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Cherokee Nation Reclaims Lives Through Culture
19 May
Summary
- New center integrates tribal traditions like stickball for recovery.
- Facility funded by Cherokee Nation's opioid settlement funds.
- Cherokee Nation operates the first of its kind treatment center.
In 2025, the Cherokee Nation will launch a groundbreaking treatment center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, dedicated to healing through cultural integration. This facility will incorporate ancestral traditions, including stickball games and cultivating corn ('selu') in an on-campus garden, into its recovery programs.
The center's development is supported by roughly $150 million secured by the tribe from settlements with opioid manufacturers. This funding allows for a 45,000-square-foot campus featuring 100 inpatient beds and a comprehensive outpatient hub with ongoing support services.
The Cherokee Nation pursued opioid litigation actively, beginning in 2017, to address the devastating impact of the opioid crisis. This crisis, which has led to over 900,000 U.S. deaths since 1999, disproportionately affects Native American communities, particularly with the rise of fentanyl.
This new center represents the first facility of its kind to be fully operated by the Cherokee Nation, offering culturally grounded healing at no cost to its citizens. It aims to preserve the essence of Cherokee identity and lifeways by supporting community members in their recovery journeys.
