Watts Partners Host United Keetoowah Band Interns

WASHINGTON: Watts Partners isproud to announce the selection ofPawnee Crabtree and Walter Buffalomeatinto the 2008 J.C. Watts Companiesinternship program. Pawneeand Walter are members of the UnitedKeetoowah Band of Cherokee Indiansin Oklahoma.

“My team is excited abouthosting students from the NativeAmerican community. Together, ourgoal is to provide everyone with theexperience of working in a diverseenvironment, both politically andsocially in corporate America,” saidformer Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr.

The J.C. Watts Companiesis a diverse, multi-industry businessspecializing in corporate, media, andpublic affairs management, import/export, engineering, construction andproject management, residential andcommercial equipment sales and service,human resource diversity trainingand programming, and affordablehousing development. The companyprovides a full range of strategic services,including communications,coalition-building, government contracting,PAC fundraising, research,and executive and legislative branchrepresentation.

Each semester, the J.C. WattsCompanies hosts one or more interns,who work with the team on avariety of projects and gain businessand Capitol Hill experience while engagedin the company’s work.

Pawnee Crabtree is a 19 year-old collegestudent from Salina, Oklahoma.She is the youngest of three childrenand one of the first in her family to goto college. She has just completed herfirst year at Northeastern State University,in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, ahistoric institution located at the siteof the Cherokee Female Seminary,built in 1890.

Miss Crabtree is majoring inNutrition and hopes to become a Dietitian.This goal is an important one,as she wants to help Native Americanswho suffer from diabetes and bepro-active to teach others, especiallyyoung people, how to prevent thisdeadly disease.

Pawnee is currently servingas an ambassador in her tribe as the2007-2008 reigning Miss KeetoowahCherokee, representing the UnitedKeetoowah Band of Cherokee Indiansof Oklahoma. She has attendednumerous events on behalf of thetribe, including Powwows, Paradesand Special Events. She is a rolemodel to Keetoowah Cherokee youth,and has assisted with various culturecamps, veteran and elder programs.

As one of this summer’s interns, Crabtreesaid, “I want to be well-versed inhow things get accomplished in D.C.,so that I can go back home and educatemy tribe on my experiences as anintern at J.C. Watts Companies.”

Walter Buffalomeat, 22 isof Keetoowah Cherokee and Cheyennedescent. He will be a senior inthe fall of 2008 at the University ofOklahoma. He is working toward hisBachelor’s degree in Native AmericanStudies with an emphasis in indigenizingeducation.

Buffalomeat recently servedas the President of the Native AmericanStudent Organization, which isthe second oldest student organizationat the University of Oklahoma.Last year, under the direction ofBuffalomeat, the group sponsored astomp dance, a fall and a spring Powwow.He also was a member of a NativeAmerican Fraternity, Sigma NuAlpha Gamma. The fraternity beganfour years ago and sponsors a largestickball tournament which drawsparticipation from Indian collegesacross the United States. Buffalomeatis a Gates Millennium Scholarshiprecipient.

Walter plans to get his Master’sDegree in Education, then go onto get his PHD in Education. His goalis to further tribal people’s efforts tosustain governments, economies, andeducation systems which will enrichthe quality of life for his tribe.

Buffalomeat said, “J.C.Watts is a great role model to manyminorities back in Oklahoma. I knowI’ll gain valuable knowledge andskills that I can use to help my communities.”This summer’s internship isa pilot program that the Watts Companiesplan to continue each summer.The criteria to be eligible to applyincludes: applicant must be at least ajunior in college, have a 3.0 GPA andthree letters of recommendation.