Copyright cherokeephoenix
WARNER, Okla. – Grateful members of a Cherokee-focused community group gathered alongside Cherokee Nation leaders Oct. 22 to celebrate a permanent home just outside the small town of Warner. “We are beyond blessed,” an emotional Sarah Cowett said on behalf of the organization called Southern Cherokee Helpers. “We worked so hard for this. We lost two members along the way. They would have been so proud to see the place today.” Cowett, president of the group, and her fellow members have dreamed of a permanent home since 2018 when Southern Cherokee Helpers was formed to promote tribal culture in Muskogee County. “We waited seven years,” she said. “We’re full of gratitude for everybody that made this possible for us.” Thanks to the Cherokee Nation, a new 5,500-square-foot building sits on 10 acres just feet outside Warner city limits at 17216 S. Hwy. 64. Constructed on the site of various former businesses, the facility will be operated by Southern Cherokee Helpers, which is a CN Community and Cultural Outreach-participating organization. “This is a $2.5 million investment in a community that certainly deserves it,” CN Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “A building is important. The investment is important. But what really matters is the people that make it work. They have been building community long before there was a community building.” Funding for Southern Cherokee Helpers in part comes from grants facilitated by the Cherokee Nation. The group has organized traditional classes in basket weaving, beadwork, cooking and more. “Southern Cherokees Helpers started out as a new group when I first started at CCO,” CN Community and Cultural Outreach Executive Director Savannah Smith said. “Starting out as a new group isn’t easy. To see them get to this point today is such a milestone for their community organization. They hold several annual events, some of those being an annual Easter egg hunt, an annual fishing derby and a yearly donation box-drive to assist elders. So, I’m excited for them to be able to do a lot of this here in this building.” According to Cowett, approximately 20 to 30 members attend Southern Cherokee Helpers board meetings while cultural events attract hundreds. “Every time we have an event, it just explodes,” she said. “We have a lot of classes coming up. We have a lot of events that we’re looking forward to, and new memberships. We hope to have our doors open soon. We invite everybody to come out when they can and join us.” Their new space includes a computer lab, commercial kitchen and fitness area. Investments like the community building are made possible in part by the Cherokee Nation’s historic Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act. In recent years, the Cherokee Nation has built, replaced or rehabilitated approximately 20 community centers for CCO-participating organizations. The projects stem from a variety of funding sources, including dollars set aside from the housing act and Public Health and Wellness Fund Act.
