When the Earth Remembers
Aerial photograph of the Bricktown site showing the Land Run Monument statues, the spiral installation location, and the canal
In-Progress — Installing in Late 2027

When the Earth Remembers — Bones of the Plains, A Spiral of Memory

A public artwork commissioned by the City of Oklahoma City Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, developed in response to the stories, histories, and living cultures of Indigenous Nations in Oklahoma.

Explore the Concept Ways to Participate

Once more they scatter us from the earth where our mothers' spirits dwell. Beneath waning skies, we clutch at fading embers of our home, hearts heavy with the memory of roots torn free. Yet even as strangers on parallel earth and the facsimile stars, the quiet echoes of our ancestors stir courage in our steps. A whisper we cannot ignore, grandmother, rising like dawn, calling us towards the hearth of recollection and light.

Why Here

Public memory is built in public space.

The Centennial Land Run Monument is one of Oklahoma City's most visible civic narratives. When the Earth Remembers does not erase that site. It asks the public landscape to hold more of the story — land, loss, survival, stewardship, and Native continuity.

Using cast concrete bison bones and bronze bison skulls arranged in a counterclockwise spiral, the artwork re-centers Indigenous perspectives by symbolizing the removal of lands and cultural resilience — connecting the artwork to the land so visitors experience a reinterpretation of history.

Read the full concept →
Four Pathways

Participation can take many forms.

There is no expectation of scale — only an open invitation.

01

Cultural Representation

Each cast bison bone carries its own cultural identity — contributed by Nations, Tribes, and Culture Bearers.

02

Community Casting

Hands-on casting workshops across Oklahoma in Spring 2027.

03

Ecological Collaboration

Native plants, seed knowledge, land stewardship, and renewal.

04

Direct Support

Funding for outreach, materials, documentation, and installation readiness.

See all four pathways
A project of this scale is built through relationships.

Outreach is underway with Oklahoma Native Nations, Tribes, Communities, and cultural contacts. Funding conversations are growing through Allied Arts, The Culture Hub Collective, civic partners, and foundations. The project is active and still growing.

See the timeline Meet the partners
An Open Invitation

If this project resonates with you

We would be honored to continue the conversation, answer questions, and explore how collaboration might take shape in a way that aligns with your community's goals and values.

Get in touch