The Turtle Island Hall of Honor (TIHoH) Project

Mission

Our Mission is to build and continually develop the Turtle Island Hall of Honor which will be a place that honors past, present, and future Native American heroes.

Purpose

1. To give Native American youth positive role models; past, present, and future
2. To create pride in Native American Heritage
3. To provide a place for preservation of Native wisdom (i.e. environmental, ecological, herbal, medicinal, etc…)
4. To provide awareness of Native consciousness to the general public (i.e. all things are connected therefore related, the circle, four directions, medicine wheel, etc…)
5. To present the history of Turtle Island from the perspective of the people that made and are making that history; our heroes, past, present, and future
6. To convey this history, awareness, and pride through art, living exhibits, location and building, thereby bringing alive what residents of Turtle Island are thinking and feeling

Goals

We will build a Native American Cultural Center “Turtle Island Hall of Honor” that will annually select inductees into the Hall of Honor. The inductees will be of Native Heritage and nominated by any native tribe or nation throughout North America, as well as other groups such as Native American Music Awards (NAMA), Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, Pro-Football Hall of Fame, etc. We will also strive to network with other Native American cultural centers and museums (i.e. Museum of Native America, etc.) to facilitate the exchange of ideas, courses, and exhibits. Within the center we will have an amphitheatre where inductees could be brought to life through reenactments, as well as storytelling, musical and cultural events. Within the center there will be classrooms where the elders and wisdom keepers can document and share their knowledge with the general public.

Building Information Sources

The team will collect information and build a broad network of connections to assist the start up process.

1. International Association of Sports Museum and Hall of Fame (IASMHF). This will allow access to useful museum forums, newsletters, as well as, information from its colleagues and a host of experienced professionals willing to discuss their institutions successes and failures.

2. Handbook of Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and Sports Museums. The handbook provides information on such topics as hall of fame selection criteria, museum educational programs, conservation guidelines, and exhibit design.

3. American Association of Museum. This will allow networking with other professionals or operations and discussion about budget, exhibits, etc…

4. Reach out to local development councils and Chamber of Commerce for sources of financial, political and other assistance.

5. Arkansas Tourism Commission.

Establishing the Governing Board

“First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do.” Epictetus Roman Philosopher (circa 100AD)

Many places built on a shoestring are now gone or in limbo. Without critical mass of people and assets, the chance for long-term success is virtually non-existent. We will build a strong team of people who share the dream, value the idea, and are willing to do whatever it takes to make Turtle Island a reality. From this team we will select a Board of Directors, being careful to clearly delineate board functions from staff functions to avoid potential problems once Turtle Island is in operation. At this time we will prepare our constitution and by laws. We will apply to the Secretary of State for Incorporation. After receiving our incorporation we will apply with the Internal Revenue Service for 501 (c) (3) status as a not-for-profit organization.

The newly structured Board led by its officers will begin developing a business plan for Turtle Island. When financially possible, we will identify and hire a person whom the board believes will be the functioning Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Turtle Island.

Business Plan

The three important standards that will be essential in the operating of Turtle Island include:

1. Quality
2. Honesty
3. Professionalism All aspects of the business plan will bear in mind (1) the Mission Statement and (2) the three standards listed above.

Fundraising

The importance of fundraising cannot be underestimated. It is impossible to imagine developing a physical plant with quality exhibits and staff without substantial upfront funding. Also, virtually no museum or hall of fame can sustain itself indefinitely solely from operational income. Like art museums, science centers, and other such non-profit institutions, the Board and CEO will recognize that fundraising is and will be part of everyday operations. When the Board is established and the articles of incorporation written, it will be made clear that the Board is fiscally responsible for the institution. That is the rationale for the Board members playing a substantive role in fundraising. It will be crucial to build that function into an understanding of the Director’s role and for every new member that is recruited. The rest of the business plan obviously relies on this fundraising component.

