Sovereign roots, shared future: Tulsa Native American Day marks 10th annual celebration

(TVLSE, Okla.) When Tulsa held its first Native American Day celebration in 2017, organizers had just three weeks to make it happen.

That year, the Tulsa City Council voted on Sept. 20 to approve then-mayor G.T. Bynum’s resolution recognizing Native American Day on the second Monday of October. With the first official celebration just around the corner, the city’s Greater Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission was charged with organizing the event at Guthrie Green.

“It was just a last-minute, throw-together of a program,” said Cheryl Cohenour, commission member and president of this year’s Native American Day committee. “And it was wonderful; we got a lot of good responses. But it wasn’t the event that it is today.”

This year marks Tulsa’s tenth annual Native American Day on Oct. 12. The event will be held at Dream Keepers Park at 1875 S. Boulder Park Road and is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the annual parade starting at 11 a.m. Visitors can expect art, music, Native food and handcrafts, and cultural exhibits.

Native American Day is an intertribal celebration that brings together leaders and citizens from many of the state’s tribal nations, as well as members of the surrounding communities. While the committee has planned fun and educational events for everyone, Cohenour hopes Native youth in particular will benefit from the daylong cultural immersion. She recognizes that many tribal youth in Tulsa may not have consistent opportunities to connect with their cultures.

“It gives them a chance to really see their culture and be part of it for the day and understand their heritage a little bit better,” Cohenour said.

What to expect at this year’s Native American Day celebration

This year’s celebration will kick off with tribal leaders sharing updates and plans from their respective nations. Tribal princesses will be recognized and lead a round dance before the parade begins at 11 a.m. This year, the committee had so much interest from groups that they had to close the parade entry form early. Cohenour said 22 schools plan to participate this year, along with businesses and organizations from Tulsa and the surrounding areas.

Around 80 Native vendors are expected to participate, along with food trucks, sponsor booths and cultural exhibitions.

This year will also bring something new: an afternoon social stomp dance, hosted by Duck Creek Ceremonial Ground. Social stomp dances, which tend to be intertribal, are important cultural practices meant to celebrate togetherness and mark special occasions through music and movement. 

While many Native nations reserve ceremonial dances for tribal members, social stomp dances are public and generally open to all. Cohenour said everyone is encouraged to participate at this year’s celebration, and she hopes young people will take part. 

Sovereign Roots, Shared Future

This year’s Native American Day theme is “Sovereign Roots, Shared Future.”

The committee selects a theme every year to connect the celebration with current events and priorities in Native communities.

This year, Cohenour said organizers wanted to focus on tribal sovereignty while still emphasizing connectedness with the wider Oklahoma community.

“What is so important to us as tribes are our sovereign roots, letting people know we’re still here,” Cohenour said. “We still make an impact.”

Cohenour said the theme is meant to draw attention to tribal sovereignty, the inherent authority of tribal nations to govern themselves and their citizens, while recognizing the vital contributions of Native people and tribes to Oklahoma communities.

“Celebrating our sovereignty is extremely important in Oklahoma,” Cohenour said. “Sovereign Roots, Shared Future shows us working hand in hand with everybody in Oklahoma.”

Mayor Nichols to serve as Native American Day parade marshal  

That relationship has been prominent in Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols’ approach to tribal partnerships. Nichols, who will serve as this year’s parade marshal, said a shared future means giving tribal governments a voice in decisions affecting their citizens and finding areas where the city and tribes can work toward common goals.

“It’s making decisions together,” Nichols said.

Since becoming mayor, Nichols has focused on relationships with the Cherokee, Muscogee, and Osage nations, whose tribal reservations are located within the city. He pointed to work involving housing, health, homelessness, economic development and public safety as areas where the city and tribal nations share interests.

During Tulsa’s search for a new police chief earlier this year, for example, Nichols said his administration consulted with tribal leaders and tribal law enforcement. He also pointed to a new city government position that he created, Director of Tribal Policy & Partnerships, as evidence of his effort to build stronger working relationships with Oklahoma’s tribes. Nichols appointed Muscogee Nation citizen and former State Representative Amanda Swope to the position.

Nichols said it has not always been easy to navigate tribal relationships, but he is up to the challenge.

“You can’t just be a supporter and ally of tribal sovereignty when it's easy and comfortable,” Nichols said.

That approach is why the Native American Day committee selected Nichols to serve as this year’s parade marshal. Cohenour said the planning committee considers how potential honorees have supported Native communities and what they have contributed locally and regionally. 

Featured artist Jessica Moore Harjo honored

The committee also highlights a Native artist each year to recognize their work and contributions. This year’s featured artist is Jessica Moore Harjo, an interdisciplinary artist, designer and educator who is Otoe-Missouria, Osage, Pawnee and Sac and Fox. 

Harjo’s work combines contemporary design with cultural symbolism. Her public artwork has appeared throughout Oklahoma. One of her most prominent pieces, “People of the Great Sky, Constellations of the Land,” is a 65-foot, permanent installation inside the Oklahoma State Capitol.

She is also the founder and owner of Weomepe Designs, where her art extends into graphic design, jewelry and fashion. 

Harjo will have a booth at the celebration, and her artwork is featured on this year’s Native American Day promotional material, merchandise and t-shirts.

Native American Day

What started with three weeks of planning in 2017 has grown into a celebration with thousands of participants, all sharing in Native cultures on this special day.

For Cohenour, the past decade has been full of changes, not the least of which has been the increased visibility and unification of Tulsa’s Native community.

“I think it really bonded everybody together and let us kind of step out of the shadows,” Cohenour said.

On Oct.12, that community will come together once again at Dream Keepers Park. Tribal leaders will speak. Artists and vendors will share their work. Families will gather, and the youth will dance, learn and experience traditions passed from one generation to the next.