Keeper Looking Southeast Postcard

The Keeper of the Plains in Wichita, Kansas, is an iconic sculpture by the incomparable Blackbear Bosin. The Keeper of the Plains stands at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers with hands raised in supplication to the Great Spirit. Since the sculpture's installation in 1974 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial, it has become a symbol for the city of Wichita and a tribute to the Native American tribes who continue to gather at this sacred site. The Keeper also serves as the focal point of an eight-year, $20 million restoration and river beautification project completed in May 2007. Renowned Native American artist Blackbear Bosin donated the Keeper of the Plains to the citizens of Wichita in 1974. This photo was taken in the height of summer, after a thunderstorm downtown. A pale rainbow shows itself out of the clouds over downtown Wichita.