Sequoyah Sculpture is Focus of NSU’s Centennial Plaza

Sequoyah Sculpture is Focus of NSUs Centennial Plaza

When the sounds of the chimes in the Seminary Hall clocktower fill the air at 2 p.m. on March 6, the Centennial Celebration officially begins.

Dan HorseChief will be among the hundreds who gather to mark the occasion, many of whom have left their mark on Northeastern State University. HorseChief, an NSU alumnus, has the distinction of creating the bronze statue of Sequoyah that is the focal point of the new Centennial Plaza.

Sequoyah, also known as George Guess, was the noted 19th century Cherokee diplomat and educator who created the Cherokee syllabary. The statue designed and crafted by HorseChief stands as a symbol of NSUs long relationship with the Cherokee Nation, which dates to the creation of the Cherokee National Female Seminary in 1846.

The process of creating the bronze figure began nearly three years ago and will be officially complete when the statue is dedicated and blessed in its permanent home at Centennial Plaza by Cherokee traditionalist Benny Smith.

Its been a journey, said HorseChief. To see the statue standing in place after all these monthswell, to quote Sam Bradford when he won the Heisman Trophy, its surreal.

To create his first major sculpture, HorseChief worked with the Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska to design, mold and finish the piece. Sequoyah alone stands nine feet tall, and rises 11 feet from the ground on a marble base that measures six feet in diameter. The piece is the focal point of a Cherokee star in the center of the viewing area within the newly created Centennial Plaza.

The process of creating the sculpture, from developing the concept to applying the patina, began in 2006, when HorseChief was one of nearly 40 artisans who submitted proposals to the Centennial Sculpture Committee.

Someone told me they were asking for submissions at NSU for a statue of Sequoyah, he recalled. Looking back, it seems like the opportunity just fell in my lap. But I had an idea in my head already for Sequoyah, so I was actually prepared when this came up.

The university committee narrowed the field of applicants to three finalists who then submitted maquettes, or small clay versions of their conceptual design. Photos were posted online and the miniature statues were publicly displayed for review by NSU faculty, staff and students, and the community at large. Through a balloting process, HorseChiefs design was selected to become the institutions official Centennial statue.

The right people came together at the right time to make this happen. Everyone collaborated on the finishing touches to enhance the initial idea. Working with the committee and getting their input was the best part of this process for me, HorseChief said. The whole process has been inspiring and I hope that my work inspires others as well. I actually built a relationship with Sequoyah while working on this project.

In designing the statue, HorseChief researched his subject in depth, paying close attention to historic authenticity and details unique to Sequoyah. The educators left hand rests upon the staff that features intricately carved representations of the original Cherokee syllabary that was to become his enduring legacy. Around his neck is a replica of the silver medal struck in his honor by the Cherokee National Council in 1824.

The leaves scattered at Sequoyahs feet represent talking leaves, symbolic of thoughts immortalized through written language. To those who gather at Centennial Plaza, he extends the pen of knowledge, representing the power of learning.

Encircling the piece is a seven-column, open-framed structure featuring the Cherokee syllabary, and artistic depictions of the seven Cherokee ClansA-ni-gi-lo-hi (Long Hair), A-ni-sa-ho-ni (Blue), A-ni-waya (Wolf), A-ni-go-te-ge-wi (Wild Potato), A-ni-a-wi (Deer), A-ni-tsis-qua (Bird), and A-ni-wo-di (Paint).

HorseChief hails from Sequoyah County, not far from the site of the historic cabin where Sequoyah once lived.

Growing up, I was told stories about Sequoyahs incredible accomplishment. Hearing these things and knowing that he lived nearby, I had an interest in him most of my life, he said.

HorseChief graduated from Muskogee High School and attended NSU for two years before transferring to the Institute of the American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, where he graduated in 1995.

His mother is noted Cherokee artist Mary Adair, and HorseChief is the great-great grandson of John Thompson Adair, who served as superintendent of the Cherokee National Female Seminary and was a judge and chief justice for the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court.

I am a former student of NSU, as were my parents, grandmother, two brothers, sister, and most of my relatives, HorseChief noted. Members of my family have attended classes in Seminary Hall from seminary days to the present and it gives me great pleasure to have future generations see my work on this campus.

3/6/2009

Published: 2009-03-06 00:00:00