From The Journal Record:

The Cherokee Nation Tourism Department unveiled a unique cultural tourism program Wednesday involving elements of historic preservation and entrepreneurialism.

The 2-year-old department announced partnerships with several regional historical organizations, such as the Fort Gibson Historic Site and the Will Rogers Museum, to create four cultural tours advertised through a new, branded campaign and the new Web site www.cherokeetourismok.com.

These Cherokee tours – ranging in subject from the Trail of Tears and Indian Territory settlement to the Civil War and Will Rogers – tout several “living history” elements that have proven tourist magnets across other parts of the nation, from Williamsburg, Va., to Dodge City, Kan.

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From The Daily Oklahoman:

The author of a new children’s novel about Ku Klux Klan activity in Lawton hopes school libraries and teachers will use his book to teach tolerance and about a dishonorable time in Oklahoma history. “Night Fires” was written by Cameron University linguistics professor George Stanley, a prolific author of children’s books.

After researching racism in Lawton during the 1920s, the professor wove a story about a fictional 13-year-old boy who comes to live in Oklahoma after his father dies. Woodrow Harper finds a new father figure in his neighbor, a powerful state senator who is involved in the Klan.

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by Gene Perry

A new exhibition at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is providing a rare glimpse at a Native American perspective on 19th and early 20th century America. “One Hundred Summers: A Kiowa Calendar Record” features hand-drawn illustrations by renowned Kiowa artist and calendar-keeper Silver Horn…