National Native American Hall of Fame

Jonathan Elmore
Jul 23
2 min read

One thing that I like about the Chickasaw Tribe of Oklahoma, they seem to be proud of their own heritage while also lifting up members from other Tribes. When I first visited the First Americans Museum, and then Exhibit C, I noticed right away that representation from multiple Tribes is part of the aesthetic. I understand that certain cultural centers are Tribe specific and I love that. The Chickasaws have one of those too. I mean, what better way is there to learn about each Tribe than directly from them? It's just nice to see places like the First Americans Museum that showcase diversity within the Native communities and gives everyone an equal voice. While I was at the FAM, I also stopped by Exhibit C and a place I hadn't seen before, the National Native American Hall of Fame.

I didn't plan ahead so I went out there on a Tuesday. Everything was closed. I felt dumb for not checking before I left the house, but I walked around and got a few photos I would use later. To my surprise, the National Native American Hall of Fame's doors were open. It was pretty hot out so I made my way inside and was relieved by the chilled air. There didn't seem to be anyone around so I quietly wandered around the small exhibit space and read about some incredible Native Americans. It was cool to see such detailed information in relatively short blurbs. You get a sense of who the person is without delving into their entire history. It's one of those things though, if you didn't know about a person and you discovered them here, you can easily go do more research on them. That's what I loved about these displays. And again, the Chickasaws have included people from many different Tribes. Like one of my favorites is Will Sampson from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Notice he's the first photo!

If you decide that you're going to go see the First Americans Museum, be sure you don't miss the building that's in front of the museum. That's where the Native American Hall of Fame is. Stop in a experience a great group of accomplished people.

659 First Americans Blvd, Oklahoma City

405-590-1745

https://nativehalloffame.org