Cultural Identities: Mixed Blood |
Cultural Identities: Mixed Blood
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central Street
Evanston, Illinois 60201
847.475.1030
September 2013
With the influx of immigrants from throughout the world, the United States has been called the great melting pot. But how has this played out for the original people in America? Explore how American Indian peoples from multiple cultures and races identify themselves, pre-European contact and today in our new exhibit Cultural Identities: Mixed Blood, opening September 28th 2013.
In the exhibit, curator Melissa Halverson highlights how American Indian history from pre-European contact to the present shaped the current debates over tribal membership and cultural appropriation and discusses the many way in which a mixed race or mixed culture person can identify themselves. The exhibit reviews historical family unit structures, including slavery and adoption, the impact of treaties, assimilation campaigns, and the U.S. government’s introduction of blood quantum. Finally hear about today’s controversies from tribal members, as well as those no longer qualified for membership.
Consider the many facets of identity from government allegiance, religious beliefs, living on or off reservations to legal rights and genealogy. The exhibit includes unique pieces from the museum’s collection including a U.S. government ration card from 1886, a Cochiti nativity scene, a Navajo beaded Chicago Bulls hat, and a beaded pipe bag pictured above. Come learn about the importance of self-identification and how history and culture affects the way you identify yourself.
For more information, click here.
Tags: Melissa Halverson, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian