Cherokee Nation Great Partner for Oklahoma’s Future
Chuck Hoskin Jr. Secretary of State Cherokee Nation
• Primary economic engine for Oklahoma and NW Arkansas. • Annually, Cherokee Nation and its business ventures has a $1.55 billion impact on Oklahoma. • Direct employment: 11,000 people in northeast Oklahoma. • Indirect employment: 14,000 people. • $426 million in direct labor payments • $1.2 billion in direct economic output
Cherokee Nation Today
• Sovereign tribal government, encompassing all or part of 14 counties in northeast Oklahoma. • About half of 350,000 citizens reside within boundaries of Cherokee Nation. • Cherokees make our region strong.
Cherokees Built a Foundation
• Founded the Cherokee Male and Female Seminaries. • The Cherokee Female Seminary was one of the first institutions of higher learning for women west of the Mississippi River. • Today, that institution is known as Northeastern State University.
Commitment to Public Education
$45 Million distributed since 2002.
Cherokee Nation Invests in Education • Car Tag Compact: Awarded more than $5.0 million in donations to 107 school districts this year. Cherokee Nation Scholarships
Cherokee College Scholarships
• Every Cherokee who applied and qualified for a scholarship, received one. • 4,000 scholarships were awarded this fall. • That’s an investment of almost $13 million.
Talking Leaves Program
• Talking Leaves Job Corps Center is currently ranked 61 out of 125 centers across the U.S. • Last year we had 34 GED earned and 65 High School Diplomas. • 110 students placed in Jobs. • Today, 197 students that are currently enrolled. • 99% of the current student population is from Oklahoma.
Growing OK’s Workforce • More than 25.% of Oklahomans without a high school degree are in poverty. • Oklahoma has created an Attainment Task Force dedicated to achieving a goal of 70% of the population with post- secondary education by 2025. More education, more opportunities
Partnerships, including Cherokee Nation, State of Oklahoma, schools and private and private employers, can help drive positive change.