Amanda Rutland/MCNPR
IRVINE, Ca. — The Muscogee (Creek) Nation held the California At-Large Community Gathering July 21, which is an annual outreach to the at-large citizens of California for the purpose of bringing services and information to the community. The gathering took place at the University of California campus at Irvine.
The state of California has the highest population of tribal members more than 4,700 members, and second only to Oklahoma. Approximately 300 at-large citizens attended the Gathering.
The gathering consisted of informational booths and presentations. Some 20 departments and programs participated in the event including: Citizenship, Election Board, Social Services, Realty Trust Services, Cultural Preservation, Veterans Affairs, Mvskoke Language Program, and more.
During the presentations, attendees had opportunities to ask questions during a panel with Principal Chief James R. Floyd, Second Chief Louis Hicks, National Council Speaker Lucian Tiger and Second Speaker David Hill.
Over the course of the day, The Election Board registered 20 new voters and updated information for seven and Citizenship reported 13 new citizen enrollments, 112 card replacements and 14 CDIB applications.
The MCN Department of Education was in charge of organization for the event. Secretary of Education Greg Anderson said at-large outreach is important because it fosters the relationship between at-large citizens and the Nation.
“The exchange of information and fellowship between attendees and staff from 20 MCN tribal programs strengthened our relationship and commitment to meaningful communication, identifying needs and sharing available resources and services with our tribal citizens outside the MCN jurisdictional area. It also sends a strong message reaffirming that they are recognized as a priority by our tribal leaders and program staff,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the response to the event has been positive.
“Over the last week, we have received calls and emails expressing appreciation for bringing tribal programs and services to the citizens of California and the west coast. In the following weeks, our DET staff will be compiling information and reviewing recommendations to build on the success of the gathering and begin planning for future visits. I thank the University of California- Irvine, our tribal leadership, programs, staff and the citizens who participated and contributed to make this a successful event.”
The next at-large outreach is the Arizona At-Large Gathering Aug. 18 in Tucson, Ariz. Approximately 1,000 invitations have been mailed to citizens in the region.
