Oklahoma

Oklahoma Land Run anniversary: What to know about rocky history, Bricktown sculpture updates

Published

7 months ago

April 22, 2024

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.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Wide Receiver Duo Upgraded to Probable on SEC Availability Report

Published

4 hours ago

November 7, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma Wide Receiver Duo Upgraded to Probable on SEC Availability Report

Oklahoma got great news on Thursday’s SEC Availability Report.

Receivers Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks have both been upgraded from questionable to probable for this week’s battle with No. 24 Missouri.

Farooq has been out of the lineup since Week 1, where he virtually played just one drive, and Burks hasn’t seen the field since OU’s Week 4 loss to Tennessee.

Running back Jovantae Barnes maintained his status as questionable for Saturday’s game with the Tigers.

Barnes rushed for 203 yards and three scores last Saturday against Maine, and would be a key piece of Oklahoma’s offensive game plan against the Tigers on Saturday night if he’s able to take the field.

Should Barnes be unable to go, the Sooners will turn to true freshman Taylor Tatum, who has carried the ball 43 times for 239 yards and three scores this year, and Gavin Sawchuk, who was listed as questionable on Thursday’s report.

Right tackle Michael Tarquin was also listed as questionable, and reserve center Joshua Bates was downgraded to doubtful, and OU tackles Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor have already been ruled out of the trip to Columbia, MO.

Defensive end Ethan Downs was listed as probable on Wednesday’s report, but he was removed altogether indicating that he’ll be available to play Saturday.

Missouri’s injury situation isn’t any more clear than on Wednesday.

Starting quarterback Brady Cook is still questionable as the Tigers monitor a wrist injury that saw Cook exit their last game against Alabama.

Missouri leading rusher Nate Noel is also still questionable, which would be another major blow to Eli Drinkwitz’ offense.

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Oklahoma

The Deciding Factor Between Mizzou, Oklahoma in Week 11 – The Extra Point

Published

11 hours ago

November 7, 2024

Press Room

The Deciding Factor Between Mizzou, Oklahoma in Week 11 – The Extra Point

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI’s “Extra Point,” a video series featuring the site’s Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the video above as MissouriOnSI lead reporter Joey Van Zummeren breaks down what head coach Eli Drinkwitz said will be the deciding factor for the Tigers’ Week 11 matchup with Oklahoma and why Missouri has struggled so much in that area.

The No. 24 Missouri Tigers will be looking for a statement win to open up the final quarter of the 2024 season. After a bye week in Week 10, the Tigers need a win over Oklahoma after going 1-2 in SEC play in October.

Health will be the biggest question for Missouri, with starting quarterback Brady Cook, leading rusher Nate Noel and Mookie Cooper all dealing with injuries. Even if those three can go though, the Tigers’ offense has struggled to find rhythm all season long.

There’s been stretches where the Missouri offense has been effective. It led a 15-point comeback in the final quarter to secure a win over Auburn in Week 8. It scored 30 over Vanderbilt in Week 4, a feat only one other SEC team (Alabama) has done.

But it has yet to be the explosive unit it was projected to be ahead of the start of the season. It will need to have one of its best game of the season against Oklahoma for the Tigers to win the first matchup of the rivalry in the SEC.

Mizzou Players Excited for Rivalry Renewal with Oklahoma
Mizzou, Oklahoma Availability Report – Brady Cook’s Encouraging Status
How to Watch: Oklahoma at Mizzou; Week 11 College Football TV Schedule

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Oklahoma

3 Oklahoma Sooners freshmen to watch against Missouri

Published

20 hours ago

November 7, 2024

Press Room

3 Oklahoma Sooners freshmen to watch against Missouri

The Oklahoma Sooners will look to win their second straight game on Saturday, as they’ll visit the Missouri Tigers. OU defeated Maine last week, with several true freshmen getting plenty of snaps in a blowout win over an FCS foe.

This week, it’s back to the SEC grind for Brent Venables’ squad, as Oklahoma looks to reach bowl eligibility. With plenty of injuries still hampering the Sooners, it could be another opportunity for some young players to step into the spotlight on the road.

Here are three freshmen to keep your eye on when Oklahoma takes on Missouri.

1. Xavier Robinson, RB

Running back Xavier Robinson was impressive last week against the Black Bears. He was playing in mop-up duty against lesser competition, but his physicality and burst has some clamoring to see what he can do at the highest level.

Robinson is a local talent from Carl Albert High School in Oklahoma, and he’s been buried on the depth chart behind Jovantae Barnes, Taylor Tatum, and others. No one is saying he should surpass Barnes or Tatum, but it’d be interesting to see what he can do if given the chance to get more work.

2. Reggie Powers III, DB

Each of the past two weeks, I’ve included one of OU’s freshmen trio of defensive backs in this piece. This week, Reggie Powers III gets the nod. He, along with Jaydan Hardy and Michael Boganowski make up an exciting future at safety for Oklahoma’s defense. They’re all playing more and more as the season moves along.

Powers had a beautiful interception in the fourth quarter last week that was wiped off the board due to a roughing the passer penalty. He’s been solid on special teams, and could certainly see more snaps as the Sooners try to cover up some of their deficiencies at cornerback.

3. Ivan Carreon, WR

We’ll go a little out of the box for this third one. Everyone knows about OU’s wide receiver injuries in 2024. And everyone knows about the various levels of impact true freshmen wideouts like Jacob Jordan, Zion Kearney, and Zion Ragins have had in their place.

But another guy who has gotten a bit of playing time is Ivan Carreon. He’s got the most size of the group at 6-foot-6, and is a good blocker on the outside. He’s caught a couple of passes this season, but could be in line for some more targets if the Sooners have bad injury luck at wideout again this week. He followed Emmett Jones from Texas Tech, decommitting from the Red Raiders to come to Norman.

Oklahoma vs. Missouri will kick off on SEC Network at 6:45 p.m. from Columbia, Missouri.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

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