Local History

17 posts

These posts will be all about our local tribes that used to inhabit this area as well as anything related to our Local Exhibits

From Ground to Pottery, Turning Clay Into Something Workable

Clay can be found across the globe and is often considered a nuisance to gardeners. But how does it go from being in the ground to a material that is able to be formed? The first step is digging the clay from the earth. At this point, it’s easy to […]

Voices of the Past Day 2 [w/ Photo Gallery]

Tools & Weaponry of the Eastern Woodland People Shane Rader came for Day 2 of our Voices of the Past event to share his vast knowledge of both tools and weaponry. Many examples he brought were tools that he has crafted himself or uses on a regular basis. There were […]

Voices of the Past Day 1 [Photo Gallery]

Songs & Dances of the Eastern Woodland People This event was enjoyed by all that visited! Jack Mcclung came in full regalia to teach, share, and create a space where people could feel welcome to participate in several of the dances. Beginning with two welcome songs, it set the whole […]

Learn About Chief Wingina This Summer

We have two more sessions available this summer for visitors to learn about Chief Wingina of the Hattorask from GrayHawk Parsons. Gray is a local historian and author that has heritage in the Machapunga-Matamuskeet people. He was able to get adults and kids alike to peer into the past and […]

vegetation on sand

Eating Sea Oats?

A while back, a visitor asked whether 1) sea oats were edible and 2) did indigenous people here eat them if they were? It’s taken a bit to finally answer this question because there’s not a lot of information focused on the edibility of them from reliable resources. But we’re […]

the beautiful snow that happened on January 22, 2025 at the native museum of the obx

Snow on the Outer Banks

As many of you know by now, the snow storm that hit the east coast on January 22nd did not overlook the Outer Banks. While they predicted only up to about 3 inches at first, reports were between 7-9 by the end of the day from Nags Head to Ocracoke! […]

Our New Pollinator Sign!

When we announced a GoFundMe to try and raise funds for a very large outdoor sign, we were delighted to reach our goal with mind-blowing speed! We sent it ASAP to Hatteras Island Vinyl Graphics in Buxton and waited patiently for the call. We knew it would be special but […]

Ceroptres iktomii wasp

Native Culture in Unexpected Places

A newly published paper on 22 new species of gall wasp may not be something you’d ever consider as having any connection to Native American culture. Most people have seen a gall before. A strange growth on a plant that makes the stem bumpy or puffed up. Sometimes little furry […]

Concrete Trees?

If you’ve been to any of our amazing summer classes you’ve been able to see one of our latest accomplishments in person. Our Natural History Center was recently remodeled to provide a unique classroom experience of being out in nature without concerns like mosquito swarms. One of the things at […]

4 March 2024; Yucca or Yuca?

While the yucca aren’t quite in bloom, we’ve been having some important discussions in the museum about plant identification. The recipe in the museum cookbook for fried yucca flowers was causing some confusion because folks were using yucca and yuca interchangeably when in fact they refer to two different types […]