On Friday, September 20, tribal citizens and community members gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Shawnee Tribe’s newest facility and cultural resource—the Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika (Shawnee language house). A little more than ten minutes east of central Miami, OK, the facility boasts a large, open gathering space with high ceilings and a kitchenette, plenty of gravel lot parking and approximately eight acres of land for the Shawnee Language Immersion Program’s future use. Off the back patio of the main building, the program is already working on what will eventually become a state-of-the-art audio recording studio.
The new facility is named for the late Ms. Emma “Mock” Donaldson (1921-2021). Mock was born in White Oak, OK and grew up in the area before eventually moving to raise her family in Sioux Falls, SD. She loved gardening, fishing, bowling and sewing, and she was one of the last remaining first-language speakers and among the oldest living Shawnees at the time of her passing. Two of Mock’s children and many of her extended family members were in attendance at the ribbon cutting, where Chief Ben Barnes spoke about the language warriors, including Mock, who laid the foundations for what the Shawnee Language Immersion Program is now able to accomplish. Other honorary guests included the family of Troy Little Axe, Sr., representatives from Firaxis Games, who’ve recently worked with the tribe’s language program on their in-game portrayal of historical leader Tecumseh in the forthcoming seventh edition of Sid Meier’s Civilization video game franchise, and George “Fife” Blanchard, who works for the tribe as their first-language specialist. The ceremony’s remarks concluded with heartfelt speeches from Mock’s daughters, Diann Burrier and Audrey Holzworth.
The Shawnee Language Immersion Program team is looking forward to their future in the new facility named for such a remarkable Shawnee woman. While the facility is not generally open to the public during tribal business hours, Shawnee citizens and local community members should watch for upcoming events at the saanwanwaatoweewika, like the Winter Stories Gathering on Friday, December 7.
ONE CITIZEN’S JOURNEY THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND HOMEOWNERSHIP Shawnee tribal citizen Michael Cedrone lives in Texas, where he works as Head of Human Resources at GBC Food Services. Cedrone attributes his success to the tribe’s educational, career and housing support programs. His professional journey began at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, TX, […]
During General Council weekend (September 20-21), the Shawnee Tribe hosted Firaxis Games’ Pete Murray (Learning & Development Manager) and Lead Producer Andrew Frederiksen, developers of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, due to be released next February. Murray and Frederiksen kicked off their Shawnee visit with attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika […]
Messages from the Chiefs – Fall 2024: It’s a US Election Day! Chief Barnes highlights the importance of voting in every election, local to federal, and Chief Baldridge reflects on the earliest days of his service on the Business Council compared to where we are today.
Shawnee language classes will resume for the 2025 calendar year on Monday, January 6! Self-paced learners and those hoping to participate in live classes should contact the Shawnee Language Immersion Program team (SLIP) to begin enrollment. SLIP will work with each individual student to place them in the appropriate course(s) based on their learning preferences […]
On October 15, the Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine and his wife, First Lady Frances “Fran” DeWine traveled to Miami, OK to visit with various Shawnee Tribal programs and leadership. “We were honored to receive Governor DeWine and his wife at our Shawnee language house, Cultural Center, and Administrative offices,” said Chief Ben Barnes. “We […]
In September, the Shawnee Tribe’s Gaming Commission staff received safety training from City of Guymon professionals including; Fire Marshall Jason Bond, Fire Chief Scott Lathrop, 911 Director Justin Carnagey, and Police Sergeant Jacob Bankston. “It was a very productive training day and was well received by the Gaming Commission staff,” said Otis Hughs, Executive Director […]
GILA RIVER, Ariz.—Chief Ben Barnes attended today’s event on the reservation of the Gila River Indian Community, where President Joe Biden delivered a historic speech and a formal presidential apology for 150 years of federal Indian boarding school policies which he called “a shame” and “a blot on American history.” “I’m delighted that President Biden’s […]
In recognition of the harm domestic violence causes to our communities, Chief Ben Barnes designated the month of October 2024 as “Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month” through Shawnee Tribe Proclamation 2024-10-03. “WHEREAS, the Shawnee Tribe recognizes domestic violence as a threat to tribal sovereignty and the basic human right of our citizens to thrive, […]