Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day

03/24/2026

Derek Ross, one of the featured speakers during the March 7 "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day", is interviewed in this YouTube video about his work at Baylor University's Mayborn Museum Complex.

Ross, a spokesperson for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, is helping install an authentic grass house inside the Mayborn on the Baylor campus. His goal is to help university students and the wider community learn about Wichita roots in Waco. The tribe was based there centuries ago before it was forcibly removed to Oklahoma. The tribe is one that is often identified with Native American activity in North Texas in the long ago.

The grass house is part of the museum's new exhibit "Cultural Crossroads". See the video here:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

03/18/2026

TEACH CHILDREN EARLY TO PRESERVE LANGUAGE, SAYS EXHIBITOR WHOSE MATERIALS WERE DISPLAYED AT "OTHER STEPS, ANOTHER TIME"

Dr. Garnet Wind, whose materials were exhibited at "Other Steps, Another Time" on March 7, has a goal of starting children early in the tradition of learning and speaking the Chickasaw language.

She says her "Learning Chickasaw Language Series", a four-book series that was displayed at the Garland Native American Awareness Day event, is a fun and interactive way to begin learning, speaking, and writing the language. With many original speakers departing this life, it is considered important to revitalize the language so that it becomes natural to the younger generation.

Each book contains grammar tips, enrichment activities, and translation charts. It is billed as appropriate for home and classroom usage.

The four books are: Chikasha Alphabet A-Y, Learning to Read Chickasaw (Book 1), My Family, Anchokka' Chaffa (Book 2), 24 Chickasaw Action Words (Book 3), and Counting Animals in Chickasaw (Book 4). All are available on amazon.com by following the link below.

Wind, who visited Garland from Ada, OK, for the event, describes herself on Linkedin as telling "original stories about growing up urban and different as well as Native American stories, ghost stories, Ashkenazi stories, and sky stories. She also facilitates workshops at universities, senior centers, nature centers, and conferences."

Here is the link to her books:

https://www.amazon.com/Chikashsha-Alphabet-Y-Learning-Chickasaw/dp/B0GPL66FQL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2QS193QN6DCR8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.N7_fsciGRcX0ng1zIWoOfSkGG-ghwrk6UkTGKJngbkHGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.93dqMIRPSuMJBRGJvgj6Dzclw12AjWmuJA0MJzJtvho&dib_tag=se&keywords=garnet+wind+learning+chickasaw+language+series&qid=1773833903&sprefix=garnet+wind+learning+chickasaw+language+series%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-3

"Other Steps, Another Time" was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in partnership with the Garland Library (TX). It was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission.

03/17/2026

Here are the remarks of Charles Sadnick, director of the History Programs office of the Texas Historical Commission in Austin, at "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day" on March 7.

In presenting the Texas Historical Commission's Award of Merit, his remarks cited event coordinator Kay Moore for "combining traditional preservation practices with creative arts-based initiatives that engage the Garland community in its local history."

"Her work has contributed to the saving of significant historic buildings and the preservation of stories that might otherwise be lost, particularly those representing marginalized communities. Through her balanced creative approach, Kay has brought a public interest in preservation and demonstrated how history continues to inform and strengthen community identity. The THC is proud to present its Award of Merit to Kay Wheeler Moore."

"Other Steps, Another Time" was presented at the Plaza Theatre in downtown Garland by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in partnership with Garland Library (TX). Kay Moore is a board member and secretary of Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street nonprofit.

The March 7 event was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission. Thanks to participant Cassandra Cox for furnishing the video.

03/16/2026

Here are the remarks of Louis Moore, president of Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street, to kick off last Saturday's "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day", at the Plaza Theatre.

* * * * *

"Good morning, I'm Louis Moore, president of Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street, sponsor of today's event, "Other Steps, Another Time". This is actually our organization's Annual Meeting, as ordained by our bylaws, but it's our tradition to turn our annual meeting into our gift to the community with a special program for all to enjoy.

