The Center of the West's Education Department

What do our educators have to say? Read a blog about museum happenings and what they are doing to engage museum audiences.

Celebrating Local Students

August 28, 2017 by Megan Smith

Celebrating local students can make lifelong impacts that encourage skill building, problem solving, and creativity, while igniting a spark that could impact them for years to come. Last summer the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Interpretive Education Department and the Draper Natural History Museum partnered with Westside Elementary in Powell, WY to celebrate their fifth graders’ exhibits and virtual interpretations of Yellowstone National Park. We continued this two-year tradition celebrating and […]

Plains Indian Weapons—Part 3: the Lance

August 8, 2017 by Ernest Gendron

In this third part of the series of blogs on Plains weaponry, I will talk about lances… Read part 1 Read part 2 The lance—wahúkeza—is another weapon commonly used on the plains. Like the bow, it is used both in hunting buffalo and in combat. The shafts can be constructed from various kinds of wood, […]

Plains Indian Weapons—Part 2: Stone War Club

July 31, 2017 by Ernest Gendron

In this second part of the series of blogs on Plains weaponry, I will introduce the stone-headed war club. Read part 1 Read part 3 There are many types of clubs, hatchets, tomahawks, etc. used across the Americas. On the Plains, however, we developed a particular style of stone club that is both distinctive and […]

Mortar and pestle, both carved from porous rock from the Center’s collection, NA.106.437

Oglala Sioux craftswoman shares Plains Indian cooking expertise in workshop August 11–12

July 24, 2017 by Nancy McClure

Join Oglala Sioux craftswoman Jen Runs Close to Lodge for an interactive, hands-on workshop, and learn to cook a vast array of traditional Native American foods. Throughout this experience, participants gain an understanding of the intriguing traditions of Native American food and meal preparation, while crafting a special dinner. This event takes place at the […]

Plains Indian Weapons—Part I: Bow and Arrows

July 21, 2017 by Ernest Gendron

In a series of blogs on men’s weaponry on the plains, I will discuss several different weapons, beginning with perhaps the most well-known: the bow and arrow. Read part 2 Read part 3 For the Nakoda, like most Plains Nations, the bow, idazipa, and the arrow, wohiŋkpe, are indispensable weapons. Their origins are sacred, as the use […]

John Hitchcock’s Flatlander 5. Acrylic paint, screenprint on paper, 22 x 30 inches, 2017.

Wisconsin artist John Hitchcock slated to be artist-in-residence at Buffalo Bill Center of the West

July 20, 2017 by Nancy McClure

As a part of the year-long Centennial celebration, the Center of the West’s summer programming is now in full swing with award-winning Wisconsin artist John Hitchcock stationed as artist-in-residence, daily July 24–28. Hitchcock received his bachelor of fine arts from Cameron University in his hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma. He later earned his master of fine […]