Tulsa commission advances Native American Day planning; parks committee selects native‑owned design firm pending city sign‑off

The Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission on May 20 updated members on preparations for Native American Day, changes to event registration and communications, and early steps toward design work at Dreamkeepers Park.

Director of Tribal Policy and Partnerships Amanda Swope told commissioners the commission’s main email account has been transferred to the public relations committee to manage outreach and vendor/vendor‑participant registration, and said the city communications team will help create a dedicated event webpage and save‑the‑date materials. “I did get control of the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs email,” Swope said. She said the commission is trying to stop using Eventbrite for vendor and participant registration and expects the city to host a page linked from the city website.

Vice Chair Daniel Carter encouraged commissioners to track federal policy developments through a newly formed information resource he described as the Coalition of Tribal Sovereignty and urged attendance at a June 3 federal consultation session in Oklahoma about proposed program changes, noting the group supplies templates and talking points for tribes and tribal representatives.

The parks committee reported it interviewed six finalists and unanimously selected a native‑owned landscape firm described as a landscape (rather than purely architectural) practice to design Dreamkeepers Park. The committee member presenting the selection said the firm ‘‘listened’’ to the commission and applied cultural concepts the committee found compelling; committee members stressed the appointment is not final until the mayor signs the contract and the selection moves through normal city procurement and review processes. The presenter said the firm would be formally notified after the mayor signs paperwork, which the presenter expected within days.

Swope also summarized other city coordination: a utility review for Council Oak and Stickfall Park found Public Service Company easements that will need to be maintained; staff are drafting inclusion language and paperwork and expect those matters resolved in roughly 30–45 days. She said the mayor and mayoral staff recently toured Muscogee (Creek) Nation facilities and met tribal leaders to discuss ongoing settlement discussions and other intergovernmental matters.

Committee scheduling and logistics were discussed: the Native American Day committee will meet June 11 to review parade and vendor layout and finalize registration links. Commissioners said the commission will aim to circulate save‑the‑date cards and registration links as soon as the city completes artwork and the communications team posts event pages.

Procedural business: the commission approved the March minutes (motion made; second by Commissioner Joyce Roberts) and approved the April minutes (motion and second recorded) during the May 20 meeting. The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn passed.

Commission leaders said they will report updates on Dreamkeepers Park and Native American Day at the commission’s June meeting.