By Tony Choate, Media Relations Specialist
Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office
Chickasaw Princesses greet the crowd during cultural evening activities at the Chickasaw Cultural Center near Sulphur. From left are Little Miss Chickasaw Chelsea Wedlow, Chickasaw Junior Princess Julie Underwood and Chickasaw Princess Carla Lane.
From left, Carolyn Claxton, Pauls Valley; Winnie McNeeley, Ardmore; and Cathryn Wood, Connerville, celebrate cultural evening.
Drucilla Jacob paints the face of Blaine Patton during cultural evening Friday at the Chickasaw Cultural Center near Sulphur.
SULPHUR, Okla. - A crowd estimated at more than 1,500 took part in cultural evening, the first major event at the Chickasaw Cultural Center which is under construction near Sulphur, Okla.
Chickasaws from across the U.S. and scores of local residents were able to get a glimpse of the center located on 109 beautiful acres of rolling, lush woodlands, adjacent to the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
The Chickasaw Cultural Center will provide a place for Chickasaw citizens to learn more about themselves, and for the public to learn more about the Chickasaw Nation.
The Cultural Center, located near Sulphur, Okla., is scheduled to open in 2009. Planning and designing the facility has involved the entire Chickasaw Nation for several years, and it continues today.
"Chickasaw people have played a vital role in every aspect of building this facility," said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. "For Chickasaws, this will be a place that reminds us of who we are - of the culture and heritage that binds us together as a people.
"This world-class center will also enable us to share our story with the world."
More than 1,200 tribal citizens responded to an October 2000 survey, which asked for comments and suggestions on a Chickasaw Culture Center.
Language, beliefs, ceremonies and customs were at the top of the list on those surveys, with tribal history following closely. Art and music, food and medicine, prominent Chickasaw men and women, and a living village with traditional dwellings were also mentioned.
Building upon citizen requests, the Cultural Center will utilize live performances, high technology multimedia exhibits, and galleries as well as natural outdoor spaces to tell the Chickasaw story and preserve tribal culture for future generations.
During the event it was revealed that Chickasaw citizens will have the opportunity to contribute items to a time capsule. Citizens may submit notes, letters and photos for approximately one year before the capsule is buried during the grand opening of the center in 2009.
Cultural Center Campus
Upon opening, four buildings with a total of 96,000 square feet will be located on the campus of the Cultural Center. These facilities include an Exhibit Center, the Holisso Center, a large-format theatre, and an administration building.
Rep. Ray McCarter, a Chickasaw citizen who represents District 51 in the Oklahoma House, said the center is good for the Chickasaw Nation and good for the state.
He added that it is a "fantastic facility" and "a great legacy for our great nation."
An exhibit center, theater and café nearing completion on the campus feature architectural elements including native stone, wood, glass and copper.
These buildings, along with a traditional village, will provide the setting for exhibits, cultural demonstrations and events, as well as unique seasonal activities.
An amphitheatre, sky terrace, and a traditional village, along with several water features, are planned for the grounds of the Cultural Center.
Inside the Exhibit Center, an 18th century Council House will serve as an orientation theatre. The Council House will be more than 60 feet wide and will look similar to the buildings constructed in Chickasaw villages long before European contact in 1540.
Council houses were commonly used until the Removal of Chickasaws from their homelands in the 1830s. Its construction, Gov. Bill Anoatubby said, is one example of the effort to be faithful to the culture and heritage of the Chickasaw people in this facility.
"Great pains are being taken to ensure this world-class center will help preserve Chickasaw history and traditions for generations to come," the Governor said.
