Pawhuska People
Articles about the People of Pawhuska with uplifting, culturally rich themes.
Hominy American Indian Festival Highlights
Photos by Roseanne McKee/Pawhuska People
Article below republished with permission of the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
By: Roseanne McKee
At the first Hominy American Indian Festival held May 19 at Peh-Tse-Moie Park in the city of Hominy, guests and relatives of Peh-Tse-Moie gathered to remember the man and his generous gift to the city. Although there were storms before and afterwards, no rain fell during the festival.
With help from retired Congressman Mark Simms, a photo of Peh-Tse-Moie was provided, which will be placed in the park.
Osage Congressman John Maker, who is a relative of Peh-Tse-Moie, addressed the festival guests.
“Hominy was a great place to grow up,” and the park was a big part of this, John Maker said.
“When I was a little boy, we’d all come to this park and play and go down exploring in the creek. Sometimes we only had fifty cents but that was enough to go swimming and go to the movies all in one day, so at that time, fifty cents would go a long way,” Maker said.
Scott Lohah, the great-great grandson of Peh-Tse-Moie, also addressed the crowd, and explained that his name means “fire walker” in Osage.
“I want to thank my mother the oldest living descendant of Peh-Tse-Moie, Marilyn Hopper Dailey. She provided all of the information today,” Scott Lohah said. “He died before my mother was born, but her grandmother told her stories.”
Marilyn Hopper Dailey is Peh-Tse-Moie’s great granddaughter. Sarah and John Oberly were her grandparents, Lohah explained.
“He was called Bob Peh-Tse-Moie, or Grandpa Bob. He was on the Tribal Council and his son-in-law was, John Oberly, who was Chief,” Lohah said.
Lohah shared the family names in Osage going back five generations.
“Grandpa Bob Peh-Tse-Moie’s name in Osage was Ah-She-Gah-Re. His wife, our grandmother’s name in Osage, was Gro-To-Me-Tsa-He. Bob’s dad’s Osage name was Ne-Kah-Keh-Pah-Na. Grandpa Bob’s grandfather was Ha-Moie.”
The city of Hominy was named after someone named Ha-Moie, but Lohah and his family were not sure if that referred to his grandfather since several people shared that name.
“There are relatives from the following families still living in the Hominy area: Oberly, Davis, Satepauhoodle, Abbott, Hopper, Dailey and Lohah. Peh-Tse-Moie also has many descendants living in various places all over the country,” Marilyn Hopper Dailey said.
“There’s nothing better in the world than children playing and laughing and having a good time. Grandpa Bob was advised that if he left this property for a park, then the children would play here forever and always have a place to play,” Lohah said.
“Speaking for myself and the descendants of Grandpa Bob Peh-Tse-Moie, we are very proud of what he did for this community,” Lohah said.
Lohah spoke to the audience in Osage: “zhi-kah^ zhi shka-dse sho-sho-weh,” which translates in English to: “the children would always have a place to play.”
Lohah concluded by saying: “Thanks to all and to the kids. You’ll always have a place to play at Peh-Tse-Moie Park!”
After Lohah spoke, Congressman Maker offered a prayer and then 200 free Osage meat pies were handed out to hungry guests. The two caterers were: Ah tha tse Catering, which means “we eat” in Osage and MaryGrace Dailey.
The city of Hominy’s tourism department sponsored the festival, which also featured a style show by the Bartlesville Indian Women’s Club, an intertribal-service club formed in 1937. The club provides scholarships to Native American students. Clothing from the following tribes were worn and explained by the ladies: Lenape (Delaware) regalia and traditional clothing of the: Apache, Navajo, Cheyenne and Cherokee tribes. The ladies also brought traditional items to share such as dolls made from blankets and the double-walled reed basket.
Storyteller, Nagi Whiteowl shared oral history from the Lenape tribe and North American plains flute player, David Inda, serenaded the guests.
Several vendors sold Native American art, hand-made jewelry and other items.
To learn more about the history and culture of Hominy, visit their website at: https://hominytourism.wordpress.com and follow the Hominy Tourism page on Facebook.
