First Americans Museum

[Larry OKC]

I don’t questions that tribes are supportive of the center and would like to see it work. They may even help with exhibits and artifacts but as for giving real cash, I don’t see it. A lot of the tribes are pretty broke, Casino revenues are way down and even if they weren’t they have far more programs and needs than they can fund. Tribes simply aren’t going to give a couple million dollars to a museum far outside their national areas for a 150-200 square foot display.

There was a recent article that indicated Tribal revenue was way up, so much so, the state is projecting to get $120M from the compacts (as opposed to the $70M they had projected when signed a few years ago (and had fallen way short).

Tribal gaming fees continue to grow for Oklahoma | NewsOK.com

[ljbab728]

There was a recent article that indicated Tribal revenue was way up, so much so, the state is projecting to get $120M from the compacts (as opposed to the $70M they had projected when signed a few years ago (and had fallen way short).

Tribal gaming fees continue to grow for Oklahoma | NewsOK.com

Don't confuse us with facts, Larry. LOL

[Shake2005]

Don't confuse us with facts, Larry. LOL

I misspoke. Tribes have spend a ton of money on always newer and larger gambling halls and have financed those expansions, that financing has to be paid for. Revenue and profit are not the same thing.

[lasomeday]

Good point. If they can show the tribes that they can make a buck on this thing then they will pour some money into it!

[jbrown84]

For those interested, here is link to the Chickasaw Cultural Center being referenced. Very nice.

Chickasaw Cultural Center

Looks very classy.

I've questioned the viability of this project from day 1. Meshing tribal culture into one building doesn't make sense. Each tribe is culturally & socially unique. To get a feel for that uniqueness I think you have to go visit each's tribal headquarters/museum. To get a good feel about the Cherokee, you have to go to Tahlequah...for the Osage, visit Pawhuska, etc.

That's like saying there's no place for an American History Museum in DC because every state has it's own unique history and culture.

It's like someone wanting authentic mexican food and going to taco bell.

That's ridiculous. This is not some Hollywood-ified white guy perspective cowboys and Indians attraction. Will it be general to a wide range of tribes and cultures? Yes. Will it be inauthentic? Definitely not. That's ridiculous.

[metro]

Well said Jbrown, they act as if it is going to be like this "Twister museum" other posters are proposing. This is a world-class museum and part of the Smithsonian for crying out loud.

[Rover]

To call this like Taco Bell is like calling the Western Heritage Center and Hall of Fame like Frontier City. I guess people don't understand the roll and importance of true museums. OKC is graced with a great oleo of cultures, many rooted in native soil. We should support and celebrate and tell its history properly. I hope they can complete this in a world class way.

[Steve]

I was excited about this project because of its Smithsonian pedigree and all the talented people behind it. But there's an anonymous poster at OKC Talk saying it's nothing special, that's it's the Taco Bell of museums, so my entire outlook is now changed...

[Shake2005]

I was excited about this project because of its Smithsonian pedigree and all the talented people behind it. But there's an anonymous poster at OKC Talk saying it's nothing special, that's it's the Taco Bell of museums, so my entire outlook is now changed...

Native Americans in general certainly can and hopefully will be proud of this museum. But saying that Tribal governments should support it is a very different question. Think of it like a group is building an Asian Museum in L.A. and is asking the Vietnamese and Afghan governments to take away funding from projects to help their own often very poor people to help fund the Museum because it’s helping to educate people on Asians.

You know, because it’s a worthy project and seeing as Vietnamese and Afghans are Asian they should sacrifice support for their own people to support it. Who knows, it might even have small displays on Vietnam and Afghanistan.

I am not being extreme here, the history, language and culture of the Cherokee and the Osage for example are as different as Afghans and Vietnamese. All they really share is that they are historically from the same continent, and of course were persecuted by the US government.
You have accused me of making generalities when that is all that you see. Your desire to want to see Native Americans as a homogeneous group and ignorance to the vast differences between tribes and peoples is kind of sad coming from a journalist. Your blindness to the economic realities of many of the people that the tribal governments were created to support just compounds this.

I do think that this has potential as a valuable project for the city, and could be good for Native Americans in general. But the tribes aren’t going to give any large amounts of money, and really should not. My problem is that this has long been sold as something that tribes were going to help pay for, when that was never the case. The state has given a lot of money, and the city has given some. Really this is an Oklahoma City project and should be funded as such.

I also question the “talent” of the people behind the project. Very little as been built in relationship to the amount of money that has been funneled into the project already. They had a funding model that was never going to happen and now they want even more from the state at a time when we are laying off teachers? When they were given an emergency $25 million in state money in 2008 the backers said that the rest of the cost of the center would come from $75 million in donations and tribal support, well, that money has never materialized and now they claim that if the state will just give another $43 million they will have another $45 million in donations? Really? From where? The last round of $75 million in donations never happened, what would lead us to believe that this $45 million will happen now? It seems these “talented” backers really aren’t very talented with handling money or attracting donations or having a working business model. More than that I have talked to some of these “talented” people and I have to question their ability to pull this project from an artistic and historical perspective as well.

