2009 in Review

2009 has been a banner year for the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.  Not only have some major milestones been met by the Museum, but we have kept on going with special programs and exhibits that have helped to highlight the history and culture of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  Here is a quick review of what happened in 2009:

In February the Museum, along with Heritage Ft. Lauderdale, AutoNation and RM Auctions, participated in the Wheels fundraising benefit.  The benefit was held at the Broward County Convention Center and included live entertainment provided by “The Fabulons” and a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting Heritage Ft. Lauderdale. 

March found the Museum hosting Kattle Kids Day, a weekend long event for school age children in the surrounding area.  The day was a resounding success with both Tribal kids and kids from across the region learning about the importance of the cattle industry for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  In fact the event was such a success that another one will be held March 2010, so stay tuned for more information on this popular event. 

Roping up some cattle at Kattle Kids Day 2009

April was an extremely busy month for the Museum.  Unconquered Imagination opened at our facility in Okalee at the beginning of the month. The exhibit featured contemporary native artists from across the country and ran at that facility through October 2009.  Another exhibit, Native Words, Native Warriors, opened at our Big Cypress facility at the end of the month.  This exhibit, produced by the Smithsonian Institutions Traveling Exhibit Service, was met with much excitement by both the staff and community. 

Native Words, Native Warriors Opening April 2009

The other big news from April was the Museum finding out that it had earned national accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM).  This made the Museum the first tribally governed museum in the United States to receive official certification from the AAM.  It took four long years to earn this distinction, but with it the AAM verified that the Museum met national industry standards of excellence in all aspects of its responsibilities including governance, staffing, sustainability and stewardship of the collection entrusted to its care.

Chairman Mitchell Cypress and Historic Resources Officer Tina Osceola at Accreditation Press Conference

June found staff from the Museum attending the Smithsonian’s Affiliation Conference held in Washington DC.  Because of the long standing relationship the Museum had with the Smithsonian, the Museum became an official affiliate member in April of 2009, which allowed staff to attend the conference.  Affiliate museums from across the country also attended, which allowed for some excellent opportunities in networking. 

In July, Native Words, Native Warrior closed at our Big Cypress facility which allowed for a new exhibit to open in the space.  The Randle/Sheffield Collection: Life Along the Tamiami Trail in the 1940’s and 1950’s was loaned to the Museum by the South Florida Community College Museum of Florida Art and Culture for exhibit until January 2010.  This exhibit is based upon the photography of Florence Randle who was a commercial photographer with a studio in Coconut Grove in the 1940’s. She and her niece, Phyllis Sheffield would often spend their weekends photographing the Seminole people who lived along the Tamiami Trail.  The exhibit shows some excellent images of the Seminole people which have never been shown before in the Big Cypress facility. 

Randle Sheffield Opening July 2009

Fall of 2009 continued to be a busy time, with the Museum celebrating the one year anniversary of the exhibit, Cattle Keepers:  the Heritage of Seminole Cattle Ranching.  Because of the popularity of this exhibit, it will remain open until September 2010.  Staff also represented the Museum at various conferences including the Florida Association of Museums conference, held in Sarasota, Florida, and the Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums conference in Portland, Oregon.  At both of these conferences Museum staff presented on various aspects of the Museum, including disaster planning, the accreditation process, and the oral history program.  

In November the Museum was proud to host the 12^th annual American Indian Arts Celebration (AIAC).  The event took place from November 6, 7, and 8 on the festival grounds across from the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Reservation.  During the festival the Museum hosted an authentic American Indian market, food vendors, children’s craft corner, dance demonstrations, story telling and alligator wrestling.  Also special performances by the award winning Yellowbird Apache Dancers, featuring Kevin Duncan the current world champion teen hoop dancer. The event ended each day with a musical performances by renowned Native American reggae artist and singing sensation CASPER and the 602 Band.

This was just a quick review of some of the larger events that occurred in 2009 for the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.  Stay tuned to our website, blog, and Facebook page for what we have planned in 2010!

Tribal Historic Preservation Office: Collections Division

The Tribal Historic Preservation Office’s Collection Section plays many roles in the preservation and care of the Seminole Tribe’s archaeological collections.  From carefully cleaning artifacts as they come in from the field, to cataloging and housing the objects through archival methods, the Collections Section works hard to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding the archaeological collections. 

Left: Katy Gregory, Right: Kate Redente working in the conservation lab.

One of the most important aspects of the Collections Section is the lab.  The lab is where most of the work takes place including the cleaning, sorting, identifying, cataloging, and accessioning of the objects.  Below is an explanation of the life of an object once it enters the lab.

Most of the objects come from the archaeological excavations done by the Tribal Archaeology Section and primarily consist of animal bone and ceramic fragments.  Once excavated, the objects are brought back from the field to the lab.  Depending on the material and type of object, it is gently cleaned in order to remove any excess dirt and sand.  Cleaning is done to prevent future damage and deterioration to an object.  However, it is important to know that not all objects are cleaned especially if the historic or cultural integrity of an object could be affected or destroyed.  Most of the time cleaning can be done by using a soft bristled toothbrush and distilled water.   

