100th anniversary of land theft

Oklahoma centennial upsets Indians

Customary telling of the state's history, they say, leaves out the taking of their land As the state prepares to mark its 100th birthday next year with parades, fireworks and festivals, the grand celebration is also opening old wounds for some American Indians.

Tribal leaders and academics say the centennial isn't a time for celebration because in 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state through the dismantling of tribal territories. Those lands once were guaranteed to American Indian nations by the U.S. government but the promises were brushed aside as Western expansion caught fire.