Native American Cultural Center

[Patrick]

The Native American Cultural Center is one step closer to reality. The city council approved the lease for the land. This is a step in the right direction. Hopefully all of the money will come through.

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"Council approves land lease


By Bryan Dean
The Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Council members agreed Tuesday to lease former park land for the site of a proposed $110 million American Indian Cultural Center.
The center, scheduled to open in 2007, will be between Interstate 35 and Eastern Avenue along the Oklahoma River, just south of downtown.

The council voted Tuesday to lease 298 acres of land to the state Native American Cultural and Educational Authority for use as a cultural center at a price of $1 per year for 50 years.

The agreement gives the authority the option to renew the lease for future 50-year terms or buy the land at any time for fair market value.

Mayor Mick Cornett said the cultural center has been a long time coming and should be a focal point of development along the river."

[Midtowner]

Maybe they'll turn it into a casino

[Patrick]

Well, casinos are part of Native American Culture!

[Midtowner]

Well, casinos are part of Native American Culture!

I think we are both very insensative and need to be banned.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I disagree. You are both in my top 3. I'm number one, heh.

[Luke]

I look forward to seeing progress on this Native American Cultural Center!

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Oh good. That's just what we need. I hope we aren't paying for this Native American bull crap. Heck, we can't even enforce American law on Indian property!

[swake]

Why can't you enforce American law on trust lands?

State law you are correct, tribal laws apply instead of state law and tribal police enforce those laws, but federal laws most certainly apply. But why bother with facts.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Either the state or the city are paying for it, it aint Uncle Sam!

[Midtowner]

Could be the tribes. I do know that whoever is leasing the land got a hell of a deal.

[Patrick]

The Cultural Center is being funded through a combination of federal grants, state investments, city investments, and personal contributions, and well as corporate contributions.

As for the price....well, that land has been considered to be on a flood plain for years. At this point the city/River Trust is simply trying to make something happen down there with land they own. They're not really concerned about turning a profit on the land yet.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

That's for sure b/c Indian existance has never been profitable for Oklahoma.

[metro]

Indian center start date set

By Judy Gibbs Robinson
The Oklahoman

Construction of the long-promised American Indian Cultural Center on the south shore of the Oklahoma River will begin Nov. 1.
"We're going to break ground on this cultural center. We've set a date," Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby, chairman of the Native American Cultural and Educational Authority, announced Wednesday evening.

Applause erupted from an audience of political and civic leaders -- Indian and non-Indian -- at a reception to celebrate the closing of a $33 million revenue bond issue for the center. The bonds cap years of fund-raising that secured federal, state and city commitments along with more than $2 million in private donations.

Total cost of the project, which will be built on about 300 acres of city land between Interstates 35 and 40 and Eastern Avenue, is estimated at $135 million.

Many of those at the reception had been working on the project since 1994, when the Legislature established the authority to develop an Indian cultural center. Others were there before that, when the idea was in its infancy.

"I do remember in the early '90s we started talking about the dream," Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin said. "This dream has become a reality."

The center is scheduled to open Nov. 16, 2007 -- Oklahoma's centennial.

"Governor, we're going to have to really hurry to get everything going by 2007 and to get some things up," Fallin said.

"We're going to have something to celebrate on Statehood Day in 2007," Anoatubby responded.

The date that was of more concern to chief architect Bill Fain was the Nov. 1 start of construction, only five months away.

"We'll have to put twice as many people on the job. Terrific," he noted dryly.

He got no sympathy from an audience eager for Oklahoma to have a long-promised, world-class venue to showcase the story of the state's 39 federally recognized tribes.

"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come," Mayor Mick Cornett said. "I think that's the result of all the people in this room and all the hard work that's gone into it."

Anoatubby said, "I can't find the words to truly express myself when it comes to this day. It's a day for us. It's a day for Oklahoma."