More than 60 Peace & Friendship Monuments Related to Indigenous Peoples (Native Americans in USA, First Nations in Canada, Aboriginals in Australia, etc.)

Major Linguist Groups in North America

Right click image to enlarge.

Ancient - Native Inuksuit, Inuksuk Point (Inuksugalait, “where there are many Inuksuit“), Foxe Peninsula. Baffin Island, Nunavut (Canada). Note the Inuksua on the Nunavut flag. Click here for inuksuit worldwide.

1771 - "William Penn's Treaty with the Indians when he founded the Province of Pennsylvania in North America," Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia (USA). Shows proprietor William Penn [1644-1718] signing peace treaty with Delawares at Sackamaxon in 1682. The scene was painted 89 years later by Benjamin West [1738-1820] at the request of Thomas Penn [1702-1775]. William Penn's "Peaceable Kingdom" came to an end with the Conestoga Massacre by the "Paxton Boys" on December 14 & 27, 1763.

June 5, 1872 - Gnadenhütten Monument & Museum, Gnadenhütten, Ohio (USA). 37 foot (11 m) monument, located next to a reconstructed cabin in what was the center of the original village. Inscribed "Here triumphed in death ninety Christian Indians, March 8, 1782." Memorializes victims of the Gnadenhütten Massacre, "the murder of 96 Indians, mostly Delawares, during the American Revolution. The Indians, converted peaceful Christians, were under suspicion because of their neutrality in the war. A [Pennyslvania] officer, David Williamson, and his militia, seeking revenge for Indian raids on frontier settlements, pretended friendship with the Indians, then disarmed them and returned to kill them in cold blood; two scalped boys escaped to relate the slayings."

January 29, 1879 - Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, Crow Agency, Montana (USA). "The site was first preserved as a national cemetery on January 29, 1879, and in 1881 a memorial obelisk by Durwood Brandon (left image) was erected on Last Stand Hill over the mass grave of the solidiers of the 7th Calvery." An iron "Spirit Warriors Sculpture" by native artist Colleen Cutschall (right image) honoring the Native Americans was placed next to the old memorial in 2002.

October 28, 1893 - Penn Treaty Park, Delaware (Columbus) Avenue & Beach Street, Fishtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). Alleged site of famous peace treaty signed by William Penn [1644-1718] and the Lenape Indians in 1683. Click here for Wikipedia article. See associated virtual PennTreatyMusuem.org. Mentioned by Tom Flores (2008).

1903 - Wounded Knee Monument, Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota (USA). Commemorates the massacre of Wounded Knee on Dec. 29, 1890. "In 1903 a monument was erected at the site of the mass grave by surviving relatives to honor the 'many innocent women and children who knew no wrong' who were killed in the massacre. Today, some family members are still seeking compensation from the US government as heirs of the victims but they have been unsuccessful in receiving any monetary settlement so far."

August 3, 1906 - Wayne Treaty Memorial, Greenville, Ohio (USA). Dedicated on 111th anniversary of the Treaty of Greene Ville. "A large diorite boulder standing nearly five feet high, near the spot where the treaty was signed. [Has] a beautiful bronze tablet enclosed in a circle surrounded by emblems of savage war and peace with this inscription: 'Placed to commemorate the Treaty of Greenville, signed August 3, 1795, by General Anthony Wayne, representing the United States government, and the chiefs and agents of the allied Indian tribes of the territory northwest of the Ohio river." "President Katzenberger delivered the speech of presentation on behalf of the Greenville Historical Society; Mayor Thos. C. Maher accepted the monument on behalf of the city, and S. M. Gorham, Grand Sachem of the Ohio Red Men, and Hon. E. O. Randall, secretary of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, Hon. C. R. Gilmore, of Dayton, and Mrs. Edward Orton, Jr., Regent of the Columbus Chapter of the Ohio Society Daughters of the American Revolution, delivered appropriate addresses... The preliminary parade was participated in by the Greenville band, Jobes Post, G. A. R., Little Turtle Tribe and visiting Red Men, Company M, Third Regiment, members of the Historical Society, Reppeto's drum corps and an improvised troop of 'Redskins' led by Mr. Alvin Kerst... The total cost of securing and placing the boulder and tablet and conducting the dedicatory exercise was only about $175.00, showing what a modest sum will do toward marking a historic site when expended by those who are actuated by feelings of patriotism and local pride."

