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Dec 10, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
FORT LAUDERDALE — Derek Koger, Executive Director of Tribal Community Development (TCD), is the 2024 CEO Council Leadership Award recipient as presented by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. Koger was recognized during the Alliance’s annual dinner Oct. 24 at the newly renovated War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The recognition highlights Koger’s time and effort with various tribal and Alliance initiatives.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
James L. Holt’s friends and family gathered to dedicate a bridge in his name on Nov. 9 in Pawnee, Okla., after his death in June 2023. At 44, he died three days after being sworn in as tribal president. He first pursued elected office in 2014. Leoma Poore, Holt’s mother, said they moved to Pawnee in 1991. Holt graduated from high school there and kept in touch with his friends once he moved back to Florida.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
Cheyenne Kippenberger said she grew up on the chattier side. Her mom joked she could sit next to a wall and get it to talk back, and she wasn’t reprimanded for it. She said her mom encouraged her to use her voice – a trait that landed her on the TEDx stage in September. Her mom, Dr. Susan Kippenberger, introduced values that helped her remember the importance of her voice.
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Nov 14, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act was approved in the House of Representatives on Sept. 18. National Indian Child Welfare Association is advocating for the Senate to hear the bill before the end of November.
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Oct 9, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
BRIGHTON – The Real Estate Department hosted a homebuyer education class through Tribal Community Development on Sept. 12 at the Brighton Administrative Building. The session was a part of a series of homebuyer classes this year with others in Hollywood, Big Cypress and Immokalee. Future classes are being planned for the Lakeland and Tampa area according to Wendy Larson, Real Estate loan manager.
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Oct 8, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
The 4-H Garden Club is starting to take root in Hollywood with the club’s first meeting Sept. 17. Donna Frank, among others, talked about sweetgrass and demonstrated how to plant it. Many kids got their hands dirty – literally – and participated in planting a bin-full of sweetgrass. Attendees gathered under a chickee to hear speakers, Frank, club leader Krystle Bowers, forester Grant Steelman and biologist Sean McHugh.
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Oct 8, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
Phase one of construction of Okeechobee High School concluded at the beginning of August and is set to open at the start of the 2026-27 school year. The construction started about a year and a half ago and is “pretty much changing everything in terms of [the school] itself,” assistant superintendent for administrative services Joseph Stanley said. During phase one, they completed the Career and Technical Education building, which is about 19,000 square feet.
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Sep 20, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
BIG CYPRESS — Students, teachers and parents came together Aug. 9 for the Ahfachkee School meet and greet – gearing up for the first full school year with their new gymnasium. Along with a new gymnasium, principal Philip Baer is hopeful about bringing sports back to the school, which hasn’t had teams since before the pandemic. “They love it. They love the gym, so we’re working on bringing sports back,” Baer said.
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Sep 19, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
After years of brainstorming ideas for a story, Danica Nava (Chickasaw) wrote her first published novel while working full time and pursuing an MBA at night. Nava’s novel, “The Truth According to Ember,” was published in August. During this fast-paced romantic comedy, the main character is a Chickasaw woman, Ember Lee Cardinal, navigating work, life and love. She starts out working at a bowling alley, applying for other positions and getting rejection after rejection.
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Sep 17, 2024 | 
seminoletribune.org | Tatum Mitchell
BIG CYPRESS — Following its first poetry reading of the year Aug. 21, the Florida Indigenous Writers Group is putting pen to paper to lay out future goals for the group. Elgin Jumper and Krystle Bowers run small group meetings about once a month, and they are aiming to get more events scheduled. The next reading is scheduled for Sept. 18 at the Willie Frank Memorial Library in Big Cypress. Jumper said they are working to involve more participants.
