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Statement of Gilcrease Museum’s Commitment to Communities 

Last Updated: September 2024

Land Acknowledgement

Gilcrease Museum is situated on the ancestral territory of the Osage Nation and Wichita & Affiliated Tribes, who were the original stewards of the land upon which the Museum stands. As occupants of their land, we respect their individual histories and recognize their status as sovereign nations. In Tulsa, we also stand at the meeting places of the reservations of the Cherokee Nation and the Muscogee Nation, and in proximity to a total of 39 federally recognized tribes in what is now the state of Oklahoma. 

Settler, migrant*, and enslaved and freed* peoples have also called this land home. Each group’s experiences and identities are part of Tulsa’s history. Notably, Gilcrease Museum is located in North Tulsa, near the historic Greenwood District and Black Wall Street.

Though the histories of interactions among these communities have been complex and even violent, they have also involved resilience, solidarity, and collaboration among diverse communities of people who have made the Tulsa area their home. We believe that the rich diversity of our city is its greatest asset and strength.

Acknowledgement of Past Practices 

Gilcrease Museum recognizes its historic role within the harmful and unethical colonial systems of collecting, interpreting, researching, and exhibiting culturally diverse items without community consent and engagement. Various communities are underrepresented at Gilcrease Museum, and these absences in the collection illustrate systemic racism, white supremacy, and colonialism as much as what is present in the collection.

Over the course of our institution’s history, a portion of the collections have included Indigenous ancestral remains, sensitive belongings, and protected cultural items created for ceremonial use. Many items held within Gilcrease Museum are imbued with spirit and seek to continue their lives in connection with their communities. We can honor this by working with communities towards repatriation and respectful stewardship of these items.  

We also acknowledge that a simple statement of territory, history, and stewardship is insufficient for our institution. As we seek pathways to healing, we commit to collaborating on all levels throughout the museum with our neighbors as well as those represented in it.

Commitment to Indigenous Communities

As part of the work that Gilcrease Museum is doing to more appropriately care for, represent, and contextualize the collections we currently steward, we are also working to foster reciprocal, respectful, and long-term relationships with these communities. 

Gilcrease Museum affirms its commitment to continue its support of tribal sovereignty through ceding cultural authority to Indigenous communities and further developing and nurturing our relationships and partnerships. We will continue to prioritize repatriation; collaboration with communities in exhibitions, programs, and collections stewardship; and the development and reforming of institutional policies and procedures in consultation. We strive to be transparent, flexible, respectful, and willing to learn and change through growing knowledge, empathy and understanding.  

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Sovereignty (JEDAIS)

Today, we are committed to serving, reflecting, uplifting and bringing communities together through dialogue, learning, research, creative practices and shared experiences. Through our commitment to this evolving work, we strive for each visitor to feel welcome and respected regardless of race, national origin, color, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, or economic or veteran status. 

We embrace our institutional role as a vehicle for positive social impact by committing to: 

  • Ongoing dialogues with communities; 
  • Collaboration and relationships; 
  • Diverse, equitable, and accurate representation; 
  • Transparency and accountability; 
  • Continued proactive learning; and 
  • Prioritizing visitors’ experiences. 

Gilcrease Museum is currently developing an action and accountability plan to support and implement this commitment. 

To Learn More: 

  • Settler and Migrant- Oklahoma’s early settlers and migrants collected near land and mineral opportunities. The Oklahoma Land Runs attracted people with the promise of land ownership and offered the hope of building a better life. Consequently, the opening of vast tracts of land for non-Indian settlement, led to the further erosion of tribal sovereignty and the displacement of Indigenous Peoples. Today, Oklahoma’s immigrant population has grown steadily in recent decades, contributing to the state’s cultural diversity and economic vitality. As of 2023, approximately 6.1% of Oklahoma residents are foreign-born, bringing a wealth of skills, experiences, and cultural perspectives to the state.
  • Enslaved and Freed Peoples- Following forced removal from the southeastern United States, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Nations brought with them a significant population of enslaved African Americans to Oklahoma. After the Civil War, formerly enslaved peoples, now known as Freedmen, sought liberation and autonomy, establishing historic Black towns across the state, laying the foundation for thriving communities. These towns provided a haven from the oppressive racial climate prevalent in the South, offering opportunities for self-determination, economic growth, and cultural preservation.