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82-KeeperOfThePlainsWitchitaKSSept2022

So we went to the Keeper Of The Plains located in downtown Wichita. Cindy's niece Autumn and her husband Brayden as well as her nephew Brendan and his lady Katie came along with us. Really a unique area, with the Keeper Of The Plains being based on recognition of the Indian tribes. They have a great set of memorials for the service people of the area, starting with recognition of the revolutionary war all the way through the Iraq freedom campaign.

The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot tall steel sculpture standing at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers join together in downtown Wichita. This land between the two rivers is sacred ground to the Native American people and is also home to the Mid-America All-Indian Museum. The American Indian sculpture was created by Wichitan and Native American artist Blackbear Bosin (1921-1980). This icon of Wichita was erected on May 18, 1974, to celebrate the United States Bi-centennial and has kept a watchful eye on the city ever since.

Decades later, the Keeper of the Plains now has an even larger view of Wichita. A complete renovation of the sculpture and installation of the Keeper of the Plains Plaza now brings people out each evening to see the Keeper and the lit fire pots that surround it, known as the Ring of Fire. The 5-ton Keeper of the Plains statue is now 30 feet higher than before with it's new pedestal. There are also two suspended footbridges allowing people to cross from the north and south directions to the plaza at the base of the Keeper. Part of the $20 million dollar river corridor improvement project, the statue can now be seen over the trees and buildings that have sprung up over the years along the river.

The Park as it is now comprised was formed by an action taken by the City Council on 21 July 2009. On that date, the Veterans Memorial Park of Wichita Inc. was given the responsibility of Managing the Park in accordance with the Long Range Plan agreed to by the Board of VMPWI and the City. This agreement is still in effect to this day. Ownership remains with the City and as such, permits are required for all events. Persons and/or organizations wishing to build monuments in the Park must contact the VMPWI Board for information and permission to break ground.

When walking through the park, be sure to keep your eyes open for the troll. It is a local attraction that makes the walk through the park a lot of fun.

For more details about our adventures click on the links at the top of the page.



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