He began his college wrestling career at the University of Oklahoma but Josh Heindselman spent his final year of eligibility with the University of Michigan Winning has never been everything for Cherokee Nation citizen Josh Heindselman but it is still important and he did a lot of winning in wrestling; a sport that can teach discipline regardless of how many matches are won – Winning has never been everything for Cherokee Nation citizen Josh Heindselman but it is still important closed his collegiate wrestling career by achieving NCAA Division I All-America honors – an accomplishment he pursued for many years “This meant a ton to me,” Heindselman said “It was everything I had been working toward accomplishing in my wrestling career.” He earned his All-American status by placing seventh at the NCAA Championships this spring It was his fifth and final appearance at the national tournament Heindselman first wrestled for the University of Oklahoma but transferred to the University of Michigan for his final season believing the move gave him the best shot at making it to the podium “Part of my success this season can be attributed to them,” he said of the Wolverines program “I was able to work with their coaches and some of the wrestlers in the room Among those training partners was Mason Parris – an Olympic representative for Team USA in 2024 “Wrestling with the best helped me jump levels,” Heindselman said there is much Heindselman wants to achieve he will begin his medical school study in Tahlequah at the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation He sees significance in attending the first tribally affiliated medical school in the U.S Referencing the school’s emphasis on improving health care access to tribes and rural areas Heindselman said: “Being part of the Cherokee tribe and growing up in rural Oklahoma has led to both of these areas being incredibly important to me In both of these fields it can be difficult for individuals to receive quality care because of neglect and underfunding these are fields I would like to make change in.” The decision to attend OSU Osteopathic in the CN also had personal and cultural significance and grandfather Jon Heindselman have instilled a great sense of pride in my Cherokee heritage,” he said it has greatly impacted my decision on where I want to attend medical school.” Heindselman holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in healthcare law from OU He also took classes in social work at Michigan handling a demanding course load with wrestling practices twice a day “After practice I would often be exhausted making it hard to focus on schoolwork,” he said “This is where I am grateful for wrestling It has taught me great time management and the ability to balance a busy schedule.” Heindselman said family was among the reasons he got into wrestling “He was a state champion from McLoud in high school I believe the sport can teach you confidence discipline and toughness – and I feel the sport has helped improve all of these skills.” Soon Heindselman’s journey will take him to the Cherokee Nation toward a profession in health care and service “I want to continue working with the Cherokee Nation as I pursue this career in medicine,” he said “I believe med school in Tahlequah gives me the best opportunity to do that.” Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The U.S. Department of the Interior issued an opinion in January stating the United Keetoowah Band (UKB) is an equal successor to the Cherokee Nation's reservation and granting the tribe the right to build a casino This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange a collaboration of public media organizations Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage OKLA (KTUL) — The Tahlequah Police Department (TPD) is seeking information on a male subject regarding a fraud report If you have any information on the incident SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr and Tahlequah Mayor Suzanne Myers visit at the event announcing a joint project to construct a 4.4-mile pedestrian-friendly sidewalk along U.S the Cherokee Nation is responsible for constructing 3.25 miles of the 10-foot-wide sidewalk that will connect to Tahlequah’s 1.15 miles of sidewalk During the announcement event for the Cherokee Nation and city of Tahlequah sidewalk project Councilor Candessa Tehee speaks about the importance of sidewalks in a community The Cherokee Nation is investing $6.4 million to the project with funds coming from the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act The city of Tahlequah was approved to invest $1.5 million Cherokee Nation and the city of Tahlequah officials announced a joint project to construct a 4.4-mile pedestrian-friendly sidewalk along U.S TAHLEQUAH – Cherokee Nation and the city of Tahlequah officials announced a joint project to construct a 4.4-mile pedestrian-friendly sidewalk along U.S The Cherokee Nation’s 3.25-mile portion will start at Durbin Feeling Language Center and stretch to the intersection of Highway 62 and Southridge Road near Casey’s The city’s 1.15-mile portion of the project will extend from that