NUIFC Story // Thriving Cities: Indigenous Spaces in Oklahoma City
It was great to have participants from eight Native American non-profits and elected officials in the Oklahoma City area gather on Monday, August 23rd for the first-ever Thriving Cities: Indigenous Spaces in the 21st Century event at the Tower Theater in Uptown Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City is among at least nine cities that will participate in these events over the next few months. Rock the Native Vote kicks off this national effort to bring elected officials and urban non-profits from around the country together to participate in a series of civic engagement events that center on the needs of urban Native people.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a member of the Osage Nation, State Senator Kay Floyd, Oklahoma City; and County Commissioner Carrie Blumert joined us for our event.
When we first began thinking about this event, I spoke with our Mayor who wanted to make sure our talk was productive and not disrupted or taken off the rails as town hall events can sometimes be. As we continued to plan, I came up with the idea of having an invitation-only meeting with Native entities that are doing great service and work in the Oklahoma City area and the Mayor agreed. Luckily, we have numerous organizations doing outstanding work so filling out the event was easy to do!
Our purpose for this event was to gather elected officials and urban Native non-profits to talk about what is going on in Oklahoma City and how we are addressing these issues. We wanted to find support and build a consensus for current challenges facing our city, ranging from education, health care, social justice, and more. We had a whole gamut of people in the room discussing those issues and how they are working to solve them and we can work together to meet this moment.
Mayor Holt said that as Mayor, he does have ideas and a platform to effect change and he assured the group that he will continue to do so and that we meet again to build on our conversations. This was echoed by our other guests. This also might have been one of the few times that so many Native non-profits in the OKC area have met together, making this a success in its own rite.
For the sake of time and for a longer-lasting effect, a video was created and showed that highlighted the successes and challenges of these Native nonprofits. I thought the video was a great way to highlight what is going on in Indian Country in our urban setting, and our organizations can use it for future use. The theme of the video began with the perceived invisibility of Native Americans in the Oklahoma City area and instances were shared of how that has occurred over the past year here in our home. The participants and elected officials were impressed by the video and have since asked for copies to share with their staff and other entities. The video was done by a great colleague and friend, she did amazing work capturing the essence of our work. I encourage you to enjoy below for the chance to learn more about the outstanding work being done by Native nonprofits in OKC.
Participants included The Oklahoma City Public Schools Native American Student Services program, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Matriarch, First American Museum, Diversion Hub, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, Central Oklahoma Cherokee Alliance, and the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.
I also want to say thank you to the NUIFC for providing funding for this event. It was fun to put together and also great to have the funds and support needed to put on a high-quality event!