TVLSE, Oklv – Native American astronaut John Herrington (Chickasaw) received the Circle of Honor Award from the Tulsa City-County Public Library on Sat, March 2. Herrington, the first Native American in space, was presented with the honor in front of a sizable crowd at the Central Library in downtown Tulsa.
On the stage before the Peggy V. Helmerich Staircase, Herrington spoke about his life, work, and experiences as a United States Naval Pilot and NASA astronaut. Herrington’s NASA career began in 1996 after spending a decade as a United States Naval Pilot when he was selected by NASA to begin the evaluation process.
After successfully completing the training, Herrington was the first citizen of a federally- recognized tribe to be a member of the astronaut corps. His 2002 mission on the STS-113 Endeavour was the 16th space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. The mission lasted 13 days, during which he performed three space walks.
Unique in the Herrington family’s history is the singular practice of aviation. While Herrington spoke about his early life in Wetumka, he explained that flying was a family affair as both of his parents were pilots. “My mom and dad both liked to fly… My dad was a pilot and gave me my first lesson when I was ten. I took it for granted and thought everyone got to do that.”
Indelible to his journey is the relationship Herrington had with his Chickasaw grandparents. He spoke about that very family and cultural connection. He said, “my great-grandma spoke the (Chickasaw) language fluently, but for some reason she didn’t speak it to us growing up. Yeah, I didn’t learn it. I’m learning it as I go, as I get older. But I’m always very proud of my heritage.”
His children’s book “Mission to Space,” which was on sale at the event by Tulsa’s Magic City Books, focuses on Herrington’s life as an astronaut and details his training and missions. Yet it pays special attention to his cultural and tribal background with the inclusion of a Chickasaw language vocabulary with space-related words. Patrons could get their copies autographed by Herrington after the event.
During the ceremony, he spoke candidly about his Indigenous identity and emphasized the importance of role models for children. He stated, “And I found myself in a very unique role that I had not seen as a kid. And so I was in a position to be a role model for kids that never had a role model like that before. I take that very seriously. I think if I can share my story with somebody else and they can see themselves in me, they can do something like this and that’s what it’s all about. Very honored to do that.”
The Circle of Honor Award has been given by the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) every even year since 2004. It was created to honor “American Indians who have made significant contributions to the world and have enriched the lives of others.”
In addition to Herrington’s speech, the ceremony included the Chickasaw Nation Honor Guard and the Pawnee Public School’s Pawnee language class, who performed David Bowie’s hit “Ground Control to Major Tom” in the Pawnee language. The Indian Healthcare Resource Center of Tulsa Drum Group performed an honor song and remarks were heard from a number of the AIRC Advisory Committee members.
The AIRC is currently celebrating its 20th year of service. The 2024 Circle of Honor Awards kicked off the center’s American Indian Festival of Words. Past recipients of the Circle of Honor Award include Henrietta Mann (Cheyenne-Arapaho) and Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee). Mvskoke citizen Sam Proctor was honored in 2016 in a ceremony that highlighted his work in and for traditional Mvskoke cultural ways and practices.
The annual festival is a month-long celebration of American Indian cultures, histories, and achievements through family programming. Other events throughout the month of March include make-and-take 3D turtle kits, dance exhibition, and butterfly gardening techniques.
For more information about the American Indian Festival of Words, visit www.TulsaLibrary.org/airc.