The Indigenous Section

Take a look at the first section of the Anthology of Argentine Mural!

The Anthology of Argentine Mural, located at 3160 Metropolitan Ave, Kansas City, KS, is composed of multiple sections, each showcasing the multicultural diverse history of Argentine. The first section onlookers can spot is dedicated to the Indigenous history of Argentine.

Prior to American settlement, indigenous tribes called the area of Argentine home. Historically, the earliest inhabitants of the area were Paleo-Indians. Around 100 BCE, Woodland Culture began to thrive in eastern Kansas. Their culture was characterized by an increased dependence on agriculture as well as ceramic and stone tool making, likely influenced by Eastern Woodland populations, the Hopewell, pictured in the Mural. In the late 1500s, the Osage and the Kanza tribes migrated into present day Kansas. The Kanza remained in the region until they were forced to sell their land to the United States in 1846 and relocated to the Neosho River Valley, and then Oklahoma. Their absence was created to make way for new tribes that were being pushed out west of the Mississippi in favor of American settlement.

The Shawnee were one of the many tribes that were forcibly located to Kansas into present day Turner and Argentine around 1825. In Argentine, Prophet Tenskwatawa (also written as Ten-Squa-Ta-Wa, is pictured in the Mural. He retired, died, and is buried in the community. He was the twin brother of Chief Tecumseh, known for his resistance of American westward expansion; the Prophet had similar beliefs. In 1854, the Shawnee feeling pressure from American settlers, signed a treaty giving up 1.6 million acres with 200,000 acres to be distributed in allotments. Some members stayed while others relocated to Oklahoma. Although Argentine is no longer part of a Reservation, that does not mean the Shawnee, other indigenous groups, and their descendants no longer inhabit the area.

The Anthology of Argentine Mural helps to showcase this history and more to eager onlookers checking the progress of the Mural's restoration.