The Osage Nation Museum celebrates 80th birthday

Press Release
April 6, 2018 - For Immediate Release
Contact: Hallie Winter, Curator | 918-287-5222 | @email
Pawhuska, Okla. (04/06/2018)– Opening on May 2nd, 1938 the Osage Nation Museum (ONM) is America’s first tribal museum! Dedicated to preserving and exhibiting Osage art, history, and culture, the ONM has been a landmark on the Osage campus in Pawhuska, OK for eighty years. Staff at the ONM are planning a birthday celebration for the Museum’s eightieth birthday!

The ONM will be unveiling their next exhibition at this celebration on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018 from 4-7pm. Wedding Clothes and the Osage Community: A Giving Heritage which will run through December 1st, 2018.

In collaboration with the Sam Noble Museum and University of Oklahoma, this exhibition will examine Osage Wedding traditions in the early nineteenth century and the incorporation of certain elements from the material culture of these weddings into the “Paying for the Drum” ceremonies of the modern I’loⁿ Schka Dances. The exhibition is comprised of ONM permanent collection objects and objects from generous community lenders. An exhibition catalogue will accompany the show and will be available for $20.

Also included in the 80th Birthday celebration is the debut of items generously loaned to the ONM from the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS). Among the items to be loaned is the war shield of Chief Ta-Wa-Hie (Arrives at the Village). This war shield was the inspiration for Louise Funk Fluke’s design of the Oklahoma State flag. The Oklahoma State flag was adopted by the 10th legislature and became the emblem of the state on April 2nd, 1925, as a result of a contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Daughters of the American Revolution. This loan is the beginning of a meaningful partnership between the two institutions.

The opening reception will kick off at 4pm and will be followed by Cultural Trunk Demonstrations by the Wah Zha Zhe Cultural Center at 6pm. The Osage Nation Communications Department will be on site photographing portraits of visitors who attend the event. Cake and light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

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, and traditional and contemporary art. Founded in 1938, the ONM is the oldest tribally owned museum in the United States.

About the Sam Noble Museum
In 1899 the Territorial Legislature of the future state of Oklahoma mandated the founding of a natural history museum on the campus of the University of the Territory of Oklahoma, now the University of Oklahoma. Over the past 100 years the collections have grown to more than 12 million objects that are now organized into 12 collections, from Native American Languages to Genomic Resources. They are the greatest collections of Oklahoma materials that provide the basis for the interpretation of the natural and cultural heritage of the state.

About the Oklahoma Historical Society
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
Since 1893 the Oklahoma Historical Society has strived to protect and chronicle the history of our great state. The Oklahoma Historical Society maintains museums, research centers, historic homes, and military sites located throughout Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Historical Society was founded in 1893 by members of the Oklahoma Territory Press Association. In 1918 OHS was relocated to the State Capitol, and in 1930 moved to the Wiley Post building. Over the years the OHS has developed numerous collections, programs, museums, and historic sites statewide. In 2005 came the opening of the Oklahoma History Center, with world-class museum exhibits and a state-of-the-art Research Center.

ONM Contact Information
Phone: 918-287-5441
Fax: 918-287-5227
Email: @email
Website: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/museum
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OsageNationMuseum/

Location
819 Grandview Avenue
Pawhuska, OK 74056

Hours of Operation
Tuesday – Saturday; 8:30am -5:00pm
*The ONM is closed on all Federal Holidays