Chickasaw chocolate company

Spirit of Enterprise: The Chickasaw Nation Sweetens its Business Holdings by Dipping Into Chocolate

By Lynn ArmitageThe Chickasaw Nation is quite the enterprising tribe. In addition to business interests in energy, retail, media, gaming, banking and medical services—to name just a few of the markets in their portfolio—they have sweetened the pot as the proud owners of a chocolate company called Bedré Fine Chocolate, based in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.

“We were familiar with the product and we liked the idea of having a Native-owned chocolate company,” explains Patrick Neeley, the chief business officer for the Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce. Neeley says the tribe bought Bedré—a Norwegian word meaning “better”—back in 2000 from a local entrepreneur who started the company many moons ago and wanted to retire.

“Acquiring Bedré had less to do with the business and more to do with being a good community citizen,” says Neeley, who added the tribe was keenly interested in keeping the business locally owned and operated, because it was located within Chickasaw territory.

What made the deal even more delectable is that the Chickasaws inherited all Bedré’s original, tried-and-true recipes. “But since then, we’ve added some things to the product mix and taken some out based on taste tests and things we wanted to do,” Neely says. He is quick to add that they do not use any wax, paraffin or additives in the chocolate.Comment:  For more on Indians and chocolate, see Greek Gods Gave Us Chocolate? and Pueblo Pot-Shaped Chocolates.

Chickasaw trombonist plays with Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Young Chickasaw Trombonist Performs with Chicago Symphony OrchestraWhen 12 year-old Chickasaw Steven Warren first picked up a trombone, he had little idea how music would shape his life.

Now a 23 year old graduate student at Northwestern University, Mr. Warren is working hard to make his dreams come true.

Playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for nine days last spring and again during Thanksgiving were major highlights in his life.

One of his teachers at Northwestern invited him to participate.

“Chicago Symphony has always been the ensemble I have looked up to and being asked by my teacher to play in the ensemble was a dream come true,”
Steven Warren said.

“It was amazing.”

The request was unique, considering only one or two Northwestern students each year are asked to perform with the Symphony.Comment:  For more on Indians and orchestras, see Tate's Music Expresses Native Pride and Boise Philharmonic's Sacred Land.

Te Ata in Bill Murray movie

Noted Chickasaw Performer Te Ata Featured In New Bill Murray MovieMary “Te Ata” Thompson Fisher is a cultural icon for many Native Americans. Te Ata, an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, was a master storyteller and entertainer who took her talent across the globe singing and dancing for presidents and kings.

One of those instances will be a key moment in a new Bill Murray movie, “Hyde Park on Hudson” which will be released December 7. The film centers on the historic 1939 meeting between President Franklin Roosevelt and King George and Queen Elizabeth of England at FDR’s home in New York. It was during that meeting that Te Ata performed for the dignitaries, and also represented Native American culture to the world leaders.

Playing Te Ata is an actress with Choctaw and Japanese heritage, Kumiko Konishi.

Before getting the part, Konishi said she wasn’t familiar with Te Ata. However, she soon began to research her and learned she was an important figure not only in Native American culture but to Americans and to women in general.

“What was kind of crazy in not knowing about her was how rounded she was in her accomplishments and as a person,” Konishi said. “In that time, to have such an education and such a worldliness to be able to travel on her own, on her own accord to spread the word and educate people on our culture. I felt there was a beauty inside of her and a regalness. She had an energy that apparently emanated from wherever she went.”Comment:  Konishi's self-description: "I'm Native American (Choctaw/Ishak), French Creole and Japanese." Another website adds:The Atakapaw call themselves ISHAK, or "The People." ATAKAPAW is Mobilian or Choctaw for "Eaters of Human Flesh."For more on the subject, see Play About Storyteller Te Ata.

Below:  Headshot of actress Kumiko Konishi.

Tate's music expresses Native pride

Composer Jerod Tate: A Hyper-Story Guy

By Lee AllenChickasaw classical composer and 2011 Emmy award winner Jerod Tate is true to his roots, deciding early in his composing career that he would write music based only on Indian themes. “Indian country is full of stories and I’m, like, a hyper-story guy. There’s so much inspiration here, an endless amount of music that can be written to complement a story or a legend from our past. In our tribe, we have little people and scary forest people as well as star and cloud people--I use them all as inspiration for my work.”

