Oklahoma

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

Published

2 weeks 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

How hot will the Oklahoma summer get this year? AccuWeather releases 2024 summer forecast

Published

6 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Press Room

How hot will the Oklahoma summer get this year? AccuWeather releases 2024 summer forecast

While Oklahomans are currently being drenched with spring storms, the heat of the summer is coming.

Summer starts on June 1 or June 20, depending on whether you ask a meteorologist or an astronomer, but either way AccuWeather is predicting a hot summer for most of the contiguous United States.

Here’s what you should know about how Oklahoma temperatures will fare this summer.

2024 Oklahoma Summer forecast: Above average temperatures expected

According to AccuWeather, much of Oklahoma can expect to see temperatures two to three degrees higher than historical averages.

Southeast Oklahoma may not see as high of a departure from average temperatures.

But the Oklahoma panhandle could see some of the hottest temperatures, especially when it comes to August and showers and thunderstorms will likely provide a break from the heat in June and July.

2024 US Summer forecast: What states will see the most heat?

The areas expected to see the highest temperature departures from historical averages include over the Great Lakes, the Upper Midwest and the southwest Plains.

Northeast cities like New York and Boston could see twice to three or four times as many 90-degree days this summer as compared to 2023.

“Energy demand is expected to be higher compared to average,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. “Air conditioners and other cooling devices will be in high demand.”

Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms will help curb the heat in Gulf Coast states after a dry 2023 boosted temperatures and left drought to expand.

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Oklahoma

Reno Red Cross volunteer goes to Oklahoma for disaster help

Published

13 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Press Room

Reno Red Cross volunteer goes to Oklahoma for disaster help

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -A Reno woman headed to Oklahoma Thursday as part of an American Red Cross team helping with the disaster there.

Jocelyn Seemann, a disaster services program manager, was joined by fellow American Red Cross Utah/Nevada chapter member Jim Erickson of Salt Lake City.

Seemann has deployed to six disasters with the Red Cross. Erickson has deployed four previous times for the Red Cross and deployed to 18 hurricanes when he was in the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Our Utah/Nevada Red Cross staffers will join other Red Cross relief workers who are coordinating closely with community and government partners to ensure people have the help they need,” Heidi Ruster, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region, said in a statement. “Our Utah/Nevada team has shown unwavering dedication and I am incredibly proud of their commitment.”

The Red Cross is helping across six states in the south and the Midwest after 130 tornadoes touched down.

The Red Cross said its disaster workers are conducting disaster assessments, offering safe shelter, meals, healthcare services, emotional support and distributing relief supplies across Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. In regions of Texas and Louisiana where heavy rains have caused rivers to overflow, Red Cross disaster relief teams are responding, with additional workers and relief supplies ready for deployment if needed.

“I see the tangible impact our staff and volunteers have on communities recovering from disasters,” Seemann said. “Being there for people during their darkest moments, offering comfort and hope, is a privilege that highlights the enduring humanity driving our mission. I am honored to stand in solidarity with those we serve, providing unwavering support for our impactful work.”

To donate to the Red Cross, go to redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

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Oklahoma

Softball Series Preview: Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma

Published

20 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Press Room

Softball Series Preview: Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma

It’s Bedlam week.

Coming off a series sweep against the Kansas Jayhawks last weekend, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls will square off against the Oklahoma Sooners in a three-game series at Loves Field in Norman.

OSU (42-8, 19-5) is the No. 3-ranked team in the Big 12 Conference, and it still has a shot to take the regular season crown.

With both teams inside the top five and fighting for the regular season conference title, the stakes couldn’t be any higher in the final regular season series for both teams.

When: Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 12 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

How To Watch: Friday – FS1; Saturday – ESPN; Sunday – ESPN2

Series Storylines

One of the off the field storylines is bedlam softball will happen in 2025 as OU coach Patty Gasso announced on Tuesday.

On the field, the main storyline is how Oklahoma State is going to handle the trio of Kelly Maxwell, Nicole May and Kierston Deal.

Deal has been efficient all season long, posting a 1.00 earned run average in 18 appearances this season.

Maxwell, who transferred from the Cowgirls this past season, has been her usual self this season, collecting a 1.66 ERA in 24 appearances.

The Cowgirls will counter the Sooners’ pitching attack with an offense that is No. 8-ranked in home runs per game and No. 9-ranked in slugging percentage this season.

Freshman Karli Godwin will lead the charge, for she has 12 home runs and 42 RBIs this season. Godwin already made history this season as she set the single-season home run record for a freshman at Oklahoma State in the series sweep against Texas Tech.

Caroline Wang, who transferred from Liberty, will look to be a bright spot on offense as well. She has 16 home runs and 46 RBIs this season.

While the OSU offense has to be a factor in this series, the pitching staff will have to be dominant as well.

Lexi Kilfyol will lead the pitching staff for the Cowgirls, and she has been taming teams all season long. The senior has a 1.16 ERA and 109 strikeouts this season.

Ivy Rosenberry will look to finish strong as well. She has a 1.11 ERA and 83 strikeouts this season in 91 2/3 innings pitched for the Cowgirls.

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