Cherokee News Updates

TULSA, Okla. — Four juvenile girls were hospitalized Saturday morning after being struck by lightning while swimming at Blue Hole Park on Saline Creek in Mayes County, according to the Grand River Dam Authority Police Department. GRDA Police said the girls were in the water around 10:45 a.m. when lightning struck, injuring all four. Four juvenile girls struck by lightning at Blue Hole Park, Mayes County: GRDA Police reports. (Courtesy: Cortnie Dennis) Two of the girls were tr

Cherokee Nation citizen and veteran WNBA coach Latricia Trammell has been hired as an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky, bringing more than a decade of league experience as the team prepares for the 2026 season.

A Cherokee Nation manslaughter case has been complicated by a jurisdictional error after a judge ruled that a county-issued search warrant was invalid, leading to key evidence being suppressed. The case is now moving forward in the Cherokee Nation District Court as families on both sides raise concerns about how the error may affect the upcoming trial.

CLAREMORE, Okla. — A Cherokee family tradition that began along the Old Texas Road in 1886 will mark its 140th gathering this month, making it one of the longest-running Thanksgiving celebrations in the Cherokee Nation. The Milam family — whose descendants trace their Cherokee lineage through Mary Elizabeth (Milam) Hunter — will reunite on Nov. 27 at the Claremore Elks Lodge, continuing a tradition that has survived frontier hardship, two world wars, and a global pandemic. Th

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize—the oldest and most prestigious international award recognizing women+ playwrights writing for the English-speaking stage has announced its finalists for the 2025–26 cycle. Among the ten writers honored this year is DeLanna Studi (Cherokee Nation), celebrated actor, writer, and advocate for Indigenous visibility in the arts.

ommy Keith Anderson (January 6, 1950-November 7, 2025) Born in Shidler, Oklahoma, Tom was a natural leader whose strength, generosity, and love shaped the lives of all who knew him. From humble beginnings on a farm in Burbank, Oklahoma to earning his graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma, he embodied a lifelong dedication to learning, hard work, and perseverance.