Good Ol' Days 2012
Glenna Wallace, female Chief of Eastern Shawnee, will be presenting a program in this year's Good Ol' Days activities. She is seen here performing in last year's Good Ol' Days Chautauqua. NPS PHOTO Good Ol' Days On June 2, 2012, Fort Scott National Historic Site will offer several programs, demonstrations and activities focusing on the theme, The American Indian: Then and Now". As American Indians were being removed west, Fort Scott was established in 1842 to enforce the "permanent Indian frontier", where the relocated tribes' new land would be protected from white settlement. Once Kansas became a state, many of the tribes were once again forced to remove to new lands. Over the years, the American Indians have struggled to adapt to a new lifestyle while retaining their culture and traditions. These traditions help them to persevere and continue to grow stronger today. Come and enjoy the sounds of beating drums as the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers, a group that came together to form a professional and highly acclaimed Native American dance troupe, share their culture with you through dance. Listen as Chief Glenna Wallace, the first woman chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe tells you of the history of the Shawnee. Marvel at the beauty of a "Morning Star Quilt" as noted quilter Mildred Jordt of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes informs you of its significance to Native Americans. Park volunteer Gary Winders will offer you a teepee tour throughout the day. Visit a Prairie State Park Ranger and learn the importance of the American Buffalo to Native Americans as a source of food, clothing, shelter and other necessities of life. Plan on joining park volunteers and try your hand at hide painting and other Native American crafts. The schedule of activities is listed below: SATURDAY, JUNE 2
Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call the site at 620-223-0310 |
Did You Know?
Soldiers at Fort Scott formed the first "rainbow coalition" during the Civil War. African American, American Indian, and Euro American soldiers fought in this area. Many, including the First Kansas Colored, Sixth Kansas Cavalry, and elements of the Indian Home Guard trained at Fort Scott.