To Guides from the Education Department
Heard Museum Guide Schedule: http://heard.org/volunteers/schedule1.html
From Jaclyn’s Desk……..
Hello Las Guias,
Thank you all so much for a tremendous year. We are very excited about the wonderful feedback we’ve been getting about you all. Including praise from Bruce in the Shop about the many referrals you are giving visitors and how this is helping with shop sales. So please continue!
Diana reached out to Bob Haozous as a couple of you had questions about two sculptures. Here are his responses regarding each below:
“White Stele: is about being surrounded by whiteness. I guess it is the same symbolism as before, but this time it is the mother earth who is enshrouded with the whiteness of modernity.”
“White Dress is a statement of western colonization and the subsequent psychological dominance that the indigenous world was subjected to. The whitewashed wood symbolized this transition. This is one of several whitewashed walnut artworks I’ve done at that time and is still a metaphor that I utilize in my statement. We now accept ‘there’ religion, politics, laws, military, social customs, language and many other cultural identifiers as our identity with the weak genetic cultural definition proving we are indigenous or Indian.”
Richard in security communicated we recently had a docent who was not allowing a bus to park in the bus bay. Please note, this is the intended place for the buses to park. Should there ever be changes in this protocol, security will help facilitate this.
Lastly, I am very excited to welcome the new class of 2016 docents to the corps of Las Guias! It has been a pleasure to teach them and I am excited to see them on the museum floor.
For those of you heading out of town, safe travels and those staying here please stay cool.
Best,
Jaclyn
From Betty Murphy’s Desk………
Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives Collection Spotlight for April 2016
The month of April marks the official opening of baseball season. Long on tradition and known for celebrating its own history, baseball is well-documented in library collections throughout the United States. Many people are familiar with the name Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the Major Leagues and the subject of a new documentary film by Ken Burns. Far fewer are even aware of the first Native American major leaguer, Louis Sockalexis (Penobscot), who played 50 years earlier. From his personal story through the mascot controversy and more, these four selections currently on display in the public reading area of the library discuss the complex connections between American Indians and what some refer to as “America’s favorite pastime”. Please feel free to visit the library to review these or any other items of interest in the library and archives collections. For more details or additional collection information, click on the Search Catalog link located in the pull-down menu of the library tab on the Heard website.
60 feet, 6 inches and other distances from home : the (baseball) life of Moses YellowHorse
Fuller, Todd
Duluth, Minn. : Holy Cow! Press, 2002
Heard call number GV865.Y45 F85 2002
Miko Kings : an Indian baseball story
Howe, LeAnne
San Francisco : Aunt Lute Books, [2007]
Heard call number PS3608.O95 M56 2007
Indian summer : the forgotten story of Louise Sockalexis, the first Native American in major league baseball
McDonald, Brian
[Emmaus, Pa.] : Rodale ; [New York] : Distributed to the book trade by St. Martin’s Press, c2003
Heard call number GV865.S588 M33 2003
The American Indian integration of baseball
Powers-Beck, Jeffrey P.
Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, c2004
Heard call number E98.G2 P6 2004
From Lynn Bullock’s Desk……
BOOKS & MORE NOTES FOR APRIL
We hope everyone is enjoying the Harvey exhibit now that it’s open. The catalog, “Over the Edge”, has been selling well. We still have signed copies available if you haven’t yet picked one up, as well as a few signed copies of Stephen Fried’s “Appetite for America”. The “made in America” (imported all the way from Tucson) Mimbreno mugs make a nice gift, also.
Lance did a presentation for the Hopi Short Course last Thursday, and it sounds as though everyone enjoyed it. Please stop by to check out some of the books he suggested.
Don’t forget the Members’ sale coming up April 22nd through the 24th, when you get a 20% discount instead of the usual 10%. (Consignment and already reduced items are excepted).
For those of you heading out for the summer – have a good one!
From Sue Snyder’s Desk….
There has been a slight change of plans concerning the Tues April 26th Meet and Greet at my house at 1:00. It will still be a celebration of our new 2016 Las Guias class and their facilitators. There are nine graduates and many of you have worked with them as they have done their training. They will be a great addition to our group of hardy individuals. I would also like to thank Jaclyn Roessel as their teacher and Jim Szabo, Jackie Kemmer and Rex Nelson who have done a remarkable job of facilitating the class. They have done an excellent job of strengthening the core of the class with updated materials and a great deal of practical experience. I am very happy to say that they will do the same jobs next year. The time they have dedicated to this program is amazing and their influence will continue with this new group of guides.
At the Meet and Greet, we will also present the 2016 Education Awards for the first time. This will be done in the interest of making the May 5th Appreciation Dinner a little shorter.
Please come and enjoy desserts (provided by my committee), awards and fellowship.
My address is 714 W Puget Ave and is a townhouse located just West of 7th Ave and between Northern and Dunlap. The gate will be open and you can park by the swimming pool or on the street. Call my cell if there are any questions, 602-695-2712.