Dance Maker Announces OKC Ballet Dancers to Instruct at their Summer Intensive Ballet Camp
Re-published with permission of the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
By: Roseanne McKee
Dance Maker Performing Arts Academy has announced that principal dancer, Miki Kawamura, and soloist, Walker Martin, from the Oklahoma City Ballet are among the instructors at their summer intensive ballet camp sponsored by the Osage Nation Foundation to be held July 23 – Aug. 3 from 12 – 6:15 p.m.
Both dancers were lead performers in past a production of Wahzhazhe: an Osage Ballet, in Santa Fe, N.M. and they have generously agreed to give their time to elevate ballet in the rural town of Pawhuska.
I recall the first time I met Randy Tinker Smith in 2011 at the Osage Nation Museum. She told me that she had a vision for telling the story of the Osage through a ballet. I was impressed when just a year later, her dream became a reality!
I’d like to share a bit about the two organizations that foster dance in the Osage, both of which she directs.
Dance Maker Performing Arts Academy, located in Pawhuska, was established in 2014 by Jenna Smith, the studio’s Director of Dance, and Randy Tinker Smith, the Administrative Director.
Jenna Smith’s decision to establish Dance Maker stemmed from her desire to continue the legacy of ballet among the Osage begun by America’s first prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief, who hailed from Fairfax, Okla.
“Many young people have dreamed of following in the footsteps of famous Osage ballerinas, Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, by becoming ballet dancers themselves. The Dance Maker Performing Arts Academy will help them achieve that dream,” Jenna Smith explained.
Like the Tallchief sisters, Jenna is Osage. Jenna is descended from Clarence Leonard Tinker, the first American Indian in U.S. Army history to attain the rank of major general, for whom Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City is named.
Jenna Smith earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Oral Roberts University, and after graduation, joined the Osage Ballet, founded by her mother, Randy Tinker Smith, in 2012 to share the story of the Osage people through the artistic medium of ballet.
Randy Tinker Smith already had the storyline and the musical score for the ballet, but she had not chosen a choreographer because of budget constraints.
“The truth is I didn’t have money to pay the person who was supposed to choreograph it,” she confided.
Randy Smith met with dozens of Osage elders to ask permission to tell our story and then find out what I was allowed to use.
“Over the course of that year, I would relate to Jenna everything that I was learning from these particular elders and began weaving the final storyline together. Jenna’s plans were to stay involved in classical ballet at the time and she did not have time to help me with the Osage Ballet. But she couldn’t help but begin to picture the stories I was telling her and seeing them in a ballet. We are happy that even if it was by accident, we ended up having an Osage choreographer,” Randy Smith explained.
Audiences have embraced their efforts, and Wahzhazhe: an Osage Ballet, has been performed most notably at: the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., the Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe, N.M., the International Festival of Families in Philadelphia, Pa., and the Leach Theatre in Rolla, Mo.
Wahzhazhe is the actual name of the Osage people, which was mispronounced by Europeans when they saw the French spelling of a “W” which is “Ou”.
Wahzhazhe: an Osage Ballet, traces the history of the Osage people, beginning at a time before they encountered Spanish, French and other European explorers.
“The ballet depicts the Osage people as what some early diaries described as the happiest people in the world. Everything they did had order and everyone contributed in their daily living by way of a clan system,” Randy Smith said.
“When Europeans began to arrive, the Osage began trading with the French. But the Osage were in the way of economic drive of the Europeans to accumulate land, metal and fur. Treaties were made and broken as the Osages were moved westward numerous times until they finally bought their own reservation which is now Osage County.”
The ballet also features a “roaring 20’s scene” when after striking it rich as Osage Minerals Estate shareholders, the Osage people became the richest people on earth per capita.
“The local population swelled to the tens of thousands as people moved in to grab a part of the wealth. Greed ran rampant among the invasion as the Osages were once again pushed aside and murders were committed in an attempt to collect insurance money or to gain control of the valuable oil properties,” Randy Smith said.
“Osages honor our soldiers. An entire scene in the ballet is dedicated to these courageous warriors,” she added.
