In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a resolution declaring November as National American Indian Heritage Month. The title has since expanded to celebrate the heritage, history, art and traditions of not only American Indians, but also Alaska Natives.
Most Red River families are already aware of the cultural heritage that Native Americans have contributed to our area. This month we are going to take you Day Tripping to a few locations where you can learn more about how Native Red River families lived, worked, and contributed to our area.
The Comanche Nation Museum is located directly behind McMahon Auditorium at 701 N.W. Ferris, in Lawton. Their mission is to preserve and expand the knowledge of local communities about Indian arts and culture with an emphasis on Comanche history and culture. Currently the museum is hosting the national traveling exhibition, "50 Years of Powwow," through January 3, 2010. Their operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. The museum can be reached by calling 580.353.0404.
Located just around the corner from the Comanche Nation Museum is the Museum of the Great Plains. There, visitors will find permanent exhibits such as "Hunters and Horsemen" and "Plains Warriors" that delve deeper into the lives of Native Americans beginning in pre-historic times. Educational programs like "Plains' Indian Life," are offered year round, and an educational trunk can be rented by teachers to help with classroom teaching on the subject. The Museum of the Great Plains is a member of the Oklahoma Museum Network. The museum is at 601 N.W. Ferris in Lawton. The phone number is 580.581.3460.
Fort Sill is one of the most historical sites in Oklahoma. The Fort Sill Museum, located at 437 Quanah Rd., is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It features the Old Post Guardhouse erected in 1873, which is famous as the holding facility for Geronimo, the Apache warrior who was held prisoner at the Post. It now houses exhibits commemorating the horse soldiers, foot soldiers and Native Americans of the Southern Plains.
In Anadarko, Oklahoma, the Southern Plains Indian Museum, located at 715 East Central Boulevard, has displays of the historic arts of western Oklahoma tribal peoples, including beadwork, featherwork, metalwork, carvings, skin sewing and hide painting. Historic clothing, shields, weapons, baby carriers, and toys are some of the highlights of these exhibits. The museum can be reached at 405.247.6221.
If you can't make it to one of these fascinating museums, you can always take a Day Trip via the Web. Visitors to www.bsu.edu/eft can take an "electronic" field trip. "Sharing Perspectives at the National Museum of the American Indian," is geared toward students in grades 4 through 8. There are also online exhibits such as The American Indian in Stamps; The Language of Native American Baskets, and George Catlin and His Indian Gallery at http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=online.
According to the United States Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2004, the estimated population of American Indians and Alaska natives made up 1.5 percent of the total population. This November, take the time to learn more about the rich history of our native peoples and their contributions to our Red River heritage by going Day Tripping.