Turtle Island will have fundraising efforts aimed at (1) capital funds used specifically for asset items such as the building, computer based exhibit presentations, the amphitheater, etc., (2) endowment funds, those set aside as permanently endowed and only its earnings used, and (3) general operating funds, unrestricted and to be used at the Board’s discretion.

Donations can be given in many forms such as gifts in kind which are services or tangible objects such as architectural work, air-conditioning units, or pledges, which are promises of future payment. We will also kindly and appreciatively accept cash. An annual external audit of our financial records will be prepared by an independent certified public accountant.

Staffing

• The CEO, which was previously hired by the Board, will oversee all function and coordinate the staff functions and the board meetings.
• A Business Manager who will be responsible for areas such as accounting, purchasing, human resources, insurance, and revenue-producing activities such as the Hall’s store and food services.
• A Facilities Manager will be in charge of the security, cleanliness, safety, and maintenance of Turtle Island properties.
• Our Curator will be responsible for the care, historical research, and academic interpretation of all objects in Turtle Island’s collection.
• The Educator will develop and implement programs that utilize the exhibit for the benefit of the public as well as act as a liaison coordinating with the public and private school systems to plan tours and educational programs.
• Public Relations and Communications will handle important tasks such as a newsletter, news releases, media relations, and brochure development.

All of the professionals will have sufficient clerical staff to ensure that the many administrative functions can be handled efficiently and effectively.

Location, Locations, Location

The most important thing for the location of Turtle Island is keeping in mind our number one purpose; to give Native American youth positive role models, past, present, and future. Oklahoma is a geographical location with more displaced tribes than any other region. Therefore to reach the largest number of our desired beneficiaries it must be easily accessible from that location. We envision many busloads of school aged children making annual visits to Turtle Island. We also expect local, state, and national, Boy Scout jamborees to be held at Turtle Island. It must be a natural and scenic place. Arkansas is known as the natural state and many of the displaced tribes had homelands in Arkansas or passed through Arkansas during their movement.

Another consideration will be related factors such as convenience to other attractions including state and national parks, and museums. Hall of fames and museums are recognized as drawing the same visitors and together they become a “destination” that benefits both the visitor and the facilities.

Physical Plant

The issue of facility design will be a very high priority for Turtle Island. The building will reflect the environmental and ecological wisdom of the people of Turtle Island as well as our connectedness to all things (all my relations). The selection of our architect will define that goal. Our architect will work closely with the exhibit designers to achieve our goals. We expect that when people enter Turtle Island it will be both an educational and entertaining experience. Guests will exit Turtle Island with many new thoughts and understandings of history and the environment.

Marketing Plan

Marketing will be a very key component of Turtle Island. We have a very important story to tell and it is time to be heard is long overdue. We have to accomplish our mission statement, live up to our purpose, and remember the three standards. Now, let’s get the word out. We will develop positive relationships with local media professionals who are looking for interesting stories and we have plenty to share. Media news reports tend to be more believable to the public and much less expensive then paid advertising. Also, we will work closely with the Arkansas Tourism Commission. We will coordinate with all public and private school systems for tours and educational programs as well as with Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN).

Special thanks to….

Karen Bednarski, Director of International Sports Heritage Association, for her advice and assistance, as well as providing “A Primer for Organizing Sports Museums and Halls of Fame” which will serve as a template for Turtle Island.

People who have, thus far, agreed to be involved in the Turtle Island Project:

• Jim Hensen Chief United Keetoowah Band and inspiration for Turtle Island
• John Paul Jones Renowned environmental architect and lead architect for the Museum of Native America and the Smithsonian
• Richard West Jr Founding director of the Museum of Native America and lifelong advocate for native issues
• Windwalker Winner of “Best Gospel Inspirational” for “Amazing Grace” at the 2009 Native American Music Awards (NAMA) Winner of “Best Single” for “Grandfather” at 2010 NAMAs
• Tom McKinley CEO of Sentinel Technical Services – technical assistance & website