By: The Mayan Civilization

This artifact is a Maya Glyph Block made out of stucco. Its origins go back to A.D. 650 Bellote, Mexico in the Mayan Civilization. At first glance, it looks like the face or head of a chameleon attached to that of a human. The eye of the left portion resembles the unique one of a chameleon, darting at a large angle, as does the very head shape. The right portion shares human qualities, such as those of an eye, ear, lips, and nose, as well as accessories such as earrings and a headpiece. In actuality, this artifact is likely a portion of a longer inscription on a building. It is a hieroglyph of the ancient Maya’s intricate written language. It is one of the many written symbols in which Native Americans used to express their ideas and write ancient texts. This writing was expressed on paper in this Native culture, as well as on buildings, monuments, and ceramics.

This one artifact has much to tell about lives of these specific Native Americans. Much of the paper and “written” evidence of Mayan writing was destroyed because 1500s’ Spaniards either banned the reading of the ancient paper texts, or religious zealots burned them. As a result, much of the only remaining evidence was the monuments, buildings, and ceramics upon which the Mayan writing was inscribed. This shows that writing was embedded into this Native American culture. By combining art and architecture with their writing, these Native Americans revealed how intricate and detailed their culture was. The artifact shows that the written word, although seemingly non-existent to foreigners, played a large role in the daily life of Mayan communities. It was present everywhere in their community whether on paper, or on public structures. While it is yet to be translated, the writing likely yielded great importance in relaying rules, stories, and other important ideas in the society for all to see.

This artifact helps to broaden the Narrative about New York City (NYC)/American history in that it revealed the “story” of the people not usually focused when discussing the development of NYC or America. It reveals the ignorance of the very immigrants who later populated the country: they viewed the Native Americans as barbaric. Written language was a key sign of a civilized people to migrating foreigners, but for lack of understanding, foreigners did not realize that the Natives had this. Part of the defense for Manifest Destiny in parts of America was that Natives were not “civilized” people like imposing immigrants themselves. Imposing immigrants did not see the civilized attributes of the Native people and as a result, this view encouraged actions such as the burning of their ancient texts and destruction of livelihood.

Inka Khipu- Chulpaca, Peru, A.D. 1425 to 1532

By: Incan Nation

This is called a khipu and it was used by the Inca Native Americans for record keeping. They are made of multiple string hanging from a horizontal string. These strings include quantitative information such as tax records and inventories, indicated by the varying length, twining techniques, number of knots and color. This system helped the Incas to be one of the most successful and long lived.

From this artifact it is evident that much of Incan economy was developed through trade and negotiations with other Native American and even European groups. They were a highly advanced group of people at the time. The way that they kept their records is not only innovative but also ingenious. This further disproves the idea that Native Americans were “uncivilized” or “barbaric”.  They had a bureaucracy in which they used the khipu as an accounting device. Further research also showed that the khipu might also be a writing system.

I think that American history texts and information does not pay respect to the Native American culture and how highly advanced they were for the time period they existed in. Native Americans are commonly taught to students as people who were a small group of people who practiced unusual beliefs. However, from artifacts like the khipu and groups like the Incan empire, it could be seen that Native American cultures could be compared to classical cultures of Asia and Europe. Native Americans had forms of order, a bureaucratic system of government, and a source and system for economic stability. Furthermore, the Khipu also explains why Spanish colonizers were so eager to come to the Americas. The Incas had already built a fundamental trading system and economy, it was easy for the Spanish immigrants to take over and integrate modern techniques for their own benefit. If the colonizers had come at a later time, the Incas would have been able to resist the take over with a greater force.

Waalpi, Arizona, ca. 1890

Cotton, wool, dye

This artifact is a Hopi manta, which is a cotton and wool cloth that is woven by skilled weavers from Arizona. It is made from plant fibers with the embroidery done with wool yarn. This manta is particularly used for dance as it is shown on the manta itself. The dancers are wearing a manta and a kopatsoki, or headdress. Mantas are worn by women for Hopi ceremonies and social dances but made by men. This suggests that women may not have played as subordinate of role as depicted by history textbooks.

