Keeper of the Plains
The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot tall steel sculpture standing at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers join together in downtown Wichita. This land between the two rivers is sacred ground to the Native American people and is also home to the All-American Indian Center. The Indian Warrior sculpture was created by Wichitan and Native American artist Blackbear Bosin (1921-1980). This icon of Wichita was erected on May 18, 1974 to celebrate the United States Bi-centenial and has kept a watchful eye on the city ever since.
Decades later the Keeper of the Plains now has an even larger view of Wichita. A complete renovation of the sculpture and instalation of the Keeper of the Plains Plaza now brings people out each evening to see the Keeper and the "Ring of Fire." The 5-ton Keeper of the Plains statue is now 30 feet higher than before with its new pedestal. There are also two suspended foot bridges allowing people to cross from the north and south river banks to the plaza at the base of the Keeper. Part of the $20 million dollar river corridor improvement project, the statue can now be seen over the trees and buildings that have sprung up over the years along the river.
