Native artists J. NiCole Hatfield and Brent Greenwood created the mural to Native history at the Thunderbird Casino, owned and operated by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Photo: J. NiCole Hatfield

Public Relations

Absentee Shawnee Tribe showcases Native history at casino

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe is paying tribute to prominent Native Americans at one of its casinos in Oklahoma.

The mural at the Thunderbird Casino was created by Native artists J. NiCole Hatfield and Brent Greenwood, The Norman Transcript reported. Along with some Shawnee clan animals, it features portraits of Tecumseh, the legendary Shawnee leader; Te Ata Fisher, a Chickasaw Nation storyteller; John L. Sloat, a decorated Shawnee veteran; and Jim Thorpe, the record-setting Sac and Fox athlete.

A portrait of Jim Thorpe, an Olympian and athlete from the Sac and Fox Nation, is part of the mural at the Thunderbird Casino, owned and operated by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Photo: Brent Greenwood

“The resulting collaboration of Native American artists and [Thunderbird] is a representation of sacrifice, culture, sport, art, and leadership the characterizes the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and surrounding communities,” casino general manager Sam Caruso told the paper.

Hatfield is Comanche, Kiowa and Apache. Greenwood is Ponca and Chickasaw.

Read More on the Story

Thunderbird Casino mural showcases prominent Native Americans (The Norman Transcript August 13, 2019)