This glorious mask was made by the Huichol people, a southern tribe descendant from the Aztecs. Still residing in the coastal Jalisco and Nayarit of Mexico, the Huichol people continue many of their cultural practices. For the Huichol, the art world and the spirit world were one. Each of the […]
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Each day, we have the opportunity to meet many wonderful visitors to our museum – from families to couples and spring breakers to lone bikers. One of the things museum staff enjoy most is talking with our visitors and sharing their experiences. Whether we’re answering questions, taking note of suggestions, […]
If you have ever been to a Powwow, you have probably seen regalia that has been adorned with the metal cones featured above. Referred to as Jingle Cones, they were originally made by rolling the lids of tobacco cans. When strung together as fringe, they produce a gentle jingling sound. […]
The Natives of the Eastern Woodlands produced a number of gorgeous items. In the 19th century, around the Great Lakes – especially Niagara Falls, the tourist trade was filled with bags similar to the one featured above. There are some historians who even refer to this particular design pattern as […]
This stunning kachina is Kwahu, or the Eagle. Kwahu is easily identified by the beaked mask and the wings of eagle feathers. Though early Kwahu Kachinas were made with actual eagle feathers, modern Kwahu are made from carved wood or feathers that have been dyed to resemble those of eagles. […]
Almost all native tribes have dolls, but none are so common as the Corn Husk Doll. Like the one featured above, these dolls are made from the husks of corn. Historically they were made by many of the tribes that grew corn, and each one had a different story to […]
As we slide into Fall, we’ve gotten a new list of suggestions to share from our new interactive Seasons of Change exhibit! Turn off lights – Gracee Be modest with water usage and east less meat Turn off the lights when not using them or in a different room – […]
This wonderful, tiny carving of a buffalo is a Zuni fetish carving, or a wemawe. These carvings are believed to be connected to the spirit of the animal it depicts. While the Zuni did not normally encounter buffalo near their homes, they often traveled north to hunt the buffalo or […]
For many coastal tribes, stone was hard to find. This means their craft people didn’t have many materials to make arrowheads or spear points for hunting. While tribes on the mainland may have found it hard to hunt without such tools, the coastal Natives found ways to adapt by using […]
Beads come in many different shapes and colors. The beads, called heishi, featured on this necklace are made out of coconut shell. To make the coconut shell into beads, a hole was drilled using a pump drill like the one below: The individual pieces were then strung together and shaped […]
Music is plays a huge part in every Native culture, though, each tribe has very different ways to express it. The photos above feature a rattle with a very unique shape; this rattle is flat! A common design to the First Nation’s Tribes of Canada, this flat rattle uses material […]
This mask from the Northwest Coast features one of the more fantastical beings in the Northwest Coast: Dzunuk’wa, or Wild Woman. In legend, she was twice as large as a human and rumored to carry a large basket of captured children who had wandered into her woods. She was also […]