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Legislative Highlights |
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Many Springs Baptist Church receives new van
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UINO meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - January 10, 2007, Marriott Hotel
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MUSCOGEE CREEK NATIONAL COUNCIL APPROPRIATES X-MAS FUNDS TO MURROW CHILDREN
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 Congress passes H..R. 4766 - A law to amend the Native American Program Act and authorizes the ANA to award grants to organizations and colleges dedicated to Native American Language Preservation and specifically authorizes grants to establish site based educational programs for children and families. “Survivor schools and restoration programs.”
The National Council Chairperson of the Human Development Committee, Thomas Yahola and fluent Creek Speaker said, “ Language preservation is what we need. One of the avenues to language preservation that I see is our ceremonial grounds. I encourage our young people to visit them and learn.” Our Muscogee Creek Tribe is headed in the right direction and I believe we have good staff. If this bill was not passed then it would have meant they are not interested in native people maintaining our language and loss of identity. I live in a full blood environment, God made us who we are and we have a purpose, the Creator has a plan and the path set out before us.” |
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Okmulgee District Representative Bo JohnsonThe November Regular Session of the National Council passed three special appropriations sponsored by Okmulgee District Representative Bo Johnson. NCA-06-245 to assist a citizen with medical needs, NCA-06–243 to appropriate funds to assist Beggs High School in completing athletic department projects and NCA-06-242 to authorize funds to the Nuyaka Riding Club with the construction of a concession stand from which monies will be used to benefit young children in riding safety. NCA-06-245 was the first legislation introduced by representative Johnson to assist a citizen. “District Representatives are asked for help for many reasons, most of the time we are the “last hope” and they have exhausted all avenues such as this situation, I have been where this citizen has been, having been afflicted with cancer and all that comes with it, not to mention the worry of the cost of the medical bills.” NCA-06-243 assisted the Beggs High School Softball athletic program with a water system to the ball fields, a fence and a completion of a dug out. According to Representative Johnson the Indian population of this school is 117. “ This is a small community that believes in helping themselves and have contributed financially and with labor. They also let other surrounding schools use their facility. I evaluated the communities input and the Native American children that it would involve and felt there was not another grassroots program where they are that would contribute to their feeling of ownership in the fact that Muscogee Creek Nation had a big part in the completion of this school project.” Representative Johnson stated that the school will contribute a big sign for Muscogee Creek Nation National Council being a sponsor. NCA-06-242 authorized funds to the Nuyaka Riding Club with completion of a concession stand in the memory of Robyn Johnson. Ms. Johnson was the Nuyaka Riding Club Queen and was a member of the Muscogee Creek Tribe. Her recent accidental death left the members with some wishes to do something in her memory. The riding club has a high population of Muscogee Creek citizens who have a love for the sport of riding and caring for horses. Representative Johnson stated, “the youth look to us for leadership and Robyn Johnson was only fifteen at the time of her death, she was doing something she loved to do, representing her riding club at the Okemah Pioneer days when the horse trailer that she was sleeping in was overcome with exhaust fumes and took her life.” The concession stand will be built in her memory with the seal of the Muscogee Creek Nation displayed. |
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Native Vote United speaks to Creek Nation Head Start Parents by Rita Williams
Native Vote United was present to address the Head Start parents by encouraging them to become an informed and educated voter by knowing the candidates and the issues. Also, getting involved in the democratic process whether by running for office or working as a volunteer at their local precinct on November 7th.
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Tukvpvtce District Representative Shirlene Ade met with some of the members of Many Springs Baptist Church and their Pastor Jimmy Anderson on their New Years Day service. Representative Ade recently helped Many Springs to receive this van for their church. This fourteenth (14th) session is the second term for Representative Ade who says that helping out our churches has been a rewarding effort for her. "Many of our churches have little or no outside assistance in revenues to fix leaky roofs, plumbing, camp houses, or transportation. Most of my legislation has been to assist these established churches who are in need and have been a part of our communities for one hundred (100) years or more. Once we help our churches with these much needed repairs it will be another fifty years before they come back again. For all these years, they have depended on each other and they are a part of who we are in this makeup of our Creek culture. I am glad we as a council are doing our part to assist them." (Photo by Rita Williams) 
Pictured left to right, Invited Speaker, Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation and Vice-President of the National Congress of American Indians, Jefferson Keel, Chairman Dan Jones, Ponca Nation, Governor Darryel Flyingman, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe, Chief Kay Rhoads, Sac and Fox Nation. (Photo by Rita Williams)
The Muscogee (Creek) National Council held an emergency meeting in December. One of the items on the agenda was legislation to appropriate funding for each child in the amount of $100 to spend for x-mas however they wished. The sponsor of the legislation was Muskogee District Representative Eddie LaGrone which passed unanimously. On Friday, December 22, 2006, Representative Eddie LaGrone and Tulsa District Representative Ron Cleghorn presented the check to Executive Director Joan Brown on behalf of the Muscogee (Creek) National Council.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Head Start parents showed their support of the Native Vote and the efforts of "Getting Out the Vote" during a parent training on Friday, October 27th at the Green Country Vo-Tech in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.