Museum of Indian Culture facts for kids
Museum of Indian Culture in October 2017
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| Former name | Lenni Lenape Historical Society's Museum of Indian Culture |
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| Established | 1980 |
| Location | 2825 Fish Hatchery Road Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Type | Cultural |
The Museum of Indian Culture is a special place in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It's a non-profit organization and an educational center. It was started in 1980. The museum works to share, protect, and keep alive the history of the Lenape people. It also focuses on other Native American cultures from the northeastern United States. You can find the museum in the Lehigh Parkway at 2825 Fish Hatchery Road in Allentown.
History
The Museum of Indian Culture began in 1980. Its first name was the Lenni Lenape Historical Society's Museum of Indian Culture. It is the oldest museum in Pennsylvania that focuses only on Native American history. Its main goal was to teach people in Pennsylvania about the state's original inhabitants.
Dorothy Schiavone and her daughter, Carla Messinger, founded the museum. The building itself is very old and interesting. It's a historic Pennsylvania German stone farm house. There's also a two-story stone spring house. The Bieber family built these buildings around 1750.
In 2003, new leaders took over the museum. They wanted to make sure the museum worked well with local government and recognized Native American tribes. In 2005, the museum changed its name to the Museum of Indian Culture. Since then, the museum has grown to include exhibits from tribes across North and South America.
The museum helps people learn about Native American tribes. It also helps with research into Native American history. The museum hosts fun festivals and offers tours. They also have community programs to teach about Native American culture and history.
Exhibits
The Museum of Indian Culture has many different Native American items. These include stone tools, pottery, carvings, photographs, and weapons. You can also see beautiful beadwork and basketry. The items come from all over North America.
Some special items include a Hupa basket collection from California. There is also a display of ceremonial clothing from the Aztec people of Mexico. You can also see a collection of stone tools from a Lenape tribe in Pennsylvania.
One important part of the museum's collection comes from the Broomall Rock Shelters. Amateur archeologists Frank Sterling, Paul Delgrego, and W. W. Venney found these shelters. They discovered them after finding a skeleton in one of them. More than 3,000 years ago, Lenape Indians used these shelters for protection. They stayed safe from the cold and rain there. An exhibit at the museum shows artifacts found in these shelters.
See also