point north to the intersection near Walmart and Reasor’s “I believe that having good sidewalks in a neighborhood increases the ability of neighbors to connect with one another I see it as an incredible avenue for connection,” District 2 Tribal Councilor Candessa Tehee said “I’m just really excited that Cherokee Nation and the City of Tahlequah are able to work together to bring initiatives like this to the community because it benefits every member of our community.” construction for the Cherokee Nation’s portion is set to begin this year and is supported by $6 million from the Cherokee Nation Public Health and Wellness Fund Act Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities Pilot program Engineering work for the project will be handled by WSB Engineering City of Tahlequah’s funding for the project is from the City of Tahlequah Street and Sidewalk Fund of $375,000 and $1,125,000 from the TAP Grant through ODOT totaling just under $1,500,000 for the entire project Tahlequah Mayor Suzanne Myers spoke during the project announcement about how the project will be beneficial to the community both aesthetically and practically “Many of us have traveled down this area in particular I've seen someone in a wheelchair trying to make their way down that way because this is going to make such a difference to so many people,” Myers said “Forget the aesthetics of it-it's going to be beautiful and it's going to help with people's wellness and healthy living echoed the mayor’s comments on the projects benefits “This is going to improve accessibility – it’s going to be safer,” Hoskin said the only way to get from point A to point B is to walk Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving the milestone “Partnerships are key to community progress and this project showcases that spirit of cooperation By working alongside the City of Tahlequah we’re creating a safer environment for thousands of residents who can now walk this path instead of navigating grass or traffic lanes,” Warner said No starting date was announced for the sidewalk but construction is expected to start within 2025 and be completed in 2026 As a fully funded planned second phase of the project CN will build an underpass to connect the sidewalk on the north side of the four lane at Muskogee Avenue and Highway 62 to the tribal complex CN is evaluating the appropriate site for the crossing near the tribal complex a new Chick-fil-A franchise will open in Tahlequah Cherokee Nation citizen Corey Seitz owns and operates the restaurant The Seitz family at the ground breaking of the new Chick-fil-A restaurant  The food chain is known for its chicken sandwiches customer service and family-friendly atmosphere Seitz said Chick-fil-A is a great fit for Tahlequah A food chain known for its chicken sandwiches customer service and family-friendly atmosphere is opening its doors on Jan 9 in Tahlequah thanks to the efforts of a Cherokee Nation citizen TAHLEQUAH – A food chain known for its chicken sandwiches Corey Seitz owns and operates the new restaurant that is located on Muskogee Avenue near Walmart and Reasor’s has been extremely welcoming and just really positive and very kind,” he said “I think Chick-fil-A coming in and bringing 100 team members and helping actually just extends and continues that environment through our restaurant (It) is just going to continue to carry out that positive impact that Tahlequah has on many people.” Most of the 100 team members employed are new to the franchise but some have experience working in other locations Chick-fil-A is also known for its excellent service and speed in the drive thru Despite frigid weather conditions expected for the opening Seitz expects a smooth grand opening and for employees to be safe and comfortable “We’re looking at every single option to make sure that team member safety is our highest priority,” he said we have heaters outside in our drive-thru canopy We also do regular 10- to 15-minute rotations when we do have people outside We’ll make more of a game-time decision on Thursday (Jan 9) if we’ve got snow and blizzard-like conditions.” Seitz hopes this restaurant will have some impact on the Cherokee Nation “The opportunity to impact not only Tahlequah but the Cherokee Nation as a whole is really important to me,” he said (we’re) making sure that what we do here in the restaurant really embodies those values and those characteristics of the Cherokee Nation.” The new Chick-fil-A is located at 2589 S Muskogee Ave in Tahlequah The Cherokee Nation has started construction on a $34 million wellness center near the Tribal Complex in Tahlequah lead recreational specialist at the Cherokee Nation’s Male Seminary Recreation Center takes part in a groundbreaking ceremony Oct 24 at the site of a future wellness center in Tahlequah An artist’s rendering provided by the Cherokee Nation depicts a future wellness center in Tahlequah As part of the Cherokee Nation’s mission to promote public health across the reservation construction has begun on a $34 million wellness center near the Tribal Complex in Tahlequah TAHLEQUAH – As part of the Cherokee Nation’s mission to promote