5 Economic impact Cherokee Nation drives more than $2 billion into Oklahoma economy
15 Cherokee Medicine Keepers ‘Cherokee Medicine Keepers’ perpetuating environmental knowledge, practices
29 Aerial assist Drones helping Cherokee Nation teams save lives, protect property
23 First 100 days Four legislative acts became the cornerstones of Chief Hoskin’s, Deputy Chief Warner’s first 100 days in office
ON THE COVER:
Insignias for the four legislative acts signed during Principal Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner's first 100 days in office. The Official Cherokee Nation News
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5 NEWS ᎧᏃᎮᏓ Economic impact Cherokee Nation drives more than $2 billion into Oklahoma economy News briefs Future USNS Cherokee Nation, tribe opens largest outpatient health center in the country, first televised Cherokee Nation language course, tribe urges citizens to be counted in 2020 Census
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9 PEOPLE ᎠᏂᏴᏫ Building partnerships Cherokee Nation investigators join FBI as task force officers Preserving culture Cherokee Nation first tribe in U.S. to send heirloom seeds to global seed vault in Norway 13 CULTURE ᏄᏍᏛ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ Fostering hope Cherokee foster families help care for Cherokee children, protect tribal traditions Cherokee Medicine Keepers ‘Cherokee Medicine Keepers’ perpetuating environmental knowledge, practices
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Cherokee Artist Series: For Vivian Garner Cottrell, basket weaving has family ties dating back generations Cherokee National History Museum History museum adds to tribe’s robust tourism offerings and is located within one of its most iconic structures, the Cherokee National Capitol building 29 HOME ᏧᏪᏅᏒᎢ Culinary cuisine Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa Senior Executive Chef Tony Aidoo's savory pork and hominy stew
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ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᏂᏓᏳᏅᏅ ᎧᏃᎮᏍᎩ MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OSIYO. This issue of Anadisgoi will introduce groundbreaking initiatives we focused on in the first few months of the Hoskin/Warner administration: elder housing, wage increases, historical site protection, workforce readiness and expanding Cherokee language preservation efforts. The Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act uses funds generated through Cherokee Nation Businesses to tackle a backlog of home repairs for elderly and disabled tribal citizens, plus several community building improvements. The Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act will help ensure our tribal language is still with us for future generations. This important Act brings our language programs under one umbrella and enables the tribe to offer four times the current attendance in the successful Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program. We project this language preservation strategy will, in a generation, greatly increase the number of Cherokee speakers in our communities. Our Career Readiness Act doubles the amount we invest in talented young people in career-tech training tracks. Many of those getting training are doing so in construction and health IT, muchneeded positions across the Cherokee Nation right now. That includes our new outpatient health center on the W.W. Hastings campus in Tahlequah. To operate the new center at full capacity requires an additional 850 health care employees in addition to our current staff in Tahlequah. We want to be ready and we want to hire Cherokees every opportunity we can.
Editor Designer Contributing staff
Josh Newton Stephanie Remer Samantha Robinson KenLea Henson Whitney Dittman Leanna Reeder Alicia Buffer Darcy Stephens Jason McCarty Julie Hubbard Brandon Scott Sarah Harrell Jennifer Jones
We created the Historic Registry Act to protect and preserve Cherokee historical sites within our 14 counties. We have identified around 80 sites here in Northeastern Oklahoma for preservation and education purposes. There is also opportunity to expand and preserve sacred places in our original homelands. You’ll also read about Cherokee Nation increasing its minimum wage to $11 an hour. By leveraging the resources we generate from our businesses, we can put them in the pockets of our talented workforce. A living wage supports Cherokee communities and families. And in our first 100 days in office, we named Kimberly Teehee as the Cherokee Nation delegate to the U.S. Congress. She will assume the tribe’s seat in the U.S. House, a right guaranteed in the Treaty of New Echota and written in the tribe's Constitution. Also, be sure to read about the Cherokee Nation’s Indian Child Welfare team and their push to find Cherokee foster families across the country. First Lady January Hoskin has dedicated her efforts to this vital program, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve already made on behalf of our youngest citizens. We can all be proud of these exciting endeavors we have launched together as a tribe. Please enjoy this latest issue of Anadisgoi. Wado,
Chuck Hoskin Jr. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief
CONTACT: anadisgoi@cn-bus.com Anadisgoi Magazine 777 W. Cherokee St. • Catoosa, OK 74015
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Anadisgoi (ah-nah-dee-sko-EE): Cherokee for "what people are saying"
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The Official Cherokee Nation News
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NEWS ᎧᏃᎮᏓ Visit www.cherokeenationimpact.com
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. gives remarks during the tribe's Economic Impact forum at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
Economic impact Cherokee Nation drives more than $2 billion into Oklahoma economy By Whitney Dittman
Cherokee Nation injected nearly $2.2 billion into the
Oklahoma economy in 2018. New research shows the tribe and its businesses continue to expand their economic footprint through employment, labor income, production of goods and services, and more. An economic impact report by Dr. Russell Evans, principal at the Economic Impact Group and associate professor of economics at Oklahoma City University, shows the Cherokee Nation remains one of the state’s biggest economic drivers. Tribal officials announced the tribe’s impact in November 2019 during a forum with state, county and local officials. “A vibrant and strong Cherokee Nation is essential for northeast Oklahoma’s long-term success. As our businesses grow more prosperous and create more jobs, our role in the state’s economy expands as well,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “Our profits and the dollars we generate go directly to our people. We’re now helping more Cherokees improve their lives, as well as the lives of their children and their grandchildren.” The research study shows the tribe’s activities directly and indirectly support more than 19,000 jobs and generate $837 million in regional income. Focused solely on Cherokee Nation’s economic activity within the tribe’s 14 counties, the report doesn’t include the nearly 1,977 contract workers, who
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work throughout the U.S. and even globally. One of the largest employers in northeast Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation provides an array of government services, spurs economic development and provides financial support throughout the region. The tribe’s annual operations support local production of goods and service and create new demand for construction services, manufactured products, professional and business services, health services and more. “Cherokee Nation continually provides an impressive and important stream of economic opportunities to northeastern Oklahoma,” Evans said. “As economic conditions ebb and flow across the state, the tribe remains a steadying force through its consistent support in areas of the state where those opportunities are often needed the most.” In addition to building homes for Cherokee citizens, installing storm shelters at local Head Start properties, and continuing its efforts to restore historic Cherokee sites, Cherokee Nation also completed construction on the new Cherokee Casino Tahlequah, began a 65,000-square-foot expansion at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and placed the final beam on the largest tribal health center in the country. Each project created a new, positive influence on the local economy and brought an even larger total economic impact for each of the counties and for the state.