Tate was born with performance creativity in his genes, a combination of Oklahoma Chickasaw father, who was classical pianist and baritone vocalist, and an Irish mother from Nebraska, who was a dancer and choreographer. “I grew up with a whole bunch of theatre and music in the house watching my Dad play Bach and Rachmaninoff. The first instrument I gravitated to was a piano--a mini-orchestra with so much range of expression--and I knew I was hooked, that music was my path by the time I was 9 years old.”

As Artistic Director for the Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival and Composer-in-Residence for the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy, he has been named a cultural Ambassador for the State of Oklahoma. “My heritage is very important to me, coming from both the men and women who make up who we are. Together my awesome dad and his mother, my grandmother, gifted me a wonderful balance of what it means to be a Chickasaw man. Their combined experience has been a tour de force in our family and I owe my cultural identity to both of them.”

Appearing recently on an Indian radio station in Tucson, Arizona (Gabriel Ayala’s Liner Notes show on Pasqua Yaqui station KPYT), Tate explained many of his compositions and how they came to be…like The Thunder Song (or Taloah He Loah): “This is chamber music for a solo tympani, a percussion instrument like a kettle drum, made famous in Peter and the Wolf. In our legend, when it thundered it meant the good and bad spirits were having a match and our hunters would shoot their guns into the clouds to assist the good spirits. I wrote this solo piece completely inspired by the thunder beings we have in our peoples history.”

Asked by both his radio host and Indian Country Today Media Network about how his musical path evolved, his response was simple: “I believe American Indians have a natural ability to represent themselves musically in the classical fine arts so I use my Chickasaw influence the same way Indian painters to when they use cultural icons and abstract them into a modern expression. I do the same in music with round-dance rhythms and Native language chanting. Famous composers like Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky and Ludwig von Beethoven all infused their national identity with their classical training. I do the same in dramatic and romantic works. I'm highly expressive about my Indian pride.”Comment:  For more on Jerod Tate, see Jerod Tate Wins Emmy and First Indian Chamber Music Festival.

Chickasaw map wins geography award

Chickasaw Nation Wins People’s Choice Award at Olympics of Mapmaking EventCombining old world style map design—hand-drawn images that tell a story about the data on the map—with new technology led the Chickasaw Nation’s GeoSpatial Information Department to a People’s Choice award at what was described by a member of the team as the Olympics of geography and cartography.

The award was presented in July at the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) International User Conference where more than 15,000 attended representing 130 countries.

“That award represented every map in every category for the people who attended to vote on,” John Ellis, director of GeoSpatial Information said in a release. “It really was like our Olympics for the geography and cartography world. These are the top geographers and cartographers in the country, so it was an honor.”

He said the map, titled “The Historic Map of the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw People,” was so popular he spent most of his free time at the event answering questions, passing out brochures about the map and talking to other map professionals about it.Comment:  For more on Indians and maps, see Google Maps in Cherokee and "Mapping America" Excludes Indians.

John Herrington remembers Neil Armstrong

First Indian Astronaut Remembers Neil Armstrong

"First Step on Another Heavenly Body--It Was Huge!"

By Levi RickertFormer NASA astronaut, John Herrington, the first astronaut who is an enrolled member of an American Indian tribe, remembers Neil Armstrong as being a real technical person.

Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died on Saturday as the result of complications to heart surgery. He was 82 years old.

“He was a test pilot and I was a test pilot; so I always was fascinated to hear him talk,” stated Herrington to the Native News Network on Monday morning as he remembered Neil Armstrong.

Herrington, a tribal citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, grew up to be an astronaut and had the pleasure of meeting Neil Armstrong, a childhood hero, as an adult and after he became a NASA astronaut.

"Someone the other day asked me who my heroes were when I was growing up," commented Herrington.

"I think they thought I was going to name some super heroes–action figure ones–but I can honestly say Neil Armstrong was one of my heroes."

"We used to play with boxes and pretend we were astronauts going to the moon. The thing is when we were kids our fantasies were our realities because of people like Neil Armstrong who actually went to the moon."

