Cherokee Nation launches Cherokee Film Institute | News [Video]

TULSA, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation launched the first tribally operated education and workforce development center focused on helping Native Americans join the entertainment industry.

The Cherokee Nation said under the Cherokee Film Institute (CFI), the tribe and its businesses are investing in a strategy to create career opportunities and remove barriers for Native Americans entering the film and media industry, while creating a sustainable workforce.

The first courses are set to start in January of 2025.

“We continue to illustrate that Native stories are best told by those with authentic perspectives. Empowering a talented Native workforce is essential to ensuring Native Americans are seen, heard and respected within this growing industry,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a press release. “This is more than a place of learning; it is a place of empowerment and a solution to a problem. Native misrepresentation stops here.”

CFI focuses …