News Release No. 353

ARROW ROCK STATE HISTORIC SITE
OPENS NEW OSAGE EXHIBIT NOV. 12

Volume 32-353

Contact: Sue Holst

(For immediate release)

573-751-6510

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 1, 2004 - A major new exhibit on the Osage Indian nation will be on display at Arrow Rock State Historic Site in Arrow Rock, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today. At 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, a reception will be held to officially open "The Osages at Home in the Center of the Earth" exhibit.

The exhibit is being provided by the Osage Tribal Museum, which is America's oldest tribally owned museum and is located in Pawhuska, Okla. Kathryn Red Corn, director of the Osage Tribal Museum, will be on hand to help cut the ribbon on the exhibit.

"The Osages at Home in the Center of the Earth" is an opportunity to learn about the Osage, who were the predominant Native American tribe in the area of present-day Missouri, southwest Kansas, Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas during the early 19th century. Objects such as the shield of Chief Black Dog, a woman's wedding coat, children's toys and examples of exquisite beadwork will be on display. The exhibit will remain at the site through June 26. Exhibit hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday through Sunday and on holiday Mondays from November through February. From March through June, the exhibit will be open daily.

The 10-minute film "Journey of the Osage," produced by the St. Louis Art Museum, also will be available for viewing. Limited edition art prints by nationally known Osage artists will be available for sale at the visitor center gift shop.

When Europeans reached North America, much of present-day Missouri was the "center of the earth" or homeland of the Osage Indian nation. Two major Osage hunting trails met and crossed the Missouri River at the Arrow Rock bluff. A large village of the Little Osage tribe was 25 miles away, near present-day Van Meter State Park in Saline County. Early Osages came to the Arrow Rock bluff to gather flint for making arrow points and tools. From the fall of 1813 to the spring of 1814, the U.S. government maintained a trading post for the Osage Indians at the Arrow Rock site.

Osage territory at its height also extended well into Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. A series of treaties with the U. S. government between 1808 and 1872 reduced the "center of the earth" to a small reservation in northeast Oklahoma. After 1825, the Osage nation no longer had a significant presence in Missouri. Today, the Osage Nation maintains a vibrant culture, a strong sense of tradition and an active tribal government.

For more information, contact the historic site at 660-837-3330 or the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For more information about Missouri's state parks and historic sites, visit the Web at www.mostateparks.com.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings or events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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