C A I R N

1927 - Peace Hills Cairn, Highway 2A, Hobbema, near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (Canada). Commemorates the 1867 peace treaty with the Cree Indians. Wetaskiwin means "Peace Hills." Entry #1222 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1911 - Black Hawk Statue, Lowden State Park, 1411 North River Road Oregon, Illinois (USA). Also called "The Eternal Indian." Lorado Taft [1860-1936], who created the 50-foot statue as a tribute to Native Americans, is said to have thought of the figure one evening as he & other members of the Eagles' Nest Art Colony stood gazing at the view from the bluffs. According to a story attributed to Taft, he & his colleagues tended to stand with their arms folded over their chests. The pose made him think of the Native Americans who were so reverent of the beauty of nature & who probably had enjoyed the same view. With the help of John G. Prasuhn, a young sculptor of the Chicago Art Institute, Taft created a figure almost 50 feet tall, including a six-foot base. Reinforced with iron rods, the hollow statue is 8 inches to 3 feet thick. The interior is accessible to park employees through a door at the base. The outer surface composed of cement, pink granite chips & screenings, is three inches thick. The figure is estimated to weigh 100 tons & is thought to be the second-largest concrete monolithic statue in the world. Although Taft dedicated the statue to Native Americans, it has become commonly associated with Black Hawk [1767-1838]."

February 22, 1913 - National Memorial to the North American Indian, Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York City, New York (USA). "Dedicateed by President Taft but never built. The brainchild of [department store magnate] Rodman Wanamaker [1863-1928]. Designed by architect Thomas Hastings [1860-1929] & sculptor Daniel Chester French [1850-1931]. The bronze memorial was to be 165 feet tall -- taller than the Statue of Liberty -- and cost around $500,000. It would feature an Indian standing on an Aztec-like pyramid atop an Egyptian Revival complex of museums, galleries & libraries." /// "Between 1908 & 1913, Wanamaker sponsored three photographic expeditions to the American Indians intended to document a vanishing way of life & make the Indian 'first-class citizens' to save them from extinction. At that time, Indians were viewed as a 'Vanishing Race.'"

1927 - Memorial Peace Park & Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant Grounds, Medicine Lodge, Barber County, Kansas (USA). Text of Kansas historical marker: "Medicine Lodge Peace Treaties. In October 1867, Kiowa, Comanche, Arapahoe, Apache and Cheyenne Indians [the Five Nations] signed a peace treaties with the Federal government. 15,000 Indians camped near by during the council, among them the famous chiefs Satanta [c1820-1878], Little Raven [d.1889] and Black Kettle [c1803-1868]. 500 soldiers acted as escort for the U.S. commissioners. Interest in this colorful spectacle was so widespread that Eastern papers sent correspondents, among them Henry M. Stanley [1841-1904], who later was to find Livingstone in Africa. While the treaties did not bring immediate peace they made possible the coming of the railroads and eventual settlement. The site of the council was at the confluence of the Medicine river and Elm creek, a little southwest of Medicine Lodge. Every five years a treaty pageant is re-enacted in this amphitheater. In Medicine Lodge there is a commemorative monument on the high school grounds." Second image shows old entrance posts. Third image shows Peace Treaty Statue in town of Medicine Lodge.

1931 - Historical Marker, Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association, Southwestern shore of Fish Lake, Sevier County, Utah (USA). Text: "PEACE TREATY WITH FISH LAKE INDIANS Was Made Here June 14, 1873 This treaty led up to the final treaty at Cedar Grove in Grass Valley July 1, 1873, ending the Black Hawk Indian War in Southern Utah. Present at the treaty council were: Gen. Wm. B. Pace [1832-1907] George Evans Byron Pace Albert Thurber William Jex E.R. Bean G.W. Bean Abraham Halliday Wm. Robinson Chief Tabiona and 15 others." This treaty has never been broken.

June 25, 1933 - Old Crossing Treaty Monument, Red Lake County Park, Huot, Red Lake County, Minnesota (USA). Life-sized bronze statue of a Chippewa/Ojibwe man holding a peace pipe. Sculpted by Carl C. Mose [1903-1973]. At the site of the 1863 Treaty of Old Crossing between the US government & Red Lake/Pembina Ojibwe in which the Ojibwe cede about 11,000,000 acres of the Red River Valley (an area approximately 180 miles long north-to-south & 127 miles wide) for $510,000 & various goods, provisions & presents. This same site was well-known even before the treaty. For about 30 years in the mid-1800's it was the chosen location by oxcart drivers - freighting goods on the Pembina Trail between St. Paul & today's Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) - to cross/ford the Red Lake River. For the last 20 years, Old Crossing Treaty Park has been used by L'Association des Francais du Nord / The association of the French of the North (AFRAN) to host a multi-cultural Chautauqua & French Festival in late August. The festival involves native Americans & Canadians, Metis, Red River Valley residents of French-Canadian descent & people of other ethnic heritage."

