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.
Let’s show each other some love in saawanwaatoweewe (Shawnee language)! The tribe is hosting a Valentine’s Day card contest. Sincere, funny or somewhere in-between, we want to see your most creative cards, artwork, memes, or poetry. Email your entries to media@shawnee-tribe.com on or before next Wednesday, February 12. Entries must use Shawnee language. People’s Choice […]
February is Dating Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about a serious issue that impacts people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Dating violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to gain power and control over a partner in a romantic relationship. It can take many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, […]
2K FOUNDATIONS SUPPORTING SHAWNEE LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION Updated February 20, 2025On February 3, tribal leaders and the Shawnee language team hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiling a newly renovated recording studio at the Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika (Shawnee language house) with citizens and staff from Firaxis Games. 2K Foundations, the charitable giving subsidiary of 2K Games, has provided generous support […]
From “The Ohio Country” Webpage: “This 12–episode series provides a perspective on the history of the region we now call Ohio that very few of us learned in school. It puts the experiences of Miami, Shawnee, Wyandotte, and other American Indian People at the center of a refreshed version of the state’s complicated past and […]
Did you know? Recycling each ton of paper saves:
On Monday, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum for heads of executive departments and federal agencies requiring agencies to “complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their [f]ederal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive […]
Messages from the Chiefs — Spring 2025: Chief Banes looks ahead in 2025, and Chief Baldridge highlights building and maintaining relationships on the local, state and federal levels to ensure the growth of the Shawnee Tribe.
MIAMI, OK — Chief Benjamin Barnes of the Shawnee Tribe is commending recent federal efforts to advance the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Adopted in 2007, UNDRIP outlines the rights of Indigenous peoples worldwide, and the United States joined 192 other United Nations member states in 2014 in committing to […]