Welcome to MONAH’s artifact blog, where we get up close and personal with our permanent collection!
This beautiful quilled pipe bag dates to the last quarter of the 1800s but remains in excellent condition today. It measures to about 39 inches in length, including the fringe. The original owner is "He Frightens" (a.k.a Joe Frightens), the son of Chief Iron Shell of the Brulé Sioux.
Read MoreTake a look into these late 1800s Plains Indian man’s leggings! They are a beautiful example of the ingenuity and quality craftsmanship of these people during a time of change and adaptation. These leggings are on display at MONAH during the Companion Species: We Are All Related exhibition with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art!
Read MoreMississippian culture (900 A.D.-1,450 A.D) is well known for its expertise in pottery-making. In this post, we are focusing on the craftsmanship of the Quapaw people. The Quapaw also work pottery into effigy forms that depict animals like dogs, deer, otters, and frogs; objects like shells, and even people!
Read MoreToday, the Spiro Mounds represent one of the wealthiest and influential centers of the pre-Columbian era. This beaded necklace tells a story of fashion, trade, and wealth in this sophisticated culture. This necklace is made from a 34-inch strand of hollow bird bone beads and found at the Spiro Mounds in Leflore County, Oklahoma. They are estimated to be used within 900 A.D. to 1450 A.D.
Read MoreMany tribes all across North America have used, and some continue using, cradleboards to carry their children at very young ages. Here at The Museum of Native American History, we have two great examples of cradleboards reaching from sea to shining sea. A Mohawk cradleboard dating to the late 1800s and a Paiute cradleboard dating to around the same time. While different, they offer the same amount of comfort and protection to a newborn child while giving their mother a range of motion to carry on with her day.
Read MoreIn the beginning of early people, food is the most essential and critical aspect of life. It can be easy for us today to think of food as a simple thing we need, but only think about it when we need it. Our early ancestors, 14,000 years ago, considered the question of food as a way of life!
Read MoreMeet "Billy Bacon," a doll from Eagle, Alaska made by the Hankutchin Athabascan or Han people.
Read MoreDistinct Caddoan culture emerged around 1000 A.D. in South Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and East Texas. However, the Caddo pottery tradition emerged around 800 A.D.; it has become an unmistakable characteristic of the Caddo people. Caddo pottery is superior in technical construction to most all other Mississippian Era pottery.
Read MoreToday, we are looking at a new acquisition to the MONAH collection, a Cherokee pipe carved in the 18th century! It was carved from a solid hardstone and is notably less decorative than some other Cherokee pipe designs. This pipe was found in Sequoyah County in Oklahoma back in 1956. It likely arrived in Oklahoma on the "Trails of Tears" in the early 19th century.
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