Chickasaw Cultural Heritage Center Essay

Tucked away in a rural area of Oklahoma is a place that is working to preserve a piece of early Native American culture. The Chickasaw Cultural Heritage center has beautiful landscape, architecture, and pieces of a culture’s deep history. The center has a friendly and family-oriented atmosphere. On its grounds it has the Holisso Research Center, a theatre, a museum, and a replica of a Chickasaw village. The Chickasaw Cultural Heritage center is set up so anyone can enjoy themselves and learn a lot at the same time.
I was immediately impressed by the landscape of the Heritage center. On the grounds there were various monument that were dedicated to people or events that were important to the Chickasaw’s history. One of the first things that you can see is a plaque marking a time capsule that contain photos, poems, genealogy records, letters to future generations, and pieces of art. This made me think about how important preserving history is to the Chickasaw’s. Another monument was a replica of the leaning pole. I was excited to see it and I was able to recall the legend behind it. The third monument was an eternal flame. This was made to be a representation of a sacred flame that was lit annually by the Chickasaw ancestors to celebrate the green corn ceremony.

The museum was full of artifacts from the past as well as modern displays used to teach.

There were several pieces of arrow heads, pots, and animal furs. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the workers about one of the fish traps. One of the more interesting displays was a replica of a forest. As you walked you could hear various pieces of information, such as how a new born baby boy would be wrapped in a cougar’s hide while a girl was wrapped in a fawn’s. As you exited that part of the museum there was a circular room with holographic images of a group of Chickasaws dancing around a fire. I might have felt a little silly running around it with my

group.
One of the most impressive aspects of the Chickasaw Cultural Heritage center is the outside portion where there is a sky deck, stickball grounds, and replicas of early Chickasaw dwellings. The council house was the first thing I could see. At first it looked like a pyramid, but as I got a better view I realized it was a tall roof to a large building. The building was designed to fill an entire village comfortably. The summer house looked loosely built compared to the winter house. They were both designed to help the families withstand within their respected elements. There were various booths set up to show how the Chickasaws created things they used on a daily bases.
One of my favorite experiences was the food that I got to try. I was thrilled to get to try the grape dumplings. Early that day I was talking to my grandmother about the trip and she told me that she loved to make grape dumplings. She learned it from her mother, who learned it from her mother, who supposedly learned the recipe from the Creek Indians. I have watched her make it, but I don’t remember trying it and I was pleasantly surprised with the taste. The 4455555 I tried was bland to me, but the Indian taco was tasty. I really liked the chocolate from the Chickasaw owned Bedre chocolate factory. I tried their candies and their chocolate soda. I was really satisfied with all of the Chickasaw food I tried.
Overall, the Chickasaw Cultural Heritage center had everything I was expecting and more. They had beautiful facilities and tributes to their rich heritage. It is not surprising that there are people who are working hard to preserve a culture that is unique and important to the shaping of my community.