Native American History

The Art of Woody Big Bow Now on Exhibit

Gouache painting by Woody Big Bow, c. 1956
(2023.065.006, Triangle Heritage Museum Collection, OHS)

Works by Kiowa artist Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Big Bow are on exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center Museum in Oklahoma City. Born in Carnegie, Big Bow was the grandson of Kiowa chief Zepko-ette, and he studied art at the University of Oklahoma under the instruction of Oscar B. Jacobson. Big Bow is best known for the Thunderbird insignia he designed for Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Division. The exhibit includes sketches of the 45th Infantry logo from the collection.

Big Bow employed the narrative-based style of painting known as Flatstyle, which was popularized by Native American artists in the 20th century. Flatstyle emphasizes shape and contour by using limited shading and perspective. Examples of this technique painted by Big Bow are included in the exhibition.

The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

Discover Oklahoma’s Native history, culture, stories, and people in our online encyclopedia.

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Researching Native History

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Explore Historic Places

The Creek Council House in Okmulgee is a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmarks

Many of Oklahoma’s National Historic Landmarks have a connection to Native Americans. Oklahoma’s landmarks include archaeological sites, forts and battlefields, the capitols of Native nations, and the cabin owned by Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee syllabary.
Learn more in The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.

The National Register of Historic Places

Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection, and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The State Historic Preservation Office identifies, evaluates, and nominates properties for this special designation. Use the links below to access the National Register nomination for a specific property.

Historical Markers

Our database lists hundreds of markers located across the state, including more than 200 related to Native peoples, events, and places. Search by marker name, topic, or county.

Browse markers related to Native American history.

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Resources from the Oklahoma History Center Museum

Traveling Exhibits

Bring one of our traveling exhibits to your school, university, library, or community center. Find out more.

Traveling Trunk

American Indian Nations of Oklahoma in the Modern Era
This hands-on trunk includes flags, artwork, and books, as well as information on Oklahoma’s federally recognized tribal nations. Learn more about traveling trunks.

Resources-By-Standard Guides for Educators

Guides correlating to Oklahoma History Academic Standards
View Oklahoma history standards.

• OKH.1 The student will describe the state’s geography and the historic foundations laid by American Indian, European, and American cultures.
• OKH.2 The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from early contact through Indian Removal and its aftermath.
• OKH.3 The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from the outbreak of the Civil War through allotment and land openings.
• OKH.4 The student will analyze the formation of constitutional government in Oklahoma.
• OKH.5 The student will examine the Oklahoma’s political, social, cultural, and economic transformation during the early decades following statehood.
• OKH.6 The student will investigate how post-war social, political, and economic events continued to transform the state of Oklahoma from the 1950s through the present.

Guides correlating to US History Academic Standards
View standard USH 1.3 Analyze the impact of westward expansion and immigration on migration, settlement patterns in American society, economic growth, and American Indians.
C. Examine the rationale behind federal policies toward American Indians including the establishment of reservations, attempts at assimilation, the end of the Indian Wars at Wounded Knee, and the impact of the Dawes Act on tribal sovereignty and land ownership.
D. Compare viewpoints of American Indian resistance to United States Indian policies as evidenced by Red Cloud in his Cooper Union speech, Quanah Parker, and Chief Joseph as expressed in his “I Will Fight No More Forever” speech.