A portion of the discussion centered around general awareness and perceptions about the project and another part of the conversation focused on the positive attributes and challenges pertaining to the organizational name. We were also curious to get some reaction to a number of different positioning concepts to see if these had the potential to entice or compel someone to visit. Next we introduced some descriptive information and project images to see if these factors had the potential to influence decision making.

The four groups consisted of the following audience segments::

• Cultural Attendees without Children Living at Home
• Cultural Attendees with Children Living at Home
• Educators/Teachers of 4th and 9th - 12th Grades
• Tribal Adults

We would like to thank each participant who took time out of their busy schedules to contribute to our ongoing research.
Mvto (Thank you)

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

“Get up everybody and sing
Everyone can see we're together
As we walk on by
And we fly just like birds of a feather
I won't tell no lie
All of the people around us, they say
Can we be that close
Just let me state for the record
We're giving love in a family dose
We are family…”

Cheesy you say! Maybe? But together this small family gathers each day to combine their passion, enthusiasm, optimism and commitment to build a place like no other! This is no simple feat, it requires dreaming, risk taking, making mistakes and relying on each other with respect and gratitude. I hope you will take the opportunity to get to know our museum champions and the role each one of them play weaving the stories of Oklahoma American Indians together with dedication and integrity. Our organizational values & behaviors are the foundation or our family structure. What better way to build something for the future than in a family way?

NACEA/AICCM STAFF
Gena Timberman          
Ryan Barnett        
Nancy Fields         
Sue Fish         
Stacey Halfmoon        
Nathan Hart        
Debbie Lindsey          
Susan Manning         
Kimberly Rodriguez         
Veronica Simon         
Russ Tall Chief          
Shoshana Wasserman          
Amy Weaver         

Project Partners
Leslie Gee          
Neely Herndon         

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

Recently, I had one of those incredible opportunities to hear the passionate stories shared in collaboration from many of the project family team who have contributed so much toward the distinctiveness of this new museum. Each of the design partners reflected with fondness the early years that were spent in tribal communities learning about the intricacies of American Indian cultures, so they could develop a holistic concept that would be rich in story and cultural elements. We arrive at this celebratory moment in the museum’s development with a sense of purpose, gratitude and in the spirit of collaboration. Cooperation has been an emblem of this project since its inception. This story began a long time ago when American Indian people were removed to Indian Territory. Today it is known as Oklahoma. Okla Humma in the Choctaw language means Red People. It is appropriate that she be brought to life in this special place.

In the last five years, we have celebrated a series of significant milestones beginning with the Groundblessing Ceremony on November 1, 2005 when the various communities gathered in the spirit of cooperation to bless and prepare the site with the presence of community. We began the day before sunrise, as we have done traditionally for thousands of years, lighting a new fire expressing gratitude and honoring the past, rejoicing in the present and eagerly anticipating the future.

Following the Groundblessing Cerremony, this Brownfield Site began a remarkable period of healing as the site remediation commenced. These efforts were the result of shared vision and commitment between partners such as the OERB, and Oklahoma Corporation Commission to rejuvenate the land.

We rejoiced in the completion of the Central Promontory Mound, the completion of the Visitor Center, the beginning of construction on the main gallery building spaces and most recently marveled at the moment when the Hall of the People steel was erected 90’ in the air.

It is appropriate that throughout the next year we will continue to peel back the layers revealing her unique voice and distinction as we unearth her personality and identity.

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

OklaVision was recently featured in Stuttgart, Germany at the Creativity World Forum with a tremendous response from European audiences! OklaVision has some very impressive target market users with about 2,000 viewers per day who are spending an average of 20 minutes on the site. That is a phenomenal amount of time spent on the site when you consider that most people spend and average of 3-5 minutes on such sites. Visitation to the OklaVision site includes all 50 states including Washington D.C. and 148 countries.  OklaVision’s companion site Travelok.com is a more typical HTML site which provides in-depth content about travel and tourism in Oklahoma.

OklaVision, presented by the Chickasaw Nation in partnership with the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, is a pioneering online video network focused on the rich cultural and travel attractions located across this state. The 16 channels offer more than two thousand videos – all organized and searchable with highly visual navigation tools in addition to the main navigation menu. Further enhancing the library are documentaries from OETA and other sources, and movie trailers for upcoming art/indie cinema venues.

A “welcome” video greets the user’s first-time arrival on any channel, as does a message from an Oklahoma ambassador representing the channel’s content.

OKV LIVE
The live show weekdays at noon (CST) has enjoyed a growing audience and  also airs live on Cox Communications Cable channel 7 in Oklahoma City and channel 3 in Tulsa. The latest five OKV Live shows are found in the Program Guide. Or click for Podcasts of the show. 

