+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+
| National Park Service      | Washita          |   | Rt. 1, Box 55A    |
|                            | Battlefield      |   |                   |
| U.S. Department of the     |                  |   | Cheyenne,         |
| Interior                   | National         |   | Oklahoma          |
|                            | Historic Site    |   |                   |
|                            |                  |   | 73628             |
|                            | Use the complete |   |                   |
|                            | site name here   |   | 580-497-2742      |
|                            | (e.g. Palo Alto  |   | phone             |
|                            | Battlefield      |   |                   |
|                            | Historic Site).  |   | 580-497-2712 fax  |
+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+

![](media/image1.png){width="0.5597222222222222in"
height="0.7201388888888889in"}

**Washita Battlefield NHS** News Release

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use a "short-hand" version of the site name here (e.g. Palo Alto
  Battlefield not Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Site).

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

For Immediate Release

Contact: Dave Schafer at 580-497-2742

Date: November 25, 2008

**Washita Battlefield National Historic Site to Host**

**140th Anniversary Activities on Saturday, December 6**

On Saturday, December 6, 2008, Washita Battlefield National Historic
Site will observe the 140th anniversary of the Washita attack. The day's
events will feature living history presentations, children's arts and
crafts activities, and Cheyenne and Arapaho artists, singers, and
authors. Nationally prominent speakers will include the authors Dr.
Henrietta Mann, Louis Kraft, and Mark Gardner. All activities will take
place at the new National Park Service visitor center, which is on
Highway 47A one mile west of Cheyenne, Oklahoma. All events will be free
and open to the public.

**Presentations to Include Tipis, Warriors, Cavalry Soldier,**

**and Traditional Uses of the Buffalo**

From 9:30 am to 3:30 pm there will be several ongoing activities. Ivan
Hankla and Ken Weidner will set up tipis near the visitor center that
will depict the traditional lifestyle of the Southern Cheyenne during
the 1860s era. Their fully furnished lodges will help visitors
understand the daily activities and nomadic way of life of the Southern
Cheyenne when their lifestyle depended on hunting the migrating herds of
buffalo (also known as bison).

James Coverdale will portray an 1860s era Kiowa warrior while showing
visitors examples of ledger art, the highly symbolic art of Plains
Indian people. Among his displays will be a replica of a 19th century
Kiowa Calendar painted with pictographs on a deer hide. Woodson
Whitebird will portray an 1860s era Cheyenne warrior and set up displays
explaining life and culture on the southern plains during that time. One
of the park employees will portray a 7th U.S. Cavalry soldier in 1868
field gear.

Members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma will describe the
importance of the buffalo to the tribes. Francine Williams, who works
for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Department of Education, will set up a
display depicting the traditional uses of the buffalo. Michelle Bigfoot,
who is the Farm and Buffalo Manager for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
of Oklahoma, will set up a display and talk about the tribes' current
buffalo herd. Michelle is on the Board of Directors for the Intertribal
Bison Cooperative and will have brochures describing the importance of
the buffalo to many American Indians.

**Children's Activities: Making Coup Sticks, Ledger Art, and
Silhouettes,**

**and Participating in a History Hunt**

During one of the children's activities, students will create coup
sticks and learn about the warrior tradition of "counting coup" on their
enemies. The coup stick activity will take place every 45 minutes. To
participate in the coup stick activity, call 580-497-2742 and reserve a
time slot or inquire at the front desk upon arrival in the visitor
center on December 6. Creating silhouettes of family and friends was a
popular pastime in the 1800s and students can create paper profiles of
one another. Students can also draw their own ledger art. For the
History Hunt, students will go to different locations and complete an
activity sheet to win a prize. If you plan to bring a scout group or
other youth group, please notify the park so that the staff can be
prepared with enough arts and crafts materials.

**[Schedule of Events]{.underline}**

10:00 am -- *Edward Wynkoop's Indian Years* -- Louis Kraft

11:00 am -- *Unveiling of Artwork* -- Gordon Yellowman

11:15 am -- *Southern Cheyenne Tipi Life* -- Ken Weidner

12: Noon -- *Guided Tour of Washita Battlefield National Historic Site*
-- Meet park ranger at overlook

1:00 pm -- *Red Moon Singers* -- from Hammon, Oklahoma

2:00 pm -- *Cheyenne and Arapaho Book Project* -- George Levi, Frank
Mosqueda, Eagle Runningwater, and Jennie Whiteman

3:00 pm -- *Guided Tour of Washita Battlefield National Historic Site*
-- Meet park ranger at overlook

6:00 pm -- *Evening Program and Reception* featuring Dr. Henrietta Mann
and Mark Gardner

At 11:00 am, Chief Gordon Yellowman, who is the Director of the Cheyenne
and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Culture and Heritage Program, will unveil
artwork that he has created for the new visitor center.

