Often I’ve thought about how even though I grew up in Wyandotte County, I really had no idea where the word Wyandotte came from in addition to the many of the other names in city that derive from the Indigenous Peoples who originally were in our area. Recently, I was so moved by a new documentary, a local exhibit and also a trip to the Last Kanza Village, I wanted to write about it here, in order to spread the word about what I experienced.
Lyda the Wyandot Warrior
During our Strawberry Hill Urban Hike, we visit the Wyandot National Burial Ground in Downtown KCK and we tell the incredible story of how Lyda Conley and her sisters saved this burial ground from becoming developed by the city. Every time we tell the story, we get shivers thinking about the bravery of these three sisters. Regardless if you come out on our Strawberry Hill Urban Hike, we invite you to watch this new documentary about Lyda Conley and her work.
Museum of Kansas City: Voices Now: Contemporary Native American Art
Before Kansas City was built into a city, the Osage People– “People of the Middle Waters” lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas and were the primary stewards of the land. They lived on this land for a 1000 years before Kansas City was built. The Museum of Kansas City’s Osage exhibit is so worth visiting. You can experience and learn the history of the Osage and using artifacts, breathtaking modern artwork and maps.
The Descent of Civilization
This sculpture is hidden in plain sight, on Broadway in Downtown Kansas City and we often share about it on our urban hikes that go through this area. Even though it does not specifically mention Native American People, we believe it parallels the story of the forced removal of Native American Peoples throughout history.
Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park & 2 Mile Hiking Trail
If you’d like to travel a few hours, we have two more recommendation: This is the top one: Visit the Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park, the site of the last Kaw Village in Kansas. Hiking this trail offers a deeply moving experience of history and nature. One of the highlights of the trails is seeing the In ́zhújé waxóbe, the sacred 28-ton quartzite boulder deeply revered by the Kaw nation. Walking the 2-mile trail, we also explored the limestone ruins of the government-built homes, paid our respects at the monument to the unknown warrior, and took in an expansive, breathtaking overlook of the prairie-covered Flint Hills. The terrain is mostly flat and easy to walk on with only one hill.
The Keeper of the Plains
While biking on the 10 mile Arkansas River Trail in Wichita, KS we experienced the stunning sculpture: the Keeper of the Plains by Artist Blackbear Bosin. This sculpture honors the MANY Native American tribes who have gathered at this sacred location for generations.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the immersive educational experiences that we can have to truly learn about different aspects of Native American culture and history, either in Kansas City or a 2-3 hour drive away. We hope that this reflection can inspire you to visit some of these areas and landmarks that you have yet to visit to celebrate the Native Peoples of the Midwest.