firefighters Cherokee Nation Treasurer Named Executive of the Year Dwight Mission to Restore Building

GOVERNMENT....................................................... 8 $4.2 Million Child Development Center Opens New Food Distribution Center in Collinsville Microsoft Adds Cherokee Language to Office Programs Tribal Minimum Wage Increase

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BUSINESS............................................................12 Cherokee Nation Brings Jobs to NE Oklahoma Veterans Center Opens

NEW ERA FOR HEALTH CARE............................... 14 Main Feature

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ENTERTAINMENT................................................ 18 New Cherokee Casino Roland HWY 66 Diner

CULTURE............................................................ 20 Anadisgoi.com

EDITOR Amanda Clinton EXECUTIVE EDITORS Travis Noland

Tim Landes

MANAGING EDITOR Talia E. Myres CONTRIBUTING STAFF Cherokee Nation Communications

Cherokee Nation Businesses Communications

COVER PHOTO Jeremy Charles

DESIGNER Crystal Lumpkin

Commemorating 175 Years Since the Trail of Tears New Executive Director of Cherokee Heritage Center Cherokee Days 2014

KNOW YOUR NATION......................................26 Tribal Council 2013 – 2017 Cover photo – Cherokee citizen Dr. Emma Harp at W.W. Hastings Hospital 3

OSIYO

Osiyo. I am proud to introduce Anadisgoi

magazine, a publication that belongs to the Cherokee people. This is your magazine. Your success, health and happiness are at the center of every decision we make at the Cherokee Nation.

This publication allows us to directly reach citizens and provide stories on the issues most important to you.

part of the Cherokee way of life, a mechanism to both inform and entertain. Anadisgoi is the next step in that evolution.

Anadisgoi (A-NA’-di-s-go-I’) is the Cherokee word that means “what people are saying.”

Simply put, it’s the news of the day.

I am eager to communicate directly with all of you. With that, I welcome you to Anadisgoi.

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you share my enthusiasm for the bright future of the Cherokee Nation.

This is the first magazine completely dedicated to Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses news and events. In the premiere issue, we cover stories about our historic $100 million health care expansion, we explore the tribe’s economic impact on Oklahoma and we share some personal profiles of amazing and talented Cherokee citizens.

Cultural identity and preservation are a large part of what this magazine brings to you.

Wado.

Bill John Baker Cherokee Nation Principal Chief

Our objective with each issue is to help you stay informed of the exciting things happening in our government, in our businesses and culturally. For generations, storytelling has been an essential

Welcome to the first issue of Anadisgoi, a

quarterly magazine that highlights news and cultural stories of Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses.

CNB is the parent company of the tribe’s for-profit entities that were designed to drive the economy of the Cherokee Nation. Our mission is to create jobs for the Cherokee people and generate funds for tribal services.

I am proud to say we are fulfilling that mission.

We employ more Cherokee citizens than ever before, and our financial return to the Cherokee Nation continues to grow.

We also are proud to play a crucial role in funding and building new health centers for the Cherokee people. The $100 million investment, directly from casino profits, will have a lasting impact on generations of Cherokees.

Renovations and expansions at Redbird Smith Health Center in Sallisaw are nearly complete.

The Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell, Sam Hider Health Center in Jay and Cooweescoowee Health Center in Ochelata are coming along nicely.

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This is what Cherokee Nation Businesses was designed to do, and supporting the Cherokee Nation’s mission makes our employees so proud.

We currently operate more than 30 different companies in seven different industries: entertainment and hospitality, environmental and construction, technology, health care, manufacturing, security and defense, and real estate.

In addition to funding services at Cherokee Nation, we believe in fostering the Cherokee culture among our citizens and guests through Cherokee artwork on display at our properties and through our cultural tourism department.

For more than six months, the cultural tourism team worked to make Cherokee Days at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., possible. In April, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian celebrated Cherokee culture, showcasing the Cherokee Nation to an international audience. The event was a huge success. Later in this magazine, you will find a recap of the event and a photo spread.

As you read through Anadisgoi, I hope you take pride in seeing how the Cherokee Nation

and CNB work together, reinvesting profits into homes for citizens, providing state-of-the-art medical facilities to all Cherokees and creating jobs that strengthen the Cherokee Nation.

Thank you for allowing us to serve the Cherokee people.

CEO, Cherokee Nation Businesses

ᏍᏆᎳ ᎢᏗᎬᏁᎸᎢ

BRIEFS

Cherokee Nation donates more than

$450,000

to volunteer firefighters The Cherokee Nation presented more than 120 area volunteer fire departments with checks totaling $451,500 at an annual banquet at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

The tribe treated 129 volunteer fire departments to dinner, and Principal Chief Bill John Baker and other tribal leaders presented checks for $3,500 to each department for equipment, fuel or other items to help protect people and property in rural areas.

The Cherokee Nation honored Cabin Creek Fire Department in Mayes County and Welling Volunteer Fire Department in Cherokee County as “Volunteer Fire Departments of the Year.”

The honor of “Volunteer Firefighter of the Year” was also awarded to • Ronnie Smith of Hulbert • Lester Crittenden of Stilwell • Sheldon Caughman of Sallisaw • Cody Kackley of Bunch • Bryce Millikan of Vinita

(L to R) Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker presented Bryce Millikan, of Vinita, with the “Volunteer Firefighter of the Year Award,” and Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden thanked him for his efforts.

Cherokee Nation Businesses names new executive vice president Charles Garrett has been named executive vice president of Cherokee Nation Businesses.