At 1:00 pm, the "Red Moon Singers" from Hammon, Oklahoma, will sing
traditional songs around a drum. They will also perform during the
evening program.

A few months ago, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma published
four books about the tribes' government, history, and culture. The books
*The Tsististas Journey, The Tsististas: People of the Plains, The
Hinono'ei Way of Life,* and *The Prairie Thunder People* will provide an
important way for students to learn about the Cheyenne and Arapaho
people. Four speakers will describe their work on this significant
project at 2:00 pm. Frank Mosqueda, a Southern Arapaho who is one of
four authors on the project, will talk about his role in creating the
books. George Levi, a Southern Cheyenne who is one of four artists on
the project, will also speak. Other speakers involved in creating the
books include Eagle Runningwater and Jennie Whiteman.

**Evening Program and Reception -- 6:00 pm**

At 6:00 pm the park will commemorate the 140th anniversary of the
Washita attack with a special program and reception in the visitor
center's main gallery. Featured speakers at this event are Dr. Henrietta
Mann and Mark Gardner.

Dr. Henrietta Mann is the first President of the Cheyenne and Arapaho
Tribal College in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and the great-granddaughter of
Washita survivor White Buffalo Woman. Dr. Mann's presentation will be
*Remembering the Past with Hope for the Future: Washita, Education, and
the Cheyenne Way of Life*. A native of Hammon, Oklahoma, she is a
Cheyenne tribal leader and a nationally renowned educator who taught for
many years at the University of Montana. "I came in on the ground floor
of Native American studies," Mann said in a 2004 interview with the
*Billings Gazette*. "I guess I was at the right place at the right time
to begin to look at the need for American Indian students who were
pursuing higher education to be able to study their own history, their
own culture, their own philosophy." Symbolic of her dynamic teaching
style, in 1991 *Rolling Stone* magazine selected her as one of the top
10 college professors in the country.

Mark Gardner, a historian from Cascade, Colorado, has authored many
books about western history, including a biography of George A. Custer
and booklets about Washita, Bent's Old Fort, and the Battle of the
Little Bighorn published by Western National Parks Association. Mr.
Gardner's presentation will be *"I Live in Hopes": The Relevance of
Washita in 21st Century America*. During his program, he will examine
the importance and symbolism of establishing National Park Service sites
at Washita, Sand Creek, and changing the name of Custer Battlefield
National Monument to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. A
reception sponsored by the Cheyenne and Roger Mills County Chamber of
Commerce will follow the program. The reception will include
refreshments and a time for book-signing.

The park visitor center will be open on Thanksgiving Day, November 27,
the anniversary of the Washita attack. For more information, call
580-497-2742 or check www.nps.gov/waba.

\* \* \*

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the
setting along the Washita River where Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the
7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack against the Southern Cheyenne
village of Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. The attack was
an important event in the tragic clash of cultures of the Indian Wars
era. The site is located in western Oklahoma near the town of Cheyenne,
halfway between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Amarillo, Texas. The park's
new visitor center is located one mile west of Cheyenne on Highway 47A.
For more information, call 580-497-2742 or check www.nps.gov/waba.

-NPS-

+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+
| National Park Service      | Washita          |   | Rt. 1, Box 55A    |
|                            | Battlefield      |   |                   |
| U.S. Department of the     |                  |   | Cheyenne,         |
| Interior                   | National         |   | Oklahoma          |
|                            | Historic Site    |   |                   |
|                            |                  |   | 73628             |
|                            | Use the complete |   |                   |
|                            | site name here   |   | 580-497-2742      |
|                            | (e.g. Palo Alto  |   | phone             |
|                            | Battlefield      |   |                   |
|                            | Historic Site).  |   | 580-497-2712 fax  |
+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+

![](media/image1.png){width="0.5597222222222222in"
height="0.7201388888888889in"}

**Washita Battlefield NHS** News Release

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use a "short-hand" version of the site name here (e.g. Palo Alto
  Battlefield not Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Site).

