FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2019
Muscogee (Creek) Nation Dignitaries, Staff Welcome New Mexico Area Citizens to Learn About Available Services
SANTA FE, N.M. – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation At-Large Citizen’s Office held the 4th Annual New Mexico Quarterly Outreach Gathering May 11, at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
MCN Principal Chief James R. Floyd, Second Chief Louis A. Hicks and the MCN New Mexico At-Large community welcomed citizens to fellowship while learning about the Nation’s programs and services.
Muscogee (Creek) citizen and New Mexico resident, Kenneth Johnson, said this year’s gathering was a success with attendees coming from Colorado, Arizona, Texas and of course, New Mexico.
“We had a good response from our community but we really appreciate all the Okies that came down I-40 one more time to join us for some green chile chicken enchiladas,” Johnson said.
Principal Chief Floyd also spoke to citizens during the At-Large event and shared the Nation’s latest successful milestones in the U.S. Congress including the amendments cited in S. 943, the Johnson-O’Malley Supplemental Indian Education Program Modernization Act and H.R. 2606, the Stigler Act Amendments of 2018.
S. 943 now holds the Bureau of Indian Education and the U.S. Department of Interior responsible for carrying out the new legislation, which includes conducting an annual student count in order to award more accurate monetary contract amounts based on the number of Native American students served.
While H.R. 2606 now allows the law ensure that citizens of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma are treated the same as citizens of all other U.S. federally-recognized tribes, who under federal law were never governed to meet any arbitrary blood quantum requirement to keep ancestral land in restricted fee status when it comes to land in trust status.
The event allowed the out-of-state citizens to ask questions regarding recent legislation, as well as inquire about available MCN services.
There were presentations from members of the MCN Election Board, who were on-site registration for citizens as Absentee Voters by the Election Board, as well as the MCN Office of Citizenship, who were available for citizens to apply for the Enhanced Tribal Card.
Other MCN services available during the gathering included Realty & Trust Services, Higher Education, Language, Social Services, Mvskoke Media, Cultural Preservation and Creek Tourism among other programs.
The At-Large Citizens’ Office was created to assist with tribal services’ outreach, as well as promote ongoing relations with citizens, specifically with those who live outside of the Nation’s juridiction.
The Nation’s At-Large Citizens’ Office consists of two parts – At-Large: In-State and At-Large: Out of State, which assists with providing program information specific to the citizens’ needs, depending on where they reside.
The At-Large Tribal Liaison who coordinates oversees both departmental entities with the various MCN programs in order to assist the citizens living outside the Nation’s boundaries, who otherwise may be less informed of all the services available to them.
In addition to putting out-of-state citizens in touch with the appropriate programs and point of contacts, the outreach efforts also consist of hosting events in various locations, both in and out of state.
Each outreach event provides an opportunity for citizens in the area to learn more about available services in person and speak with the knowledgeable staff members of each program.
The MCN At-Large Citizen Services Guide is also a resource for citizens to use as a reference and lists each program and the summarized details such as eligibility, contacts, deadlines and updates.
The MCN At-Large Citizen Services Guide is available online, to view or as a PDF download, which can be found on the Nation’s website at: //www.muscogeenation.com/out-of-state-at-large/
For more information on upcoming At-Large Quarterly Outreach events or other inquiries, contact the At-Large Citizens’ Office at 918-732-7752.
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