The ballet concludes with an Osage dressed in a business suit wearing moccasins. As he walks across the stage he hears an Osage drum and begins dancing in the traditional Osage style, to convey that today the Osage “walk in two worlds.”
Maria Tallchief became the first prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) in 1947, a title which she held for the next 13 years. In 1947 Tallchief also became the first American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet.
Maria’s sister, Marjorie Tallchief, also left her mark in ballet history, becoming the first American to assume the role of principal dancer of the Paris Opera.
In 1946 Tallchief married the famed choreographer George Balanchine. Although they separated in 1951, Balanchine created a ballet entitled Firebird to showcase Tallchief’s talent at the New York City Ballet.
One Osage elder has said, “Elizabeth Maria Tallchief, who was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, in 1925, will always have a special place in Osage history and in the hearts of the Osage people. Her great talent as a prima ballerina transformed and elevated in stature the ballets in which she performed and touched audiences throughout the United States and Europe. Her life will always stand as a shining beacon for Osage young people of how dedication to one’s God-given talents can be translated into great artistic achievement.”
Maria Tallchief’s performance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker is credited by many as having established the ballet as a Christmas classic.
In December 2017, Dance Maker held its first performance of The Nutcracker to a sold-out audience at the Constantine Theater in Pawhuska, a ballet which they endeavor to produce annually Jenna Smith said.
Dance Maker’s ballet camp at 400 Palmer Ave. in Pawhuska, will include instruction by two Oklahoma City Ballet dancers. Principal dancer Miki Kawamura and Soloist Walker Martin, will teach: ballet, pointe and partnering on July 30 – Aug. 3.
According to Randy Tinker Smith, tuition is $290 and many scholarships are available through the Osage Nation Foundation. All students wishing to learn are encouraged to attend. Dance Maker serves the whole community – not just Osage students!
For students seeking other dance instruction, the Dance Maker Summer Camp will also provide instruction in: jazz, hip hop and tap.
Contact Dance Maker to learn more at: 918-704-4668, at their website: http://wwwdancemaker.net or via e-mail at dancemakeracademy@gmail.com.
Photo Courtesy of Geneva HorseChief-Hamilton
Groundbreaking for Osage Veterans Park set for 9 a.m. on June 6th
Pawhuska, Okla., (Friday, June 1, 2018)
By: Geneva Horsechief-Hamilton, ON Communications
The Osage Nation has been developing plans for a memorial to honor Osage U.S. military veterans since 2011. Those plans will be another huge step closer to becoming a reality when builders break ground for the memorial on Tuesday, June 6, at 9 am in Pawhuska, beautifully situated on the lawn near the Osage Nation Museum.
“The Commission has been working diligently on the design, the process, and the execution of the final phases for this very important recognition and honoring of our Osage veterans,” said Maria DeRoin (Osage), Osage Nation Veterans Memorial Commission (OVMC) Consultant and Central Communications Coordinator and a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran.
The OVMC is responsible for the development and construction of the memorial. OVMC members are Franklin McKinley, Commission Chair; Richard Luttrell, Member; Francis West-Williams, Member; John Henry Mashunkashey, Member; and Richard Perrier, Member.
According to the OVMC’s webpage, “The purpose of the Commission is to follow the Osage Nation tradition of honoring Osage veterans…[and] to provide a physical reminder for present and future generations of the contributions and sacrifices of Osage veterans and their families.”
This event is free and open to the public.
Drummond Home Requests Aluminum Ware Pieces for April Exhibit
By: Roseanne McKee
The Fred Drummond Home is having a hammered aluminum ware exhibit during the month of April, and needs aluminum serving ware to complete the exhibit.
If you have pieces you are willing to lend, please call the Drummond Home Manager, Beverly Whitcomb, Wed. through Sun. at 918-885-2374. If you don’t get an answer, please leave your name and number.
All exhibit pieces lent to the Drummond Home are logged in to ensure accurate recordkeeping. Pieces borrowed for the April exhibit may be picked up from the Drummond Home in early May.
