Chris LittleCook to Speak at Northwestern for Diversity Training March 23

March 10, 2023

Northwestern Oklahoma State University will play host to Chris LittleCook March 23 for two diversity and inclusion training presentations.

The presentation, “College Experiences for Native Americans,” will be available at 3:30 p.m. in the Alva campus Student Center Ballroom. This presentation is free and open to all Northwestern employees and students.

The presentation on the Ponca tribe will be available at 7 p.m. in the Alva campus Education Center, room 109. This presentation is free and open to the general public.

These presentations will be available via ITV at the Enid, Woodward and Ponca City campus locations. Both presentations will be viewable in room 109 in Woodward and in room 118 for Ponca City. In Enid, room 218 for the 3:30 p.m. presentation and room 225 for the 7 p.m. presentation. For the specific room locations please contact Dr. Roger Brown, associate professor of business, at (580) 327-8509 or rsbrown@nwosu.edu.

A member of the Ponca Tribe, LittleCook has been married since 1990 to his wife, Melinda, and together they have raised four sons. LittleCook worked for Conoco after graduating high school and worked in Houston the next 20 years where he met and married Melinda. Their family moved back to Ponca City in 1996, and LittleCook began attending college.

He earned his associate’s degree from Northern Oklahoma College and his bachelor’s degree from Southwestern College in Winfield. He graduated summa cum laude and went on to earn his master’s degree in business administration from Cameron University. All the while, he worked full-time for the Ponca Tribe in Education and later became the tribe’s Self-Governance Director. After six and a half years of working for the tribe, he took a position with the Ponca City Public Schools as their Title VI Education Director. LittleCook worked in that position for 19 years before retiring in June 2022.

LittleCook has also served on numerous boards and committees within the tribe and community of Ponca City through the years including United Way, Salvation Army, CASA, Library Board, School Board, Ponca City Art Center, Habitat for Humanity, Friends of Marlands Grand Home, Cultural Affairs Commission, Ponca City Historic Preservation Panel, Ponca City MainStreet, Friends of the Pioneer Woman Statue and Museum, Ponca Gaming Commission, Giveswater Service Club, Ponca Election Board, Ponca Tribal Corporation, and Ponca Enterprise Gaming.

Active in his tribal culture, LittleCook serves as Head Dancer, emcee and other positions at dances. He also presents information about Ponca culture to various groups within the community and serves as a committeeman for the Ponca Hethuska Warrior Society.

Every year, the diversity committee at Northwestern strives to bring in relevant speakers who teach campus and community members about an issue in today’s culture. These committee members include Tyler Blankenship, student representative; Dr. Mariann Braten-Hall, assistant professor of education; Sarah Fry, instructor of criminal justice/sociology; Shawna Gilbert, assistant professor of library sciences; Mistie Kline, lecturer in psychology; Dr. Karsten Longhurst, assistant professor of music; Dr. Steven Mackie, professor of education; Allissa Miller, instructor of psychology; Calleb Mosburg, dean of student affairs and enrollment management; Taylor Randolph, instructor of psychology; Dr. Wei Zhou, professor of business; and Brown.

"We are very pleased to have Chris Littlecook visit Northwestern to share his insights from working with Native American students for over 20 years,” said Brown, chair of the diversity committee. “We are excited to learn from his personal experiences with the Tribal associations, the Ponca City community and the surrounding areas."

 -NW-