OKLAHOMA CITY (March 11, 2026) – First Americans Museum (FAM) is proud to announce that Oscar-nominated actress Lily Gladstone (Blackfeet and Nez Perce Tribal Nations) will serve as the keynote speaker for the museum’s annual Where Earth Meets Sky gala on Friday, May 1.
The evening’s keynote presentation is made possible through the generous support of Keynote Sponsor Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers.
Gladstone will share the gala spotlight with an esteemed roster of 2026 awardees being recognized for their profound contributions to Indigenous culture and community:
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Raven Halfmoon (Caddo Nation): Benjamin Harjo Jr. Excellence in Contemporary Arts Award
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Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings (Kiowa Tribe, Ná’ishą Apache, Gila River Pima): Enoch Kelly Haney Excellence in Traditional Arts Award
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Cherokee Nation Language Department: Governor Bill Anoatubby Culture Protector Award
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Dr. Dolores BigFoot (Caddo Nation): Dr. Henrietta Mann Knowledge Keeper Award
“We are honored to welcome Lily Gladstone to Oklahoma City,” said gala committee chair Debbie Lindsey (Muscogee Nation). “Lily’s presence, alongside the legacies of our 2026 honorees, underscores FAM’s mission to uplift Indigenous knowledge and visionary leadership. We are equally proud of the diversity among our early sponsors whose support makes this celebration possible.”
About Lily Gladstone
Gladstone is the first Native American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her starring role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” earned her the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Actress and a 2024 Screen Actors Guild Award. She is a member of the Women’s Stand Up Headdress Society, one of the highest honors of the Blackfeet Nation, and her work spans acclaimed film & television like “Fancy Dance,” “Reservation Dogs,” and “Under the Bridge.” Gladstone’s history-making Academy Awards gowns, a collaboration between Ironhorse Quill Work and Gucci, are currently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
Gladstone is the first Native American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her starring role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” earned her the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Actress and a 2024 Screen Actors Guild Award. She is a member of the Women’s Stand Up Headdress Society, one of the highest honors of the Blackfeet Nation, and her work spans acclaimed film & television like “Fancy Dance,” “Reservation Dogs,” and “Under the Bridge.” Gladstone’s history-making Academy Awards gowns, a collaboration between Ironhorse Quill Work and Gucci, are currently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
Beyond One Night of Celebration
This year’s gala theme, Dáumàuiáum Dàu:k’í: (Kiowa for “divine bond & balance to creation”), focuses on support for three interconnected priorities at the museum:
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Revitalizing the FAM Mound as a living pollinator landscape rooted in Indigenous stewardship
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Expanding access to FAMcamps and school field trips for children across Oklahoma
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Sustaining year-round learning through TEK Fest and the FAMily Discovery Center
Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Remaining
Organizations and institutions seeking to align their brand with this historic gathering of Native leaders and storytellers are encouraged to finalize commitments by April 15.
First Americans Museum and the gala committee extend thanks to the following early sponsors of Where Earth Meets Sky: Dáumàuiáum Dàu:k’í:, including:
Chickasaw Nation
Vision Hill Media
Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers
Mr. Gregg Wadley and Dr. Susan E. “Betsy” Brackett
Cherokee Nation
Choctaw Nation
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic
Osage Casinos
For sponsorship inquiries and ticket information, please visit famok.org/gala or contact Emily Trnka at emilyt@famok.org or (405) 594-2155.
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