Voices of the Wind People

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Tickets are good for either day -- your choice of Friday, September 15th OR Saturday, September 16th.

This beautifully presented story depicts the changes affected by two vastly different cultures. As the Kaw Indians were being relocated and European American settlers were beginning to populate Council Grove on the Santa Fe Trail, the dynamics of these two cultures co-existing proved to be intense.

The Voices of the Wind People pageant was conceived to provide the public with a historically accurate story of the clash of two cultures, Native American and Euro-American, in the historical setting of Council Grove on the Santa Fe Trail. The two main pageant characters, Chief Allegawaho, Kanza (Kaw) Chief, and Seth Hays, Council Grove’s first Euro-American resident, narrate this compelling story. The first production was in 1992, with performances in 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The performances take place in the old Neosho riverbed near historic downtown Council Grove and adjacent to the Santa Fe Trail crossing on the Neosho River. The production incorporates historic photos, images of the prairie landscape, and video images with the live-action of a pack train, wagon train, stagecoach, riders on horseback, tepees, and the campfire of a Kanza village.

Approximately 45-50 Kanza Indians of the Kaw Nation, who once lived in the Council Grove area, return to participate in this production. They provide the principal narration of Chief Allegawaho, enact village scenes and perform dramatic roles and traditional dances.

The production of Voices of the Wind People is accomplished completely by volunteer staff and performers, requiring the involvement of approximately 125 people per performance. These volunteers are willing to give their time because they believe in the importance of this story. Each year this is performed, over 4,000 volunteer hours have been recorded.

Food and drink is available for purchase at the cabin above the amphitheater.

Look for the ceremonial fire that burns through the duration of the pageant.

Restroom facilities are located on the east side of the cabin.