A Cherokee Homecoming

Yesterday, I did one of my Saturday morning photo drives. I have gotten pretty lax on those for several (lame) reasons. But I had marked on my calendar that this is the Cherokee Nation's National Holiday, which they celebrate with a huge homecoming. It takes place in Tahlequah, OK, the Nation's capital. It's a grand affair that includes huge intertribal pow-wows, artisan exhibits, games, speeches, music, and many more events over 3 days.

What I wanted to take pictures of was the parade. A friend of mine had gotten some gorgeous close-up shots a few years ago of dancers in full native celebratory regalia and that's the sole reason I drove for an hour on an end-of-August Saturday morning. I wanted that shot!

I found a fantastic parking spot quite by accident, two car-lengths away from the parade route. As I got out, I saw just the kind of dancer my friend had photographed going down the street, leading the procession. I thought the parade had just started and I was in luck! I decided to be cool and not rush through the crowd to catch up with him, but to park myself in this perfect open spot along the street to wait for another group of festive dancers.

A float went by. A high school band. A car with some little princesses. Another band. I thought surely, my dancers must be next. Another float. Some Shriners in their toy-sized cars. By this time, my one native dancer was several blocks away. Now I'm wondering if he was not the actual leader of the parade and I missed the others.

This celebration is a commemoration of the signing of the 1839 Cherokee Nation Constitution. These amazing people organized a government, laws, courts, and a written language. They are a sovereign nation within the United States.

This banner stung me. I've learned some about the Trail of Tears after living here for so many years, but seeing this statement in print reminded me that atrocities are never forgotten. Nor should they be. The story of the Removal is a shameful chapter in our government's history. Lies, broken treaties, greed, and maybe some naivete, all resulted in the deaths of thousands of human beings: men, women, elderly, babies. None of this was ever taught in my high school history classes. I found out that a minimal and skewed history is taught in local schools even to this day. Shame does indeed have a way of hiding truth.

I picked up a beautifully printed program at one of the museums. This year's theme is "Gadugi: Unity Through Generations." Gadugi means "everyone working together for the common good." This is what prompted me to write this blog.  In the introduction of the program, Principal Chief Hoskin wrote: (emphasis mine)

"...we reflect on the strength of our ancestors who endured forced removal and built a new government in Indian Territory...[Gadugi] reminds us that our greatest strength lies in coming together to support one another across generations. ..It is how our ancestors survived. It is how our tribe and communities thrive today...Every Cherokee Nation citizen - from our elders who carry our histories to our youth who carry our hopes for the future - plays an important role in our Nation's continued success. Together, we weave a powerful legacy of cultural strength, service, and shared responsibility."

Lord in Heaven, if only the rest of the nation would embrace this perspective and take it to heart!

The float below is titled "Cherishing Generations."

Our country is divided in so many ways - politically, culturally, and generationally. We love to label generations! Greatest! Boomer! X! Millennial! Z! Alpha! Beta! It used to be just the younger pop culture against the parental olders, but now they all try to top or topple each other in their competition for attention.

As I've written before, (read here) my worst experience with generational prejudice has been within the church itself. But it's also in the workplace. We don't value each other. We could really use some of that wisdom of the native people before we lose the "united" in United States of America.

Oh, did I get the photograph I went for? No. But I came home with so much more.

Ft Smith pt 2

On our recent short visit to Ft Smith, Arkansas, we stopped at the historic National Cemetery. 

You may not be interested in this post or the photos because of the subject matter. But you have to appreciate the history represented here.

The U.S. Army founded Fort Smith in 1817 as a military post on the Arkansas River.   Zachary Taylor, later the 12th President of the United States, commanded the 2nd Department, Western Division, here from 1841 to 1845. There's not a lot left of the original garrison except some foundations where rooms used to be and a restored visitor center.

I won't go into a long history lesson here, but Ft Smith was very much a part of the Civil War.
473 Confederate soldiers are buried in the Natl Cemetery. 

The saddest thing to me was the row upon row of unmarked graves - in fact, there are more than 1,400, many of them of Union and Confederate soldiers. I thought about their families, who never knew what happened to their loved one, were never able to spend time at their final resting place, and probably never really had closure.

There are some famous people buried here. Above is the headstone of Gen. William Darby. He led a group of elite soldiers in WWII who became the basis for our US Army Rangers.

Another famous person who you've probably heard of is "Hanging Judge Parker." Isaac Parker was assigned to the bench of the US District Court, which included the Indian Territory, to clean up the lawlessness and corruption running rampant as the country moved west. 

According to Wikipedia, he served 21 years on the federal bench, trying 13,490 cases. But of those, only 79 were actually executed (although 160 were sentenced to death). Our visit at the US Marshals Museum the day before taught us a lot about just how wild the territory was!

The gallows.

Under the gallows.

Not all heroes are famous.  

There are 164 national cemeteries in the US & its territories. There are roughly 17,000 veterans buried just at Ft Smith. Imagine how many veterans when you factor in all 164.  It's a sobering thought - how many thousands of men and women have served this country since its beginning.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Day Trippin' - Ft Smith

We were looking for something different to do last weekend and decided on a overnight trip to Ft. Smith, Arkansas. We had stopped there a few years ago on our way back from the Steampunk Festival in neighboring Van Buren. We were surprised by the amount of history and planned to go back sometime for further exploration. It's only a 1-1/2 hour drive, so it was perfect for our simple getaway.

A new museum opened since we made that quick stop a few years ago. The US Marshals Museum opened in the summer of 2023. It's a beautiful facility and full of a history I'd never thought much about before.

Above shows the inside entrance to the exhibit. Below is a display of the document establishing the US Marshal Service in 1789 during George Washington's administration! Also on display are the badges worn through the years.

The exhibit rooms are organized around a center area called The Campfire, where stories are told of the evolving of the Marshal Service from its beginnings, the Frontier, and modern times. Each room focuses on these different eras with interactive displays, artifacts, photos, and much more. It's extremely well done.

This little visit got me interested in the new Taylor Sheridan series "Lawmen." It's planned to be an anthology with the first series being about Bass Reeves. His story is particularly fascinating because he was a former slave who became one of the most respected and longest serving of the Territory marshals. We read a lot about the Frontier marshals but it was the Oklahoma/Indian Territory history that was especially interesting to us.

The Hall of Honor bearing the names of 350+ Marshals killed in the line of duty.

Located on the banks of the Arkansas River, "The Museum features a unique exterior with a modified star-shaped design signifying the star badge worn by courageous U.S. Marshals. Inside, five immersive galleries educate guests about the critical, ever-evolving role the Marshals have played in upholding the Rule of Law, driven by justice, integrity and service."

You can read more about the museum and see additional photos at their website: https://marshalsmuseum.org/

If you like art, check out the Regional Art Museum. https://fsram.org/   We enjoyed two fascinating collections - one by Susan Chambers called "Back to the Garden" and another by over 100 artists who submitted their interpretations of "Beasts of the Imagination" in paintings, digital art, mixed media, and sculpture. Both were very interesting and worth the stop. (I love mixed media art!)

We made one more stop and I'll show those photos in the next post.