The High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, has a gallery which takes visitors on a journey through some of the most dramatic periods in the High Desert. According to the Museum display: “Thousands of years ago, more than one hundred Native American tribes inhabited the High Desert. During the early 1800s, newcomers began arriving—starting with … Continued
At the time when the first Europeans began to enter into the Central Oregon Coast area, the American Indians in the area—Tillamook, Alsea, Yacona, and Siuslaw—were living in large, permanent villages clustered along the coastal rivers. In 1855, the Coast Reservation (also known as the Siletz Reservation) was established by executive order of President Franklin … Continued
One of the displays in the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California, is entitled Sacred Earth and subtitled Understanding our past and honoring cultures that thrive today. Shown below are some artifacts associated with historic Southern California Indian cultures. The map above shows the location of the historic tribes of Southern California. According to … Continued
From 1500 BCE until about 1200 CE, the Zapotec were one of the prominent and historically important groups in Mesoamerica. They originated in the Valley of Oaxaca in Mexico. Their major archaeological sites include Monte Albán, Dainzu, Huitzo, Monte Negro, Yagul, and Zaachila. The Zapotec By 1500 BCE, the Cloud People (Ben Zaa, Gula’sa, or … Continued
The Franklin County Historical Society and Museum in Pasco, Washington, has a display relating to the Indians in the Franklin County area. This map shows the relationship of Franklin County with the Indian Nations of Washington. Shown above is a depiction of a Wanapan village. The lodges are made using tule mats—woven from dried reeds … Continued
In major museums, only a small fraction of the artifacts held by the museum are on display and interpreted for the public. Most of the museum’s artifacts are in vaults where they are available only to researchers. The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History maintains a Visible Vault, which changes over time, in which … Continued
Throughout the United States, private collectors for the past couple of centuries have been collecting “arrowheads” (many of these stone artifacts are not in fact arrowheads) and using them to make visually interesting displays. Such displays were part of Cabinets of Curiosities. In an article in The Indian Historian, Joan Lester writes: “They were chance … Continued
The Maryhill Museum located near Goldendale, Washington, has a display of Plateau flat bags. The Plateau Culture Area is the area between the Cascade Mountains and the Rocky Mountains in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, and Western Montana. From north to south it runs from the Fraser River in the north to the Blue Mountains … Continued
The Plateau Culture Area is the area between the Cascade Mountains and the Rocky Mountains in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, and Western Montana. From north to south it runs from the Fraser River in the north to the Blue Mountains in the south. Much of the area is classified as semi-arid. Part of it … Continued
One of the displays in the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California, is entitled Sacred Earth and subtitled Understanding our past and honoring cultures that thrive today. Shown below are some artifacts associated with historic Southern California Indian cultures. The map above shows the location of the historic tribes of Southern California. According to … Continued
