BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. — Wyandot Nation of Kansas held an inaugural Indigenous People's Day celebration on Saturday, offering a chance to participate in traditional dance, indigenous craft making, and taste cuisine.
"We can be united and we can work together. You can learn our history. Even though you’re not in our tribe you can learn our history, you can be a part of us because we want to teach you our history," explained Principal Chief Judith Manthe of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas.
Several tribal nations including Kansas Delaware, Kickapoo, and Oklahoma Wyandot attended to preserve their culture.
"We’ve been here fighting for everything that we have here. We want to tell our stories. That is what our goal is," added Manthe.
Wyandot and Kansas Delaware Tribes originated from Ontario, Canada and present-day New England regions of North America. Numerous treaties and forced removals led the tribes to Kansas.
Between the two tribes, their populations ranged upwards of 70,000. Through the individual tribes' Trail of Tears stories, populations dwindled below 1,000.
"When the government removed Indians to Indian territory, they required that they not practice their culture and their cultural connections be disconnected," said Linda Graff, former Chief of the Kansas Delaware Tribe. "Everybody that has been here today is trying to recover their culture.”
Kansas' indigenous tribes have reached the point of struggle to preserve their culture, starting with youth involvement.
"Today was wonderful because we had young children learning the importance of the turtle and nature. And nature being a part of Indian culture. It is a blessing to us," Graff said. "If we can continue to try and get our youth involved. I think our culture will continue to have more interest in, recovering and preserving, what we have relearned.”
Manthe says the tribes' first step to preserving their history is documenting the stories from tribal elders, and continuing to share those stories outside of the tribe.
"We are all one. The Wyandot Tribe is a sister to our tribe. The Native Americans are pulled together by trials and tribulations. We share that, but it brings out to the public that a lot of the things that you have going on like the corn the beans and the squash we talked about today," said Graff. "It's a contribution that's been here for centuries. It all comes from the Indians that were here to begin with, prehistoric to modern day.”
Tribal leaders say its first Indigenous People's Day celebration brought large community interest. They plan to continue celebrations in the future to share the stories of their past.
KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.