Hammered, or stamped, aluminum ware was popular in the 1930’s through the 1950’s as an inexpensive alternative to silver.
These aluminum wares were given as wedding gifts with patterns depicting chrysanthemums, tulips, bamboo, fruit, leaves and game birds. The detail is amazing and many collectors recognize this craftsmanship while appreciating the affordable prices.
The Fred Drummond Home, located at 305 N. Price Ave. in Hominy, is open Wed. – Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sun. 12 – 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 62+, $4 for students 6 – 18, $5 for groups of 10+, $18 for families of up to 6, free for children 5 and under, veterans, active duty military and OHS members.
Visit their Facebook page: Friends of the Fred Drummond Home of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
For other upcoming events in Hominy, visit the Hominy Tourism Facebook page and their website: https://hominytourism.wordpress.com.
Museum Field Trip Announced
Based on Press Release by: Osage Nation Communications Prog. Coord., Geneva HorseChief-Hamilton
Pawhuska, Okla. (2/28/2018) – The Osage Office of the Chiefs, Osage Nation Museum (ONM), Osage Nation Prevention Program, Wahzhazhe Cultural Center and Osage Nation Child Care Department have organized a field trip for youth to attend the “Fluent Generations: The Art of Anita, Tom, and Yatika Fields” Exhibit at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman, Okla. on April 7.
“Fluent Generations” features a number of never-before-seen pieces of artwork from the Fields family that celebrates the vitality of indigenous culture. Both Anita and Yatika are both members of the Osage Nation. Youth participants will get the opportunity to not only develop an appreciation for the work of the Fields family, but a deeper appreciation for the impact of family — a building block of all cultures and communities around the world.
Participants will be taken on a chartered bus for this full-day event. Once students arrive at the Sam Noble Museum, they will experience a live painting event. Osage artist Yatika Fields will paint an 18′ x 10′ mural. After viewing the “Fluent Generations” exhibition, students will explore the rest of the Sam Noble Museum and participate in a hands-on clay activity with Osage sculptor Anita Fields.
Ages 10-18 are welcome to attend.
This event is free.
Pick up and drop off sites in Pawhuska, Hominy, and Fairfax.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Space is limited, only 40 seats are available.
Preference will be given to Osage and Native youth.
Please submit registration forms by March 23, 2018 to Osage Nation Prevention Program located in suites 7 & 8 of the Osage Nation Civic Center, 1449 W Main, Pawhuska, Ok. For more information, contact Daisy Spicer at 918-287-5518 or dspicer@osagenation-nsn.gov.
Free Workshop at Osage Nation Museum March 3
The Osage Nation Museum (ONM) and Osage Teaching Artist Addie Roanhorse will be conducting a Monotype Printmaking Workshop from 12 – 4 p.m. on March 3, in conjunction with the Traditional Values/Contemporary Vision: Works by Gina Gray. This workshop is free and open to the public of all ages. No prior experience is necessary.
Gina Gray was known for her monotypes, many of which are currently on exhibit at the ONM. Over the years Gray developed her very own graphic sense and style with her prolific monotype production. Using vibrant colors, bold, yet elegant lines, and striking silhouettes; Gray’s depictions of Osage culture evoke traditional values with both insight and contemporary vision. We invite participants to join us at the ONM to learn how to create monotype prints using the same methods Gray used. Participants will experience the joys and possibilities of monotype printmaking using Gina Gray’s prints as inspiration.
This workshop is designed for anyone who has an interest in monotype printmaking and wants to learn more. Participants will learn how to create monotype prints and will leave with several original art pieces. This art form is a quick and easy way to create unique, one-of-a-kind prints.
Demonstrations of the process will be conducted every hour starting at 12pm. This instruction will encourage participants to create prints that reflect their personal voice and expression. Various techniques will be explained, including additive and subtractive methods, use of stencils, as well as proper inking methods, and press instruction.
