Steadman Upham, president of The University of Tulsa, and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker unveil a $100,000 contribution from the Cherokee Nation to Gilcrease Museum for a future speci
TULSA, Okla. (PRWEB) September 11, 2014
Cherokee Nation officials announced a partnership with Gilcrease Museum on Thursday to create a special Cherokee exhibition that will display an estimated 100 items from Cherokee history. It is slated to open in 2017.
To kick off the collaboration, Cherokee Nation officials contributed $100,000 to help fund the temporary exhibit.
“The Gilcrease Museum has proven time and time again to be a great partner to the Cherokee Nation, and together we are creating an exhibit that showcases some of the most significant documents and artifacts in the rich history of our people,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “For Cherokee citizens, few things are more important than preserving who we are as a tribe. The Gilcrease understands that and is working diligently with the Cherokee Nation to create a narrative that is authentic, accurate and appropriate.”
The exhibition, “Emergence of Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory,” will share the story of Cherokees leading up to forced removal, also known as the Trail of Tears, and after the tribe settled in Tahlequah and began to form a new government.
“Gilcrease Museum is uniquely positioned to produce this exhibition. The time span of the exhibition illustrates not only an important time in the history of the Cherokee people, but also an important moment in what would become the state of Oklahoma,” said Susan Neal, interim chief operating officer of Gilcrease Museum. “We appreciate the commitment from Chief Baker to put the resources in place to promote understanding of the traditions of the Cherokee people, and we value our ongoing partnership with the Cherokee Nation.”
Most of the items will come from the Gilcrease collection, but museum officials plan to showcase significant Cherokee items from other museums as well.
Among the items that are slated to be on display will be portraits of famous Cherokee leaders, and other art and artifacts reflecting the emergence of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory.
Museum officials will work closely with Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism in the development of the exhibition.
Much of the focus of Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism’s work during the last six years has been on this time period in Cherokee history. Its efforts in preservation and cultural tourism in northeast Oklahoma have resulted in the tribe’s heritage and history being sustained for future generations.
In November, Cherokee Nation officials contributed a large gift for the preservation of a collection of more than 2,000 pages handwritten by John Ross, who served as Cherokee Nation Principal Chief leading up to forced removal and until his death in 1866.
”Gilcrease Museum and its collection of Cherokee material in our archives includes 11 lineal feet of John Ross papers that provide an invaluable resource for studying Cherokee history during a pivotal time in the tribe’s history and during the 19th century,” said Duane H. King, Ph.D., director of the museum’s Helmerich Center for American Research.
The project complements an ongoing partnership between Cherokee Nation translators and Gilcrease Museum to translate Cherokee documents to English for the first time ever.
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About Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With more than 318,000 citizens, over 8,900 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States.
To learn more, please visit http://www.cherokee.org.
About Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism Group
Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism is managed by Cherokee Nation Entertainment and was created in 2007 to preserve and promote the history and culture of the Cherokee people. Efforts by the Cherokee Nation include award-winning cultural, specialty and event tours and operation of three Cherokee Nation museums, six Cherokee Nation gift shops and two Cherokee Nation welcome centers. For more information, please visit http://www.visitCherokeeNation.com.
About Gilcrease Museum
Gilcrease Museum, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the country’s leading facilities for the preservation and study of American art and history. The museum houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West, including an unparalleled collection of Native American art and artifacts, as well as thousands of historical documents, maps and manuscripts. Gilcrease Museum’s charm, beauty and art collections draw thousands of visitors from around the world to the Osage Hills just northwest of downtown Tulsa for a glimpse into America’s past. The museum is owned by the City of Tulsa, which has partnered with The University of Tulsa to steward the museum. Visit the museum’s website for hours of operation and admission information: http://www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu or call 918-596-2700.