Tag: Native American

Herds of bison have repeatedly disappeared from grasslands occupied by the Choctaw people, says Ian Thompson, director of historic preservation for the tribe. But the majestic creatures have returned to Oklahoma and are cared for by tribal nations, park stewards and people such as Thompson, who have their own herds. Thompson recounts the history of bison in the Choctaw ancestral...

Corn, you may think, isn’t particularly exciting. Nor is beautiful the first word to come to mind when the crop is discussed. But the wide array of vibrant colors displayed by the Glass Gem corn variety could change that perception. Glass Gem corn has a rich history; originally developed from ancient corn of Indigenous people of North America and selectively...

Once a destination for people who believed in the healing and restorative powers of the nearby sulphur springs – from which the town took its name – and for the location of Oklahoma’s only national park, Sulphur remains a place that beckons people looking for a variety or outdoor recreation, dining, or even a little pampering.  The city’s variety makes...

The long-awaited First Americans Museum has a story to tell to the world, and the visitor experience is vital to the mission. But the museum will also honor the cultures of the 39 tribes based in Oklahoma, with features not so easily recognized by non-Natives. “The entire project was designed to align with the cardinal directions, so the special times of...

A Wetumka native, John B. Herrington is the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space. Before his career with NASA, Herrington received his commission in the U.S. Navy and has logged over 4,600 flight hours in over 30 different types of aircraft. After two years of training, Herrington was selected as a Mission Specialist...

.ugb-76f4ec0 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > .ugb-columns__item{grid-template-columns:1.54fr 0.46fr !important} In a state whose very name is a Native American phrase meaning “Red Earth,” one Oklahoma city is notable for playing a major role in the history, government and culture of the state’s Plains Indian tribes. Anadarko, county seat of Caddo County situated about 80 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, is the...

Believe it or not, Molly Murphy Adams was a science major in college. Now, she’s a Tulsa Artist Fellow.  The Montana-born artist was accepted to the 2019 Tulsa Artist Fellowship, established by the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Murphy Adams, a descendant of the Oglala Lakota tribe, found her identity as an artist through her heritage and love of contemporary art.  “My...

Before the 1973 siege at Wounded Knee, Native Americans had “to live the lie, and put their ‘Indian-ness’ away,” says Richard Ray Whitman, an Oklahoma City resident who traveled to South Dakota soon after the occupation began and stayed until a cease-fire agreement was reached. The occupation – led by 200 Oglala Lakota and followers of the American Indian Movement...

El Reno native Harvey Pratt, honored by his tribe and law-enforcement agencies across the country, didn’t think his work as a display and forensic artist was worthy of something as hallowed as the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Cheyenne and Arapaho artist Harvey Pratt's law enforcement career spans over five decades. A top U.S. forensic artist, he...

The grit and gumption of two Alabamans displaced by the Civil War continues with their southern Oklahoma descendants, whose heart-healthy products have a global following. Dan Hamilton, his sons Mark and Paul and grandson Jacob run a pair of Johnson County businesses – Tri-Agri Farm Center and Native American Specialty Products – that account for one of the largest pecan...