Long before our community's founding on the banks of Duck Creek, other feet have trod upon our soil. It's easy to think about those early Duck Creek settlers in 1840 as the forerunners for our community .... but Garland felt the feet of other people for centuries beforehand, and that presence in Garland can be easily overlooked. Today we celebrate the Native American heritage of Garland and beyond as we look into the experiences of those whose lands we are stewards of today.

We always begin our events with this acknowledgement: Our nonprofit acknowledges that we sit on the traditional territory of North Texas occupied by multiple American Indian groups. Most notably it was inhabited by the Jumano, Wichita, Kickapoo, and Tawakoni. We recognize the American Indian peoples as the original stewards of this land. These were brave people whose descendants still live in this area. Their children were later forced into residential schools where their language, customs, faith, and family ties were destroyed. We owe them much. We also acknowledge that this land where we live and work had an economy that originally was built with enslaved people's lives. Their blood, sweat, and tears were used to build wealth that they and their children did not get to enjoy. This land has held many sacred voices prior to the presence of Garland, Texas, as we now know it. This acknowledgement is a small gesture to our organization's larger commitment to showing respect to ALL people through awareness and action.

* * * * *

Now I'd like to call on Jana Henderson, elder and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, to say our invocation. Jana will do this first in Chickasaw and then in English. (Jana prays)

Thank you, Jana, who is a modern-day student to help preserve this language spoken by many first Americans.
* * * * *
Friends of Garland's HIstoric Magic 11th Street has as one of its missions to tell stories that are un-told or under-told as they pertain to Garland. We've done this with the history of 11th Street, one of Garland's oldest residential areas. We'e done this with our Latino population, in "The Cactus Chronicles" musical drama. We've done this with "The Flats: Cradle of a Community" musical drama. We are proud to be trailblazers in this area--and today we turn our attentions toward the Native American experience in the long-ago.

I'd like to introduce our Board: The Honorable Christopher Ott, vice-president; Kay Moore, secretary; Fred Downes, treasurer; Board members Debbie Scott, John Combs, Roger Poore, Dawn Hallman, Kenia Ott, and the Honrable Robert Vera.

Now I call on the mayor of the City of Garland, Mayor Dylan Hedrick, to extend a word of welcome. (Dylan speaks)

We also have a number of distinguished guests that have traveled some distance to be with us today. I'll hold off on introducing our featured speakers, who are from out-of-town, but I do want to introduce Beth Alexander, tribal legislator. Tribal governments have branches to them just as our U.S. government does. For 27 years Beth has served the legislative branch representing the Panola District, which is the district closest to the Dallas area.

* * * * *

Now I'd like to call on another of our distinguished guests, Charles Sadnick, who has come up from Austin to make a special recognition. Charles is over the HIstory Programs Division of the Texas Historical Commission. Charles, we welcome you today, and please come to the microphone. (Charles speaks)

* * * * *
Thank you, Charles, for making a special trip to make this special speech.

Now it's time for our movie, but before we begin our screening, it's time for our first drawing of the day.

(draws numbers)

Now we'll show our first movie of the day. We'd like to thank Chickasaw Nation Productions for making this lovely movie available to us today. We know you'll enjoy and find moving this film about "Te Ata", a legendary actress of Native American descent who made her mark in the entertainment industry while she advocated for Native American causes. (Movie shows)"

The event was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in partnership with the Garland Library (TX). It was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission. Thanks to Deborah Downes of Take to Heart Images for supplying the photograph and Cassandra Cox for supplying the video.

03/15/2026

Here are the remarks of Garland Mayor Dylan Hedrick as he was bringing a word of welcome at the start of "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day" a week ago Saturday, March 7, in the Plaza Theatre.

"Welcome to so many distinguished guests and community leaders and friends from near and far. And we're particularly grateful for all the many out-of-town visitors who braved the weather to travel here and particularly our friends who came from across the Red River from Oklahoma for an event more than just a football game. And we're honored to have with us Chickasaw legislator Beth Alexander along with executives from the Chickasaw Nation and other spokespersons from other tribal nations. Your presence here today means a great deal to our city. Thank you for making the journey and sharing this important occasion with us.

