Press Contact: media@shawnee-tribe.com
NEWARK, OH – The Ohio Supreme Court announced a decision in State ex rel. Ohio History Connection v. Moundbuilders Country Club Co. in favor of the Ohio History Connection (OHC). The OHC can now move forward to acquire the Octagon Earthworks lease from the Moundbuilders County Club, thereby granting full public access to the historical and ancestral site of the Shawnee Tribal Nations.
“This has been going on for over a decade; it was a generational effort,” said Ben Barnes, Chief of the Shawnee Tribe. “The efforts of Burt Logan and Eastern Shawnee Chief Glenna Wallace, in collaboration with the Ohio History Connection, have brought the Newark Earthworks closer to tribal nations and the Ohio public.”
As part of the Newark Earthworks, the Octagon Earthworks are a National Historic Landmark. The Octagon Earthworks site is located at North 33rd Street and Parkview Road on the west side of Newark, in Licking County, Ohio.
“(The decision) recognizes the incredible accomplishments of American Indian ancestors in Ohio,” said Megan Wood, OHC Executive Director & CEO. “Our guiding principles through this process have been to enable full public access to the Octagon Earthworks while ensuring Moundbuilders Country Club receives just compensation for the value of the lease.”
A jury trial is set to determine the value of the lease. The Octagon Earthworks is among a series of sites currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage status.
“This is huge. This is a win for Native people and the general public,” said Stacey Halfmoon, Executive Director of Shawnee Tribe’s Culture & Historic Preservation. “We are thankful for all the work done by the Ohio History Connection and all the tribal nations involved. The Newark Earthworks and its sister sites deserve to have their stories told and protected for future generations.”
The Ohio Supreme Court upheld the decisions by Ohio’s lower courts – – the Fifth District Court of Appeals and Licking County Common Pleas Court.
READ the Ohio Supreme Court Opinion.
WATCH OHC Executive Director & CEO’s announcement.
EXPLORE the OHC website.
About the Shawnee Tribe —
The Shawnee Tribe is a sovereign nation of more than 3,700 citizens living across North America and abroad. Tribal headquarters are located in Miami, Oklahoma, and Shawnee Chief Benjamin J. Barnes was elected in 2019. For more information, visit shawnee-nsn.gov.
The Shawnee Tribe’s Behavioral Health Program is providing information in January for Stalking Awareness Month. Stalking is a serious and often misunderstood form of victimization. It involves a pattern of behaviors that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or experience significant emotional distress. Stalking is not rare, and it is not […]
Tire recycling (or rubber recycling) is the process of collecting worn-out tires and reprocessing them into useful materials instead of letting them take up space in landfills. Because tires are durable and don’t break down easily, recycling them protects the environment, reduces fire risks, and eliminates potential mosquito-breeding sites in improperly disposed tire piles. Common […]
For many people, the holiday season brings connection, celebration, and routine changes. But for survivors of domestic violence or past trauma, this time of year can also bring unexpected emotional challenges. Increased stress, family expectations, and sensory triggers can intensify anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD. Holiday environments can activate the brain’s trauma pathways. Sensory […]
Common E-Waste Items: Why does it matter? Key Facts: Sources: World Health Organization
On Saturday, September 20, during the Annual Meeting of the Tribal Council, former Shawnee Chief Ron Sparkman gave a history and retrospective. In 2019, the Business Council gave Sparkman the title of Ambassador to the Shawnee Tribe. He served as Chief from 2001 to 2019. “We have come a long, long way,” said Ambassador Sparkman. […]
WHY SHOULD I RECYCLE? HOW DO I RECYCLE? Sources: earth911.com
by A. Gwynn Henderson and David Pollack The original mouth of the Scioto River, in what is now southern Ohio, is far from Oklahoma. So far, perhaps, it has been forgotten. But important events in Shawnee history—in the mid-1700s and thousands of years earlier—took place there. Two painted panels on Portsmouth, Ohio’s floodwall highlight its […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MIAMI, OK — The Shawnee Tribe has declared a state of emergency and released emergency funds to assist citizens who may lose access to food assistance following the federal government’s suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified the Tribe on October 22 that SNAP operations will […]