EXTRA! - The Five Moons

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The Five Moons

This month, A Very OK Podcast celebrates Women’s History Month with a new podcast focused on Oklahoma’s Native American ballerinas. Maria Tallchief and Marjorie Tallchief (Osage), Yvonne Chouteau (Shawnee), Moscelyne Larkin (Peoria/Eastern Shawnee), and Rosella Hightower (Choctaw) were all born in Oklahoma during the 1920s and went on to become prima ballerinas. Nicknamed the “Five Moons,” they achieved the pinnacle of success in their respective ballet careers, making their marks in America and on the international stage. They were named Oklahoma Cultural Treasures in 1997. A beautiful mural in the Oklahoma State Capitol, Flight of Spirit (above), painted by Mike Larsen (Chickasaw), pays tribute to them. Our guest on this episode are writer, director, actor, and dancer Russ Tallchief (Osage), the great-nephew of Maria and Marjorie Tallchief.

Only a handful of days remain for the #ExploreOHS Travel Contest! Participants have until Sunday, March 31, to travel to OHS museums and historic sites across the state and share their photos! This contest is open to the public, and all entries must be submitted on social media using the #ExploreOHS hashtag. 

Click here for eligibility requirements and details about how you can participate.

Pawnee Bill Annual Easter Egg Hunt

On Saturday, March 30, the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the local Pawnee Lions Club and the Pawnee Chamber of Commerce. The hunt will begin promptly at 10 a.m. at the ranch’s picnic pavilions. The Egg Hunt is spread out over many acres of the historic site. Thousands of eggs will be hidden, including gold and silver prize eggs containing money and vouchers for treats.

On Easter Sunday—March 31, the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will host its annual nondenominational Sunrise Service. The service will begin at approximately 7 a.m. on Blue Hawk Peak, the highest point on the ranch grounds. The Pawnee Ministerial Alliance leads the service and is a community-wide tradition. Participants are asked to bring their own seating and dress appropriately for the outdoors. For more information, please call 918-762-2513.

Vietnam War–Era Veterans Pinning Commemoration Ceremony

The Oklahoma History Center Museum (OHCM), in association with VillagesOKC, the local offices of Humana, Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight, Navigating Medicare, and the Force 50 Foundation, is proud to host a Vietnam War–Era Veterans Pinning Ceremony honoring all the servicemen and servicewomen, on active duty or in the reserves in the US Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, regardless of location, Vietnam or otherwise. Family members of any veteran unable to be present may also receive this pin.

The event will be held in the Devon Great Hall of the OHCM on Friday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to noon, with the doors opening at 9 a.m. This event is free and open to the public. The keynote speaker at the event will be Lieutenant Colonel Michael E. Sloniker. He is a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Plank, one of the founders of the Liberty Jump Team will also be speaking. Michael Do, an Oklahoma City businessman, will speak on behalf of the Oklahoma City Vietnamese community and the South Vietnamese military. Music will be provided by the 145th Army Band, known as “The Governor’s Own.” Call 405-522-0785 for more information.

Museum After Dark: Village Sounds featuring Riley Jantzen

On Friday, March 29, from 7 to 9 p.m., Oklahoma-based singer-songwriter Riley Jantzen will perform an acoustic set in the Village Church in the Humphrey Heritage Villlage at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) in Enid. This Museum After Dark: Village Sounds event is free with the cost of admission to the CSRHC, which will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on March 29. For more information about this series, please call 580-237-1907.

On Saturday, March 30, the Oklahoma History Center Museum will open Into the Mirror, an exhibit featuring 20 Native American artists from the museum’s permanent collection. The works range from 1878 to the present and were chosen because they are works by Native Americans depicting Native Americans. 

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR APRIL 15!

Kilgen Theatre Organ performance with Rosemary Bailey

On Monday, April 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., a Kilgen Theatre Organ performance at the Oklahoma History Center will feature organist Rosemary Bailey. 

Bailey started playing music at age five when she learned to play classical piano music. She added jazz and traditional popular styles into her repertoire. She has performed with artists including Victor Borge, Pete Nero, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Tickets are available online. They are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for the general public.

COMING UP NEXT MONTH!

Fort Gibson 200th Bicentennial

The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will commemorate the bicentennial of Fort Gibson and Fort Towson this year. Both forts were established in 1824 in Indian Territory—and 2024 marks 200 years since their inception. Fort Gibson was the first US military post in what would become the state of Oklahoma (and it was further west than any other post in the United States at that time). It was located near the confluence of the Verdigris, Neosho (Grand), and Arkansas Rivers.

Fort Gibson Historic Site will host a 200th Commemoration on Saturday, April 20.

Fort Gibson Historic Site’s 200th commemorative event will begin several months of regular programming with a living history demonstration to be held each weekend through the end of May.