"When you think he, out of all of humans, was the first person to actually put his foot down on another heavenly body, it is huge!"Comment:  For more space news, see Navajo Engineer Helped Develop Curiosity.

Ryan's wife is part Chickasaw

Republican VP Candidate Paul Ryan’s American Indian Outlook

By Rob CapricciosoOn the family front, Ryan’s wife, Janna, is some part Chickasaw, according to press reports, although she’s not enrolled in the tribe due to lacking historical evidence, and more research is needed to back up these claims. In the age of Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren’s unsubstantiated claims of Cherokee ancestry–and her reliance on family folklore without any background of having reached out to tribes or Indians, while claiming Indian heritage at institutions of higher education–Janna Ryan’s path here is likely to be scrutinized much more in the days leading up to the November presidential election.

If Janna Ryan is indeed Native, the situation would seem reminiscent of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2008, whose husband, Todd is Yup’ik and whose children are Alaska Native Corporation shareholders. Evidence currently supports the notion that, like Palin, Ryan has paid attention to his spouse’s heritage, and it seems to inform at least a small part of his outlook.

What is known for sure is that Janna Ryan’s family has deep roots in Oklahoma’s Democratic and Indian-focused politics, with her first-cousin Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., set to become president of corporate development with the Chickasaw Nation at the end of his current term. While Boren is a Democrat, he has put out a statement supporting his cousin, as well as her husband, in the race against President Barack Obama: “Janna and I grew up together and I couldn’t be more proud of my cousin. Like my late mother after whom she is named, Janna is a wonderful parent to their children and will be Paul’s strongest supporter on the campaign trail. Paul has a firm moral compass and has always approached his job as a congressman with diligence and honesty. Having many friends on both sides of the aisle, he is an effective and talented leader. Although we belong in different political parties, I see Paul as a friend, a fellow hunter, and most importantly a family man.”Comment:  I'm guessing Janna Ryan won't claim to be Chickasaw and no one will pay attention to her heritage in the presidential race.

For more on identity questions, see Justin Bieber Thinks He's Native and Warren:  Conservatives Back Cherokee Protesters.

Play about storyteller Te Ata

‘Te Ata’ Sheds Light on ‘Bearer of the Dawn’A Colbert native and an Southeastern Oklahoma State University alumnus will bring the role of young Te Ata to life in the production of “Te Ata,” a play about one of America’s most beloved Native storytellers, when it comes to an Oklahoma City and Washington D.C. stage this summer.

Tana Takes Horse, who now resides in Dallas, will play Mary Frances “Te Ata” Thompson Fisher in the production of “Te Ata.”

The play will be presented June 14-17 and 21-24, 2012 at Oklahoma City University and July 5-8, 2012 at the National Museum of the American Indian Rasmuson Theatre in Washington, D.C.

The Chickasaw Nation and Oklahoma City University are collaborating to present the play inspired by the life and legacy of Te Ata, who enlightened the world about Native American history and culture by sharing the stories of her Chickasaw tribe and other indigenous people

Te-Ata achieved national and international acclaim with her one-person performances of American Indian folklore and enchanted a wide variety of audiences including, presidents, European royalty, heads of state and many more.

“Te Ata brought the beauty and wisdom of American Indian culture to the world in a way that helped develop greater appreciation for core values such as basic human kindness and respect for the natural world,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “Her life’s work helped bring diverse cultures closer together. She is a shining example of how artistic expression can change hearts and minds.”

Te Ata, which means “bearer of the dawn,” was named the first Oklahoma Treasure 25 years ago and is also a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Chickasaw Hall of Fame.Comment:  For more on Native plays, see Native Voices Presents Distant Thunder and Aboriginal Romeo and Juliet.

Below:  Tana Takes Horse.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

Naming Rights Report: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

Outcry forces minor league baseball team to quickly change casino-linked name

By Alfred BranchFacing mounting criticism of the local AAA baseball park bearing the name of a gambling casino, it took only a day for the Chickasaw Nation, one of Oklahoma’s leading Native American tribes, to reverse course.

