May 2, 2019
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Visitors to the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site will get hands-on training to make porcupine quill medallions this weekend at the visitors center.
Kevin Mohr, chief of interpretations and operations at the National Battlefield, says the women culture in the Cheyenne is often overlooked while the male culture – or the warrior society – gets most of the attention.
He says the women made a lot of medallions or decorations that would adorn the tepees.
The special art workshop will be held this Saturday at 2 pm as a lead up program to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the release of the 53 Cheyenne women and children taken from the Washita.
Not only will visitors learn about the Cheyenne women culture, they’ll be able to – actually – make porcupine quill stitched medallions themselves.
Mohr says Cheyenne artist Greg Spottedbird will lead the workshop and it’ll be open to the first 18 people to register on Saturday.
Once a person is done with the workshop, the visitor can finish the medallion later at home.
He also adds, quilters might get accidentally poked by the quills if one isn’t careful.
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