The Hopi manta tells us a lot about the innovation of the Native Americans and their social values. They lived off the land and relied on the resources around them to survive. There was great importance placed on gathering to dance and pleasing deities for prosperity. This also shows us that they were artists by intention. The embroidery was not solely for the purpose of survival but it also served the purpose of expression. The weavers took their time to embroider dancers and designs. This broadens American history because it shows that Native Americans were a cultured group of people. They were not struggling to survive; rather, they fluorished.

The artifact displayed are Valdivia female figurines. The Valdivia are originally from Ecuador. These figurines are the oldest figurative objects in the Americas, from around 3500 B.C., and they are said to be associated with agricultural rituals and calling for rain. Since many figurines are female, it is suggested that they are also associated with fertility. The most distinguishing feature of the figurines are the figures’ long hair. It indicates that females in the Valdivia culture may have kept their hair long as a status symbol or as part of their belief system.

The figurines show that women were thought of as symbols of fertility and prosperity in the native culture. Many fertility deities presided over childbirth and agriculture, two things that women had a huge role in. In Native American culture, women played an essential role because their softer, gentler voice were thought to be better able than men’s voices for calling the gods in everyday situations. Women were respected because agriculture was a huge part of their means to survival. They worked various jobs on the field throughout the year, from clearing fields, planting, to hoeing and harvesting. Also, Native Americans believed that the mind and spirit had a critical role in healing, and women’s voices were more healing and soothing, which is beneficial to those with illnesses.

Compared to women in American society, women in Native American society had more equality. Women played a significant role in the community, so they, too, held political, social, and economic power. Native Americans had their own thoughts and ideas on society but it was masked when they had to assimilate to American culture. It was through this when Native American women began to lose their authority in their own society.

By: Frank Day
Konkow Maidu Tribe
1967

This painting by Frank Day shows an image of a young woman and her child being attacked by a bloodthirsty bear. The bear is portrayed as a monstrous, evil creature preying on an innocent Indian mother and the sleeping child. We can see that the mother and child were resting and enjoying the peace of their land, emphasizing the Native American connection to the natural world. The central image in this artwork however, is the large white horse kicking the predator behind him. The bear represents danger and threats facing the Indians in their own land. The horse is tied to the ground, giving us the sense that he is probably a domesticated animal and owned by the woman, and yet he still attempts to fight off the bear. From the blood on the horse’s hooves, we can infer that the bear was successfully wounded, and potentially scared off.

Frank Day utilizes his ancient family tales that were passed down to paint an image of how close his ancestors were with the animals in their land. The Native American people had a strong love for animals especially for horses which were used heavily in wars, everyday chores, and overall protection, even though they were brought by the Europeans. He conveys this relationship through his artwork, and captures the kinship between the Indians and the animals they relied on. The serene background and tranquil nature of the painting further reiterates the spirituality of the native land.

 In contrast to the European way of thinking, Native American culture emphasized the importance of animals having equal rights in the land. The natives trained and took good care of these animals that the Spanish conquistadors neglected. This gentle and loving Native American attitude towards animals symbolizes the values and tradition of the land. This can be used to broaden the narrative of American history overall, as the Indian emphasis on animals also served to influence the development of the Great Plains culture. Plains Indians had a nomadic cultural way of life and placed importance on an equestrian culture as well, with horse and herding culture dominating the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  It also speaks on how deeply the natives were ingrained into the land. People often tend to think that animals were simply used for the sole benefit of the Indians, but this image represents the mutual love between owner and “pet”.  Native American kinship with horses established strong hunting grounds for buffalo, increased motility and enabled the people to expand further into the Americas, specifically the southern regions which allowed for more trade and spread of culture. Frank Day’s painting captures the essence of Native American relation to the world around them, and allows us to understand the implications of this relationship.

Native Americans, since our time in 8th grade, have been of great interest in our study of history. This ethnic group, among the oldest indigenous groups of the country, and state, that we live in, they are often forgotten. The National Museum of the American Indian is dedicated to preserving the culture of this group, while also educating the public about what may not be known about this group. The museum is unique in that it does not only show beautiful artifacts for the public to enjoy, but it also seeks to portray their way of life, their language, and a wholesome overview of their culture.

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