Wichita and Affiliated Tribes President Terri Parton along with tribal members and staff met in Waco, Texas, November 5-9, 2023. The delegation included Treasurer Claudia Spybuck, Quivera Enterprise CEO Rachel Crawford, Iscani Enterprises Project Manager Mike Bert, Tribal Elder Derek Ross, Food and Nutrition Administrator Beth Parker, Tribal Elder James Warden Ross, History, Culture & Language Preservation Administrator Robin Williams, Tribal Elder Donna Willams, and Human Resources Admin. Assistant Erin Birch.
In August of 1859 the tribe was forcibly removed from Waco, Texas by U.S. troops. The November 2023 gathering was the first delegation of this size for tribal members in Waco since 1912. Wichita and Affiliated Tribe Leaders including President Parton, former Wichita Tribal President Gary McAdams and James Ross, tribal elder visited Waco in 2014.
This visit connected the tribe with the community & business leaders, established new partnerships, and built relationships with academic institutions to move forward with cultural, heritage and linguistic education.
Several members of the November delegation are direct descendants of the tribe's families that were living in Waco precontact.
Baylor Mayborn Museum
Baylor Mayborn Museum Director Charlie Walter hosted the tribe staff who toured the exhibits including the miniature Wichita Grass House Village created by Oklahoma resident and tribal member Gerald Miller. The evening Mayborn Theatre speaking event included presentations by tribe members. President Parton gave a broad overview of the structure of the tribe. Together, Mike Bert and Rachel Crawford shared about the tribe’s businesses at NASA, Tinker AFB, Ft. Sill and across the nation. Beth Parker gave a presentation on Food and Nutrition. Robin Williams informed the audience on Wichita language revitalization and the presence of the tribe from Waco, Texas to Kansas City since 800ad. Wichita and Affiliated Tribes Cultural Preservation Board Member Derek Ross closed the talk by sharing a song in the Wichita language, inviting audience participation.
Head of State and University President
The November event included a meeting between the Head of State, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes President Terri Parton and Baylor University President Linda Livingstone. Tribe leaders met with President Livingstone, Chief of Staff to the President Tifany Hogue, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Mary Herridge, Director of Admissions Counseling Amanda Torres, and University Libraries Dean Jeffry Archer. Conversation topics included the Baylor Land Acknowledgemnt and growing the relationship with the tribe. The time focused on Baylor campus included the Texas Collection in the Armstrong Browning Library, a nice lunch with Baylor staff including Provost Nancy Brickhouse, the Bear Habitat, and a walkthrough of the beautiful new Hurd Welcome Center compliments of Baylor International Admissions staff Amanda Ross.
City of Waco Proclamation
On November 7, 2023 the City of Waco made an official proclamation for this day to be Wichita and Affiliated Tribes Day. Present were Mayor Dillon Meek and City Council Members Andrea J. Barefield, Alice Rodriguez, Josh Borderud, Darius Ewing, and Jim Holmes. Following the City Council meeting was a fabulous dinner for the tribal leaders at Diamondbacks!
CITY OF WACO
NOW, THEREFORE, I Dillon Meek, Mayor of the City of Waco, do hereby proclaim November 7th, 2023, as:
"WICHITA AND AFFILIATED TRIBES DAY"
in the City of Waco and urge the people of Waco to join with the City Council, City Staff, and me in extending a warm welcome and the hand of friendship to President Terri Parton and members of the tribal delegation. In testimony whereof, witness my hand and the Seal of the City of Waco this 7, day of November, A.D., 2023.
World Hunger Relief Farm
A special interest for Wichita and Affiliated Tribes President Parton is Food Sovereignty. The tribe visited the World Hunger Relief Farm outside of Waco. Farm Director Katie Walter leads this nonprofit, educational farm with a commitment to sustainable practices that nourish people, communities, and the land.
During the visit by the tribe to the farm, the Wichita staff learned about small scale farming techniques and alleviation of hunger through sustainable agriculture, education, and research. Tribe staff participated in a talk by Farm Education Director Sky Toney as he shared about the Farm’s vision of a robust, resilient, and regenerative food system. Each of the tribal members listened attentively.
