El Centro College's History Department Presents North American Indians at the Dallas Museum of Art and other American Indian Museums and Galleries

A Presentation for El Centro's Capstone Program

Here are some questions to consider before you enter the virtual tour or to the museum: Who made these objects and why were they made? What do the objects reveal about the people who made them? What do the objects reveal about the environment in which they were made? Which of the objects did you like the most and why? Timeline: These dates are a compilation of a variety of resources. As you can see, there is a wide range of dates. Anthropology is not an exact science in this area. Take the dates as educated guesses. (?)18,000 BCE Southwest & Southeast occupied 7000 BCE Desert Cultures emerge 2000 BCE First farming in the S.W. 700-0 BCE Cochise peoples of S.W. 500 BCE Agricultural Revolution in S.W. 300-100 BCE Pottery, settling down 300 BCE-300 CE Development of Hohokam culture 200 BCE-1 CE Development of Mogollon culture 1-750 CE Development of Puebloan cultures - Basket Maker Stages (Anasazi) 200-700 CE Arrival of Mexican influences in the S.W. 300 CE Vahki phase of Hohokam culture 400-700 Modified Basket Maker Stage 600 Hohokam develop irrigation, ball courst, earthen pyramids, etchings 700-900 Appearance of pueblos, kivas, reliance on agriculture in S.W. 700-1000 Shift to above ground, masonry pueblos in S.W. 750-1250 Mimbres culture 1100 Peak of Caddo moundbuilding 1100-1300 Great Pueblo Period - cliff dwellings 1150-1450 Classic Hohokam 1300 Caddo Mounds of East Texas abandoned 1300-1500 Puebloan dispersal Chihuahua to Phoenix; abandon cliff dwellings 1300-1700 Late Caddo period 1500 (?) Arrival of Athabascans (Navajo & Apache) in S.W.

The collection of art and artifacts from Indians north of mesoamerica is one of the smaller collections at the Dallas Museum of Art. It seems to get smaller every Spring. The advantage of this is you may focus your study and are not overwhelmed by the choices. Another interesting thought is that this collection represents mostly women artists. As you enter the area, you will see relatively recent pieces from New Mexico. They are from San Ildefonso Pueblo, that is one of 19 surviving Pueblos and home to the Tewa Indians in New Mexico. The pieces are dated from the late 19th through early 20th centuries. They are ceramic although differ in the color of the slip and designs. The black plate is most representative and famous of Tewa pottery. It is referred to a "black on black" pottery. These samples are by Maria Martinez, one of the most famous potters from San Ildefonso. The next piece that you will see in this display comes from Santa Clara Pueblo, also home to Tewa Indians. They also make beautiful black pottery. For more information on other Pueblo Indians, see the Pueblos Page as well as the Hopi and Zuni. Here are some sites about San Ildefonso and Santa Clara pottery and people: Barbara Gonzales Pauline Martinez Pottery by John Gonzales San Ildefonso Pottery Photo - Making Pottery Items for Sale San Ildefonso Pueblo San Ildefonso Pictures San Ildefonso Pueblo Santana Martinez Pottery Santa Clara Pottery On the wall next to the Pueblo pottery, you will a Navajo (Dine') weaving. This blanket from the 1870s would be part of the so-called "Transition Period". The story goes that the Dine' never completely finish a work. Can you find the unfinished bit? Be sure and read the information on the wall next to the weaving. Question: Why would the Dine' want an unfinished work of art? Here are some interesting Dine' or Navajo links: Navajo Nation Navajo Times Newspaper Explore the Navajo Nation Navajo National Monument Navajo Codetalkers Dictionary Navajo Indians "The People" Navajo Literature Navajo Creation Story Next to the rug, there is a display of more Puebloan pottery. The two jars come from the San Ildefonso and Acoma Pueblos Acoma. Acoma pottery is still highly prized. Acoma Pueblo is considered the oldest continuously inhabited town in the U.S. today. Today, Acoma Pottery is still important to the economy, but the Sky City Casino provides another source. Here are links that tell you more about Acoma Pueblo and People: Acoma Pueblo Location of Acoma Pueblo Photo Debbie Brown's Pottery Hollister Collection, University of Massachusetts Acoma Sky City Acoma Acoma Question: How would you describe the geography of the Acomo Pueblo region?

