Post by Okwes on May 24, 2007 13:53:06 GMT -5
Creek Nation Boosts Indian Cultural Center Project [Print]
The Principal Chief of the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation has signed a special appropriation designated
for the development of a Native American Cultural Center at 71st Street
and Elwood Avenue in Tulsa. The project has also been selected to
receive support from Tulsa County’s development program, Vision
2025.
The Muscogee appropriation, signed by Chief A.D. Ellis on Feb. 1,
provided one of the largest donations to an outside organization in the
tribe’s history.
The Culture Center, a project of the National Indian Monument &
Institute, Inc. (NIMI), which signed a 99-year lease �" at $1 per
year �" with Tulsa’s River Parks Authority on 39 acres to
secure a highly-visible public site for the facility in Jan. 2005,
received a $500,000 grant for architectural services, which are to be
privately funded. The Muscogee grant satisfies the first of two
fund-raising milestones required by the lease.
[Image] The NIMI is a non-profit organization actively promoting and
creating American Indian related programs. Described on the their Web
site as a group of artists, educators, historians, linguists, actors,
storytellers, and lifelong students seeking to preserve American Indian
cultures through the education of Indians and non-Indians alike. The
purpose of the Center is to provide a facility of cultural
exchange--languages, theatre, arts, cuisine, history, and friendship.
The Vision 2025 <http://www.vision2025.info/> portion of the project
awaits the successful result of NIMI’s fund-raising activities
and with those funds; water, sewer lines and a road will be built.
Funds raised by the American Indian Cultural Center through foundations
and federal grants to create a museum, cultural center, art gallery,
restaurants, stomp grounds and visitor center. The project will
highlight and teach the culture of the Native Americans.
“This project will help bring more business to Tulsa,”
said Chief Ellis. “Oklahoma City has a place like this, and I
hope people will join us in financial support of a Cultural Center here
in Tulsa.”
Tulsa, the only metropolitan area within land once uniquely designated
by the U.S. Congress as “Indian Territory,” is home to a
Native American population second only to Los Angeles. Cherokee Chief
Chad Smith has called Tulsa the “Gateway to Indian
Country,” yet only Gilcrease Museum <http://www.gilcrease.org/>
routinely displays extensive native cultural offerings �"
primarily historic.
The historic boundaries of the Muscogee Creek, Cherokee and Osage tribes
meet at Denver and Edison near downtown Tulsa, but no tribe offers
significant native cultural public education within the metropolitan
area.
NIMI raises funds from private donors and through special events,
including the Annual Tulsa Indian Art Festival which celebrated its 21st
year early this month. For more information about the Festival, click
here <http://www.tulsaindianartfest.com/> . To visit the NIMI
development site, click here <http://www.nimi.us/> .
The Principal Chief of the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation has signed a special appropriation designated
for the development of a Native American Cultural Center at 71st Street
and Elwood Avenue in Tulsa. The project has also been selected to
receive support from Tulsa County’s development program, Vision
2025.
The Muscogee appropriation, signed by Chief A.D. Ellis on Feb. 1,
provided one of the largest donations to an outside organization in the
tribe’s history.
The Culture Center, a project of the National Indian Monument &
Institute, Inc. (NIMI), which signed a 99-year lease �" at $1 per
year �" with Tulsa’s River Parks Authority on 39 acres to
secure a highly-visible public site for the facility in Jan. 2005,
received a $500,000 grant for architectural services, which are to be
privately funded. The Muscogee grant satisfies the first of two
fund-raising milestones required by the lease.
[Image] The NIMI is a non-profit organization actively promoting and
creating American Indian related programs. Described on the their Web
site as a group of artists, educators, historians, linguists, actors,
storytellers, and lifelong students seeking to preserve American Indian
cultures through the education of Indians and non-Indians alike. The
purpose of the Center is to provide a facility of cultural
exchange--languages, theatre, arts, cuisine, history, and friendship.
The Vision 2025 <http://www.vision2025.info/> portion of the project
awaits the successful result of NIMI’s fund-raising activities
and with those funds; water, sewer lines and a road will be built.
Funds raised by the American Indian Cultural Center through foundations
and federal grants to create a museum, cultural center, art gallery,
restaurants, stomp grounds and visitor center. The project will
highlight and teach the culture of the Native Americans.
“This project will help bring more business to Tulsa,”
said Chief Ellis. “Oklahoma City has a place like this, and I
hope people will join us in financial support of a Cultural Center here
in Tulsa.”
Tulsa, the only metropolitan area within land once uniquely designated
by the U.S. Congress as “Indian Territory,” is home to a
Native American population second only to Los Angeles. Cherokee Chief
Chad Smith has called Tulsa the “Gateway to Indian
Country,” yet only Gilcrease Museum <http://www.gilcrease.org/>
routinely displays extensive native cultural offerings �"
primarily historic.
The historic boundaries of the Muscogee Creek, Cherokee and Osage tribes
meet at Denver and Edison near downtown Tulsa, but no tribe offers
significant native cultural public education within the metropolitan
area.
NIMI raises funds from private donors and through special events,
including the Annual Tulsa Indian Art Festival which celebrated its 21st
year early this month. For more information about the Festival, click
here <http://www.tulsaindianartfest.com/> . To visit the NIMI
development site, click here <http://www.nimi.us/> .