1. What was your role in this project?
   Greteman Group was selected as part of the original design team. We were to tell the story of the nomadic Plains Indians and celebrate both their contributions and the sacred nature of the site. We worked with the Council of Elders through the Mid-America All-Indian Center, city planners, architects, artist consultants, artists and fabricators.

2. Tell us about what is featured in the interpretative walls.
   Through countless interviews, we identified key themes and vignettes that would foster greater understanding of these fascinating people. I encourage everyone to visit the site. Walk along the massive, hand-chipped limestone walls. Look at the photographs laser-etched into granite. Get a sense of their lifestyle from the workday tools and weapons to the lodging and ornamentation. You’ll see the eagle, bison, horse and turtle all represented prominently in the culture.

   For instance, the Native Americans had a strong spiritual connection to Mother Earth. They believed that they were floating on a primordial sea on the back of a turtle, an animal revered by many cultures across time as a symbol of feminine power. Its shell provides protection just as Mother Earth protects and nourishes us. We used the turtle in the center point of the sacred hoop.

   The Plains Indians followed the buffalo, relying upon it for not only food but clothing, shelter and tools. The buffalo was sacred to them. In essence, it gave them life. They treated it accordingly, utilizing it fully. Because they killed only what they needed and never wasted anything, at one time more than 60 million buffalo roamed the Plains.

   The buffalo skulls at the site are very realistic to what you would have seen at a village long ago. The Indians would paint the skull, decorate it with feathers and place it on a prayer pole. The skull on the Keeper site is a replica of one found years ago in the Arkansas River.

   Animals had special reverence and meaning to the Plains Indians. An animal would appear in a warrior’s dreams, for example, and would then be considered the source of his strength. Look at a warrior’s shield and you’ll almost always find an animal painted upon it.

3. Why did you want to work on this project?
   The land where the Keeper of the Plains is sited is sacred to Native Americans and it also has great meaning to the general population. Here, at the confluence of the two rivers, our city arose. As a lifelong Wichitan, I seized the opportunity to be part of the project and I know that sentiment was shared by the full Greteman Group team. We felt  privileged to commemorate these noble ancestors and to pay homage to a site that means so much to so many.

4. What is your favorite part of this project?
   The totality and integration of all the elements brought together by one master plan elevate this project to monumental scope. Every part was planned down to the nth degree, yet always with an eye on the bigger picture. All elements of it – from the art to the landscaping – meaningfully contribute to the project, to Wichita and to Kansas. Everything has significance. I am especially impressed with Kurt Skinner (project architect) for carefully and thoughtfully thinking through every aspect holistically.

5. Was there a time when you said, "What have I gotten myself into?" If yes, when?
   No, I never felt that way. But I will say that one of the biggest challenges we had was in determining what would be on the interpretive walls. There was an infinite amount to tell – but limited space to tell it. The Council of Elders had 39 different tribes represented, so imagine all the stories we heard and how many were worthy of prominent representation on those walls. Each story that had to be left out pained us. Fortunately, we didn’t have to make those decisions alone. The Council shouldered that responsibility with us. Now that  the project is complete, I believe we selected the stories that best represent the essence of the Plains Indians.

6. What are you most proud of?
   When I come to the site and see all the people interacting in the space – kids dancing and keeping beat with the drums and chants on the flagstone plaza, young professionals pausing to read the environmental graphics, older Wichitans marveling at the new view they have of the cityscape – I’m filled with such pride. We paid worthy tribute to the Native Americans to whom we owe so much.

BIO
Sonia Greteman is the CEO and creative director of Greteman Group, a Wichita-based branding agency. Two decades of helping build some of the world's best-known brands has put Greteman in demand. Reporters frequently call, asking her to weigh in on issues and trends. She routinely jets to national competitions and conferences to serve as a judge or guest lecturer. Her ability to work as a team increases those frequent-flyer miles, too. She serves on multidisciplinary teams consisting of elected officials, architects, urban planners, engineers, graphic designers and marketing professionals. Greteman works tirelessly to promote culturally rich and visually satisfying environments, especially in her hometown of Wichita, and to give back to the community that's been so good to her. For more information, visit her agency’s website at www.gretemangroup.com.

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