About Teaching Artist Addie Roanhorse
Addie Roanhorse is an Osage artist and graphic designer working predominantly in mixed media and serigraph printing. Roanhorse works for the Osage Nation as their in-house Graphic Designer/Photographer. Addie’s contemporary realism approach to art depicts the details of her culture, incorporating the balance of clean lines and texture. She recently showed at Santa Fe Indian Art Market with her 10-year-old daughter Anya. Roanhorse completed her BFA with an emphasis in Visual Arts at Rogers State University in 2015. Her exposure to art began early in her childhood, influenced by her parents who are both professional artists. She was immersed in an artist’s lifestyle, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico and on the Southern Coast of California with her parents. Roanhorse spent summers with her grandparents on the Osage reservation in Oklahoma where she currently resides with her daughter Anya.
About the Osage Nation Museum
The premiere destination to experience Osage history, art, and culture
Visit the Osage Nation Museum (ONM) in historic Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Our continuously changing exhibits convey the story of the Osage people throughout history and celebrate Osage culture today. Highlights include an extensive photograph collection, historical artifacts, as well as traditional and contemporary art. Founded in 1938, the ONM is the oldest tribally owned museum in the United States.
Admission and parking is free.
Contact Information
Phone: 918-287-5441
Fax: 918-287-5227
Email: museum@osagenation-nsn.gov
Website: http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/museum
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OsageNationMuseum/
Location
819 Grandview Avenue
Pawhuska, OK 74056
Christmas Traditions in the Osage and Beyond!
By: Roseanne McKee
It goes without saying that many decorate their homes inside and out with lights, Christmas trees, wreaths and pine garlands. Christmas parties and attendance at the Nutcracker Ballet and Handel’s Messiah choral performances are very enjoyable during the Christmas season. Donating to an angel tree is a lovely way of remembering those in need this time of year.
In this article, I’d like to highlight some less common traditions. If one resonates with you, I hope you’ll add it to your Christmas traditions this year!
A couple in Perkins, Okla., Darrin and Allison Harris, give their children new pajamas and a Christmas DVD on Christmas Eve. The children put on the pajamas, enjoy a movie on Christmas Eve, and are ready for photos on Christmas morning in the new pajamas.
Enjoying special foods is a delicious Christmas tradition!
My sister’s in-laws in Pennsylvania gather with the extended family on Christmas Eve, and serve homemade perrogies, which are dumplings filled with a savory filling and boiled. Perrogies have Eastern European origins, but made their way to the U.S. with immigrants who settled here.
Wisconsin residents enjoy kringle pastry, which became the state’s official pastry in 2013. Kringle was originally made in Denmark in a pretzel shape without any filling. However, a bakers’ strike in 1850 in Denmark changed that. Bakers from Vienna, Austria were brought to Denmark to fill the need for skilled bakers. The Austrian bakers used their knowledge of dough folding to create new types of pastries — kringle with fruits, nuts and other fillings was born! The O & H Bakery in Racine, Wisconsin, carries on that tradition with oval shaped kringle in flavors such as: almond filling with cherries, brandy, chocolate, cranberry, pecan, cream cheese and cinnamon.
I still recall fondly the Christmas stockings of my childhood, which traditionally held: an orange, an apple, whole walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, candy canes and other wrapped candies.
Reading Christmas short stories to groups is one of my new favorite traditions. Last year I read a story from one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas edition books at my son’s school Christmas party that I got from the library.
The story I chose was about prisoners creating ornaments out of the limited materials they had, and decorating a Christmas tree in the common area. The writer tells of how this effort brought him a measure of happiness during that difficult time in his life.
This year at their Christmas luncheon, I read to the members of the Alpha Delphians’ book club in Hominy. My short story selection was from the newly released Chicken Soup for the Soul book, A Book of Christmas Miracles. I recommend this book, the proceeds of which go to Toys for Tots.
My story selection was about a man who always gave up attendance at the church Candle Light Service on Christmas Eve, so that he could get the coffee and cookie time after the service prepared. One year he was unavailable and a young woman was asked to fill in for him. She was resentful at first, but found that giving in this way had several unexpected blessings.
After I read the short story, I tell my own experience of Christmas magic, which happened many years ago, while I was in college at the University of North Carolina, and working for a local family in Chapel Hill, N.C.; I met a sweet older gentleman at the family’s Christmas party.