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NEWS ᎧᏃᎮᏓ
Cherokee Nation, US Navy hold keel laying ceremony Cherokee Nation leaders in February joined the U.S. Navy for a keel laying ceremony in Louisiana for the future USNS Cherokee Nation T-ATS 7, a new towing, rescue and salvage ship named in honor of the Cherokee people who have served the Navy and Marine Corps. Laying the keel signals the formal beginning of a ship’s construction and recognizes the joining together of a ship’s components. When completed in 2021, the ship will serve as an open ocean towing vessel and will also support salvage operations and submarine rescue missions. According to the U.S. Navy, this is the fifth U.S. ship to be named in honor of the Cherokee people.
Visit the QR code for a video from the event.
Cherokee Nation celebrates grand opening of largest tribal outpatient health center in the country Leaders from the Cherokee Nation and Indian Health Service joined hundreds of guests to celebrate the grand opening of the tribe’s new 469,000-square-foot outpatient health center in November 2019. The four-story facility on the campus of W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah is the largest outpatient health center in the U.S. to be operated by a tribe. As part of the historic IHS-joint venture between a tribe and the federal government, Cherokee Nation invested $200 million in construction and equipment for the facility and IHS is providing $100 million annually for staffing and operational costs. With the Cherokee Nation outpatient health center complete, the tribe is expected to add 850 new health care-related jobs in the coming years, including 100 physicians.
Cherokee Nation, RSU TV offer first televised Cherokee language learning course Cherokee Nation and Rogers State University Public TV in Claremore, Okla., teamed up in January to launch the first self-paced, televised Cherokee language learning course. The telecourse consists of 48 episodes, each about 50 minutes long and taught by Cherokee Nation Language Technology Specialist Wade Blevins. The telecourse is titled Cherokee I and has been airing at 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on RSU TV. Televised shows also available online at www.rsu.tv/cherokee.
The courses are also available online at learn.cherokee.org for participants who wish to earn a certificate of completion from the Cherokee Nation Language Program.
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ᎧᏃᎮᏓ NEWS
Cherokee Nation urging tribal citizens to be counted in 2020 Census The Cherokee Nation is kicking off its #CherokeeNationCounts 2020 Census campaign, urging tribal citizens across the country to complete the Census completely and accurately to help ensure the tribe receives key funding for programs including Indian Health Service and housing allocations through Housing and Urban Development. By April 1, each home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census either online or by mail or phone. An accurate count in the Census helps Cherokee Nation better understand the demographics and needs of tribal communities not only in Oklahoma, but across the United States. Information submitted as part of the 2020 Census is confidential and protected by federal law.
For more information on the 2020 Census, contact the Cherokee Nation Complete Count Committee Chair Gene Perry at 918-430-3488 or visit census.cherokee.org.
2020 At - Large Annual Meeting Schedule TBD
TBD
Fresno, CA
St. James Episcopal Church Gym
4147 E. Dakota Ave.
TBD
TBD
Bakersfield, CA
MRWC Faith Family Church
400 Norris Rd.
TBD
TBD
Suisun City, CA
Rush Ranch
3521 Grizzly Island Rd.
June 6
10 - 2 p.m.
Marietta, GA
Marietta High School
1171 Whitlock Ave. NW
June 12 - 13
2 days
CCO Conference - Tahlequah, OK
Chota Conference Center
3307 Seven Clans Ave.
June 14 - 16
3 days
CCO Cultural Enrichment - Tahlequah, OK
Chota Conference Center
3307 Seven Clans Ave.
July 18
10 - 2 p.m.
Albuquerque, NM
TBD
TBD
July 19
1 - 5 p.m.
Denver, CO
TBD
TBD
August 15
10 - 2 p.m.
Portland/Eugene, OR
TBD
TBD
August 16
1 - 5 p.m.
Seattle, WA
TBD
TBD
August 25
4 - 8 p.m.