A news ticker at the bottom allows users to click on any event for complete information.

Tabs in the bottom right corner of the screen offer FAQs and user assistance.

 

Seven remote camera locations in Tulsa, Norman and OKC take the live show statewide for a diverse lineup of guest appearances. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma Aquarium, Oklahoma History Center, POPS 66, Riverwind Casino and Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium.

Menu choices are:

WESTERN CULTURES

ART & ARCHITECTURE

ATTRACTIONS

LAKES, RIVERS & FALLS

LANDS AND RECREATION

STATE PARKS

ROUTE 66

FARMS & WINERIES

THE CHICKASAW NATION

CITIES & TOWNS

OKLAHOMA CITY

TULSA

HOTELS & LODGING

EVENTS, FILMS & MUSIC

OKLAVISION HOME

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

The Oklahoma Indian Tourism Association would be a collective with no one institution taking ownership, quarterly meetings would be hosted at different venues across the state; so we could all become advocates and better acquainted with the array of resources we were promoting collectively.  We established as a Linkedin group under the name of Oklahoma Indian Tourism Association as a means for communication to host online discussions and continued communication between quarterly meetings.  Meetings in 2009 were held at AICCM Visitor Center, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, and the Oklahoma Governors’ Conference on Tourism in Tulsa.

Some of the 2009 highlights & accomplishments include:

• Consistent meeting attendance of appx. 15 people per meeting
• OITa was well represented at the American Indian Alaskan Indian Tourism (AIANTA) conference in Santa Fe, NM
• Discover America will feature Oklahoma as part of a 2-page spread in AIANTA’s, Plains Region 
• OITa featured as a General Session at the 2009 Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Tourism

The 2010 1st quarter meeting was held at the Washita Memorial Battlefield in Cheyenne, Oklahoma on January 12, 2010 with 5 new participants joining the group and a renewed sense of commitment by all to increase awareness about the association with a desire to get all of the 39 tribes in Oklahoma involved, who desire to be a part of the momentum. 

It was a very productive day for the OITa and a very meaningful day at such an important site. Following the meeting the group watched the 27 minute film produced by the National Park Service. The film was very emotional and moving; next we toured the museum and then went on a walking tour on the designated trails while the guide pointed out the exact locations where the massacre took place. The whole experience made a significant impact on all.  As we arrived in Cheyenne we were focused on the OITa meeting. As we left, our sense of purpose was still on OITa, but the experience reminded us all why the association is so important in the first place.  Our attractions, events and experiences share the history, present day reality and future of Native people in Oklahoma. We are the voices that share authentic stories with visitors and remind all what a unique place Oklahoma has always been and continues to be today.

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

Patricia Bays Haroski is given credit for creating National Boss's Day on October 16, 1958 when she registered the holiday with the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Four years later National Boss's Day was officially proclaimed and has served as an opportunity for employees to express gratitude to their superiors. It is often viewed as nothing more than a marketing strategy capitalizing on people’s sentiment, but if we pause to recognize those that lead, we all benefit from the expression of gratitude.

I am reminded that Native people have a long history and vibrant expressions of gratitude engrained in our traditional ceremonies and contemporary cultural gatherings.

Our 21st Century Mound positioned on the banks of the Oklahoma River symbolically reminds us that this place has always been a place where leaders were honored and appreciated with the presence of moundbuilding cultures dating back over a thousand years. Ancient mounds were erected to honor leadership and to care for ancestors who had passed from this world. Traditionally leaders were chosen by the tribal members because of a set of characteristics that illustrated their ability to form consensus within the community. When an individual assumed the role of tribal leader they accepted the lifestyle and became a servant to the people. The greatest leaders where those who considered the well being of the entire nation first. These leaders would often give their own resources for the benefit of the whole tribe.

As we celebrate the 2009 National Bosses day it seems appropriate to remember all of the ancestors who perished on their journey to this place, to acknowledge all who endured the voyage from original homelands sustaining culture while adapting to a new day in a new homeland with optimism, strength and resiliency. We recognize the many contemporary leaders who have nurtured the vision for a place to serve as a living center for cultural expression promoting awareness and understanding for all people regarding Oklahoma American Indian cultures and heritage. In the near future the entire world will have a place to experience many different Native cultures from different parts of the country because of a unique history.

I am very grateful to tribal leaders, federal, state, city a community leaders who continue to protect and support the project, an amazing tribal advisors working group who developed the conceptual framework for the story, the design and planning team who continue to defy the odds and create a place like no other, to an amazing board of directors who consistently offer their expertise and wisdom as they guide us on this uncharted course and to our executive director who is a person of incredible integrity, commitment and who is not afraid to make bold unprecedented decisions.

