WHAT:
Cherokee Nation leaders and Indian Child Welfare (ICW) staff will host a ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony for the new ICW office building in Tahlequah at the former site of Means Furniture.
WHEN:
Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m.
WHERE:
The Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare Building
3227 S. Muskogee Ave.
Tahlequah, OK
WHO:
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner
Council of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation Cabinet
Indian Child Welfare Department leaders and staff
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and other Cherokee Nation leaders will celebrate the grand opening of the new Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare building in Tahlequah. The new ICW office location was previously a Means Furniture store, and the construction project was completed in under two years.
The new office is a 40,000-square-foot building and features 6,000 square feet of storage space, accommodating up to 100 employees across 98 new offices, conference rooms, classrooms, visitation rooms, an indoor playroom, and additional facilities. The building also underwent a facelift, featuring a new roof, siding and windows, along with a rural design incorporating modern, industrial elements. It has new breakrooms, fridges, freezers, and other appliances. The larger space is well suited for the department’s needs, as they work with families and children.
The ICW Department, for decades, has provided a variety of protective and support services to Cherokee children and their families. The department opened in 1980, soon after the passage of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978, which made tribal involvement in Native child welfare cases a requirement. CN ICW will continue to perform its ICWA-related responsibilities at the new main office location, as well as the other ICW office locations in Pryor, Catoosa, Stillwell, and Sallisaw.