All of this sounds like it would be a really good topic for a journalist to look into, doesn’t it? But we all know that’s not going to happen.

[Rover]

I guess anything can be made controversial.

This is a chance to make an important contribution to the understanding and appreciation of Native American populations. Yes, they are varied and more complex than people probably know. That is exactly the point. Most people think that all Native Americans share the same culture and backgrounds. This museum has a chance to explain all that and help rid our society of certain ignorance about it. Children will have a chance to go learn and not repeat the stereotypes of the past. This is exactly why this needs completed.

And there has been much written and said by journalists on this project in the past. Not sure why the hostile note above.

[dismayed]

Agree, it's an exciting project. I don't see how anyone can think otherwise when it is going to be a S M I T H S O N I AN M U S E U M.

[rcjunkie]

Agree, it's an exciting project. I don't see how anyone can think otherwise when it is going to be a S M I T H S O N I AN M U S E U M.

I couldn't agree more, this has the potential to do more for OKC then all of the MAPS Programs put together.

[earlywinegareth]

Even a Smithsonian-related museum can be biased and watered-down. I stand by my original post that this museum won't give visitors an authentic experience. None of my Native American acquaintances are excited about this project. Why? Because the Smithsonian is administered by the federal government. Do I have to explain why natives have lingering resentment towards the federal government and white people in general?

[Rover]

Ah, an anti museum, anti government stereotype. Let's condemn it bebore we give it a chance to be great. Ugh.

[Dustin]

Ah, an anti museum, anti government stereotype. Let's condemn it bebore we give it a chance to be great. Ugh.

Yup. Its not even a museum yet and people are saying they know its not going to be great..

[Camaro Z28]

I have had the opportunity to walk thru the construction site and see the plans and the computerized renditions of how it will look when completed. IMHO it will be a place of great admiration and a facility all Oklahomans can be proud of.

I do believe that the individual tribes should be more financially supportive but to each their own.

[bluedogok]

Why waste a spot like that with a museum when there could be something like a junkyard there...

[rcjunkie]

Why waste a spot like that with a museum when there could be something like a junkyard there...

I guess the State/City should have left it in it's native state: vacant field, overgrown with weeds and 1000's of illegally dumped tires and tons of trash.

[z28james]

I am excited for it. I have no native Americans in my family and I feel proud to have it in OKC. I hope everyone else can feel the same.

[HOT ROD]

I am excited about it too and I am part Native American (well, mostly NA actually). ..

I see this in the same light as how OKC hosts the Red Earth festival, lots of Native cultures coming together and celebrating common heritage together yet individually. This is also common from cultures of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) and SE Asia (due to China's huge influence) - in that these countries celebrate many of the same holidays despite being historically different (other than the fact that all trace back to ancient chinese/manchurians and/or malay indians; as do Native Americans by the way hence why we all more or less look alike).

But I digressed a bit there, my point is it is ok and very beneficial to have a common meeting point, celebrations, or museum to showcase culture. Just because Americans like to bucket people into races does not negate the fact that there are commonalities among people nor should it denegrate (which was probably the original intent of Westerner's) those cultures/races.

The American Indian museum will be world class and being a Smithsonian will put OKC further on the map. At one point, I was a bit perplexed as to why it was A.I. and not Native American Cultural museum (and even more perplexed as to why Tulsa was trying to build the exact same thing and calling theirs NA museum); but now I see A.I. as an 'American' identity sort of thing, because that is what original colonists called the 'indian' inhabitants - thinking they were in India; and therefore I see this as a true connection to the American Indian and not just being politically correct (with the recently formed 'race' Native American).

So with OKC having the Smithsonian American Indian Cultural and History Museum, it will be world class, further put OKC on the map, and should be something for all in Oklahoma to finally be proud of (regardless if they are Indian or not). As for tribes paying for some of it - I think it is a good idea, because part of that money could pay for a specific tribute or tribe's message or it could help pay for maintenance and operations. Of course, being a Smithsonian I think the Federal Government should pick up a nice piece of it as well AND designate the museum just like they do other Smithsonian and/or National Historical monuments.

Good times lie ahead!

[ljbab728]

Why waste a spot like that with a museum when there could be something like a junkyard there...

Exactly, that would give us a true Native American experience instead of all of that historical junk. LOL

[ourulz2000]

Recent construction photos...I assume the blue building will be painted.

Link

[metro]

Recent construction photos...I assume the blue building will be painted.

Link

call me crazy, but I don't see a blue building..the building is clad with stainless steel or aluminum.

[ourulz2000]

Ah ok. maybe it's just my monitor...

[Spartan]

I couldn't agree more, this has the potential to do more for OKC then all of the MAPS Programs put together.

That's bold.