ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE OKLAHOMA,
If you’ve always been fascinated by Native American history and culture, Oklahoma is the place to visit. Not only does its name mean ‘land of the Red Man’, but this former Indian Territory is also home to more Native Americans than any other state – at least 67 nations or tribes and 39 tribal headquarters. It’s also the site of the newest and largest indigenous cultural centre in America. Easily accessed as a day trip from Oklahoma City,
the new Chickasaw Cultural Center is located in south-central Oklahoma on 109 acres of land owned by the Chickasaw Nation. The Chickasaw Cultural Center consists of three buildings that encompass everything from multimedia displays and a research centre to a large-screen, 350-seat cinema, a café and a gift shop featuring elegant, hand-crafted goods. Of special note is the enchanting indoor Spirit Forest, where holograms flit between rocks, streams and trees and soft voices tell the dramatic history of the nation. In a nearby gallery, the traumatic story is told of the Chickasaws’ forced 1838 removal from its south-eastern USA homeland along the ‘Trail of Tears’ to what is now Oklahoma. Outside are an impressive bronze statue of a warrior, a large amphitheatre and the re-creation of a traditional Chickasaw village. Throughout Oklahoma are about 90 Indian
museums, shops and other attractions, some focused on one nation and others on several. Among the attractions, Ponca City's interesting Standing Bear Memorial Park, covering the culture of six separate nations, Osage, Pawnee, Otoe- Missouria, Kaw, Tonkawa, and Ponca. In Oklahoma's north-east – there are numerous interesting sites within the 7,000 square-mile boundaries of the Cherokee Nation. Specifically in Tahlequah, the not- to-be-missed Cherokee Heritage Center and National Museum tells the story of how this remarkable nation – which had its own written language, printing press, newspaper, court system and even impressive plantation homes – was also forcibly removed via the 'Trail of Tears' to Oklahoma from its southeastern USA homeland. Here are re-creations of one of the forested villages they left behind and a handsome plantation home owned by a well-off Cherokee woman and her non- native husband. And, at Claremore, you’ll find the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, devoted to the Native American ‘Cherokee Kid’, one of 20th century America’s most-popular entertainers. Each place has its defining statue to a heroic historic
figure. At the Standing Bear Museum, it’s the 22ft-tall image of Ponca Chief Standing Bear and at Tahlequah, the Cherokee Nation capital, it’s Sequoyah, the
THE PLACE TO GO NATIVE
erudite former warrior who developed a written language for his people. His statue stands, appropriately, in front of the impressive, main brick building of the tribe’s Northeastern State University. There’s also a wealth of spectacular Native
American art in such museums as Tulsa’s Gilcrease museum, Bartlesville's Woolaroc museum, Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy & Western Heritage museum and the NEW Red Earth museum. The annual three- day Red Earth Festival in June features more than 1,200 American Indian musicians, dancers and craftsmen who gather to celebrate the richness and diversity of their heritage. Each September, Ponca City is host to the Standing Bear Powwow. There are at least 30 other annual powwows around the state that welcome visitors. It is easy to book a Oklahoma (and Kansas) trip by
asking local travel agents specifically for fly-drive programs offered through North American Travel Service, Ranch America, Ranch Rider, Premier Holidays, Experience Holidays, and Barrhead Travel. "Editorial reprint courtesy of Essentially America magazine"
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information on Oklahoma and its native people, visit
www.TravelOK.com,
www.ChickasawCulturalCenter.com,
www.CherokeeTourismOK.com and
www.poncacitytourism.com or contact the Kansas/Oklahoma’s UK Tourism Office at
Info@TravelKsOk.co.uk, 08450 533 280.
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