FIELDS’ NIECE RAILEE AND CHILDREN VALERY, AUDREY AND AVERY WEAR REGALIA PRIMARILY CRAFTED BY FIELDS IN FRONT OF A KIOWA TIPI REPLICA IN LIICHOKOSHKOMO’.
Cowboy Duds Tie-Dye Bandanna September 5 • 10:00 a.m. – Noon Do you like to dress like a cowboy? Wear your best hat and boots and come make a one-of-a-kind bandanna through a fun dying process, learn about the many ways you can use it, make a paper bag Western vest and enjoy storytime. Free for members or with Museum admission. All activities available while supplies last.
Eager to learn While pursuing a degree in art history and archeology from the University of Maryland College Park, Fields landed her first job with the Smithsonian in the National Museum of Natural History’s gift store. “I was so excited as a college student, thinking, ‘I am so big time,’” laughs Fields. “I was truly walking on air when I landed that first job.” Fields calls that experience the beginning of her education in how museums function. It was also where she met her Oklahoma-born husband-to-be. Within a few months, Fields transferred to the National Museum of the American Indian, where she began working with Indigenous artists and became an Indigenous representative for the visitor services staff. She gained experience across a variety of museum departments and met and learned about Indigenous communities from all over the world. “The first time I worked with people coming in and asking questions about the culture, I realized there was a view that we existed only in the past,” said Fields of a common stereotype facing Indigenous people. “This was an opportunity to engage with the public and transform myths and misconceptions.”
Falling in love with Oklahoma With the same familial commitment to honoring his heritage, Arthur was deeply missing the wide-open spaces of his Oklahoma home. The couple decided to move back the Sooner State where Fields worked for Indian Health Services. They returned briefly to Maryland, where Fields engaged in grant work that would become very valuable as they came back to Oklahoma. In 2010, Fields traveled to Oklahoma City for a development position interview with the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. She was immediately struck by the Smithsonian-quality institution, from the collections to the level of knowledge of the staff. She also remembered the anecdotal experiences she loved about Oklahoma. “I remember the first time I arrived someone held the door for me and that was almost shocking,” recalls Fields. “People are more hospitable here and it was better for the family we were starting. I fell in love with Oklahoma.” Fields has spent the past 10 years at the National Cowboy Museum working in both the development and education departments. She’s also worked closely with the Annie Oakley Society, where the idea and capital
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nationalcowboymuseum.org/kids 1700 Northeast 63rd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73111
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