Garrett, a Cherokee Nation citizen, works with CNB’s chief executive officer to set vision, direction and strategy for all of the company’s businesses. Those interests include gaming and hospitality, as well as government contracting in information technology, security and defense, real estate, manufacturing, construction and more.

Garrett joined CNB in fall 2013 as senior vice president of business development. With more than 25 years of experience, Garrett has excelled in various roles in the legal, banking and real estate industries, and as senior management of several large corporations.

Garrett is a native of Muskogee, with strong family ties to Adair County. He holds a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Oklahoma.

Tribal Council strengthens TERO preference The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council passed an amendment in February to strengthen the Cherokee Nation Employment Rights Act. The act establishes a preference tier, placing businesses owned by Cherokee Nation citizens first, followed by a second tier preference for businesses owned by citizens of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees and Eastern Band of Cherokees.

The third tier of preference includes all other Native-owned businesses, and the fourth tier includes non Indian-owned businesses.

The amendment also allows the tribe’s TERO office to terminate the contracts of employers who fail to abide by the Indian preference provisions of the act.

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BRIEFS

Cherokee Nation Treasurer named

Cherokee Nation receives credit rating upgrade

Executive of the Year

Cherokee Nation’s credit rating has been upgraded to “BBB” by Fitch Ratings Inc., one of the top three global rating agencies.

In February, Fitch upgraded the Cherokee Nation from a “BBB-” for continuing to show strong financial operations.

Fitch issues credit ratings that range from the highest “AAA” to lowest “D.” Each year Cherokee Nation is required to have an independent rating analyst review its financial statements, spending trends, debt and future outlook after the tribe issued tax exempt bonds in 2006 to construct Three Rivers Health Center in Muskogee, Nowata Health Center and Redbird Smith annex in Sallisaw. This is the Cherokee Nation’s first rating upgrade.

Cherokee Nation Treasurer Lacey Horn said, “a good bond rating means that the Cherokee Nation is a good investment – that we pay our debt and pay on time.”

Currently, the Cherokee Nation maintains a $586.6 million operating budget and $98.9 million capital outlay budget.

More than 60 percent of operating revenue comes from federal sources.

Cherokee Nation transit going green Aging transit buses are being replaced with compressed natural gas transit buses thanks to a $300,000 Federal Transit Administration grant.

The grant is part of $5 million awarded to 42 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to improve transit services.

The Cherokee Nation will use funds to buy four transit buses that run on compressed natural gas rather than gasoline. The Cherokee Nation currently has one bus already running on compressed natural gas.

Cherokee Nation contracts with Ki Bois Area Transit System, Pelivan Transit, Muskogee County Transit and Cimarron Public Transit to provide low-cost transportation throughout the tribe’s northeast Oklahoma jurisdiction. More than 50,000 rides were provided through Cherokee Nation subsidized transit routes last year. Native Americans and tribal employees can access rides on fixed routes and on- demand service transit buses for $1 roundtrip.

Native American Finance Officers Association President Bill Lomax, Cherokee Nation Treasurer Lacey Horn, NAFOA 1st Vice President VaRene Martin and Cherokee Nation Government Relations Executive Director Courtney Ruark-Thompson.

Cherokee Nation Treasurer Lacey Horn has been named “Executive of the Year” by the Native American Finance Officers Association. Horn, of Vian, received the award for using innovative planning and forecasting for Cherokee Nation finances.

The NAFOA commended Horn’s efforts for a program that will save more than $7 million on the tribe’s self-insured health plan. Horn’s team, comprised of the tribe’s

finance, human resources and contract health services departments, transitioned the tribe into a Medicare-like rate program, according to NAFOA. Horn was sworn into office in December 2011. Treasurer Horn oversees the finances of the tribal government, which employs 3,500 people in 22 departments across 14 counties, including the largest tribally managed health care system.

‘Learn to Grow’ garden project

teaches better nutrition habits to 3,300 children More than 3,300 children in five counties are growing squash, lettuce, broccoli, corn and more as part of Cherokee Nation’s Learn to Grow garden project.

The project focuses on teaching and practicing better nutrition for children.

the plants while implementing the produce into the site’s nutrition curriculum.

Cherokee Nation’s partners in the Learn to Grow project include the OSU Extension Office,

Department of Human Services Licensing, Native American Associations of Ketchum and Adair, and several other groups and individuals who have provided time and materials.

The project, in its second year, has expanded to 102 child care facilities in Craig, Mayes, Delaware, Nowata and Ottawa counties.

Cherokee Heights Head Start teachers in Pryor use the project to teach children how to care for Serenity Terhune, of Locust Grove, waters the vegetables at Cherokee Heights Head Start in Pryor.

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BRIEFS

Dwight Mission restoring 1917 building The renovated structure will include state-of-the-art conference rooms, an administrative office suite, interpretive space to preserve and share the unique Dwight Mission story, and a restored 200-seat auditorium.

A place that once served as the first mission for Native Americans west of the Mississippi River is now home to a camp and conference center, serving more than 3,000 guests each year. Along with traditional summer camps, Dwight Mission hosts groups, family reunions, conferences and retreats.

The schoolhouse at Dwight Mission was built in 1917.

Cherokee Nation and its businesses pledged $120,000 to Dwight Mission for the restoration and preservation of its schoolhouse built nearly 100 years ago.

The tribe’s contribution is being matched dollar for dollar by the Walton Family Foundation.

The 1917, three-story building

served as the main building on the Dwight campus, where missionaries educated Native students. It was historically used as a schoolhouse, but also served as offices and a 200-seat auditorium. The project will preserve the history of the building and Dwight Mission, as well as increase space and enhance programs.

