22 Oklahoma events to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and Native American Heritage Month

Did you know Oklahoma is home to 39 tribal nations?

That means opportunities abound all year long to learn about Native American history, languages and lifeways, especially at the many museums and cultural centers the tribes have established across the state.

But between Indigenous Peoples Day — commemorated on the second Monday of October — and Native American Heritage Month — observed in November — autumn is perhaps the best time of year to learn about Native American cultures.

Here are some October and November events across Oklahoma where you can celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and Native American Heritage Month:

1. Cherokee Nation Art Market

When and where: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8-9, Sequoyah Convention Center at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Information: www.CherokeeArtMarket.com.

More than 150 top Native American artists from across the country are gathering for the 17th annual market. At least 40 tribes will be represented at the event, where artworks will range from pottery and paintings to beadwork and basketry.

2. First Americans Museum's Indigenous Peoples Day 

When and where: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 10, First Americans Museum.  

Information: https://famok.org. 

The celebration will include hands-on art activities, stickball games, a youth art contest, storytelling and an array of performances, from stomp dance to folk music. Admission is free to the event, with $5 discounted admission to the museum's galleries.  

3. Bacone College's Indigenous Peoples Day

When and where: Oct. 9-10, Bacone College in Muskogee.

Information: https://www.visitmuskogee.com/calendar/4th-annual-indigenous-peoples-day-celebration.

Formerly Bacone Indian University, the college will host Indigenous worship and Native hymn singing, a stickball demonstration and an Indigenous film festival on Oct. 9. The festivities on Oct. 10 will include a march to honor missing American Indian boarding school children, Native American veterans recognition ceremony and gourd dance.

4. Rodeo Cinema's Indigenous Peoples Day Shorts Showcase

When and where: 7 p.m. Oct. 10, Rodeo Theatre at the Stockyards.

Information: https://www.facebook.com/RodeoCinema.

The nonprofit movie theater is partnering with FAM to offer a free community screening of Indigenous-made short films, including Sterlin Harjo's "Goodnight Irene," Kyle Bell's "Lakota," Erica Tremblay's "Little Chief," Josiah Jones' "Chipisala’Cho (See You Later)," Mark Williams' "Journey of Tiak Hikiya Ohoyo," Rod Pocowatchit's "Apocalypse … Then," Cary Thomas Cody and Orrin Ponkilla's "It Mimics" and Peshawn Bread's "The Daily Life of Mistress Red." A Q&A with the filmmakers will follow the screening.

5. Tulsa Native American Day

When and where: 9 a.m. Oct. 10, Dream Keepers Park in Tulsa.

Information: https://www.facebook.com/TulsaNativeAmericanDay.

Following the 9 a.m. opening ceremonies, the festivities will include a parade at 11 a.m., cultural dance demonstrations throughout the afternoon and a 5 p.m. performance by Apsaalooke Nation dancer and hip-hop artist Supaman. "Reservation Dogs" actor, Tulsa-based artist and Cherokee Nation citizen Nathalie Standingcloud will be this year's parade marshal.

6. Northeastern State University's Indigenous Peoples Day

When and where: 2 p.m. Oct. 10, NSU in Tahlequah.

Information: tinyurl.com/IPD101022.

NSU has partnered again with the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of Oklahoma to host the celebration, which will kick off with traditional games on Beta Field. The Indigenous Peoples Day March will begin at 5:30 p.m. from Beta Field to the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion. A round dance with the Sequoyah High School Drum Group and a free barbecue dinner also are planned.

7. Red Earth FallFest and Parade 

When and where: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 15, Myriad Botanical Gardens.  

Information: https://www.redearth.org/events/fall-fest.  

For the second year, the venerable nonprofit Red Earth Inc. is marking Indigenous Peoples Day in downtown Oklahoma City with a free event, including its beloved Red Earth Parade, a youth powwow, Native American arts and crafts market, gourd dance and food trucks.  

8. International Archaeology Day Celebration

When and where: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 15, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center in Spiro.

Information: https://www.okhistory.org/calendar/ohs.

Celebrate Archaeology Month, which is October, with an all-ages day of activities at the only prehistoric American Indian archaeological site in Oklahoma that's open to the public. The event will include a guided tour, demonstrations by stone tool makers (aka flint knappers) and opportunities to interact with real archaeologists.

9. Sequoyah Day

When and where: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15, Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum in Sallisaw.

Information: https://visitcherokeenation.com/events-and-exhibits/sequoyah-day.

Celebrate the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary at this free and public event featuring pottery firing and flint knapping demonstrations, Cherokee marbles, stickball, flute playing and storytelling from Choogie Kingfisher and a performance by the Cherokee Adult Choir.

10. Indigenous Archaeology Day

When and where: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22, Choctaw Cultural Center in Calera.

Information: https://choctawculturalcenter.com.

Promoting Indigenous perspectives in archaeology, this all-ages event will include demonstrations in flint knapping, pottery and textiles. Plus, traditional foods will be prepared on site and served during the afternoon.

