OETA Native Oklahoma episode to include Osage Vietnam Veterans

by A. M. Jefferson, Osage Nation Communications Staff

In December of 2014, the Osage Nation was contacted by the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) requesting a second submission for their program Native Oklahoma, a collaborative effort which focuses on aspects of Native American life.

The theme for this second episode is on Native American Vietnam Veterans. According to Dan Schiedel, OETA Executive Director/GM, "Our primary focus is on how different tribes prepare their service men and women/warriors, send them off, welcome them home, help them readjust to civilain life, and how they honor them."

Seven Nations were contacted for participation:

  • Arapaho
  • Cheyenne
  • Cherokee
  • Choctaw
  • Comanche
  • Creek
  • Osage

The episode will be approximately 27 minutes long. Five-minute films were requested on how each tribe addressed their tribal members' military service during Vietnam.

There is a tentatively scheduled screening of this new episode at the 2015 Native Media Summit on March 26 or 27 at the University of Oklahoma campus at Norman, Okahoma.

The premiere broadcast per OETA is set for Vietnam Veterans Day, Monday, March 30 at 10:00pm.

A repeat airing will be Thursday, April 2 at 7:30pm.

Additional broadcasts will be Monday, April 6 at 7:30pm and Friday, April 25 at 7:00am and 4:00pm. Also, the episode is planned to be shown during Native American Heritage Month this fall. These rebroadcasts will be aired on the OKLA channel.

Ryan Red Corn, Pawhuska resident and businessman, is the co-founder and art director for Buffalo Nickel Creative and prepared the film for the Osage Nation.

The first episode of Native Oklahoma can be viewed online at http://video.oeta.tv/video/2365261621/ and the new film piece on the Osage Vietnam Veterans can be viewed at www.buffalonickelcreative.com.

For Media Inquiries: Osage Nation Communications 918-287-5599.