First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City will host a free Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on Monday, Oct. 12, bringing together cultural performances, sports, films, art, community programming and discussions highlighting Indigenous resilience and self-determination.
The event, titled Indigenous Peoples Day: Sovereignty in Motion, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a citizen of the Osage Nation, is scheduled to read a Mayoral Proclamation from the Festival Plaza stage at 1 p.m.
This year’s theme, “Sovereignty in Motion,” focuses on the ways Indigenous communities embody movement in daily life through physical activity, intergenerational knowledge, collective care and self-determination.
While the main celebration is free, visitors will be able to access the museum galleries and FAMily Discovery Center for a discounted $10 admission throughout the day. FAM members receive free admission.
Sports, Music and Community Programming Planned
Programming will include a lacrosse exhibition game and soccer skills and drills with Certified Lions FC. Visitors can also attend live music performances, hands-on activities, community information booths, a matriarch panel discussion and a series of lightning talks.
Food options will include the museum’s 39 Restaurant as well as food trucks stationed in Festival Plaza.
Another major component of the celebration will be a chalk mural contest in the museum courtyard. Participating artists and creative teams will create temporary 10-foot-by-10-foot murals inspired by the “Sovereignty in Motion” theme.
Visitors will be invited to vote for their favorite artwork, with three $500 awards scheduled to be presented at 1 p.m. Categories include Most Creative Interpretation; Most Realistic, sponsored by Oklahoma City Indian Clinic; and Crowd Favorite, sponsored by Oklahoma City University Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Indigenous Films to Screen at Five Moons Theater
Film will also be part of the cultural programming. deadCenter Continuum and the Reel Indigenous Podcast will present two free short-film programs at the museum’s Five Moons Theater.
The programs will feature recent films from Joey Clift, Cary Thomas Cody, Brit Hensel, Fox Maxy, Adam Piron, Erica Pretty Eagle, Sisa Quispe and Sabrina Saleha.
The screenings will provide another platform for Indigenous filmmakers and storytellers while complementing the broader focus on contemporary Indigenous culture, community and creative expression.
Tribal Flag Songs Exhibition Adds to Museum Programming
Visitors will also have an opportunity to see By the Dawn’s Early Light: Oklahoma Tribal Flag Songs, a free exhibition in the museum’s Community Gallery.
The exhibition explores flag songs from five tribal nations in Oklahoma and their cultural significance. It highlights the Comanche, Cheyenne and Arapaho, Choctaw, Ponca, and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.
The songs serve a role equivalent to the “Star-Spangled Banner” within their respective tribal communities and are connected to honoring Native veterans — past, present and future. The exhibition also examines how music, language, community and service intersect within Indigenous traditions.
The Community Gallery exhibition is made possible with support from Getty.
Museum Services, Parking and Visitor Information
39 Restaurant will operate from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with reservations recommended. The 39 Café will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the FAMstore will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
South Wing Galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the FAMily Discovery Center will operate from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both experiences are included with discounted general admission.
Limited free parking will be available at First Americans Museum. Additional free parking and shuttle service will be available at Crooked Oak Public Schools at SE 15th and Eastern. Shuttles are scheduled to operate from 8:20 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The museum is a smoke- and vape-free campus. Pets and emotional support animals are prohibited, while service animals are permitted. Drones, weapons, tents, coolers and outside food or beverages are also prohibited.
Through its combination of cultural programming, athletics, visual arts, film and community engagement, the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration will offer visitors multiple ways to explore the “Sovereignty in Motion” theme while highlighting Indigenous traditions and contemporary community life in Oklahoma.
