In the heart of Wichita, Kansas, at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers, stands a magnificent 44-foot tall sculpture named the ‘Keeper of the Plains’. This iconic symbol of the city was erected in 1974 to celebrate the United States Bicentennial, but it reverberates with a much deeper and older tale of the indigenous people who once inhabited the area.The sculpture represents a Native American spiritual figure, believed to be the ‘keeper’ of the land, guiding its people, and maintaining the rhythm of the world. The sculpture, designed by Blackbear Bosin, a well-known Kiowa-Comanche artist, emanates a sense of dignity and quiet strength with its outstretched arms and stern, solemn face looking out over the land.The folklore that surrounds the Keeper of the Plains recounts tales of an invisible, omnipresent spirit, who was believed by the native tribes to place mankind on Earth, provide them with resources, and sent spiritual guides in the form of animals or natural phenomena to teach and lead them. This spirit transformed into the physical manifestation of the Keeper, a symbol of unity, honor, and resilience. The statue is a crucial focal point in the quarterly Ring of Fire ceremony, inviting people to honor the area’s deep Native American roots.The tribes that surrounded the Wichita region, including the Plains Apache, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee, and Wichita, shared a common belief in the spirit world. They believed in the interconnectedness of all things, seeing the human, natural, and spiritual worlds interwoven. The Keeper of the Plains sculpture embodies this belief, acting as a physical reminder of the native roots of the area.Despite the city’s constant evolution and changes, the Keeper stands firm as a beacon of the past, a testament to Wichita’s cultural origins, and the abiding link between its past and future. The Keeper of the Plains, thus, isn’t merely a sculpture; it’s a silent storyteller, whispering the forgotten tales of Wichita’s first peoples.