TCC Honors Alumnus, Actor Wes Studi

TCC honored actor Wes Studi with a student-led celebration and the unveiling of a new art installation inspired by Studi. The event featured cultural traditions, remarks from Cherokee Nation and City of Tulsa leaders, and a blanket presentation by the Native American Student Alliance.

Tulsa Community College welcomed alumnus, veteran, and acclaimed actor Wes Studi for a celebration and art unveiling at the Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity on Nov. 13. The event was led by TCC’s Native American Student Alliance (NASA) and brought together students, faculty, staff, and community members for a meaningful tribute to Studi.

Supported by a tribal grant, NASA commissioned a new installation by Cherokee artist Bryan Waytula and Nick White, unveiled for the first time before Studi and a full crowd of supporters. Studi signed the 6-by-5-foot spray-painted portrait of himself during the ceremony and reflected on his time at then–Tulsa Junior College in the early 1970s. He spoke about the impact the College had on his life and career.

“It was a wonderful place to begin to realize what the world was made up of,” he said. “And I am so glad that I took the opportunity to use my GI Bill to attend classes here, as it was the awakening on a political and societal level that has brought me to where I am today.”

The ceremony was grounded in Native American tradition and honored Indigenous veterans and culture. Emceed by Mark A. Wilson-Fourkiller, it opened with a land acknowledgement and Presentation of Colors by the Cherokee Nation Veterans Color Guard, led in by the Tulsa Indian Club Drum Group.

Remarks came from Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and City of Tulsa Director of Tribal Policy & Partnership Amanda Swope, who both recognized Studi’s influence and the importance of student-driven projects that celebrate local talent.

“On behalf of the Cherokee Nation, I want to express my appreciation to Tulsa Community College and to the students who made this possible,” said Hoskin. “Any time we can get together to celebrate and lift up Native students, we ought to do it. Honoring Mr. Studi fits into that category. Celebrating great art fits into that category.”

“I’m so happy to be a part of this day and to recognize somebody who took foundational steps that highlight Tulsa and Oklahoma,” Swope said. “Not only is he a veteran, where Oklahoma has the largest Native population of veterans in the country, but he is also somebody who was working in the film industry before [Oklahoma] became the pillar of film that we are today.”

As the ceremony came to a close, NASA president Ivy Collins and vice president Kianle Frazier led a blanket presentation, wrapping a blanket around Studi as a gesture of honor and respect.

Collins said the moment gave Native students a chance to look up to an elder from their own community.

“It shows Native American students, young and old, that a man from Tulsa, from TCC, became a huge success in the Native community and in Hollywood. If he can make it, we can make it, not just in TV or movies, but in any industry,” said Collins.

The artwork by Waytula and White, and signed by Studi, will be permanently housed on TCC’s Northeast Campus.