Oklahoma City, OK
TBD
TBD
September 19
10 - 2 p.m.
New Braunfels, TX
Columbus Club Association
111 Landa St.
September 20
12 - 4 p.m.
Houston, TX
India House Houston
8888 West Bellfort Ave.
For history and cultural presentation events or updates to annual meetings schedule, follow Cherokee Nation Community & Cultural Outreach on Facebook.
The Official Cherokee Nation News
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PEOPLE ᎠᏂᏴᏫ
Cherokee Nation investigators join FBI as task force of ficers By KenLea Henson
Two Cherokee Nation law enforcement officers are making history as the first to be
cross-deputized with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Cherokee Nation criminal investigators Brian Catcher and Matt Laney were chosen by federal officials to join the FBI as task force officers. Having this cross-deputization authorizes Catcher and Laney to investigate general federal crimes as well as narcotics throughout the country. However, their main responsibility is protecting Cherokee Nation citizens within the federal Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Having Brian and Matt cross-deputized with the FBI is truly beneficial to the Cherokee Nation and its citizens,” said Cherokee Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl. “These two men have worked tirelessly to protect our citizens here in the 14 counties and through this federal partnership, I believe they will have access to more resources that will keep our communities safe.” Catcher has worked in law enforcement for 22 years, 15 of those years for the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. He began his career with CNMS as a deputy marshal before progressing to criminal investigations. “It’s a huge honor,” said Catcher. “When the opportunity came up, I knew how beneficial it would be to the Cherokee Nation and its citizens for quicker response and to build a better working relationship with the federal government.” Laney also served as a deputy marshal before advancing to criminal investigations.
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ᎠᏂᏴᏫ PEOPLE He has worked for the tribe’s marshal service for seven years and has served on a number of special teams, including special operations team and swift water rescue team. “The FBI hand-picks people based on their work ethic and investigations, so to be picked out and asked by them is truly an honor,” said Laney. Being cross-deputized with the FBI also allows the two investigators access to resources they typically wouldn’t have readily accessible when investigating major crimes. As criminal investigators for the Cherokee Nation, the duo worked with federal officers on numerous Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. cases prior to being cross-deputized; however, cases could often take years to complete due to procedural matters involved in trying to retrieve information from the FBI. But with the federal cross-
deputization, much of the wait time has been cut out. “There is a certain way federal agents have to handle information, so with cross-deputization we can perform those procedures allowing our response time to be more immediate,” said Catcher. The cross-deputization agreement with the FBI also exposes the pair to specialized training on Indian Country matters, and allows them to cross state lines as part of their investigations. “Having that partnership with the FBI has not only been a huge help to us and our investigations, but it also helps the Cherokee people for us to have those resources for getting them justice, locating someone or just helping the Cherokee people out in general,” said Catcher.
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CULTURE
ᏄᏍᏛ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ
Preserving culture Cherokee Nation first tribe in U.S. to send heirloom seeds to global seed vault in Norway By Samantha Robinson
The Cherokee Nation is the first tribe in the United States
to receive an invitation to deposit its traditional heirloom seeds to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a long-term seed storage facility housed deep inside a mountain on a remote island in Norway. The Cherokee Nation Secretary of Natural Resources office collected nine samples of Cherokee heirloom crops to send to Svalbard, including Cherokee White Eagle Corn, the tribe’s most sacred corn, which is typically used during cultural activities, and three other varieties of corn grown for consumption in distinct locations to keep the strains pure. Other seeds sent to the seed bank include Cherokee Long Greasy Beans, Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans, Cherokee Turkey Gizzard black and brown beans, and Cherokee Candy Roaster Squash. All nine varieties of Cherokee heirloom crops sent to the seed vault predate European settlement. “This is history in the making, and none of it could have been possible without the hard work of our staff and the partnership with the team in Norway,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “It is such an honor to
DID YOU KNOW? Cherokee Turkey Gizzard beans are commonly used in soups and are also part of traditional Cherokee storytelling. One Cherokee version of the story suggests a young boy acquired a turkey during a famine. Though the turkey could not supply enough food when cooked, a few beans were found in the turkey’s gizzard. When the beans were planted, they grew enough to provide nourishment for Cherokees and keep them alive during the famine.
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have a piece of our culture preserved forever. Generations from now, these seeds will still hold our history and there will always be a part of the Cherokee Nation in the world.” In 2019, after being interviewed by National Public Radio about the Cherokee Nation’s heirloom seed bank program, Senior Director of Environmental Resources Pat Gwin was contacted by Luigi Guarino, director of science for the Global Crop Diversity Trust. “He sent me an email and said they would be honored to have the tribe’s seeds in the seed vault,” said Gwin. “This is a tremendous opportunity and honor for the tribe. Knowing the Cherokee Nation’s seeds will be forever protected and available to us, and us only, is a quite valuable thing indeed.” The Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves seed and crop diversity in the case of an agricultural hardship or global catastrophe that would leave future generations without food supplies. The vault has the capacity to store 4.5 million varieties of crops and currently holds more than 980,000 samples from nearly every country in the world. “The Cherokee Nation Seed Bank has always hoped to be able to deposit our traditional food crops into Svalbard one day,” said Feather Smith, Cherokee Nation cultural biologist. Svalbard hosted its largest seed deposit event on Feb. 25 to deposit the 2020 collection, including Cherokee Nation’s.