After the objects have been cleaned, they are left to dry on the drying racks.  It takes about a day or two for the objects to completely dry. 

Once the objects are dry, they are carefully sorted into like groups and cataloged.  Each group of objects receives a unique number which helps to identify the object as well as link the objects to their records.  Keeping track of each individual object is important and helps keep the collection organized and as well as allow for easy research access. 

Object Sorting

The final stage of preparing the object for storage is to place the objects into archival bags.  Each bag has an identification tag which is also printed on archival paper.  However, because some objects are too fragile to house in bags, custom boxes and supports are sometimes made to help prevent damage and deterioration.

The Collections Section is excited to be a part of the preservation of the archaeological collections.  It is great to be able to preserve these objects so that we might have a better understanding of the past!

Postcards and Perceptions: Exhibit Installation

Hello, my name is Stephen Ast and I am the Exhibits Coordinator here at the museum. My position entails a number of different duties and responsibilities, but right now I am here to tell you about one of my main duties, which is exhibit installation.

Stephen Ast working on Postcards and Perceptions

Currently we are in the middle of installing our upcoming exhibit Postcards and Perceptions: Culture as Tourism, which opens here on February 12^th. Installation of our new exhibit begins with the de-installation of our previous exhibit, The Randle/Sheffield Collection. Once all the photographs were taken down and had conditions reports done on them by the Collections teams and returned, the real work of installation was able to being. The first step for this exhibit was to completely strip the Mila-walls, this included all the black vinyl that had been on the walls for over 2 years. Mila-walls are an interlocking, modular wall system that allows us to arrange the gallery differently for each exhibit. They are fully paintable and patchable and this will be the first time since I have been here that we have been able to change the color. Currently, we are at a mid-way point in our installation. The walls were rearranged and painting is half way done, thanks to our Exhibits Manager Greg Palumbo. While he has been painting away in the gallery I have been in the lab mounting and framing all the postcards for the show.

Please keep in mind that while installation began for this show on January 19^th, preparing for installation and the creation of the show began over a year ago. All artifacts, archival materials, text panels, labels and any other visual collateral that are part of the show have been picked out, inspected, designed and ordered well before installation begins. For example, I turned in all the text panels, banners and labels that I designed to our printer at the end of December to make sure they were ready with enough time to fix any problems, because no matter how much we plan there are always last minute issues. Last week we received all the printed material and it looks terrific, but there were a few minor things that needed to be changed. Luckily we planned for the extra time and will have everything in time to put it on the walls. And even to get the text panels to the printer took months of editing and design work. Overall, there is so much prep work before installation begins that every department within the museum contributes something and we would not be able to do our job with out their help, especially the Curator, Registrar, Conservator and Researcher.

From this point on there are still a number of things left to be done. The walls will be adjusted further, and then they will be painted. Following that, all cases will be moved in to the gallery, as well as all artifacts and text panels. Cases will be cleaned and filled while the two dimensional artifacts and panels are laid out and hung. These final weeks will be hectic and busy but they are the most exciting part of my job. So please, come out and enjoy our new exhibit Postcards and Perception: Culture as Tourism. I truly think it will be one of the most exciting exhibits we have ever done and I hope after you see it that you agree. Thank you.

Now a word from the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum Membership corner…

Here we are in January 2010.  It is an exciting time for the Museum and its members with new exhibits and new “social networking” opportunities to keep you and the general community current on all that is happening at the Museum and with related community events.

It is a great time to visit our boardwalk, the winter birds are back.  Our friends at the Hendry Glades Audubon Society (http://www.orgsites.com/fl/hgaudubon/) tell us they have spotted Great Egret, Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,  Black-and-white Warbler and American Redstart just to name a few of the beautiful birds in our area.

We will be at the Battle of Okeechobee Reenactment February 6 – 7, 2010.  This event is presented by the Okeechobee Battlefield Friends, Inc. and commemorates the largest and fiercest battle in the Seminole War fought on Christmas Day in 1837.  (http://www.okeechobeebattlefield.com/schedule.htm)

We have just become a “geocaching” site (http://www.geocaching.com.)  Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.  The basic idea is to locate hidden containers outdoors (called geocaches), and then share the experience of the hunt online.  So grab your GPS system and begin your adventure.

Postcards & Perceptions: Culture as Tourism opens on February 12, so make plans to come and enjoy the new exhibit.  Elizabeth spoke in the previous blog about the fun she has had in working with Tribal elders to identify Seminole Tribal members in the postcards.

Check out the benefits of Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum membership at http://www.ahtahthiki.com/ahtahthiki-membership/index.html.  We have added many new benefits to give you more value for you membership dollars. 

