Tag Archive for: affiliations

Plimoth Plantation creates mishoon for Smithsonian museum

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On September 6, 2013, Plimoth Plantation (Plymouth, Mass.) will donate a mishoon to the National Museum of the American Indian. Created this past spring by the Wampanoag Indigenous Program (WIP) at Plimoth Plantation, members of the WIP will present the mishoon and accompanying paddles to NMAI in a special gift ceremony at the museum’s Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland.

“As a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Native American communities, we’re delighted to welcome a creation like this one that represents a living tradition among the Wampanoag,” says Kevin Gover (Pawnee) Director, National Museum of the American Indian.

So what is a mishoon?  During the 17th century, the mishoon–a traditional Native American canoe–was the most common boat in North American waters. A typical 17th-century mishoon was created from a giant tree and capable of carrying 40 men. The mishoon being accepted into the NMAI collection isn’t quite that large–it’s 16 feet long and can fit up to 3 people–but it was created in the traditional way.

Photo courtesy Plimoth Plantation.

Photo courtesy Plimoth Plantation.

Daruis Coombs with tree that will become mishoon

Photo courtesy Plimoth Plantation.

So how does one create a mishoon? Picking the tree is the first step of course. With the help of Gurney’s Lumber Yard in Freetown, Massachusetts, WIP selected a white pine. The tree was burned down by wrapping clay around the trunk and burning the roots. It was then brought to Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Homesite, where the log was worked with fire. By burning into the widest point of the tree a natural keel is created, where the bottom of the boat is thicker than its sides. Historically, mishoons were burned 24 hours a day, since the longer the fire was maintained the hotter it would get. Typically, it would take about 10-12 days for mishoons to be created in the 17th century. Although this seems like a long time, trees during this period were typically over 150 feet tall and 6 feet wide, capable of creating the mishoons that could carry 40 men.

“It’s an honor that the Smithsonian will accept it, and we enjoy doing new work–it keeps the job challenging,” said Darius Coombs, Associate Director of the Wampanoag Indigenous Program. “It has been a fun and educational experience. The mishoon is an invaluable piece that will add depth to the Smithsonian’s already rich representation of Northeast Native life.”

Smithsonian Affiliations and NMAI will be tweeting live on September 6 as the #mishoon enters the collection. Follow @SIAffiliates, @SmithsonianNMAI, and @Plimoth and check out our Flickr group for photos from the event.

Mishoonash in the Eel River next to Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Homesite. Photo courtesy Smithsonian Affiliations.

Mishoonash in the Eel River next to Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Homesite. Photo courtesy Smithsonian Affiliations.

Plimoth Plantation has received some amazing press coverage of the donation. Check it out below:

https://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130905/NEWS/309050323

https://www.therepublic.com/view/story/7432b135bbb744ff90f829a97a073bc5/MA–Wampanoag-Canoe-Smithsonian

https://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x1281953326/Plimoth-Plantation-makes-replica-of-Native-American-canoe-for-Smithsonian

https://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x1281953326/Plimoth-Plantation-makes-replica-of-Native-American-canoe-for-Smithsonian

https://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/news/x1843580627/PLIMOTH-PLANTATION-Mishoon-accepted-by-Smithsonian-National-Museum-of-the-American-Indian

https://plymouth.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/smithsonian-accepts-dugout-canoe-from-plimoth-plantation

https://www.pr-inside.com/smithsonian-s-national-museum-of-r3786683.htm

https://www.wbur.org/2013/09/03/wampanoag-canoe-smithsonian

https://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/09/02/wampanoag-canoe-headed-the-smithsonian/kNmhDOOWTQnB2VkOQmMiUO/story.html?rss_id=Top+Stories

https://ww.abc6.com/story/23319713/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian

https://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/09/wampanoag_canoe_headed_to_the_smithsonian

https://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/7432b135bbb744ff90f829a97a073bc5/MA–Wampanoag-Canoe-Smithsonian/#.UiX9idIp8to

https://www.eagletribune.com/boston/x335461568/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-Smithsonian

https://www.myfoxboston.com/story/23319713/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian

https://www.necn.com/09/02/13/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonia/landing.html?&apID=7432b135bbb744ff90f829a97a073bc5

