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KOSU is committed to being more reflective of the audiences we serve. In Oklahoma, having stories reported by Indigenous reporters for Native communities is imperative.

Otoe-Missouria Transit Program offers safety for community members

Tribal members voted on the van design, which was entered in a contest, according to a press release from the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. Tribal member Madonna Dolphus won, and her art of a warrior on a horse is displayed across the vehicle.
Otoe-Missouria Tribe
Tribal members voted on the van's exterior design, which was entered in a contest, according to a press release from the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. Tribal member Madonna Dolphus won, and her art of a warrior on a horse is displayed across the vehicle.

A lack of public transportation and services like Uber and Lyft in a rural area in Red Rock leaves residents with limited options, often prompting some to take the deadly risk of walking along Highway 177 or other streets.

Sophie Whitehorn is a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and a lifelong resident of its capital, Red Rock. She said she has taken note of the transportation problem her community faces.

“A lot of people that do walk on the highways and around here trying to get to our little convenience store,” she said. “They don't realize how dangerous the highway system is, and it's pretty heartbreaking when you see them and you can't offer them any type of assistance.”

After witnessing the need, Whitehorn and Otoe-Missouria Tribe leaders, including former planning director Jackie Jackson, stepped in to fill an overdue gap.

The Otoe-Missouria Tribe Transit Program launched last month, offering safe, accessible transportation — a project that was years in the making. After receiving funding from the Federal Transit Administration in 2019, progress stalled due to COVID-19. Whitehorn said it wasn’t until last year that this program could be reignited.

The tribe has one transit van available for both citizens and non-citizens to use throughout the work week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is wheelchair accessible and has a child seat for those who need it. Riders must pay in cash and are limited to traveling to Noble, Kay, Payne and Pawnee Counties.

However, Whitehorn has big plans to expand the program even further.

“I envision, right now, to compete in those competitive grants and hopefully be awarded capital funding, maybe create a facility where we could store and house our vehicles,” she said. “We could have dispatcher offices for drivers, a training room for incoming drivers, and just a bigger fleet and more transportation around the state.”

For now, Whitehorn will enjoy offering a much-needed service to her community that lowers the risk of pedestrian injuries.

For more information about the Otoe-Missouria Tribal Transit Program, visit the tribe’s website.

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Sarah Liese (Twilla) reports on Indigenous Affairs for KOSU.
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