1936 - "Vision of Peace," Memorial Concourse, St. Paul City Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota (USA). Also called "Indian God of Peace." Largest carved onyx figure in the world. Weighs 60 tons & oscillates 66 degrees left & right. Although dedicated in 1936 to the war veterans of Ramsey County, pacifist sculptor Carl Milles [1875-1955] sipulated that it should symbolize world peace. Officially named "Vision of Peace" in 1994. Milles also created "God the Father of the Rainbow" in Stockholm, Sweden (qv). Entry #542 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1936 - Ocmulgee National Monument, National Park Service (NPS), Macon, Georgia (USA). "A memorial to the relationship of people and natural resources in this corner of North America. We preserve a continuous record of human life in the Southeast from the earliest times to the present, there is evidence here of more than 12,000 years of human habitation." Has museum & many Indian mounds, including the Great Temple Mound (shown in image) which has a large restored underground coremonial chamber. Visited by EWL.

September 1939 - Historical Marker #50, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Heber City, Wasatch County, Utah (USA). Text: "INDIAN PEACE TREATY. Beautiful Provo Valley, named from River & once Chief Walker's hunting ground. Was colonized 1859-60 by 18 families called by Brigham Young [1801-1877]. 1864 Indian troubles forced pioneers to build fort at Heber. Bishop Jos. S. Murdock [1822-1899] friendly with the Indians, invited Chief Tabby and tribe to his home (3 BLKs 1.1 E) Aug. 20, 1867, where peace treaty was signed and barbecue held on John Carroll's lot. This ended Indian depredations in this valley, proving Brigham Young's statement - 'It's better to feed the Indians than to fight them.' Wasatch County Camps."

June 3, 1948 - Crazy Horse Memorial, Black Hills, South Dakota (USA). "Carved into a mountain, in the tradition of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial (on which Korczak Ziolkowski [1908-1982] had worked with Gutzon Borglum). The sculpture was begun by Ziolkowski in 1948. When completed, it will be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high."

M U S E U M

1948 - Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Boulevard (US-441), Cherokee, North Carolina (USA). "Tells the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, whose ancestors lived in these mountains for more than ten thousand years."

1962 - New Echota State Park, Calhoun, Georgia (USA). Site vacant for more than 100 years after the Cherokee removal to Oklahoma (qv) in 1838. Buildings reconstructed since 1957 include Council House (where once the laws of the Cherokee Nation were enacted, the Supreme Court, the Printer Shop) a building of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper, a Common Cherokee Cabin (representing a home of an average Cherokee family), a Middle-Class Cherokee Home including outbuildings, and Vann's Tavern. Scene of the Treaty of New Echota, signed on December 29, 1835. Image shows monument memorializing the Cherokees who died on the Trail of Tears in 1838.

1963 - Cherokee Heritage Center & Tsa La Gi Ancient Village, Park Hill, Tahlequah, Oklahoma (USA). Tehlequah is the capital of both The Cherokee Nation and of The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB). "Our Ancient Village showcases the way a traditional Cherokee community would have looked prior to European contact. The village features replicas of traditional homes and meeting houses like those used long before forced removal from the present-day southeastern U.S. to Indian Territory (Oklahoma)."

1967 - Marin Museum of the American Indian, 2200 Novato Boulevard, Novato, California (USA). Situated on the actual site of a Miwok Village.

M U S E U M

1972? - James F. Corn Interpretive Center, Red Clay State Historic Park, 1140 Red Clay Park Road SW, Bradley County, Tennessee (USA). Near the Georgia state line about 17 miles SE of Chattanooga. "Site of the last seat of Cherokee government before removal to Oklahoma in 1838... Features exhibits about 19th century Cherokee culture, government, economy, recreation, religion & history. A series of stained glass windows depicts the forced removal of the Cherokee & subsequent Trail of Tears emigration. Outside there is a replica of a Cherokee farmstead, a council house" & the "Eternal Flame of the Cherokee Nation" [shown in left image]. Named for author James F. Corn [1894-1989].

1974 - "Cherokee Chieftain" (Statue #9), Johnson Park, on Inman between Broad and Ocoee Streets, Cleveland, Tennessee (USA). Height 10 feet. Carved by Peter Wolf Toth whose "Trail of the Whispering Giants" has at least one Indian statue in every state.

1986 - "Junaluska" (Statue #55), Knob Creek & Guaranda Roads, Johnson City, Tennessee (USA). Height 16 feet. Carved by Peter Wolf Toth.

April 10, 1986 - Tree of Peace, Shasta Hall, California State University, Sacramento, California (USA). Original plaque (shown in image) given on Indigenous People's Day (Oct. 12, 2009) to Ensuring Native Indian Traditions club (ENIT) by E. Nathan Jones, CSU Theatre & Dance Department. Its inscription: "TREE OF PEACE. Dedicated by Chief Jake Swamp of the Mohawk Nation, April 10, 1986. 'When I look at this tree, May I be reminded that I laid down my weapons forever.'" Information courtesy of Trevor Super.

