FILM SCREENING & PANEL DISCUSSION: "Return of the Sacred Red Rock"

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum

This program is brought to you by the Trails Head Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association and the Missouri River Outfitters Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association, in cooperation with the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum.

After being separated from their sacred stone for nearly a century, the Kaw (Kanza) Nation reunites with In ́zhújé waxóbe, a 28 ton quartzite boulder, marking a new era of accountability for the city of Lawrence, Kansas and healing for the Kaw people. This film documents the honorable cooperation between community and governmental stakeholders in Lawrence, Kansas and the Kaw people in rematriating In ́zhújé waxóbe. The film follows the events leading up to and culmination of the Red Rock’s relocation to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park in Council Grove, Kansas.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

SYDNEY PURSEL

As the first Curator for Public Practice at the Spencer Art Museum on the campus of the University of Kansas, Sydney initiates ways to involve community and incorporate feedback into exhibitions and programs. Her interests include community-based and socially engaged art; Indigenous art, culture, identity, and representation; and disability art, accessibility, and multisensory learning. She serves on the Native Faculty and Staff Council, Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival Committee, and the Indigenous Arts Initiative committee at the University of Kansas. She received an MFA in expanded media from KU and a BFA in painting from the University of Missouri. Sydney is a citizen of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.

JAMES PEPPER HENRY

James Pepper Henry is a nationally recognized museum professional with over forty years’ experience working with museums, libraries, and archives. He currently serves as President of the Kanza Heritage Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Kaw culture, language, and historic sites. He is also Principal at Pepper & Associates, a museum and exhibition development firm. Recently, Pepper Henry finished a four-year term as Vice-Chairman of the Kaw Nation.

Pepper Henry is Director Emeritus of First Americans Museum (FAM), Oklahoma’s premiere cultural institution located in Oklahoma City. Its mission is to educate the broader public about the unique cultures, diversity, history, and contributions of the 39 federally recognized tribes that were removed to Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma.

Prior to his tenure at FAM, Pepper Henry was the Executive Director of Tulsa’s premier art, history, and culture museum, the Gilcrease Museum. He co-led the successful $65 million campaign to update and expand the facility. Pepper Henry also served as a commissioner on the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission and was a key proponent and facilitator to establish “Native American Day” as an official City of Tulsa day of recognition. Prior to Gilcrease Museum, Pepper Henry was the Director and CEO of the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ, Director and CEO of the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center in Anchorage, AK, and former Associate Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. He played a pivotal role in the establishment and launch of the American Indian Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC that opened to the public in 2004. Pepper Henry is a graduate of the University of Oregon and a graduate of the Museum Leadership Institute at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California.