The gentleman, who had a Dutch accent, told me of his family’s childhood tradition of Father Christmas knocking at the door after Christmas Eve supper and handing out candy and treats to the children. One year, during World War II, he said that the men were away at war and he wasn’t sure if the tradition would continue. After supper, there was a knock at the door and Father Christmas did appear. However, when he received his gift and candy, he thought he saw Tanta’s pearls under the Father Christmas’s beard.
Tanta means “aunt” in Dutch. Strangely enough, no one else at the party recalled seeing him and the family did not know who he might be. His identity remains a mystery, but nonetheless, telling this story (a story within a story) brightened my Christmas during a year when I would be unable to travel home to be with family, and retelling the story has become part of my own Christmas tradition.
I digress — back to Christmas traditions.
At the Dick Connors Correctional Facility in Hominy, Okla., the prisoners always create a float for the Hominy Christmas Parade, which often wins top prize.
I like the practice by one Hollywood couple, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, of doing puzzles at the dining room table while listening to books on audio. When I read this, I decided to add this to our family traditions at Christmas this year.
One of my neighborhood friends, Katrina Eash, does a Jesse Tree with her daughter to bring attention to the meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.
“A Jesse Tree is a decorative tree used during Advent to retell the stories of the Bible that lead to Jesus’s birth. Since Advent is a season of waiting, a Jesse Tree will help to build joy and anticipation as you wait for Christmas,” according to https://www.myjessetree.com.
“Jesse Trees have three main parts: A tree, symbolic ornaments, and passages or scripture readings to go along with them….They are designed to lead children through the entire story of the Bible during Advent in a simple and fun way. They also introduce important religious concepts to children and show how key Bible stories connect to Jesus. Each day during advent, you will hang a new ornament on the tree and read a passage (https://www.myjessetree.com).”
According to Wikipedia, “the word “tradition” itself derives from the Latin tradere literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping.
I hope that these examples inspire you to add to your existing Christmas traditions and I wish you blessings, peace, prosperity and health this Christmas season!
Angel Tree Seeks Angels
By Geneva HorseChief-Hamilton, Osage Nation Communications
Pawhuska, Okla., (Wednesday, November 22, 2017) — The goal is for every child to receive a Christmas gift. Every year, the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department (ONFAD) hosts the Annual Tree of Gifts to support the spirit of giving and provide children in need with a holiday that includes unwrapping presents that otherwise would not be there.
Helping is easy. There is a tree filled with ornaments with Christmas wish lists attached from local children. To donate, visit the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department located at the new Welcome Center at 239 West 12th Street, Pawhuska, Okla., or contact the office at (918) 287-5325.
All gifts must be delivered to the ONFAD offices by December 18, 2017.
Financial Assistance is also requesting donations of gift bags, wrapping paper, bows, tape, and gift tags. There will also be an opportunity to help with gift wrapping and deliveries. Call (918) 287-5325 for more information.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE MISSION STATEMENT
To aid members of the Osage Nation, and other Native Americans residing in our service area, during times of limited resources and/or provide an opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency through individual employment plans.
Website: http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/financial-assistance
Physical Address: 239 W 12th Street, Pawhuska, OK 74056
Mailing Address: 627 Grandview, Pawhuska, OK 74056
Phone: 918-287-5325
Fax: 918-287-5593
Nutcracker Comes to the Osage
By: Roseanne McKee
Dance Maker Performing Arts Academy will bring “The Nutcracker” ballet to the historic Constantine Theatre at 110 W. Main St. in Pawhuska on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available in advance at Dance Maker’s Boutique at the Ole’ #1 Firehouse on Main St., located next door to the Constantine. The Boutique is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon. – Sat.
Advance tickets for adults are $15 each and $8 for students. A family ticket is available for $45, which includes two adults and three children.
“Bringing the Nutcracker to the Osage is especially meaningful because of its connection to the late prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief, who was Osage and hailed from Fairfax in Osage County,” said Dance Maker’s Artistic Director Jenna Smith.
