Oklahoma
Enrollment in tribal language courses grows in Oklahoma as tribes aim to increase fluency
Like many Cherokee Nation citizens of his generation, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. never had the chance to learn his tribal language in school.
He said those opportunities simply didn’t exist at the time.
“It would have meant a great deal to me,” Hoskin said. “It would have meant the opportunity to learn the Cherokee language as a child.”
Today’s generation of children has more possibilities, he said. State data shows an increasing number of students are seizing the chance.
Enrollment in Native American language programs is growing in Oklahoma public schools, according to information from the state Department of Education.
At least 3,314 students, from elementary through high school, participated in an Indigenous language program at their public school in the 2022-23 school year. That’s over 1,000 more students than the previous school year and 2,500 more than in 2020-21, according to state data.
Last year’s total includes about 1,600 elementary and middle school students who participated in Indigenous language programs.
Another 1,700 students earned high school world language credits by taking Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche, Mvskoke, Osage, Pawnee, Potawatomi, the Otoe-Missouria language of Jiwere-Nat’Chi, and other courses. The right to take an Indigenous language for high school credit was encoded in state law in 2014.
Choctaw and Cherokee classes had the most participating students and were offered in the greatest number of schools, according to the state Education Department.
The Cherokee Nation aims to grow its numbers with plans for a $30 million language immersion middle school. The investment would expand the capacity of its existing immersion middle school that teaches in the Cherokee tongue.
The tribal nation has pledged to spend at least $18 million a year on various language-preservation initiatives.
“We know we’ve got people on the way to fluency in what is a very difficult language to learn,” Hoskin said. “We just need to have more of them, given what we’re up against.”
The Cherokee language has 2,000 first-language speakers and thousands more at a beginner or proficient level.
UNESCO labels Cherokee as a language in danger of extinction. Chickasaw, Choctaw, Comanche, Potawatomi and other tribal languages found in Oklahoma also are designated as endangered.
Generations of Indigenous children were discouraged or forbidden from speaking their tribal languages at federally run boarding schools across the country for 150 years, according to a 2022 report from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The boarding schools existed to culturally assimilate Native American children, and Oklahoma had more of these schools than any other state, the report found.
Tribal nations are now working to rebuild their ranks of fluent speakers.
The Choctaw Nation, for example, has its language taught in the greatest number of high schools in Oklahoma, as well as at colleges, early childhood centers, community classes and online. Fifteen adults are taking Choctaw as a full-time job through the tribal nation’s apprenticeship program.
Many Native American languages have a high degree of difficulty for English speakers to learn, according to state academic standards.
Cherokee, for instance, is a Class IV language, indicating it would take a similar number of hours to gain proficiency as it would to learn Greek, Hebrew or Russian. Languages more similar to English — like Spanish, Swedish and French — would take fewer hours of study to reach the same proficiency level.
Indigenous language courses must be sanctioned by the state Education Department for students to earn class credit.
In most public schools, the language teachers and lesson plans come from tribal nations, said Jackie White, the state agency’s program director of American Indian education.
“We wanted to make sure, whomever taught, that they were fluent speakers and that what they taught was credible,” White said.
White joined the agency in 2020. Since then, the department has expanded its Native American education staff, helping to boost communication between tribes, schools and the agency about Indigenous-focused programs.
Those conversations have included expanding tribal language courses to more schools through both in-person instruction and online teaching, White said.
Bartlesville High School is among the schools to recently add a face-to-face Indigenous language course. Only minutes away from the Osage Reservation, the northeast Oklahoma school is in its third year offering Osage language classes.
The school has 35 students enrolled in Osage I and 27 in Osage II, said Principal Michael Harp. He said the courses have attracted a diverse group of students, not only those who are Native American.
Interest in Indigenous culture has grown, he said, especially with movie filming of “Killers of the Flower Moon” taking place in the Bartlesville area.
“There definitely has been an uptick in the last couple of years of just students wanting to know more about their heritage, the culture (and) the culture that is around them,” Harp said.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.
During Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley era, the Sooners dominated Texas. Riley went 6–1 against the Longhorns, including a victory in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 1, 2018. However, things have been different over the last half-decade.
Brent Venables took over as the Sooners’ head coach in 2022, one year after Steve Sarkisian became the Longhorns’ lead man. Texas is 3–1 since Venables was appointed, with an average margin of victory over the Longhorns’ three wins of 32.3 points.
Texas is looking to extend its winning streak to three games for the first time since 1997–99. Oklahoma has one clear advantage, and while it has not mattered in previous matchups, it could define the 2026 edition.
Oklahoma’s Defense Could Cause Texas-Sized Problems
When Oklahoma’s defense lines up against the Texas offense, the two best units in the game will be on the field at the same time.
When it comes to the Red River Rivalry, it often feels as though preconceived notions about the team are irrelevant. The intensity and familiarity set both teams back to the basics. However, the matchup of the Longhorns’ offense and the Sooners’ defense will likely define this season’s rivalry game.
Last season, Oklahoma was carried by its defense to the College Football Playoff, with its offense doing just enough to get the job done. The Sooners were 79th in points per game (26.2) while allowing the seventh-fewest points per game (15.5).
There is optimism that Oklahoma’s offense will improve. Quarterback John Mateer could take the next step with Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris coming in to catch passes. However, the Sooners’ defense has been among the best in the country during Venables’ tenure and has come to characterize the program — a far cry from the Riley era.
