Statue of Native American ballerina Marjorie Tallchief stolen and sold for scrap

A statue of the celebrated Indigenous ballerina Marjorie Tallchief was stolen last Friday from its base on the grounds of the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum in Oklahoma.

Michelle Place, the museum’s executive director, said that the statue had been hacked apart and sold for cash. Museum employees on Monday found pieces of the statue at a local recycling centre, though some pieces remain missing. Tulsa police have said they are investigating the matter.

The statue of Ms Tallchief was one of five statues of Indigenous ballerinas installed on the grounds of the museum in 2007, when it was valued at $120,000.

But the statue’s significance goes far beyond its monetary worth. Oklahoma is the most Indigenous state in the continental US, and Ms Tallchief, who died just last year, was one of its most famous Indigenous icons — a dancer who starred at the Paris Opera Ballet and performed for multiple US presidents.

Ms Tallchief was born in Denver, Colorado, but spent much of her childhood on the Osage Nation reservation in northern Oklahoma.

The family left Oklahoma so Ms Tallchief and her sister could receive high-end ballet training in Los Angeles, and that training paid off. Both Marjorie and her sister Maria Tallchief achieved renown, dancing as part of a group of Indigenous Oklahoma ballerinas known as the Five Moons who all had their statues installed on the grounds of the Tulsa museum.

Of those five statues, only Ms Tallchief’s was harmed. Ms Place, the executive director, postulated that her statue might have been singled out because of its positioning close to a tree that could have provided cover for the thieves.

In the aftermath of the theft, the Tusla Historical Society organised a GoFundMe to replace the statue, which quickly met its goal of $15,000. As of Thursday afternoon, people had donated more than $19,000 to the cause. The first $10,000 of that money will be used to meet the museum’s insurance deductable, while the remaining money will be put towards increasing security, updated lighting and new signage.

“When these dancers began their careers, Europeans dominated ballet,” the GoFundMe page reads. “These women, due to their talent, dedication and determination, went to the top of their field and brought recognition to Oklahoma and Native American artistry. Each sculpture depicts the ballerinas in the ballet she considered to be her signature piece.”