public health across the reservation “We are here to celebrate another investment in the idea that we ought to have a world-class system of wellness in the Cherokee Nation,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr The plan is to replace the Cherokee Nation Male Seminary Recreation Center often referred to by its former name “Markoma,” which is free for tribal citizens and employees The new wellness center site will be located near the Tribal Complex behind the Durbin Feeling Language Center and between current and future Head Start facilities to have it right here in my district,” Tribal Councilor Lisa Hall said health employees and others gathered at the site Oct 24 for an official groundbreaking ceremony the only remaining Markoma employee who has worked there since its 2008 opening “I feel like the Cherokee Nation complex people will come over on their lunch breaks or in general to get a little exercise in,” he said Cherokee Nation Public Health executive director said the new wellness center will “nearly double our space “I can’t even express how excited I am,” she said but for everyone on the public health staff We understand how important it is to be active Hoskin told attendees of the groundbreaking event that Cherokee Nation’s employees will benefit from the project “This brings the wellness center that is so used in the form of Markoma right now closer to where the Cherokee Nation workforce is in a beautiful campus,” he said “I’m really struck by all of the detail that has gone into this making sure this is a family affair when it comes to wellness.” 75,000-square-foot center will feature a pair of basketball courts The project is being paid for through the Cherokee Nation’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act of 2021 which itself is supplemented by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars Hoskin pointed to Deputy Chief Bryan Warner as a driving force behind health initiatives within the reservation “That means making sure that there’s opportunities out in the communities and for our workforce to achieve a sense of physical wellness which of course is connected to mental wellness and spiritual wellness in many ways,” Hoskin said the deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation brought that in She is the mother orca who captured the world’s attention by carrying her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles there’s a new baby by her side — a symbol of hope in this A new calf has been born to J pod, spotted for the first time just last Friday — swimming with Tahlequah, or J35, as she is scientifically known. Michael Weiss, research director of the Center for Whale Research which catalogs the southern resident population on Christmas Eve confirmed the birth to Tahlequah and named the baby J61 The southern residents that visit Puget Sound live in the J Vessel noise makes it harder for them to hunt And they face the menace of pollution in their food Any new calf born to the endangered southern residents is good news with just 73 whales in the current population 2024 census by the Center for Whale Research But a new calf for Tahlequah carries a special significance She is the mother orca who carried a baby inside her for 18 months and in the summer of 2018 lost it within half an hour of its birth Then she carried her baby’s body through the region’s waters day after grim day Some saw a message to the region about the dire condition of these orca families, among the most endangered of animals. Grief at her loss touched people around the region and the world. And yet, she went on to have another calf in 2020 She and both of her older offspring were in subnormal body condition a research and marine wildlife rescue organization “What you really hope to see is robust females giving birth that will have that extra fat reserve to make it through the demands of lactation,” Fearnbach said “When you have a female with two offspring that still rely on mom it is especially worrying that everyone will get enough food to make it into summer and the fall.” In addition to Tahlequah’s condition observed last October biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle spent half the day Tuesday observing Tahlequah and the calf along with other members of J and K pods as they swam and foraged between the south end of Whidbey Island and the Edmonds marina “The calf stayed down for protracted periods “But the amount of action where the calf was getting pushed around on mom’s head it seemed more than I would have expected to see and it just wasn’t very lively.” On the other hand sightings of a calf so young are so unusual it is hard for scientists to know if the behavior is cause for concern The calf is a female — which makes the calf even more valuable to the pods Hunger stalks the southern residents. About two-thirds of their pregnancies are lost because of nutrition stress, a 2017 paper showed The findings are consistent with SR3’s health monitoring to track changes in body condition over time Tahlequah’s life story shows what’s at stake “She was one of the first that made people realize they have such a high level of