In 1954, Tallchief, a member of the New York City Ballet, was cast in the lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
One ballet critic, Walter Terry, writing at the time said, “Maria Tallchief, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, is herself a creature of magic, dancing the seemingly impossible with effortless beauty of movement, electrifying us with her brilliance, enchanting us with her radiance of being.”
“Tallchief’s interpretation of the role paved the way for the ‘Nutcracker’ ballet to become an American ballet tradition during the Christmas season,” Smith said. “We are pleased that Osages are among those who will be performing in the Nutcracker, including lead dancer, Amity Bevard, from Hominy.”
Local Artist Camille Minjarez Anthony
By: Roseanne McKee
Award-winning artist Camille Minjarez Anthony, began painting as a way of dealing with Attention Deficit Disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), but what began as a coping mechanism, has become much more.
“I’ve always grown up painting as long as I could remember. To keep me focused, my parents bought me art supplies,” Anthony said.
“I was originally painting on canvases. I actually started to be able to paint with better supplies in high school in eighth grade. Because of my art high school teacher at Wesleyan Christian School, Ragon Steele, I was able to start to learn to paint properly. He was really a blessing. Whenever I had free time I was in there. He was by far my favorite teacher. He made me a lot better.
“I struggled with school. There were issues. I always took extra art classes. I learned more about life in art class by far than any other.
“I decided a long time ago that I wanted to be a surgeon for military Veterans. My art teacher, who is an Army Veteran, encouraged me. He was the one telling me I could actually do it.
“Mr. Ragon would tell me about everything that happened to him. He told me what I would need physically and spiritually to do that job. He encouraged me to keep my grades up so that I could pursue this path.”
Although she has chosen to pursue the medical profession, Anthony continues to excel as an artist.
“Two of my oil pastels in contests and got first in First in State in oil pastel for a painting of my dog, a blue leopard cadahoula, named Sadie Blue.
“My other one was a picture inspired by a song about overcoming depression, ‘Jeremy,’ by Pearl Jam. It’s about a child being abused at home and being picked on at school. For an oil pastel drawing, I did a drawing of a child with his whole story and painted him with a crown. It’s a kid draped in the American flag wearing a flag and the words ‘King Jeremy.’ I attached the song that the painting was based on and the suicide note the teenager, Jeremy, left at the age of 16.”
During high school, Anthony, who is both Kickapoo and Apache, also began painting on natural surfaces in a style reflecting her Native American heritage.
“I’ve always been very fascinated with anything different and Mr. Steele suggested I try painting on skulls using oil pastels. I started painting skulls my senior year, so it’s been about three years that I’ve been doing it.”
Describing her art, she said, “I use darker colors, dark blues, purple and red. Every painting I do has red and purple in it somewhere.”
“A lot of my drawings have to do with what I’m feeling at the moment. I paint anything and everything on them. I just use the skull as a canvas.”
Anthony has a Facebook page called “A Beautiful Mind’s Creations,” where her art pieces are available for purchase.
Anthony is also a full-time student at Oklahoma State University, Tulsa campus, majoring in pre-med with an emphasis in psychology, who lives in Barnsdall and works part-time at the Osage Square Mall in Pawhuska.
Osage Nation Language Dept. Announces new Mobile App!
Shown in Photo on Left: Master Osage Language Instructor, Mongrain Lookout.
By Geneva HorseChief-Hamilton, Osage Nation Communications
& Melissa Cole, Office of the Director of Operations of the Osage Nation
Pawhuska, Oklahoma (November 2, 2017)
Social Media is stirring with excitement regarding the Osage Nation Language Department’s newest development, the first Osage language mobile application, WahZhaZhe.
The development of the Osage Nation’s premier Osage Language App was a lengthy process. It took more than three years and a lot of technological hurdles including putting the Osage orthography (the Osage writing system) into Unicode, a digital coding system needed to include the orthography on the app. The app in its unreleased form is available for download by Android and Apple users and is proving to be worth the wait and well received by people of all ages and geographic locations. And, use of the app is already being implemented into the daily learning activities at the Osage Immersion School and WahZhaZhe Early Learning Academies.
