Celebrating the generations Cultural Heritage Center nears completion

Story from 9-9-05

Under the large copper dome and inside the spacious building taking shape on Potawatomi tribal grounds, there are stories of generations past and aspirations for generations to come.

Under the large copper dome and inside the spacious building taking shape on Potawatomi tribal grounds, there are stories of generations past and aspirations for generations to come.

The Cultural Heritage Center is set to hold its grand opening and dedication on Jan. 6. The days between now and then are filled with putting the final touches on everything from research libraries to a theater to high-tech cleansing rooms for art and artifacts.

Following are some of the many areas and aspects of the facility:

  Walk through the front doors and to the right is the Long Room, its name an echo of yesterday, Finch said. The tribe's old form of government was structured around a building called a Long House. This large, multi-purpose area will host meeting space for the General Council, performing space for an American Indian theater, as well as the Wall of Honor, a display area for veterans from recent and long-ago conflicts, he said. Photos, discharge papers, artwork and letters from the front lines will be displayed. Letters from home also have a place of honor.

"We want to celebrate and honor the sacrifices and contributions of those who kept the home fires burning," Finch said. "Winston Churchill said, 'They also serve who sit at home and wait.' We believe that to be so."

  The gift shop also is housed toward the front of the facility. Although visitors will exit the museum through the gift shop, they will become acquainted with it long before they leave, Finch said. Upon entering the facility, visitors receive an identification card with a magnetic strip on the back. As they visit the museum, many interactive exhibits will offer the opportunity to buy replicas of items on display, such as treaties or artwork. With a swipe of the card, visitors can select an item from the gift shop, and it will be waiting on them when they leave.

  The Box Theater will be a place where the latest in sound and video help tell stories of the CPN, Finch said. Images can be projected along the entire inside of the "box" or in various segments, he said, and sound will do the same. "If you've ever wondered what a buffalo stampede sounds like to a prairie dog, we can show you that," he said. "The inside of this theater will thunder as the buffalo run by."

Another nearby theater space, featuring moveable black curtains, will provide an additional area where classes, demonstrations and wall projections can be done.

  The Family Research Area and the Research Library are places where genealogical research can be done using various pieces of technology. An expanded library, computers, periodicals of scholarly journals and a flat-screen monitor for viewing videos are among the amenities, Finch said. Visitors do not have to be American Indian to do research there, he said, but they're guaranteed to learn a lot about the tribe's history. And, like the gift shop process, people can make photocopies using their ID card, then pay when they leave.

  There's a change in acoustics and lighting in the Tribal Heritage Project room. It has a sound stage, elaborate lighting and space where the stories of elders can be recorded, Finch said.

  Through doors that can open to 14 feet high is the area where art and artifacts will be received, cleaned and cared for, Finch said. Climate control and safety are key to this area, he said. Double doors block the transfer of heat or cold in the shipping/receiving area, and cameras record all activity.

In the Co2 immersion room, museum-quality technology ensures that art and artifacts are cleansed of anything like silverfish or fungus, Finch said. Items can be sealed in the room for several weeks, and Co2 gas kills anything on the art or anything that might hatch, he said. A nearby "freezer room" provides a similar method of cleansing.

  In the "holy of holies," there are rooms that accommodate the secure examination and photography of artifacts, Finch said. Windows will allow visitors to watch the process, which might include handling a centuries-old treaty. A separate air filtration system functions for this area, and there is a camera on a long arm for items that don't fit on a scanner. Another area is for translation of video and recordings, however archaic they may be, Finch said.

  State-of-the-art geothermal heat/air system, junction ports, lighting and more provide not only a convenience to visitors but an economic savings for the facility, Finch said. Meeting space will be available for public use when the rest of the facility is closed, and security will be on site 24 hours a day. Admission to the museum will be free.

"The Citizen Potawatomi Nation is home for me, and central Oklahoma is the place we call home, where we live and interact with the community," Finch said. "We invite our neighbors, both Indian and non-Indian, to celebrate this particular part of all our history."