reproductive loss; I don’t think people realized that,” Fearnbach said “She was such an important whale for changing the way the world sees southern resident killer whales and brought a lot of attention to make sure they get enough food and limit vessel interactions.” A big chum run this fall was a boon to the whales, who spent day after day foraging in Puget Sound. It was mother orca Tahlequah who first got Brittany Philbin fascinated with the southern residents She spends any free moment she can hoping to see them — going to the beaches where she lives in West Seattle even riding the Edmonds ferry back and forth When the captain veered the boat far off its normal course but didn’t even see the tiny fin until she checked her photos That Tahlequah could rebound from her loss to bear more young is remarkable but also a signature of the ocean’s top predator I don’t think she is an unusual whale,” said Weiss “There probably are all kinds of stories like this in the southern residents we don’t know What he takes from it all is actually about us There is still danger and peril and threats but also hope,” Weiss said The young calf and new mother make it more important than ever that recreational boaters give the southern residents plenty of space State law requires that boaters avoid approaching the southern residents within 1,000 yards and drone photography over the whales is not allowed Turn off depth finders and reduce speed to 7 knots when within half a nautical mile You can help the southern residents by reporting violations of these rules as soon as possible to NOAA Fisheries’ enforcement hotline, 800-853-1964, or the WDFW enforcement line at 877-933-9847. You can also report violations at bewhalewise.org Scientists in research boats seen closer than 1,000 yards of the whales have federal permits that allow brief approaches for scientific observation ABOUT THIS SERIES“Hostile Waters” exposes the plight of Puget Sound’s southern resident killer whales among our region’s most enduring symbols and most endangered animals The Seattle Times examines the role humans have played in their decline what can be done about it and why it matters The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser Front row: Cherokee Nation District 2 Councilor Candessa Tehee District 1 Councilor Sasha Blackfox-Qualls FHLBank Community Investment Officer Kylie Mergen Cherokee Nation Secretary of Veteran Affairs S Back row: Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation Boardmember Tony Yates Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation Executive Director Todd Enlow Housing Authority Senior Deputy Executive Director Jerri Killer FHLBank Chief Legal Executive and Mission Officer Matt Koupal and FHLBank Director of Government and Industry Relations Ryan Gilliland The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the FHLBank Topeka’s Native American Housing Initiatives Grants Program TAHLEQUAH – The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the FHLBank Topeka’s Native American Housing Initiatives Grants Program The grant will be used for the construction of two homes with 30-year lease-to-own contracts in the Galitsode addition in Tahlequah and Housing Authority Executive Director Todd Enlow celebrated the check presentation with FHLBank’s CEO Jeff Kuzbel and other FHLBank staff March 20 in Tahlequah “We are in the midst of a housing crisis that spans the country,” Hoskin said “We find ourselves in this region with a $1.75 billion housing deficit The Cherokee Nation certainly can’t fix all of the housing insecurities that are being experienced but we can’t wait around on the United States to close this gap That’s why we partner with groups like FHLBank and their partner which are helping us face this housing issue head on.” The Cherokee Nation permanently reauthorized its historic Housing setting aside $40 million from the tribe’s business revenue every three years to help address housing and community facility needs The Cherokee Nation’s Galitsode Housing Addition in Tahlequah is made up of 24 homes The houses are between 1,745 and 1,844 square feet The neighborhood playground and nearly two miles of sidewalks are funded through Cherokee Nation’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act “Native American communities have sizeable housing needs and are severely underfunded across the country,” Kuzbel said we started out with a million-dollar commitment our funding has grown to over $8.3 million providing support to federally recognized tribes and tribal housing entities in Colorado The need for affordable housing in Oklahoma and especially here in Cherokee County is extremely urgent We encourage you to use the funding and address the issues as you see fit for Cherokee nation citizens.”  