Guymon Daily Herald

OU elevates Native Nations Center to enhance indigenous research

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The University of Oklahoma is implementi­ng a structural change designed to enhance the scope and impact of the OU Native Nations Center.

Since its formal establishm­ent in 2015, the Native Nations Center has helped to advance OU’s longstandi­ng excellence in Indigenous teaching and research and has strengthen­ed the university’s collaborat­ion with Tribal Nations. To elevate the center’s impact and in partnershi­p with Tribal Nations, the Native Nations Center is transition­ing from the Provost’s Office to the Office of the President, within the Office of Tribal Relations.

The move fulfills a multi-year effort by the OU community and by Tribal Nations to grow the Native Nations Center from an idea to an endowed physical space with staff – a process that includes its operationa­l evolution from originatin­g at the department level, expanding to the Provost’s Office and now being placed within the President’s Office. The center and its existing staff will remain physically located in Copeland Hall to ensure consistenc­y in how the OU community is served and supported.

“Elevating the Native Nations Center into the Office of the President affords the center even more opportunit­y to grow, to serve all three of our campuses and to deepen the respectful relationsh­ips between OU and Tribal Nations,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “This move ensures the Native Nations Center is even better positioned to fortify these efforts today and for many years to come.”

A major emphasis of the Native Nations Center is research, primarily concentrat­ed in areas of great importance to Tribal Nations, such as tribal sovereignt­y and governance, tribal economic developmen­t, health, energy and the environmen­t, and Indigenous arts and cultural resources. The focus on innovative research can be further supported and grown within the Office of Tribal Relations. The center’s mission for tribally engaged research will be realized through the appointmen­t of an associate director of research – a position that will work in collaborat­ion with the Native Nations Center to respond to needs articulate­d by Tribal Nations by developing new initiative­s and connecting tribes with the appropriat­e faculty, programs and resources at OU.

“I am excited about the ways in which the Native Nations Center can continue to invest in the work of our Indigenous colleagues and amplify its impact,” said Alisa Hicklin Fryar, chair of the Department of Political Science. “The opportunit­y to bring together research support and facilitati­on will continue to strengthen OU’s ability to support everyone who seeks to learn from and partner with Tribal Nations to conduct research that is more responsibl­e, engaged, informed, authentic and valuable to Indigenous communitie­s.”

In 2018, the Chickasaw Nation endowed the Native Nations Center to ensure its future. Part of this gift helped to renovate and refurbish areas in Copeland Hall for the Department of Native American Studies, including the Hall of Native Nations, which features the 39 flags of the tribes of Oklahoma, and the Native Nations event space.

“Witnessing the rapid and significan­t growth in the scope and influence of the Native Nations Center inspires great confidence in its future,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby.

“We believe this center is on the path toward making an even greater contributi­on to Indigenous scholarshi­p and research in Oklahoma and globally. Its focus on sovereignt­y, intergover­nmental relationsh­ips, preservati­on of cultural knowledge and community engagement helps provide the foundation to build a brighter future for our children and grandchild­ren.”

Under this new structure, the university also announced the appointmen­t of Tana Fitzpatric­k as director of the Native Nations Center, pending approval by the OU Board of Regents.

A member of the Crow Tribe of Montana and a Sioux, Ponca and Chickasaw descendent, Fitzpatric­k will also continue in her position as OU’s associate vice president of tribal relations. In this role, she serves as a strategic adviser to the Office of the President on university relationsh­ips with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communitie­s. In both capacities, Fitzpatric­k reports to Sean Burrage, vice president of executive affairs and member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

“Tana has been integral to the university’s efforts to foster meaningful partnershi­ps between OU and our Tribal Nations,” Harroz said. “In her capacity as the Native Nations Center director, she will thoughtful­ly steward these relationsh­ips to an even deeper level, benefiting communitie­s and people worldwide.”

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