Toys are a great example of how historians learn about people’s everyday lives. Hunter Old Elk, the curatorial assistant of the Plains Indian Museum, said a great example in the collection is a toy horse and doll. “This is supposed to represent the nomadic culture of the Plains,” said Old Elk. “So a female figure […]
One day while working in the Plains Indian Museum collections, Hunter Old Elk, the curatorial assistant, found a very heavy box. “I didn’t really know what it was going to be,” said Old Elk. “I kind of had an idea. I called a colleague over. He helped me uncover this box, we pulled it down, […]
Kate Fools Crow was Lakota and the wife of the renowned spiritual leader Frank Fools Crow. Kate made a dress sometime in the 1970s that had American themes. Hunter Old Elk, the Plains Indian Museum curatorial assistant, said there are beautiful American flag motifs all over the dress. But something else got Old Elk even more […]
The Salish tribes in western Montana, Idaho and Washington made cradle boards to celebrate newborns. It’s a utilitarian object because it is used as a baby carrier, but they were made for the celebration of the baby. As such, many cradle boards were decorated. Hunter Old Elk, the curatorial assistant of the Plains Indian Museum, said […]
The curator and curatorial assistant of the Plains Indian Museum once noticed an odd odor in one of the museum’s storage areas. This isn’t something that is welcome in museum collections since it usually means something is getting ruined. As they were trying to find where the stench was coming from, they noticed a bulky rawhide parfleche […]
The Nez Perce Tribe historically was a nomadic tribe that roamed the Plains. The tribe is known for their use of color in beadwork using both geometric and floral designs. Hunter Old Elk, the curatorial assistant of the Plains Indian Museum, said they often used black, white and red as well as colors of nature like blue […]