June 1, 2024

Aya,

Several years of hard work, planning, and development culminated in the delivery of our sacred buffalo herd. Over the span of several days, the buffalo were transported to our Oklahoma lands from Yellowstone Park. Prayer, song, and lulus were offered up as they were welcomed to their new home near the Peoria Powwow grounds.

The Peoria General Council Meeting in March had an impressive number of attendees. This show of participation demonstrated the collective knowledge that our unity is our strength. Congratulations to the newly elected council members.

Peoria Tribe Team Members reached a new benchmark as we grew to over one hundred personnel this year. For reference, six years ago we had only twenty-five. The addition of numerous departments and programs along with the outstanding work of our grant writers has pushed us to grow fourfold.

Let us remember as we continue this momentum that growth is never by chance. It is the result of collaboration, planning, and a shared vision for future greatness.

It is an honor to be sharing this journey of expansion with you as your Chief and kinsman.

With gratitude,

Chief Harper

January 1, 2024

Aya,

As you receive our first newsletter of the year, I hope it finds each of our Peoria citizens joyful and well.  This time of year brings about our ever-growing Peoria Children’s Christmas Party, end of year family gatherings and time well spent around the fireplace. December also allows for times of annual reflection and thankfulness as a Nation, Tribe and State. I pray peace and joy in 2024 upon all three.

Thank you to each of our citizens that were able to attend our annual events or stopped by our tribal headquarters to utilize any or all our tremendous citizen benefit programs or purchase tribal merchandise. I look forward to seeing, visiting, and participating with each of you at our upcoming events in 2024.

Let us gather again soon at our Peoria General Council Meeting this March 2nd at Buffalo Run Casino and Resort here in Miami, OK.

God bless each of you and our great Peoria Nation in 2024.

Be Well.

Chief Craig Harper

October 1, 2023

Aya,

As I sit down to write this Quarter’s letter, the word “relationship” is on my mind. I spent time today with Jason Dollarhide inside our Ottawa-Peoria building. We were sitting with the long-time Chief of the Ottawa Tribe, Ethel Cook, as she laid in state, following her passing earlier this September.

I reflected on my relationship with Chief Cook, and with Jason, and even the Peoria relationship with our Ottawa neighbors. I thought of all the relationships built and fostered through years of Peoria events inside the Ottawa-Peoria building.

The upcoming final quarter of 2023 will hold many opportunities to create, grow, and, unfortunately, loose relationships. Let us be intentional to foster family, tribal, and community relationships at upcoming holiday and social events. Let us build new bridges of cooperation and kinship that lead us towards our ultimate goal of a healthy, intergenerational connected Peoria Nation. Let us find new ways to serve our elders, continue to teach our children, and encourage one another along the way.

I look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming events and pray a blessing over each one of our citizens and families.

Be well,

Chief Craig Harper

July 1, 2023

Aya,

 

As the year moves fast into summer, I want to take a moment to honor and congratulate all the Seniors that graduated earlier this season. I applaud your dedication and persistence through education, and I truly enjoy reading through our Summer Newsletter to see the accomplishments of each of our graduating citizens.

The summer season began alongside our 26th Annual Peoria Powwow. It was great to visit and dance with family and neighbors again. Each year, I reflect on the celebration, and I am deeply appreciative of all the days spent gathering and storytelling at our Annual Powwow. I hope all our citizens had the chance to visit your Peoria headquarters and facilities, while utilizing your citizen rate at the Buffalo Run Hotel during your stay.

Coming up, we are focused on and preparing for our upcoming buffalo acquisition. Bringing buffalo to the Peoria Nation will serve as a great step forward in our land, cultural, and economic endeavors. I am excited to see what this step will bring back to the people of the Peoria Tribe.

I look around at the accomplishments within and of our People, and I am excited to walk forward into summer of 2023.

 

See you soon,

Chief Craig Harper

March 20, 2023

Aya,

As we head forward into spring, we take careful notice of the rainy days, the blooming trees, and the increasing temperatures as it illustrates the transformation of seasons. When I think of spring, I am often reminded of our plans as a Nation, seeking opportunities for growth with each passing of the season.

At our 2023 General Council meeting, we gathered with our Peoria family to share the stories of the last year. General Council was met with success as we heard business reports and discussed the years to come. As we invite citizens to another grand Peoria event, we remain focused on welcoming our traveling citizens with increased access to Tribal resources, comfortable stays, great dining experiences, and friendly staff. Thank you, for all those who attended for continuing to share the word with friends and family. Each year, we greet new faces at General Council, a true byproduct of our Nation’s development.

In March, we also celebrate the first full year of our beautiful Peoria Tribe Campus. We now have a dedicated team of individuals working at the Cultural Resource Center, nearly full capacity at Woodland Academy, and the Peoria Tribe Community Center is providing a practical place for citizens to gather and celebrate. We look forward to further opportunities to expand new and current programs.

