Ms. Halfmoon currently serves as the Shawnee Tribe Executive Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation. She supports the Shawnee Tribe leadership and staff in all cultural programs and efforts including language, historic preservation, and the Shawnee Tribe Cultural Center. She is a citizen of the Caddo Nation and is also Choctaw and Delaware and has over 25 years of experience in cultural preservation, tribal liaison work, consultation practices, cultural resource law and museum leadership. She holds a degree in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma and a certificate in Cultural Heritage Tourism from George Washington University.
From 2007 to 2015, Ms. Halfmoon served as Director of Outreach/Museum Programs for the First Americans Museum (OKC) where she led a statewide tribal outreach effort and served as the exhibitions liaison with Ralph Appelbaum & Associates (NYC). From 2015-2019 she served as the inaugural Director of American Indian Relations for the Ohio History Connection in Columbus, Ohio where she initiated the Tribal Nations Conference and oversaw the development and adoption of the Ohio History Connection’s first American Indian Policy.
In 2019 she returned to Oklahoma to support the Choctaw Nation and lead the way in preparing for the grand opening of the Choctaw Cultural Center; a stunning 100,000-sf facility with immersive exhibitions, a retail store, a café, and daily Choctaw programming. Ms. Halfmoon oversaw the hiring of all staff for the new cultural center as well as facilitating vital components including branding, marketing, facilities maintenance, and construction. The Choctaw Cultural Center opened its doors on July 23, 2021.
Ms. Halfmoon is currently Chair of the American Alliance of Museums’ Indigenous Peoples Museum Network, and she was recently elected to serve as a council member on the American Association for State and Local History.
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, […]
April 4, 2025 (MIAMI, OK) — The Shawnee Tribe is announcing a new agreement with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) that will provide OTA access to Shawnee Tribe motor vehicle registration records for toll collection purposes. This agreement ensures that tolls accrued by tribal citizens using OTA turnpikes are properly assigned to the registered owners of vehicles with […]
This Lunch & Learn Meeting series aims to create a supportive and engaging Zoom community that allows survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence to learn about mental health, psychology, and personal growth through psychoeducation. No cost to join, and no registration necessary. Join us on Zoom with this link, noon to 1:00 PM […]
Check out recycling “Top 10 In The Bin” from the tribe’s Environmental Resources Department! What Can I Recycle? TOP 10 IN THE BIN Here is a list of the top 10 most recyclable items. 1. Cardboard 2. Paper 3. Food Boxes 4. Mail 5. Beverage Cans 6. Food Cans 7. Glass Bottles 8. Jars (Glass […]
As part of the ongoing clinical research project, Kipiyecipakiciipe “Coming home,” Dr. Evan White, Principal Investigator at Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR), and Dr. Deborah Jones-Saumty will be conducting a community readiness assessment regarding substance use intervention and prevention programming. The goal of the readiness assessment, or CRA, is to gain a comprehensive understanding […]
Shawnee language learners of all ages and abilities are invited to join the Shawnee Language Immersion Program for the 2025 Language Fair, Dinner and Stomp Dance on Saturday, July 26, at the Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika east of Miami, OK. Citizens of all three Shawnee nations are eligible to participate. Submissions will not be judged […]