Cherokee National Historical Society tabs Charles Chief Boyd for top honor
November 30, 2012
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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