1986 - Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Vonore, Tennessee (USA). "A property of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Strives to promote the understanding and appreciation of the history of the Cherokee people." Sequoyah [c.1767-1843] was was a Cherokee silversmith who in 1821 completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible.

1987 - Aboriginal Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (Australia). "...a work of contemporary indigenous Australian art from the late 1980's, comprised of 200 decorated hollow log coffins, conceived by Djon (John) Mundine in 1987–88, realised by 43 artists from Ramingining & neighbouring communities of Central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, created to coincide with the Australian Bicentenary, commemorates those Indigenous Australians who died as a result of European settlement. Its first exhibition was at the Sydney Biennale in 1988, and it was the centrepiece of an exhibition of Indigenous art at Russia's Hermitage Museum in 2000. As of 2014, it stands at the entry to the gallery's new wing that opened in September 2010."

T R A I L

1987 - Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. "'Designated' in 1987. Commemorates the removal of the Cherokee and the paths that 17 Cherokee detachments followed westward. Today the trail includes about 2,200 miles of land and water routes, and traverses portions of nine states (AL, AR, GA, KY, IL, MO, NC, OK & TN). The National Park Service (NPS) administers the trail through staff at an office in Santa Fe, New Mexico." Click here for "Places To Go" in each state." Right image shows Pea Ridge, Arkansas.

February 1972-May 1988 - "Whispering Giants," (USA). Series of 58 wooden sculptures by Hungarian-born Peter Wolf Toth honoring the American Indian. There is at least one sculpture in each state and two in Canada. Statue #1 was in the beach in La Jolla, California (USA), but has been washed away. Statue #58 is near the old sugar mill, Waialua, Oahu.Hawaii (USA). Image shows statue #42 in Sprague Park, Kingston Road & Strathmore Street, Naragansett, Rhode Island (USA).

1979 - "Offering of the Sacred Pipe," Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road, NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA). Monumental bronze by Native American artist Allan Houser [1914-1994]. "A stylized Native American Indian stands wearing a feather headdress & long robe. He extends his arms out in front of himself, offering a peace pipe with both hands." Duplicate of statues in Scottsdale, Arizona, & at US Mission to the United Nations in New York City (qv).

Date? - "Offering of the Sacred Pipe," Fitness Centre Patio, above the Centre for Well-Being Spa, The Phoenecian, 6000 East Camelback Road, Scottsdale, Arizona (USA). Monumental bronze by Native American artist Allan Houser [1914-1994]. Duplicate of statues in Albuquerque, New Mexico, & at US Mission to the United Nations, New York City (qv).

February 27, 1985 - "Offering of the Sacred Pipe," US Mission to the United Nations, New York City, New York (USA). Monumental bronze by Native American artist Allan Houser [1914-1994]. "Has become a worldwide symbol of peace." Duplicate of statues in Scottsdale, Arizona, & Albuquerque, New Mexico (qv).

1989 - Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). "Showcases Western and Native American art and cultural objects. The museum's design is also inpired by the land, people, and architecture of the American Southwest." Visited by EWL.

C A R V I N G

September 30, 1989, Sequoyah," Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Boulevard (US-441), Cherokee, North Carolina (USA). 22-foot wooden statue. Carved by Hungarian-American Peter Wolf Toth from a single Sequoia log from California. #63 in a series of "Whispering Giants" carved by Toth in every state. Statues #64, #71 & #72 are also in North Carolina.

C A R V I N G

1991 - "Anishinaabe" (Statue #67), across from Caboose Tourist Booth (west side of park), Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba (Canada). Height 35 feet. Carved by Hungarian-American sculptor Peter Wolf Toth whose "Trail of the Whispering Giants" has at least one carved wood Indian statue in every US state & some (but not all) Canadian provinces.

T R E E

September 12, 1992 - Vandalized August 8, 1996 - WVU "Peace Tree," West Virginia University, Morgantgown, West Virginia (USA). "Commemorates the University's commitment to the rediscovery of America's Indian heritage. Chief Leon Shenandoah, Tadodaho (Presiding Moderator) of the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, & Chippewa Chief Robert TallTree, also a musician, artisan and storyteller, were invited to plant & bless the tree. On August 8, 1996, vandals cut down the Peace Tree. A second Peace Tree, which still stands today, was planted by Mohawk Chief Jake Swamp on October 19, 1996. /// According to Haudenosaunee oral tradition, the Creator sent a Peacemaker to unite the warring Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Mohawk & Onondaga Nations by planting the original Tree of Peace at Onondaga [New York] ca. 1000 A.D. The Tree marked the formation of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy. As told by Chief Jake Swamp, when the Tree was planted, the Peacemaker told the first leaders: 'This will be the symbol that we will use. The white pine will be the symbol of peace. Now the greenery of this tree will represent the peace you have agreed to. Every time you look at this tree and its greenery, you will be reminded of this peace you agreed to because this tree never changes color the year round, it's always green, so shall be your peace.'"

