IUPUI Museum Studies Students Design Activities for Eiteljorg’s Indian Market

INDIANAPOLIS – The Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market, June 24-25, celebrates the artwork, food and traditions of Native Americans. It will feature three activities designed by IUPUI Museum Studies students.

The activities are designed around a theme – Points of Contact – that was developed by museum staff as a possible way to organize the Eiteljorg’s Native American exhibitions.

The work of four undergraduate and five graduate Museum Studies students stemmed from courses geared toward reinstallation of the Native American galleries at the Eiteljorg Museum and developing needed exhibits and programming, said Larry Zimmerman, professor of Anthropology, and Museum Studies, Public Scholar, Native American Representation. “Points of Contact” is meant to be a broadly defined theme covering the history of contact between American Indians and Euro-Americans, but also contact between Indian nations during the millennia of Native habitation of North America.

The activities developed by the students include a treasure hunt in which children and their families will search for certain kinds of things that will be on display at the Indian Market, bringing them into contact with Indian exhibitors.

Another activity will be the showing of two films, one about sports mascots and another about the environment, followed by discussions about the topics and their impact on Indians and others.

The third activity focuses on providing visitors to the market with information and contact with Indiana’s Indians. Students have worked with the Eiteljorg staff and Native American Indian Voices of Indiana to organize displays from ten American Indian organizations and tribes.

Nearly 200 Native artists from more than 60 different tribes participate in the Indiana Market, showcasing some of the finest traditional and contemporary pottery, painting, sculpture, jewelry and cultural items being produced today.

This year's signature artist is Marcus Amerman, a Choctaw artist best known for his beadwork, purses and jewelry. Amerman's beadwork portrait of Janet Jackson appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. Indian Market weekend also includes performances, food and educational activities for all ages.

Musical performers are Pamyua (Yup’ik Eskimo/Inuit/African American), Arvel Bird (Shivwit Paiute), Michael Jacobs (Cherokee), Waab-Hit Dancers (Tsimshian/Tlingit) and Sidney Poolheco (Tewa/Hopi). There will also be storytelling with Dovie Thomason (Kiowa Apache/Lakota).

Admission to Indiana Market: Advance tickets: Adults $9; Members: $9; Youth (5-17): $5; 4 and under: FREE. At the gate: Adults $12; Members: $9; Youth (5-17): $5; 4 and under: FREE. Advance sale tickets are available at the Eiteljorg Museum by calling 1-800-622-2024 or at area Meijer Stores.