Native Wings Like An Eagle offers assistance for tribal citizens released from prison

 “The element of culture is so important in reintegrating Natives back into their Indian communities and so that’s another thing that our organization is going to do. We are going to put culture elements into their reintegration so that they can grab their culture back,”  – Native Prisoner Advocate Melvin Battiest

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.- Native Wings Like An Eagle Incorporated is a 501(c) nonprofit organization based in Yukon, Oklahoma. It was founded by Melvin (Mvskoke) and his wife Tammeria (Mvskoke) Battiest. The mission of this organization is to reach out and help with reintegration assistance for tribal citizens recently released from prison. Specifically it helps Native Americans who live off of their reservation, but within the state of Oklahoma.

According to Melvin Battiest, this organization is a member of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce and Nonprofit Organization in Oklahoma City.

“We are focusing on helping Natives because as Native people you have to deal with them in a whole different way because we are different people then most people. We still have our culture and we are still proud of who we are and we are still here,” Melvin Battiest said.

Melvin Battiest knows that some former convicts may not want to move onto their reservation due complicated feelings stemming from toxic environments from their past. In order to be successful moving forward after their prison release, these men and women do not want to return to former bad habits or situations.

Native Wings Like An Eagle helps fulfill the needs for recently released convicts who are tribal citizens but do not want to return to their reservation. This provides them with a fresh start. Currently, the organization has an emergency service for reformed convicts who have just been released. This service provides a place to stay, clothing, food and transportation passes for up to three months.

Melvin Battiest wants to reintegrate program participants by changing their way of thinking. When an individual is in prison they are in a much different environment that can alter their mental state. Without proper reintegration, it poses problems for individuals returning to society.

“Our goal is to change their way of thinking and get that prison mentality out of them and give them a new start and a new way of thinking so they can be successful out here,” Melvin Battiest said.

Melvin’s Past

Melvin Battiest is from the Wetumka area, and is currently 63 years old. At 23 years old Melvin Battiest was convicted of a felony murder charge in 1984, and was incarcerated until the age of 60. He served 37 years and nine months of a life sentence for a crime he claims that he did not commit. Melvin Battiest’s time in prison was an experience he has embraced because he believes it made him into the person he is today with the purpose of serving others.

Growing up Melvin Battiest attended Chilocco Indian Agricultural School and the Eufaula Indian Boarding School. Melvin Battiest noted that attending these schools helped prepare him for prison life. In both institutions he was subjected to rigid discipline and stern oversight.

When the McGirt case reaffirmed the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction, Melvin Battiest filed a petition in the Oklahoma court system for release. This was based on the argument that the state had no jurisdictional authority prosecuting a Native American in Indian Country. As a result Melvin Battiest’s state conviction was thrown out and he was indicted. 

A decade earlier during Melvin Battiest’s sentence he contacted the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reintegration Department. The department enrolled Melvin into their program and initially told him that they could help him once he was released from prison. When Melvin Battiest was eventually released he wanted to live in the Oklahoma City area. However, since Oklahoma City does not reside within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation jurisdiction boundaries, the tribe was initially limited in the assistance they could provide him. Melvin Battiest would be granted assistance on the condition that he drive to the reintegration office in person, a trip spanning over 100 miles. Unfortunately for Oklahoma Native Americans that live off of their reservation like Melvin Battiest, they are limited in receiving tribal services as well.

During his 37 years in prison Melvin Battiest made special bonds with the people he met there. He now views them as his family. Melvin Battiest wants to give them tools for success in society with finances, housing, education, employment, and clothing. 

“When I got released I told them that I would not forget them and so my passion is for them to not experience what I experienced. I want to get in front of that so that when they come out they will know without a doubt that if they don’t want to live on their reservation that they will still have help somewhere in Oklahoma living off their reservation,” Melvin Battiest said.

Today, Melvin Battiest is currently pursuing a degree in sociology and is even receiving help from his tribe for it.

Finding a New Purpose

Melvin Battiest described going to prison as similar to going to war. Without the proper mental health support tools, some reformed convicts may struggle with adapting to live in a society that looks different from the one they left behind. “You are trained mentally to be something that you may not have thought you were before and the whole purpose is surviving the war,” Melvin Battiest said.

Additionally Melvin Battiest noticed that some families have a hard time being around formerly incarcerated loved ones because they are not the same person as they were before.

For those being held in prison, Melvin Battiest believes it is possible for them to lose their Native American culture. In light of this, Melvin Battiest has incorporated Native American celebrations and culture in the services he provides. This includes a sweat lodge in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, a prison ministry called Native Americans in Christ, Stomp Dances and powwows. These activities are provided for prisoners serving time, and those transitioning back into society.

“The element of culture is so important in reintegrating Natives back into their Indian communities and so that’s another thing that our organization is going to do. We are going to put culture elements into their reintegration so that they can grab their culture back,” Melvin Battiest said.

Melvin Battiest has received support from many different tribal leaders including Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. So far Melvin Battiest has reached out to 30 tribal nations in total and is hoping to reach all 39 in the state. Regardless of the response rate, Melvin Battiest is still grateful for the support he has received.

While some tribes have reintegration programs of their own, Melvin Battiest does not view his work as a competing threat. He specifically wants to help those seeking to live outside of their reservation.

Moving Forward

The Native Wings Like An Eagle is a project still in the works. Currently it is still developing its infrastructure, which includes hiring staff and securing funding. Although Native Wings Like An Eagle has not quite fully taken off yet, that has not stopped Melvin Battiest from helping others with funds out of his own pocket. Melvin Battiest has traveled to different functions to share his testimony and the story of his organization’s mission, all in an effort to gather funding to keep offering services for reformed convicts.

Melvin and Tammeria Battiest go back inside different prisons to help those in need of assistance. So far they have been to Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton, Lexington Assessment & Reception Center, and the Joseph Harp Correctional Center. The couple is prospectively looking to add the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud to that list as well.

Melvin Battiest views their work as a big responsibility in order to help those in need and let others know that even though he was in prison for nearly 38 years, he still made a life for himself. In his travels he has seen many other incarcerated men and women he believes can make it in life too, if only they received a second chance.

Native Wings Like an Eagle was asked by the Oklahoma Alliance Organization to help put on a Native American Heritage month event at their facility. It was a full day of celebration. The celebration’s festivities included Indian tacos, drumming, dancing, and singing in the Mvskoke and Kiowa languages. Native actor Chris Hill was also in attendance to tell stories.

Melvin and Tammeria Battiest have also been invited to attend the 2024 Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. They will meet senators, representatives and possibly the president. Different Native Americans were chosen from around the country to join for community prayer. According to Melvin, this event will not only provide prayers for the nation, it will also provide prayers for other countries around the world.

To keep up to date on the Native Wings Like An Eagle organization’s updates and events, follow their Facebook page, Native Wings Like an Eagle.