Oklahoma
Oklahoma Land Run anniversary: What to know about rocky history, Bricktown sculpture updates
Over 130 years ago this month, thousands of settlers rushed to stake their claim of 160 acres in the so-called “unassigned lands” of Oklahoma territory, marking the beginning of what would eventually become the state of Oklahoma.
That event, which started on April 22, 1889, is also a source of generational trauma for many Oklahoma tribal members, who are reminded by the 1889 Oklahoma Land Run of their ancestors’ forcible removal here. There are 39 federally recognized tribes based in Oklahoma today, many of whom were granted or sold land that was a fraction of the areas they previously occupied for centuries.
Since their removal, they have endured decades of hardship, from boarding schools where students were forced to cut their hair, only speak English and were often abused, to continued loss of land through government allotments and subsequent land runs, and suppression of tribal sovereignty.
Here’s what to know about the 1889 land run, how it originated, and the effects it still has today.
Oklahoma Land Rush: Where did ‘Unassigned Lands’ come from?
The land, nearly 1.9 million acres, was deemed open for settlement 23 years after the Five Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee/Creek, and Seminole) signed new treaties with the United States in 1866, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The tribes ceded portions of their land — along with agreeing to end slavery, allow railroads to enter the area and grant former slaves full tribal citizenship — after signing treaties with and fighting for the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Much of that land was used to remove other tribes to the area, the Oklahoma Historical Society said, including the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Comanche and others.
But a large portion of land in the center of the state remained empty, and was eventually deemed “unassigned.” There were campaigns to open the land up for settlement, but because of stipulations in 1866 treaties with the Creek and Seminole, the land was supposed to be used only for re-settlement of other native tribes.
But in 1889, the Creek and Seminole tribes presented proposals to relinquish any claim they previously had on the land, placing the land in the public domain.
The legal basis for opening the Oklahoma District, now called the Unassigned Lands, came
So in 1889, in the U.S. Congress amended the Indian Appropriations Bill to authorize President Benjamin Harrison to proclaim the two-million-acre region open for settlement. That spring, would-be settlers flooded the area in preparation, and on April 22, 1889, guns and cannons went off at noon, marking the “opening” of Oklahoma for non-native settlement.
Changes coming near Oklahoma City land run monument
For decades, the land run has been celebrated and even re-enacted at elementary schools. But those events have drawn protest from groups like the Society to Protect Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Treaties (SPIRIT), and many schools have stopped the practice.
But a permanent, bronze, larger-than-life monument to the land run stands tall in Lower Bricktown. A set of 45 statues depicts the event, stretching 365 feet across the southern end of the Bricktown Canal.
The monument, created by Oklahoma artist and citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Paul Moore, has been the recipient of protest since 2007 when SPIRIT formed to oppose centennial statehood celebrations.
The group again protested the monument and its heroic depiction of land run participants during the summer of 2020 and the racial reckoning which was bringing down monuments across the nation that honored people like Christopher Columbus and Confederate Army generals.
The group met with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, who rejected a proposal to tear down the monument completely but helped connect the group with the late city arts liaison Robbie Kienzle.
Since then, the group and the city have been working together to provide more context to the monument, specifically from the perspective of indigenous peoples. A report was presented in 2022 to the Oklahoma City Arts Commission — compiled by mother-and-son Anita Fields, who is Osage and Muscogee, and Yatika Fields, who is Osage, Muscogee and Cherokee — which determined the monument is one-sided and “hurtful” to Oklahoma’s Indigenous communities.
Randy Marks, Oklahoma City’s Arts Program Planner, said the city expects to announce within the next three months a Request for Proposals for a “cultural exhibit” that will be adjacent to the land run monument.
“The exhibit will convey an indigenous perspective on the indigenous cultural and historical context leading up to and including the land run event,” Marks said.
Moccasin Bend Ranch, a residential treatment program in Wyandotte, has reopened after a remodel, expanding access to specialized mental health services for children ages 5 to 12. Leaders say the program fills a critical gap in Oklahoma, where options for young children needing higher levels of care remain limited.
A unique approach for younger children
Moccasin Bend Ranch is a 28 bed psychiatric residential treatment facility set on 12 wooded acres. The unlocked campus is designed to give children access to outdoor play and nature, something leaders say is essential for younger patients.
“This setting allows our kids to act like kids,” said Christina Holum, interim chief executive officer at Willow Crest Hospital and Moccasin Bend Ranch. “Watching them play gives us a renewed sense of purpose. We are confident this change will lead to better outcomes and happier, healthier children.”
The ranch focuses exclusively on children, a distinction that sets it apart from many other programs across the state.
Why early treatment matters
Mental health leaders say many children referred to Moccasin Bend Ranch have already tried outpatient therapy and medication management without success. By the time families seek residential care, behaviors are often increasing in both frequency and intensity.
“If outpatient services are not working, families need somewhere to turn,” said Grant Linihan, vice president of business development for Vizion Health, which owns the facility. “If our program was not available, these, kids, where are they going to go to get treated?”
Linihan and Holum say early intervention can help children develop coping skills and emotional regulation before problems follow them into adolescence and adulthood.
Inside the treatment program
Children at Moccasin Bend Ranch receive a full schedule of therapeutic services, including individual therapy, family therapy and group sessions. The program also emphasizes recreational and expressive therapies to help children process trauma and build skills in a developmentally appropriate way.
Staff members work with families to plan for discharge, aiming to ensure continuity of care once a child returns home.
Making the holidays feel normal
For some children, the holiday season can be especially difficult. Leaders say the ranch makes a point to celebrate milestones and traditions, even while children are in treatment.
The facility hosts holiday meals, seasonal activities and visits from community volunteers, including a volunteer Santa. Children are also taken to see nearby holiday light displays.
