Northeastern State University hosts 2014 Chief Convention
TAHLEQUAH, OK – The country’s oldest and largest American Indian Fraternity held their annual Chief Convention on the campus of Northeastern State University this past weekend July 24 – 26, 2014. Phi Sigma Nu, celebrating their 18th anniversary, was founded in 1996 on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a historical American Indian school.
Brothers took part in workshops focused on recruitment and retention efforts, participated in a gourd dance workshop taught by an elder from the Cherokee Nation, and held a community service project at the Cherokee Heritage Center. Derek Oxendine, Chief President of Phi Sigma Nu said, “The brothers of Epsilon Chapter here at NSU did a great job of planning our Chief Convention. The faculty and staff of this institution have been phenomenal to work with and we appreciate their assistance in making our convention a success.”
2014 Chief Convention – Fish Ball Game at Cherokee Heritage Center
The Epsilon Chapter at NSU has been very active since their inception in 2006. They have worked to increase American Indian cultural activities on campus and, together with the Alpha Pi Omega American Indian sorority, conduct community service projects at the area Boys and Girls Clubs.
“We view Phi Sigma Nu as being a positive force for Native men here on campus. Across the board American Indian males are last in a number of social statistics and our fraternity is working to show young men that we can be successful, we do not have to be another statistic”, said Michael Landrum, the President of the Epsilon Chapter.
Chapters that attended this convention hailed from: the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Arizona State University, Dartmouth College, Haskell Indian Nations University, North Carolina State University, Northeastern State University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, along with a North Carolina based Graduate Chapter, Nu Alpha.
This weekend’s gathering included brothers from the Cherokee Nation, Choctaw Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Gila River Indian Community, Haliwa Saponi Tribe, Lumbee Tribe, Coharie Tribe, Muscogee Creek Nation, Navajo Nation, and Zuni Pueblo.
The 10th Annual Chief Convention will be held at Haskell Indian Nations University in 2015.