Skateparks in Native Oklahoma

Nashoba Youth Foundation Open Skateparks for a Healthy Indian Country

By Jacelle Ramon-SauberanMitchell Moya spends most of his time skateboarding at home on his front porch because there are no legal places for him to skateboard in his hometown of Heavener, Oklahoma. But the Nashoba Youth Foundation is going to change that.

The Nashoba Youth Foundation is bringing skate parks to youth in rural southeast Native Oklahoma. The Foundation has built one skate park in Poteau, Oklahoma, called Skatepark off Broadway, which is about 13 miles from Heavener. And Heavener will be expecting a skate park as well called Nashoba Skatepark that will be built early next year.

“I remember countless times I was told I couldn’t skateboard somewhere because it was against the law,” said Moya, 18, who is Choctaw, Cherokee and Apache. “It is nice to now have a place to go where I can skateboard.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see From Skatepark to Museum Exhibit and Hopi/Navajo Skatepark.