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonian-4781724.php

https://www.telegram.com/article/20130902/APN/309029676

https://www.news10.com/story/23319713/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian

https://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/23319713/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian

https://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonian-4781724.php

https://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.wtnh.com/news/massachusetts/ap-massachusetts/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian_70775095

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonian-4781724.php

https://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonian-4781724.php

https://www.sportballa.com/2013/09/indigenous-peoples/canoe-headed-wampanoag-smithsonian

https://www.chron.com/news/article/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonian-4781724.php

https://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-Smithsonian-4781724.php

https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.theledger.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.gainesville.com/article/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://ewallstreeter.com/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian-37

https://www.roonte.com/www/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian

https://boston.cityandpress.com/node/6741978

https://news.silobreaker.com/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian-5_2267076475486208002

https://www.connectednews.com/news/massachusetts/boston/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian/

https://www.tribtown.com/view/story/7432b135bbb744ff90f829a97a073bc5/MA–Wampanoag-Canoe-Smithsonian

https://www.sport-telegram.com/wampanoag-canoe-headed-smithsonian-necn/

https://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130902/APN/1309020791

https://www.masslive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/wampanoag-canoe-headed-to-the-smithsonian/7432b135bbb744ff90f829a97a073bc5

Plan Ahead- 2014 Jazz Appreciation Month

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Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM)–April 2014–is just around the corner. Affiliates have the opportunity to participate in FREE Media Training/Networking webinars organized by The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA). The JJA program will help Affiliate organizations use JAM as an opportunity to broaden their outreach to local communities and media outlets and to network with local jazz influencers.

Poster art designed by Fritz Klaetke, art director for JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology.

Poster art designed by Fritz Klaetke, art director for JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology.

Three online webinars will discuss the use of social media and on working with local online and traditional media to

  • Increase local awareness of JAM and the institution’s JAM-related events.
  • Build the institution’s ongoing social media presence.
  • Reach under-served local communities.
  • Connect with other local institutions and individuals involved in jazz and related cultural production.

The exact content of the interactive webinars will be determined by survey results. Click here to take the survey!

Follow Jazz Appreciation Month on Facebook for updates and tweet your activities to @CelebrateJAM #CelebrateJAM.

engineering ingenuity at the buffalo bill center of the west

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Special thanks to Monica Reardon, Smithsonian Affiliations summer intern, for authoring the 2013 #MuseumDayLive! Affiliate blog series.

Patent model, Smith & Wesson Magazine Lever Action Pistol. AF*251055. Image provided by Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

Patent model, Smith & Wesson Magazine Lever Action Pistol. AF*251055. Image provided by Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West had its start as a log building in Cody, Wyoming, resembling Buffalo Bill’s TE Ranch house.  Mary Jester Allen intended the museum to be a national shrine and memorial to her uncle, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, and to the early pioneers of the American West.  The collections grew and so did the Museum, with the intent of preserving and conveying the “Spirit of the American West.”  

The Center has participated in Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live! since becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2008. On view at the Cody Firearms Museum in time for Museum Day Live! this year are 64 unique firearms from the National Firearms Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.  The exhibit is divided between patent firearms (the prototype design submitted by firearms inventors), firearms with interesting provenance, and international firearms with gorgeous embellishments.  The collection includes a Smith and Wesson Lever Action Patent Model and a Colt Patent.

The Smith and Wesson Lever Action Patent Model was the first lever action prototype firearm designed by Smith and Wesson.  Smith and Wesson’s original company, The Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. was actually named after the nickname for the pistol, the Volcanic pistol. However, this patent did not bring them financial success and they sold the rights to a shirt manufacturer named Oliver Winchester. Winchester would go on to use this patent; his lever action rifles becoming synonymous with the American West.

