Statue of Star Native American Ballerina Is Stolen and Sold for Scrap

[Demovictory9]

?quality=75&auto=webp

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A bronze statue depicting one of Oklahoma's most famous Native American ballerinas was cut from its base outside a Tulsa museum and sold for scrap to a recycling company, authorities said Monday.

Museum officials say the Five Moons statue of Marjorie Tallchief was likely removed Thursday from its plinth outside the Tulsa Historical Society, the Tulsa World reported.

Museum officials received a call Monday from CMC Recycling in southwest Rogers County to identify what was believed to be pieces of the bronze statue, the newspaper reported.

Michelle Place, director of the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum, checked out the recovered pieces late Monday morning and verified that they came from the statue.

“The Tulsa Police Department is working diligently to apprehend the thief,” the historical society said in a statement.

Pieces of the statute, including the head and part of an arm, are still missing.

Place said the original mold for the statue burned in a foundry fire, so recreating the statute will be much more complicated.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ballerina-statue-cut-down-in-tulsa-sold-for-scrap-metal/ar-AAWQJB3

The statues known as the Five Moons were created by Tulsa-area artists Monte England and Gary Henson. England worked on two of the pieces before his death in 2005, and Henson completed the project.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/02/us/ballerina-statue-stolen-marjorie-tallchief.html


She and her older sister, Maria Tallchief, were part of a group known as the Five Moons, Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma who ascended the heights of ballet in the 20th century when many famous ballerinas were white.

They and the other three — Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower and Moscelyne Larkin — are memorialized in the row of statues outside the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum.

Ms. Place said that it was not clear why Ms. Tallchief’s statue was singled out, but that it might have been because it was at the end of the row and near a tree that could hide it from view.

Alexander Skibine, one of Ms. Tallchief’s two sons, said that he was in disbelief when he heard that his mother’s statue had been stolen.

“Why would anybody do that?” he said on Monday night.

[Hekate]

1. What an evil, evil thing to do. Strictly hatred and racism. nt

[ashredux]

4. That is what Evil people do...they do EVIL things.....so sad

[iluvtennis]

6. Exactly @Hekate - just pure evil fueled by racism. Disgusting. n/t

[Amishman]

11. my guess is it had nothing to do with hatred and racism, and everything to do with drug addition

We've had issues around here with addicts stealing metal vases affixed to tombstones in cemeteries. They are either copper or bronze, which has a high scrap value right now. The criminals turn out to be drug addicts stealing anything they can sell for scrap to support their drug habit. The thief probably only saw a lot of valuable metal and dollar signs.

[Ray Bruns]

13. That would be my guess.

Selling to a scrap yard to get money.

[Jedi Guy]

2. I'm going to hazard a guess that this was motivated less by racism...

...and more by someone wanting metal to sell in order to buy certain substances. I would think your bog-standard meth addict probably isn't very educated in regards to 20th century ballet stars.

I suppose it could have been motivated by desire for drug money and racism, though. There's probably a fair bit of overlap in that Venn diagram.

[ashredux]

5. Doubt it...there are many ways to get scrap metal...this was racist

[3Hotdogs]

8. Around 20 years ago, there was a surge in scrap metal price. Military Park, Newark, N.J., had a

monument on a base that had somewhere around 200 bronze "swords"' around the perimeter. One morning, they were gone.

I would vote racism because of the missing parts. But maybe both.

[madaboutharry]

3. What a world we live in.

I hope that the people who stole this beautiful statue of Marjorie Tallchief are caught and prosecuted.

This is the kind of thing that shines a light on how far decency and our culture has devolved.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. The perp took Cancel Culture literally

and scrap yards, like all junk dealers, keep records because they know they can't be a fence.

[3Hotdogs]

9. Then you get to the question....

Did someone just drop the metal at the door of the recycling company or did someone get paid for the pound price of the metal. If the later, any recycling company these days, has cameras on property, if for no other reason, vandalism.

A good G.F.Me reward will produce the assholes but I guess the fine/sentence will be negligible.

[usajumpedtheshark]

10. I hope the statue was 3D scanned so mold can be more easily remade

Last edited Tue May 3, 2022, 09:03 AM - Edit history (1)

If not, one might be made if there are sufficient photos of the statue.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. 3D design software

Can pluck and calculate from photos. We are entering a world where fakes should be on display and originals vaulted.

[Javaman]

12. Hate ruins things of beauty

This is that age we live in now.

When those are blinded by so much hate, beauty is blanched from their minds.

What sad lives the people who did this must have.

[Evolve Dammit]

14. What a disgusting hateful thing to do. I hope it is re-commissioned and protected. Beautiful.

[leftyladyfrommo]

16. KCMO. We had a statue 9f an Indian woman stolen.

It was found in pieces but the sculpture was repaired and replaced with added security.

[mopinko]

17. i worked for maria's husband many, many years ago.

owned a big construction company. took good care of their people.
treated me well.