The Nation, owners of the Newcastle Casino outside of Oklahoma City, announced it acquired the naming rights to the Oklahoma City RedHawks’ ballpark on April 4 and planned to call it Newcastle Field at Bricktown. On signage that was to be erected at the park in the coming weeks, the word “Casino” was going to be featured in small, faint letters to the right just under the word “Newcastle.”

Bill Anoatubby, governor of Chickasaw Nation, said in a statement last week that the tribe jumped at the chance to build on the already two-year-old relationship between the team and the Nation.

Despite the good intentions, criticism of the new name came swiftly.

City officials were briefed on the proposed name in the weeks leading up to the announcement, Shadrick told Venues Today. But that did not stop some from complaining.

They questioned why a baseball stadium would be named after a gambling entity, considering the sport’s checkered past with Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson receiving lifetime bans for alleged involvement with illegal wagering.

Additionally, others criticized the use of Newcastle in the name because it did not have anything to do with promoting the city. Newcastle is the small suburb where the casino is located outside of Oklahoma City, and it has a population of less than 8,000.The outcome:Shadrick said the Nation listened to the public outcry and quickly decided to change the name to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Nation will still hold casino-related promotions in the ballpark, which it has for the last two seasons, and Shadrick added that the relationship between the Nation and the team remains strong.Comment:  For more on Indians and naming rights, see San Manuel Partners with Local Ballclub and Foxwoods Partners with Mystic Aquarium.

Below:  "The newly-named Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City."

Chickasaw quarter debuts

New quarter honoring Chickasaw National Recreation Area is celebrated in Sulphur

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area quarter was unveiled Wednesday in Sulphur. It is part of the U.S. Mint's series called America the Beautiful Quarters Program.A quarter honoring the Chickasaw National Recreation Area was unveiled Wednesday at the park.

The quarter is the 10th coin in the U.S. Mint's series called America the Beautiful Quarters Program. It was released to the public Monday but an official ceremony was Wednesday.And:The quarter features a limestone bridge built at the recreation area in honor of Abraham Lincoln. The bridge was dedicated in 1909 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the only National Park Service area in the country that was established at the request of a tribe.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Chickasaw Area on State Quarter.

Chickasaw bank 7th in mortgages

Indian-Owned Bank 7th in Mortgages

By Mark FogartyChickasaw-owned Bank2 of Oklahoma City continued its surge into the top 10 national mortgage lenders to American Indians for 2010, increasing one notch to 7th and continuing to extend more than 75 percent of its loan volume to Indians.

According to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act [HMDA] data for 2010, Bank2 made $104 million in home loans to Indians last year out of total home lending volume of $135 million. The year before, 2009, it was eighth in the country, with $120 million in Indian mortgages out of a total of $156 million. The drop-off was consistent with a national falloff in mortgage lending from $1.8 trillion on 2009 to $1.6 trillion last year, HMDA data show.Comment:  In related news, the Chickasaws own a bank. Who knew?

Another tribal bank is Borrego Springs Bank, owned by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. There may be others too.

For more on banking, see Banks Get Bailout, Indians Don't.

Jerod Tate wins Emmy

Chickasaw Composer Receives Emmy for Musical Scientific Experiment

By Patti Jo KingFor years, scientists have suspected that science and music are closely connected. In 2010, seven scientists from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation under the direction of Chickasaw composer Jerod Tate, set out to prove the theory. The scientists were given ten days to compose and arrange original musical compositions before the pieces were performed by a string quartet before a live audience.

The amazing experiment was filmed by the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) for its “State of Creativity” series. The final product, a documentary entitled “The Science of Composing,” won the team an Emmy award.Comment:  Unless I missed something, the article doesn't say what the "scientific experiment" actually was. Asking a scientist to create music isn't a scientific experiment. It isn't even an experiment except in the loosest sense of the word.

For more on Jerod Tate, see First Indian Chamber Music Festival and Classical Album by Chickasaw Students.

Below:  "Chickasaw classical composer Jerod Tate and OETA Deputy Director Bill Perry at the Heartland Regional Emmy Awards ceremony in Oklahoma City. The two received Emmys for their work on the documentary, The Sciences of Composing."

