Fort Hays State Historic Site [KS]

Description

Generals George A. Custer, Nelson Miles and Philip Sheridan, Major Reno, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and James B. "Wild Bill" Hickok are part of the history of this outpost on a military trail. Established in 1865 in the land of the Cheyenne and Arapaho, Fort Hays protected railroad workers and travelers on the Smoky Hill Trail. Visitors can see the military items and photographs at the visitor center, as well as the original 1867 blockhouse, furnished officers' quarters, the original 1872 guardhouse, and Native American artifacts.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational programs.

Chief Vann House Historic Site [GA]

Description

During the 1790s, James Vann became a Cherokee Indian leader and wealthy businessman. He established the largest and most prosperous plantation in the Cherokee Nation, covering 1,000 acres of what is now Murray County. In 1804 he completed construction of a 2-and-a-half-story brick home that was the most elegant in the Cherokee Nation. After Vann was murdered in 1809, his son Joseph inherited the mansion and plantation. Joseph was also a Cherokee leader and became even more wealthy than his father. In the 1830s almost the entire Cherokee Nation was forced west by state and federal troops on the infamous Trail of Tears. The Vann family lost their elegant home, rebuilding in the Cherokee Territory of Oklahoma. Today the Vann House survives as Georgia's best-preserved historic Cherokee Indian home. A guided tour allows visitors to see the house which features hand carvings, a "floating" staircase, a 12-foot mantle, and fine antiques.

The site offers tours, exhibits, a film, demonstrations, and recreational and educational events.

Kaw Mission State Historic Site

Description

The Kaw Mission houses a museum that tells the story of the building that was home and school to thirty Kaw boys from 1851–1854. The Kaw lived in the Neosho Valley for less than thirty years when, despite an impassioned plea by Chief Allegawaho, the U.S. government removed the Kaw to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). At the museum, visitors can learn more about Chief Allegawaho, the Kaw Indians, and others who lived in the area.

The site offers exhibits, a short film, and tours.

Autry National Center [CA]

Description

The Autry National Center celebrates the American West through three important institutions: the Museum of the American West, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, and the Institute for the Study of the American West. The Autry was established in 2003 following the merger of the Southwest Museum, the Women of the West Museum , and the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage). Through innovative exhibitions, a broad range of programs, and an extensive collection of art and artifacts, the Autry National Center explores the distinct stories and interactions of cultures and peoples, and their impact on the complex, evolving history of the American West.

The museums provide exhibits, tours, performances, film screenings, and other educational and recreational programs.

Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indian Historical Society

Description

The Society operates a museum filled with items reflecting Chippewa traditions. These include sculptures created by talented local stone carvers and paintings by both young and old artists. The traditional history collection includes many objects that show the unique culture of the Chippewa, as well as three dioramas, showing the Chippewa transition from the woodlands to the plains, and a recreated Red River ox cart represents the Metis culture also found among the Native regional cultures.

The museums offers exhibits and research library access.

Baltimore American Indian Center [MD]

Description

The Baltimore American Indian Center (BAIC) is an urban American Indian Center established to assist and support American Indian and Alaskan Native families with moving into an urban environment and adjusting to the culture change they will experience. The BAIC also serves as a focal point for the Indian community for social and cultural activities and to educate non-native people about the cultures of the North American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.

The Center offers educational cultural classes and workshops, as well as an annual powwow.

Jémez State Monument [NM]

Description

The Jemez State Monument Heritage Area includes the stone ruins of a 500-year-old Indian village and the San José de los Jemez church dating to 1610. The village of Giusewa was built in the narrow San Diego Canyon by the ancestors of the present-day people of Jemez (walatowa) Pueblo. The name Giusewa refers to the natural springs in the area. In the 17th century, the Spanish established a Catholic mission at the village. The mission was short-lived, and, in time, the people abandoned the site and moved to the current location of Jemez Pueblo. The massive stone walls were constructed about the same time the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The heritage center contains exhibitions that tell the story of the site through the words of the Jemez people. A 1,400-foot interpretive trail winds through the impressive site ruins.

The site offers exhibits.

Folsom Historical Society and Museum [CA]

Description

The Society's Museum focuses on exhibits exploring Folsom's native people; the discovery of gold and the formation of mining camps; ethnic groups who contributed to this area; the formation of the town and the growth and establishment of the railroad, prison, and powerhouse; and later efforts at gold mining. The Museum's Pioneer Living History Center allows visitors a look at Folsom's past through vehicles; machines; equipment; and replicas of a miner's shack, blacksmith shop, carriage shed, and more.

The society offers educational and recreational events; the museum offers exhibits, tours, and educational programs.

Southwest Museum of the American Indian

Description

"The galleries at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian are closed to the public at this time. However, the Museum Store is open on Saturdays and Sundays and we will continue to offer great programs and events throughout the year.

The galleries are closed due to extensive rehabilitation of the building and conservation of its rare collection of Native American artifacts, with the goal of moving most of the collection to a new state-of-the-art home by 2009. Plans call for the infrastructure improvements to the Southwest Museum to be completed by 2010, when the building will be open for a new cultural use, fulfilling founder Charles Lummis' vision and belief that all indigenous peoples be understood."

American Experience: We Shall Remain

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In April 2009, the award-winning PBS series, American Experience launches an immersive look at the Native American experience with the five-episode series We Shall Remain.

Watch the series trailer and film clips to get an idea of content and concept. Actor Benjamin Bratt narrates this documentary that explores how Native peoples valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of their culture. The chronological range is impressive—from the Wampanoags of New England in the 1600s who used their alliance with the English to weaken rival tribes, to the bold new leaders of the 1970s who harnessed the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement to forge a pan-Indian identity. We Shall Remain represents a collaboration between Native and non-Native filmmakers and involves Native advisers and scholars at all levels of the project.

A teacher's guide is forthcoming in April and promises to offer techniques to integrate Native American history into the school curricula—including film-specific questions for analysis and comprehension, discussion questions, and classroom activities.

The film website includes additional resources and a bibliography of books and digital resources tied to each episode.

Local PBS stations, libraries, and educational institutions also plan events related to We Shall Remain, and an Event Calendar lists what, when, and where.