Under Venables, Oklahoma has ranked inside the top 20 in each of the last three seasons in adjusted EPA per play allowed. Last season, it ranked second behind only Texas Tech, according to GameOnPaper. This includes top-three finishes in yards allowed per rush attempt (2.4, second) and sacks (45, third).
The Longhorns were productive on defense last season, ranking in the top 30 in points allowed per game. The defense was particularly impactful against the Sooners, dominating in all four quarters. In nearly every metric, though, Oklahoma outperformed its rival defensively last season.
|
Stat |
Texas Longhorns’ Defense (Rank) |
Oklahoma Sooners’ Defense (Rank) |
|---|---|---|
|
Rushing Yards Allowed per Attempt |
3.1 (12th) |
2.4 (2nd) |
|
EPA per Rush |
-0.05 (27th) |
-0.21 (2nd) |
|
Passing Yards Allowed per Attempt |
6.6 (38th) |
6.2 (22nd) |
|
EPA per Dropback |
-0.06 (33rd) |
-0.17 (9th) |
Over the last four matchups, however, this defensive production has been mostly meaningless. Texas is averaging 34 points per game and outpacing the Sooners’ season averages.
|
Season |
Oklahoma PPG Allowed |
Points Allowed vs. Texas |
Oklahoma YPG Allowed |
Yards Allowed vs. Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2022 |
30.0 |
49 |
461.0 |
585 |
|
2023 |
23.5 |
30 |
389.4 |
527 |
|
2024 |
21.5 |
34 |
318.2 |
406 |
|
2025 |
15.5 |
23 |
272.5 |
302 |
While this has been the case every season since Venables took over for OU, the Sooners have also steadily improved defensively. This has decreased the margin for error on the Longhorns’ side. Texas needs to take advantage of every opportunity it gets.
Last season, Texas missed multiple field goals. The Longhorns avoided disaster, though, by winning the turnover battle 3–0 and getting relentless pressure on Mateer. This season, they may not be as fortunate, as the Sooners will test the new-look Longhorns offense
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A contentious debate over water and growth is intensifying in Yukon as residents and city leaders grapple with the long-term costs of supplying major industrial projects, including a data center that uses up to 3 million gallons a day.
The discussion spilled into another packed Yukon City Council meeting, where residents learned how strained and expensive the city’s water outlook could be over the next 25 years.
Emotions ran high, with one resident comparing city leadership to a Nazi regime.
Yukon’s water supply plan examines eight options, including five aquifers, non-potable reuse water, direct potable reuse water, and purchasing 2 million gallons a day from Oklahoma City.
Projected costs exceed $200 million, with millions more expected over the next 25 years for operations and maintenance.
The data center was part of the conversation from the start of the water study, which began in late 2024.
The facility uses up to 3 million gallons a day to cool its servers. One option discussed for meeting that demand is a non-potable supply providing 3 million gallons a day, with $55.9 million in capital costs and a required 18-inch pipe stretching 3.5 miles.
The option is recommended to meet great industrial demands, including a data center.
Council member Rick Cacini said his focus is on residents’ needs rather than industrial users. Cacini said, “We had water problems 8 years ago when I started, and we have water problems today.”
Another council member raised the idea of taking cost out of the equation when considering whether to supply water to the data center.
Residents spoke out one after another against the data center after hearing details of the water plan and costs.
One resident referenced Piedmont, where two data center proposals were tabled on Monday. Another resident said, “It’s not a good deal for us, and the other cities know it already.”
Some residents escalated their criticism of city leadership. One resident said, “I voted for Pillmore, and I regret that vote more than anything probably I’ve ever done in my life because this feels like some nazi regime.”
Others called for city leaders to be recalled. “We will collect those signatures within 30 days, and we’re gonna remove you.”
Concerns also grew over the data center agreement, centered on the purchaser having an “out” while the seller does not.
The city manager was said to have gotten something wrong in August.
The meeting ended with Cacini threatening to sue Mayor Brian Pillmore over comments made in an early May meeting.
Pillmore was not at the meeting, saying he was on vacation with his family.
INOLA, Okla. — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a petition in Rogers County seeking to block a proposed aluminum-smelting facility in Inola.
According to Drummond, Emirates Global Aluminum holds a 60% controlling interest in the project. The company is based in the United Arab Emirates.
Century Aluminum, a company headquartered in Chicago, owns the remaining 40%.
If completed, Oklahoma Primary Aluminum would be the largest primary aluminum production plant in the United States. However, the facility would produce hazardous waste, which has raised concerns in both the Inola community and across the state. Billboards have been spotted along Highway 412 in Inola, warning others about the proposal.
The facility would also draw more than 1,000 megawatts of continuous energy.
“A primary aluminum smelter does not belong in a community’s backyard, and its emissions do not respect property lines,” Drummond said, adding that winds could carry pollutants into the surrounding northeastern Oklahoma communities. “The injury is imminent, it is grave, and it is irreparable.”
However, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has criticized Drummond’s actions, saying the facility would be one of the state’s largest economic development projects in history.
It is important to note that Drummond is currently running for Governor.
“As soon as President Trump made his endorsement in the governor’s race, Drummond dropped the act and showed his true colors,” said Stitt. “Now he is turning his machine against one of President Trump’s top priorities, once again weaponizing his office to settle scores instead of serving Oklahomans. President Trump’s aluminum project in Inola will rapidly grow Oklahoma’s economy and strengthen America’s supply chain for generations, while Drummond turns his back on our state in favor of cheap political gimmicks and personal gain.”
President Trump has endorsed Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma’s gubernatorial race. The Republican primary is scheduled for June 16.
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