American Indian Museum Washington Ct

National Museum Of The American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.

The museum has three facilities. The National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., opened on September 21, 2004, on Fourth Street and Independence Avenue, Southwest. The George Gustav Heye Center, a permanent museum, is located at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City. The Cultural Resources Center, a research and collections facility, is located in Suitland, . The foundations for the present collections were first assembled in the former Museum of the American Indian in New York City, which was established in 1916, and which became part of the Smithsonian in 1989.

On January 20, 2022, the museum announced Cynthia Chavez Lamar as its new director. Her first day in this position was February 14, 2022.

More Than A Game: The Story Of Lacrosse

The Alfred M. Darlow exhibition Hall houses ever-changing temporary exhibits. Our current exhibit More Than a Game: The Story of Lacrosseexplores lacrosse from its Indigenous origins to its modern iteration. With gracious contribution from Alfie Jacques , Oren Lyons , Jeremy Thompson , and Maxwell Kelsey , this exhibit was built on a foundation of Indigenous knowledge and individual experiences.

Institute For American Indian Studies Participating In Museum Day

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The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington is participating in the Smithsonian Magazines nationwide event, Museum Day, Sept. 18.

The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington is participating in the Smithsonian Magazines nationwide event, Museum Day, Sept. 18.

The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington is participating in the Smithsonian Magazines nationwide event, Museum Day, Sept. 18.

WASHINGTON The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington is participating in the Smithsonian Magazines nationwide event, Museum Day, Sept. 18.

In this initiative, participating museums across the United States open their doors for free to those who download a branded ticket from the Smithsonian Magazines website. This event allows museums nationwide to emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., which offers free admission every day, according to a statement.

This year’s theme, “Experience America,” represents a return to normalcy in the safest possible way. The Institute for American Indian Studies will have safety precautions in place for this year’s event so guests can comfortably enjoy their time at the museum.

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Weather Forecast For Institute For American Indian Studies Museum And Research Center Washington Connecticut

Traveling to Institute for American Indian Studies Museum and Research Center, Washington, Connecticut?Here is your 6-day weather forecast in the area.Whether it is a warm weather destinations or cold climate dont forget to consider weather, while you pack your bags for this trip.Start your day when the sunrises at 11:06 AM and dont miss the sunset at 10:10 PM.Todays winds are traveling west at a speed of 5 MPH.The temperature feels like 49 with a humidity level of 68.Cloud coverage is 26 percent with 15.8 percent visibility.Todays UV index is 3 make sure to prepare properly.Make sure to plan your travel itinerary to match your travel weather forecast to make the most of your vacation with Reservations.com.

Things To Do At The Institute:

1. Practice pronouncing Quinnetukut the Algonkian word for Connecticut, which means place of the long water. The Quinnetukut exhibit is the largest exhibit in the museum and features 12,000 years of history throughout an interactive timeline.

2. Learn about the 20+ ways a family would use a deer, how sugar was harvested through maple trees, and how people stayed healthy and warm during cold winter months.

3. Try to shoot an atlatl under the coaching of an Educator. Head outside to see how slowly the dart can go with an atlatl.

4. Guess how many bison hides and types of bark were used to make a wigwam. In New England, the hides would rot, so Indians used bark from a variety of trees to create the structures.

5. See how many ways the Three Sisters were used in daily life, from making dolls to shoes to cooking utensils. Hint: the Three Sisters are corn, bean, and squash- NOT people!

6. Learn about the top fashion item of the early 1800s and how it almost caused the beaver to go extinct. Hint: it has to do with a certain type of hat.

7. Compare your height to a giant beaver and the North American beaver.

9. Learn how to track a calendar on the shell of a turtle and the significance of each of the 13 full moons each year.

10. Hike on some of the trail on and adjacent to the property. Take note of the signs that provide names and details about the various types of trees.

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Quinnetukut: Our Homeland Our Story

Our core exhibition follows the 10,000 year long story of Connecticuts Native American Peoples from the distant past to their lives and culture today. Presented in chronological order, Quinnetukut takes visitors from a time at the end of the Ice Age, when humans were first venturing into the area that we now call Connecticut all the way to today.

Institute For American Indian Studies Washington Conn

Institute for American Indian Studies.38 Curtis Rd., Washington, CT

Edmund K. Ned Swigart, an instructor at the Gunnery School, led the Wappinger Chapter of the Connecticut Archaeological Society from 1966 to 1970 with a focus on the Kirby Brook Site digs. In 1971, the chapter was incorporated as the Shepaug Valley Archaeological Society. With their collections growing and no place to exhibit them, co-founders Ned Swigart and Sidney Hessel began a capital campaign to raise monies and the American Indian Archaeological Institute was born.