1992 - "May We Have Peace," entrance to Parrington (North) Oval, Oklahoma University, Norman, Oklahoma (USA). 11-foot bronze statue by Native American artist Allan Houser [1914-1994]. Features a Chiricahua Apache man with a peace pipe. "In 1994, Houser returned to Washington, DC, for the last time to present the US government with the sculpture, 'May We Have Peace,' a gift, he said, 'To the people of the United States from the First Peoples.' The gift was accepted by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for installation at the Vice President’s residence [now at the National Museum of the American Indian]."

1994 - "May We Have Peace," National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (USA). 11-foot bronze statue by Native American artist Allan Houser [1914-1994]. Features a Chiricahua Apache man with a peace pipe. "Temporarily installed at the residence of Vice President & Mrs. Al Gore in 1994." Then stored at the Smithsonian collections facility in Suitland, Maryland (right image) before the museum opened on September 21, 2004. Duplicate of a statue at Oklahoma University, Norman, Oklahoma (qv).

H E A D

1995 - "Mitakuye Oyasin / All My Relations," Rapid City, South Dakota (USA). "As described on the attached plaque in both English & Lakota Sioux, 'This sculpture represents hope for reconciliation, dignity, & respect for all the human race.' The earth itself is in the shape of a hoop or circle of life. The crossed pipes represent world peace. The eagle symbolizes all flying creatures & communication with Tunka Sila [/Father]. Wisdom & the healing arts are represented by the grizzly bear, and a long & productive life is symbolized by the turtle. The bison reminds us of our ancestors’ healthy lifestyles, free from famine & also of White Buffalo Calf Woman who brought us the pipe.' Cast in bronze, the sculpture is by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Claude Lamphere based on an original drawing by Richard Under Bridge [sic]." /// This is "Monday's Monument" #114. /// N.B.: This monument compares to "Beloved Woman of Justice" (May 2000) in Knoxville, Tennessee; image at far right.

S T A T U E

Memorial Day 1997 - “Gathering, Lasting Friendship, 1847-1997,” Vereins Kirche, Fredericksburg, Texas (USA). Dedicated as a part of the city's 150th anniversary celebration. Commemorates the signing of the Meusebach-Comanche Treaty in 1847. "The early German settlers became the only immigrant group to successfully negotiate peace with the Indians. It is said to be the only treaty between white settlers and Native Americans that was never broken." "Irene Marschall King, John Meusebach’s granddaughter, brought the original Meusebach-Comanche treaty document from Europe in 1970. She presented it to the Texas State Library, where it is now on display." Info courtesy of John Wilkins.

August 3, 1997 - Anthony Wayne Peace Council House, Wilson Drive, Prairie Ridge Meadow, Wilson Drive, Greenville, Ohio (USA). Across from the Garst Museum. "Honors the thirteen native American tribes who signed the Treaty of Green Ville in 1795." /// "A modern day reconstruction of the Council House built by General Anthony Wayne during the Treaty of Greene Ville talks in 1795. Its construction was made possible through the efforts of the Treaty of Greene Ville Bicentennial Committee & is staffed by committee volunteers who share the significant stories of this region’s settlement. Open by special reservation & on scheduled weekends from spring through fall."

January 23, 1998 - Cherokee Removal Memorial Park, 6800 Blythe Ferry Lane, Birchwood, Meigs County, Tennessee (USA). "The Trail Where They Cried." Near Blythe Ferry where about 9,000 Cherokees crossed the Tennessee River in 1838 en route to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Includes pavilion (middle image) overlooking Blythe Ferry Goose Management Area & outdoor map (right image) of the Trail of Tears.

S C U L P T U R E

About 1998 - Holston Peace Treaty Monument, Treaty of Holston Park, Volunteer Landing Park, Tennessee River at mouth of First Creek, Knoxville, Tennessee (USA). Depicts 3 whites & 5 Native Americans (3 men, 1 woman & 1 child). Designed by Raymond Kaskey & carved by Malcolm S. Harlow, Jr. (Inscribed "© Kaskey 1997.") Treaty of Holston Park is a small park on the east side of the Volunteer Landing parking lot. "The Treaty of Holston was signed [on the treaty ground on the bank of the Holston River, near the mouth of the French Broad River] on July 2, 1791, by William Blount [1749-1800], governor [of] the territory of the USA south of the Ohio River & superintendent of Indian affairs for the southern district for the USA, and by 41 representatives of the Cherokee Nation." (Click here for the text of the treaty.) "After concluding the treaty, Blount announced that the territorial capital would move to newly founded Knoxville" (a short distance downstream). Click here for panorama of the monument & river. Not to be confused with marker erected July 2, 1908, by Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) on Courthouse Square.

