Sharing Stories of Heritage and History  

Museum volunteer, George Taylor, has an unusual perspective when he gives history and art tours at the First Americans Museum (FAM) and the Oklahoma State Capitol. He was raised in the Native American tradition and found success in the modern business world. Now, during his retirement years, George finds himself returning to his indigenous roots, while simultaneously using his two backgrounds as a teaching tool for museum visitors. 

Growing Up Native American 

George grew up in Claremore, speaking Creek and Cherokee. His family followed the tribal traditions of his mother, a nurse who was half Creek and half Chickasaw. When his biological father left, she remarried a full-blood Creek Indian, a Native American Methodist Minister. 

“I was inquisitive about my native roots,” George said. “The Cherokee leaders at Claremore could talk the ears off a jackrabbit, so I learned a lot from them, but my parents began encouraging me to learn about the modern business world to be successful.” 

Navigating the Modern Business World 

Growing up on a tight budget made a strong impression on George, who wanted to make money. Young and athletic, he worked as a roofer and wheat harvester in his early teens. He put himself through school at the University of Oklahoma, where coaching looked like an appealing career until George noticed that only a few coaches were paid high salaries. 

“I looked at statistics,” George said. “To be financially successful, I needed to be an engineer or accountant. I absolutely hated math, but I signed up for a finance degree and learned math. Early in my career, I walked into a business building, and all I could hear was the clicking of ten keys. I was dumbfounded. I wanted no part of that, so I set my sights on management.”

George pursued a master’s degree from Oklahoma Christian University and moved up the management ladder as a financial director, working in the oil and gas industry and various tribal organizations. Closer to retirement, he worked at the Oklahoma Arts Council, and was the director of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA). 

“I watched a lot of educational television and I loved learning about art and history,” George said. “When I retired, I got back into pow wows and fancy dancing. I also wanted to volunteer at a museum. With my Native American background, FAM made sense.” 

Indigenous Museum Insights 

George was surprised by the robust training required at FAM. He already had a broad and personal understanding of many of the artifacts, but he enjoyed sharing history and culture with visitors from all over the world. 

“Visitors, especially from other countries, are curious about my background. They ask questions about what happened to the Native Americans,” George said. “It can be an uncomfortable topic, but I hope that by telling the relocation story, there is less chance it happens again.” 

Recently, George ran into the executive director from the Oklahoma Arts Council, Amber Sharples, who was serving on the FAM board. Knowing his interest in art, she encouraged him to also consider giving tours of the State Capitol art collection. It was an easy fit, and George greatly enjoys talking to visitors about the paintings, sculptures and the 27-foot murals of Sequoyah, Will Rogers, Robert S. Kerr and Jim Thorpe, who each have Native American connections. 

At both places, sensitive topics about his background come up during his tours, but he’s surprised by how much he enjoys his museum role. “I have first-person experience growing up in a Native family, so it just makes sense for me to intertwine my family’s story with the tours I give.”