Learn more about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault at https:// www.croptrust.org/our-work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/.
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CULTURE
ᏄᏍᏛ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ
Cherokee foster families help care for Cherokee children, protect tribal traditions By Samantha Robinson
Cherokee Nation’s Indian Child Welfare team is
working hard to recruit Cherokee foster families throughout the country who can provide safe, stable homes for Cherokee children in their communities. For over 40 years, tribes like the Cherokee Nation have maintained their role in child custody and welfare proceedings of Native children thanks in large part to the Indian Child Welfare Act, which helps ensure Native children have an opportunity to remain connected to their tribes. Under ICWA, if a child is removed from his or her parent or guardian, one of three preferred placement options are available to ensure the child remains a part of the Native community: placement within the child’s extended family, placement within his or her tribe through a foster home or adoption, or placement within another federally recognized tribe. “These are kids and they need to be part of a family,” said Lou Stretch, executive director of Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare. “They need to play and go to school and just have the chance to be part of their community. That’s what foster families afford our kids.” Cherokee Nation First Lady January Hoskin has been sharing this message across the country during the tribe’s at-large community events, encouraging Cherokee families to sign up as foster families. “As the mother and grandmother of bright, beautiful Cherokee children, I am passionate about ensuring all Cherokee children grow up in safe, loving homes,
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surrounded by their community and their culture,” said First Lady January Hoskin. “Cherokee children are the future of the Cherokee Nation, and we must do everything we can to protect vital legislation like the Indian Child Welfare Act and encourage Cherokee families to step up and open their hearts and homes to our children in need as foster or adoptive parents.” Recent efforts have proven successful. The tribe has seen an increase in inquiries from at-large families. “There are families out there who know they want to help, but they don’t know where to start,” said Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare Manager Hettie Charboneau. “Thankfully, our First Lady January Hoskin has provided that information to them during community events. She is our voice and it makes an impact.” There’s still a need for more Cherokee foster families across the United States, where, in some communities, funding issues have led to the closure of foster home organizations. When there aren’t enough Native foster families, children are typically placed in a state foster home until a Native home can be found. According to the National Indian Child Welfare Association, American Indian children are overrepresented in foster care at a rate 2.7 times greater than their proportion in the general population.
Learn more about becoming a foster family for Cherokee children at https://icw.cherokee.org/ or by calling 918-458-6900.
ᏄᏍᏛ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ CULTURE
Cherokee children are the future of the Cherokee Nation, and we must do everything we can to protect vital legislation like the Indian Child Welfare Act - First Lady January Hoskin Visit the QR code for a message from Chief and First Lady Hoskin. Facebook: @HomesForCherokeeKids
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ᏄᏍᏛ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ
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ᏄᏍᏛ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ CULTURE
‘Cherokee Medicine Keepers’ perpetuating environmental knowledge, practices By Samantha Robinson
On a cool Oklahoma morning, a group of students meet
with the Cherokee elders known as the “Cherokee Medicine Keepers” near Bell on an 800-acre Adair County property owned by the Cherokee Nation. A campfire burns in a clearing surrounded by trees -- but this is no camping trip, rather, a classroom. The land’s Cherokee name means “Peaceful Place of Medicine.” The Cherokee elders and students decided the name should represent what the place means to them. The Cherokee Medicine Keepers meet three to four times a year with students to educate them about traditional Cherokee medicines used by their ancestors. The goals of the group are multi-faceted, but largely focus on perpetuating Cherokee environmental knowledge and practices. “I really like this program,” said John Ross, a member of the Cherokee Medicine Keepers. “If we don’t teach the young and the students we have here, all this is going to be lost. Our culture will be lost. And we are just trying to carry on what our ancestors and what our parents taught us.” The Cherokee Environmental Leadership Program partners with the Cherokee Medicine Keepers to teach and train five students about cultural and environmental knowledge. Most activities are centered around making a traditional dish and plant identification. The students and elders hold group activities based on the season, like making cornbread from scratch, or making kanuche, which is what the group gathered to do on this particular day.
“Sometimes they’ll go out to learn about local and native plants to really understand them from Cherokee and western science,” said Clint Carroll, program director for Cherokee Environmental Leadership Program. “They’ll learn the scientific names and the Cherokee names and how they factor into Cherokee use, whether for medicine or food or another use.” During a recent gathering, elders brought a large bag of hickory nuts and the kanone, a hollow log traditionally used for grinding hickory nuts into a paste. Students start with instruction from one of the elders to crack open the hickory nuts one at a time using a stone, like their ancestors did. Once the hard, outer shell is cracked and peeled away, the meat can be added to the growing pile in the kanone. The students will be cracking shells and mashing the nuts for most of the morning, each taking turns. By noon, there will be enough to shape the mashed hickory nuts into a ball and the students will finally see the fruit of their labor. Savannah Anderson, the youngest of the students in the program, is studying to be a teacher. “I really hope to take away any aspect of Cherokee culture that I can,” said Anderson, 23. “I want to be able to teach future generations and pass on the knowledge I acquire. I hope I’ll be able to speak the language and talk to my grandfather. He grew up speaking Cherokee, and it’s a dream of mine to be able to hold a full conversation with him.”
