Long ago, before Wichita came to existence on the Great Plains, the area was home to generations of Native Americans. This tale echoes from the times when the Osages, also known as the Children of the Middle Waters, prayed to the spirits in the sky for guidance and blessings.
In the heart of nature, where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers kissed, the locals said an ethereal figure could often be seen hovering over the waters. They called this figure ‘The Keeper of the Plains’. Looking over the children of his land, protecting, guiding, providing. A symbol of the resilient spirit of the Great Plains. His strong silhouette was as much a part of the Wichita landscape as the endless sky and the rolling prairies.
The Keeper never spoke; he simply watched, his eyes mirroring the azure hue of the sky. Native tribes believed that he was a divine messenger sent by the Great Spirit. According to legend, he could foresee the future and had mystical powers. On certain nights, when the moon was at its brightest, the Keeper was said to descend from the sky, cloak billowing behind him. He would bless the land, encourage the growth of corn, and foretell the results of hunting expeditions.
As the rivers waxed and waned, the tribes grew and prospered under his watchful gaze. When Western settlers arrived and established Wichita, the legend of the Keeper seamlessly blended into the cultural tapestry of the city. Today, the stoic figure of the Keeper is immortalized by the majestic 44-foot steel-and-iron statue standing at the confluence of the rivers, continuing to look over the city as he had done for centuries, a silent sentinel heralding the undying spirit of Wichita.