Dwight Mission was established in 1820 near Russellville, Arkansas, and was relocated to its present-day location near Sallisaw, Oklahoma, in 1829.

The Indian Mission Training School served students for 119 years, offering practical instruction, academics and religious teaching until it closed in 1948. It reopened in 1951 as a camp and conference center.

Cherokee Nation Businesses employees

Cherokee Nation Emergency Medical Services remains in the top 1 percent of ambulance services nationally.

Earlier this year, the tribe’s EMS earned reaccreditation for another three years from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.

In 2005, Cherokee Nation EMS became the first ambulance service in Oklahoma and the only tribe in the country to be accredited by the commission. Currently, only two agencies in Oklahoma have the distinction.

Cherokee Nation EMS consists of paramedic ambulance services, 911 communications staff and a certified training center. They currently employ 54 staff members and keep four ambulances active at all times. They have a coverage area of more than 1,000 square miles and responded to more than 4,500 emergency calls in 2013.

Multiple road projects completed Cherokee Nation continues to complete road and bridge projects in Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes and Rogers counties.

The projects totaled more than $17 million last year. This year, Cherokee Nation is investing $11.8 million into road and bridge repairs in the following counties: • Adair County – Honey Hill Road Phase I

support Moore tornado victims

• Cherokee County – Sequoyah Schools stoplight project and Tenkiller School Road A student draws during a recent Art Feeds Moore event.

Cherokee Nation Businesses employees volunteered with Art Feeds to help students from Plaza Towers and Briarwood elementary schools heal from last year’s devastating EF-5 tornado by creating therapeutic art.

Cherokee Nation EMS ranks among best

CNB employees lent their support to the Moore community by teaming up with Art Feeds and other volunteers to encourage the healing process by creating an environment where students felt safe to express themselves

through dance, song, drawing, painting, building and sculpting.

Art Feeds is a nonprofit arts program based in Joplin, Missouri.

• Delaware County – Dry Creek Bridge #71 and Teesquatnee Bridge #53 • Mayes County – Saline Creek Bridge #67, Saline Creek Bridge #68 and Wickliffe Bridge

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GOVERNMENT

$4.2 million

child development center opens in Stilwell More children are being served in Cherokee Nation’s new $4.2 million Stilwell Child Development Center, where officials held a January grand opening celebration.

The state-of-the-art facility serves 98 children, ages 6 weeks to 4 years old. The center, built to replace the old facility on Flint Street, created 10 new jobs and added about 50 additional day care slots.

“Research shows the most important time for brain development is between birth and age 4. The Cherokee Nation Child Development Center Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker visits with 3-year-old Luke at the grand opening of the Stilwell Child Development Center. in Stilwell is dedicated to making the most of this children and early learning.” a few of the center’s major features. by the Oklahoma Department of significant time in a child’s life,” The 19,000-square-foot center is The Stilwell center opened its Human Services. said Director Tricia Peoples. “The four times larger than the former doors in 1995. Cherokee Nation Indian-owned Red Stone completion of the Stilwell Child center. Eight classrooms and four owns and operates another center Construction, of Tulsa, completed Development Center shows the age-appropriate playgrounds are just in Tahlequah. Both are licensed the project.

Cherokee Nation’s commitment to

Placement laws strengthened for Cherokee children The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council passed a resolution earlier this year to establish a chain of priority placement in Cherokee adoptive and foster care cases.

Council’s support in the fight to keep our most precious treasures, our Cherokee children, at home in Indian Country,” said Tina Glory Jordan, speaker of the Tribal “This law will strengthen Council. the cases for our social The resolution now places workers and lawyers a fit biological parent as the next time they are in the first preference in custody court. It is also a adoptive and foster care demonstration of this Tribal cases involving Cherokee

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children. A member of the child’s extended family, other members of the Cherokee Nation or other Native American families would receive next priority in the placement of a child.

“Without a doubt, our people, especially our youth, are the tribe’s most valuable asset,” said Cherokee Nation

Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “This new Cherokee Nation law will give our tribal sovereign government and our hardworking ICW staff an additional tool to protect our people and ensure Cherokee children have the opportunity to live in a loving and nurturing home that is culturally appropriate.”

Child Welfare has had court involvement with approximately 1,200 to 1,600 Cherokee children per year for the last five years. Out of these cases, approximately one-third need placement in either an adoptive or foster home.

For more information on fostering, call (918) Cherokee Nation Indian 453-5000.

ᎠᏰᎵ ᎤᏙᏢᏒ

GOVERNMENT

Cherokee citizen Janet Freeny and her husband, Jerry, of Skiatook, add to their shopping carts at the Collinsville Food Distribution Center.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER comes to Collinsville

A new 5,500-square-foot food distribution center in Collinsville now provides more than 300 American Indian families with healthy USDA foods each month.

Prior to opening the supermarket-style center, families drove to a designated area and received food from a delivery truck.

“Cherokee Nation citizens in the area can now shop comfortably for the nutritious foods their families need,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “By working closely with Collinsville community leaders, we were able to build this new center. These are the

kinds of investments that create a healthier Cherokee Nation.”

the dinner table,” said Ella Sands, assistant manager of the program.

The Cherokee Nation started the first-of-itskind food distribution program in 1984, so eligible Cherokee families would have access to fresh produce, proteins, whole grains and dairy items. The tribe now manages seven food distribution centers and five tailgate sites within the Cherokee Nation’s 14-county jurisdiction.

