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.
Take the true or false pop quiz on recycling vs. landfills. True or False: 6 out of every 10 people in the US recycle? True or False: More people are employed by the landfill process than the recycling process? True or False: Recycling in the U.S. is a valuable export? True or False: Recycling can […]
Source: www.recycleacrossamerica.org Read about the recycling trailer available for citizen use.
“This override tells Native families that their lives matter, their grief has been felt, and that Oklahoma is committed to justice for them and their loved ones,” said Ben Barnes, Chairperson for United Indian Nations of Oklahoma and Board President of National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. “Many hands helped lift this veto override over the finish […]
We are looking forward to celebrating the following grads at the 2025 Honor Banquet on Saturday, June 7. Rylee Adams, Afton Public High School Ava Adkinson, Miami Public Schools Averi Anderson, Fairland High School Averi Attocknie, Quapaw High School LaCinda Attocknie, Haskell Indian Nations University Landon Bedell, Minot High School Kelsie Boyd, Fairland High School […]
Indian Money (IIM) account holders whose Cobell settlement awards were not distributed must file claim documentation by June 30, 2025. Search the list of IIM account holders and learn more information at cobellsettlement.com.
Social and emotional well-being is the ability to understand and manage emotions, build relationships, and make responsible decisions. It’s an important part of developing healthy identities and achieving goals. Tips to improve social and emotional well-being: This message brought to you by the Shawnee Tribe Behavioral Health Department.
Messages from the Chiefs — Summer 2025: Chief Barnes relays a story about a special corn variety and operational growth, and Chief Baldridge highlights how tribal partnerships are providing stability despite widespread federal government restructuring.
Tyler Levier Tapped for CEO Role MIAMI, OK — Shawnee Development LLC, the enterprise division of the Shawnee Tribe, is proud to announce the formation of Shawnee Global LLC, a tribally owned holding company designed to lead the tribe’s entry into the federal contracting space through the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Program. Shawnee Global will operate alongside Shawnee Development, […]