Question: What is a "kachina"? Another piece that will catch your attention is the Kachina: Pahlik' Mana (Water Drinking Girl). This is a Hopi piece from the 1920s (probably). See the Hopi Page for links. A good place to start is on the Hopi Cultural Preservation page. Here are some good sites, too: Hopi Genealogy Hopi Wikipedia Hopi As you enter the small room with the rest of the collection, you will see a long line of Mogollon Mimbres pottery, some of the most famous of all Southwestern pottery. It is also some of the oldest in this collection dating to 1000-1150 C.E. Here you will find the classic black and white as well as the red and white designs of animals, geometric designs, and human figures. See the Mogollon Page for links and outline of discussion. Question: Why do all the bowls have holes in the bottom? See these examples. Toward the center of the room you will find some nice jars and a really cute bighorn sheep figurine. These were made by the Hohokam and Mogollon peoples. They were some of the most famous artists in the southwest. See this page for much more information. (The Mogollon also made the Mimbres pottery.) Nearby, you will find four so-called "Anasazi" pieces including both effigies and jars. Currently, the term "Anasazi" is under fire by the Pueblo peoples to whom others refer to their ancestors as the "Anasazi." The word "Anasazi" is actually a Navajo word and means "ancient ones" or "my enemies" depending on which resource you use. At any rate, the term "Ancient Pueblo Peoples" is preferred by today's Pueblo peoples. For more links and discussion, see the Ancient Pueblos page. Question: Who wants to be the first to tell the Dallas Museum of Art directors that they are politically incorrect? Toward the back of the little room area and near the stairs, you will see three pieces that originated from outside the Southwest. The three Caddo examples make for some interesting comparisons to the rest of the collection. The two bottles and large red bowl that date from 1200-1500 C.E. came from Arkansas, but they could have come from the Dallas area since the Caddo lived from Dallas to the east. Their pottery is prized among collectors and archaeologists. Note the beautiful engraving and incising. You might want to read this article and see the Caddo page. Before you leave, you will also notice the masks and shaman staff from the Yup'ik Eskimo people and a Canadian Haida head rattle. For its 2,000-year history, the Central Yup'ik Eskimo population has remained unusually high, sustained by the great amounts of salmon that enter Alaska's two largest rivers. Over 20,000 people now live in 52 villages in a region the size of the state of Oregon. This is the highest population of Native Americans living continuously on their traditional lands, and their culture and language remain intact. The Haida are North American Indians who came from the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia and invaded Prince of Wales Island, probably early in the 18th century. The Haida language belongs to the family of Nadene languages. Traditional Haida society was organized into many single villages composed of one to several house groups or Matriclans. They were headed by hereditary chiefs. Chiefs gave potlatches to guests of the opposite moiety, displaying hereditary crests and dances, wearing masks for spirital powers. Warfare with enemy tribes was frequent, for revenge, booty, and slaves. Expert fishermen and seafarers, the Haida depended heavily on halibut, black cod, sea mammals, mollusks, and freshwater salmon catches. The abundant red cedars were used to make huge dugout canoes, multifamily plank houses, numerous TOTEM poles as memorials, and carved boxes and dishes. Here are some useful links: Nunapitchuk, Alaska, High School Juggling Haida Village Photo with Totem Poles Here are some other museums and galleries featuring Pueblo, Caddo, Hohokam, Mogollon, and Alaskan pottery and other Indian artifacts and art: Penfield Gallery The Heard Museum The Peabody Museum at Harvard with online exhibitions Contemporary Hopi Collection Lost City Museum Princeton Gallery Navajo Gallery National Museum Museums Links to Museums

El Centro College History Department
This page accessed times.