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Since fall of 1994 singers, dancers,
vendors, and spectators have joined
at Standing Bear Native American
Memorial Park to participate in the
annual Native American Pow Wow. Six
area tribes (Osage, Pawnee,
Otoe-Missouria, Kaw, Tonkawa, and
Ponca) reclaimed this land as a
Native American Memorial Park near
Ponca City, Oklahoma. The park
provides many diverse activities
within the grounds: recreation,
education, relaxation, and also a
connection to the Native American
culture.
Traditionally, an arbor
constructed of willow branches was
erected each year to form an arena
in which to host the annual Pow Wow,
a festive celebration. However, a
dwindling supply of willow trees and
the manpower to construct a willow
arbor, prompted the client to
consider a more permanent arena and
arbor structure. The owner wanted
the new arbor/arena to be a
functional yet sculptural landmark
for the west side of the park.
The arbor is a massive 160 foot
diameter structure full of Native
American symbolism. The arbor/arena
is circular, a shape sacred to the
Native American culture because it
has no beginning and no end. It is
entered from the east, the direction
of the rising sun, the beginning of
life. As one enters the arbor/arena
they pass under a sculptural steel
entry feature that was relocated
from another area of the park. The
feature, designed and fabricated by
a local artist, uses pieces of steel
cut and welded together to resemble
the trunks and branches of willow
trees. The entry feature forms a
connection between the modern steel
structure and the traditional willow
arbor. Likewise, the vertical posts
supporting the arbor are composed of
five square tubes bound together
with a steel band to represent wood
poles lashed together.
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