In late March, Shawnee Tribe Second Chief Roy Baldridge and Councilman Keni Paul Hood (Seat 7) convened with more than 70 tribal leaders in Stillwater at a tribal summit on workforce and economic development hosted by the Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business and Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.
“This being the second year that Councilman Hood and I have attended, I was impressed with the way OSU has expanded upon their programs and the fact that they have put into effect recommendations given [by tribal leaders] last year,” said Chief Baldridge.
Shawnee leadership discussed the need for hospitality programs related to gaming in 2023, as well as the need for collegiate education in land management. This year, it was reported that gaming-related hospitality certificate programs are being offered, and land management courses will be introduced soon.
“Spears Business recently received approval to offer both an undergraduate certificate in gaming and resort management and a graduate certificate in casino and gaming management that will launch this fall,” said Dr. Brij Thapa, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Distinguished Chair, professor and head of the OSU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “These credit courses exhibit our commitment to the tribal community, and we look forward to serving our state in this area.”
Councilman Hood also expressed his pleasure in learning that OSU incorporated the prior year’s feedback, and he encouraged other colleges and universities to follow the model set by Oklahoma State.
“No one [in attendance] could remember a time when a university requested a summit with all Oklahoma tribal leaders with the intent of creating an educational program that benefits native tribes and their citizens,” said Hood.
“These programs offer an opportunity for many of our citizens, on campus or online,” continued Baldridge.
Leadership also had the opportunity to sit down with gaming and hospitality employees and managers from other tribes during the summit’s breakout sessions.
“I was able to listen to concerns from line staff and discuss how they were dealing with employee turnover, difficulties regarding attracting new hires and job insecurity,” said Chief Baldridge.
In 2019, it was reported that the total economic impact of tribal nations in Oklahoma was $15.6 billion. Tribal operations in Oklahoma employ more than 50,000 people, pay nearly $2.5 billion in wages and benefits and spend more than $300 million on roads and construction projects (OSU 2024).
Learn more about the summit and OSU’s latest tribal gaming & hospitality workforce offerings here.
Over two days in late August, the tribe and the OU School of Dance produced the Five Moons Dance Festival, a remarkable celebration of Shawnee heritage and the timeless legacy of five Oklahoma Indian ballerinas—Yvonne Chouteau (Shawnee), Rosella Hightower (Choctaw), Moscelyne Larkin (Eastern Shawnee & Peoria), and Osage sisters Marjorie and Maria Tallchief. Named after […]
The Shawnee Tribe’s 2024 General Council & Election Weekend included a hawikeepicika kiskotaawe (“ribbon-cutting”) and open house for the new Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika (“language house”), 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 […]
The Shawnee Tribe’s Behavioral & Mental Health Department is hosting Community Support Groups twice a month. Meetings will go through mid-December. For more information, please contact Linda Rothe, MS, LPC at 918-542-2441 Ext. 150 or email lrothe@shawnee-tribe.com.
On Monday, September 23, 2024, following the 2024 General Council Weekend, the Shawnee Tribe Cultural Center in Miami, OK, reopened to the public after an extended closure due to COVID-19 precautions and the need to use the center for office space. With the Emma “Mock” Donaldson Saawanwaatoweewika now open as the permanent home of the […]
Update (10/2/24): Special Livestream Event On Tuesday, October 8, join the Sid Meier’s Civilization team at 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT for a Tecumseh livestream featuring special guests from the Shawnee Tribe. The Shawnee Tribe is set to be featured in the upcoming release of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, a popular video game series that enables […]
We’ve moved things around a bit on the Shawnee Tribal Courts webpage now that Shawnee Tribe District Court case information is available in the On Demand Court Records database at ODCR.com. To search the open records, click the ‘Search Case Records’ button on the Courts page. In the search query at ODCR, select ‘Shawnee Tribe District Court’ from the list of options […]
Welcome to ta’saawanwaatoweeyakwe, the new blog series dedicated to the Shawnee Language Immersion Program’s happenings and language preservation work. Now that we are most of the way through the first year of our Master-Apprentice program, we wanted to share some of our work. Each week we focus on a new concept, and we had a lot […]
Messages from the Chiefs: Summer 2024 — Chief Barnes discusses highlights from tribal programs, including Higher Education Awards and the Indian Child Welfare Office. Chief Baldridge emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and inter-governmental work.