Opposite page: Cherokee Medicine Keepers gather in Adair County, Oklahoma, to share cultural and environmental knowledge.
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FEATURES ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ
For Vivian Garner Cottrell, basket-weaving has family ties dating back generations By KenLea Henson
Many Cherokee families have traditions that have been
Cottrell has accomplished recognition of her basketry passed down from generation to generation, and that much in art markets and shows across the country. Some of her is true for Cherokee Nation citizen and 1995 Cherokee most notable recognitions have been at the Cherokee Art National Treasurer Vivian Garner Cottrell, who comes from Market held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Santa a family of basket weavers stretching Fe Indian Market in New Mexico, back many generations. Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair Born into a basket-making family, and Market in Arizona and Autry’s Cottrell was introduced to basketry American Indian Arts Marketplace at a young age. By the time she in California. was 13, her mother, the late Betty She also has artwork on display, Scraper Garner, a renowned basket including a framed oak and hickory weaver and Cherokee National splint sampler mat as well as a lidded Treasurer, taught her to weave double-wall honeysuckle basket as baskets with commercial reed. part of the permanent Cherokee Soon after, her mother taught her National Treasures Exhibit in the to prepare, dye and weave with new Cherokee Nation Outpatient traditional materials they gathered Health Center in Tahlequah. along country roads. Although she continues to use Her mother also taught her to buck brush and honeysuckle to gather buck brush and honeysuckle make items such as baskets, wall that they processed into “runners” or plates and baby cradles, Cottrell reed for weaving baskets. For color, has been working with river cane they dyed the runners with black more recently. walnut, berries or other natural dye She has been perfecting the Cherokee National Treasure Vivian Garner Cottrell gathers materials materials they found in nature. double-weave river cane basket, for basket-weaving. Photo courtesy of Vivian Garner Cottrell. “We had a great mother-daughter which she says has been challenging. relationship. We spent many years gathering our weaving “Our (Cherokee) most traditional form of basketry is materials together,” said Cottrell. “I attribute my love for double-weave river cane,” she said. “I enjoy complicated basket-weaving to my mother.” patterns on my baskets. I get more enjoyment when I see
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ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES someone rush toward a basket and ask how I did Coming from a family of “generational weavers,” Cottrell that pattern.” has continued the family legacy by teaching her children and Mainly self-taught, she said she read grandchildren to weave baskets as well. biographies of basket weavers from the But she doesn’t stop with her descendants. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from She is also teaching others to weave baskets North Carolina, but no “how-to” tutorials and is currently mentoring several students were available. So, she relied on her on harvesting, processing and weaving with knowledge of traditional basket-weaving river cane. for help. “I know that in the near future, we will be “Once the Eastern Band weavers saw my seeing more and more river cane and other baskets and saw me weaving the baskets, natural material baskets,” she said. they began to share knowledge,” she said. She hopes to influence as many people “It made my heart happy that what I as she can in the traditional ways of Vivian's mother the late Betty Scraper Garner. learned on my own was validated by the basket-making. Photo courtesy of Vivian Garner Cottrell. EBCI weavers.” “I have a responsibility to my family and Some of her latest projects using river cane include arrow our people to share this basketry knowledge so that it can quivers, drop handle purses and double-weave baskets. continue for future generations,” she said.
Cherokee National Treasure Vivian Garner Cottrell weaves. Photo courtesy of Vivian Garner Cottrell.
RSU Cherokee artist profile video
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FEATURES ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ
Cherokee National HISTORY MUSEUM B y Wh i t n ey Dit tman
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History museum adds to tribe’s robust tourism offerings and is located within one of its most iconic structures, the Cherokee National Capitol building
ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES
More than 1,000 square feet of rotating gallery space is dedicated to seven themes: government, education, religion, culture, community, commerce and veterans. (RIGHT) An origins story is shared through a collaborative piece displayed in the stairwell that was commissioned by a team of six Cherokee artists.
The Cherokee National History Museum hosted its official
Museum, Oklahoma Historical Society and Cherokee National Archives. Technology also plays a huge role in the museum, as many exhibits offer an interactive augmented reality through use of iPads. Take a look inside and plan your next visit soon.
grand opening on Aug. 8, 2019. Located within one of the tribe’s most iconic structures, the Cherokee National Capitol building, the museum shares the history and culture of the Cherokee Nation from preEuropean contact through the Trail of Tears and the revitalization of the tribe after the American Civil War. The powerful and inspiring stories are supported, in part, by artifacts on loan from the - Bill G la s s , Jr. , Che ro ke e Smithsonian Institution, Gilcrease National Tr e a s u r e
“Public art challenges the artist and the community. When it becomes public, it belongs to everyone.”
For information on Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism, including museum operations, please call 877-779-6977 or visit VisitCherokeeNation.com.
