Trail of Tears exhibit to open in Sandoz Center

An announcement concerning the exhibit, called “Moving the Fire: The Removal of Indian Nations to Oklahoma,” states that from the inception of the American republic, some government leaders embraced the idea of establishing a separate and distinct homeland for Native Americans. Encroachment of Euro-American settlers onto tribal lands in the southeastern United States initiated conflicts, which the government settled by removing native peoples from their ancestral homelands.

Forced to travel long distances under harsh conditions, these native peoples suffered both physical and ideological trauma and loss.

Despite the early objections of Tennessee Congressman Davy Crockett and later by statesman Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, “The Trail of Tears” began in the fall of 1839 with members of the Cherokee Tribe compelled to move from western Georgia to Oklahoma. Some attempted to make the trip by boat, others went by land. An estimated 4,000, or about one-fifth the population, died.

Although the Cherokees left many things behind, they carried with them bundles of ash and cinders from their sacred fires, carefully nurtured and replenished throughout the journey. The southeastern tribes were quickly joined by tribes from throughout the country as the United States stretched its boundaries almost daily. These tribes, too, moved their fires and their lodges into Indian Territory.

“Moving the Fire” takes up the story in the aftermath of removal. The contemporary prints in the exhibition are accompanied by narrative labels to assist the viewer in understanding multi-tribal issues.

The Sandoz Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each weekday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. No admission will be charged. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Sandoz Center director, Sarah Polak, at 432-6401.

The exhibit is organized by the State Arts Council of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, and toured by ExhibitsUSA. The purpose of ExhibitsUSA is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. ExhibitsUSA is a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1972.