Last year, more than 100,000 people shopped at Cherokee Nation food centers or tailgate sites, which provided more than $6.7 million worth of USDA foods. The Collinsville Food Distribution Center adds five new jobs to the area. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“The opening of the Collinsville Food Distribution Center means more Cherokee families now have access to fully stocked shelves and a wider food selection to put on

The Collinsville Food Distribution Center is located at 1101 North 12th St. For more information on the Cherokee Nation Food Distribution Program, call 918-207-3911.

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GOVERNMENT

Microsoft adds Cherokee language to Office® programs The Cherokee language has been added to Microsoft Office Web Apps. It’s the tribe’s largest translation project to date.

People can use Office Web Apps, which include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote in the Cherokee language. A free account can be created at www.skydrive.com to access the programs on any computer or mobile device.

“Half of the world’s 6,000 languages will be lost by the next century if nothing is done to preserve them,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said. “That will not be the fate of the Cherokee language, thanks in part to the hard work and collaboration between our tribal government and Microsoft.”

software,” said James Douglas, general manager of Microsoft Office Localization. “The Cherokee Nation is a testament to indigenous communities everywhere in proving that together we are able to have a big impact through our language efforts.”

Cherokee statesman Sequoyah developed a Cherokee writing system in 1821. Many computing terms did not exist in the Cherokee language, so a dozen Cherokee speakers spent last year translating 150,000 modern English terms into their Cherokee equivalents.

The translation project required creativity at times.

For example, fluent speaker John Ross translated ‘antispyware’ into ‘it will be stopped’ and had to find the right Cherokee term for other words, such as bookmark, email and antivirus.

Such phrases are necessary with singular words because Cherokee is a polysynthetic language, using many descriptions.

Cherokee Nation is among the few tribes with a language immersion school. It is thought to be the only tribe to have a designated language translation department working with large technology companies to include native languages on the latest products. Microsoft Web Apps offer 106 different languages.

Cherokee is also available on Microsoft Windows 8, Google Gmail, and Apple iPhone and iPad. The translation team’s next project is adding Cherokee to Android smart phones.

“It is a milestone for Microsoft to provide the first Native American language productivity

New hearing aid program launched Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker issued an executive order to expand the tribe’s hearing aid program for Cherokee citizens.

Cherokee Nation health services previously provided a limited number of hearing aids in the tribe’s 14-county northeast Oklahoma jurisdiction.

Baker’s order broadly expanded the program,

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which is funded by the tribe’s gaming revenues.

“Providing Cherokees only one hearing aid when they need two is only a bandage and doesn’t do enough to improve the quality of life for our citizens,” Baker said.

specifically for contract health services. Contract health covers special surgeries and equipment, such as eyeglasses and dentures, which are not allowable under federal funds.

The new program is funded under the Health Dividend Act of 2011, which mandates an additional 5 percent of tribal business profits be earmarked

“These tribal dollars help catch those Cherokee citizens who were previously falling through the cracks,” Baker said. “I proposed the Health Dividend Act when

I was on the Tribal Council, and it was the first piece of legislation I signed as Chief.

Improving health care for our citizens will always be my highest priority, and I’ll

do everything in my power to make our nation healthier.

I’m working to ensure that no Cherokee ever receives second-class care in our world-class health system.”

ᎠᏰᎵ ᎤᏙᏢᏒ

GOVERNMENT

Tribal minimum wage

I N C REASES beginning Oct. 1

$3.4 million awarded to 91 school districts Cherokee Nation is helping dozens of northeast Oklahoma school districts fill gaps in education funding.

Earlier this year, checks totaling a record $3.4 million were distributed to 91 school districts in the Cherokee Nation.

“Our car tag compact with the state of Oklahoma is important because funds are partially earmarked for education,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker.

“As education budgets continue to be stretched thinner and thinner, the Cherokee Nation’s contributions to schools have only increased. We expect that trend to continue now that we’ve expanded our license plate service area to cover all of Oklahoma. Our local schools are important partners to the Cherokee Nation, so this is a great way to help ensure their continued success.”

Samantha Lowe, Career Services employee

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker signed an executive order, raising the Cherokee Nation’s minimum wage to $9.50 over the next two years.

The Cherokee Nation minimum wage already stood at $9 per hour, well above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

“We recognize that while the cost of goods and services has risen, wages have not, so we’re doing something about that,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “This wage increase will help more Oklahomans put food on the table and rest easier about how to make ends meet.”

Nearly 400 employees will see a pay increase, resulting in more than $1,000 per year.

Employees with more than one year of service earning minimum wage will jump to $9.50 per hour on Oct. 1, 2015. Workers with less than one year of service will see a staggered increase over fiscal year 2015.

That wage increase will apply to all Cherokee Nation government employees, which include health care, education, housing and other operations.

Cherokee Nation Businesses’ board of directors later matched the increase of $9.50 for the approximately 600 CNB and Cherokee Nation Entertainment employees earning minimum

wage. That wage increase also takes effect Oct. 1.

Every Cherokee Nation and CNB employee, regardless of wage status, is eligible for health, dental and life insurance, a 401k matching plan, paid vacation and sick leave, and other perks.

“These types of benefits are not typically offered in minimum wage positions,” Baker said. “So while it may be a $9.50 per hour job, the real wage is actually closer to $12 to $13 per hour once you factor in the generous benefits packages. This further proves the Cherokee Nation is an economic leader and employer of preference.”

Each year the tribe allocates 38 percent of tax revenue from the sale of tribal car tags to schools in the 14-county tribal jurisdiction. Schools have complete discretion over the funding and use it to pay for everything from additional teaching salaries to advanced student coursework and more classroom technology. Although the funds are allocated based on Cherokee student headcount, the money can be used to help any student or program administrators see fit.

This year’s donation is up from $3.2 million last year.

