Is Oklahoma Southern or Western? (Tulsa, Norman: agriculture, job, university)

[mackinac81]

Question for Oklahoma folk out there...

Would you define Oklahoma as southern, western, or both?

My aunt is from tulsa and has a southern accent (actually, more texan) but my friends wife, who was born and raised in Tulsa has no southern accent at all.

It seems to me that Oklahoma is more like Texas than anywhere else--kind of southern plains-ish. What are your perspectives, and please say what part of the state you're from.

Mackinac81

[Goodpasture]

None of the above. Its name is Choctaw meaning "red people"

We are the Indian Nations, bound on the west by No Mans Land. But instead of trying to describe all that, it is just easier to say "Oklahoma"

[MrsSteel]

Mackinac, I'm from Tulsa & I would have to say that Oklahoma in not part of the South, nor is it in the West, nor is it part of the Midwest. I know that sounds strange, but it's an odd location that doesn't really identify with any of those labels. Instead, it's a bit of all of those things.

Also, my accent is pretty middle-of-the-road American. I think television had a stronger impact on my voice than geography. That's true for a lot of people nowadays ... although I occasionally use phrases like "nowadays", "y'all" and "big ol' honkin' [noun]", so there's still some Oklahoma influence on my vocabulary.

If it helps, Southern Living magazine covers the state of Oklahoma. So that's something.

[peggydavis]

I agree, we are our own region--Native America.

[Synopsis]

Yep. All of the above..

[eddie gein]

I had an interesting conversation with a retired archeologist from the university of Oklahoma once. He had left a good job at Ohio State to come to OU in the 1950's.

I asked him why he came to Oklahoma. He told me that he studied pre columbian Native American culture and the reason he came to Oklahoma was that Oklahoma was the crossroads of Native American cultures (even before the forced removal of the tribes to the area).

He said you could start at Norman and go in any direction (in Oklahoma) and the precolumbian cultures were similar to the cultures in that particular direction.

For instance. Going Southeast in Oklahoma the culture resembled those cultures of the SE USA. Going Southwest, the culture resembled those of west Texas and New Mexico. Northwest the culture resembled the great plains. Northeast was more similar to the tribes of the midwest.

I don't think it is that much different today. Southeast Oklahoma is the south. SW Oklahoma is the southern plains. NE Oklahoma is more midwestern and NW Oklahoma is more like the great plains. I think the terrain, the weather and even the culture of the people of the state (to a lesser extent) bear this out.

[Synopsis]

Good point Eddie. I believe you are right. Oklahoma sits on the crossroads of many regions.

[peggydavis]

There is a sign on I-40 that says "America's Corner" or something like that. It is talking about the intersection of 40 & 35, & 44 too. I agree with Eddie, except that I don't see that much of the south in SE Oklahoma.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by peggydavis

There is a sign on I-40 that says "America's Corner" or something like that. It is talking about the intersection of 40 & 35, & 44 too. I agree with Eddie, except that I don't see that much of the south in SE Oklahoma.

This is ironic because I think SE Oklahoma is the MOST distinctive region in this regard. They call it "Little Dixie" for instance. Places like Idabel and Broken Bow are literally cut off by the mountains and have way more in common with Arkansas/NE Texas/Louisiana. Poteau is basically a suburb of Ft. Smith.

Maybe the panhandle is more great plains (the most like the surrounding states) but to me SE Oklahoma.......McAlester and further seem pretty southern.

[peggydavis]

When I think of the south I think of Alabama and Mississippi. Mostly flat with a lot of agriculture, and Civil War statues. I suppose most of eastern OK is a lot like Arkansas. The far corner south of Idabel is a lot like Louisiana.