History & Background — Narrative

The Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks vision emerged more than a decade ago from a shared belief that the landscapes, waterways, and stories of eastern Oklahoma are deeply interconnected and deserving of long-term protection and celebration.

Between 2010 and 2012, Cherokee Nation citizens and cultural leaders, the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local governments, and community members collaborated to imagine what a unified conservation and recreation corridor could become. Their efforts culminated in the 2012 Master Plan, a foundational document that mapped the region’s cultural heritage, ecological assets, and opportunities for trails, tourism, interpretation, and community wellness.

While the original initiative did not progress beyond early planning, the vision never disappeared. Communities continued to steward and value their rivers, forests, cultural sites, and natural beauty. Today, with renewed interest, updated planning tools, stronger partnerships, and a growing emphasis on climate resilience and tribal-centered leadership, the Greenway concept is entering a new era of possibility.

A key turning point came when local attorney and long-time champion Kathy Tibbits—one of the original project visionaries—led a renewed effort to revitalize the initiative. She applied for National Park Service support through the Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance program and, alongside local supporters, partnered with Connected Realities to re-engage the region. This team launched a series of community workshops and dialogues focused on re-visioning the future of the area, reaffirming local priorities, and exploring how the Greenway could once again serve as a unifying regional framework.

This community-driven momentum has reinvigorated the project and brought it into its next stage: seeking regional adoption and support from tribal and local governing bodies. This is where the Greenway effort stands today—anchored in history, supported by community leadership, and positioned for long-term impact.

This is not a new idea — it is a meaningful vision returning at a moment when the region is ready to carry it forward.

Project Goals — Narrative

At its core, the Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks is about strengthening connections — between people and place, past and future, and community and landscape.

The goals of the project include:

Cultural Interpretation & Heritage Preservation

Uplift Cherokee stories, cultural landscapes, and historical sites through interpretive trails and educational experiences that honor the region’s identity.

Ecological Stewardship & Climate Resilience

Protect and restore habitat corridors, enhance watershed health, and build climate-ready landscapes that support wildlife, reduce flooding, and strengthen ecological continuity.

Recreation & Healthy Communities

Create trails and outdoor spaces that promote physical activity, safe mobility, youth engagement, and accessible recreation for residents and visitors.

Sustainable Economic Opportunity

Support local economies through sustainable tourism, outdoor recreation, heritage-based events, and strengthened small-town vitality.

Regional Connectivity

Link natural, cultural, and recreational resources across five counties into one cohesive, identity-rich corridor.

The Greenway is both a place and a purpose — an integrated approach to heritage, health, resilience, and community prosperity.

The Greenway can only be realized through partnership. From the beginning, the initiative has drawn strength from collaboration among tribal citizens, community groups, local leaders, conservation organizations, and federal partners.

Today, coalition-building remains essential. Revitalizing the Greenway depends on relationships — listening deeply, honoring Indigenous knowledge, and ensuring that communities shape the direction and outcomes of the work. Through small-group conversations, workshops, outreach to local partners, and engagement with Cherokee cultural leaders, the Greenway fosters an approach rooted in respect and shared ownership.

This coalition is not simply an organizational structure; it is a network built on trust, shared values, and a commitment to stewarding the land and stories of the region. It enables communities to accomplish together what none could achieve alone.

The Greenway is grounded in a combination of foundational and contemporary materials that guide its evolution.

The 2012 Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks Master Plan serves as the cornerstone, offering a comprehensive inventory of the region’s natural, cultural, and recreational assets. It outlines the original mission, vision, guiding principles, and community-identified projects that helped define the early stages of the Greenway.

Newer materials — including outreach communications, draft websites, meeting notes, and workshop planning documents — reflect today’s priorities: climate resilience, tribal-led storytelling, sustainable tourism, and modern community engagement practices.

Together, these documents form a living archive — a blend of past planning and current insight that informs a refreshed, forward-looking vision.

The Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks is a landscape shaped by the tribal nations of Northeastern Oklahoma. The places here tie together histories, responsibilities, and ongoing relationships that should guide how the corridor grows. Any long-term direction needs to make room for those ties and support the people who continue to live and care for the land.

Early coalition work has mapped possible routes, goals, and partnerships. This early planning creates space for tribal nations to determine whether leading or co-leading the next steps aligns withs their own priorities. A tribal-led approach would support accurate cultural interpretation, strengthen cultural heritage tourism, and create opportunities for community programs, artists, and local businesses. It would also ensure that stories, language, and land-based knowledge are shared on the Nation’s terms.

Leadership from tribal nations would align the greenway with the region's existing conservation and stewardship goals. Many Nations already focus on watershed care, habitat restoration, and land-based education. A continuous corridor supports that work by connecting landscapes, improving access, and offering a long-term framework for managing the area as a whole. This approach gives the greenway a stronger path forward and keeps decision-making close to the communities with the deepest ties to the land.

The way forward focuses on:

• Re-engaging partners in thoughtful, relationship-centered dialogue
• Updating the Greenway vision to reflect contemporary goals and community priorities
• Identifying early implementation projects that demonstrate momentum
• Establishing an updated, inclusive governance or coalition structure
• Leveraging diverse funding opportunities spanning heritage, climate resilience, recreation, and rural development

The future of the Greenway depends on shared leadership and a collective belief in the region’s potential.

Tahlequah-to-Illinois River “String of Beads” Trail

A model corridor connecting parks, natural areas, and cultural nodes, demonstrating urban-to-river connectivity and community-driven trail planning.

Vian Trail System & Mountain Bike Network

An example of recreation-driven rural economic development, youth engagement, and outdoor tourism.

Dwight Mission Museum & Walking History Experience

A culturally significant project centered on Cherokee heritage, education, and community healing.

Illinois River Interpretive Center

A potential hub that integrates watershed education, cultural storytelling, and ecological stewardship.

Sallisaw Creek Restoration & Habitat Corridor Work

A project blending conservation, climate adaptation, and culturally important plants and landscapes.

Trail of Tears/Oaks Connector

An interpretive project that honors Cherokee history while linking communities to significant cultural routes.

These projects demonstrate the range and depth of what the Greenway can achieve — from heritage preservation to ecological restoration to community vitality.