H E A D

May 2000 - "Beloved Woman of Justice," Howard Baker Jr. Federal Courthouse, 800 Market Street, Knoxville, Tennessee (USA). By Audrey Flack of New York City. Originally named "Colossal Head of Justice" but renamed at suggestion of Chief Bird of the Cherokee Nation. Flack also created the controversial $400K "Lady Justice" for the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa, Florida. /// N.B.: This monument compares to "Mitakuye Oyasin / All My Relations" (1995) in Rapid City, South Dakota; image at far right.

2003 - Treaty of Greene Ville Memorial, Elm & Main Streets, Greenville, Ohio (USA). Text : "Treaty of Greene Ville, 1795. Following General Anthony Wayne's victory at Fallen Timbers, members of the western tribes assembled at Fort Greene Ville to settle on terms of peace. Representatives of the Wyandot, Delaware, Shawnee, Ottawas, Chippewa, Ottawa, Pattawatimi, Miami, Eel River, Wea, Piankeshaw, Kickapoo, and Kaskaskia signed the treaty on August 3, and agreed to cede claims to lands east of the Cuyahoga River to Fort Laurens in Tuscarawas County and south of a line running west to Fort Recovery. In return, the United States offered payment and annuities in the form of goods and ceded claim to most land north and west of the treaty line. This treaty marked the end of the Indian Wars in the Ohio Country, forsaking boundary violations by both parties, and established the official western border of the United States, opening much of Ohio for settlement."

September 21, 2004 - National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC (USA). "Dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history & arts of the Native Americans of the Western Hemisphere. It has three facilities: the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC; the George Gustav Heye Center, a permanent museum in New York City; and the Cultural Resources Center, a research & collections facility in Suitland, Maryland. The foundations for the present collections were first assembled in the former Museum of the American Indian in New York City, which was established in 1916, and which became part of the Smithsonian in 1990."

September 21, 2004 - "Allies in War, Partners in Peace," 4th Floor, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC (USA). "Statue by Edward Hlvaka donated by Onieda Nation of New York. Depicts George Washigton, Onieda chief Shenendoah & Polly Cooper (who delivered provisions to Washington's troops during the American Revolution).

2006 - Peace Garden, Charlton House, Charlton Road, London (England). "Just south of Greenwich. A walled garden opened as a 'Peace Garden' in support of two major programs supported by Amnesty International – the campaign to stop violence against women & to control arms. Has a central sculpture & offers a quiet place for contemplation. Designed by Andrew Fisher-Tomlin. Contains a sculpture by Margaret Higginson, titled 'Portage' & a Japanese Peace pole donated from an artist in Tokyo. Portage statue [depicts] a woman carrying a boat above her head, and is designed to portray the strength & spirit of women worldwide as it portrays how indigenous women travelled between the lakes of Canada. The peace pole has the quote 'May Peace Prevail on Earth' in both English & Japanese." /// FYI: This "house was built between 1607 & 1612 for Sir Adam Newton, Dean of Durham & tutor to Prince Henry Frederick Stuart, heir to the throne, and son of King James I (VI in Scotland)." /// Info courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.

About 2006 - "Trail of Tears" historical marker, Ross's Landing Park & Plaza, Tennessee River, Chattanooga, Tennessee (USA). Marks the beginning of the Trail of Tears. Labeled "Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Committee" and paid for by from proceeds of the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride.

April 28, 2007 - Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, National Park Service, Big Sandy Creek, Kiowa County, Colorodo (USA). Pays tribute to the approximately 400 Cheyenne and Arapaho people (mostly women & children) who were killed November 29, 1864, by 700 Colorado volunteers who had signed up to be soldiers for 100 days.

April 2008 - "Crossroads of Destiny" Exhibit, Garst Museum, 205 North Broadway, Greenville, Ohio (USA). In house built in 1852. Has a Treaty room with over 1,000 artifacts. "Crossroads of Destiny is a stunning exhibit telling the history of the Treaty of Greene Ville. Greene Ville was the largest stockaded fort ever built in North America, and it was the scene of the most significant American Indian treaty ever negotiated. The Treaty of Greene Ville of 1795 opened the door to the settlement of the Midwest and resulted in Ohio statehood eight years later. The Treaty also ended forty years of conflict over the upper Ohio Valley."