The focus of the Institute has always been stewardship and preservation. In 1991, the name was changed and we became the Institute for American Indian Studies. With the name change there was a shift in focus to include education in conjunction with research. The Longhouse Classroom was renovated in 1994 to include a mural depicting early village life and our outdoor replicated village was moved and rebuilt on its current site in early 1997.

The Research and Collections building, houses a state of the art climate controlled storage facility, laboratory, research and education libraries and conference hall.

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Things To Do At The Institute For American Indian Studies

Located in Washington, Connecticut in the heart of Litchfield County, the Institute for American Indian Studies celebrates the largely unknown Indigenous history of New England. Opened in 1975, the 15 acre complex includes indoor exhibits, an outdoor replicated Algonkian Village, hiking trails, and even a Wigwam Escape Room experience. The Algonkian people inhabited much of the northeastern United States up until the 1700s and includes over 100 distinct groups and communities. The museum is very hands on and docents are eager to share anecdotal stories and explain the significance of artifacts on display.

The Institute For American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies – formerly the American Indian Archaeological Institute – was incorporated in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New England’s then-largely-unknown indigenous history. IAIS is a 5013 museum and research center founded by Edmund “Ned” Swigart and Sidney Hesse. IAIS is a place to hear the voices of American Indians. IAIS is a museum and education and research center featuring exciting exhibits focusing on American Indian culture both past and present in Connecticut and all across America Workshops lectures education programs summer camps gift shop and much more. Our focus is the Algonkian speaking peoples who make up the region’s many native groups, but IAIS programs and exhibits also involve other Native American groups from across the continent.

The Institute For American Indian Studies is not affiliated with AmericanTowns Media

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We Are Still Here: Communities Social Change And Cultural Endurance

Native American Communities and their Cultural Traditions have been a part of the North American landscape for thousands of years. From the far north in Alaska to the southeastern shores of Florida, indigenous tribal Homelands covered the continent prior to European colonialism.

The Homelands contained sophisticated societies with complex technologies and belief systems that enabled them to live successfully in their diverse physical environments. When Europeans appeared on First Nations lands bearing trade items of iron, glass and other materials foreign to indigenous cultures, tribal members incorporated the new items into their traditional economies to increase their efficiency and enhance their standard of living.

Many of these ancient Native American communities have continued to this day. These contemporary indigenous societies experienced many changes since their first meeting with Euro-Americans. All cultures are organic entities, and change is a constant within them. For example, Anglo-Americans no longer wear Pilgrim hats, drive Model T Fords, or dance the Charleston.

This exhibit bridges the past and the present through presentation of artifacts, images, and themes that demonstrate the connections and continuity of early colonial and modern tribal lifestyles across North America.

Nation To Nation: Treaties

In 2014 NMAI opened a new exhibition Nation to Nation: Treaties, curated by Indian rights activist Suzan Shown Harjo. The exhibit is built around the Two Row Wampum Treaty, known from both Indian oral tradition and a written document that some believe is a modern forgery. Museum reviewer Diana Muir Appelbaum has said, “There is no evidence that there ever was a 1613 treaty” and describes NMAI as “a museum that peddles fairy tales.”

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A Brief History Of Our Museum

Located in Washington, Connecticut, the Institute for American Indian Studies formerly the American Indian Archaeological Institute was incorporated in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New Englands then-largely-unknown indigenous history.

Today, IAIS continues to be a 5013 museum and research center dedicated to providing unique, informative and engaging experiences for our members and visitors alike. It is our members who keep us moving forward and striving to provide the best events, workshops and activities possible.

George Gustav Heye Center

George Gustav Heye traveled throughout North and South America collecting native objects. His collection was assembled over 54 years, beginning in 1903. He started the Museum of the American Indian and his Heye Foundation in 1916. The Heye Foundation’s Museum of the American Indian opened to the public on Audubon Terrace in New York City in 1922.

The museum at Audubon Terrace closed in 1994 and part of the collection is now housed at The Museum’s George Gustav Heye Center, that occupies two floors of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in Lower Manhattan. The Beaux Arts-style building, designed by architect Cass Gilbert, was completed in 1907. It is a designated National Historic Landmark and a New York City landmark. The center’s exhibition and public access areas total about 20,000 square feet . The Heye Center offers a range of exhibitions, film and video screenings, school group programs and living culture presentations throughout the year.

