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July 18, 2024
RE: 2024 OIMC Immersion Experience, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
We are looking forward to hosting our Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) Immersion, October 2-6, 2024. The experience provides history, context, and unique perspective on Native peoples in The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and our involvement with The United Methodist Church. In addition, our Native communities proudly share our traditions and culture throughout the event.
We focus the immersion experience on tribal areas which are within a two-and-a-half-hour radius of Oklahoma City. We will stay at the Best Western Plus Saddleback Inn and Conference Center, 4300 SW 3rd in Oklahoma City OK. The hotel has completed its renovation to the restaurant, breakfast area and lobby. It looks amazing and is way more functional than before!
We will begin on Wednesday afternoon with an orientation to OIMC. We will meet at the host hotel the first day.
We are very excited and proud of the First American Museum that we will visit together. We will spend one entire day at FAM on Thursday https://famok.org/
Our next visit will be the Washita “massacre” Battlefield Site https://www.nps.gov/waba/index.htm at Cheyenne OK, on Friday. This is the place where General George Armstrong Custer massacred 30-60 Cheyenne, mostly women and children. This event happened a few years after the massacre at Sand Creek. It has a wonderful cultural center and a guided walk tour through the area where the massacre took place, which is about 1.5 miles. We will visit the Clinton Indian Church and Community Center to visit with Dr. Henrietta Mann, Cheyenne Prayer woman, about the massacre site.
We will travel to Ponca City on Saturday to visit the Standing Bear Park, which includes a 22-foot bronze statue of the Ponca leader. We will learn about Standing Bear’s role in determining the “humanity “of his people and Native peoples. We will have lunch at an OIMC church and we will also hear from tribal leaders regarding current issues among the tribe. We will gather for our debriefing session and closing worship on Sunday morning at hotel.
A chartered bus will be provided for the event. The hotel cost includes breakfast.
There is a block of rooms reserved at the hotel and you will need to use the hotel reservation link https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.37078.html?groupId=M72ZQ2Q6
to make your reservation. The rate is $90.00 for a single and $95.00 for double occupancy. Should you have any issues with the link please call the hotel, 405-947-7000. Please ask for “Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference Immersion Event.” The deadline to reserve rooms at this rate is September 19, 2024.
The hotel is approximately three miles from the airport and they have a shuttle service. There will be several opportunities to purchase native arts and crafts at FAM and other sites that we visit.
Please note the following registration information. The fee for the event is $300.00 per person which will cover all charges of the meals, and entry fees for sites that we visit. If the cost is prohibitive for any, please contact me and we can work this out. Payments can be mailed or can be paid on the OIMC website, www.umc-oimc.org. The hotel reservation charges are separate from registration fee. Please contact me at 405-632-2006 or via email at Dpewo@oimc.org for more information. The mailing address for the office is Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, 602 SW 35th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73109.
We have had a wide range of participants including both lay and clergy, women and men, volunteers, and United Methodists who just have a heart for Native ministries. We will gladly provide a certificate for CEU’s if needed. Everyone is welcome. Please help us spread the word about this amazing experience!
Grace and peace,
Rev. Donna Pewo
Director Connectional Ministries
Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
The United Methodist Church
