HEARD MUSEUM IN PHOENIX

THIS IS A WORLD FAMOUS MUSEUM THAT HAS MANY INDIAN EVENTS. THIS MUSEUM WAS FOUNDED IN 1929 BY PIONEER PHOENIX SETTLERS DWIGHT AND MAIE HEARD. WHEN I WAS WORKING AT THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IN PHOENIX I WENT TO THE GIFT SHOP AND FOUND A HOPI RING THAT I LIKED. I DREW A PICTURE OF IT AND HAD A NAVAJO JEWELER DESIGN IT FOR OUR WEDDING RINGS.

TODAY THE MUSEUM AND INDIAN FAIR AND MARKET DRAWS NEARLY 20,000 PEOPLE. THEY HAVE 10 GALLERIES. IN 2000 THEY RENOVATED THEIR PERMANENT GALLERY WITH ART FROM SOUTHWESTERN NATIVES AND IT COST$7.6 MILLION FOR 22,000 SQ. FEET. THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF EXHIBITS INCLUDING ARAPAHO, CHIPPEWA, JUANENO, YAQUI, CHEROKEE, BLACKFEET, COMANCHE, NAVAJO, HOPI, AND UTE, SHOSHONE, HAIDA, SEMINOLE, SISSATON, OGLALA, SIOUX, AND VARIOUS PUEBLOAN ARTISTS. GROUPS OF CHILDREN COME HERE AS THEY LEARN HOW TO MAKE SOME ARTWORK. IN ARIZONA THE INDIANS WERE FORCED TO GO TO RESIDENTIAL BOARDING SCHOOLS HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES. THEY HAVE AN EXHIBIT WHICH DRAWS ON FIRST PERSON RECOLLECTIONS OF FOUR GENERATIONS OF INDIAN SCHOOLS.

THE MUSEUM OWNERS COLLECTED MANY CRAFTS OF NATIVE AMERICANS. TODAY THE MUSEUM HAS A 40,000 OBJECT COLLECTION THAT INCLUDES TRADITIONAL WORK WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE CULTURES OF THE GREATER SOUTHWEST, INCLUDING NATIVES THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY.

THEY ALSO HAVE MASKS FROM TLINGIT INDIANS FROM VANCOUVER. THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTIST TRANSLATES HIS ART INTO MYTHS AND LEGENDS. THERE ARE 30 NAVAJO WEAVINGS THAT EPITOMIZE THE GRADUAL CHANGE OF THE NAVAJO WEAVING FROM THE 70'S TO THE 90'S. THEY HAVE AN EXHIBIT OF THE ART OF CEREMONY OF AMERICAN INDIANS THAT ARE PAINTINGS SINCE THE EARLY 1900'S. THEY DEPICT CEREMONIES THAT ARE CENTRAL TO THEIR LIVES.

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