2008 - "Bury the Hatchet" Stone, Main Plaza - Plaza de las Islas, Bexar County Courthouse, San Antonio, Texas (USA). - Note by Susan Ives, Dec. 27, 2013: "On Christmas day we came across this engraved stone embedded in the pavement in front of the courthouse. It says: '[The Hatchet Buried - Likewise a Horse - August 15, 1745. Captain Toribio de Urrutia and Fray Santa Ana now determined to do their best to establish a permanent and lasting peace with the Apache nation... This was a great day for San Antonio. After thirty years of depredations, the harassed settlement was about to secure, as was thought, a lasting peace. Early in the morning the plaza began to fill with an eager throng... First, a great hole was dug in the center of the plaza, and in this were placed a live horse, a hatchet, a lance, and six arrows, all instruments of war. Then Captain Urrutia and the four chiefs, joining hands, danced three times around the hole, the Indians afterwards doing the same with the priests and the citizens. When this ceremony was concluded, all retired to their respective places. Then, upon a given signal, all rushed to the hole and rapidly buried the live horse, together with the weapons, thus signifying the end of war...' /// The stone is one of 30 embedded in the Plaza when it was revitalized in 2008. Never noticed it before. Now I’m all for 'burying the hatchet.' An American idiom, it means putting aside one’s grudges & making peace. As we approach a new year forgiveness is on my mind — a chance to reconcile broken relationships. So I mulled over the words on the plaque... The first thing that struck me was that it was only Apache weapons of war that were buried. I didn’t see any canons or muskets, weapons of choice of the Spanish conquerors. And I was skeptical about the happily-ever-after ending as well. The end of war? So I did a little research... /// According to the Texas Historical Commission: 'August 19: On this day in 1749, four Apache chiefs, accompanied by numerous followers, buried a hatchet along with other weapons in a peace ceremony in San Antonio. The ceremony signified the Apaches’ acceptance of Christian conversion in exchange for Spanish protection from Comanche raids, which had decimated the Apache population. Five years later [i.e. in 1754] Giraldo de Terreros [1699-1758] established San Lorenzo, the first formal mission for the Texas Apaches, in the jurisdiction of San Juan Bautista in Mexico. When the Apaches revolted & abandoned the mission less than a year later, the missionaries argued in favor of a new mission closer to Apache territory. Construction of the ill-fated mission of Santa Cruz de San Sabá, in the heart of Apachería, began in April 1757; on March 16 of the following year, a party of 2,000 Comanche & allied Indians killed eight of the inhabitants and burned the mission buildings.' This is a different story. Far from being an reconciliation among equals, this version paints the 'burying of the hatchet' as the subjugation of the Apaches. They sacrificed their freedom, their faith & their way of life in exchange for the Spanish protection from a mutual enemy. And it didn’t work. A year later they were at it again, a conflict that did not resolve itself for more than a hundred years. There is a lesson here, although I need to think a bit more before I know what it is. What do you think? Can you recall any recent events that follow this pattern of forced conversion in exchange for protection?" /// PS: Urrutia is a town in the Basque part of Spain, and many Spainards in the new world were named for the town. /// Information courtesy of Susan Ives.

T R A I L

July 19, 2009 - Amanda's Trail, Yachats, Oregon (USA). "A tribute to the Native Americans of the central Oregon coast & the tragedy that befell them as they were ripped from their native land to make room for white settlers... The story...began in 1864 when the US Cavalry rounded up the coastal Coos & Lower Umpqua tribes, forcibly & inhumanely driving them to walk the rugged route over sharp rocks & blackberry brambles to the designated reservation at the Alsea sub-agency, a dumping ground for coastal Indian tribes..." /// Site of the Amanda statue since 2003 (middle image) by local artist Sy Meadow & the "Yachats New Year's Day Peace Hike" since 2011. Information courtesy of Kathy French.

September 8, 2010 - Relocation Monument, Resolute Bay, Cornwallis Island, Nunavut (Canada). "In August 1953, seven or eight families [87 Inuit] from Inukjuak, northern Quebec (then known as Port Harrison), were transported [by Canadian Coast Guard vessel] to Grise Fiord & Resolute Bay." /// "In April 2008, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) commissioned two of Nunavut’s leading carvers to create two monuments. Simeonie Amagoalik created a carving of a man in Resolute Bay..." (Population of Nunavut is 31,906.)

September 10, 2010 - Relocation Monument, Grise Fiord, southern tip of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut (Canada). "...Looty Pijamini (right image) created a granite carving of a woman & child in Grise Fiord."

