Some dates on the calendar remind us of the worst that can happen. Americans recall the destruction and terror of Sept. 11. Oklahoma residents will always remember May 3 – the first of two days in 1999 when more than 70 powerful tornadoes touched down all over Oklahoma and in parts of Texas and Kansas, killing 40 people in total.

Now, May 20 has been added to that list. That notorious day – less than 24 hours after another storm destroyed central parts of the state – an EF-5 tornado struck the city of Moore, annihilating everything in its path.

Another spring has arrived, and Oklahomans realize the risks of living in Tornado Alley. They make preparations – both physical and mental – and go on with life. Most continue their work, play and business with little thought of weather threats; some even relish the season and the occasional squall. But last year, when the world watched via live television feed as a massive storm approached, struck and gutted Moore and southern parts of Oklahoma City, most felt helpless, horrified or both. And when the reports streamed out of the center of devastation – two elementary schools shredded, a horse farm leveled, homes and businesses gone, 24 human lives lost, hundreds injured – the threat was too present, too close.

For the community, the year since Monday, May 20, 2013, has been focused on rebuilding structures and lives. But it is certain, we won’t forget, and neither will those who witnessed it firsthand.

Teenagers gather along Gilcrease Museum’s broad, hallowed halls, after viewing the exhibit Form and Line, but the chatter dissolves when entering the gallery. Eyes adjust to the dim scene, but not quickly enough. And then, you encounter something sacred – rows of small shrines, faces, limbs. And the light falls upon each work of art, giving full effect to the name of its creator.

By all accounts, Allan Houser was a humble, kind man who spent every spare minute in his art studio. He painted, drew and sculpted to such a degree that his prolific career astonished his family, colleagues and supporters. He received the esteemed Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in 1947, the same year Thomas Gilcrease began collecting Houser’s work. He served as the artist-in-residence at Dartmouth College in 1979. In 1992, he became the first American Indian to receive the National Medal of the Arts; in the last decade of his life, he had major solo art exhibitions in Berlin, Tokyo, Paris and Vienna.

“Those are all pretty remarkable achievements for any artist, but especially for this rural Apache farm boy who got this idea in his head that he could be a fine artist and proceeded to demonstrate that he was … it’s an American success story,” says W. Jackson Rushing III.

Rushing is the University of Oklahoma Adkins Presidential Professor of Art History and the Mary Lou Milner Carver Chair in Native American Art. Rushing wrote Allan Houser: An American Master and says the artist’s story is about survival. If that’s true, Houser’s story is far from over.

Like Gilcrease, museums across the states of Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and others are honoring the late artist in 2014, the centennial year of his birth. While these exhibits tend to focus on different areas of Houser’s career, together they create a vivid picture of a complex individual who challenged notions of American Indian art by satisfying a need for creative independence. Whether teaching a class or by his inexhaustible example, Houser was an inspiration to those who knew him and to those who wish they had.

According to a recent Center for American Progress report, no other state in the nation ranks as consistently bad as Oklahoma does.

The report, “The State of Women in America: A 50 State Analysis of How Women are Faring Across the Nation,” presented it findings in the categories of economic security, leadership and health of women and families. Oklahoma ranks 48 out of 50.

The high female incarceration rate, double the national average for more than a decade, places Oklahoma as the No. 1 state for women in prison.

Also in the report, Oklahoma comes in dead last concerning women’s health issues, has the third-highest maternal mortality rate and is among the top 10 worst states for infant mortality.

The state has the second lowest rate of obstetricians and gynecologists for its population of women, ranks third worst in the nation for domestic violence and has become a central hub for an increasingly alarming issue for women: human trafficking.

“There are a lot of women in Oklahoma doing very well, and these women tend to work hard to try to raise all women up with them,” says Lou Kohlman, chair of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, a state advisory board. “We’re fortunate in that respect. If you’re a woman in Oklahoma, you may not feel like this is a bad place to live, but that may be because we just don’t see where we could be because we’re used to where we are.

“It’s important to look at the larger picture, and look at the picture of what women in other states enjoy that we don’t even know we miss,” she continues. “For example, if you don’t realize what a difference it makes to have more women in your legislature, then you don’t necessarily understand why that’s important. Women in the legislature changes the nature of the conversation for women. There are different topics on the table, they’re considered differently, and this effects serious change. Policy makers talk a lot about family values, but not a lot of our policies reflect a real respect for women’s lives. If we had more focus on those things we’d see everybody in the state benefit.”

While studies show that Oklahoma statistically struggles where women are concerned, in other ways it is also a good place for women to be. Kohlman emphasizes that a lot of good things happen here.

“There’s some great conversations being had about women, and there are a lot of people working very hard to not only improve the lives of women, but also to draw more women into the conversation,” she says. “By bringing more women together to talk about these issues, we can change the nature of the conversation, raise more awareness and visibility within our communities, and make a difference.”

CARMELITA SKEETER

Distinguished both locally and nationally for her expertise on a wide range of critical health issues and policies, Carmelita Skeeter has served as executive director of the Indian Health Care Resource Center in Tulsa for the past 25 years.

As leader of the nonprofit organization, she has played a crucial role in building IHCRC into a comprehensive, quality healthcare facility since its beginning, as she strives to eliminate health disparities and improve the general health status of Tulsa’s American Indian community.

A seasoned healthcare advocate, Skeeter says that in the time that she has been with IHCRC, the biggest issues she sees with women are poverty and lack of education, both of which have a tremendous effect on health.

“I’m seeing third generations in families now. We have some very good stories of evolving, and then we have some stories that aren’t so good. A lot of times a family that is extremely poor continues (in poverty) for generation after generation. It’s hard to get out, and we see many, many single mothers in this situation,” Skeeter says.

“We still live in a very male-dominant society. Men seem to have it easier making a living – they still earn higher wages than women do – and taking care of the children almost always falls upon the mother. This makes it much more difficult for women when it comes to making a living and raising children, especially if you’re a single mother,” she says. “We have women who come in that we’ve worked with who have continued their education, but there are always so many that are constantly struggling. We see the entire spectrum, and I think it’s a reflection of what’s going on with all races of women across the state.”

Despite progress made over the years with the availability of health services on the state and federal levels, Skeeter says that Oklahoma’s faltering statistics show there’s plenty of room for improvement, particularly when it comes to funding education and childcare.

To educate the American Indian community on healthy lifestyles and habits, IHCRC partners with organizations to promote community gardens and farmers markets. It also offers classes on nutrition, health-conscious shopping choices and cooking so that clients can learn how to prepare healthy meals for themselves and their families.

“I think that there are so many things going on in your life today that eating healthy meals takes time and planning, and believe it or not, this is something that many people have to learn to do,” Skeeter explains.
“Many of our young, single mothers have no idea how to cook because they’re accustomed to fast food, which is quick and cheap,” she says. “Women play such a crucial role in family health. They are the primary caregivers in their families; if you start with women getting their own health in check, there is the opportunity to impact everyone else in her family. If mom’s healthy, everyone has a better chance of being healthy.”