From The Norman Transcript:

Eight Native Oklahoman artists are gathering for a public panel discussion about survival strategies and identity issues during a special event at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Friday, Sept. 11. At 10 a.m., the artists will begin a session titled “Art as Identity: The Operative Principles of Affirmation, Accommodation and Appropriation in the Native American Artistic Pursuit of Self.”

Moderated by art critic Edwin L. Wade and art collector Rennard Strickland, the morning and afternoon sessions will use the museum’s new exhibition, “Spirit Red: Visions of Native American Artists from the Rennard Strickland Collection,” as a framework to discuss critical aesthetic issues confronting contemporary Native American artists.

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From The Tulsa World:

The Cherokee Nation is preparing for its 57th-annual Cherokee National Holiday this weekend, an event that could draw an estimated 100,000 people.

The holiday begins Thursday and includes sporting events, arts and crafts, food and speeches.

“It’s usually a homecoming for us,” said Cherokee Nation spokeswoman LeAnn Dreadfulwater. “For a lot of people, it’s coming back and being immersed in Cherokee culture, even if it is for a little bit. Especially if your family has moved out of state, you may not have a chance to be around that very often.”

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From The Associated Press:

Linguistics experts at the University of Oklahoma will hold a series of public presentations on the disappearance of indigenous languages.

Some estimate that more than 50 percent of American Indian languages will be lost over the next 20 years.

Linguistic anthropology professor Mary Linn designed a course that will include a series of guest lecturers that are free and open to the public.

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From The Journal Record:

The Native American Legal Resource Center at the Oklahoma City University School of Law has received a $250,000 gift to assist its American Indian wills program launched in January.

Law Dean Lawrence Hellman said the center has focused on providing direct services to tribal communities as well as instruction to students.

“Thanks to the NALRC, our students gain practical experience in what are often complex areas of law, while members of the 37 tribes throughout Oklahoma get valuable assistance that might otherwise be unavailable to them,” Hellman said.

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From The Journal Record:

The Cherokee Nation Tourism Department unveiled a unique cultural tourism program Wednesday involving elements of historic preservation and entrepreneurialism.

The 2-year-old department announced partnerships with several regional historical organizations, such as the Fort Gibson Historic Site and the Will Rogers Museum, to create four cultural tours advertised through a new, branded campaign and the new Web site www.cherokeetourismok.com.

These Cherokee tours – ranging in subject from the Trail of Tears and Indian Territory settlement to the Civil War and Will Rogers – tout several “living history” elements that have proven tourist magnets across other parts of the nation, from Williamsburg, Va., to Dodge City, Kan.

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From The Associated Press:

The chief of the Bartlesville-based Delaware Tribe says the tribe has regained federal recognition. Chief Jerry Douglas says the tribe was notified July 28 by the U.S. Department of Interior that it is again a federally recognized tribe. The tribe lost federal recognition in a 2004 court ruling in favor of the Cherokee Nation.

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