The Five Civilized Tribes Museum
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The Five Civilized Tribes Museum is a museum dedicated to preserving the art, history and culture of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole tribes. It is located in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA and is housed in the historic Union Indian Agency building.
The museum holds an extensive collection of traditional art produced by artists of Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole descent, such as Solomon McCombs, Fred Beaver, Willard Stone, Bert Seabourn, Troy Anderson, Johnny Tiger, Michael J. Narcomey, Terry Saul, Joan Hill and many more. The museum also has the world’s largest collection of Jerome Tiger originals, including “Stickballer”, his only major sculpture, which is on permanent display in the gallery.
[edit] History
The Bureau of Indian Affairs began constructing the Agency Building on August 18, 1875. This building was the first to be built by the United States Government to house the Superintendence of the Five Civilized Tribes. Until this point, each tribe had their own Agency, except for the Chickasaws and Choctaws who shared one at Boggy Depot. A fact which is scarcely known is that the term “Five Civilized Tribes” does not official appear in history until one year after the opening of this consolidated Indian Union Agency. Upon completion, it was used for the offices and residence of the Indian Agency Superintendent and his family. Business was done downstairs, and the Superintendent and his family’s living quarters were upstairs. The building itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The building has also been a school and orphanage for the Creek Freedmen, a residence. After World War I it began a new life as “The Chateau” where area residents came to listen and dance to live bands. After World War II, the building fell into disrepair; however, through the efforts of the Da-Co-Tah Club, a group of local women of Native American descent, the building was preserved and opened its doors as the Five Civilized Tribes Museum on April 26, 1966.
Ownership of the Agency Building traditionally rested in the Creek Nation, during which time it also played the role of home and school for orphans of the Creek Freedmen. It was in 1909 that ownership of the building was transferred to the City of Muskogee for park purposes. The City then gave it to the United States Government in 1944 to aid the Veterans Hospital facilities; however, the Government did not put the building to use.
On September 8, 1951, the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club began talks of utilizing the old Union Agency Building to house the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, a personal project of theirs. Sixteen days later, on September 24, 1951, the club voted to promote and sponsor the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, to be established in the old Agency Building. Three years later they sponsored H.R. Bill No. 8983 petitioning the return of the building to the City of Muskogee. Having been introduced into Congress by Representative Ed Edmondson, the bill was passed and then signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower. The museum was incorporated on November 19, 1955, under the laws of the State of Oklahoma. Two years later the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club elected their following members to be the first officers and members of the Museum Board:
Officers:
- President- Mrs. Marie L. Wadley
- Vice President- Mrs. Shade Neeley
- Secretary- Mrs. George Carkeek
- Treasurer- Mrs. Grace Arrington
- Members
- Miss Margaret LaHay
- Miss Florence Jobe (Da-Co-Tah Club President)
- Mrs. Elizabeth Wright
- Mrs. Mack Bryant
- Miss Sue Crafton
- Miss Gertrude Jobe
On April 16, 1966, the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club opened the doors to the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. The funds used for the restoration of the Old Agency Building had been raised from individual donors, without any Federal, State or Municipal aid. Since that time the Museum has been following the goals set forth by the Club. The Museum helps share the stories of the Five Tribes’ with guided tours of the facility. Exhibits featuring various aspects of their lives, history and culture are displayed downstairs, and are changed quite frequently. Upstairs one can find many artifacts mixed in with art from either the current competition, or from the Museum’s permanent collection. Several pieces, including Jerome Tiger’s “Stickballer” and Willard Stone’s “Rebirth,” are on permanent display in the Museum.
[edit] Aims and Activities
To those pioneer Indians whose courage and fortitude, perseverance and achievement sustained them through travail and disaster and earned for them the name of The Five Civilized Tribes, and who laid the foundation for the State of Oklahoma. - These words by Grant Foreman were printed at the beginning of a letter postmarked April 15, 1966, which was sent out in preparation for the opening of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. The museum would have the following mission statement: The purpose of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum shall be to preserve the history, culture, and traditions of the Five Civilized Tribes ~ Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole, through the acquisition and preservation of works of art, artifacts, documents, books, correspondence, and other materials pertaining to appreciation of Tribal heritage through exhibits, tours, programs, writings, and other media to all people.
The goal of the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club was stated in their Bylaws. “The object of this organization shall be to bring members of the various Indian tribes into closer communications for acquaintance, mutual helpfulness, inter-tribal social activities, and to promote awareness of tribal history and accomplishments throughout the greater community area. The club shall be non-sectarian and non-political.” Those founding women, all of Native American ancestry, chose the name “Da-co-tah” for their club, taken from the Sioux language, because it means “Circle of Friends.” They met the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Red and gold were chosen for the club colors, being they were the symbols of friendship, of steadfast ideals and of ambition for the future. In the fall of 1930, the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club was federated.
They participated in many charitable acts, such as donating canned foods, clothes and shoes to the Murrow Orphanage, as well as making sure they were taken to barber shops for their haircuts. They also took the children to attend the Free State Fair once a year and to go see movies, as well as many other activities. The Club raised funds to provide charitable services to poor Indian families, and to make donations to the Salvation Army. They also helped raise money for the Drought Relief Fund and the Unemployment Fund.
Each year competitions are held where tribal members can compete in painting, pottery, gourd art, sculpture and more. The student art show is also held each year, where students with descent from one of the Five Tribes, who are in grades seventh through twelfth, are allowed to compete. To celebrate tribal art and culture, the museum dedicates, to each of the Five Tribes, one week out of every year. The Museum displays art from its permanent collection done by members of that particular tribe while the tribe puts on cultural displays throughout the week. In April the Museum is host to Art Under The Oaks, an art market held on the grounds during the weekend. This gives visitors a chance to buy directly from the vendors, all members of one of the Five Tribes, as well as see traditional singing and dancing.
To celebrate tribal art and culture, the museum dedicates to each of the five civilized tribes one week out of every year. The museum displays art from its permanent collection done by members of that particular tribe, while the tribe puts on cultural displays throughout the week. In April, the museum is host to Art Under The Oaks, an art market held on the grounds during the weekend. This gives visitors a chance to buy directly from the vendors, all members of one of the five tribes, as well as see traditional singing and dancing.
The Five Civilized Tribes Museum has held steadfast to the original goals set forth by the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club. Through the artifacts displayed both downstairs and up, as well as items sold in the gift-shop and craft classes held at the Museum, the art, history and culture of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole Tribes are being both preserved and shared with people from all over the world.
