Children of all ages visit the many recently constructed native cultural centers, living museums that also serve as community meeting house and cultural forum for the many indigenous nations.
As children, many of us first learned about Native American culture in November, when we were instructed to draw, recite and perform scenes from the original Thanksgiving Feast, when "Indians" emerged from the wilderness shadows to feed (and save) the starving Europeans. Our only other window into the native world, save for a few dioramas at the local museum, came from Hollywood, source of countless "us vs. them" westerns and Tonto, the Lone Ranger's obsequious sidekick.
Today's children enjoy access to a wealth of information about the diverse cultures of Native American and Canadian First Nations people. High school students read Coeur d'Alene novelist and poet Sherman Alexie, Métis novelist Joseph Boyden and Chippewa novelist Louise Erdrich. Kids observe the First Nation's partnership in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, watching intently as Haida elder Percy Williams conveys the Olympic Torch in a Haida dugout canoe through British Columbia's Queen Charlotte archipelago. And children of all ages visit the many recently constructed native cultural centers, living museums that also serve as community meeting house and cultural forum for the many indigenous nations.
They brim with palpable pride as they reveal the cultural nuances of their deeply layered ancestry.
From southeastern Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center to Florida's Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, indigenous people share their culture and philosophy, entertain and educate visitors about their experience and wisdom living on the North American continent for many thousands of years. Today, opportunities to learn about Native American and First Nations culture is as bountiful as the provender at those mythical Florida or New England feasts just under four centuries ago.
The Iroquois Indian Museum pays tribute to the extraordinary past of the Six Nations.
Iroquois Indian Museum
Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca people formed the the Iroquois League, aka the Haudenosaunee ("People of the Long House") during or before the 16th century. The Tuscarora nation joined the League in the 18th century, becoming the Six Nations. The Six Nations occupy upstate New York, Ontario and Quebec. While the Iroquois Indian Museum pays tribute to the extraordinary past of the Six Nations, the curators remain dedicated to demonstrating the artistic and cultural talents of contemporary Iroquois as well, featuring regular exhibits of native artists, promoting concerts and holding frequent social dances in the outdoor amphitheater. The museum, which also maintains a 45-acre interpretive nature park, celebrates its 30th year in 2010.
