The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum sits unfinished in Oklahoma City. Photo from AICCM
Construction on the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma is set to resume this summer thanks to support from the Chickasaw Nation. The museum needs another $80 million and the tribe has agreed to contribute about $15 million. Another $31 million will come from private donors and Oklahoma City will invest the remaining $34 million. Additionally, the tribe has agreed to fund operations of the museum with up to $2 million a year for 7 years. "I'm extremely delighted that Oklahoma City, the state of Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation all came together to make this a reality," Blake Wade, the executive director of the Native American Cultural and Educational Authority, told the Associated Press. The deal is contingent on the transfer of 143 acres surrounding the property to the tribe. The tribe plans to develop the land but plans haven't been disclosed. According to HB 2237, the 2015 state law that paved the way for the deal, "gambling activity" is prohibited on the land due to restrictions in the original deed. But the tribe wouldn't necessarily be bound by that restriction if the land were ever placed in trust. The museum is still at least four years from completion, the AP said. Get the Story:
Oklahoma City approves agreement for stalled Indian museum (AP 3/15)
Oklahoma City Reaches Agreement On American Indian Cultural Center (News on 6 7/15)
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