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FEATURES ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ
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ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES
Opposite page: (Clockwise)The Trail of Tears exhibit utilizes audiovisual and environmental elements to help share firsthand accounts from forced removal survivors and witnesses. Many of the exhibits offer expanded content and interactive, augmented reality through use of iPads. The Cherokee National History Museum is located at 101 S. Muskogee Avenue. Exhibits include special artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, Gilcrease Museum, Oklahoma Historical Society and Cherokee National Archives. Visitors can experience the series of treaties for land and trade agreements that resulted following the first contact with Europeans in 1540. An interpretation of a Cherokee council house explains early Cherokee government and the Clan System, while showcasing traditional Cherokee leadership such as the Peace Chief, War Chief and Beloved Woman. The Official Cherokee Nation News
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FEATURES ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ
FIRST 100 DAYS
Four legislative acts became the cornerstones of Chief Hoskin’s, Deputy Chief Warner’s first 100 days in office By Josh Newton
Two weeks away from taking his oath of office as the Cherokee Nation’s 18th
Constitutionally elected Principal Chief, Chuck Hoskin Jr. visited a Cherokee elder whose home had recently been renovated through the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation’s home rehabilitation program. During the visit, Chief Hoskin took a moment to reveal plans for his Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, legislation that not only earmarked $30 million to clear a backlog of home rehab requests and modernize dozens of Cherokee community centers, but a plan that publicly signaled the beginning of his first 100 days in office. After taking their oaths in front of more than 1,500 guests at an August ceremony, Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner worked with the Council of the Cherokee Nation to officially pass the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act along with three others that have become the cornerstones of their first 100 days: the Career Readiness Act, the Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act, and the Cherokee Nation Historic Registry Act. “Looking back on our first 100 days, I see something that I’d hoped for, which is a sense of unity and a sense of togetherness,” said Chief Hoskin. “It doesn’t mean we have to agree on every single thing, but it does mean on big issues we can rally around, we roll up our sleeves and try to get something done. If you look at the initiatives we’ve been able to make progress on, it reflects a growing sense in our government that we’re all in it together, that we ought to try to get things done on behalf of the Cherokee people. If this is how we’ve gotten started, I think there’s no reason we can’t continue. I’m optimistic we will.” RIGHT: Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. concludes his first State of the Nation Address at the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion during the 67th Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah, Okla.
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ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES
“Looking back on our first 100 days, I see something that I’d hoped for, which is a sense of unity and a sense of togetherness”
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FEATURES ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ During his first 100 days in office, Chief Hoskin also raised the tribe’s minimum wage to $11 per hour; created a cabinet-level Secretary of Veterans Affairs position; worked with Cherokee Nation Health Services to begin a renewed focus on customer service and a reduction in patient wait With only around 2,000 known first-language Cherokee times; unveiled preliminary renderings of the Cherokee speakers, Chief Hoskin pledged a $16 million investment Nation Veterans Cemetery; celebrated the opening of the in the tribe’s language preservation efforts, the largest largest tribal outpatient health center in the country; and such investment in the tribe’s history. The Durbin Feeling named Kim Teehee, the tribe’s vice president of government Language Preservation Act will create relations, as Cherokee Nation’s first a center to house all Cherokee Nation delegate to Congress, a historic first language programs in one location step in enacting treaty rights promised and will name the center in honor by the federal government. of Durbin Feeling, a first-language “Anytime the Cherokee Nation Cherokee speaker known as a “modernmakes big investments, it sends a day Sequoyah.” signal to the rest of Indian Country “I've always felt like if you love and the rest of the country. I think the language you ought to try to that is a sign of strength and it shows save the language, and I think all that we’re leaders,” Chief Hoskin said. Cherokees should love the language,” “Take our Congressional delegate Chief Hoskin said. “What would it push, for example. We’re enforcing mean to walk into a community in a a treaty right and we’re showing that Deputy Chief Bryan Warner greets Cherokee veterans and generation and not hear the Cherokee treaties are alive and well and that the their families after unveiling preliminary renderings of a language, and to go into the Cherokee government of the United States ought future Cherokee Nation Veterans Cemetery. Immersion School and not hear kids to be held accountable and keep their singing in Cherokee, to not go into a church in a traditional promise. That’s not just a benefit to the Cherokee Nation, community and hear gospel songs in Cherokee? That was a that’s a benefit for all of Indian Country.”
Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act
July 11, 2019 Chief-elect Hoskin joins leaders of Five Tribes in pledging commitment to existing tribal-state gaming compact automatic renewal Jan. 1, 2020
Aug. 7, 2019 Chief Hoskin announces plan to increase tribe’s minimum wage to $11 per hour
Aug. 1, 2019 Chief Hoskin announces $30 million Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act to repair Cherokee homes, community buildings
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Aug. 14, 2019 Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner and eight councilors of the Council of the Cherokee Nation sworn into office
ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES future that I just dreaded for the Cherokee people. I thought about my oath of office to protect and preserve not only the Constitution, but to do everything we can to preserve the language and the culture of the Cherokee people.” Progress has already been made, though fully realizing the goal of preserving the Cherokee language will take years. “I hope in 20 years we're no longer in a crisis situation where we're looking at losing the Cherokee language,” said Chief Hoskin. “I hope we're in a situation where the language is a vital part of the lives of the Cherokee people and in their communities. If we do that, we've done more than just save it -- we've perpetuated it for generations to come.”
Career Readiness Act
...We’re showing that treaties are alive and well and that the government of the United States ought to be held accountable and keep their promise.