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

For Immediate Release

Contact: Dave Schafer

Date: October 31, 2008

**Washita Battlefield National Historic Site and**

**Cheyenne High School will host Special Activities in December**

On December 4, 5, and 6, 2008, Washita Battlefield National Historic
Site will sponsor activities to observe the 140th anniversary of the
Washita attack and to promote National History Day. All activities will
be free and open to the public, except for the Friday, December 5, event
at the Cheyenne High School auditorium, which will be restricted to
students and teachers. Nationally prominent speakers at these programs
will include Dr. Henrietta Mann, Louis Kraft, and Mark Gardner.

**[Thursday, December 4]{.underline}**

Working in cooperation with the Cheyenne School District, the first
public program will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, with a
free performance of *Ned Wynkoop: Long Road to Washita* starring
author/actor Louis Kraft. Tom Eubanks will direct the production, which
will be staged in the Cheyenne High School auditorium.

Louis Kraft is a western historian who has published many articles and
books, including *Custer and the Cheyenne: George Armstrong Custer's
Winter Campaign on the Southern Plains.* Kraft is particularly intrigued
by the story of Edward "Ned" Wynkoop. A military officer and Indian
agent who befriended Chief Black Kettle, Ned Wynkoop sympathized with
the plight of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people. Wynkoop's resignation as
their agent after the Washita attack illustrated his frustration with
the federal government's Indian policy. Mr. Kraft lives in North
Hollywood, California.

**[Friday, December 5]{.underline}**

To promote National History Day on Friday, December 5, area students
(grades 6 through 12) will listen to a fascinating presentation by Dr.
Henrietta Mann and then view *Ned Wynkoop: Long Road to Washita.* This
event at the Cheyenne High School auditorium is only open to teachers
and students who RSVP ahead of time with Kelah Gibson at 580-497-3371
Ext. 212.

Dr. Henrietta Mann, the great-granddaughter of Washita survivor White
Buffalo Woman, is the first President of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal
College in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Her presentation will be *Remembering
the Past with Hope for the Future: Reflecting on What it Means to be
Cheyenne Today*. A native of Hammon, Oklahoma, Dr. Mann is a Cheyenne
tribal leader and a nationally renowned educator who taught for many
years at the University of Montana. "I came in on the ground floor of
Native American studies," Mann said in a 2004 interview with the
*Billings Gazette*. "I guess I was at the right place at the right time
to begin to look at the need for American Indian students who were
pursuing higher education to be able to study their own history, their
own culture, their own philosophy." Symbolic of her dynamic teaching
style, in 1991 *Rolling Stone* magazine selected her as one of the top
10 college professors in the country.

The event on December 5 will also promote the National History Day
competition for students in grades 6 through 12. These students are
eligible for regional competitions next April (younger students compete
in a junior division). To participate, students can create table-top
exhibits, dramatic performances, documentary films, research papers, or
websites. "The theme for National History Day in 2008-2009 is the
'Individual in History,'" said National Park Service spokesman Dave
Schafer. "The fascinating stories of Dr. Henrietta Mann and Edward
Wynkoop will be inspiring examples of the difference one person can make
in history."

**[Saturday, December 6]{.underline}**

On Saturday, December 6, History Day activities at the new National Park
Service visitor center will feature authors, educators, historians,
living history presenters, and children's arts and crafts activities.
Park visitors can view an authentically furnished 1860s era tipi, meet
men dressed as Cheyenne and Kiowa warriors and as a 7th U.S. Cavalry
soldier, and learn about the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples' many uses of
the buffalo.

Children's activities will include learning a traditional Cheyenne ball
game and creating their own coup sticks while learning how warriors
"counted coup" on their enemies. Pioneer style children's activities,
such as drawing silhouettes, will also be available. The free activities
begin at 9:30 am and run through 3:30 pm. If you plan to bring a scout
group or other youth group, please notify the park so that the staff can
be prepared with enough arts and crafts materials.

At 6:00 pm the park will commemorate the 140th anniversary of the
Washita attack with a special program and reception in the visitor
center. Speakers at the evening event include Dr. Henrietta Mann and
Mark Gardner, a historian from Cascade, Colorado. Gardner has authored
many books about western history, including a biography of George A.
Custer and a booklet about Washita published by Western National Parks
Association. A reception, which will include refreshments and a time for
book-signing, will follow the program.

\* \* \*

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the
setting along the Washita River where Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the
7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack against the Southern Cheyenne
village of Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. The attack was
an important event in the tragic clash of cultures of the Indian Wars
era. The site is located in western Oklahoma near the town of Cheyenne,
halfway between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Amarillo, Texas. The park's
new visitor center is located one mile west of Cheyenne on Highway 47A.
For more information, call 580-497-2742 or check www.nps.gov/waba.

-NPS-