The tribe has awarded $31.3 million to northeast Oklahoma schools since the Cherokee Nation entered into a license plate compact with the state in 2001.

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BUSINESS

Cherokee Nation CNI receives global accreditation Cherokee Nation Industries, the manufacturing and distribution division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, has been Nadcap certified for its electronics cable and harness assemblies. Nadcap is the most comprehensive quality control accreditation for special processes within the aerospace industry.

helping to bring thousands of jobs to northeast Oklahoma

The global accreditation program is administered through the Performance Review Institute. It recognized CNI for its commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications.

“Our employees work very hard to ensure our products and services are of the highest caliber, and we couldn’t be more thankful or proud,” said Chris Moody, president of CNI. “Accreditation at this level will align us with new opportunities that ensure our companies’ continued growth and success.”

CNI was established in 1969 and specializes in aerospace and defense manufacturing, telecommunications and distribution services. The company has offices in Stilwell, Tahlequah, Pryor and Tulsa. The Stilwell plant is the first location to receive the prestigious accreditation.

Cherokee Nation officials celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Macy’s facility.

The Cherokee Nation is helping bring Macy’s to northeast Oklahoma.

The tribe is providing financial incentives and administrative support to locate a direct-to-consumer fulfillment center near Owasso in Tulsa County.

Macy’s broke ground in April on a $180 million facility near the intersection of 76th Street North and Lakewood Avenue, inside the Cherokee Nation’s jurisdiction.

“The ripple effect of this economic growth will be felt across northeast Oklahoma and well into the 14 counties of the Cherokee Nation,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “This is yet another way we are helping to

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expand our economic footprint in northeast Oklahoma, which helps Cherokee citizens and all citizens of Oklahoma. We are proud to be an important partner in bringing this project to Oklahoma.”

Cherokee Nation Businesses is providing a financial contribution of $500,000 to help with roads and infrastructure to the new facility.

The Cherokee Nation’s career services team is assisting Macy’s with recruitment of staff. The partnership will create stable, wellpaying jobs for Cherokee citizens.

“We are proud to have partnered with so many on this project, which will bring more jobs than this area has seen in a decade,”

said Shawn Slaton, CEO of CNB. “This is a testament to our working together to secure major economic development opportunities that have a positive, long-lasting effect on our region.”

The center is expected to open in April 2015, with the first orders shipping in summer 2015.

The fulfillment center is expected to employ approximately 1,500 fulland part-time associates year-round.

Another 1,000 temporary associates will be needed to handle online orders during the holiday shopping season.

Between 350 and 500 jobs should be created in the construction phase.

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BUSINESS

Veterans Center opens, showcases memorabilia Cherokee veterans have a new place to gather or seek guidance from the tribe’s office of Veteran Affairs.

The new 8,700-square-foot Cherokee Nation Veterans Center offers a library, kitchen and sunroom. The $2 million facility was completely funded by the Cherokee Nation. The center’s large community room will be used for events throughout the year, including the Cherokee National Holiday veterans’ reception and Veterans Day activities.

The center has three full-time Cherokee Nation employees to assist veterans with benefits and tribal programs. A Department of Veterans Affairs readjustment counselor is also onsite part time.

There are approximately more than 4,000 Cherokee veterans.

The facility provides veterans an increased level of comfort and includes private offices.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker hugs Janice Nottingham, who contributed her late husband’s Army dress uniform.

“On behalf of the Cherokee Nation, we are eternally grateful to all those who served. That is why we have created a place of respect and reverence for our military veterans, so they know they always have a home at the Cherokee Nation,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief S. Joe Crittenden, a Navy veteran.

what you’ve been through and have access to Cherokee Nation services in one place,” Triplett said. “At my age and with my health, I sometimes need help, and the Cherokee Nation has really taken care of me over the years.”

Sam Triplett is an 83-year-old Korean War Marine Corps veteran from Tahlequah.

Visitors can also view memorabilia donated to the Veterans Center by those who served or from the families of veterans.

“I think it’s great to have somewhere you can meet with other veterans who know

“It’s hard for me to put into words how much this means to me to be able to provide

part of my sons’ uniforms to be displayed here,” said Shawn Wright, who donated his son Cody’s dress Air Force hat and son Caleb’s dress Army jacket. “I’m so extremely proud of my boys. When all these cases are full, it will be a good reminder that there are a bunch of Cherokees who cared about this country enough to defend it.”

The Cherokee Nation Veterans Center is located just east of the W.W. Keeler Complex, in Tahlequah. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

CNTS wins $8.7M contract supporting US Marine Corps Reserve Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, a division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, was awarded its first contract with the U.S. Marine Corps. The $8.7 million contract includes a

range of services for the Marine Forces Reserve division, which oversees approximately 100,000 marines and 187 training centers throughout the U.S.

The two-year contract, awarded in February, provides support services for planning and programming, capital improvements and asset management.

CNTS was formed in 2008 to provide technical support services and project support personnel to its defense and civilian agency partners.

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CASINO usher in a new era for health care

The Cherokee Nation health care system has been spread thin for decades but is now seeing vast improvements and expansion, thanks to $100 million from Cherokee Nation Businesses.

It’s a much-needed boost to a system that relies on a set percentage of casino profits for a part of its funding. While the health system was charged with providing services, it did not have enough money to expand to meet the needs of a growing population.

For more than 20 years, the Cherokee Nation has operated its own health care system. Today, the tribe operates eight health centers and W.W. Hastings Hospital, in Tahlequah. In the early days, citizens received health care from mobile clinics, or families would travel to Indian Health Service facilities.

