Cherokee National Historical Society tabs Charles Chief Boyd for top honor
January 8, 2013
Charles Chief Boyd, majority owner, principal and
managing member of Thalden Boyd Emery Architects, a Native American firm, was
honored with the Cherokee National Historical Society’s 2012 Contemporary
Achievement Award. The Contemporary Achievement Award recognizes a Cherokee who
is accomplished in a chosen field, has brought honor to the Cherokee Nation and
serves as an inspiration for others.
The
Cherokee National Historical Society (CNHS) was formed in 1963 by a group of
visionary Cherokee citizens who shared a desire to establish a permanent
culture-keeping institution for the Cherokee people. The CNHS creates programs
in keeping with its mission of preserving, promoting and teaching about
Cherokee history and culture.
Charles Chief Boyd, known
to many as “Chief,” has extensive experience in a variety of Native American
projects since 1963 with the Cherokee Cultural Center in Tahlequah, Okla. He
has worked with almost 100 tribes across North America and is one of the most
well-known Native American architects in the country. Boyd has extensive
experience in casinos, hotels and tribal facilities throughout the United
States and Canada. The firm has over 40 years of architecture and design
experience, and has worked on over 400 hotels and 200 casino projects for
distinguished companies in the hospitality industry.
Boyd is the official
architect to the Cherokee National Historical Society and has held that
position since 1964. Chief has been actively involved with the Cherokee National
Historical Society for 50 years and is presently on the Board of the Cherokee
National Historical Society. He is a Cherokee architect whose thesis was the
design of the Tsa La Gi theatre, the Cherokee Heritage Center building and
grounds, and the Ancient Village.
As a way of “giving back” Boyd has been
instrumental in establishing the Thalden Boyd Emery Scholarship fund for Native
American Children. This program has allowed hundreds of young Indians to
achieve their dreams of higher education. “To bless the world and help a world
in need, we have to start with a strong Cherokee Nation by preserving our
heritage, teaching our history and living our culture,” Boyd said.
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