Red Earth, Inc. is the recipient of the 2008 Community Spirit Award for outstanding achievement in business excellence and leadership from the American Indian Chamber of Commerce Oklahoma City Chapter. The award was presented during the Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner held recently by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma. Red Earth shared the award with the Norman High School Indian Club.
“The leadership and success of Red Earth has merited this recognition,” said E. Bernadette Huber, Executive Director of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma. “We are proud to present Red Earth this award in recognition of its continuing success.”
“Excellence in Business” was the theme for the state and chapter awards presented to 15 Oklahoma Businesses. The American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma has a diverse membership roster of American Indian individuals and businesses, non-Indian individuals and non-Indian businesses, as well as non-profit organizations whose work benefits American Indian people, tribes, and representatives from the public sector and corporate business.
Other awards from the Oklahoma City Chapter went to Bill James (Chickasaw Nation Enterprises) – Volunteer of the Year, and Riverwind Casino – Company of the Year.
For nearly 30 years, the 501 (c) 3 non-profit Red Earth, Inc has been dedicated to its mission to “promote the rich traditions of American Indian arts and cultures through education, a premier festival, museum and fine art markets.”
The organization is recognized as the region’s premier organization for advancing the understanding and continuation of Native American traditional and contemporary culture and arts. The Red Earth Museum hosts a diverse and changing schedule of traveling exhibitions and is custodian of a permanent collection of more than 1,400 items of fine art, pottery, basketry, textiles and beadwork – including the Deupree Cradleboard Collection, one of the finest individual collections of its kind in North America.