Through the Cherokee Nation Career Readiness Act, the tribe is doubling its funding to $2 million per year to train Cherokee citizens in the areas of construction, health, information technology and lineman trade jobs. “We took a look at what we were doing to help people get career ready and certainly when it came to college education, we were doing great things making sure that every eligible Cherokee citizen who applied got a scholarship, but it seemed to me that there was a big gap in terms of people who didn't want to go to college,” Chief Hoskin said. “We want to
make sure we aren’t leaving them behind, so we doubled the amount of money we're spending from tribal dollars to make sure Cherokees will be prepared for careers of tomorrow. In many cases, these are moms and dads who are showing young people what it means to go out and get a skill and go to work, and I think that's more valuable, frankly, than the additional $1 million a year we’re investing in this program.” The driving force behind Chief Hoskin’s introduction of
Aug. 16, 2019 Former Deputy Chief, US Navy veteran S. Joe Crittenden nominated to be first cabinet-level Secretary of Veterans Affairs at Cherokee Nation
Aug. 29, 2019 Chief Hoskin’s cabinet nominations confirmed by Council of the Cherokee Nation
Aug. 22, 2019 Chief Hoskin announces appointment of first Cherokee Nation delegate to Congress, nominates Vice President of Government Relations Kim Teehee
Aug. 31, 2019 In first State of the Nation Address, Chief Hoskin proposes largest investment in language programs in tribe’s history and stresses that tribal sovereignty will be exercised
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FEATURES ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ
This is an opportunity to use community buildings to teach kids about how to have a sustainable future. career-readiness legislation was, in many ways, personal. His father, former Cherokee Nation Chief of Staff Chuck Hoskin, earned a master’s degree in education and spent his career as a school teacher and administrator, and ultimately served in the Oklahoma legislature. “But he and his father, my grandfather, both got their start in the construction trades,” Chief Hoskin said. “My father told me as we were preparing for the new term, ‘Make sure you don't leave people behind. Make sure you remember your grandfather was a man of intelligence and integrity and his path was in the construction trade; and make sure you remember your father -- yes, he went on to get a college education, but he got his start and provided for his family because he could enter a skilled trade and earn a good living.’ Those words are something I will never forget.”
Sept. 18, 2019 Following in the footsteps of Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Nation Businesses announces starting wage increase for employees to $11 per hour
Anadisgoi
The Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act set aside $30 million to repair more than 600 Cherokee homes and remodel community centers, creating construction jobs in the process. “We had a lot of elders needing help on their homes, things many people take for granted: a roof not leaking; floors that don’t cave in; adequate water in their homes. It seemed to me Cherokee Nation has the resources to solve these problems, we just need to bring more resources to bear to do it,” Chief Hoskin said. “We have a Housing Authority that’s considered one of the best, if not the best, in the nation. We were using federal dollars to fix elders’ homes and the demand simply was more than the supply. Like many things, if we wait around for the federal government to live up to its obligations, we’re going to be waiting a long time. We’re the Cherokee Nation – we don’t wait.” Chief Hoskin and leaders of the Housing Authority decided a $22.5 million investment in rehab projects should clear the tribe’s backlog within three years, allowing hundreds of Cherokee elders’ homes to remain the center of family life. Another $7.5 million will be invested in community centers for projects such as installation of solar panels and bringing Wi-Fi connectivity to communities. “Some of these projects help us teach kids about
Sept. 27, 2019 Chief Hoskin announces $16 million investment into Cherokee language preservation, says Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act will expand language programs and create new language center for tribe
Sept. 17, 2019 Council of the Cherokee Nation approves $1.16 billion budget, largest in tribal history
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Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act
The Official Cherokee Nation News
Oct. 16, 2019 Chief Hoskin announces Career Readiness Act, legislation that doubled funding to train Cherokees for health, IT, construction, lineman jobs
ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES sustainability, whether it’s something as simple as a community garden and growing food, or something as complex as a solar panel,” said Chief Hoskin. “This is an opportunity to use community buildings to teach kids about how to have a sustainable future. That’s important for the Cherokee people and people all over the world.”
In the past five years, Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses have invested approximately $14 million for the preservation of cemeteries and other historical projects, along with the Cherokee National History Museum, Cherokee Prison Museum, the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Museum, Sequoyah’s Cabin, Ross School and Saline Courthouse. “We preserve history because we want to preserve a story that’s important to tell. I think the history of what is now Northeast Oklahoma will be so much better understood if we tell the Cherokee During a visit to historic Saline part of that story: we were here before Courthouse in Delaware County, Chief statehood, we created this great society in Hoskin unveiled the Cherokee Nation this part of the world because we invested Historic Registry Act, providing a in things like a system of justice and comprehensive framework for protecting education and commerce and a national Housing rehabilitation construction begins on and preserving sites of historical government in our communities,” Chief Cherokee elders' homes as part of the Housing, Jobs significance to the tribe. The law also Hoskin said. “There all sorts of places all and Sustainable Communities Act. makes it a crime to deface tribal historic over the Cherokee Nation that help tell sites listed in the registry and incorporates a permit system that story and I think in a decade or two, if we can tell that for excavation and manipulation of cultural resources on story in a more robust, comprehensive way, I think it will be historic sites. in part a credit to the Historic Registry Act.” “I’ve always had a particular interest in Cherokee history and sustaining and protecting historic sites,” said Chief Follow the official Cherokee Nation newsroom Hoskin. “Councilman Keith Austin brought this idea to me online at Anadisgoi.com for the latest on tribal some time ago and said we ought to have our own registry to news and events. help prioritize how we spend our resources and to raise the profile of these sites.”
