TULSA, Okla. — Mayor GT Bynum declared Oct. 29, 2023 is Maria and Marjorie Tallchief day in Tulsa in honor of the sisters who represented indigenous people on the ballet stage.
Five statues stand outside the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. They represent the Five Moon ballerinas; five indigenous ballerinas who represented their people on stage:
- Yvonne Chouteau: A member of the Shawnee tribe, she grew up in Vinita.
- Rosella Hightower: A member of the Choctaw tribe, she was born in Durwood, Okla.
- Moscelyne Larkin: She was part Peoria tribe, Eastern Shawnee tribe and Russian. She was born in Miami, Okla.
- Maria Tallchief: A member of the Osage tribe, born in Fairfax, Okla.
- Marjorie Tallchief: A member of the Osage tribe, raised in Fairfax, Okla.
"So imagine that there’s an American woman, and it’s an indigenous woman, who was invited to dance in Paris... at the ballet in Paris. That’s amazing, and it was groundbreaking," Marilynn Malerba said.
They didn’t have to imagine. Marjorie Tallchief danced in Paris with the Ballet Russet de Monte Carlo.
Nearly 18 months ago, someone vandalized and stole her statue from the Tulsa Historical Society campus.
The original artist took the located pieces and restored the statue.
WATCH: Marjorie Tallchief statue stolen, vandalized:
"She’s exactly the same as she was before. Better and new," Cray Bauxmont-Flynn with THS said.
A few hundred Tulsans and others braved the rain. The crowd included "Killers of the Flower Moon" star Lily Gladstone.
Nathalie Skibine, Marjorie’s granddaughter, offered some thoughts, "I invite all of us to practice as if Marjorie Tallchief were watching. Marjorie Tallchief was dedicated, and she did the work everyday that allowed her to look effortless when she performed.
Designer Chad Renfro made a point to include Osage language on the coin.
"Hey, we have this as a font. How about including our language in the quarter? Further cementing the fact, we’re still here, we’re strong, we have a presence, our language exists or is not extinct," Renfro said.
The coin is the latest piece in the Osage tribe making themselves known.
"We are telling our own stories. Whether it’s through the arts, whether it’s through movies, or books or plays," Malerba said.
Tulsans can see the statues for themselves. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As for the coin? Look for it to be in circulation soon.
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