The Office of the Director of Operations for the Osage Nation prepared the following how-to for immediate access to the language app.
How to download the app to Android and Apple devices:
Connect your Android or Apple device to Wifi
Search “WahZhaZhe” at the Play Store or the App Store on an Android or Apple device
Find the App option with the Osage seal icon and select
Select “Install” to download the App
The application is approximately 375 MB that requires a wifi connection. After it is downloaded to a device it will not require a data connection unless an update is required. The language app home screen contains buttons for Language, Culture Notes, Search, and Credits.
Language – (category options: Learn, Games, Quizzes) The Language tab contains approximately 526 words and phrases which are separated into 33 categories. Each category allows users to learn the language by listening to a word or phrase, reading the orthography, and self-recording for playback and audio learning. Games increase in intensity from easy to hard. After familiarizing with the words and phrases contained in each category there are corresponding quizzes to self-test. Quizzes test listening, speaking, and reading skills.
Culture Notes – (category options: Audio, Video, Images) The Culture Notes tab contains approximately 15 files. Users can listen to an Osage language only speech delivered in June 1965 by an Osage elder; learn the Counting Song, and view the most up-to-date map of Osage ancestral territories. Users can tap on the photos in the Images category to zoom-in on the maps and paintings for a closer view.
Search –Search for any entry via the Search tab. Simply tap “Search” and you will be directed to an alphabetized list of all entries contained within the app. Users can scroll through the list or type a specific word or phrase.
Credits – The Credits tab acknowledges the departments and individuals who were instrumental in the creation of the app. For tech support select the link to Thornton Media, Inc.
Next User Steps
Download WahZhaZhe to any Android or Apple device. Rate the app on your Android or Apple device!
Nutcracker Ballet coming to Pawhuska this Christmas Season
By: Roseanne McKee
The Dance Maker Performing Arts Academy will host an elegant evening of hor d’oeuvres and dessert at 7 p.m. on Oct. 21, at the Elks Lodge in Pawhuska to preview plans to produce the Nutcracker Ballet at Pawhuska’s Constantine Theatre on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. For reservations to the catered event, at no charge, call 918-607-3044. After-five attire is requested.
“The evening will be an opportunity for the community to learn more about the Academy and its partnership with the Osage Ballet to train the next generation of dancers in the tradition of the late Maria Tallchief, America’s first prima ballerina, an Osage member, who was born in nearby Farifax, Okla.,” said Osage Ballet Director Randy Tinker Smith.
The evening will include a short presentation by award-winning journalist, author and former manager of the Tulsa Ballet Theater, Connie Cronley. Catering will be provided by highly-esteemed chef, Brian Lookout of Ah Tha Tse Catering.
Although the evening is at no cost, attendees are encouraged to make their best donations to help support the Nutcracker Ballet production by Dance Maker Performing Arts Academy at the evening’s conclusion.
Another opportunity to support the Academy will be attendance at the Nutcracker Tea Party to be held Dec. 3 at the Short Community Center in Pawhuska from 2 – 4 p.m. This is a ticketed event costing $10 each. For reservations to this elegant afternoon of high tea and an opportunity for photos with the Nutcracker characters, call 918-607-3044. Tea sandwiches, a selection of teas and sweet treats will be served. “This is a wonderful event for the children your family,” said Dance Maker Academy Director, Jenna Smith.
The community may also support the upcoming Nutcracker performance by shopping at the Nutcracker Boutique at the Old Firehouse #1 Art Center on Main St. in Pawhuska. The gift boutique will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon. – Sat. Nov. 1 – Dec. 23.
Tickets for the Nutcracker Ballet at the Constantine Dec. 9, will be $8 for students and $15 for adults.
“We thank our sponsors, Osage Casinos, Pawhuska Community Foundation, Osage Foundation, Blue Sky Bank, Jerry and Marlene Mosley, for helping us to continue the legacy of ballet in the Osage, and look forward to others joining our efforts,” Smith said.
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