Many Cherokees have a memory of visiting one of the tribe’s health centers, either for a checkup or an emergency visit. Those memories were often filled with cramped waiting rooms and long waits.

(Continued on page 16)

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PROFITS CNB funds $100 million improvements to health care infrastructure

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ᏄᏍᏛ ᏗᎧᏃᏗ

FE ATURE Just as private health care providers struggle with enough space to serve the ever-growing demand for services, so is the Cherokee Nation.

Last year, the Cherokee Nation Health System serviced more than a million patient visits.

Under current Cherokee law, an annual dividend totaling 35 percent of CNB’s profits is deposited in the Cherokee Nation’s general fund. The Cherokee Nation’s general fund supports a variety of services, like housing, education, social services, health care and more.

Last year, that dividend payment totaled $57 million.

“The needs of the Cherokee people are so diverse that the dividend – payment helps us get closer to where we need to be on health care, but very slowly,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “This infusion of $100 million solely to health care infrastructure helps us impact the health outcomes of Cherokees much quicker. Our businesses have become so successful in recent years that it just makes sense, and, quite frankly, it is the right thing to do.”

hiring dozens of TERO-certified Cherokee subcontractors, which boosts the local economy.

“This is a great opportunity to show the Cherokee people why our casinos are here,” said Shawn Slaton, chief executive officer of CNB. “Our goal is to create jobs, grow businesses and provide funding to the Cherokee Nation for services to the Cherokee people. We are proud to be in a position where we can make such a huge contribution to the health and well-being of Cherokee citizens.”

and gains an important past performance resume, which they can use to win contracts from the federal government and private developers,” Slaton said. “This is a real win-win for CNB and the Cherokee Nation.”

A major component of the health system expansion is a new 100-bed hospital to replace the current W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah. Built as an Indian Health Service facility in 1984, the hospital was constructed to serve 65,000 outpatient visits each year. Today, the facility is serving more than 400,000 patient visits per year. The new $53.1 million hospital allows the current hospital to become an outpatient center.

“I promised to make the health of our people a main priority.”

CNB owns companies in the gaming, hospitality, information technology, personnel services, distribution, manufacturing, telecommunications, environmental services, construction, and security and defense industries.

“This is exactly what our businesses were designed to do. Our financial success belongs to the Cherokee people,” said Chief Baker.

“For the first time ever, we are taking a substantial amount of money directly from our businesses and putting it where it counts the most—health care for our citizens. Using our businesses to invest in and improve our health care system is the right thing to do, and it will literally save Cherokee lives.”

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Pr i n cipal Chief Bill John Baker Aside from annual payments from CNB to Cherokee Nation, this is the first major investment the tribe’s businesses have made directly to tribal infrastructure. Cherokee Nation Construction Resources serves as the prime contractor and construction manager of the project.

“By managing this project in-house, our construction division grows in its capabilities

Construction is underway on health centers in Ochelata, Jay, Sallisaw and Stilwell. The tribe is building a new 28,000-square-foot health center in Ochelata, 42,000-square-foot health center in Jay, 30,000-square-foot expansion of the Redbird Smith Health Center in Sallisaw, and adding 28,000 square feet to the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell.

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FE ATURE

Vinita pediatrician makes positive impact on local families Cherokee citizen and Vinita Health Center Pediatrician Nicole Willis, of Claremore, has dedicated her life to serving Cherokee kids.

“As a pediatrician, I always encourage parents to take preventative measures with their children,” Willis said. “Parents should get their children the influenza vaccine and practice frequent handwashing, as well as avoid busy places during the flu season.”

Willis, a recipient of the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association “Rookie Physician of the Year Award,” is a recent addition to the pediatric staff. She wanted to work in a rural area, and a scholarship from Indian Health Service encouraged her to give back to her Native community.

Cherokee Nation Construction Resources is using this as an opportunity to perform work for the tribe and earn past performance credit, which is valuable in both government and commercial contracting.

are going to be a source of pride for our company, as well as the entire Cherokee Nation.”

Most Cherokee Nation health c e n t e r s o ff e r medical, dental, lab, radiology, public health, “When we do WIC, nutrition, a project, we contract health, always know pharmacy, the revenue it behavioral generates helps health, optomethe Cherokee try, community – Shaw n Slaton, CEO people, but health service normally that’s through providing jobs and mammography, or a combination of and the dividend payment,” said Cheryl those services.

Cohenour, executive general manager of Cherokee Nation also has plans to make Cherokee Nation Construction Resources. future renovations at Three Rivers Health

“Our goal is to create jobs, grow businesses and provide funding to the Cherokee Nation for ser vices to the Cherokee people.”

“But this project is much more meaningful to us. For the first time, our work will directly affect citizens in ways the 35 percent dividend or job creation cannot.

There is so much pride in knowing that, as a tribally owned business, we have something tangible to show our commitment to making change for the Cherokee people.

“These new, updated health facilities

Willis completed her residency with Oklahoma State University Medical Center and The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis in Tulsa. She then worked for the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma in the Norman clinic. In March 2013, she started at the Vinita Health Center and sees patients from as far as Joplin and Springfield, Missouri.

“I have a great patient population,” Willis said. “They’re the best part of the job and remind me on a daily basis why I do what I do.”

Vinita resident and Cherokee citizen Amy Turner had been taking her 4-year-old daughter to a private pediatrician in Claremore but now takes her to see Willis.

“It’s just so much more convenient to be able to bring her to a doctor here in town,” Turner said. “It helps that Dr. Willis is so great. We really love her.”

Dr. Willis visits with 18-month-old Tinzlee Miller, of Langley.