"Garland is a city rich in history, and while we are proud of our growth and progress, we recognize that our story did not begin with incorporation papers or railroad tracks. Long before Garland became the city we know today, this land was home to Native American people. There was a Native American presence throughout North Texas including right here in what we now call Garland."

"Other Steps, Another Time" was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in partnership with the Garland Library (TX). It was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission. (Thank you to Jan Nosko Alexander for the photo of Mayor Hedrick and Cassandra Cox for the video)

03/14/2026

Here is the text (in English) of the invocation offered by Chickasaw Elder Jana Henderson at the start of last Saturday's "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day" at the Plaza Theatre.

"Let us give thanks to God, our Father, for all the things He has given us. Lord, for our food, our drink, and our family for our tribe, we thank you. Lord, for our minds that we may think and for the love that is in our hearts and for the hands to help others, we thank you. Amen."

She preceded the English version of her prayer with a prayer in Chickasaw. She is among a group of adults that is determinedly pursuing comprehensive language-learning in an effort to revitalize the language.

"Other Steps, Another Time" was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in partnership with the Garland Library (TX). It was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission. (Video provided by Cassandra Lily Cox)

03/13/2026

The original song, "Remembering Home", was performed as a prelude to last Saturday's "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day" at the Plaza Theatre. Two Native American citizens performed the vocal number, accompanied by flute. It was aired as an audio performance to set the stage for the program to follow.

The words to the song appear here. The song represents the backward look by two Native American citizens that are being forcibly removed from the land that has been their home for centuries. The song recounts what they are leaving behind, including the "bones of my forefathers"—their ancestors' burial sites.

The event was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in conjunction with the Garland Library (TX). "Other Steps, Another Time" was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission.

REMEMBERING HOME

Rememb'ring home . . .
How green and lush the meadows.
Leaving behind the tall and towering trees.
Saying goodbye
To bones of our forefathers.
Deep from the ground
We hear their silent pleas—

"Hold to us fast.
Our lines will still be with you.
No place you'll go
Will ever be the same.
Though you may walk
A thousand miles from homelands—
Chikasha Poya! Cherish our great name."

Rememb'ring home . . .
Our feet are weak and weary,
But in our hearts
The memories still beat strong.
What will we find
In that strange Western country—
Far from the place we know that we belong?

Can we find strength
To rise and greet the morning?
Unfettered paths
And pure and flowing streams?
Can we find soil
So rich to feed our families?
Will it exist, or only in our dreams?

These trails have tears
And over-pow'ring sorrow.
But we must dry them
As our band treads on.
Unconquerable, we vow to be unconquered
Even though all
We ever knew is gone.

An act of will
May forcibly remove us,
Still in our hearts
We're never far from home.

Remem'bering home!

To hear the song click on this link:
https://soundcloud.com/karenarthur-837856927/remembering-home-mv4/s-oYmxTNgevnc?si=0fddd7b545044a62a72a5fe1b6eca4dc&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

03/12/2026

Photography from Deborah Downes of Take to Heart Images and snapshots from assorted other attendees tell a memorable tale of Saturday's "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day".

From lines at the food truck featuring Native American entrees to colorful table displays to a touching dramatic dialogue to captures of speakers' key moments, this photo account records Garland's first foray into insights into the Native American experience.

The event was held on Saturday, March 7, at the Plaza Theatre downtown. It was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in conjunction with the Garland Library (TX). It was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission.

03/11/2026

VIDEO PRESENTATION BY RICKY REYES, SPEAKING ON JUMANO TRIBE, SLATED TO APPEAR AT "OTHER STEPS, ANOTHER TIME"

Here is the video presentation of Ricky Reyes, San Antonio architect, who was slated to speak on the Jumano tribe but was called away to a family engagement last Saturday during "Other Steps, Another Time" in Garland.