G A R D E N

2012? - Peace Garden & Memorial Site, Frenchman's Island, Sunnyside, Newfoundland (Canada). "A group in Sunnyside is interested in learning more about the living history of their community. The first recorded meeting between the English & [the extinct] Beothuk in Sunnyside occurred in 1612. To commemorate the meeting, the Sunnyside Heritage Association has created a peace garden. 'The garden is dedicated to the meeting between Beothuk & Europeans, but the whole thing is also dedicated to ancient people & peace between cultures,' said Susan Khaladkar, deputy mayor of the town. Ms. Khaladkar is now looking for someone who knows their stuff when it comes to traditional plants of Newfoundland & Labrador. The heritage association is planning to add some naturally occurring plants & herbs around the garden, with a focus on those that were used by the Beothuk for medicinal purposes or as food sources."

S C U L P

2015 - "Kindred Spirits," Bailic Park, Midleton, County Cork (Ireland). "A huge stainless steel sculpture of nine eagle feathers thanking a Native American tribe for sending what little money they could to the Irish people suffering from starvation at the height of The Great Famine. On March 23, 1847 the Choctaw Native American tribe, who had known great hardship during their forced march to Oklahoma, collected whatever spare money they could & sent $170 to Ireland through a charity relief group... The Choctaw people donated the money 16 years after they & other tribes were forced from their homelands in Mississippi, Alabama & Florida & made to walk 500 miles along what is now known as The Trail of Tears. Many of the frailest perished due to disease, malnutrition & exposure during one of the coldest winters on record. In today’s money, the $170 sacrificed by the Choctaw would be close to $4200. The Cork sculptor Anex Penetek told the Irish Examiner, “I wanted to show the courage, fragility & humanity that they displayed.”

October 2015 - "Stix," Eighth Avenue / Korean Vets Boulevard Roundabout, Nashville, Tennessee (USA). "Stix is 27 wooden poles each 70’ tall & made of made entirely of red cedar wood; the green space is made of native grasses. German artist Christian Moeller was inspired by colors of Native American artwork & those who originally inhabited the city [sic]. (Update: the sculpture is not meant to be representative of or tied to Native American artwork, sorry for any confusion). The most expensive public art piece ever in Nashville... Moeller's other work is displayed at the Changi Airport in Singapore, London's Science Museum, SEATAC Airport in Seattle, etc."

October 7, 2017 - First Nations Peace Monument, DeCew House Heritage Park, Thorold, Ontario (Canada). "Designed by world-renowned architect & human rights activist Douglas Cardinal. Intended to generate a deeper understanding of the rich heritage & ongoing history of First Nations peoples & illuminate the founding role they played in the development of Canada. It also provides an opportunity to acknowledge transgressions & help mend divisions that extend back to our earliest shared history, in a spirit of mutual respect & reconciliation. DeCew House Heritage Park was the final destination of Canadian heroine Laura Secord [1775-1868] in her journey to warn British & allied leadership of an impending American attack during the War of 1812. Secord encountered First Nations warriors in nearby DeCew’s Field, who assisted her in conveying her message to the British commander. October 7 is [also] the 254th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 issued by George III, which set out the core elements between First Nations & the Crown - an important first step in recognizing existing Aboriginal rights, land title & the right to self-determination in Canada."

Future - American Indian Veteran Memorial, Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, California (USA). "At last there will be a fitting tribute to the more than 600 American Indian tribes and their warrior veterans. However, there will be a bit of irony on the cemetery grounds. Over at the stunning Medal of Honor monument, one of the granite slabs is entitled 'Indian Campaigns' and has a long list of those who distinguished themselves in combat with Indians. It becomes ironic that these men received this medal for killing American Indians who were attempting to protect their lands and preserve their tribal cultures that date back thousands of years, and especially unsettling that 20 of those listed men received the Medal of Honor for killing 350 Lakota men, women and children at the massacre of Wounded Knee on Dec. 29, 1890." Press-Enterprise 19Jan2015: "Alex Tortes, left, & Sharon Savage, right, both co-chairpersons for the American Indian Veterans Memorial, stand next to a small sculpture on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 at the a href="http://www.morongonation.org/">Morongo Reservation. A larger version of the sculpture would be made and displayed at the Riverside National Cemetery if the monument is built."

Future - Crazy Horse Memorial, between Custer & Hill City, South Dakota (USA). "Roughly 17 miles (27 km) from Mount Rushmore. Will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse [c1840-1877] riding a horse & pointing into the distance. Was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to be sculpted by Polish-American sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski [1908-1982]. The memorial master plan includes the mountain carving monument, an Indian University of North America, an Indian Museum of North America & a Native American Cultural Center. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacred by some Oglala Lakota. The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet (27 m) high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet (18 m) high."

Future - "Global Peace Center," Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California (USA). Reuse of former prison proposed by Native Americans.

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