September 15, 2018

Chickasaw Nation News

In this episode of CNTV News, Brad Clonch and Quin Tran take us to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Chickasaw Nation's newest community center and senior center in Oklahoma City. "This is the very first time that we've built facilities like this outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation," says Governor Bill Anoatubby, "So it's a big, big step for us." The nearly 22,000-square-foot community center offers space for banquets and other events, while the senior center is designed like a retreat, covering 24 acres and including a lake, green space and areas for outdoor activities. And in Achille, a groundbreaking ceremony took place for another new community center. In addition to these two, the Chickasaw Nation maintains community centers in Ada, Ardmore, Tishomingo and Marshall County. In Ada, young Chickasaws participated in the Toksali SMART Program, learning about entrepreneurship by strategizing and running tabletop businesses. Customers are encouraged to listen to the students' pitches and to purchase items from them. The Chickasaw Nation offers this program, which also teaches participants about higher education resources and career opportunities, every summer. The Chickasaw Institute celebrated its second graduation ceremony, recognizing 20 students who completed training in five different programs. The Institute offers career development and certification courses free of charge for Chickasaw citizens, with paid on-the-job training and career placement available to transition participants into the working world. One Chickasaw Institute graduate with an inspiring story is Felicia Barr, who completed the computer technician training program and is currently employed with the IT department of the Chickasaw Nation, helping employees to resolve computer and other technology issues. Training is held in various locations; to learn more about the Chickasaw Institute, call (580) 310-7904. And don't forget to mark September 28 through October 6 on your calendar for the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival! Many activities and events will take place at this gathering, including Governor Anoatubby's State of the Nation Address on October 6. You will be able to watch highlights from the weeklong gathering here on CNTV.

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