Indigenous Roots At-A-Glance
The 2025 Indigenous Roots American Indian History Symposium brought together 150 people from across Oklahoma and beyond to learn and build toward a stronger, more just, more inclusive future.
From the opening prayer to the final words of reflection, community hearts carried every conversation, song, and shared meal. It was a great opportunity to focus on the health of Native communities and what we can do collectively to strengthen it.
What An Experience!
The two-day event at Tulsa’s Arvest Convention Center featured powerful sessions exploring Allotment history, the impact of boarding schools, civic empowerment, and intergenerational healing.
(View the full lineup of Indigenous Roots 2025 here)
Want to revisit the sessions or missed the opportunity the first go-around? Our production team recorded the audio and PowerPoint presentations for many of the sessions and aim to publish them in the coming weeks!
Leslie Jerden (Lenape), CEO of Teton Trade Cloth by Lenape, emphasized elevating Native design and Native artists in the business world and the importance of tribal ownership and cultural identity during her presentation “How the Delaware Tribe of Indians became the owner of Teton Trade Cloth”.
Indigenous Roots was also a chance to renew focus on pressing issues such as increasing understanding around the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis and exploring historic trauma-related mental health challenges.
Presented by Native Oklahoma Insurance, the Returning to Balance conversation focused on solutions designed to address domestic violence, substance use disorder, and suicide in Native communities.
A presentation by Brittany Harlow demonstrated how the City of Tulsa was built from land taken from Native American and Freedmen allottees and focused on what can be done to repair and restore the relationship between Native communities and the city.
A first-of-its kind community discussion followed, involving back-and-forth dialogue between community members and city, state, and tribal leaders.
An Incredible Evening
In case you missed it, Verified News Network (VNN) Oklahoma is now Crosswinds News. We shared our big rebrand news ahead of our Indigenous Roots community dinner. Thank you to Chef Nico of Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness for designing such a beautiful culinary experience.
And thank you to the Rising Buffalo Dance Group and Tulsa Indian Club for starting our evening together with awe inspiring celebrations of Native culture and tradition.
Keynote speaker Cara Jade Myers (Wichita and Kiowa), known for her role as Anna Brown in Killers of the Flower Moon, encouraged attendees to stand tall in their stories and to keep reclaiming space in mainstream narratives. Myers advocated more inclusion in the entertainment industry for Native Americans and encouraged attendees to write their own stories.
Our Deepest Thanks
This event would not have been possible without a LOT of help. From the volunteers and presenters who shined with energy and wisdom, to the sponsors and community partners who helped fund the space and everything that went into it.
Thank you to Report For America for their generous event sponsorship, to our dinner sponsor Tinker Federal Credit Union, to the City of Tulsa and Arvest Convention Center for hosting us, to OSU Libraries for supporting our honoraria, to Advancing Democracy, Listening Post Collective, and Catalyst News for supporting sessions, to BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma and Direct 2 Completion for their gracious sponsorships, to Southwest Trading Company for the awesome raffle prizes, to Mountain Rose Herbs for their donation of sweet grass braids for our special guests and to Enbridge for supporting our work throughout the year as Winds of Change Executive Benefactor.
Most importantly, we thank every single attendee who showed up ready to learn and share and be part of the Indigenous Understanding and Inclusion movement. Your presence made the weekend unforgettable.
Help Us Grow: Share Your Thoughts
As we look ahead to Indigenous Roots 2026, we want to hear from you!
What did you love most about this year’s event? What could make next year even better? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts in our brief post-event survey below. Your feedback helps us create gatherings that reflect and serve the whole community.
Didn't attend but still want to provide feedback for 2026? Email us at admin@crosswindsnews.net
And follow our journey as we embrace our new identity as Crosswinds News and work to support Native communities and voices.
After another wonderful year, Indigenous Roots reminds us that progress is not a single moment - it’s a movement carried by many hands and many hearts.
Thank you for being one of many.
The Crosswinds News Team
