EXTRA! - An honor to be nominated

Oklahoma Folklife Festival celebrates the state's diverse cultures

The Oklahoma History Center (OHC) is pleased to invite the public to attend the 2022 Oklahoma Folklife Festival on Saturday, October 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and will offer a wide range of entertainment, crafts, exhibitions, and food. 

This community-wide event will celebrate and recognize what the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has called “the everyday and intimate creativity that all of us share and pass on to the next generation.” The “creativity” mentioned will come in the form of dancing, singing, crafts, food, and much more. An excellent example of the diverse offerings at the festival will be the various dance troupes demonstrating their talents to all attendees. Included in these demonstrations will be Mexican, Venezuelan, and South and Southeast Asian dance performers. A variety of food vendors, musical performers, and educational resources will be present. There will also be several craft opportunities for participants of all ages. The festival will be held predominantly outdoors on the OHC campus located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. For additional information, please call 405-522-0765.

October is Archaeology Month in Oklahoma

Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will celebrate International Archaeology Day on Saturday, October 15, 2022, with a lecture, a guided walk, and many other activities. Oklahoma Archaeology Month is sponsored and promoted by the Oklahoma Anthropological Society and the Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network, and includes many more events (some virtual) throughout Oklahoma during the month of October.

Lectures about the prehistory and history of the Spiro region will start at 11 a.m. There also will be a guided tour of the site at 2 p.m. led by manager Dennis Peterson. The regular exhibits will be available throughout the day as well. Expert flintknappers, or stone tool makers, will be on hand to show off their skills from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. An archaeologist will be available to identify artifact collections for visitors during that same time. Educational games and activities will be offered throughout the day.

If you would like to know more about Archaeology Month events, please visit www.ou.edu/okpan. For more information on Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, please contact Dennis Peterson at 918-962-2062 or spiro@history.ok.gov.

Okey Drew book discussion and signing presented by Dr. Ameenah Fuller

On Saturday, October 22, from 1 to 3 p.m., the OHS's John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center will host a Come and Learn program presented by Dr. Ameenah Fuller, author of the book Okey Drew. The event will take place in the Musser Learning Lab on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center, located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. Copies of the book will be for sale and the author will be available for a book signing following the program.

Okey Drew is the story of Fuller’s ancestor—a Muscogee (Creek) Freedman who was denied citizenship in the Muscogee Nation. In the book, Fuller uses genealogical research to show the struggle of Freedmen and includes the primary source material related to Okey Drew’s experience.

This event is free, but seating is limited, so guests are encouraged to preregister for this program by calling 405-522-5225 or by emailing research@history.ok.gov.

Make and Take: Ammo Crate

Participants will have the opportunity to build their own Civil War–style wooden ammo crate on Saturday, October 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Honey Springs Battlefield. In this outdoor class, led by instructor Jake Krumwiede, participants will walk through the easy steps of piecing together a sturdy storage crate from precut panels using light construction techniques.

The workshop costs $25 per person, which covers all the materials to make one crate to take home. To register for this class or to get more information, contact Honey Springs Battlefield at honeysprings@history.ok.gov or adam.lynn@history.ok.gov, or call 918-617-7125.