The Chickasaw Cultural Center will host Ithana: The Learn and Lunch Series at noon on Jan. 27.

The presentations are free and open to the public. There is an optional lunch available to purchase which includes an entrée and drink.

Due to limited seating, reservations are preferred. Contact the Special Events Department at (580) 622-7130 or email Special.EventsCCC@chickasaw.net.

*IDP credit is available for Chickasaw Nation employees who attend.

Schedule:

Jan. 27, 2026 - noon - 1 p.m.

"Wildland Fire Management: Past, Present and Future" presented by Miko Brandon

This presentation traces the role of fire in Chickasaw history and culture, from its traditional uses to the impacts of suppression following Removal, statehood and Western settlement. It then connects that history to present-day wildland fire management within the Chickasaw Nation. It highlights the Cross Timbers and Great Plains historic fire regimes, current Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Reserved Treaty Rights Lands (RTRL) fuels reduction projects, and future partnerships aimed at restoring landscapes, reducing hazardous fuels and strengthening community resilience.

Biography:

Miko Brandon is the senior watershed fire planner for the Chickasaw Nation, where he leads efforts in wildland fire management and watershed-based planning. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served as an aircraft engine mechanic on P-3 Orion and P-8 Poseidon aircrafts. After his service, Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resource ecology and management with a minor in soil sciences from Oklahoma State University (OSU). He went on to pursue graduate studies in environmental science at OSU, where he developed a watershed-based plan and geospatial tool for the Chickasaw Nation’s Lake Texoma watershed project. Brandon's work continues to be guided by his love for the Blue River, the Chickasaw people and a commitment to keeping the Chickasaw language and culture at the heart of natural resource stewardship.