Gilcrease Museum Returns Historic Printing Press To Cherokee Nation

Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum conveyed possession of a historic printing press to the Cherokee Nation, greater than a decade after loaning it to the tribe.

The press was the final one utilized by the Cherokee Advocate, the predecessor of the trendy Cherokee Phoenix.

The U.S. Authorities seized the press from the Cherokees in 1906 and bought it at public sale. It handed by way of a number of palms earlier than Thomas Gilcrease purchased it within the Forties.

“We are able to honor and be grateful to Thomas Gilcrease for saving the press in that point interval when probably it will have been discarded. It’s potential the press would have been scrapped and by no means seen once more, however we will additionally do the right factor on this time interval which is to return it to the folks it belongs to – the Cherokee Nation,” mentioned Brian Whisenhunt, the Director of Gilcrease Museum.

Phoenix Editor Tyler Thomas famous the seizure contradicted the Freedom of the Press within the First Modification.

“To suppose that someone would are available in with the federal authorities and say this is not yours, you are now not allowed to print the paper you based, to tell your residents, it is loopy to suppose that will occur in the US of America.”

Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. accepted the switch on behalf of the Nation.

“Once we take into consideration the chums we’ve got all through historical past, Gilcrease is a superb pal and this voluntary switch says an ideal deal about them and about us right here within the twenty first Century, doing the appropriate factor, it simply feels good at the moment.”

The press will stay on show within the Cherokee Nationwide Supreme Courtroom Constructing Museum.