11. Sorghum Festival

When and where: Oct. 22, Seminole Nation Museum and downtown Wewoka.

Information: https://www.seminolenationmuseum.org/events/sorghum-festival.

Started by the Wewoka Rotary Club in 1976 to promote the Seminole Nation Museum, the festival honoring the syrupy frontier treat will feature historic re-enactors, pioneer and Native American living demonstrations, children’s crafts, Native foods and live entertainment on the museum grounds. In downtown Wewoka, the festivities will include a parade, car show, art and photography show, more than 150 vendor booths and a 5K run.

12. Harvest Fest at Chickasaw White House

When and where: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22, Chickasaw White House in Milburn.

Information: https://chickasawcountry.com/events/harvest-fest-at-chickasaw-white-house.

Festivities will include tours of the Chickasaw White House, live music, carriage rides, make-and-take crafts, children’s activities, staged gunfights and more. The event takes place in the one-time home and honors the birthday of Chickasaw Nation Gov. Douglas H. Johnston, who in 1906 became the first Chickasaw governor to be appointed by the president of the United States.

13. Honkv Storytelling

When and where: 6 p.m. Oct. 22, Claude Cox Omniplex in Okmulgee.

Information: Muscogee Nation Museum, Cultural Center & Archives on Facebook.

Free and open to the public, this event will include a bigfoot calling contest, witch cackling competition, Honkv Mash Dance Off and food, arts and crafts vendors. Bring a lawn chair and a scary story to share.

14. Fort Washita Ghost Tours

When and where: Oct. 25-29, Fort Washita in Durant.

Information: https://chickasawcountry.com/events/fort-washita-ghost-tours.

Explore by candlelight the historic site of the military post built in 1842 to maintain peace for the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations and later occupied and largely destroyed by the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

15. Spooky stories workshop with Tim Tingle

When and where: 11:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 29, Choctaw Cultural Center in Calera.

Information: https://choctawculturalcenter.com.

A vast array of spine-tingling tales haunt Native American legends, and this Choctaw author and storyteller is offering a free workshop teaching teenagers how to write spooky stories. The workshop is open to all students in eighth through 12th grades.

16. Showcase of Traditional Native American Dishes

When and where: 6:30 p.m. Mondays Oct. 31-Nov. 21, Del City Library.

Information: https://www.metrolibrary.org/event/showcase-traditional-native-american-dishes-0.

Learn about traditional Native American foods like corn soup, grape dumplings and squash soup at these free weekly cooking demonstrations for adult patrons of the Metropolitan Library System. Registration is required for each session.

17. Choctaw Powwow

When and where: Nov. 4-6, various venues in the Durant area.

Information: https://www.facebook.com/ChoctawCulturalCenter.

One of the nation’s largest powwows, the three-day event will draw dancers from all over the country. The festivities will start Nov. 4 with the Choctaw Day and Gourd Dance at the Choctaw Cultural Center in Calera, followed by the Nov. 5-6 powwow competition at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant.

18. Native Americans through Film

When and where: 1:30 to 5 p.m. Nov. 6, Belle Isle Library.

Information: https://www.metrolibrary.org/event/native-americans-through-film.

This free, all-ages program will showcase a curated collection of films celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of First Americans.

19. SkasdiCon

When and where: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5, University Center Ballroom at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

Information: https://skasdicon.com.

The first Indigenous comic convention in the Cherokee Nation will feature First Americans artists, a family friendly cosplay competition, Native pop-culture, comic book and cosplay panel discussions and a screening and panel for "Inage’i," an original animated series in the Cherokee language. The name of the event is from “skasdi," a Cherokee slang word that "represents pride, impressiveness, awesomeness, fierceness or feistiness."

20. 'Choctaw Code Talkers' documentary screening

When and where: 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 12, Oklahoma History Center.

Information: https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter/classes.

Although they were not considered U.S. citizens in 1918, the Choctaw soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces not only served in World War I but also used their Native language as a powerful tool against the German forces. The film chronicles how the Choctaw servicemen's ingenuity and bravery established them as America’s original Code Talkers.

21. 'It's Corn!'

When and where: Through Dec. 31, Philbrook Museum of Art's Spotlight Gallery and Mezzanine.  

Information: https://philbrook.org/exhibitions/its-corn. 

Centuries before "The Corn Kid" became a viral sensation, First Americans knew corn was a beautiful thing. Featuring items from the Philbrook's Native American collection, this exhibit looks at how corn has influenced artists through pottery, jewelry, paintings and more.

22. Stomp dance demonstrations

When and where: Tuesdays-Saturdays, Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.

Information: https://www.chickasawculturalcenter.com/experience.

The stomp dance is such a treasured tradition in Chickasaw culture that the tribe's cultural center offers twice-daily demonstrations every day that it's open. Dancers perform in traditional clothing, and visitors are encouraged to participate.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 22 Indigenous Peoples Day and Native American Heritage Month events