Crosswinds News debuts new community calendar
(TVLSE, Okla.) Crosswinds News is making it easier for community members to stay informed about Native American events happening in the area. Recently, Crosswinds launched a new community calendar on our website featuring a wide range of activities, including workshops, powwows, conferences, art markets, cooking classes, tribal celebrations, community meetings, and other gatherings.
The calendar was created to be a resource for community members to find upcoming Native-focused events and opportunities to connect throughout the month, inspired by feedback we received during our Listening and Learning Tour across Northeast Oklahoma Reservations last year. 66% of survey respondents told us that they wanted more information about community events.
More than 50% of people surveyed told Crosswinds News a lack of information about opportunities keeps them from attending community meetings.
“I have found there is not enough media attention put out for my community events,” one respondent told us. “It is the same trauma based news that leaves my community thinking there is nothing worthy in my town.”
The need for a community calendar was also emphasized in the Native focused Tulsa Ecosystem assessment Crosswinds published earlier this year.
The goal of this calendar is to ensure community members are informed about what’s happening in their community before it happens, as opposed to recaps after the event takes place. Instead of searching through multiple sources and platforms, people can look in one place and plan ahead.
The Crosswinds Calendar allows users to view it in a weekly view, monthly view, or schedule view depending on their preference.
Following last year’s tour, Crosswinds News Community Engagement and Cultural Coordinator Trista Vaughn (United Keetoowah Band, Hualapai and Chickasaw), said she kept hearing how important community-based news is for Native people.
“Many rely on social media and word of mouth to stay informed because local Native stories are often overlooked by mainstream outlets,” Vaughn said. “At the end of the day, people want news they can trust and see themselves in.”
To further improve communication around community events, Crosswinds News will soon launch a new podcast format aimed at sharing community news in additional ways, expanding how stories and updates reach Native communities. If you hear about an event on the podcast, you will also be able to find the details quickly on the calendar.
Community members, elders, leaders, businesses, Native organizations, and tribes are encouraged to share information about upcoming events so they can be added to the calendar.
Over 175 people affiliated with more than 30 tribes have responded to Crosswinds News’ latest survey, which asks community members what they would like to see included in a Tulsa Native community center, if such a space were to exist. The strong response reflects a clear desire among Native American people in Oklahoma for places to gather, connect, and celebrate their cultures.
Explore the Crosswinds Calendar here, which already includes many March events such the Cherokee Heritage Festival, the Osage Sovereignty Dance, and the Mvskoke Spring Celebration.
To submit an event, please email admin@crosswindsnews.net
