The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum


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                I will be focusing my blog on the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum official website. The center is scheduled to make its grand début in the spring of 2021. The planning and preparation for this project dates back to 1994 when the Native American Cultural &Educational Authority was created. The first funding came as a 5M dollar Capital Improvement State Bond Issue. (Project Timeline) In order to make this dream a reality many environmental issues needed to be tackled, such as plugging abandoned oil wells and extensive waterproofing of the basement in consideration of the nearby pipeline.  After the land was donating by the City of Oklahoma City to the State of Oklahoma in May, 2005 the land underwent a Ground Blessing Ceremony before any construction could be done. The ceremony was called a “Gathering in the Courtyard of Nations”, this brought together people in the offering of prayers to “culturally nurture the damaged landscape”. (Project Timeline)
                The mission statement for the American Indian Center and Museum is to generate awareness and understanding of the history of tribes and their relationship to Oklahoma today. I think that this is such a prime and historically significant location to open a learning center. Oklahoma was the destination that many tribes from all over the country were forced to relocate to. The whole Plains region was deemed “Indian Territory” by the U.S government and eventually through consolidation of tribes, repossession of land, and broken promises, shrunk to what is known as Oklahoma today. (Treuer 118)
                The Tribal Nations Gallery will start teaching from the very beginning of the ancient civilization of Oklahoma. It then covers the pre-contact period, struggles and removals, woven paths, and tribes today. (Permanent Exhibition Gallery)
                The museum will have a beautifully constructed Turtle Gallery, its architectural design inspired by the seemingly indestructible turtle, a prominent figure in Indian culture. The exhibit will explore the different beliefs, customs, and traditions of Native People. Historical object will be used and loaned out as a way to promote cultural continuity. (Turtle Shell Gallery)
                I would be very interested to visit this museum and cultural center after its grand opening. I frequently take my daughter to different discovery centers and museums. We often go to the New York State Museum which has a pretty decent exhibit of the Native American people indigenous to this area. I would love to go on a road trip to Oklahoma and take her to see it!

http://www.theamericanindiancenter.org/building-the-museum
Treuer, Anton. Atlas of Indian Nations. National Geographic, 2014.

Comments

  1. CKaneOctober 26, 2018 at 11:35 AM

    The pictures really make the place look amazing. The Turtle Gallery looks like it has so many interesting facts, and different items look great. This looks like it would be a great road trip to see this. To be able to get the awareness out there is amazing, I hope it does well.

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  2. Yakira KellmanOctober 28, 2018 at 9:34 AM

    This museum seems like a really incredible place. I'm glad that the images they created include children, since I think a lot of our discussions on our forum highlight that we did not learn much, or learn accurately, about native peoples. It looks like it will be an incredible resource. It makes me think of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where I go often. There's a diorama inside the member entrance on the ground floor of the Lenape in New Amsterdam. The glass front has a number of decals explaining what is inaccurate and/or outdated about the display. It is exciting to me that this museum will not need to update its exhibits in the same way.

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