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| St. Joseph Museum features an impressive collection of American Indian artifacts. /Missouri Division of Tourism photo |
During the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase that expanded the size of the United States and the upcoming bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s expedition that spurred westward expansion, it’s important to remember the first Americans who were here before there was any concept of states or nations.
The proud and often lamentable story of American Indians began long before the arrival of explorers and pioneers who “discovered” this country. More than 1,000 years ago, American Indians thrived in the region, developing elaborate cities and fascinating cultures before descendants of European immigrants drove them westward.
But today, the rich heritage of those native peoples is preserved at a number of museums, mounds and other sites throughout the region. Through collections of artifacts and exhibits, this small sampling of sites celebrates the important traditions and the history of the region’s first Americans.
The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric Indian civilization north of Mexico are preserved at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, located near Collinsville, Ill., not far from St. Louis. One of the most significant and impressive archeological sites in North America, the 2,200-acre tract contains the remnants of an ancient Indian city known as Cahokia.
At its peak, the city covered nearly six square miles and had a population of about 20,000. The site was occupied from around A.D. 700 to A.D. 1500, when it was abandoned. But they left behind dozens of mounds, which were used principally for ceremonial activities. The most notable of them, Monks Mound, is the largest prehistoric earthen construction in the New World. Visitors can climb steps to the top of the mound to see where the ruler of the city once lived.
The Interpretive Center shows a video about urban life at Cahokia, and in the exhibit gallery, a life-size diorama makes you feel as if you’ve been transported in time to the ancient city. Other exhibits feature artifacts that have been excavated from the site. For details, call (618) 346-5160.
Although not as populated as Cahokia Mounds, Angel Mounds in southwestern Indiana near Evansville was once the largest town in Indiana during its era, with as many as 3,000 Native Americans living there from A.D. 1100 to A.D. 1450. The site was a chiefdom, the home of a chief, so Native Americans from a 70-mile radius probably traveled to the site to attend ceremonies and political events, to join war parties and trade goods.
Today, 11 mounds remain as part of Angel Mounds State Historic Site. Through the years, excavations have offered glimpses into the highly developed culture of the site’s early inhabitants, and artifacts discovered there are on display in the Interpretive Center. Also, a typical village scene has been re-created in the center, complete with figures making meals, hunting and playing games.
Call (812) 853-3956 for more details. Or visit the Web site www.angelmounds.org.
Throughout the region, dozens of museums contain artifacts and exhibits relating to the history and culture of American Indians. Native peoples were such an integral part of America’s infancy that most history museums devote at least a portion, if not entire galleries, to shed light on Native American lifeways.
One little known but excellent museum that focuses on Native American history is the Museum of Anthropology on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Located in Swallow Hall on historic Francis Quadrangle, the museum examines native cultures across North America.
The museum’s Native American collection includes several thousand items from Arctic, Southwestern, Plains, Northwest Coast and Eastern Woodlands groups. Among the relics on display are masks, tools, clothing, art, basketry, pottery, headdresses and more. The museum also has an extensive collection of archery materials. Call (573) 882-3573.
Farther west, the St. Joseph Museum contains another fine collection of Native American items, most of which were acquired by one local man prior to 1923. The artifacts, which are from all over North America, include masks, beautiful beadwork, hand-woven blankets and a variety of clothing, including a pair of Sioux moccasins decorated with dyed porcupine quills and glass beads.
For more details, call (816) 232-8471 or 1-800-530-8866, or visit www.stjosephmuseum.org.
At one time, Kansas was highly populated by Native Americans, so the U.S. Industrial Training School was opened in Lawrence in 1884 to assimilate native children into mainstream America. The children were removed from their families and brought there to remove their cultural influences and thereby “solve the Indian problem.”
But through the years, the boarding school evolved into a university with a mission to guard Native American heritage. Now known as Haskell Indian Nations University, the institution is a center for advanced academic study and cultural preservation. To further that goal, the school opened a new Cultural Center and Museum last fall to celebrate American Indian heritage, language and traditions through artifacts and oral histories.
Among the items on display are traditional art forms in clothing, jewelry, basketry, pottery and beadwork. One of the highlights is a valuable photography collection of 809 glass plate negatives of American Indians who attended the Trans-Mississippi Exposition and Indian Congress in Omaha, Neb., in 1898.
For more details, call (785) 832-6686, or visit the Web site www.haskell.edu.
One of the most grievous chapters in the history of Native Americans was the forced march of thousands of southeastern Indians to lands in present-day Oklahoma. Responding to pressure from settlers, President Andrew Jackson set a policy to relocate five tribes: the Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole and Cherokee.
While some of the Cherokee left on their own, more than 16,000 were forced out against their will. In the winter of 1838–39, an endless procession of Indians made their way to Indian Territory, enduring rain, snow, freezing cold, hunger and disease. It is estimated that more than 4,000 Cherokee lost their lives on the march, nearly one-fifth of the population, which is why the trek became known as the “Trail of Tears.”
Today, Trail of Tears State Park in southeast Missouri near Cape Girardeau serves as a memorial to those Indians who died in that relocation. The park is located on the site where nine of 13 groups of Cherokee Indians crossed the Mississippi River. Dozens lost their lives on or near the park’s grounds.
Legend has it that Nancy Bushyhead Hildebrand died and was buried within the park’s grounds. The Bushyhead Memorial in the park is a tribute to her and all the Cherokee who died on the trail.
The park’s visitors center features exhibits that interpret the forced relocation, as well as the park’s many natural features. Visitors also can camp, picnic, swim, hike and go fishing. For details, call (573) 334-1711, or visit the Web site www.mostateparks.com.
While tragic, the history of Native Americans is also a noble and engaging tale of perseverance, beauty, honor and distinction. Explore these sites to gain insight into the lives and losses of the first Americans.