Revolver, patent model. Colt Paterson Revolver. AF*251084. Image provided by Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

Revolver, patent model. Colt Paterson Revolver. AF*251084. Image provided by Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

The Colt Patent is connected to Samuel Colt, another name famous in the American West, particularly for revolvers.  Colt’s revolver is the first successful percussion firearm ever patented.  The design from this model would go on to be the production type Colt Paterson.  As noted by Ashley Hlebinsky,Firearms Curatorial Resident, “You pretty much cannot see a Western film without seeing a variation of a Colt Revolver and a Winchester Lever Action.”

Hlebinsky would like visitors “to not only see some amazing firearms and representations of engineering ingenuity, but to understand the people who made the firearms and who owned and used them.”  She hopes that the “artifacts are able to convey a story about the people involved in the process – from the trial and error methods of the patent process (some patent models were never produced, while others became infamous) to the experiences of those who owned the guns.”

Is the Smithsonian in your neighborhood? Find out which other Affiliates are participating in #MuseumDayLive on September 28, 2013, here.

 

Affiliates in the news!

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Congrats to these Affiliates making news! Each month we highlight Affiliate-Smithsonian and Affiliate-Affiliate collaborations making headlines.  If you have a clipping highlighting a collaboration with the Smithsonian or with a fellow Affiliate you’d like to have considered for the Affiliate blog, please contact Elizabeth Bugbee.

CALIFORNIA
Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, California)
Carlos Bulosan poem inspires US exhibit
The exhibit, titled “I Want the Wide American Earth,” will end its run at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on Aug. 25. It will open next at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles on Sept. 14 and run until Dec. 1.

COLORADO
Telluride Historical Museum (Telluride, Colorado)
Celebrating history: Museum marks affiliation with party Tuesday
“(The designation) shows that people in Telluride really believe in what they are doing,” Fraser said. “It’s just a tremendous honor. ”

GEORGIA
Booth Western Art Museum (Cartersville, Georgia)
Booth Western Art Museum celebrates 10 years
“As far as the museum community goes, becoming a Smithsonian affiliate and also joining the Museums West consortium, those were two certainly highlights in the museum achieving some recognition within the field and being recognized by our peers,” Hopkins said.

Tellus Science Museum (Cartersville, Georgia)
Video- Dinosaurs, spaceships and model-T car under one Cartersville roof
We are a world class Smithsonian affiliated museum,” said Joe Schumann. It’s Smithsonian quality with Georgia history down to the dinosaurs.

IDAHO
Idaho Museum of Natural History (Pocatello, Idaho)
Stories of American Indian code talkers revealed in Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition at Idaho State University running July 20-Sept. 29
“. These unsung American heroes share their stories of strength and courage in a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, which opens July 20 and runs through Sept. 29”

Researchers creating database of bones from every known arctic bird, mammal, fish
“. Known as the Virtual Zooarchaeology of the Arctic Project, or VZAP, the database pulls together data from universities and museums around the world. The Burke Museum, Smithsonian Institution and Canadian Museum of Civilization have partnered with Maschner to offer their considerable collections. The database can be seen online through Idaho State University, where Maschner teaches and acts as the director for the Idaho Museum of Natural History.”

MISSOURI
American Jazz Museum (Kansas City, Missouri)
Ford Motor Company : Kansas City Council Commemorates Ford Fund for Bringing American Sabor Exhibit to American Jazz Museum
“The Kansas City Council issued a proclamation today offering special recognition to Ford Motor Company Fund, the American Jazz Museum and Smithsonian Institution for bringing the “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music”traveling Smithsonian exhibit to the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City from Aug. 1 through Oct. 27.”

KC Jazz Museum gets Latino flair
VIDEO- WDAF-KC (FOX)

 

The olinguito was announced Aug. 15, 2013, as the world's newest species. The team of scientists that discovered the small carnivore included Roland Kays, a professor at North Carolina State University.

The olinguito was announced Aug. 15, 2013, as the world’s newest species. The team of scientists that discovered the small carnivore included Roland Kays, a professor at North Carolina State University.

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Raleigh, North Carolina)
NC scientist part of team that discovers new species
“N.C. State professor Roland Kays, who also serves as director of the Biodiversity Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, helped uncover the existence of the olinguito. ”

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma History Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Oklahoma History Center receives oral history grant from the Smithsonian
“We are honored to be one of ten Smithsonian Affiliates to receive this grant which will engage students with history and help us fulfill our mission to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of Oklahoma and its people,” said Leah Craig, curator of Education at the Oklahoma History Center.”

SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota State Historical Society (Pierre, S.D.)
State Historical Society Announces New Teacher’s Workshop in Collaboration with Smithsonian
“Working with Smithsonian EdLab through this workshop is a great first step in building our capacity to provide new learning opportunities for students in South Dakota,“ commented Jay Smith, museum director.  “We will build on this experience in developing future programming opportunities with some of the museums in the Smithsonian system to further capitalize on our new affiliation.”

Smithsonian educator hosting teacher workshop in Pierre
Kim Skerritt, program educator at Smithsonian EdLab, will lead the workshop. She has three years of experience developing, implementing and evaluating innovative technology programs for teachers and students.

(left to right) Deb Smith, an English teacher at Lyman High School in Presho, and Alyssa Anderson, a 7th grade language arts and 8th grade journalism teacher in Chamberlain, work on their mission plans for the upcoming school year. Allison Jarrell/Capital Journal

(left to right) Deb Smith, an English teacher at Lyman High School in Presho, and Alyssa Anderson, a 7th grade language arts and 8th grade journalism teacher in Chamberlain, work on their mission plans for the upcoming school year. Allison Jarrell/Capital Journal

Viewing museums, technology as educational resources
“Recently, the Cultural Heritage Center became a Smithsonian affiliate. As such, the museum had the opportunity this summer to host a week-long Smithsonian workshop aimed at teaching educators mission-based learning techniques and how to better utilize museum and technology resources.”

Historical society hosting Smithsonian webcast on labor issues related to bracero program
Museum director Jay Smith says it’s a great opportunity to enjoy a historical discussion of issues important to South Dakota from the perspective of scholars and authors outside the state.

WYOMING
Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Cody, Wyo.)
Smithsonian Firearms in Cody (VIDEO)
“. It’s a chance to see firearms that are typically only on display at the Smithsonian Institution in the Nation’s Capital. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West will be home to those 64 artifacts for three years.”

VIDEO- Buffalo Bill Center of the West Smithsonian gun exhibit now on display
“. the Cody museum has grabbed a collection on loan from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. displaying history and ingenuity with pieces which are truly, one of a kind.”
KULR-8 Television, Billings, MT

 


 

“Train” your eyes on adventure at the B&O Railroad Museum

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Special thanks to Monica Reardon, Smithsonian Affiliations summer intern, for authoring the 2013 Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live! blog series. 

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum is located where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad came into being during the late 1820s, in Baltimore, Maryland.  The collection grew from a late 19th century trade show exhibit of railroad artifacts.  An actual museum came about in 1953, when the B&O Transportation Museum and its collection were designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.  The B&O Railroad Museum has been a Smithsonian Affiliate since 1999.  It has on loan a variety of Smithsonian artifacts relating to the history of American railroad.

One of the many Smithsonian artifacts on view at the B&O during Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live! is the Pioneer, an 1851 locomotive.  The locomotive had once pulled passenger trains, had been used for two Civil war raids, and had been displayed at World’s Fairs and Expositions as an “operating relic.”  It had even been on view at the Smithsonian from 1963-2001.  The B&O teamed up with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to restore the Pioneer to its 1901 appearance.  B&O was able to accommodate the project in its own restoration facility.  The locomotive is a rarity because its type was not used by very many U.S. railroads, and because of its age for a preserved locomotive.

Is the Smithsonian in your neighborhood? Find out which other Affiliates are participating in #MuseumDayLive on September 28, 2013, here.

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“Hey Mom, guess what I did today? I moved a totem pole!”

