Well, in Tulsa we had
Chief Blue Eagle, who would explain to us all about the Indian traditions and then introduce Chufa, I think it was, which he said was Chocktaw for Crusader Rabbit.
The local gas stations had sets of Blue Eagle glasses, decorated with his paintings of members of different tribes, and you got one free with a fill-up. The Five Civilized Tribes, as we learned they were called in school--civilized meaning that they had allowed themselves to be rounded up and fenced in on reservations while the Sooners and Boomers took all the good land.
For those unfamiliar with Oklahoma history, the State was originally total Indian territory, but in 1900 it was opened up for settlement. People lined up on the border and at gun-shot signal they all dashed in and laid claim to a plot of land. This scene was recreated quite vividly at the end of
Far and Away with Tom Cruise and Michelle Kidman. As you might recall, they spent the whole movie coyly flirting with each other from Ireland to America. And the closest they finally got was a brief kiss right at the end of the film. Whether it progressed further than that is anyone's guess.
To continue your history lesson, the Boomers were the folks on the line who took advantage of the land boom. The Sooners were the cheats who crossed the line too soon, sneaking in the night before to claim a piece of land. Oklahoma is officially called The Sooner State. No, not The Boomer State. The Sooner State. Sort of like calling Illinois The Mafia State.
Oh how wonderful is the internet. Look what I found at
Glass News Dot Com
