Chief Nacheninga (No heart of Fear) was a tribal delegate to Washington, D.C., who helped negotiate treaty agreements with the U.S. Government. He was a hard, ruthless warrior, and a tough negotiator. This toughness and willingness to fight earned him respect from both his fellow tribe members and others outside his tribe. The headquarters for the Ioway Tribe of Oklahoma is in Perkins. In 1945, the U.S. Navy commissioned a harbor tug named the USS Nacheninga which operated mainly in Pearl Harbor, until 1967.
This life-sized bronze statue stands on a high stone base. Nacheninga is shown dressed in a sheath-style garment with a blanket wrap over his left shoulder and arm. He has a headdress and a heavy necklace made of animal teeth. He is wearing high boots and holding a three-foot long stick with ornaments at the end, The statue is one of many, and stands at the entrance to the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza.
This historical museum is a 6-acre park located at 750 N. Main in Perkins, and is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Saturdays 10-4 and Sundays 1-4. It consists of the statues, plus restored buildings from territorial times. A collection of antique agricultural equipment is also on display.
A plaque on the base of the statue reads:
NACHENINGA (No Heart)
by Wayne Cooper
No Heart, also known as Notchimine (1797-1862),
was a distinguished Chief of the Ioway and gained
his name by his feats of bravery