Ricky represented the Jumano tribe and other tribes with an audience in Rome with Pope Francis in 2019. The Jumano people are among the tribes that are associated with the North Texas area and are mentioned in land acknowledgements involving Garland and surroundings.

Ricky has a particular interest in one aspect of the Jumano history and culture—the Jumano (and Native Americans') experiences with Sor Maria De Jesus De Agreda—Lady in Blue—an esteemed Roman Catholic nun who was said to experience biolocation and who was said to have appeared to the Jumano (and others), with special messages to and blessings for them.

Ricky made this YouTube video that was scheduled to be shown at "Other Steps, Another Time", but the event came to a close before time permitted the showing. Here it is for viewers' enjoyment.

"Other Steps, Another Time" was held at the Plaza Theatre and was sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street in conjunction with the Garland Library (TX). It was sponsored in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission.

The video can be seen at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_A1c5zShZg

03/10/2026

Featured speaker Derek Ross continued his round of Dallas-area engagements with three appearances in church settings on Sunday morning.

Ross, who addressed at Garland audience on Saturday during "Other Steps, Another Time: Garland Native American Awareness Day", promoted his message at Dallas' Wilshire Baptist Church—first during a Sunday-school class presentation, then in the worship service, and then in an after church lunch-and-learn conversation with congregants.

Ross, Indigenous scholar in residence at Baylor University, and his wife Amanda traveled up from Waco for the weekend events. They served as missionaries in the Philippines for about 20 years.

Ross, a member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, says he feels part of his current calling is to help Wacoans relate to the city's Native American roots, since the city was a key center for the Wichita tribe for centuries before the present community of Waco was officially established on the banks of the Brazos River. He endeavors to help Wacoans understand more about the people groups that were the original stewards of the land: "many sacred voices prior to the presence of" Waco as they now know it.

On the Baylor campus his message serves as an addendum to traditional curriculum that students might learn in a history, political science, or sociology class, for example. He also is constructing an authentic 20-foot-tall Wichita grass house in the Mayborn Museum Complex on the Baylor campus.

The Wichita, so prevalent in Waco as well as all the way to Kansas, were forcibly removed from these lands and relocated to Anadarko, OK, locus of the tribe today and Derek's hometown.

As part of his presentation on Sunday (as well as during his Garland message on Saturday), he taught attendees to sing the hymn "Amazing Grace" in Wichita. Derek was reared speaking Wichita and attending a local church where worship was conducted in Wichita.

03/09/2026

It was a colorful, culture- and heritage-filled day as attendees learned about the Native American experience in the long-ago and the present during "Other Steps, Another Time" Saturday at the Plaza Theatre.

From speakers, a dramatic play, a film, and intriguing displays, guests got a glimpse of life from some Native American tribes that were associated with this area and to the immediate north beginning centuries ago.

Friends of Garlnd's Historic Magic 11th Street sponsored Garland's first Native American Awareness Day, an all-day event that included a food truck serving Indian Tacos, "Rez Dogs", and other menu items.

Dignitaries, including a long-serving legislator from one of the tribal nations and Garland's mayor, gave words of welcome. An official of the Texas Historical Commission traveled from Austin to bring a special recognition for Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street's unique approach to historic preservation.

Actors portrayed on stage a scene showing one family's experiences during the Removal, a time in the early 1800s when Native Americans were forced from their ancestral tribal homelands to alien territories in other states. Based on real-life events, the scene featured an original musical number, "Who I Am".

Displays in the Plaza lobby included two massive panels hand-painted by art students from two GISD schools and an art display of Native American-themed paintings and prints. Representatives from the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and The Chickasaw Nation brought artifacts, including a scale-model of an authentic grass house that sheltered tribal families up until about the 1700s and actual items that belonged to the actress Te Ata.

Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street sponsored the free event in partnership with the Garland Library (TX). It was funded in part by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission.