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Kyle Berryhill is only 30, but since COVID-19 hit, he’s now the oldest in his family.
Within a matter of weeks in late 2020, he lost his uncle who was more like an older brother to him and his grandfather to COVID-19. He’s relied on his Christian faith to push through the past year as he’s tried to keep his wife and children safe.
Kyle’s uncle, Phillip Berryhill, was a choir director with the Chickasaw Nation. He had a natural gift for interacting with kids and a wonderful voice he used to sing songs from old movies and musicals, his nephew said. Kyle and his uncle were close and spent time together just about every weekend. The family would watch movies, play games just be together.
Dino Lalli
For The Oklahoman
There always has been an enormous connection between Native Americans and the rhythms of their environment, to the land and to on another, as well as to their customs and traditions. Their oral traditions are a lifeline, of sorts, from generation to generation.
Diverse is a word often used to describe the rich Native American heritage in Oklahoma. One of the many ways to experience that diversity is by visiting and enjoying Native American events and powwows held each year throughout the state. These events celebrate the culture of the state’s American Indian tribes, and the pride in having those festivals is extraordinary.
Tribal governments in Oklahoma at a glance
Staff reports
Address: 2025 S Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK 74801
Contact: 405-275-4030, www.astribe.com
Did you know? The Absentee Shawnee Tribe was one of the first seven tribes in the U.S. to become a self-governing nation during the 1990s.
Alabama Quassarte Tribal Town
Address: 101 E Broadway, P.O. Box 187 Wetumka, OK 74883
Contact: 405-452-3987, www.alabama-quassarte.org
Did you know? The Hernando de Soto expedition first encountered the Alabamas in northern Mississippi in 1540 and the Koasati in their island town on the Tennessee River.
Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
Address: P.O. Box 1330, Anadarko, OK 73005