For Beth Parker, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Food and Nutrition Administrator, this time was very meaningful. In her more than 30 years serving the tribe, the health and well-being of Wichita people is a high priority. Through this program, tribal members have access to services including a grocery store setting where a variety of food is available. Home deliveries are also provided for homebound participants that may be elderly or handicapped.
Prior to first contact in 1541, the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes created their own food sources in the region that is now Southern Kansas, Oklahoma and North Texas. Agriculture and meat sources were part of the diets of Wichita people and were stored in underground caches for long seasons.
“Here they lived, the woman fixing up the place, building their grass lodge and shed to dry meat, Man-Fond-of-Deer-Meat doing all the hunting…They lived here a good long while, the woman remaining at home, the man going out hunting every day. They always had plenty of meat, and the woman raised corn, so they had plenty to eat.”
-Niastor in The Mythology of the Wichita, 1904
https://wichitatribe.com/culture/history/people-of-the-grass-house-1750-1820/
Wichita people want to again provide for their tribe a reliable and sufficient quantity of nutritious food for healthy lifestyles.
COMMUNITY LEADER BREAKFAST
Historic Waco Executive Director Erik Swanson hosted a breakfast meeting that began with prayer at the Earle-Harrison House. Community leaders from the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce, Creative Waco, faith community leaders, business leaders and people interested in learning more about the history of the Waco Tribe and where they are today in regard to business, cultural education, language and heritage.
The gathering was organized so that attendees could spend time at one of the six tables with tribe leaders.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY
The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes has interest in communicating with Texas businesses and investors the advantages in partnering with their federally recognized tribe. One Waco meeting was with the Greater Waco Chamber. The tribal leaders were informed of statistics such as, Greater Waco attracted Foreign Direct Investments 2020 through 2023, included 7 new companies attracted from 5 countries with a capital investment of $455M, creating 578 new jobs and 1.5M square feet of new construction.
Greater Waco Chamber President Matthew Meadors and Executive Vice President Economic Development Kris Collins hosted a meeting with the tribal delegation, presenting the current economic data. Economic development activity included a pipeline of 36 projects, including 29 attraction projects and 7 expansion projects. Together, these projects represent 1,773 potential jobs, nearly 3.2 MM SF of real estate and nearly $5 billion in capital investment.
Texas companies may not know that under the U.S. Constitution, Native American Indian tribes are recognized as sovereign nations, and a business venture with an Indian tribe can offer many advantages. Rachel Crawford Chief Executive Officer for Quivera Enterprise, a tribally owned holding company and Mike Bert, Iscani Project Manager met with local business leaders during the trip. The tribe shared that federal government has enacted a broad array of financial incentives to encourage investment in economic development projects.
https://www.wichita-quivera.com/about/rachel-crawford/
Wichita Tribe Industrial Development Commission could enhance sustainability and expand business opportunities in Waco through the WTIDC’s federal contracting businesses. Currently, the businesses supported by Quivera provide several services to the federal government in the areas of construction, logistics, information technology, financial management services, occupational health, and environmental services.
Several factors make Indian tribes and their wholly-owned corporations very attractive for business partnerships and investments. The tribe has a long history of entrepreneurship. In 1400, Wichita ancestors traded with other tribes – glazed pottery, turquoise, shell beads, wood engraved pottery. In 1719 French explorer Benard De La Harpe encountered the Wichita tribe near present day Tulsa. This began a relationship with the tribe and the French for a highly successful bison trade. In 1739 the Wichita people exported to Europe 50,000 pelts and within 5 years the number of pelts doubled. The Wichita tribe were middlemen for trade between the tribes and the French.
For the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, economic sustainability is holistic and aligns with their cultural values, self-determination and lends to both current and future generations.
INDIGENOUS IN WACO
Wichita culture includes meals, fellowship and prayer as a deep part of relationship building. The delegation had down time to simply enjoy Waco, get to know new friends and see the sights.
The tribe had opportunities to appreciate a Waco Tours trip up the Brazos River, visit historic sights, and have meals at local restaurants, and a dinner at the home of Creative Waco CEO Fiona Bond. The Dr. Pepper Museum and Silos were part of the leisure time. The November Trip daily schedule was non-stop appointments, meetings and many things were accomplished during the trip.
The tribe was forcibly removed from Waco in August of 1859. The November 2023 visit was the first tribal delegation here in more than a century. For the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Waco is once again, truly “A City To Believe In.”