Homes in the Galitsode addition and other additions constructed by the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation are managed under the New Construction Home Ownership program which provides a path to subsidized home ownership for Cherokee Nation citizens Homes in those additions give preference to citizens who have pending applications for the program but do not own their own land Tahlequah the mother orca is once again carrying a dead calf, researchers said, as she did in 2018 in a 17-day, 1,000-mile tour that shocked the region and world “It’s heartbreaking to see this again,” Brad Hanson biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle He and other researchers were on the water with Tahlequah and other southern resident orcas Wednesday “I do have concerns about the toll this takes (on) her,” Hanson said “She clearly exhibits a long-term commitment to these failed pregnancies so there is that side of it Then there is the energetic cost — very inefficient to carry this around as well as potential missed foraging opportunities during a time … when prey are expected to be less available.” Tahlequah birthed a baby calf, a female, confirmed by scientists on Christmas Eve. But that calf was confirmed dead on New Year’s Eve Tahlequah has to continually snatch it back from the waves before it is swept away She does so by pushing it ahead of her with her head or holding it by a tiny fin with her teeth Scientists know that highly intelligent social animals such as elephants grieve losses in their family and community Michael Weiss, of the Center for Whale Research said we cannot know what is in Tahlequah’s mind — or assume her thoughts and emotions — but what is plain to see is that she is not ready to let the calf go but it could easily have been days now that Tahlequah has been carrying the baby Tahlequah carried her calf that lived only a half-hour for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles Her loss grieved people around the region and world and changed the conversation about the southern resident orcas igniting a new understanding of their close-knit family bonds intelligence — and that they are struggling to survive The southern residents live in the J, K, and L pods. They are endangered, with only 73 members in the population The southern residents were victimized during the capture era (ended in 1976 in Washington waters) in which a third of the pods were taken from their families to be sold to perform in aquariums The southern residents rebuilt their numbers and vessel noise that makes it harder for them to hunt are among the problems hurting their recovery Scientists with the orcas Wednesday also were able to once again observe a new calf born to J pod It was not possible to determine yet its mother or its gender assigned the scientific name of J62 by the Center for Whale Research “The death of any calf in the (southern resident killer whales) population is a tremendous loss but the death of J61 is particularly devastating who could have one day potentially led her own matriline but also given the history of her mother J35 who has now lost two of her calves shortly after birth,” the center stated in a news release Washington coach Kale Simon was angry when he entered the State Fair Arena locker room “He was using his mad voice,” senior Breanna Lindert said Washington held a 32-point lead in the Class 3A state championship game But there is always that slim chance it’s not Simon had to remind his players to not let up But he also had to tell them one other thing A state championship — which the Warriors had fallen one win shy of the past two seasons — was finally theirs No. 1-ranked Washington overpowered No. 3-ranked Sequoyah Tahlequah 73-37 on Saturday at The Big House locking up its first state championship since 2007 and fourth overall Celebrate Washington's title with our State Fair Arena book More: Oklahoma high school basketball state tournament 2025: Everything you need to know Washington (30-1) lost to Idabel and Jones in the title game the past two seasons the joy of the dogpile and raising the gold ball would have been a tad bit less gratifying were worth it to get to where we are today.” Those silver-ball trophies are why Washington was determined to put Sequoyah Tahlequah away She scored 15 of her game-high 24 points in the first quarter Washington outscored Sequoyah Tahlequah 22-5 going on a 16-0 run while holding the Indians scoreless for more than four minutes Sequoyah Tahlequah committed 10 turnovers in the quarter and attempted only seven shots Then junior Preslee Johnson took over the second quarter More: Celebrate Oklahoma high school basketball at State Fair Arena with 'The Big House' book And everything snowballed on Sequoyah Tahlequah (24-5) though not scoring a single point would have still been enough it could be a close game like Roland was,” Johnson said We wanted to put it away and keep putting it away The Warriors had jumped to a nine-point lead on Roland in the state quarterfinals That’s why Simon entered the locker room at halftime determined to deliver a message He truly believed the game was far from over And crazy things happen in the state tournament.” More: Why OSSAA bringing all classes together for state basketball could be glimpse of future Just a celebration that was a long time coming probably three minutes left to go in the game it really hit me,” Beller said “I looked at my mom (assistant coach Kami Beller) and I was by my best friend (Shelby Caveness) and it finally