08/13/2026
Section 106 Works!!!
The Project: In 2016, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) proposed improvements to US 62 in Cherokee County. Because the project required additional right-of-way, the planned highway expansion would encroach upon the Sequoyah Indian Weavers Association Building, a property with significant historical and cultural importance.
The 106 Process: Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effects of projects they carry out, fund, or permit on historic properties before making final decisions. Because the project was funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the undertaking was subject to the Section 106 review process.
During consultation, the Sequoyah Indian Weavers Association Building was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its association with the Sequoyah Indian Weavers Association and the New Deal era. Although the building had been relocated from Briggs to its present site by students from the Sequoyah School, it retained its historic significance. The weaving looms were also constructed by the students, reflecting the close connection between the school and the preservation of Cherokee craftsmanship. By 1978, only one full-time weaver remained in the building, and by 2016 the tradition continued through a single part-time weaver, making the property one of the last physical links to this important chapter of Cherokee history.
Section 106 Success: Section 106 provides agencies with options to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects to historic properties. In this case, the highway improvements could not avoid the additional right-of-way, so the Federal Highway Administration worked with consulting parties to develop appropriate mitigation.
As part of that mitigation, a comprehensive history of the Sequoyah Indian Weavers Association was researched and documented. Copies of the report were provided to the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, the Cherokee Nation, and the Sequoyah Indian Weavers Association, ensuring that the organization's history and contributions were permanently preserved.
The impact of this Section 106 project extends well beyond the highway itself. The process documented an important historic property while preserving the story of one of the Cherokee Nation's most enduring cultural traditions. Future researchers, tribal citizens, educators, and weavers will have access to a permanent record of the Sequoyah Indian Weavers Association, its historic building, and the artisans who kept Cherokee weaving traditions alive across generations.
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
