Great Council State Park is the only state park in Ohio to be constructed and planned in collaboration with the three federally recognized Shawnee nations.
To give Ohioans an opportunity to learn more about this park, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will host a series called Crafts and Conversation to be held at John Bryan State Park.
ODNR Naturalist Supervisor and Eastern Shawnee citizen Talon Silverhorn said he came to Ohio from Oklahoma to be a part of this project.
“The three federally recognized Shawnee tribes have been involved every step of the way,” he said.
The series kicked off last week.
Silverhorn said this event series will have a lot to offer residents. Crafts and Conversation is an opportunity for residents to bring their own craft activities to work on at John Bryan State Park.
There, Silverhorn will also be there working on his own pieces that will be on display at the Shawnee Cultural Center at Great Council.
“People can ask questions and get comfortable with the idea of what's coming to the area and have a chance to provide some feedback, to listen to ideas, and to meet other like-minded people. I'm sharing historical, cultural arts and material culture,” Silverhorn said.
When people bring their art, Silverhorn said they’re also sharing their culture.
“It's kind of the beginning of programming and cultural exchange at Great Council State Park,” he said.
Each Crafts and Conversation event will be held every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of February.
Silverhorn said the park is scheduled to open in the spring or summer this year.
For more information on the series and for updates on Great Council’s construction, visit ODNR’s website.
