Few objects in the world more clearly proclaim “American Indian” than a weathered leather shield, painted, perhaps, with some jagged streaks of lightning; or a baby’s cradleboard, lovingly adorned with colorful beadwork; or a deerskin dress heavy with fringe and elk-horn buttons.

ON THE COVER
Benjamin Harjo, Jr. (Shawnee/Seminole) has an infectious sense of mirth and creative energy, which he pours into his award-winning paintings, both large and small. Photo courtesy Ackerman McQueen.

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For many Native artisans, it was the memory of a grandmother’s deftly moving fingers, or a grandfather’s quiet words, that stirred up a powerful desire to learn and carry on an ancient skill perhaps in danger of being lost to the modern world. In some cases, the effort of a single artist—who taught someone else, who then taught someone else—has revived and preserved important ancient Native crafts.

There was no alphabet. No written language. No metal for tools. No clay for pots. No wheels. Yet these prehistoric Pacific islanders voyaged across great oceans, created a sophisticated society and left a cultural heritage that still flourishes in the Hawaiian Islands.

A new permanent exhibit at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis is attempting to fill exactly this void with the June 22 opening of a new gallery, Mihtohseenionki: The People's Place. Launched in conjunction with the festivities surrounding the museum's 10th anniversary, the gallery and exhibition (presented by Ameritech) thrust us into the vibrant past, present and future of the region's original inhabitants—members of the impressive Woodlands cultures that once roamed America's heartland.

On August 29, 2001, under blazing-hot sunshine, several hundred invited guests gathered on the grounds of the Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle, Washington to witness the raising of a very special totem pole commissioned to celebrate the roles that artist Dale Chihuly and benefactors John Hauberg and Anne Gould Hauberg played in the founding of this renowned institution. The unique totem pole is the first to combine traditional red cedar with cast, etched and blown glass components, as well the subtle use of neon lighting.