hit me that we finally did it “I’m just glad that we fought our way back to this point.” An orca who drew international attention when she carried her dead calf for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles seven years ago is experiencing heartbreak all over again Scientists initially spotted the whale mom, known both as Tahlequah and J35 20 but were worried about the health of the baby when they got out on the water three days later they were certain she was pushing around the baby whale's carcass just north of Alki Point a neighborhood in western Seattle and a peninsula that feeds into Puget Sound "We were able to confirm that J31 had in fact lost the calf and she was pushing it around on her head much like what was happening in 2018," Brad Hanson a research scientist with the NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center Tahlequah is one of 73 endangered Southern Resident orcas a killer whale population that lives in three pods − J K an L − along the Salish Sea near British Columbia and Washington State prey availability and inbreeding are among the threats Southern Residents face Tahlequah has lost two out of four documented calves – both of which were female according to the Center for Whale Research Tahlequah last gave birth to a male calf in 2020 "New Year’s Eve 2024 was a day of extreme highs and lows. We have confirmation of another new calf in J pod, but sadly, this was combined with the devastating news that J61 has not survived," the center wrote in a Wednesday social media post. Hanson said they are "very encouraged" by the sight of another calf in the J pod because "it appears to be very robust" despite the Tahlequah's unexpected loss Death of Tahlequah's calf is 'devastating,' scientists sayOther Southern Residents have been observed carrying newly deceased calves but none of them have clung to their young quite as long as Tahlequah "It's usually been kind of one-off observations within a particular encounter as opposed to multiple weeks," Michael Weiss executive director at the Center for Whale Research other whales have done but not that length of behavior." Tahlequah carrying the deceased calf around is likely an expression of heartbreak the science director of the SeaDoc Society a marine research organization at University of California-Davis we have realized that we have the same neurotransmitters that they have why shouldn't we also have the same emotions that they have," Gaydos said "I think it's fair to say that she is grieving or mourning." Tahlequah is using a significant amount of energy to push the baby whale's carcass a behavior Hanson says could potentially do more harm than good in the short-term especially since she has not had time to forage food and is physically weaker from her last successful birth "It is a concern that she's expending a lot of energy to try to take care of this calf that she's lost," Hanson said the death of any Southern Resident killer whale calf is a "tremendous loss," but the death of Tahlequah's calf is "particularly devastating who could have one day potentially led her own matriline but also given the history of her mother." Contributing: Wyatte Grantham-Philips and Jay Cannon ||| FROM THE CLIMATE ACCORDING TO LIFE |||  In my last post I shared the tragic story of Tahlequah has carried a starved calf on her nostrum through the waters of the Salish Sea in a sad pageant of grief and warning she was last seen carrying her calf sixteen days ago We have to assume she’s released the calf by now but at present I can find no information on her location Her geographic location is not what I’m referring to though where she abides inside us and in our culture relaying the necessary scientific information while carefully maintaining a human space in which to absorb the full moral and emotional range of Tahlequah’s desperate expression I noticed that the Seattle Times has been filing Mapes’ reporting on Tahlequah under a section of the paper they call “The Climate Lab.” I find that odd While global warming certainly isn’t good for the Orca it’s not what’s driving them to extinction Placing Tahlequah’s ordeal under a climate heading simply confuses the matter Her value cannot be calculated via climate models but it reflects a broader trend I’ve watched develop over the years—the subsuming of nature by climate as though the biosphere is somehow a category of climate but without the biosphere there would be no climate as we now experience it Earth’s climate would be more like that of the moon or Mars Earth’s climate is best understood as a creation of the biosphere the most immediate damage being done to the biosphere and the main driver of the extinction crisis traditional environmental concerns like deforestation Categorizing these matters under Climate does them Our visceral connection with the living earth and a narrative superstructure that insists on viewing the entire natural world through the ocular of climate isn’t helping bringing particular nature into clearer focus is one of the main reasons I write this newsletter We can’t see nature with the reasoning mind alone **If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced no worries; we’re happy to share with you.