Students Gather to Celebrate the Unique History of Kansas

Dennis Rogers, multicultural educator and performer, dances in front of students as part of Kansas Day at the Museum in Topeka, KS.

Kansas Museum of History

Topeka, KS (January 29, 2020) –

A group of local students watched Navajo singer, dancer, and educator Dennis Rogers use song, storytelling, and dance to entertain and inspire young audiences at Kansas Day at the Museum. Held by the Kansas Museum of History on January 29th, Kansas Day at the Museum is part of the state's annual Kansas Day celebration.

Kansas Day is a celebration of the designation of Kansas as an independent free state in 1861, and is observed annually. The holiday, originally started by a classroom of a few patriotic young Kansas students who loved their history classes in 1877, has become a statewide event for Kansans of all ages but especially for students. On “Kansas Day at the Museum,” parents and teachers bring young Kansans to the museum to learn about the multicultural history and heritage of their state. Over 1,000 people attended this year.

Dressed in traditional Navajo garb, Dennis Rogers captivated his audience with native dance and flute demonstrations in a variety of Native American traditions. Although the Navajo tribe’s ancestral home is in the southwest, Dennis, native to Topeka, brings his multicultural background to audiences all over the world with educational performances. He emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and our own unique backgrounds—fitting for the pioneers, Native Americans, and frontiersmen of Kansas’ history.

Rogers’ message to his young audience on Kansas Day was to strive to be confident, and try your hardest. He used a personal story from when he was a young boy struggling to master the English language, as a Navajo-speaking child, to bring these themes to life. He admitted it was never easy to spell English words correctly, but by persevering he was able to succeed in his junior high school and beyond. Now he is able to travel the world teaching the next generation about multicultural heritage and the importance of self-reliance.

Children work on arts and crafts at Kansas Day at the Museum.

Kansas Museum of History

Other activities during the Kansas Day festivities included guest speakers from Kansas government, such as Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers, historical arts and crafts such as learning about geography by building models of a log cabin using a map, weaving on a loom as Kansas settlers and Native Americans did, pottery making, and learning about the history of important Kansas figures.

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area tells the story of Kansas, and is a partner with the Kansas Museum of History. Freedom’s Frontier interprets all aspects of Kansas life, through its beginnings as a territory, to its politically divisive journey to statehood and beyond. Visit www.freedomsfrontier.org for more.

To find out more about the Kansas Museum of History, go to www.kshs.org/museum, and click on Programs to view information about Kansas Day.

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