“We try to get them to reshape their minds,” Linihan said. “Even though you’re with us, this is still going to be a joyous time for you.”
A broader mental health need in Oklahoma
Mental health providers say the need for pediatric services is tied to broader challenges across the state, including limited funding and access to care. They note that untreated mental health issues in childhood can contribute to long term struggles later in life.
“There will always be a need for this type of service for a certain group of children,” Holum said. “If they cannot get help early, their prognosis becomes much worse.”
How families can get help
Families who are concerned about a child’s mental health can contact Willow Crest Hospital or Moccasin Bend Ranch for a free phone intake. Staff members can help parents determine whether residential treatment is appropriate or if outpatient care may still be an option.
Willow Crest Hospital, also operated by Vizion Health, is a 50 bed acute inpatient psychiatric facility in Miami serving adolescents ages 9 to 17. Together, the programs serve families from across Oklahoma, including hundreds of children from Tulsa County each year.
For more information, families can call (918) 542-1836 to speak with an intake specialist. You can also find their website here.
Bob Stoops’ coaching career appears to be over. For real, this time.
The former Oklahoma football coach, who led the Sooners to a national championship in 2000, said Monday he would be retiring from coaching. Stoops had spent the previous three years as coach of the the United Football League’s Arlington Renegades.
“After much thought and reflection, I’ve made the decision to retire from coaching and step away from the game of football,” Stoops said in a statement released by the UFL. “Coaching has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and closing this chapter comes with lots of gratitude. …Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredible game for so many years.”
Stoops’ first and only head-coaching job at the Division I level came at Oklahoma. He took over ahead of the 1999 season and stayed through 2016. OU went 190-48 overall while only suffering three-or-more defeats in Big 12 play four times. The Sooners’ 2001 Orange Bowl win capped 13-0 season and gave Oklahoma its first national title since 1985.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Stoops took over coaching Oklahoma after serving three years as Florida’s defensive coordinator. He retired from job at OU in June 2017, but lasted less than two calendar years as he was drawn to coaching the Dallas Renegades in the XFL.
The league folded in part because of the COVID pandemic before OU called on him again to serve as interim coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl after Lincoln Riley left to coach Southern California. After that, he rejoind the Renegades, now rebranded as the Arlington Renegades in the UFL.
Ex-OU quarterback Jalen Hurts made up for his turnover-heavy showing in Week 14 with a stellar Week 15 performance.
Hurts, who spent the 2019 season at Oklahoma, led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 31-0 win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The quarterback completed 12 of his 15 pass attempts for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and he also rushed seven times for 39 yards. Hurts averaged 11.7 yards per pass attempt, his second highest mark of the year in that category.
The week before, Hurts had his worst showing of the season. Against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, Hurts accounted for four turnovers. The final one of those was an interception that he threw into the hands of fellow former Sooner Tony Jefferson in overtime to seal the Chargers’ 22-19 win.
With Sunday’s win, the Eagles improved to 9-5. Philadelphia is in firm control in the NFC East race and will win the division with one more win or one more loss from the Dallas Cowboys, who are 6-7-1.
In 14 games in 2025, Hurts has completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,929 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. The quarterback has also rushed for 376 yards and eight touchdowns.
Hurts has spent his entire professional career with the Eagles after the franchise selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, and he won his first Super Bowl earlier this year, as Philadelphia defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 55-23 in Super Bowl LIX.
Before becoming an NFL star, Hurts played three seasons of college football at Alabama and won the national title with the Crimson Tide in 2017. He transferred to Oklahoma for his final year of eligibility — 2019 — and led the Sooners to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Mayfield, Buccaneers Continue Skid
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a heartbreaker on Thursday.
After holding a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers allowed the Atlanta Falcons to score 15 unanswered points and win 29-28.
Mayfield, who spent three years as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, finished the game 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 19-of-34 passing. His lone pick came in crunch time, though, as he underthrew wide receiver Mike Evans in the fourth quarter, and Atlanta’s Damien Alford intercepted the pass. The Falcons scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive.
The Buccaneers have lost six of their last eight games after beginning the 2025 season 5-1. Individually, Mayfield has thrown 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in the last eight games after logging 12 touchdowns and only one pick in the first six contests.
Mayfield has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,999 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven touchdowns in 14 games.
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The Buccaneers, once in firm control of the NFC South race, are tied with the Carolina Panthers for first place in the division. The silver lining for the Bucs is that the division is weak, and the Panthers dropped what should have been an easy opportunity for them to take sole possession of first place on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Mayfield is playing in his eighth NFL season and third with the Buccaneers. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns and split the 2022 season between the Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams before signing with Tampa Bay in 2023.
At OU, Mayfield boasted a 33-6 record as the Sooners’ starting quarterback. He finished his three seasons in Norman with 12,292 passing yards, 137 total touchdowns and 21 interceptions, and Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in 2017.
Lamb Shines Again in Cowboys’ Loss
Even though the Cowboys fell 34-26 to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, veteran wideout and former Sooner CeeDee Lamb had another big game.
Lamb finished Sunday’s loss with a game-high six catches for 111 yards. His flashy performance marked Lamb’s third game in a row eclipsing 100 receiving yards.
Dallas, though, dropped to 6-7-1 with the loss. For the Cowboys to win the NFC East, they must win out, and the Eagles must lose out.
Lamb has caught 63 passes for 976 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. He has played with the Cowboys since 2020, when the franchise selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Lamb has made the Pro Bowl four times, and he was a First Team All-Pro selection in 2023.
At OU, Lamb was a consensus All-American in 2019, his final year in Norman. Over the course of his three collegiate seasons, Lamb recorded 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns on 173 catches.
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