By Megan Bachman

“We do not have to romanticize our past in order to be aware of how it seeds our present. We do not have to suffer the waste of an amnesia that robs us of the lessons of the past rather than permit us to read them with pride as well as deep understanding.” — Audre Lorde

Today, I attended the groundbreaking for Ohio’s latest state park in Oldtown in Greene County, just a few miles from Agraria.

What will be known as Great Council State Park will feature an interpretative center dedicated to telling the history of the Shawnee and other Native peoples of the area, and their relationship with early white settlers. It's located at the former site of the Tecumseh Motel, in close proximity to a major historic Shawnee village.

During the development of the park, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has involved the three federally-recognized Shawnee tribes, all of which are based in Oklahoma. Talon Silverhorn, a citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, who has partnered with Agraria to teach Indigenous crafts, will be the park’s Cultural Programs Manager.

At the groundbreaking, Silverhorn remarked on the state’s investment of $10.5 million to build the 12,000-square-foot facility, and its efforts to reach out to the Shawnee tribes, as indicative of its commitment. Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma was also present at the groundbreaking.

In his comments, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who grew up in nearby Yellow Springs, touched on the importance of story.

“The history that we all heard as we grew up, whether in regard to Blackfish or Tecumseh or the Shawnee Indians, is part of our heritage,” he said.

“This is going to be a very, very special place,” he added. “It really is going to tell a story. We’ve heard parts of the story, but we want to have as much of the story here as we can.”

The center, which is located on a 0.7-acre site, is due to open in November 2024.

As part of our work connecting people with the land to promote healing and regeneration, Agraria is interested in sharing the stories of those who long inhabited and cared for this land. We look forward to the many opportunities this new state park will afford us for learning and sharing these stories.

And for more information on our July 9th moccasin-making workshop with Talon Silverhorn, visit: https://www.agrariacenter.org/events/2022/7/9/moccasin-making-workshop

*Bachman is the assistant director of Agraria.