The South Riding RV Travels

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23rd August 2007 - Harvard University - Native American Museum

Co-located with the Natural History Museum and part of the same admission ticket is the Peabody Museum. One of the sections of this covers memorabilia from the Lewis and Clark expedition. This highly decorated buffalo skin was typical of the gifts given by one respected chieftain to another.
There is also a hall devoted to the North American Indian. Here are some pictures of various leaders. When we think of Indians our picture is most represented by the Sioux. But there were many other tribes and many of these adopted quite European modes of dress.
This was a clothing style of the Northern Plains Indian. It could get cold on the plains in the winter (and still does).
Many of the dance styles were very symbolic and had highly decorated costumes. We have actually seen this costume worn at a pow-wow.
Although strange to our eyes, this was men's clothing at the turn of the century for natives in the South West.
Some of the basket work is beautiful. This one was almost five feet tall and would probably have been owned by the tribe.
There are a number of dioramas portraying the style of housing. This represents a Mandan lodge. They were farmers and these would have been used to store food for the winter.
This is a Sioux village with the skin teepees so associated with the Indians but actually quite rare.
This is a Baffinland Inuit settlement from the late 19th century found to the north west of Hudson Bay.
This diorama depicts a Hopi ceremony on a high bluff looking down on the plain probably somewhere in Arizona or New Mexico.
Kachina dolls from the Hopi or Navajo Indians down in the south west.
Totem poles from the far north west. Many native artefacts are in the throes of being repatriated to their tribes. These are replicas made by native craftsmen to replace the originals which have been returned to their original owners.