- Details
- By Chickasaw Nation Media
TISHOMINGO, Okla. – A relic from the destroyed World Trade Center on permanent display in the Johnston County Courthouse received a new glass memorial case recently thanks to the efforts of the Chickasaw Nation, county officials and Tishomingo community residents.
A piece of a steel I beam from one of the World Trade Center towers, which were the target of a 2001 terrorist attack that killed more than 2,700 people, was placed at the county courthouse in 2011. The artifact was on display inside a cabinet built by the Chickasaw Nation cabinet shop, said Chickasaw Nation Cabinet Shop Supervisor Jimmy Koonce.
“During the past 14 years, the wood became weathered, and the cabinet needed a refresh,” he said.
A new display case was built by the cabinet shop, which partnered with the Chickasaw Nation STEM Academy team to engrave an acrylic slab with the inscription “We Will Always Remember – 09-11-01,” Koonce said.
The positive phrase and securing the piece of history was the idea of the Milburn, Oklahoma, senior class of 2011, said Nellie Garone. Garone, a retired high school teacher, sponsored the students’ efforts beginning in 2010 to bring the artifact to their Johnston County school.
Securing the piece of steel began as a senior project, Garone said. The class wrote three letters to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversaw distribution of the artifacts. On the third attempt, the class included letters of support from Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and then-Congressman Dan Boren, among other officials. While composing the third letter, the class of 11 students researched how to write a persuasive letter and highlighted the 1995 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing.
“In the third letter we mentioned the Oklahoma City bombing and how we understand the devastation and feel a kinship with the people of New York,” she said.
The request was approved on the third attempt.
UPS donated the shipping of the relic, which weighs about 100 pounds, and the Chickasaw Nation constructed the original display cabinet.
“We had a huge amount of help getting it done,” Garone said.
Once the steel was delivered to Milburn, there was a thought that the piece of American history needed to be in a place where more people might see it.
“It was given to the school, but we thought more people would see it at the courthouse, so we talked to the county commissioners and they said we could put it in the courthouse,” Garone said.
The artifact, along with a wooden plaque bearing the senior class names, interpretive signage and a photo of the World Trade Center towers, are in the new display case, which is open to the public and set in the foyer of the Johnston County Courthouse, 403 W. Main, Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
There are only a few other places in Oklahoma that feature a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, including Hobart, Bixby and the campus of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
The Milburn Class of 2011 includes Marcus West, Micheal Whelan, Zeby Gibson, Zach Burns, Brad Corn, Sarah Kerns, Delbert Leonard, Jessica Cribbs, James Gregg, Ashley Martinez and Johnathan Elkins. Garone was the class adviser and Jon Holmes the principal-superintendent.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Oral History Project Announces 14th Stop in Portland, Oregon: NABS Continues to Gather Crucial Stories Across Indian Country
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher