Buffalo Soldier Oscar Russell poses in uniform next to an authentic 1800s campsite where the Buffalo Soldiers were founded as the Buffalo Soldiers participated in an open house event at Pena Adobe Park on July 6. (Karenna Meyer/Vacaville Reporter)
History was still very much alive at Peña Adobe Park in Vacaville on Saturday afternoon.
Visitors who braved 100-degree heat to attend the Peña Adobe Historical Society’s monthly open house were able to experience the rich oral and visual traditions of the Buffalo Soldiers.
Sacramento-based historical re-enactment group Company G of the 10th Northern California Cavalry welcomed visitors for a step into history, complete with an authentic campsite, official 1800s uniforms and gear.
The event also included members of the mounted sheriff’s unit and the Solano County Master Gardeners, marking the Buffalo Soldiers’ fourth year visiting Peña Adobe Park.
Despite the event’s proximity to the holiday weekend, Buffalo Soldier and veteran Oscar Russell said, “We don’t need the Fourth of July to get involved.”
The group hosts a variety of events throughout the year to educate youth and the local community about the six black cavalry regiments that served in the Old West from 1866 to 1891. In addition to wearing the uniforms, storytelling is an important aspect of the group, continuing the oral traditions utilized by the black community in the 1800s.
One oral tradition holds that the Buffalo Soldiers were named by Native Americans who thought their curly hair resembled that of a buffalo. This living history group tells these legends as well as real history, including how the 9th Cavalry patrolled the national parks before there was a National Park Service.
Officer Ivy, a military veteran who served as a Buffalo Soldier for 18 years, tells visitors, “My family says my grandfather was a Buffalo Soldier. It means a lot in our culture.” Officer Ivy has his military discharge papers proving his grandfather was in the military, but whether he was a Buffalo Soldier is an oral tradition.
“We’re here to tell stories that have gone viral,” said Russell, who has been a member of the group for seven years, “stories that aren’t taught in schools.”
The group’s involvement with young people is especially important to Russell, who says his motivation is to inspire hope.
“Look at your history,” he urges his children. “To know where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve been.”
Russell finds similar solace in his involvement with living history groups. “It gives me comfort,” he said. He traced his family history back to the Buffalo Soldiers while serving in Iraq.
“I’m a soldier who believes I can identify with the trials and tribulations of the Buffalo Soldiers, from war to peace,” he says.