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Tantaquidgeon Museum & Village

“From the beginning, Tantaquidgeon Museum was to be the place where we keep Mohegan treasures” — Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon , Mohegan Medicine Woman

The oldest Indian owned and operated museum in America, established by Gladys Tantaquidgeon along with her brother, Harold and father John, opened its doors to the public in 1931. Since that time it has hosted visitors from all over the world, and takes special pride and pleasure as a place for school groups to learn about Mohegan history and culture. The original intent was to make the non-Native community around Mohegan familiar with its people and practices, because as Chief Harold Tantaquidgeon once said “it’s hard to hate somebody you know a lot about.”

Through a collection of objects, artifacts, photographs, and stories, the Museum tells of the life of the Eastern Woodlands tribe established on the banks of the Thames River by Chief Uncas in the early 1600s. The collection ranges from the pre-historic to the contemporary and includes items that came back to Mohegan territory after the travels of Mohegan men and women around the world. An authentic re-creation of the Tribe’s outdoor dwellings invites visitors to imagine the Indians as they might have lived their daily lives centuries ago.

Across from the Museum, visitors will find the Cultural Preservation Center with a space devoted to temporary exhibits on Native themes.

The Museum is open to school groups by appointment.

Adelphena Logan Education Room

The Adelphena Logan Education Room is an indoor re-creation of an Algonkian Sachems or Chiefs house. This elongated wigwam, contains both original and replicated artifacts, as well as a detailed mural depicting everyday life in a Northeastern village before the arrival of Europeans. This exhibit allows visitors to experience the everyday challenges and joys of Native American life.

Adelphena Del Logan was a guiding light and spirit who nurtured IAIS from the beginning, through building construction and the early years of operation. Del often taught at IAIS and whenever IAIS needed her expert wisdom and support, she was always present both in person and in spirit. Del passed over on July 31, 1978 and the Sachems house education room is dedicated in her memory. Inside are many of the precious objects which were her or her familys personal possessions she donated to IAIS as well as items she made specifically for IAIS, to be used in teaching visitors about Native American culture and ways of life, carrying on her legacy.

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Job Posting For Museum Educator At Institute For American Indian Studies Museum And

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Museum Education Job Opportunity

Museum Educators at the Institute for American Indian Studies assist the Education Director in developing and implementing a diverse range of education and public programming that engages the public in the archeology, history, lifeways and culture of Native Americans in interactive and culturally appropriate ways. Museum Educators are responsible for helping to facilitate safe, fun, and educational experiences for learners of all ages in both indoor and outdoor environments. Become part of a team that is committed to fostering dialogue about the complex history and culture of Native peoples to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Requirements:

This is an in-person, paid position. IAIS does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Please visit our website for more information and to apply: https://www.iaismuseum.org/employment

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From $13.50 per hour

Schedule:

• Washington, CT 06793: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work

Education:

• High school or equivalent

Work Location: One location

Institute For American Indian Studies

Institute For American Indian Studies is a museum and research center in Washington, Connecticut. It is dedicated to preserving and sharing the culture and history of Native American peoples, particularly those from the Northeastern Woodlands. Exhibits include a replica Algonkian village, and nature trails and a garden with plants used by native peoples. The museum opened on July 1, 1975, as the American Indian Archaeological Institute and changed to the present name in 1991.

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National Native American Veterans Memorial

The National Native American Veterans Memorial honors American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces during every American conflict since the American Revolution. It was originally authorized by Congress in 1994 with amendments in 2013.

The national memorial was unveiled with a virtual event on Veterans Day 2020, with a dedication ceremony postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It comprises a vertical steel circle standing on a stone drum, surrounded by benches and engravings of the logos of the military branches. Four stainless steel lances are incorporated around the benches where veterans, family members, tribal leaders, and other visitors can tie cloths for prayers and healing.

The memorial was designed by Cheyenne and Arapaho artist Harvey Pratt and is titled Warriors Circle of Honor. Jurors unanimously selected the design concept from among more than 120 submissions.

Visit The Smithsonian National Museum Of The American Indian

Explore the rich, complex, and dynamic histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The museum’s architecture, native landscape, and exhibitions designed in consultation with American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian tribes and communities together give visitors a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples.

Situated near the U.S. Capitol, the National Museum of the American Indian is a striking presence on the National Mall. The building’s curvilinear form evokes a wind-swept mesa. Additional features such as the museum’s east-facing entrance, prism window, and 120-foot-high Potomac atrium spaces are further expressions of Native sensibilities.

The new National Native American Veterans Memorial, which sits on the grounds of the museum, was commissioned by Congress to give all Americans the opportunity to learn of the proud and courageous tradition of service of Native Americans in the Armed Forces of the United States. This is the first national landmark in Washington, D.C., to focus on the contributions of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians who have served in the military.

Enjoy the museum’s award-winning exhibitions: Americans, Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations andReturn to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake.

Amenities

• Braille or Large Print Menus

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