By Sandy Garrett, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
At the World’s Fair in Chicago held in 1893, the Rueckheim brothers began selling a tasty treat of popcorn and peanuts coated with molasses. The snack was so popular that, after the fair closed, the brothers decided to package and sell it, borrowing a name from popular slang of the day: “Cracker Jack.”
Generations of Americans would have been deprived of this great snack—made even more enticing because of the prize in the box—had our Native American ancestors not introduced popcorn to early European colonists at the first Thanksgiving feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In the years since, countless tons of popcorn have been served at ball games, skating rinks and movie theaters, not to mention that used for tree decorations and family food fights.
Native American tribes were never content to satisfy only their most basic needs for survival, as evidenced by the incredible beauty of early pottery, beadwork and woven fabrics. Those same talents are evident throughout Oklahoma’s history in many lasting contributions to the arts and sciences, and possibly more so today in diversifying Oklahoma’s economy.
Among the many notable Oklahomans of American Indian descent are Will Rogers, a Cherokee actor and writer recognized here and abroad as America’s favorite son; Maria Tallchief, the first American prima ballerina and an Osage; John Harrington, astronaut and member of the Chickasaw Tribe; Norma Smallwood, a Cherokee and the first Native American Miss America in 1926; Wilma Mankiller, first woman to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998, our nation’s highest civilian honor; and Geronimo, leader of the Chiracahua Apaches and noted for his brilliant military strategies.
Ms. Tallchief once said, “A ballerina takes steps given to her and makes them her own. Each individual brings something different to the same role.”
Ms. Tallchief, a gifted artist and respected teacher at the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, later became the founder and artistic director of the Chicago City Ballet. Her wisdom, combined with discipline and dedication to purpose, are a hallmark of Oklahoma’s strengths.
This month of remembrance—National History Month and Native American History Month—is a time we should pause to express our gratitude for the many blessings of our great American lifestyle—and for the legacy of our Native American forefathers.
