Goodwill Tour, 1970 & White Elk and Running Wolf, 1924 (Guildhall)

As part of their Goodwill Tour visit to Plymouth, Edgar Monetathchi, Doc Tate Nevaquaya, George Watchetaker and the rest of their group performed outside of the Guildhall. The Lawton Constitution-Morning Press reported that they performed in front of "several thousand people" here but were also "greeted by pickets bearing 'Yankees Go Home' signs. The signs were prompted by a wage dispute involving an American-owned construction firm building a Holiday Inn." Apparently, some members of the audience took matters into their own hands, telling the group that "they didn't want to be embarrassed by these few and proceeded to 'break wood' over the heads of the pickets." You can watch the performance, including some footage of the protest, in the YouTube video.

Around 50 years before that, another set of American Indians performed for a Plymouth audience at the Guildhall. White Elk and Running Wolf, in town to promote The Covered Wagon movie, also entertained 800 children here at a Christmas party hosted by the Mayor and the Church Army on 30th December 1924. Appearing in their "native dress," the pair "saluted the children with their native greetings, meaning 'My heart to yours.' Colonel Raymond, the film's promoter accompanied them. According to the Western Morning News, "wherever the Chiefs went they were well received" and that morning had been given a tour of the Municipal Buildings by the Mayor.