Cherokee Nation Historic Registry Act
Nov. 19, 2019 A new economic impact report shows the Cherokee Nation injected nearly $2.2 billion into the Oklahoma economy in 2018, expanding its economic footprint through employment, labor income, production of goods and services, and more
Nov. 14, 2019 Cherokee Nation celebrates grand opening of largest tribal outpatient health center in the country
Nov. 25, 2019 Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma State University celebrate the topping out of new College of Osteopathic Medicine, first tribally affiliated medical school on tribal land in U.S.
Nov. 26, 2019 Chief Hoskin proposes Cherokee Nation Historic Registry Act to identify, protect and preserve tribal properties of historical significance
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Drones helping Cherokee Nation teams save lives, protect property By KenLea Henson
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The Official Cherokee Nation News
ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES
The Official Cherokee Nation News
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Cherokee Nation Director of Facilities Taylor Alsenay demonstrates the department's drone and how this technology assists crews in his department.
Drones
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – commonly known as “drones”
quickly and efficiently in many cases, helping to save lives. – are providing a vital resource to several Cherokee Nation Drones also assist during natural disasters. When historic departments, which use these modern tools to the benefit flooding impacted Cherokee communities in the summer of Cherokee citizens throughout of 2019, drones assisted emergency northeast Oklahoma. teams during the initial response, The Cherokee Nation emergency helping with damage evaluation, management team uses a drone search-and-rescue and risk nearly every day, including for monitoring. search-and-rescue. According They were also used after a to Cherokee Nation Emergency November 2018 tornado left a nearly Management Operations Manager 60-mile path of destruction through Phillip Manes, prior to the use of five northeast Oklahoma counties. drones, search crews could spend “We had an aerial video of where hours or even days on the ground all the damage was and where we during a search mission. needed to assess and look for persons “Drones can eliminate large areas who may have been trapped,” Manes Cherokee Nation Management Resources Executive Director David quickly, so we are able to cover more said. “This made response time Moore and Director of Facilities Taylor Alsenay examine a rooftop ground in a larger area faster than by quicker than having to wait to get the using drone technology. foot,” said Manes. “Time is always tornado’s path from somewhere else.” the key element in a search. The faster we can get to the Cherokee Nation’s Department of Transportation is using scene, the more likely we are to find the missing person.” drone capabilities to gather information for construction Thanks to high-definition video and thermal-imaging projects, for surveying, for inspections, and to track features of the drones used by Cherokee Nation Emergency construction progress. Highway Design Specialist Andy Management, a search for a missing person can be completed Harris said drones have modernized the way the tribe’s road,
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The Official Cherokee Nation News
Drones Thermal-imaging features of the drones used by Cherokee Nation Emergency Management for search and rescue missions.
bridge and parking construction plans are carried out. hours typically, as long as weather conditions cooperate.” “Before the drone, any images we used for our Previously, a manned aircraft was required to gather construction plans we had to get from Google Earth, so the images and results would typically take weeks or they usually weren’t up to date or even months. were not as good of an image,” said Drones can also reduce the risk of Harris. “We also didn’t have the injury to tribal employees. Cherokee imagery to track the progress of our Nation Facilities Management projects. Before, we would have to uses drones to perform structural send our survey crew out to do this inspections, especially when and it would take a day or two to get inclement weather would pose a the results, but now it only takes a threat to an employee who would few hours.“ otherwise have to perform that Cherokee Nation’s GeoData inspection. Center creates and maintains vital “The primary reason we decided information that supports Cherokee to purchase a drone is for the Nation departments, such as for safety of our employees,” said Geospatial Information System Administrator David Justice community planning, Census Taylor Alsenay, director of Facilities operates a drone for mapping. analysis, economic development, Management. “If I can fly the drone health analysis and tribal resource allotment. Drones provide rather than send one of the employees up on a roof, I’ll faster results in collecting this vital information. choose the drone.” “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are a tremendous asset for GeoData,” said Geospatial Information System Administrator For more about Cherokee Nation's response to the 2019 Arkansas David Justice. “With our current UAV capabilities, we can River Flood, visit our official newsroom at Anadisgoi.com. have a project flown and shown on a map within 24 to 36
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HOME ᏧᏪᏅᏒᎢ
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ᏧᏪᏅᏒᎢ HOME
Culinary cuisine The 2019 Cherokee Art Market at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa featured Senior Executive Chef Tony Aidoo's menu inspired by Indigenous culinary traditions.
Pork and hominy stew 4 pounds boneless pork, cut into cubes ½ cup olive oil 1 cup onions, chopped 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 8 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 8 cups hominy, drained ½ cup cilantro, chopped ½ cup green chilies 2 bay leaves, whole
To prepare stew:
1. In a stock pot, heat olive oil and cook the pork cubes until evenly browned.
2. Add the onions and garlic with the pork and cook until meat is no longer pink.
3. Add the broth, cumin, chilies and bay leaves. 4. Simmer over medium heat for approximately one hour. 5. Add the hominy and cilantro. 6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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CELEBRATING
It’s been an honor to share five seasons of award-winning, authentic Cherokee storytelling. Wado for celebrating this milestone with us.
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Get showtimes, watch online and more at OSIYO.TV
The Official Cherokee Nation News
WINNER OF 5 EMMY ® AWARDS