WahZhaZhe Cultural Trunks Virtual Reality Headset and Desktop Experience

Press Release

Pawhuska, Ok. – (April 2021) The Wahzhazhe Cultural Center (WCC) and Osage Nation Language Department (ONLD) collaborated through the use of CARES funds to create and make available a virtual experience for Osages near and far despite COVID-19 impacts on in-person cultural and language learning.

Putting the safety of the community first, the Osage Nation has recently launched an innovative Cultural website to maintain sovereignty as a tribal nation. As one of the Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear administration’s strategic focus areas, the two departments supportively worked past the barrier the public health emergency created. The current website enables constituents to continue learning and participating in the significant cultural expanses valued by the WahZhaZhe people with language rooted in the understanding.

About the Virtual Experience

The premier journey to experience Osage culture and language

The WCC Trunks Virtual Reality Headset and Desktop Experience includes three virtual rooms a viewer can visit, Drum Trunk, Games Trunk, and Cooks Trunk. The Drum Trunk includes the following: Drum Trunk, Drum, Chair, Water Bucket, and Sing. The Games Trunk includes the following: Games Trunk, Dice, Dice Bowl, Blanket, Hide the Bead, and Winner. The Games Trunk also includes directions for the Dice Bowl game. The Cooks Trunk includes the following: Cooks Trunk, Set the Table, Put the Plates on, Table Cloth, Plate, Cup, Cook Paddle, Cook Tub, Napkin, Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Paper Sack, and Spoon. The Drum Trunk room is set in the Hominy Dance Arbor where cultural dances take place. The Games Trunk is set in the Hominy Round House. The Cooks Trunk is set in our village Camp giving the viewer the ability to prepare for a meal. In the background of the virtual rooms, one can view outdoor scenery including buffalo roaming the prairie. Orthography is included beneath each of the itemized words and concepts and by clicking on the words the WahZhaZhe pronunciations can be listened to through the voice of one of our Osage Language teachers.

Addie Hudgins, Director of WCC, added, “We are excited to share the WahZhaZhe language and culture with the Osage constituency in a virtual learning environment. Please keep in mind this is just the starting point, we are already looking at ways to expand the virtual experience and make it even more interactive for all ages.”

Download the WahZhaZhe Cultural Trunks Virtual Reality Headset and Desktop Experience:

DOWNLOAD THE CULTURAL TRUNKS VR EXPERIENCE (581 MB)

Individuals accessing the aforementioned link should have personal virtual headsets to enjoy the intended desktop experience, but can be experienced without a VR headset. This software works best on Windows 10.

For further information or to reach out for support to the Osage Nation Language Department and WahZhaZhe Cultural Center, see the contact information below.