November is federally recognized as Native American Heritage Month, and during this month American Indian and Alaska natives are honored and celebrated for their rich and varied cultures, traditions, and history. The goal of a dedicated month for these celebrations is to ensure that the heritage of Native Americans will continue to thrive with each passing generation. 

To celebrate Native American Heritage month, Wayne Currie, director of the Intercultural center, and student leader Brianna Plant ‘24 hosted the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum in the Jean Student Center on November 13th. The Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum is located in Warner, NH and has recently been recognized as one of the top ten Native American Museums in the USA. 

The Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum was started by Charles ‘Bud’ Thompson, whose personal collection of artifacts made up the foundation of the museum at its beginning. Thompson passed away in 2021, but the Museum continues to “be a highly respected center for the preservation of Native American history and for sharing Native cultures of yesterday, today, and tomorrow” (as stated on the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum website).

The Museum’s mission statement can also be found on the website and is as follows: “Through partnership with Native peoples, exhibits, and workshops, Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum serves as a living center for artistic expression, traditional values, and contributions from past and contemporary Native life.  The Museum embraces cultural diversity and encourages environmental action based upon respect for nature and a deeper understanding of Native cultures.”

The museum is located on Abenaki land in Warner, NH, and displays artifacts from all across North America. The display hosted in the Jean Student Center on Nov. 13 had a variety of artifacts including bowls, baskets, statues, and Navajo blankets and ceremonial rattles.       

Brianna Plante ‘24 said that she looked forward to helping organize the exhibit in the Jean Center because, “it is important to bring awareness to Native American culture as well as not only recognize but appreciate the fine details and hard work that went into these artifacts.” She also commented, “There is one piece I really took an interest in, and that would be [the] beaded blanket. It must have 500 hundred tiny little beads, and each were hand sewn in, I think that it is amazing the time it must have taken to create such a beautiful piece.”

These artifacts may have only been on display on Saint Anselm’s campus on Nov 13, but the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum is open weekends during Native American Heritage Month and offers a much wider variety of artifacts and educational opportunities regarding the indigenous people of North America