LAND OF EXTREMES: The people behind the artifacts

LAND OF EXTREMES: The people behind the artifacts

With Native American Heritage Month recently behind us, I found myself thinking about the work happening today in archaeology, museums, and cultural institutions. Here at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, this reflection feels meaningful. We are a borderlands museum in…

Understanding the First Nations of North America in 4 Key Artifacts

First Nation artifacts are more than museum pieces. Bought or (too often) stolen by non-Indigenous collectors, transformation masks, water drums, wampum belts, totem poles, jewelry, burial items, and clothing open a window into the culture and history of First Nations across North America. To the Indigenous communities that created them, they have always been and continue to be an integral part of their past, a historical record that helps them …