North American Native Museum facts for kids
The Nordamerika Native Museum, also known as NONAM, is a special museum in Zurich, Switzerland. It's run by the city itself. This museum is all about showing and taking care of amazing objects and art. These items come from the cultures of Native Americans, First Nations, and Inuit people.
Contents
Museum History
How the Museum Started
The story of the Nordamerika Native Museum began in 1961. The city of Zurich bought a large collection of items from a man named Gottfried Hotz. Two years later, in 1963, this collection was put on display. It was set up in a school building in Zurich. The museum was first called the Indianermuseum der Stadt Zürich.
In 1977, Hans Läng took over from Mr. Hotz. He became the museum's curator. A curator is like a manager who takes care of the museum's collections. Mr. Läng added many new items to the collection. He worked there until 1993. That year was a big moment for the museum. A new director, Denise Daenzer, started. She wanted to try new things. She began showing different parts of the collection. She also created special exhibits on specific topics.
The Nordamerika Native Museum Today
The museum staff started working more closely with Native Americans, Inuit, and First Nations people. Because of this, they decided to change the museum's name. In early 2003, the museum opened in a new location. It was renamed the Nordamerika Native Museum (NONAM).
Denise Daenzer continued to lead the museum. She kept adding to the collections. She also put together most of the temporary exhibits. She retired in 2012. Heidrun Löb is now the current director.
What You Can See: Exhibitions
Main Exhibitions
The museum has some parts of its collection on display all the time. These are called permanent exhibitions.
Main Display Area
You can find a big part of the museum's collection on the second floor. It's set up to show different culture areas. This helps visitors understand the many different groups of people.
Bodmer Gallery
In 2013, the museum opened a small new gallery. This gallery shows original artworks by Karl Bodmer. He was an artist who painted scenes of Native American life.
Soundscape Experience
The museum also has a "soundscape" area. Here, you can explore the world of the Inuit, Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl), Hopi, and Diné (Navajo) cultures. You use only your ears to listen to different sounds. This "sounding museum" was recognized by UNESCO. It was part of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures in 2010.
Special Exhibitions
NONAM often has special exhibitions. These shows focus on specific topics or artists. Here are some of the special exhibitions the museum has had since 2003:
- Katsinam – Cloud People and Ancestral Spirits (April 22, 2018 – March 3, 2019)
- Leo Yerxa – Tales from the Woodlands (October 5, 2017 – February 25, 2018)
- Bison, Büffel, Buffalo – Decline, Crisis and Comeback of the American Bison (December 20, 2016 – September 3, 2017)
- Calling the Animals – Arctic stories, drawn, printed and carved in stone (March 17, 2016 – July 3, 2016)
- Vanishing Thule – A Culture on thin Ice (October 1, 2015 – February 28, 2016)
- Native Art Now – Contemporary Indigenous Art (November 8, 2014 – June 7, 2015)
- Land, Art, Horizons – Land Reflected in Contemporary Native American Art (April 10, 2014 – September 7, 2014)
- Learning to Survive – Education in Native American, First Nation and Inuit cultures (May 8, 2013 – February 28, 2014)
- Fascinating «Indians» – European Imagination of Native Americans through the Centuries (March 22, 2012 – October 31, 2012)
- From Cod – Liver Oil to Totem Animal – Animals in the Native Cultures of North America (February 10, 2011 – December 31, 2011)
- Mantu'c – The Language of Glass Beads (April 15, 2010 – November 14, 2010)
- Karl Bodmer – A Swiss Artist in North America (February 8, 2009 – August 9, 2009)
- Aiguuq! – Arctic treasures from Swiss Museums (March 8, 2008 – August 17, 2008)
- Life at the Edge of the World – Photographs of Northern Greenland by Markus Bühler–Rasom (November 1, 2007 – February 24, 2008)
- Richly Adorned – Native American Jewelry from Arizona and New Mexico (June 17, 2007 – October 15, 2007)
- Canoe Kayak – Native American and Inuit Boats (September 17, 2006 – May 31, 2007)
- Swiss Pioneers – in the Land of the Lakota and Crow (May 18, 2006 – September 3, 2006)
- Traditions of Change – Contemporary Art of the Athabaskan and Tlingit (September 17, 2005 – April 30, 2006)
- Cherokee People Today – Photographs by David G. Fitzgerald (February 3, 2005 – August 31, 2005)
- Living Environments – Environments of Art Contemporary Iroquois Art (June 5, 2004 – December 31, 2004)
- Katsinam – Ceremonial Figures of the Pueblo Cultures (September 21, 2003 – April 30, 2004)
- Inuit Art – Art for Survival (January 26, 2003 – August 20, 2003)
