Mitchell Museum of the American Indian facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Location | 3001 Central Street Evanston, Illinois |
| Type | Native American |
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is a cool museum in Evanston, Illinois. It's all about the amazing history, culture, and art of Native American people from North America. It's also part of a group called the Chicago Cultural Alliance. This group connects 25 different museums and cultural places in Chicago.
The museum has collections from way back in time, like the Paleo-Indian period, all the way up to today. You can see permanent exhibits that show the cultures of Native Americans from different regions. These include the Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast, and Arctic areas. There are also two special galleries that change their themes twice a year.
Contents
A Look Back: How the Museum Started
The Mitchell Museum opened its doors in 1977. It started thanks to a generous gift. A businessman named John M. Mitchell and his wife, Betty Seabury Mitchell, donated their collection. This collection included many Native American art pieces and important historical items.
Exploring Native American Cultures: Permanent Galleries
The Woodlands Gallery: East of the Mississippi
The Woodlands Gallery focuses on Native American people. These groups lived east of the Mississippi River. This includes areas like the Northeast, Southeast, and Great Lakes. A real birchbark canoe is a main highlight here.
Other displays show how people fished, hunted, and gathered food. You can see containers made from wood splints and birchbark. There are also beautiful personal decorations. These include glass beads, quillwork, and moosehair embroidery.
One special display shows clothing and crafts from Southeastern Woodlands people. This includes the Seminole, Cherokee, and Choctaw tribes. You can see a rare velvet patchwork Seminole man's Big Shirt from the late 1800s. The gallery also has a model Long House. Plus, there are photos showing how canoes were made and how wild rice was harvested.
The Plains Gallery: Life in the Central Lands
The Plains Gallery explores the lives of Native American tribes. These groups lived in the central part of North America. You can see moccasins, blanket strips, and different carrying bags. They all show the unique beadwork designs. These designs are typical of the Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, and Lakota (Sioux) tribes.
There are also dolls, including two made by modern Lakota artists. These dolls show detailed examples of men's and women's traditional clothing. The Plains people were known for hunting and being warriors. This is shown by an eagle feather war bonnet, weapons, and a shield. You can also see carved catlinite pipe bowls.
The Southwest Gallery: Art and Culture of the Desert
The Southwest Gallery highlights the culture and art of several groups. These include the Pueblo, Navajo, and southern Arizona Papago and Tohono O'odham (Pima) peoples.
One section is dedicated to Pueblo pottery. It ranges from ancient Anasazi bowls (thousands of years old) to modern works. This includes pieces by the famous San Ildefonso potter, Maria Martinez. You can also see silver and turquoise jewelry. These pieces were made by Zuni, Navajo, Hopi, and Santo Domingo artists.
Over 40 different Kachina dolls are on display. Some are old carvings from the early 1900s from Acoma and Laguna Pueblos. You can also see Navajo rugs from many different trading posts from the early 20th century.
The Northwest Coast and Arctic Gallery: From Pacific to the Far North
This gallery gives you a look into the lives of people along the Pacific Coast. This includes Washington, Alaska, and British Columbia. It also covers people in the far northern parts of Canada.
Prints, baskets, masks, and other wooden carvings are on display. They show how Northwest Coast art includes family history in its designs. You can see a full-size dance screen. A modern Tlingit artist painted this screen for the museum. There's also a Button Robe and a woven goat hair and cedar bark Chilkat blanket.
The wide variety of materials used by the Inuit and Athapascan peoples of the Arctic is also shown. Everyday items are on exhibit. These include snow goggles made from caribou hoof, bone, and wood. A full-size walrus intestine parka from early 1900s Alaska is also here. Modern dolls from Kotzebue and St. Lawrence Island show different types of traditional clothing.
Amazing Objects: The Museum's Collections
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian has over 9,000 objects! These items date from the Paleo-Indian period all the way to today. The collection covers all parts of North America. This includes the Woodlands, Plains, Plateau, Southwest, Northwest Coast, and Arctic peoples.
Some of the museum's strongest collections include:
- Great Lakes ice fishing decoys.
- Traditional and modern dolls from all over North America.
- Beadwork from the 1800s and 1900s from the Northern Plains and Great Lakes regions.
- Baskets from the Great Lakes, Southwest, California, and Northwest Coast.
- Navajo weavings.
- Kachinas from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- Cape Dorset prints.
- Arctic carvings made from stone, ivory, and bone. These range from ancient times to modern days.