Gena Timberman instills a sense of pride, accountability and passion within the staff that is invigorating, empowering and mutually respectful. AICCM is truly a once-in-a-lifetime project. The work is meaningful and the work environment is filled with a family of employees who bring very special qualities and gifts.  Thank you to each of you who lead in your own special way each and every day. 

	Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

A little over two months ago we began the planning to move the Oklatravelnet studios to the AICCM Visitor Center. I am definitely a “glass ½ full” thinker. I have to admit that as we sat at the first meeting with everyone’s enthusiasm and passion bubbling to the surface I thought, “Yes, we can accomplish this if all conditions work in our favor, but the visitor center doesn’t have infrastructure in place to accomplish this lofty goal on such an aggressive schedule.” The AICCM staff, design/construction and Oklatravelnet teams united and developed a plan to catapult forward. All members worked vigilantly to make today a reality!

As I entered the building this morning with the wind whipping through my hair, I was beaming from ear to ear and my heart was bursting with joy and exhilaration. I watched the crew prepare to make this first show a reality, following them around to capture their activities, as if they were walking on the moon for the first time. As the countdown began I entered into the world of technology to try to share my vantage point with all those in cyberspace. It was as if I had journeyed to the top of the promontory mound to offer a lulu for the entire world to hear. WE ARE HERE…

And yet here we sit on this day~

in a completed Visitor Center, with a 21st Century Mound in view, reminding us of a significant past and promising a future full of possibilities. Outside we hear the sound of trucks moving steel and see the skeleton of the museum as she stands awaiting her destiny.  

There is an amazing circularity of life that can be seen in the architecture comprised of two concentric circles, recognized in vibrant communities across the state and felt in the incredible excitement of this day. The Visitor Center is symbolic serving as a satellite connecting all of the arts and culture across Oklahoma.  As guests arrive to share their incredible events, attractions and cultural heritage that make OKLAHOMA distinctive, we understand that even the state’s name is indicative of something special. 

Okla homma meaning Red People in the Choctaw language. 

Even on this day filled with exuberance and intense joy we are reminded of the balance and circularity of life.

This week in AICCM’s connected Native family, we experience jubilation and sadness in harmony. We have lost a young twelve year old boy, full of life, who participated in the Edmond Indian Education summer camp this past summer at the Visitor Center, a Ponca elder whose voice and words will always be heard in AICCM’s narrative and a contemporary Comanche writer, scholar and friend will be committed to Oklahoma’s Earth this week as the circle continues.

This is as it should be…for what is joy without sorrow.

	Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek  Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

Early Sunday morning I boarded the Navajo Nation Bus for the first mobile workshop excursion to Jemez Mountain Trail Scenic Byway and Bandelier Monument. As we traveled there were a number guides on the bus who talked about the Jemez people, geography and the Scenic Byways partnership. Park rangers took us on a guided tour of the cliff dwellings.  The guides were very knowledgeable but shared everything from a third person perspective.  Next stop was the Walatowa Visitors Center in the red rocks area of the Jemez Pueblo. The Walatowa elder women’s group graced us with song and fellowship while one of their male elders translated their songs from the Towa language into English.

Monday mornings mobile workshop took us to Puye Cliffs Dwelling National Historic Landmark. I had been there many years ago when visitors were permitted to roam free with little guidance or accountability. The last time I was there I climbed up the ladders to the top of the mesa and then could not manage to get myself back down the ladders when I looked at the distance below.  Now the Santa Clara people having taken a different approach and offer guided tours to specific areas to protect their homeland from incessant vandalism and graffitti which had been a problem in the past. Puye Cliffs is the ancestral home of Santa Clara Pueblo supported 1,500 people from 1100 to 1580 A.D. Porter, a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo and our tour guide extrodinaire took us to the top of the mesa sharing what daily life was like historically and recalling childhood memories running all acorss the site as well as the ceremonies that continue to take place there today. His command of the language, rich personal stories, and charming sense of humor made this a memorable experience that had contemporary cultural relevance.

The conference sessions began Tuesday morning with approximately 270 participant from all over the U.S. Keynote and General session speakers included: Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the largest national Indian organization representing over 250 member Tribal Nations; Sammye Meadows, editor of Enough Good People. She served as Cultural Awareness Coordinator for the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, working for the Circle of Tribal Advisors from 2000 to 2007. Sandra Necessary currently serves as the Director of the U.S. Export Assistance Center of the U.S. Commercial Service in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Ropata Taylor is of Ngati Rarua and Te Atiawa descent and works for the economic arm of his tribal confederation Wakatu Incorporation as a General Manager in New Zealand. Taylor challenged all to remember that Native places and culture are a way of life rather than just a vehicle for tourism. There was also several Oklahoma Indian Tourism Association members from Oklahoma attending the conference and participating in the Southern Plains Region discussions. 