Center in Muskogee. Recently, Cherokee Nation completed construction on the new Jack Brown Center in Tahlequah.

The Jack Brown Center serves Cherokee citizens struggling with an alcohol or drug dependency.

“I promised to make the health of our people a priority,” said Baker. “This is a major step in the right direction.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

coming soon

New Cherokee Casino Roland

Casino to feature hotel, added dining, entertainment venue and 100 new jobs Cherokee Nation Entertainment, Cherokee Nation and Roland officials gathered in April to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Cherokee Casino & Hotel. The new casino and hotel destination will replace the existing Cherokee Casino Roland in Sequoyah County.

The nearly $80 million development will bring more entertainment options and amenities, hotel accommodations and an additional 100 jobs to the region.

“I was on the Tribal Council when we decided to move from bingo to casino-style gaming.

We understood then the purpose was to create jobs and provide a better quality of life for the Cherokee people,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “Today, we have more Cherokee citizens employed at our businesses than ever, and for the first time in our history, casino profits are going directly to improving health care for our people.”

The new 170,000-square-foot facility will offer 850 electronic games, table games and

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a private High Limit poker room. Guests can choose from two dining options, a grab-and-go café and Las Vegas-style buffet. Along with the expanded gaming options, guests can enjoy a cocktail and live music.

Cherokee Nation entered the entertainment industry in 1990 by opening the first Cherokee Nation Bingo Outpost in Roland. Twenty-four years later, the property has become one of the region’s leading entertainment venues.

The plans include a six-story, resort-style hotel, featuring 120 rooms, along with convention space to host conferences, special events, weddings and trade shows.

Today, the 50,000-square-foot property features 600 electronic gaming machines, eight poker tables, seven table games and a 24-hour diner. Cherokee Casino Roland employs 320 people.

“We are bringing our guests the best in gaming entertainment and hospitality,” said Shawn Slaton, chief executive officer for Cherokee Nation Businesses. “The new facility allows us to expand our amenities by adding dining options, live music and a hotel. The best part of it all is our ability to create more jobs in the community where our business started.”

“We’ve had an enormous amount of support from the Roland community and Tribal Councilors Janelle Fullbright and David Thornton,” said Slaton. “We are grateful for that support and look forward to continuing our community partnerships for years to come.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

Get your dining kicks in

HWY 66 Diner Guests at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa can now step back in time to an era when burgers and shakes were served in the classic diner setting. There’s the waitstaff in classic 50s attire, the booths, the counter with stools, a rockin’ jukebox and even a checkered floor.

HWY 66 Diner is open 24 hours a day and is located in the casino, next door to Buffet.

“This is a 50s diner with a Hard Rock twist,” said Paul Jarrell, senior director of food and beverage at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

“The working jukebox plays 1,000 tunes from more than 100 CDs between the 1940s and the 1980s.

It’s a fun, rocking and rolling place.”

The menu is loaded with more than 50 mouthwatering selections, including breakfast served all day, appetizers, hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, foot-long hot dogs and numerous entrees.

What separates HWY 66 Diner from other stops along the Mother Road from Chicago to L.A. are the signature dishes.

Diners can feast on the “Oklahoma Hubcap,” a 16 oz. chicken fried steak with sides. Then there’s the monumental task of tackling the “Brutus Burger Challenge.” It features 2 pounds of beef, 12 tomato slices, 12 slices of cheese, 12 strips of bacon on a grilled bun, with 2 pounds of fries and a milkshake.

“The ‘Fluff n’ Butter’ may take you back to your childhood and put a smile on your face,” said Nick Andoe, executive chef at HWY 66 Diner. “Our guests will be thrilled to have an all-day breakfast menu or a tasty, juicy hamburger.”

Mac and cheese lovers have six signature options that are served in a 5-inch or 8-inch skillet. The All-American classic, the bacon cheeseburger and the hot dog mac and cheese are made with golden

cheese. White mac and cheese options include the Neapolitan that features mozzarella and ham; the Alpine that has grilled chicken,

Swiss, provolone and Parmesan; and the Carbonara that includes bacon, provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa offers built-in chargers on poker tables At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, players need not stress about battery life on a mobile device because of the recent addition of built-in USB ports on all poker tables.

department, allows poker players to charge their devices without using power strips located under tables that create a web of charger cords. The firmware on the charging stations can be This technology, developed by updated to charge any accessory Cherokee Nation Businesses’ IT that uses a USB cable.

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C U LT U R E

Cherokee Nation officials commemorate the

175 year th

since the conclusion of

TRAIL OF TEARS

It has been 175 years since the final group of Cherokees ended the painful journey across the Trail of Tears, settling in what is now Tahlequah to form a new government and a new life.

To recognize the challenges our ancestors overcame, Cherokee Nation has hosted a series of events to honor key dates leading up to and after forced removal.

On March 24, officials honored the last detachment, who in 1839 arrived in Indian Territory near what is now Tahlequah, joining thousands of others who had completed the combined 2,200-mile trek.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker memorialized the conclusion of the forced removal with a proclamation declaring the day “Remembrance Day in Cherokee Nation.”

“We are here today in Tahlequah as a sovereign government with a living culture because of their perseverance. That is a strength most of us cannot imagine today, but it is in our blood and our DNA,” Baker said. “Our people were stripped of everything, withstood generations of termination policies, and yet that fire to live and thrive would not be extinguished.”

Cherokee artist Dorothy Sullivan and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker unveil Sullivan’s third and final installment of her Trail of Tears series of paintings.

