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Cultural Preservation
Office Location: Iowa Tribe OES Building, 501 E. Hwy 33
Mailing Address: Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Cultural Preservation Department
335588 E. 750 Rd
Perkins, OK 74059
The Cultural/Historical Preservation Department is responsible for issues relating to ethnography, archaeology, and linguistic topics and correspondence concerning the Iowa Tribe. This includes communication with federal/state entities concerning NAGPRA (Native American Graves and Protection Act), and Section 106 Programmatic Agreements.
Ceremonies
The Iowa Tribe was fortunate enough to have been awarded an ANA grant which we entitled cultural enrichment. The grant covered a number of activities. One important aspect of the grant was the construction of traditional Ioway homes, including long houses and bark houses. The grant was written to urge this construction in a traditional manner rather than using tools. Adjacent to the houses, a traditional garden was planted with corn, beans, and squash. Our attempt was to do all of our work without modern technology, including using a garden hose to water the garden. An antler rake and a bison scapula were used as tools. Members came away with an increased respect for our ancestors, and a greater appreciation of the challenges they faced. If a crop failed due to lack of water in a nearby stream and a lack of rain or a home was not completed prior to the onset of winter, this is precisely what the ancestors would have faced. The construction activities served as a great learning tool, particularly for the younger generations. In the depicted photo below of a framed bark house, the particular development was used that year for the naming of young children as they received their ‘Indian Name’.
As Ioway people, we still try to continue to practice our cultural ways of life today and teach them to our younger generation. We do have ceremonies that we have picked up along the way and grounds for a sweat lodge, in which the cleansing ceremony is usually held every week. You may be able to contact (405) 547-2402 for more information. Also, we do have Native American Church grounds established whenever it’s needed, although we have not had an Ioway Chapter for some years now.
Iowa Indian Village History Farm Dedication
On Labor Day, September 6th, approximately 100 people gathered for the formal dedication of the Ioway Indian Village Farm at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa.
Seven representatives of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma were special guests: Gabrielle Sine, 1982 Tribal Princess; Nelson White, Vice-Chairman; Solomon NaweNuwe Kent, 84 year-old Tribal Chief; Vera White, Treasurer; E. Joyce Bigsoldier, Secretary; Pierce McClellan, Council Person; and Mae Sine.
Project committee members, Board and staff of Living History Farms and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and members of the Iowa Humanities Board were on hand to review the project history and provide interpretation.
If you would like to learn more about the Ioway Indian Village in the state of Iowa and its admissions, Click Here.
Books
Films
The Ioway The Ioway 2 & 3
Directors: Tammy & Kelly Rundle.
To purchase or to learn more, click here.
Photographs
Photographs of North American Indians 1850-1879 Vol. 1
Iowas are represented in images numbered 385-6, 388-9, 391, 395, 390, 387, 392-1, 921 and 922