Chickasaw.tv

Chickasaw.tv is reaching the Chickasaw Nation as well as the world

Internet network documents the culture, legacy and continuing contributions of the Chickasaw people

By Bryan PainterToday, Chickasaw.tv is a high-definition, video-rich Internet network documenting the culture, legacy and continuing contributions of the Chickasaw people. Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, says the network does for the 47,000 Chickasaws worldwide, and the public as a whole, what that black-and-white set did for him as a 10-year-old: It opens doors to information they didn't have, or didn't have as readily before.

Having launched Jan. 1, the network already has drawn visitors from all 50 states and 50 countries, the latter including Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Brazil.And:With nine channels and more than 1,200 videos, the network features CNTV news, with current events and public affairs coverage.

“It's been a revelation, I think, to everyone to have easier, greater access to the rich story of their history,” said Jeanette Elliott, executive vice president, creative services for Ackerman McQueen.

“There are Chickasaws around the world, and having an online capability like this allows them to reach out and touch their culture and understand and appreciate what's going on,” she said.

The options for information are plentiful whether it's “Hearing Elders Speak Chickasaw” on the History and Cultural Channel, or “Tours to Our Homelands: A Spiritual Connection” on the Destinations Channel or “Bedre' Chocolate” on the Commerce Channel.

Some 135 Chickasaw leaders, artists, historians and heroes were interviewed for Chickasaw.tv, including former astronaut John Herrington, archaeological specialist LaDonna Brown and Neal McCaleb, a former Oklahoma transportation secretary and former director of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Cheyenne and Arapaho Educational TV and San Manuel Launches TV Channel.

First Indian chamber music festival

Tickets available for groundbreaking Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival


By Carrie BuckleyThere is still a chance to be a part of the history-making inaugural Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival, where both serious students of classical music and those with a more casual curiosity will find something of interest.
The festival is scheduled for June 3-5 at the McSwain Theatre in Ada, Okla.

Chickasaw Nation composer-in-residence Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate is serving as artistic director of this world’s first American Indian chamber music festival.

“The intention of the festival is to showcase American and Indian composers and performers,” said Tate.

Many of the top names among American Indian composers and performers of modern classical music will take part in the festival. This includes performances and instruction from Tate, Yaqui classical guitarist Gabriel Ayala, Voices of Change, Cherokee mezzo-soprano Barbara McAlister and New York City’s ETHEL string quartet.Comment:  For more on Chickasaw music, see Classical Album by Chickasaw Students and Multimedia Chickasaw Cultural Production.

Oklahoma Indian Country Guide

New guide features Oklahoma's American Indian attractions

The new Oklahoma Indian Country Guide is a great tool for assisting travelers in planning trips to Oklahoma's 90-plus tribal museums, historic sites, art galleries and more.

By Lindsay VidrineAmerican Indian experiences are some of the most sought-after by travelers coming to and through Oklahoma. To meet this demand, the state Tourism and Recreation Department recently unveiled a new specialty brochure called the Oklahoma Indian Country Guide.

“Oklahoma is a state comprised of many nations, languages and cultures. The Oklahoma Indian Country Guide is our way of lifting up these important stories and sites which add richness to the fabric of our state,” said Hardy Watkins, executive director of the state Tourism and Recreation Department.

This new guide is free and will assist travelers in planning trips to Oklahoma's 90-plus tribal museums, historic sites, art galleries and more, including a casino guide. Visitors can learn about the state's distinct culture and history through profiles detailing the 39 tribal nations of Oklahoma, more than any other state. The guide also features breathtaking artwork, historic photography, maps and major events and festivals.

“This brochure captures the beauty and diversity of Oklahoma's American Indian heritage, and we hope it will make it easier for travelers to experience these unique cultures and attractions firsthand,” Watkins said.

With new attractions opening recently such as the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur and Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum in Tahlequah, plus mainstays such as the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Cherokee Heritage Center and Standing Bear Park, Museum and Education Center, Oklahoma's museums and historic sites are world-class facilities that tell stories of the past while weaving in the modern-day culture of the people they represent.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Cherokees Plan John Ross Museum and Cherokee Nation Wins Rosebud Awards.

