TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr, gave his final address at the tribe’s annual non-profit CCO grant kickoff event, discussing a new report on at-large organizations and a new initiative for community building safety.
“Community organizing is at the heart of everything great about Cherokee Nation” said Chief Hoskin. “Deputy Chief Warner and I have been honored to watch our CCO department, and the organizations that CCO serves, grow in size and impact during our time in office.”
Cherokee Nation Community and Cultural Outreach provides support for the tribes’ 89 “CCO participating” non-profit organizations within the reservation and in two dozen cities across the United States.
CCO staff provides technical support and training and administers millions of dollars annually in grants for the organizations.
Thursday’s gathering in Tahlequah focused on CCO’s annual grant opportunities, which support operations, encourage organization capacity building and capital projects such as community building construction and expansion.
CCO grants for fiscal year 2027, will total more than $6 million, in addition to various community organization capital projects.
CCO organizations operate 35 community buildings owned by the Cherokee Nation. Under the Hoskin/Warner Administration’s Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act the tribe built 11 new community buildings among those 35.
Chief Hoskin announced a new community building safety initiative using the tribe’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act.
“Working with community organizations we can ensure that our community buildings are not only wonderful places to gather, but also safe places to gather,” said Chief Hoskin.
The new “CCO Safety Initiative” includes:
- Installation of AED devices at all Cherokee Nation community buildings.
- First aid kits for all Cherokee Nation community buildings.
- First aid and AED training for community organization members.
- Building safety inspections led by Cherokee Nation Special Advisor for Public Safety Mike Shambaugh.
The tribe will use up to $180,000 in Public Health and Wellness funds to cover the cost of the initiative.
Gary Bolin, Brushy Community Center President said they are building a walking trail with a CCO Grant and are looking forward to the new safety First Aid Kits and AED devices.
“We received blood pressure monitors in the past and they helped an elder, and possibly saved a life…so these new safety kits and AEDs will be very helpful for all our CCO buildings as many of these community centers have a lot of elders,” Bolin said.
Chief Hoskin also announced that the $1.25 million in CCO Wellness Grants and the $2 million Hawiya meat distribution programs were approved for another year, both funded under PHWFA.
“It’ll be good to get the Hawiya Meat program funded another year. We gave out our Hawiya Meat in 45 minutes last time to elders and Speakers first. It really helps our community and we’re getting more citizens coming from further away to get the Hiwaya Meat supplies,” said Steven Sands, President of the Neighborhood Association of Chewey.
CCO Executive Director Savannah Smith and her staff led the gathering of more than 247 community organizers from across the Cherokee Nation Reservation through a discussion of the various CCO grant opportunities.
“CCO organizations do some of the most important work across the Cherokee Nation and at-large,” said Smith. “Our job at CCO is to support their work and, as we are doing this evening, help them get off to a great start as we begin the new fiscal year.”
Chief Hoskin also announced a new report on CCO’s engagement with the network of 26 “at-large” CCO organizations which serve Cherokees in various major metropolitan areas outside of Cherokee Nation across 13 states.
“I want to thank Channce Condit for taking on a very ambitious review of how we engage with our at-large organizations and how we can improve,” said Chief Hoskin. “It is clear that our financial support for at-large organizations is at an all time high, but it is also clear that there are opportunities to support them in other ways.”
Condit’s recommendations include:
- A dedicated at-large division at CCO.
- At-large welcome kits for citizens who move within at-large organization service areas.
- One stop web access for at-large citizens to connect with at-large organizations.
“We’ve already started implementing key recommendations of the Condit report,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan. “This month we will hire a CCO staff member whose sole focus will be to keep in good communication with and provide support for at-large organizations.”
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner praised Condit’s report and said Cherokee leaders and CCO should examine the report for more ideas to implement.
“Sometimes we need an outside set of eyes and ears to evaluate what we are doing and how we can do it better,” said Deputy Chief Warner. “We asked Channce Condit for that help and Channce Condit has delivered.”
Condit, a Cherokee Nation citizen from Ceres, California, began work on the report in February, assessing each at-large organization and meeting with at-large organization leadership.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to help uplift the voices of our At-Large communities and ensure their perspectives, needs and ideas are heard. I want to graciously thank the Hoskin/Warner Administration for their continued attention to the needs of Cherokee citizens and communities living beyond the Cherokee Nation Reservation. No matter where we live, we remain connected by our shared identity, culture, and responsibility to one another. We are Cherokee wherever we are,” said Condit.
Condit’s report will be provided to all at-large organization leaders, all elected tribal leaders and made available for review on Cherokee Nation’s website, Cherokee.gov.
For more information on CCO, call 918-207-4963 or visit https://www.cherokee.gov/departments/community-cultural-outreach/