As part of the late-October weekend celebration of Osage ballerinas and sisters Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, the Osage Nation hosted special guests U.S. Treasurer Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba and Misty Copeland, former principal ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre and the first African American woman to earn the position in the company’s history. Malerba and Copeland were showed around the Osage Reservation ahead of the Oct. 29 festivities.
On Oct. 27, both Malerba and Copeland received guided tours of several operations and attractions with ON government officials hosting and transporting the guests during the day with stops in Pawhuska, Hominy and Fairfax.
Two days later, the guests, as well as the Nation and general public gathered in Tulsa where the Nation, in partnership with the United States Mint, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum (serving as the event venue) celebrated Osage prima ballerina Maria Tallchief. Her image and Osage name are being featured on the 10th coin in the American Women Quarters Program. Also on that Sunday, a new bronze statue of famous Oklahoma ballerina Marjorie Tallchief was unveiled to replace the previous one that was stolen and destroyed in 2022.
The Nation’s Executive Branch officials, including Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and department heads, accompanied Malerba and Copeland to the various locations, separate at times. Malerba toured the Harvest Land operations in Pawhuska and Butcher House Meats in Hominy while Copeland visited the ON Museum in Pawhuska, the Tallchief Theater in Fairfax, as well as the Osage-operated Dance Maker Academy in Pawhuska.
Malerba, who also serves as the 18th Chief of the Mohegan Nation in Connecticut, said: “I’m very excited to be here today not only for the celebration of the release of the Maria Tallchief coin, but also the restoration of (Marjorie’s) statue. As the first Indigenous Treasurer of the United States, it’s really so special to me to see a Native woman being honored on our quarter. The Women Quarters Program is fairly select, so the fact that Maria Tallchief is on the quarter is extremely special to every Native child, male or female, but also every Native dancer. Imagine what she achieved and how these other students will be inspired by her story.”
Malerba received walking tours at Harvest Land and Butcher House Meats with Department of Natural Resources Director Craig Walker and Secretary of Natural Resources Dr. Jann Hayman. Walker described the various foods and produce grown at Harvest Land, noting “we make everything from ketchup, jam, jelly, pickles, we do freeze-dried products as well. The (meat) snack sticks and snack packs are from the Butcher House processing. Anything that we don’t grow, we also utilize our land resources, we do a lot of our gathering – just like we did historically.”
In addition, Malerba received presentations from ON Language Department Director Braxton Redeagle and Secretary of Language/Culture/Education Vann Bighorse who discussed the Nation’s language and cultural endeavors which were funding with American Rescue Plan Act funding as was the construction of structures for Harvest Land and Butcher House.
Redeagle showed the online and interactive language endeavors, including the Osage language app and the children’s book “Coyote and the Bear” also featuring the Osage orthography.
Copeland is a former principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre and is the first African American woman to earn the position in the company’s history.
Copeland’s Osage Reservation tour included visits with Osage artist Wendy Ponca at the ON Museum and a tour of the Tallchief Theater where she visited a historical exhibit room presented by the Fairfax Community Foundation and its Director Dr. Carol Conner. Afterward, Conner led the attendees into the theater – built in 1928 by Alex Tall Chief, father to Maria and Marjorie Tallchief – to show the long- vacant building with most of its features, including seating, drapes and curtains removed. Also notable to the group was the hole in the building’s roof caused by a 2018 tornado that struck Main Street and damaged other nearby structures.
At day’s end, Copeland met with dance students and parents at the Dance Maker Academy where she expressed gratitude and honor for the day’s activities and discussed her upbringing and introduction to ballet and places she’s performed. While at Dance Maker Academy, owner Randy Tinker-Smith, presented a gift of beaded pointe shoes to Copeland after she spoke to the students.
Tinker-Smith said today Dance Maker Academy has students who represent 20 different Indigenous tribes and hoped Copeland’s story will be inspiring to them. She also called on Osage artist Dana Bear, who beaded the pointe shoes for the occasion, to help present the gift to Copeland followed by audience applause. Bear also comes from the Tallchief family and is a great-niece of Maria and Marjorie Tall Chief.
For more information on Osage language and culture and ON Museum endeavors, visit: https://www.osageculture.com/
For more information on the Tall Chief Theater, visit: https://www.tallchieftheater.com For more information on Dance Maker Academy and upcoming events, visit: https://dancemakeracademy.org/
