Chadwick Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, has been named the 2009 Red Earth Ambassador of the Year.  Chief Smith will be recognized during a noon luncheon, sponsored by the State Chamber of Oklahoma, scheduled Thursday, June 4 in conjunction with the Sovereignty Symposium at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.  Smith will be recognized for his efforts to promote pride in Native American heritage.

          Oklahoma City will be the center of Western and Native American art this summer when the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Red Earth Festival, Oklahoma History Center and the Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art showcase America’s most outstanding Native American and Western artists through museum exhibitions and annual events.

Red Earth, Inc. has been named winner in the Best Website category of the 2008 Annual Awards presented by the Oklahoma Museums Association.  The awards recognize outstanding achievement by museums and individuals throughout the state during the past year. 

Seven exceptional cultural events were nominated for the 2008 Grand Prize for Outstanding Cultural Tourism presented recently by central Oklahoma’s Frontier Country Marketing Association.  The 2008 Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival received the prestigious award during ceremonies at the Oklahoma Heritage Museum.