CATOOSA, Okla. – The Cherokee Nation held its annual Community & Cultural Outreach Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa with around 650 Cherokee Nation citizens from across the country taking part in the event either in person or virtually.
Leaders from CCO organizations both on the Reservation and at-large participated in the conference and learned more about the history and culture of the Cherokee Nation. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn how to operate their organizations from a leadership standpoint, whether through grant writing, volunteer recruiting, or other organizational efforts.
“I have always believed that we cannot build Cherokee communities from the top down; instead, we must build them from the grassroots up. Our Cherokee community organizations around the country provide us with an important source for building from the grassroots level,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I have always been committed to supporting our community organizations and helping them find the resources and tools to bring together more and more Cherokees. These groups work hard every day to achieve that goal, and we look forward to all of the growth they will continue to experience in the years ahead.”
During the CCO Conference, Chief Hoskin thanked Community and Cultural Outreach Executive Director Savannah Smith and her team for securing a grant worth nearly $1.3 million, which will put power generators in Cherokee Nation community buildings in the tribe’s reservation. Across the Cherokee Nation Reservation there are 34 state-of-the-art Cherokee community buildings, with eight more under construction.
“The community buildings within this reservation have become a safe haven and making sure that there are generators could mean the difference between misery and security, sometimes even life and death, during natural disasters,” Chief Hoskin said. “These buildings are central to Cherokee communities and how we take care of one another throughout the year.”
Through the Cherokee Nation’s historic Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, created by Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner with support of the Council, approximately $6 million will go to building and improving community buildings every three years. The tribe is also investing in community groups through Public Health and Wellness Grants, cultural and language classes, community gardens, health events, walking trails, nutritional improvement and cooking classes, canning classes, and more.
“As Cherokee people, we want to stay connected and help each other and take care of each other,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “These CCO groups are out there working in that spirit of Gadugi to bolster our tribe. I look forward to future projects and programs that will help our Cherokee communities grow and prosper.”
During the conference, Chief Hoskin announced that the tribe received a $1.275 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will be used to install 15 generators at community buildings to better enable them to serve as emergency shelters during times of natural disaster.
“We have invested a great deal in our community buildings, which are often places of safety and security during natural disasters,” said Chief Hoskin. “These federal dollars will enable us to install powerful generators and make related infrastructure upgrades at our community buildings.”
Earlier this year, the Cherokee Nation empaneled a task force on community organizing with Deputy Secretary of the State Canaan Duncan at its head. This task force continues to identify and address various community needs.
Community and Cultural Outreach’s overall mission is to assist Cherokee community organizations’ ability to increase their effectiveness, enhance essential services to those most in need, build upon the organizational capacity of each community, diversify resources and create collaborations to serve those in Cherokee communities. The program was designed to facilitate opportunities for partnerships and to provide educational and technical assistance, empowering communities to utilize their own abilities in securing and administering general and federal funding opportunities.
Every year, CCO brings together Cherokee community leaders from the 14-county tribal jurisdictional area as well as some two dozen satellite communities across the United States for two days of learning, networking and interaction. The conference consists of capacity building, Cherokee culture, Cherokee history and youth leadership sessions, all led by professionals from across the country.
Charlie Soap, a Cherokee community organizer and husband of the late Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller, was a keynote speaker during the plenary session. Soap shared stories about how he and Chief Mankiller worked to improve community members' lives, and he encouraged Cherokee community groups to continue their grassroots efforts.
Learn more about Cherokee Nation’s Community and Cultural Outreach by visiting https://www.facebook.com/CNCCO/. At-large citizens can find a list of Cherokee community groups across the country by visiting https://cherokeesatlarge.org/.
On the final night of the conference, Cherokee Nation honored several community groups and community organizers for their efforts. Photos of the awards and other activities from the conference can be found by visiting the Cherokee Nation Facebook page.