Marie Wadley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie L. Wadley
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| Born | December 16, 1906 |
| Died | September 23, 2009 (aged 102) Muskogee, Oklahoma
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| Nationality | Shawnee Tribe, American |
| Occupation | Bureau of Indian Affairs |
| Known for | co-founder of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum |
Marie L. Wadley was a Native American woman who helped start the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She was born on December 16, 1906, and lived until September 23, 2009. After the museum opened, Marie Wadley became its first president.
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Early Life
Marie Wadley was born in Pensacola, Oklahoma on December 16, 1906. At that time, it was called Indian Territory. Less than a year later, in 1907, this territory became the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
Marie was part of the Shawnee and Cherokee tribes. She grew up on a farm near Vinita, Oklahoma. In 1923, Marie moved to Muskogee to study at Draughon Business College.
Working for Native Americans
In 1925, Marie Wadley took a special test called the civil service exam. This test helps people get jobs with the government. She was hired for her first and only job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA is a part of the U.S. Government that works with Native American tribes.
Marie started as a clerk who wrote things down quickly using shorthand. She worked very hard every day. She said her first salary of $95 a month felt like a lot of money back then.
Marie worked for the BIA for 42 years. She helped Native American families in their homes and reported their needs. Her job also allowed her to visit Washington, D.C., and learn a lot. She even traveled to see the Choctaw people in Mississippi and the Seminole people in Florida.
Creating a Museum
Marie Wadley always cared deeply about Native American causes. In the 1950s, she worked to get a bill passed in the U.S. Congress. This bill aimed to create a Native American museum in the Union Agency building in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Bureau of Indian Affairs had built this building in 1875.
In 1951, Marie started working with David Boren, who was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. They wanted to transfer the Union Agency building and five acres of land around it from the federal government to the city of Muskogee. The goal was to use it for the museum.
In 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. This meant the Union Agency building and the land were given back to local control.
For the next thirteen years, Marie Wadley worked with local leaders and community members. They planned the new museum. She wanted the museum to be historically accurate. She wanted it to correctly show the culture of the Native American tribes in eastern Oklahoma.
The Five Civilized Tribes Museum
The Five Civilized Tribes Museum officially opened on April 16, 1966. This museum shows the history, culture, and art of five important Native American tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes. Marie Wadley became the first president of the museum's board of directors.
Later Life
Marie Wadley retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1967. She had worked there for 42 years. When she retired, she was a tribal relations officer. This means she helped manage relationships between the government and Native American tribes.
Marie Wadley passed away at her home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on September 23, 2009. She was 102 years old. Her funeral was held at the St. Paul Methodist Church in Muskogee.