** Looks like AI changed Rostrum to Nostrum in the first sentence… It’s NOT dams that are causing the SRKW’s struggles to increase their numbers the two most productive salmon rivers that SRKW’s take an estimated 85-90% of their chinook salmon ” Fraser River coho (Note: coho are silvers not chinook) are above average for the first time in decades with levels of fish returning to spawn not seen since before the crash in the 1990s Chinook on Vancouver Island and Mainland Inlets are well above average Many Chinook populations are doing exceptionally well in this region where salmon have rebounded in record numbers after nearing extinction only 15 years ago.” the SRKW”s digest some 20+ species of fish so this SRKW “starving” argument does not appear to be scientifically supported There has been a major decline in chinook population is in Northern BC and Alaska warming ocean temperature (“The Blob”) and warming river temperatures (the Arctic is warming much faster) The Columbia River has in recent years higher (some years up to triple) chinook counts than before the four lower Snake River dams began construction Detailed reports are readily available for every dam which was and still is the intended mitigation program that was implemented for projected dam losses Nobody actually knows why Tahlequah’s births have died Seattle Times’ Linda Mapes finally is coming around to at least recognizing the possibility that SRKW inbreeding may be responsible for birth abnormalities since SRKWs are a relatively small population and DNA sampling (reported in the last year or so) show only TWO males are responsible for SRKW breeding In human societies that permit family relationship marriages inner family breeding) leads to substantially increase in birth defects but without deceased young whales to scientific examine FERRY SCHEDULE VESSEL WATCH CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS CONTACT US ADVERTISING RATES The CWR said this behavior was seen previously in 2018 when she carried the body of her dead calf for 17 days. They also noted that they hope to have more information regarding the situation through further observation and will provide more details at a later juncture the CWR announced the addition of a new calf The CWR said they received reports on the evening of Dec 30 that a new calf may be traveling with the J19s and J16s "New Year’s Eve 2024 was a day of extreme highs and lows," wrote the CWR on social media Wednesday "We have confirmation of another new calf in J pod this was combined with the devastating news that J61 has not survived." RELATED: Center for Whale Research confirms birth of new J pod orca, death of female calf J61 The CWR said the death of any calf in the Southern Resident Killer Whale population is a tremendous loss but the death of J61 is especially devastating "The death of J61 is particularly devastating who could have one day potentially led her own matriline but also given the history of her mother J35 who has now lost two out of four documented calves – both of which were female," wrote the CWR There are currently just over 70 Southern Resident orcas the Center for Whale Research counted just 73 Southern Resident orcas which is down from 75 orcas in its 2023 census which are subject to a 200-yard buffer under federal law Southern Resident orcas feed almost exclusively on salmon while transient killer whales primarily prey on marine mammals like seals and sea lions (KTUL) — The City of Tahlequah broke ground on building four new baseball fields atAnthis Brennan Sports Complex and converting the current four softball fields to turf The city contracted with Hellas Construction for the expansion The $11 million investment will upgrade the existing facilities so athletes of all ages have a top-level playing surface "We are thrilled to partner with Hellas Construction to bring these high-quality turf fields to our community," declared Mayor Suzanne Myers "This project will not only benefit our local athletes but also attract tournaments and events to our city Through the dedication and teamwork of our current city council members and community partners this dream has become a reality in Tahlequah." The city said the Cherokee Nation plays a significant role in the investment The Cherokee Nation purchased Phoenix Park where the old baseball fields were located and donated $7 million to the city towards the new purchase of turf ballfields Cherokee Nation plans to build a crisis center at the old Phoenix Park The investment will also fund new bleachers “Cherokee Nation’s investment in the expansion of local ball fields and the park itself coupled with the future development of a much-needed crisis shelter not only enhances the quality of life here in Tahlequah but these projects add lasting value and economic growth for all,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr “When we work with our community partners like the City of Tahlequah to address community needs including improvements to family activities and recreational spaces Construction on the new turf fields started on Oct