DENISE WICKSON

UPSILON–UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

I am 1/2 Kiowa, 1/4 Cherokee and 1/4 Choctaw. I am enrolled under the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, as are my two sons.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ALPHA GAM?

I loved the Purpose, philanthropy, diversity and how close-knit a group we all were. We brought out the best in each other—and some of us still do to this day. 

WHAT TRADITIONS WOULD YOU LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOUR ALPHA GAM SISTERS?

For Native Americans, it is an honor to look after our families. We grow up closely with our aunts and uncles—and our relationship with them is very similar to that with our parents. Our cousins are more like brothers and sisters, and our great-aunts and uncles care for and love us like our own grandparents. They teach us traditions such as the language, beadwork, cooking, hunting, fishing, storytelling, art and dancing. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING NATIVE AMERICANS TODAY?

So much of our history has been erased and rewritten. I hope more people will educate themselves on the issues faced by Native and Indigenous people. One of the many issues important to me is the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women initiative. In so many other cultures, missing people are shown across social media and television. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Native women and children, even though we face murder rates more than 10 times the national average. Similarly, the Every Child Matters movement has brought to light the untold history surrounding the mistreatment and deaths related to Native American and First Nation boarding school children. My father attended one of these schools in the 1950s. They cut off his hair—even though our hair is considered sacred and significant. He was beaten and his mouth was washed with soap if he spoke his own Native language.

HOW HAS GROWING UP SURROUNDED BY NATIVE CULTURE IMPACTED YOUR LIFE?

As a descendant of Chief Lone Wolf, we were raised around the Kiowa Tribe. We know so many of the old families and our surrounding tribes. If someone needs help, we work together for the best outcome by providing resources, legal advice, medical information, higher education opportunities, childcare resources, employment opportunities and even retail information. I have been helped and consider it an honor to help others. 

ALORA ADAMS

ZETA NU–ALMA COLLEGE

I am a registered member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OCCUPATION?

I currently work as the Curator of the Choctaw Nation Museum in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. Our museum is in the historic capital of the Choctaw Nation inside the former Council House, which was built in 1886. I handle our historic and cultural artifacts, lead educational programming and research and curate new exhibits. I care for artifacts ranging from the Trail of Tears to those of current events. We want to immortalize our history before information is lost.

HOW HAS CULTIVATING YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE ENRICHED YOUR LIFE?

I always knew there was Native blood in my ancestry, but I didn’t know much about it. When applying for college, my father and I discovered we were eligible to apply for membership with the Choctaw Nation and obtain our Certificate Degree of Indian Blood cards. If it weren’t for that moment, I most likely would not be where I am today and in a job that I love. My connection with my Chahta heritage brought me internships in graduate school, the opportunity to live in a beautiful part of the country and has added some absolutely amazing people into my life.

WHAT TRADITIONS WOULD YOU LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOUR ALPHA GAM SISTERS?

Several Choctaw traditions and celebrations center around amazing food. My favorite Choctaw meal includes Tanchi Labona (hominy with pork), Banaha (cornmeal boiled in corn husks) and grape dumplings. In my work with the Choctaw Nation, we work hard to amplify and revitalize traditional growing and cooking methods through cookbooks, classes and seed sharing.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NATIVE CULTURE?

Though my full appreciation for my heritage did not begin to grow until I was surrounded by other Choctaws, I’m incredibly proud of my Native ancestry. I am a descendant of Louis Durant—a French-Canadian officer adopted by the Choctaw people—and his wife Sheniyah who was a full-blood Choctaw. He introduced cattle to the Choctaw people when they still resided in Mississippi and was a respected soldier for the tribe. His daughter Syllan, my fifth great-grandmother, and her husband William were the first of the children to sell their Mississippi land and head to Oklahoma on one of the last waves of the Trail of Tears.  

While I will always be perceived by many as white due to my blood dilation (also known as blood quantum), I am passionate about my heritage and will continue to learn all I can about my family’s history. 

ANGIE WRUBLEWSKI

UPSILON–UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

I am a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. 

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OCCUPATION?

I currently serve as the Director of Supportive Programs for the Chickasaw Nation Education Division. My job responsibilities include oversight of tribal and federal programs that support public schools and their students, adult learning students and STEM activities.    

HOW HAS CULTIVATING YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE ENRICHED YOUR LIFE? 

Having served the Chickasaw Nation as an employee for almost 10 years, I have garnered a better appreciation for my culture and my ancestors. I am more eager and open to learn and experience other cultures and recognize the differences in the life experience of others compared to my own.  

The core values of the Chickasaw Nation inform my everyday decisions, much like the Alpha Gam Purpose does for our sisterhood. These values include perseverance, selflessness, cultural identity, servant leadership, trust, respect, honesty, integrity, stewardship, teamwork, loyalty, and can-do attitude are applicable no matter the scenario. In understanding and honoring my own culture, I can be of better service to myself and others.   

WHAT TRADITIONS WOULD YOU LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOUR ALPHA GAM SISTERS?

I would encourage all my sisters to become more culturally informed. If you live on or near the tribal boundaries of one of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., I encourage you to participate in their activities, visit their landmarks, learn about their history and talk with their people. Taking the time to understand First American culture provides the opportunity to gain understanding, cultivate acquaintance, contribute to the world’s work, honor home and country, and to covet beauty as so wonderfully established by our Founders.