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C U LT U R E In May, a Cherokee rose planting was held at the During a ceremonial planting of Cherokee John Ross Museum in honor of two significant Roses, Baker used dirt from North Carolina that dates leading to the forced removal. was collected from Kituwah mound, known as Officials reflected on the May 23, 1836, ratifi- the mother town of the Cherokees where oral cation of the Treaty of New Echota. The treaty traditions say all Cherokees originated from.

The Act of Union created a unified political body for two groups of Cherokees: the “Old Settlers,” who relocated west prior to forced removal, and their fellow Cherokees who were forcibly sent across the Trail of Tears.

gave the Cherokee people two years to move west A dogwood tree, which holds cultural signifi- “As a people and as a government, the Cherokee to Indian Territory from their native homelands in cance to Cherokees, was planted at Cherokee Nation rebuilt itself in Indian Territory after our the east. The second date marked the beginning National Square in July to honor the anniversary forced removal. Our ancestors suffered abuse and of the forced removal, May 24, 1838. of signing the Act of Union on July 12, 1839. loss 175 years ago, yet they never lost the will to endure,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “In our new home – present-day Oklahoma – the Cherokee people rebuilt a sophisticated society with a court system, a government administration, educational institutions and successful commerce.

“Today, we are a thriving sovereign government with a living culture because our ancestors were strong enough and visionary enough to ensure the Cherokee Nation would survive.”

Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker plant a Cherokee Rose at Ross Cemetery. Cherokee Nation officials planted seven Cherokee Rose plants to honor those who were lost on the Trail of Tears.

A committee established by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker, with appointments from the three branches of Cherokee Nation government, planned the events. The committee was chaired by Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd Hembree and included Cherokee Nation Tribal Council Attorney Dianne Barker-Harrold and Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice Angela Jones.

Tehee named new executive director of Heritage Center When Candessa Tehee worked as a teenage tour guide at the Cherokee Heritage Center twenty years ago, she had no idea she would one day be in charge.

The Cherokee National Historical Society Board of Directors named Tehee the new executive director of the Cherokee Heritage Center in January.

“I am honored and humbled to serve as executive director of an organization with such a rich and storied legacy as the Cherokee Heritage Center,” said Tehee. “I plan to use my life experiences to build collaborative relationships and a long-term vision of strength and vitality for

the Cherokee Heritage Center.”

Tehee, who is a fluent C h e r o k e e s p e a k e r, previously managed the Cherokee Nation language programs, the language technology department, community languages program and the translation department.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies and Communications from the University of Oklahoma in 2000.

She earned a Master of Education in 2003 and graduated this spring from OU with a Doctorate in Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology.

Since 2000, Tehee has developed her skills in the art of fingerweaving.

In 2011, she received instruction from Cherokee National Treasure Dorothy Dreadfulwater Ice in table top loom weaving, which allowed her to carry on the legacy of her late grandfather, Rogers McLemore, who was a Cherokee National Treasure.

The Cherokee Heritage Center is the premier cultural center for Cherokee history, culture and the arts. For information on the 2014 season events, operating hours and programs, contact the Cherokee Heritage Center at (888) 999-6007 or visit www.

CherokeeHeritage.org.

Find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/ CherokeeHC.

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C U LT U R E

CHEROKEE DAYS Cherokees share story with more than 30,000 people at Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C, was bustling with activity for three days in April, as Cherokee artists and performers showcased their cultural heritage in various forms to museum visitors from around the world during Cherokee Days.

people, my family and myself means a lot to me,” said Cherokee National Treasure Tommy Wildcat. “Most of the artists here this weekend have been raised in the old traditional customs of the

tribes. The educational programs included an exhibit showcasing a timeline of historical milestones, live cultural art demonstrations and cultural performances.

live. For me personally, I dress like this to show what we really look like and give a better understanding. I do all of this for our elders.”

For Freddy Wilnoty, an Eastern

More than 20 artists from the three nations joined to present their cultural heritage and skills to a worldwide audience.

The Cherokee National Youth Choir’s voices filled the air, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians performers included guests in a traditional dance and Cherokee Nation’s Robert Lewis shared stories incorporating the audience. Children visiting the museum created cornhusk dolls to take home as souvenirs.

All of these elements and more Cherokee dancers and museum guests perform a traditional Eastern Band dance. served the purpose of telling the story of three nations Cherokee, and it’s a great honor to Band artist who dressed tradithat, while separated over the share that in modern Washington, tionally while wearing red face years, share an ancestral bond that D.C., and promote the beauty of paint, the three-day event allowed him to honor his past while our Cherokee heritage.” makes everyone one big family. educating visitors of all ages.

The Cherokee Nation, Eastern More than 30,000 visitors “It’s been an honor to teach learned about the true history of Band of Cherokee Indians and more people about our culture,” Cherokees, while also interacting United Keetoowah Band shared said Wilnoty.

“It broadens their with a culture that continues to the Cherokee story that spans time horizons and gets rid of the false thrive today. immemorial to the forced removal beliefs of our past and how we “To be here representing my to the successes of the modern

“Just being in this museum, you can see and feel the love of art and culture,” said Noel Grayson, Cherokee National Treasure.

“We all have the same love for history, which is good to see.”

It was the first time the three tribes have ever partnered for a public exhibition.

For Eastern Band artist Laura Blythe, it was something she hoped would occur in her lifetime.

“I figured there would be a day when all of us would get together for something like this,” Blythe said. “There had been meetings between the tribes in the past, and they’ve been working together on things. I’m honored to be a part of it and had a good time. This was fun. It kind of feels like home.”

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BRIEFS

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CHEROKEE CHEROKEE

E DAYS 2014

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BRIEFS

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