In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, Historic Arkansas Museum has been spotlighting Native American art, history and culture throughout November. However, there is a year-round exhibit at the museum that gives voice to Arkansas’ Native Americans.

“We Walk in Two Worlds” tells the story of Arkansas’ first people — the Caddo, Osage and Quapaw tribes, highlighting the language, art and lifeways of Native Americans indigenous to Arkansas. Comprising approximately 158 objects, the exhibit contains functional and ceremonial pottery, textiles, jewelry, weaponry and historical games. Six thematic areas are arranged chronologically, including deep history and origin stories of the pre-Columbian era, the devastating effects of European contact and removal, as well as the strength, resilience and vitality of the modern descendants of Arkansas’ original tribes.

In presenting an exhibition celebrating the diverse voices of Arkansas’ indigenous peoples, the museum collaborated with representatives from the Quapaw, Osage and Caddo tribes. Elders from each tribe generously loaned additional items for display from their personal collections. Historic Arkansas Museum also worked closely with historians and museum professionals, including curators from the Smithsonian Institution, who contributed objects on loan from the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian.

In the coming years, visitors can look forward to planning and renovations to prepare for the next phase of this semi-permanent exhibit. As with any large-scale exhibit rotation, this refurbishment will include the display of different objects, updated graphics and content and new electronic interactives. Contemporary art by Caddo, Quapaw and Osage artists will also be acquired to emphasize continuity of culture from prehistory through the present day. A grand re-opening will feature events and a lecture series similar in scale to the inaugural opening. Stay up-to-date on the refurbishment process by following Historic Arkansas Museum on facebook.

Now is an excellent time to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month at Historic Arkansas Museum by visiting We Walk in Two Worlds. The exhibit is free to the public. Learn more at here.