Members of the OU and Norman communities are doing what they can this month to raise awareness for the American Indian culture.

Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma, an American Indian fraternity, The Jacobson House and the Norman Public Library will host their first American Indian stickball memorabilia exhibit this month and the fraternity will host a two-day stickball tournament April 17 and 18 at Reaves Park.

The memorabilia is on display at the library but will arrive at The Jacobson House April 13, where they will be displayed until April 25th, said Jin Gentry, Jacobson House director.

The stickball tournament will be the fraternity’s second and Monte Randall, Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma member, said he hopes this year’s tournament will be much larger than last year’s.

Five teams have committed to this year’s tournament but Randall, a Native American studies graduate student, said his goal is to have three more teams participate.

One of the participating teams is from OU and comprised of Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma members, he said.

There are several varieties of stickball that each use different equipment among American Indian tribes, Randall said.

“[The stickball styles are] all pretty similar,” Randall said, “but they’re distinct in their own ways, also.”

Randall said the tournament will use rules based on the Choctaw style of play, which is being called “tournament style.”

Julie Moring, a librarian at the Norman Public Library, said the idea for the exhibit originated when she met Randall at the library’s annual American Indian festival last year.

Moring, who is also chairwoman for the festival, said when she brought up the idea of hosting a tournament, Randall told her his fraternity had already hosted one. Then together with Gentry, they successfully wrote a grant proposal to the Norman Arts Council to receive further funding for the events.

As part of the events, the library will host a stickball stick making demonstration with Choctaw historian Curtis Billy and Muscogee Creek song leader Kelly Bell at 5 p.m. April 16.

The same day, the library also will host American Indian author Don Birchfield to speak about American Indian culture and games at 6:30 p.m.

Moring said this month’s events will allow people who may not be familiar with the game to have a chance to see it first-hand. Randall said the events will showcase areas of American Indian culture that aren’t traditionally seen.