By Matt Moline
The Capital-Journal government administrative building (circa 1860) stood in ruin as part of the landscape at the new Chief Al-Le-Ge- Ho Heritage Memorial Park, which was dedicated in April near Council Grove. Moline/Special to The Capital-Journal Order a rep COUNCIL GROVE -- Agricultural land sales are commonplace business transactions in Morris County, attracting little attention in Council Grove, the county seat. But when the Nation of Oklahoma purchased 158 acres of ancestral land in the county during the summer of 2000, the rumors started flying on Main Street.
The Indians, some of the locals had heard, were planning to build a fancy gambling parlor on the– site, three miles southeast of town.
But just the opposite is taking place on the newly acquired property on Little John Creek. Nation is developing a noncommercial heritage park on the tract, where the last– remnants of the tribe had lived before being relocated to Oklahoma by the U.S. government in 1873.
Two years after the acquired the property, park project director Betty Durkee says she is still trying to put the rumors to rest.
"I think it s lessening, but I know there are people who still think we re going to build a casino out there," Durkee said, "probably because a lot of people see tribal land claims as a means of generating a lot of money in this day and age." Durkee repeated her message at the April 20 public dedication of the site, now known as Al-Le-Ga- Ho Heritage Memorial Park. "Officially, I say for one more time, No, we re not going to build a casino here, " she said. "We keep saying that, and we keep thinking people don t believe us. We want this to be a special place where we respect the environment and the ancestors who lived here." Last week, Durkee said plans for the park call for the construction of a visitors center and– the development of walking trails equipped with audiovisual interpretative kiosks, among other projects, at a potential cost of $1 million.
The first of the audiovisual posts is expected to be in place for Council Grove s annual– Days celebration, June 14 through 16.
The park s walking paths, currently under development, provide views of a 200-year-old– bur oak known as Grandfather Oak, which easily predates the original occupation of the property in the 1850s, according to Ron Parks, curator of the Mission State– Historic Site, Council Grove.
The state of Kansas takes its name from the tribe, also known as the Indians.
The park also contains the ruins of the former Agency government building, where– Chief Al Le-Ga- Ho made a last-ditch attempt in June 1872, to persuade federal officials to spare moving the tribe s 600 surviving members to Oklahoma.
"The ruins themselves speak of the conflict of cultures," Durkee said, "telling the story of– what happened to the . So there s a strong reason for leaving those ruins as they are. But in order to do that, we can t just do nothing. We have to stabilize what s left. That s going to cost some money."
A year ago, tribal leaders began the conversion of 35 acres of park bottomland into a– restored tallgrass prairie featuring wildflowers and native grasses.
Kansas park project will be funded in part by revenues from the tribe s existing– business ventures in Kay County, Okla., including a travel plaza on Interstate 35.
The tribe, which is headquartered in City, Okla., also owns the Nation Bingo Hall,– which is undergoing an expansion project of its own, Durkee.