Chickasaw tourism center

Chickasaw Nation to open Bricktown tourism center

The Chickasaw Nation is getting ready to open a tourism office and information center in the century-old Bunte Candy Factory Building at 1 E Sheridan.

By Steve LackmeyerBricktown is set to become the "northern gateway” for the Chickasaw Nation as it prepares to open a tourism office and information center in the Bunte Candy Factory Building.

"Bricktown exemplifies the increasingly important role tourism is playing in Oklahoma's economy,” Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said. "Tourism is also becoming increasingly important in our tribe's business diversification efforts. We believe our presence in Bricktown will provide tremendous economic benefits for the Chickasaw Nation and the state of Oklahoma.”

"We're asked about American Indian culture a lot,” Huntington said. "As Oklahomans, we sometimes take for granted the rich tribal and American Indian culture we have, but it's not lost on our out-of-state and international visitors. And we have those in Bricktown on a regular basis. Our European and Asian visitors in particular are very interested in American Indian culture and history.”Some background information in a note attached to the article:The Chickasaw Nation is the 13th-largest federally recognized tribe in the United States. Its jurisdictional territory includes more than 7,600 square miles of south-central Oklahoma and features dozens of recreational and tourist attractions. The tribe's newest attraction, which will be featured at the new Bricktown office, is the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur. The venue offers interpretive exhibits and displays of Chickasaw art, culture and history on 109 acres of rolling hills and woodlands adjacent to the mineral waters of Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Other tribal attractions include Riverwind Casino, WinStar World Casinos, numerous smaller casinos, Remington Park racetrack, theaters, golf courses, campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks.Comment:  Interesting that the Cherokees emphasize historical monuments and cultural activities while the Chickasaws emphasize casinos and outdoors activities. Don't the Chickasaws have a strong historical presence in Oklahoma? If not, why not? Because they were merged with the Choctaw Nation for their first few decades in Oklahoma?

To compare Chickasaw tourism with Cherokee tourism, see Tahlequah Named Top 10 True Western Town and Cherokee Capitol is Historic Landmark.

The making of Pearl

Oklahoma-made aviation biopic “Pearl” to get state premiere Tuesday

By Brandy“Pearl” is the first feature film made by the Chickasaw Nation, which took on the project as an effort to preserve the tribe’s history and culture.

“It’s just a great way to keep stories alive and inspire future generations,” Rennke said. “And when I looked at all the different stories we had available—and there’s just tons of great Oklahoma and Native American and Chickasaw stories—‘Pearl’ just seemed to resonate.”

While developing the script in 2008, the screenwriters had at their disposal video interviews the tribe conducted with Carter-Scott before her death in 2005. Chickasaw Gov. Bill Anoatubby, who counted the aviatrix as a close friend, championed and consulted on the movie.

“People are very surprised that an Indian tribe could pull something like this off. Most of the tribes just don’t have the resources we’re fortunate enough to have,” Rennke said.

Still, the filmmakers worked on a tight budget, which they did not disclose. Director King Hollis said principal photography had to be completed in just 23 days, which meant putting in many 14-hour days.

“As far as the principals in the film, there was not one bad actor. It was the strongest cast I’ve ever been a part of,” said King, an indie filmmaker from Dallas.

After a nationwide search, Elijah DeJesus, 13, of Burbank, Calif., makes her film debut in the lead role. Dallas-based actors Angela Gair and Andrew Sensenig play Pearl’s parents.

Several Oklahoma performers were cast in key roles: Byng High School student Paden Brown, a Chickasaw, was cast as Pearl’s sister Arnetta; University of Oklahoma graduate Isabel Archuleta plays Pearl’s sister Opaletta; and Tom Huston Orr, director of OU’s School of Drama, portrays the iconic Wiley Post.Comment:  It's a shame that only one of the leading roles went to an Indian. But I'm glad the Chickasaws made this film and Gov. Anoatubby advised it. This could be the start of a whole gaming-fueled tribal entertainment industry.

For more on the subject, see Pearl Wins "Best of Show" and Pearl Sells Out.

