This year, Airtable’s Commemorative Observance team is excited to wrap up Native American Heritage Month by sharing the story of one of the amazing organizations out there powered by Airtable: Muscogee Nation!
We interviewed Social Services Supervisor Vicky Harrell, whose pronouns are she/her, about the Muscogee Nation’s work, Native American Heritage Month, and how they use Airtable.
Tell us more about Muscogee Nation.
The Muscogee Nation is a self-governed Native American tribe located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The Muscogee Nation is one of the 5 Civilized Tribes and is the fourth largest tribe in the U.S. with 86,100 citizens. The government side of the tribe is made up of an executive branch, a legislative body and a tribal court system. The Muscogee Nation is a diverse entity with many facets such as: cultural tourism, gaming, businesses, and a higher learning institution.
Social Services is just a small piece of The Muscogee Nation. The mission of the Muscogee Nation Social Services Department is to counsel, advocate, and provide referrals to Native American households to meet certain essential needs. Social Services shall provide necessary assistance to eligible Native American households striving to enhance quality of life while promoting self-sufficiency and financial stability.
How does your organization use Airtable?
Social Services chose Airtable after researching privacy, efficiency and reliability. We were looking for a program we could use between 3 different locations without missing a beat in our workflow. Security was our main priority; this is why we chose Airtable.
Airtable helps our department keep our records in order and has made a workflow that is easy for all staff to use. Airtable has made our task management quicker, which in turn helps our clients receive the assistance they need quicker.
What does Native American Heritage Month mean to you?
When I think of Native American Heritage month two words come to mind: recognition and representation. This month brings recognition to all of our indigenous ancestors that came before us. Our ancestors had to face many difficult trials and this month allows us to honor their strength and courage. Our ancestors were resilient and because of that strength we are able to still have our Native language and traditions today.
Representation from all Native communities proving that our culture and traditions are still alive and thriving within this modern world. Having Native representation within ALL communities is vital to ensure that history never repeats itself. Native American month also help others understand our heritage, cultures and traditions in hope we can all stand together as one.