The closing reception featured Native Music Rocks! A production of and sponsored by First American Music and Entertainment Production, LLC. featuring Grammy Award Winner Micki Free, Keith Secola, Shea, Levi and the Plateros, Casper, Martha Redbone Cindy Blackman and more. 

	Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

Dr. Khosrow Bozorgi, Ph.D. Arch., Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Oklahoma's School of Architecture brought his fifth year architecture students to the AICCM Visitor Center today to learn about the site wide development goals and the aspirations of the project. He has challenged his class to develop an adjacent property on the NE side of the project that will compliment our project or benefit from AICCM. The group seemed very interested to learn how the AICCM project began and how it will be programmed in the future. They seemed especially interested when I referenced the behind the scenes architectural and engineering nuances.

I always get so inspired when students use our project as a point of reference to develop class projects. As I look at each one of them I see bright, creative minds trying to get their heads wrapped around the magnitude of this development. I can empathize and vividly remember how difficult it was to figure out who all the design and project partners were when I began in 2005?  I literally had to draw a spoke diagram to get all the relationships organized in my mind. Now the students will use our website and other resources to help them develop a comprehensive plan. I look forward to seeing all of your presentations in December. Best of luck to all of you!

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org

Gena will be honored at the 34th Annual Indian Progress in Business (INPRO) event, which will be held at the “Native American 40 Under 40 Recognition Reception”on Friday, September 18, 2009, at the Crowne Plaza Tulsa Hotel in downtown Tulsa. The INPRO 2009 Awards Banquet is a prestigious Native American recognition event acknowledging accomplishments and contributions made by American Indians and those who support their economic and business development endeavors.  One of the highlights of the awards banquet is the presentation of scholarship awards presented to top American Indian undergraduate or graduate students majoring in business who have demonstrated a commitment to giving back to the American Indian community.  Additionally, a portion of the proceeds raised support the mission of the National Center. www.ncaied.org

Founded in 1969, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is the first national non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation created and directed by American Indians, solely dedicated to developing American Indian economic self-sufficiency through business ownership.NCAIED supplies technical assistance and consulting services in all areas of business development to American Indian owned small businesses and tribal enterprise operations. NCAIED also works with federal government agencies, corporations and foundations to facilitate a business relationship between American Indian enterprises and private industry. NCAIED envisions the birth of more businesses established by and employing American Indians while positively impacting all Indian Nations. "We Mean Business for American Indians"

“Native American 40 Under 40” Honorees
 
1. Adam Kennedy, Seneca Nations of Indians
2. Ann Marie Machamer, Coastal Band Chumash Nation
3. April Wittemore Locklear, Lumbee
4. Brandon YellowBird Stevens, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
5. Brian Busey, Cherokee
6. Cara Cowan-Watts, Cherokee
7. Carmen Davis, Makah Nation/Chippewa-Cree/Yakama Tribe
8. Cherrah Quiett, Muscogee (Creek) Nation & Cherokee
9. Chris Province, Cherokee
10. Christina S. Theodorou, Lumbee Nation of NC
11. Clara Pratte, Navajo
12. Craig Cooke, St. Regis Mohawk
13. Cyrus Ben, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
14. Danelle Smith, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
15. Deborah Reed, Cherokee
16. Donna Bach, Oorutsaramiut Native Council - Yupik Eskimo-Calista Region
17. Douglas Fifer, CIRI
18. Gabriel Galanda, Round Valley Indian Tribe
19. Gena Timberman, Choctaw
20. James Anderson, Choctaw/Ojibwe
21. James Robinson, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
22. Jason Coochwytewa, Isleta Pueblo/Hopi
23. Jason Giles, Muscogee Creek
24. Jeremy Marshall, Cherokee Nation
25. Jessica Moore, Osage/Otoe/Pawnee/Sac & Fox
26. Kerry Patterson, Seneca
27. Kimberly Teehee, Cherokee Nation of OK
28. Nikishna Polequaptewa, Hopi
29. Philip Busey, Cherokee
30. Richard Tallbear, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate
31. Robin Williams, Kiowa/Apache/Nez Perce/Umatilla/Assiniboine
32. Sahar Nouri, MD, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
33. Sarah Lukin, Native Village of Afognak
34. Stacey Thunder, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
35. Stuart Paisano, Pueblo of Sandia
36. Tiffany Ellis, Muscogee (Creek) Nation
37. Vernelle Chase, Gros-Ventre
38. Veronica Hix, Cherokee
39. Wayne Don, Cupik
40. Zackeree Kelin, Caddo Nation

Shoshana Wasserman, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town & Muscogee Creek Director of Marketing & Public Relations shoshanaw@aiccm.org