Our Mission
Mission Statement
The Oaks Indian Mission, by God's grace, partnering with Christian communities and tribal nations, prepares Native children to lead and serve.
How Oaks Started
The Oaks Indian Mission has roots which run deep into the history of the Cherokee Nation. Officially, the Mission began in 1801, when the tribe invited Moravian missionaries to open a school in Georgia, a few miles from the seat of the Cherokee government. This school would prepare many of the tribe's leaders in the decades following.
When the Cherokee were forced to leave their homes and relocate to Indian Territory, the missionaries left their homes as well, choosing to travel the same "Trail of Tears", re-establishing the mission at, what is now, Oaks, Oklahoma. One of the first school bells to ring in Indian Territory rang there, in 1842. In 1902, Oaks Indian Mission became a Lutheran Ministry. A residential home for Native American children opened its doors in 1926. This long legacy of quality education and spiritual formation is at the heart of what still makes Oaks Indian Mission a special place for children and a place to shape their future.
Click this link to see a video presentation of the Oaks Indian Mission:
