Oklahoma City’s first Indigenous Peoples’ Day since the City Council formally established the annual observance brings a free celebration of Indigenous cultures to First Americans Museum on Monday, Oct. 12.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 659 First Americans Blvd. in Oklahoma City. It marks the first celebration since the City Council voted unanimously Sept. 29 to make the second Monday in October a permanent Indigenous Peoples' Day designation, as KOSU reported.
Mayor David Holt, a member of the Osage Nation, will read the first mayoral proclamation issued under the new resolution at 1 p.m. from the Festival Plaza stage, according to the FAM event page. Holt has proclaimed the day annually since 2018.
This year's theme, "Sovereignty in Motion," centers on how Indigenous communities express movement through physical activity, intergenerational knowledge and self-determination.
The schedule is full. A Haudenosaunee Youth Lacrosse Exhibition Game starts at 2 p.m. Certified Lions FC have an exhibition game at 11 a.m. A Prettiest Ribbon Skirt/Shirt Contest begins at 12:30 p.m., and an Auntie's Biggest Beaded Earrings Contest follows at 3 p.m. Social dancing begins at 3:30 p.m.
Artists will compete in a chalk mural contest, creating 10-by-10-foot pieces inspired by the theme. Three $500 prizes will be awarded at 1 p.m. in categories including Most Creative Interpretation and Crowd Favorite.
Short films by Indigenous filmmakers screen in the Five Moons Theater, presented by deadCenter Continuum and the Reel Indigenous Podcast. Live music, dance demonstrations by Riverside Indian School Culture Club and food trucks round out the schedule.
Sarah Adams, co-founder of Matriarch and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, helped lead the 12-year push for permanent recognition. Proposals failed before the council in 2015 on a 5-4 vote and again in 2016 on a 6-3 vote, according to the Oklahoma City Free Press.
"We've been working over a decade to see it move from a proclamation to a resolution, and I just could not be more thrilled with the decision from City Council," Adams told the Free Press.
Community advocate Summer Wesley recalled the earlier defeats and told the Free Press that the unanimous outcome was the best result advocates had hoped for.
Dr. Kelli Mosteller, FAM's executive director and CEO and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, told the council Sept. 29 that the museum welcomes more than 3,000 guests each year for the celebration.
Gallery admission is discounted to $10 for the day. FAM members get in free. Outdoor activities carry no admission charge. Free parking and shuttle service are available at Crooked Oak Public Schools at SE 15th and Eastern, with shuttles running from 8:20 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
After the FAM festivities, Culture Hub at 228 SW 25th St. hosts a free opening reception for "Collective Wisdom," a show featuring more than 30 Indigenous artists. Doors open at 6 p.m. with an artist panel at 7 p.m.
Upcoming community events:
- Monday, Oct. 12: Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration, First Americans Museum, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 659 First Americans Blvd.
- Monday, Oct. 12: "Collective Wisdom" opening reception, Culture Hub, 6–8 p.m., 228 SW 25th St.
