The day-to-day work of being a public servant is to inch, nudge, shift, and — whenever possible — lunge toward opportunities that benefit Cherokee Nation citizens. Whether it is from my desk, a tribal councilor’s desk, or the front desk of a Cherokee Nation Tag Office, our tribe’s collective mission is to focus on long-term success in our communities across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

Recently, I had the profound honor of celebrating the grand opening of the Cherokee Nation Sallisaw Creek Park, a 100-acre premier destination for recreation and tourism in the heart of Indian Country. Managed by Cherokee Nation Businesses, this site will uphold our renowned standard of hospitality for visitors from around the globe.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony stood as a confluence of opportunities from our past and present, all pointing toward a prosperous future. The roots of this project trace back to 1998, when the Cherokee Nation secured property along the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir shoreline in Sequoyah County, in the southern part of our reservation, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, recognizing its profound promise for long-term success.

The vision of opening this land as a true destination began under former Principal Chief Bill John Baker, and this milestone stands as a lasting testament to the vision and leadership of the late David Thornton, a respected leader who served on the Council of the Cherokee Nation. His unwavering advocacy for land preservation and community empowerment helped lay the foundation for what Sallisaw Creek Park is today. He understood that protecting our natural resources is inseparable from safeguarding our cultural heritage.

Today, the property sits firmly under the protection of the Cherokee Nation Park, Wildlands, Fishing and Hunting Preserve Act of 2021. This legislation was authored to preserve our lands and guarantee access to Cherokee culture through outdoor recreation. The act honors our sacred responsibilities as stewards of the air and water, while driving long-term sustainability through strategic tourism and economic development.

Thanks to this act, Sallisaw Creek Park now stands as a crown jewel in our growing national park system, which includes the 4,000-acre Cherokee Nation Sequoyah Hunting Preserve and the soon-to-open Wilma P. Mankiller Capitol Park in Tahlequah.

Sallisaw Creek Park features two large RV campgrounds with 74 sites equipped for rigs up to 60 feet, alongside five luxury waterfront cabins. Visitors can enjoy a 35-acre catch-and-release fishing pond, archery hunting grounds, horseback riding trails, and a welcome center filled with amenities.

For generations to come, this park will serve as a gateway to Cherokee cultural heritage for all who wish to learn about and respect our way of life. It provides a vital meeting ground for Cherokees from across our vast reservation, at-large citizens living abroad, and our tribal and non-tribal neighbors alike.

As a powerful driver of economic development and tourism, the park includes a four-lane boat ramp that provides direct access to the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, making the area turn-key ready for fishing tournaments and waterfront events. This economic momentum will be especially impactful in the Cherokee-dense Sallisaw community, bringing valuable revenue to local grocery stores, retail shops, and restaurants.

This park, along with the others we continue to build and revitalize, represents much more than meets the eye. They mean expanded job opportunities for our citizens. They mean enhanced health and wellness through outdoor recreation. Most importantly, they stand as cultural access points for Cherokees wishing to reconnect with their roots.

My enduring hope for Sallisaw Creek Park, and all similar endeavors, is to continually lunge toward a Cherokee Nation supported by a robust national park system — preserving and unlocking the profound beauty of our reservation for future generations.

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