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.
The Shawnee Tribe’s 2025 General Council & Election Weekend included a community dinner and stomp dance, as well as the annual meeting of the Shawnee Tribal Council and Business Council election. Citizens had the opportunity to meet tribal service programs & administrative staff, collect raffle prizes, and hear reports on the past twelve months of happenings of the […]
Check out this helpful information on recycling myths. 1. Myth: Everything with a recycling symbol is recyclable. Fact: The symbol shows material type, not what your local facility accepts. 2. Myth: It’s okay to guess what’s recyclable — “wishcycling” helps. Fact: Guesswork often leads to contamination; non-recyclables can spoil batches. 3. Myth: Recyclables don’t need […]
This September 30, 2025 is Orange Shirt Day.
Welcome to ta’saawanwaatoweeyakwe, the new blog series dedicated to the Shawnee Language Immersion Program’s happenings and language preservation work. From June 18-21, Shawnee Language Immersion Program apprentices, mentors, Community Language Preservationists (CLPs), and other guests gathered for their annual conference at the Emma “Mock” Donaldson Shawnee Language House. Many of the attendees live far away from […]
Miami, OK — The Shawnee Tribe is pleased to announce the launch of its Project Proposal Portal, a new digital platform designed to streamline the submission and evaluation of business ideas and partnership opportunities. This initiative supports the tribe’s commitment to economic independence, sustainability, and diversification beyond gaming-related enterprises. The portal offers a straightforward process […]
BATTERIES: Why batteries shouldn’t end up in landfills. Key Reasons to Avoid Disposing Batteries in Landfills:
GUYMON, OK — Construction is complete on the $78 million expansion of the Golden Mesa Casino & Hotel, which now boasts a 40,000-square-foot gaming floor, new food and beverage options, an RV park and a four-floor hotel. On Friday, Shawnee Tribe officials and representatives from Shawnee Development, Global Gaming Solutions, Chickasaw Nation, the City of Guymon, Connect […]
MIAMI, OK – The brand-new FAMily Discovery Center at First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City will have its grand opening later this summer, thanks in part to support from the Shawnee Tribe. In May 2024, the Shawnee Tribe’s Business Council approved a pledge of $500,000 over four years to help support the FAMily Discovery Center. […]