Sue Snyder
From Shaliyah’s Desk….
Hello Las Guias,
I have a couple of things to bring to your attention and reminders. I’ve also received a few messages from Security asking that we pass along the reminder to “please close doors behind you!” We need to keep galleries at a stable temperature and humidity levels and keeping the doors shut helps to maintain this. I know this can be difficult to do when you are touring a large group but if we can find a way to get the doors closed when your group goes through a doorway that would be great.
School tours are back on the rise again as the end of the school year for many valley schools nears. We are also looking forward to a full summer with a good amount of reservation school booking to come and visit.
While Every Picture Tells a Story and We Are! are closed I will be assigning K-3rd grade groups in HOME. The concept of HOME is a relatable theme that all grade levels can relate to so using this as a theme throughout the gallery will be beneficial in touring. Please also use the touch-its that are in the Guild Room as teaching aids. If you find it difficult to heard younger crowds spend more time in areas where you can have them sit on the ground and you can tell them a story.
Grades K-3rd grade should come away with the basic understanding that:
- There are different types of Indian people who are broken up into various tribes. (Each tribe is unique and different, different food style, language, clothing) For instance I tell children this young that there is more than one way to say “hello!” and “mom” in various tribes. This is what makes us unique and different.
- That the art in the museum is a representation of things we used on a daily basis. (Baskets to hold food, seeds, wood, etc – Pottery to hold water, Weaving to clothe and warm ourselves)
- Students should understand that baskets are made of woven fibers and pottery is made of clay. (Use touch-its so students can feel the difference!)
- Students should understand that we all eat corn, beans and squash in our diet, we also all rely on water to survive, Everyone does!
- Students should absolutely understand that pre-historic peoples are from “before” and that the tribes discussed on the tour are of “today”.
Focusing on HOME which is place helps distinguish one tribe from another, so does language.
Focusing on an aspect of life that all tribes and peoples have in common, diet, and in this case SW diet of Corn Beans and Squash is important. Presenting the three as the “Three Sisters” helps the young students visualize the importance of the three in indigenous diet. (This can also be introduced while unloading at the bus bay where the Three Sisters Ceramic Mural is located at the very North end of Campus parallel to the Bus Bay) This is helpful when you have large groups and need the extra minute or so to introduce topics outside while the other groups walk into the museum.
Water/Rain is also an important topic to focus on. It is the dominating design on prehistoric pottery, it is prevalent in imagery of today. Explain why it is so important to all tribes. You can find places to talk about this in the following areas:
Pre-Pueblo Pottery Designs
Bear Paw Design on Pueblo Pottery in thanks of the bear who helped through a drought (Share the story that was used in Every Picture Tells a Story, copies are in Guild Room)
Fringe on the Hopi Wedding Maiden’s sash
Step Cloud Patterns throughout Hopi section
O’odham Bringing Down the Clouds Ceremony
Etc….
Please also be sure to focus on Navajo Jacla Necklaces and materials (Turquoise, shell, coral) if you are touring a Bonus Tour group. This helps to make the Bonus Tour activity of making a replica Jacla necklace relevant. The materials also hold relevance other than be sacred. The shell and coral are indicators of trade and commerce.
If the Bonus Activity is create-a-box activity then please focus on symmetry found in Navajo Weavings. The symmetry emphasizes a belief in Navajo philosophy that things in life need to be balanced and equal. One way to maintain this balance in life is to create patterns that are balanced and equal. I give young students this scenario to think upon: If one were to eat too much what happens? Answer: stomach ache! You get sick! If one were to not eat enough what happens? Answer: You get sick! You get weak! So by eating just the right amount you maintain a good balance inside of your body and are healthy. This also applies in being “fair”. Question: Would it be fair to give one student 1 cookie and another student 3? Answer: NO! Each should get 2. The designs reiterate the importance of equality, fairness and balance.
I hope a few of these pointers will help in guiding our younger crowds. If you have any specific questions please let me know.
Shaliyah
Reminders
*Keep tours to 45 minutes. Gallery Talks, 20 minutes.
*Please remember to check the galleries and replenish activities if necessary.
*Please rove in galleries and engage with public, please avoid standing around the info desk.
*Please obtain subs in a timely manner, not one week before.
*ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE GALLERIES, THIS INCLUDES THE INFO DESK!!
*Please arrive at the info desk 15 minutes before your tour starts, not 3, 2, or 1 minute before 😉
Exhibit Schedule
Home: Native People in the Southwest – long term
Remembering Our Boarding School Days – long term
Around the World – long-term
“Gifted!” – Recent Additions to the Heard Collection” – Through May 1st 2016
“Spirit Lines: Helen Hardin Etchings” – through May 2nd 2016
“Personal Journeys” – through September 28th 2016
“Over the Edge” – ongoing
“Third Dimension” – Ongoing