With spring in full bloom, we see the 26th Annual Peoria Powwow on the horizon. We so look forward to gathering again, competing through dance, sharing stories, and celebrating our inter-tribal family June 16th, 17th, and 18th, 2023.

I look forward to seeing each of you at the upcoming Powwow!

Be well,

Craig Harper

Chief

November 2023

Aya,

Let me begin by saying that I love the month of November. I have written in years past about the changing of seasons, the cooler air, the beautiful foliage, the hunts and all the stories this season brings. I enjoy all of these markers of time that confirm

it is the month of November. Thanksgiving is in November. My wife’s birthday is in November.
I love this month and the gatherings that come along with it. They are cherished staples in our lives that provide the setting for stories to be told and the scene for memories to be made. While these gatherings are a part of this month I love, they are but a sample of the events that made this November special.

November brings us Veterans Day and the annual gathering at our Peoria Cemetery to remember an end to the first Great War. We meet to hear from our honored veterans, remember those who served and since walked on in fellowship with one another on peaceful ground set aside for our Peoria People. This year we also gathered for a special Veterans Day

Pow-Wow. Our Cultural Preservation Department, along with a tremendous Head Staff, celebrated and honored our community Veterans. During this year’s event, the Peoria Tribe formally and publicly honored battle wounded veterans and was named a Purple Heart Nation.

Lastly, this November brought the White House Tribal Nations Summit. A call was put out for tribal leaders from across the nation to convene at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C. There we gathered with America’s first Native American Secretary of the Interior to discuss the Biden Administration’s unprecedented commitment to meaningful consultation with federally recognized tribes. Corporately, Indian Country listened as both the President and Vice President came and spoke with us. Over the two day gathering Secretary Haaland brought panel after panel filled with cabinet level Secretaries to share a new spirit of commitment to First Americans from the Federal Government.

The common thread this month became clear to me as I wrote this letter–the impact made in our lives as we answer the call “to gather”. Whether we gather as families or as friends, when we gather as Nations or as a Nation, let us look forward to our next Peoria gathering.

Be Well, Chief Harper

 

August 23, 2022

Last year, Charla EchoHawk and Tosan Wess Farless began a planning and development strategy to introduce and implement our new Peoria Language Curriculum. This same week that I write this letter, our Cultural Preservation Department hosted both a virtual and in-person language class which fulfilled our mandate to revitalize and reintroduce our Peewaaliaataweenki (Peoria Language)! This course will be continuous for the next 10 weeks and will result in the first inaugural group of tribal citizens who will speak, read and write our Peoria Language. I would like to extend my sincerest “mihši neewe” (thank you very much) to both Charla and Wess for an exceptional job launching this program.

June 6, 2022

Aya,

It was so nice to see so many of you again at this year’s General Council Meeting. Our Peoria Showplace was packed with our citizens and families. We enjoyed sharing stories, reconnecting and reporting on the activities of this last year and the plans for next.

We held our annual elections as well. Thank you for the continued support to represent our people for another term. It is a great honor. We also placed two citizens on our Grievance Committee.

We are preparing for an exciting summer of activity through our Cultural Preservation Department. With our 25th Annual Peoria Pow-Wow in June and our very first language class beginning in August, we look forward to seeing you all.

During the summer months, as we vacation with our families, please don’t hesitate to stop by our Tribal Headquarters in Miami to visit our gift shop, tour our properties, renew your tags or just say Aya!

From my family to yours, Have a great summer and God Bless each of our citizens and their families.

#PeoriaProud

Be Well.

 

Craig Harper

Chief

February 2022

Aya,

 

Come January of each year, after completing all our December and New Year gatherings with family and friends, our collective Peoria eyes turn towards our upcoming General Council Meeting.

While this has been true for decades, I have to believe it has been true for centuries. While we can confer that yes, the dates might be different and the location in other venues, towns, or states, like-minded people have gathered to eat, share stories, and exchange ideas.  That will again happen this year on the first Saturday of March 2022.

Following a very difficult COVID season, we hope to gather and encourage one another, remember our ancestors, and speak into our youth. Details and times will be shared soon. Please don’t put off making your hotel reservations if traveling in from abroad.

Following our General Council, we will have another exciting event to attend. At our General Council Meeting two years ago, we broke ground on what was to become a lasting symbol of progress and pride for our people. This year, immediately after our meeting, we will host a ribbon-cutting event for our new Campus. In our last newsletter, I spoke about these three new buildings. We simply cannot wait to open these new facilities for tours that afternoon. Please make your plans to attend this year’s General Council Meeting. We have much to share!

 

As always, we remain #PeoriaProud!

 

 

Be well,

 

Craig Harper

Chief

November 1, 2021 ARPA Update

From the Desk of Chief Craig Harper
“This photo says a lot… I want to thank our citizens and our staff. We are one week in to the ARPA Relief Aid process, and it is working. Here are the processed applications on the left and completed checks on the right, ready to go out. We will get through this.. and we will get through it together!