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Special thanks to Summer Olsen, 2013 Smithsonian Affiliations Intern Partner for writing this guest post. Summer spent 10 weeks at the Smithsonian this summer. She returns to California this fall to complete the second half of her intern partnership. Thank you, Summer!

summerolsenDuring my summer 2013 internship through the Smithsonian Affiliations Intern Partnership Program I assisted the Office of the Registrar at the Cultural Resources Center (CRC) of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) from June 3rd to August 9th. Inventory Specialist Heather Farley and Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions Margaret Cintron supervised me.  During my internship in Registration I learned about the daily processing, tracking, and inventory of objects in collections, researched Plains beadwork with NMAI curator Emil Her Many Horses, and experienced the organization of other Smithsonian branches via intern tours and events. The skills and knowledge I developed during my internship will be applied to a comprehensive project involving an inventory and assessment of the Plains beadwork collections at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (a Smithsonian Affiliate) and the museum at Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, California.

My time at the CRC has flown by and I have developed skills and gained knowledge by completing a variety of tasks: documenting the un-accessioned collections, processing new acquisitions, processing outgoing loans and objects returned from being loaned, working in collections, assisting in the de-installation of an exhibit, and office tasks like scanning and filing catalog cards and accession lot folders.

My main project this summer was to work with two other registration interns documenting the un-accessioned collections. To prepare for our work in registration work we received object-handling training from conservation staff members and training from registration staff to operate work assistance vehicles (WAV) and pallet jacks. We photographed, recorded measurements, and re-housed disassociated fragments from their parent object and un-accessioned material. After photographing the objects we edited the photo files and embedded them with metadata. Then we made custom storage mounts, and shelved the objects in their appropriate locations in collections. I was also taught how to enter some cataloging information and object dimensions into EMU.

We learned to use the barcode system in collections. When working on the documentation project we assigned a barcode to each item. New acquisitions were also assigned barcodes. In addition we re-associated a group of fragments using the barcode system to locate their parent objects and conducted an inventory by scanning the barcodes of un-accessioned works on paper.

olsen3I learned the procedure for processing new acquisitions into the collection.  We unpacked crates, took reference photos, and made/wrote condition reports and lot forms. For cloth objects we made tags with NMAI catalog numbers and sewed them down. The procedure was much the same for the outgoing objects for the Anishinabe exhibit at the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City. We checked the condition of each object and compared it to previous condition and conservation reports. When objects came back from a loan I helped Museum Registration Specialist for Loans, Rajshree Solanki, unpack objects and updated their condition paperwork. We also wrote condition paperwork for peace medals that were de-installed at the NMAI Mall Museum in Washington, D.C.

During the second part of my internship I met with NMAI curator Emil Her Many Horses who guided me through NMAI’s beadwork collections. I learned about the progression of beading (from quillwork to early beading to the present day), different cultural styles of beadwork, and beading techniques. The information he imparted will be key to completing my project this fall at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum and Sherman Indian High School.

This internship also gave me access to knowledge via tours of other Smithsonian Museums and events sponsored by the Office of Fellowships and Internships. I was able to see collections storage practices at National Museum of Natural History, the Hirshhorn, and National Air and Space Museum and toured the Folklife festival with curators from the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The “From Here to Career”, an event hosted by OFI, gave me the opportunity to talk to Smithsonian museum professionals.

My internship at NMAI has been an incredible experience.  I will be able to apply all the skills I learned while working at NMAI to my project at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum and Sherman Indian High School.  I have been able to see objects I have only ever read about, interact with fantastic people, been given advice that will impact the rest of my academic career, and formed professional relationships. Highlights of my experience have been: Moving a totem pole, documenting strange animal specimens, getting to see collections while re-associating fragments, and learning about beadwork with Emil Her Many Horses.

Thank you Smithsonian Affiliations for this amazing opportunity. I have enjoyed every minute of it and am gearing up to complete the next part of the internship in Riverside.

congressreceptn

Summer receiving a Certificate of Award at the Congressional Reception during the 2013 Affiliations National Conference. Left to right: Smithsonian Secretary, G. Wayne Clough; Summer Olsen, Smithsonian Regent, France A. Córdova; Smithsonian Assistant Secretary for Education and Access, Claudine Brown; Riverside Metropolitan Museum Curator of Collections & Exhibitions, Brenda Focht; Riverside Metropolitan Museum Curator of Collections & Historic Structures, Lynn Voorheis; and Smithsonian Affiliations Director, Harold Closter.