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  • Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center will be hosting a photography exhibit by David Fitzgerald entitled “Cherokee Nation: A Portrait of a People.” (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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September 15, 2010

Activities planned at heritage center during Cherokee Strip Days

By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer Associated Press

ENID — Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center will hold events at its new facility and grounds during Cherokee Strip Days today through Sunday.

The center’s Humphrey Heritage Village will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday with music, historical demonstrations and chuck wagon cooking.

Activities will be held in and around authentic historical buildings including the only surviving original 1893 U.S. Land Office; the 1902 Village Church; the 1895 one-room country school, Turkey Creek School; and the 1905 Victorian home and family belongings of J.W. and Alice Glidewell.

“We will have basket weavers and chuck wagon cooking samples. The kids will be making butter and playing old-fashioned games. It will be a fun day and an educational day,” said Holland.

The center also will feature a temporary exhibit, “Cherokee Nation: A Portrait of a People,” 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

This exhibit showcases 55 portraits, by artist David Fitzgerald, of Cherokee tribal leaders, couples, families and individuals, shown with quotes from those pictured about the Cherokee culture, history and homeland.

“It is our first temporary exhibit. It debuted in the Smithsonian in 2002,” said Holland. “It is over views of Cherokee families and individuals. It is really celebrating them as a people and their past and their present and the impact them make in the world.”

A presentation by Fitzger-ald about the exhibit will be Sunday.

“David Fitzgerald will be here to discuss his exhibit and the process of putting it together and what he hoped to accomplish with the exhibit,” said Holland.

The temporary exhibit area, lobby and gift shop of the CSRHC will be open to the public during the exhibit this weekend. Both the celebration in Humphrey Heritage Village and the exhibit are free to the public.

The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center originated from a smaller collection, formerly housed in Museum of the Cherokee Strip. In 2004, community supporters began an $8 million capital campaign to establish a regional attraction with more extensive exhibits and a new, 24,000-square-foot facility.

Following three years of construction, this year marks the return of the center's participation in the annual Cherokee Strip Days Celebration.

The center doesn’t officially open until Nov. 5, but the board and staff were eager to bring back the center’s participation in Enid’s Cherokee Strip Days, which this year celebrates the 117th anniversary of the Land Run of 1893.

The CSRHC is located at 507 S. 4th. For information, go to www.csrhc.org or call 237-1907.

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