Sovereignty Speaks #19
Culture as an Exercise of Sovereignty
Ms. Valorie Walters
Ms. Valorie Walters is of Chickasaw and Choctaw descent and is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations from East Central University in 2005. Walters grew up in Coalgate and began working for the Chickasaw Nation in the Office of Environmental Health while in college.
Ms. Walters currently serves as the Executive Officer of the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Cultural Center and the Ada Tribal Library. Presently, Ms. Walters serves on the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Museums Association and the Oklahoma Humanities Board of Trustees.
The Chickasaw Cultural Center is located in Sulphur, Oklahoma, near the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Its 109-acre campus is home to historical museums with interactive exhibits on Chickasaw tribal history, traditional dancing, and Chickasaw language. Visitors can explore a traditional tribal village and a garden honoring members of the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame. The Holisso Research Center holds a collection of tribal archives and genealogical records. The 350-seat Anoli' Theater features daily showings of Native American-themed films. The campus also has an outdoor amphitheatre, sky terrace, plants native to Oklahoma and Mississippi, and a statue by the sculptor Mr. Enoch Kelley Haney.