Mix-up leads museum’s cultural ambassador to give ‘Indigenous Santa’ role a personal touch

A cultural ambassador for the First Americans Museum has found a seasonal niche.

Ace Greenwood said museum leaders asked him to become “Indigenous Santa,” a Native American representative of Santa Claus last year. He said he wasn’t sure if he would fit that role but he agreed to try. In many ways, it seemed to be another aspect of his cultural ambassador role for the museum, 659 First Americans Blvd.

Greenwood, who is Chickasaw, remembered ordering what is generally considered the traditional Santa Claus uniform of a white fur-lined red coat and pants, a coordinating hat and black boots. However, he was preparing for his new role a few days before his first appearance and the Santa clothing he had ordered had yet to arrive. Once it did come, he was alarmed that he’d been sent the wrong material for the trim.

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© Photo Provided Ace Greenwood, First Americans Museum cultural ambassador, is shown as he portrays Indigenous Santa. [Provided]

Less than 48 hours before his first appearance, the ever resourceful Greenwood went to a local fabric store and purchased material to create an outfit befitting Indigenous Santa. He said he had been creating his own regalia for his Native dancing ceremonies and activities for many years so it was only natural that he try his hand at making his own Santa garb.

What Greenwood deemed as an emergency helped him create his official Indigenous Santa apparel. He said he was excited when the crowd at his first appearance seemed to love it.

Not only children, but teenagers and adults were eager to take pictures with him. Some of the young people in the crowd liked the Native American aspects of his clothing, many noting with excitement that he wore moccasins.

“It was great all the way around, I mean, there was just as many, if not more, adults wanting to take pictures,” Greenwood said. “And the kids really, really enjoyed it and when they saw that Santa was wearing moccasins like theirs, I just kept getting hugs from things like that, so it was really cool.”

In addition to moccasins, Greenwood, as Indigenous Santa, wears a red coat lined with a patterned trim featuring brown, sage and yellow colors — hues inspired by nature. In addition to the trim, his coat features items that are often elements of Native American regalia such as plumes. Greenwood also includes a necklace he often wears when he performs Native American dances and an ornamental belt made by a Native American artist.

He wears a cowboy hat atop his braided hair because he said many Native Americans are ranchers and farmers and some consider themselves cowboys so they often wear such headgear.

“Well, I just wanted to be different and with Native people, we love to adorn ourselves,” he said. “I started looking through a bunch of pictures and started developing ideas and stuff like that because being a Native Santa, it’s different.”

He said Santa Claus is not part of Native American tradition, but some of the ideals that Santa represents like family togetherness and family celebrations are “huge parts of Native culture, in general.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Mix-up leads museum’s cultural ambassador to give ‘Indigenous Santa’ role a personal touch