Osiyo, Ayupachi to our website!  This site is dedicated to our families and the History and Culture of the Southeastern American Indians, starting with our families.

We are voting citizens of the Chickasaw and Cherokee Nations of Oklahoma.

This site is NOT an entity of the Chickasaw Nation, The Chickasaw Alliance, or any Chickasaw Community Council.  Nor are we an entity of the Cherokee Nation as well. 

We are members of the Chickasaw Historical Society, The Wichita Chickasaw Community Council, and our 12 year old daughter is a member of the Cherokee Artists Association.  We each enjoy art, pow-wows, historical and tribal events in which we try to take part of as time and skully allows for it.

Although we are a politically minded family we try to keep our tribal political views private, unless we have reason to speak out!
                                      

                            PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS!
                                We hope you enjoy our site!                    

Welcome To Our Site
Blackbear Bosin's "Keeper of the Plains" in Wichita where
we grew up, and where I served on the Board of Directors at The Mid America  All Indian Center there in Wichita where the two rivers meet. 
  My Beautiful wife Brenna and I at the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.
   Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill             Anoatubby and I at the 2006 Listening Conference in Oklahoma City.
The Chickasaw Princessess 2003 -2004
      My Cousin and Chickasaw Legislator                             Mary Jo Green
                     
Nammy award winning artist Arvel Bird at Red Earth
    With Dana Tiger
Ceremony at the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty honoring Chester Horse full blood Kiowa Korean War Veteran and the Great Grandson of Chief Hunting Horse who reared Chester
Pictures with folks we have been Honored to make an aquaintance with.
United States Surgeon General                    Richard Carmona
Taking a break with Chester Horse at
                Red Earth 2007
With Mrs. Chad Smith and Deputy Chief Joe Grayson of the Cherokee Nation while in DC
At Wounded Knee.....
   SOWERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
        "The Helicopter School"
               Wichita, Kansas 


Sowers Elementary School opened September 8, 1953, with 307 pupils and 10 teachers. Forsblom and Parks were the architects for the 12 room structure. The school was not connected to the city gas or water lines. The children waded the creeks in wet weather unless the parents brought them and braved the ruts left by the construction company along the east bank of the canal. There were times of high water when the Joyland train was used to transport the children across Dry Creek.

Two footbridges were constructed in the spring of 1954 to span the creeks. For two years no street, as such, came to Sowers. In 1954 a footbridge was constructed across the canal, and in 1956 Wassall was paved and a bridge constructed across Dry Creek. There was much discussion and some dissension between the Board of Education and the City Commission about the placement of the school and the consequent need for the construction of the street and bridge. The newspapers took up the story and dubbed Sowers the "Helicopter School."

The land for the Sowers site was acquired during the time when the Board of Education could buy no land outside the actual boundaries of the city. By necessity, available undeveloped land was often acquired that did not represent the ideal site. For beauty, the Sowers site is ideal; a city park of eight to ten acres is adjacent to the school site. And to think this was all once Osage Indian Trust Land, and before that no-one owned the land.

In the fall of 1966, highway construction, the paving of the canal, and a $60,000 footbridge across the canal and highway were started. For two years school and construction went on side by side.

A peak enrollment of 452 was reached in 1958-59. Declining enrollment closed Sowers as an elementary school at the end of the 1989-90 school years.

The building was reopened as an alternative high school in the fall of 1990 with Fred Leichtenfeldt as principal. The school maintained a special day school program for special education students and a program for regular education students who had significant behavioral problems at their base school. Regular education was discontinued in the spring of 1994 leaving the school to serve only special education students.
Across the dirt road from Sowers was Joyland Amusement Park.            
               #2                                    "Our wonderful School Days"
My Cousin Bill Victor at the
Chickasaw White House
Brenna with our late friend Claus Mrozynski
The girls with well known storyteller
               Donna Couteau Cross
The girls with Wilma Mankiller.
Me and Commanche Code Talker's                  Author Bill Meadows
Hayley and Dana in Tishomingo 2006
Sowers Elementary School "Field Day" Circa 1972   You can see Mr. Pope (with hat) Mr. Somers (starting line) and my little brother John Kennedy is 3rd from the bottom on the "Starting Line"
With Monica Seawright, Chickasaw Princess 2007
    Me, Chester Horse and Dr. Schyler Jones
     Me on my "Cotton Picker" Chris on his
                 "2-speed kickback"
  Our Orchestra Teacher
      Mr. John Hancock
After School fun with Major Astro
And Captain Bill
                "Our Joyland"
                       "Here We Go"