This story is our fifth in a series by the Mvskoke News team focusing on climate solutions on the Mvskoke Reservation. This year, Mvskoke Media has been part of the Climate Beacon Newsroom Initiative, a collaboration between the Indigenous Journalists Association and the Solutions Journalism Network. Solutions journalism rigorously examines evidence-based individual, group, and community responses to social problems. The initiative supported our newsroom’s skills development in story production, specifically stories focused on responses to climate and environmental challenges.
OKMULGEE – As temperatures climbed during the festivities and activities of the 50th Annual Muscogee Nation Festival this summer, visitors had easy access to ways to keep cool, stay safe, and stay hydrated. The Nation has also offered misting tents and a fully functioning splash pad in the past. Festival goers were also able to step into the air-conditioned Mvskoke Dome to cool off. The MCN Department of Public Safety provided cooling tents to help anyone overheated as temperatures rose during the festival. The tents were easily accessible, located on the east side of the walking entrance, near the food vendors and art and crafts.
MCN Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bobby Howard (Mvskoke) spoke about the importance of staying hydrated and how the tents help keep citizens, visitors, volunteers, and staff safe as temperatures on the reservation soared.
Howard stated that the tents, which are used when someone gets overheated, are not a new addition to the festival but have been used for several years. This enclosed space is where citizens can relax, rest, and get water.
The tents always have medical professionals and the MCN Department of Health nurses on staff to help all visitors. The tents are staffed with medical workers who will ensure body temperatures return to normal.
The air-conditioned tent has an indoor temperature of 68 degrees. Howard compares the cooling tent to a building with cool air and cool water.
“If you get really hot, then we have chances of heat exhaustion, heat stress, stroke, and heat stroke, so the cooling tents are a major part of one of the safety features that we have at the festival,” Howard said.
When entering the cooling tent, nurses will follow a protocol to assess for heat-related illness or other injuries. If the nurses deem it necessary, they will provide transportation to a facility- an ambulance is on site with paramedics.
Howard believes these services are highly impactful and are a major part of what they do to keep everyone safe.
Kevin Kloesel, Ph.D., a retired professor from the University of Oklahoma College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, is an expert on extreme heat and public safety. Kloesel recommends on-site medical professionals in cooling tents to keep people safe, something the festival offers.
Kloesel also calls for more action on mitigating heat-related illness. In an article on NOAA, Kloesel explained, “We have spent so much time focusing on lightning in our visits with event planners that we are missing the insidious risk that is a daily threat to outdoor activities from late spring through early fall: heat.”
“We must do a better job mitigating heat illness through more cooling areas, more shade, more beneficial hydration options, and partnering with the weather community for detailed forecasting and monitoring.”
Signs of heat illness
Howard shared the common signs of heat illness to watch for: cramping, clammy skin, headaches, dizziness, and feeling nauseated. All of these signs are heat-related. Howard also shared that the color of your urine can indicate how dehydrated you are; darker-than-normal urine can be a sign you’re dehydrated.
Dehydration can develop quickly, so it’s important to recognize the warning signs: thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, fatigue, reduced urination, dizziness, and headache. As Howard emphasized, staying hydrated is the best way to prevent dehydration, and if it does occur, it should be treated promptly.
“You may have eaten something, and you get nauseous, but if you have these other symptoms with it, it’s a clear heat injury. Especially when you know you’re outside in 100-degree weather, and you start feeling this,” Howard says.
“It’s really important to stay hydrated, I can’t say that enough.”
There are many ways to beat the heat and stay cool during outdoor events in extreme temperatures. Staying hydrated and wearing sun-protective clothing like hats and long-sleeved, breathable shirts, or carrying a shade umbrella, can help. However, on days of extreme heat, offering cooling tents can prevent heat-related illness. (Shayln Proctor/MM)
Prepare and hydrate
Howard explains that when you’re cramping, it means your muscles are telling you you’re lacking fluids. For pre-festival preparation, he wants everyone to start hydrating well in advance because of the hot weather.
“You have to hydrate a week in advance so that your body absorbs that water. If you just try to pour down the day of, you’re not going to be able to replenish your system. Your body can’t absorb it that fast; it just doesn’t. You have to start hydrating ahead of time,” Howard said.
“I can’t say that enough, and I would really hope that the people prepare for the event ahead of time.”
He encourages visitors to go to the cooling tent if they feel uncomfortable at any time during the festival.
“Just stop by and let them give you a look over and make sure everything is good, so that you can enjoy the festival. I mean, our job is to keep them safe during festivals, that’s what the Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management, MCN Lighthorse, all of our folks there are to keep them safe,” Howards says.
“This is a part of it where we partner with the Department of Health just to make sure that our citizens have a safe and fun time at the festival.”
“The cooling tenets that we have, one belongs to the MCN Department of Health, and one is from the Emergency Management. They’re about $40,000 apiece, but we can use these tents not just as cooling tents; we also use them during disasters for command posts and logistics pos
ts. They’re multi-functional; they can be heated or cooled. They have their own self-contained HVAC systems,” Howard said.
According to Howard, one tent measures up to 400 square feet and can hold up to 30 people, while the other measures up to 800 square feet and can hold up to 60 people.
Cooling tents can be used at any outdoor event during periods of extreme heat with adequate power available.
He knows that other Tribal Nations have provided cooling tents or buildings, as well as misting fans. “There’s a plethora of ways to do it and spread it out. This is just the preferred method for us. It’s very effective, and so that’s why we go with it,” Howard said.
Temperatures haven’t cooled since the middle of summer on the Mvskoke Reservation either, and as school starts, outdoor activities remain a big part of Oklahoma life. It’s important to stay heat-aware, stay hydrated, and use cooling technology when available.
This article initially ran “How to beat the heat at the festival” and was updated on Sept. 3, 2026.