Classical album by Chickasaw students

Album contains work by Chickasaw Nation student composersAmerica’s premier postclassical string quartet, ETHEL, recently announced the recording and creation of a new album of contemporary classical works by 11 American Indian students (ages 13-19) of the Chickasaw Nation. Slated for a Summer 2010 release on the Thunderbird Records label, the album is the first in history to release works of American Indian student composers (students of composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a citizen of and official composer-in-residence of the Chickasaw Nation). The recording session will take place Jan. 22-24 at Oklahoma City University’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music.

The recording project is made possible by the Chickasaw Nation and Gov. Bill Anoatubby, and is part of the ongoing groundbreaking initiatives created by the Chickasaw Nation Division of Arts and Humanities. ETHEL has brought several workshops, tours, and performances to hundreds of children of American Indian reservations over the ensemble’s 11-year history, both as part of ETHEL’s TruckStop® project, as well as in its role as Ensemble-in-Residence as part of the Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project (NACAP). Collectively, these experiences add an essential ingredient to the album.Comment:  For more on Chickasaw musicmaking, see Multimedia Chickasaw Cultural Production and Chickasaws Subsidize CD. For more on classical music, see Mixing Classical and Indigenous Music and Classical Native at the Kennedy Center.

Multimedia Chickasaw cultural production

‘Lowak Shoppala’ brings history, culture of Chickasaws to life

By Dana HudspethThree renowned Chickasaw artists, Jerod Tate, Linda Hogan and Margaret Roach Wheeler, will help bring Chickasaw culture to life at the Nov. 21 premiere, and Nov. 22 performance, of "Lowak Shoppala' (Fire and Light).

"These are three exceptionally talented individuals who have accomplished great things in the fields of music, literature and visual arts," said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anaotubby. "There is no doubt that they will create an incredibly moving production as they combine their talents with all the other talented individuals and groups involved in this project."The three artists and their roles:Chickasaw classical composer Jerod Tate was commissioned by the American Composers Forum Continental Harmony Project to create the music for the production.

"The title of the work comes directly out of the poetry of Linda Hogan," said Mr. Tate. "She composed a poem called fire and light for the tribe back in 2004. I was so moved by the poetry and the idea that I realized I wanted to use her poetry in the work as well."

"It's a multimedia work in that it's for theater, so it involves acting and staging and costumes and there's dance and soloists, singers, and the children's chorus and traditional dancers from the tribe as well," said Mr. Tate.

Textile artist Margaret Roach Wheeler created the costumes and set designs for the production.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.

Chickasaw area on state quarter

Chickasaw National Recreation Area to be Featured in United States Mint America the Beautiful QuarterThe United States Mint announced today that the nation will honor Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma through its new quarter-dollar coin program. The Chickasaw design will be the tenth to be featured on coins released under the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program, and will be issued in 2011.

A landmark in natural resource conservation, Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the first and only national park area in the United States established at the request of an Indian Tribe, the Chickasaw Nation. For over 100 years the park has been a refuge for outdoor tradition, a protected niche of parkland. Native Americans, early settlers of the surrounding plains, and present day Americans all have sought recreation here in shaded woodlands threaded by clear-running streams and dotted with mineral and freshwater springs. It was established as a national site in 1902.

The United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program is a multi-year initiative authorized by Public Law 110-456--the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. The Act directs the United States Mint to mint and issue 56 circulating quarter-dollar coins with reverse (tails side) designs emblematic of a national park or other national site in each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.Comment:  This state-quarter program will do a better job of representing Natives than the last state-quarter program.

The list of America the Beautiful quarters includes a couple of parks directly connected to Native cultures:

Iowa--Effigy Mounds National Monument

New Mexico--Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Several parks with strong ties to Native cultures--parks that were or are home to Natives--including:

Arizona--Grand Canyon National Park

California--Yosemite National Park

Florida--Everglades National Park

Oklahoma--Chickasaw National Recreation Area

And a couple of parks that might offend some Natives:

South Dakota--Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Texas--San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Note:  Are the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rushmore going to be in every set of state quarters? Perhaps the rules should say that no image can appear twice.

For more on the subject, see Ken Burns and Indians, Again and Review of American Indians and National Parks.

Below:  The present South Dakota quarter.