Like any dynamic culture, Native Americans of the Indiana region have maintained ties to the past while continually adapting to change and adopting new.

Like any dynamic culture, Native Like any dynamic culture, Native Americans of the Indiana region have Americans of the Indiana region have

maintained ties to the past while maintained ties to the past while continually adapting to change and continually adapting to change and

adopting new ways adopting new ways

Eiteljorg Museum of Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and American Indians and

Western ArtWestern Art

Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana

Mission: To inspire an appreciation Mission: To inspire an appreciation and understanding of the art, and understanding of the art,

history and cultures of the history and cultures of the American West and the indigenous American West and the indigenous

peoples of North Americapeoples of North America

Visitor StudiesVisitor Studies

WantWant Art, history and culture (interdisc.)Art, history and culture (interdisc.) Multi-sensory, interactives, technologyMulti-sensory, interactives, technology Info on Native Americans from this region Info on Native Americans from this region

(Indiana)(Indiana) Family opportunitiesFamily opportunities Subjects that evoke emotions and are Subjects that evoke emotions and are

relevantrelevant

Visitor perceptions of Native Visitor perceptions of Native AmericansAmericans

Visitors have difficulty integrating Visitors have difficulty integrating contemporary NA info into their prior contemporary NA info into their prior knowledge of what it means to be Indian.knowledge of what it means to be Indian.

So, how does a museum help its visitors So, how does a museum help its visitors connect objects and traditions of the connect objects and traditions of the past to peoples of today?past to peoples of today?

By letting Native cultures speak for By letting Native cultures speak for themselves through quotes, images, themselves through quotes, images,

video and live interpretersvideo and live interpreters..

The outside world has The outside world has presented its version of presented its version of Native American history and Native American history and culture many times, in many culture many times, in many ways.ways.

Now it is time for Native Now it is time for Native Americans to symbolically Americans to symbolically stand before you, firmly stand before you, firmly grasping the wampum of grasping the wampum of truth, and tell their story, in truth, and tell their story, in their own way, in their own their own way, in their own words. words. - Ray Gonyea (Onondaga - Ray Gonyea (Onondaga

Iroquois), Curator of Native Iroquois), Curator of Native American Art and Culture at the American Art and Culture at the EiteljorgEiteljorg

Interactive map: Indian IndianaInteractive map: Indian Indiana

MyaamiakiMyaamiaki (The Miami People) (The Miami People)

My youngest daughter was in grade My youngest daughter was in grade school and … [the teacher] said, school and … [the teacher] said,

There are no Miami Indians here.” There are no Miami Indians here.” And she told the teacher, “I’m here.” And she told the teacher, “I’m here.” And I went up to her and said, “I’m And I went up to her and said, “I’m here. And there’s more Miamis.”here. And there’s more Miamis.”- David Marks (Miami Nation of Indiana), 1998- David Marks (Miami Nation of Indiana), 1998

MyaamiakiMyaamiaki

MyaamiakiMyaamiaki

Finished Finished mahkahsinamahkahsina (moccasins) (moccasins) made by Scott Shoemakermade by Scott Shoemaker

Ribbonwork interactiveRibbonwork interactive

Bodewadmi (The Potawatomi Bodewadmi (The Potawatomi People)People)

BodewadmiBodewadmi

I live in two worlds really. I go to work I live in two worlds really. I go to work everyday and I live in a house and I drive everyday and I live in a house and I drive a Tahoe and I wear Reebok shoes, just a Tahoe and I wear Reebok shoes, just like everybody does. But also, I follow the like everybody does. But also, I follow the good road. It’s important to me to keep good road. It’s important to me to keep that balance.that balance.- John Pigeon (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi)- John Pigeon (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi)

Finished basket by John PigeonFinished basket by John Pigeon

Waahkahseeta (The Circle)Waahkahseeta (The Circle)

Basketry interactiveBasketry interactive

Lenapeyok & MihtohseeniakiLenapeyok & Mihtohseeniaki (The (The Delaware and Other Peoples)Delaware and Other Peoples)

Lenapeyok & MihtohseeniakiLenapeyok & Mihtohseeniaki

Lenapeyok & MihtohseeniakiLenapeyok & Mihtohseeniaki

I’m sure I’m using the tools a lot I’m sure I’m using the tools a lot different from my predecessors, but if different from my predecessors, but if a culture doesn’t change, it becomes a culture doesn’t change, it becomes stagnant and dies.stagnant and dies.

- Don Secondine (Delaware), 2001- Don Secondine (Delaware), 2001

Historical Timeline is like the edge of a Historical Timeline is like the edge of a pond rippling through the gallerypond rippling through the gallery

Historical TimelineHistorical Timeline

You take too much of [our] lands away…. The print You take too much of [our] lands away…. The print of my ancestors’ houses are every where to be of my ancestors’ houses are every where to be seen in this portion.seen in this portion.- Miami Chief Little Turtle, 1795- Miami Chief Little Turtle, 1795

We are determined to defend our lands, and if it is We are determined to defend our lands, and if it is [the Great Spirit’s] will, we wish to leave our [the Great Spirit’s] will, we wish to leave our bones upon them.bones upon them.- Tecumseh (Shawnee), ca. 1813- Tecumseh (Shawnee), ca. 1813

My grandfather was working for the recognition for My grandfather was working for the recognition for years and years, and he told us that we would years and years, and he told us that we would be lucky to see it in our lifetimes. But it did be lucky to see it in our lifetimes. But it did happen.happen.- Marge Moody (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), 2002- Marge Moody (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), 2002

Time as a river is a more Time as a river is a more Euro-American concepts Euro-American concepts of time, with each event of time, with each event happening and passing happening and passing

on like a river flows on like a river flows downstream.downstream.

Time as a pond is a more Time as a pond is a more Native American concept Native American concept of time, with everything of time, with everything happening on the same happening on the same

surface, in the same area surface, in the same area – and each event is a – and each event is a ripple on the surface.ripple on the surface.