WHAT:
Cherokee Nation leaders will gather to break ground on a new $34 million wellness center for Cherokee citizens, employees in Tahlequah.
WHEN:
Thursday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m.
WHERE:
22685 S. Betty Sharp Smith St.
Tahlequah, OK
WHO:
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner
Cabinet of the Cherokee Nation
Council of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation Public Health leaders and staff
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee Nation leaders will gather Thursday to break ground on a new $34 million wellness center in Tahlequah as part of the tribe’s mission to promote public health and wellness across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
The 75,000-square-foot, two-story wellness center will house a fitness center which will include two basketball courts, weight and cardio areas, studios, batting cages, locker rooms and a running track. The building will also include a child watch, public health administration office space and a large lobby for users to congregate.
“Under the Cherokee Nation Public Health and Wellness Fund Act and American Rescue Plan Act, we were able to lock down funds for projects like this one that builds upon the health of our Cherokee people,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “When this project is complete in 2026, it will impact so many citizens daily lives by aiding their physical and mental wellbeing.”
The Public Health and Wellness Fund Act of 2021, amended most recently in 2023, dedicates $100 million in settlement funds from opioid and e-cigarette lawsuits for a variety of public health initiatives.
The wellness center aims to replace the Cherokee Nation’s existing Male Seminary Recreation Center also known as “Markoma” which is free for Cherokee Nation citizens and employees and open to the public for a fee.