In addition, be sure to sign up for our new E-news set to launch in February www.ahtahthiki.com (select Join Our Mailing List from the Home page).

Hope to see you at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki soon!

Mary

Postcards and Perceptions: Community Oral History in Exhibit Development

This year the Exhibits Department revamped an old postcard exhibit, which is scheduled to open at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki on March 6^th, 2010.  The original, and new, exhibit displayed postcards of the Seminole Tribe that were sold all over the country for decades.  The postcards often had politically incorrect text and sometimes inappropriate names as labels.  The flipside to the seemingly bad postcards was the glimpses into people’s lives and the documentation of times past.

One of the unfortunate problems with the postcards was that the people depicted in them were largely unidentified.  The lack of identification muffled the story of the people in the picture by not allowing them to tell their own story.  In an effort to remedy the situation, I took the postcards that are to be featured in the exhibit to every tribal senior center to have them identified.  I also took the postcards out to the community and brought them with me to interviews with people.

Community oral history in action at a "Seminole Storytellers" event

On one very lucky day, the Big Cypress Senior Center was hosting their annual Christmas party.  I was able to speak with seniors from Big Cypress, Hollywood, Brighton, Immokalee, Tampa, and the Miccosukee Tribe.  Additionally, the seniors also identified most of the pictures from the Randle-Sheffield Collection, which is a travelling exhibit from the South Florida Community College Museum of Florida Art and Culture and is currently featured in the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki gallery.

There are two very memorable events that came from the Christmas party.  The first event was a chance encounter.  One postcard features the Brighton Day School.  In the picture, several children are lined up in front of the day school’s bus.  I recognized some of my friends from Brighton and joined their table.  I asked if they knew any of the children in the picture.  Much to my surprise everyone at the table had attended the Brighton Day School and they were all in the picture.  After labeling all of the children, they shared wonderful stories about the school and the school teachers- Mr. and Mrs. Boehmer.

The other event was with a senior in Big Cypress who had often refused interviews with me.  While flipping through the pictures she came to a page where her entire family had been photographed in the early Florida tourist attractions called Silver Springs and Tropical Hobbyland.  She identified several postcards and graciously told me about growing up in tourist camps that had Seminole camps such as Musa Isle, Tropical Hobbyland, and Silver Springs.

In the end, most of the people in the postcards were identified and many stories about the people were collected and shared.  The seniors from all of the reservations enjoyed the opportunity to look at the old postcards and talk about them and their experiences.  As an employee of the tribe, my times at the senior centers and in the community are the times I cherish the most.  Often, I unexpectedly learn something about myself or my life from one of the seniors.  In the end, the entire staff at the museum pulled together to bring the community, and our museum visitors, an exhibit that will truly be an experience.

"Seminole Storytellers" event at the ceremonial grounds at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

Postcards and Perceptions: Culture as Tourism is scheduled for a soft opening  on February 12^th, 2010 and there is a opening reception on March 6^th, 2010 at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum located on the Big Cypress Reservation.  For more information, contact the museum directly at 863-902-1113.  The exhibit will also feature an audio tour where museum guests will get to hear the stories behind the postcards from the people depicted in them.

And now a word from the front of the house…

Hi folks! My name is Van and I’m a tour guide here at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum in Big Cypress.  I’m thrilled to share with you, briefly, about my exciting life as a tour guide.  

What does a tour guide do? I’m so glad you asked!  Along with the normal day to day responsibilities, such as extensive & extremely intensive facility maintenance (vacuuming/dusting), being a tour guide can be challenging, yet fulfilling as well.  As I like to say, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure! 

For instance, much of our time is focused on researching historical and cultural information.  Being a tour guide involves “person to person” skills, interacting with the public and providing customer service.  It also involves presentation, or public speaking, skills in being able to convey the unique, fascinating, and true story of the unconquered Florida Seminoles. 

Van leading a tour on our boardwalk.

 

The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum also offers a unique 1.5 mile scenic nature trail, an elevated boardwalk that spans through an actual cypress dome.  So in addition, life as a tour guide can be physically challenging and adventurous, as we get plenty of exercise and sometimes we can see wildlife in its natural setting.  For example, on rare occasions (just a few months ago) our staff has experienced black bear and bobcat sightings on the boardwalk, indeed it was very exciting!  But most of all, we observe different varieties of birds and smaller animals. 

So as you can see, there are different aspects, as well many others, to being a tour guide here at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.  There’s so much to tell, but I will save that for a later date.  Hope to see  you soon!

Archaeologists at Work

My name is Julie Richko Labate and I am the Tribal Archaeologist here at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. The Tribal Archaeology Section, or TAS as we like to call ourselves, works with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) to protect and preserve artifacts and important archaeological sites on the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s (STOF) six reservations. We are responsible for the pre-emptive cultural survey of areas undergoing development on all Seminole Tribe of Florida Reservations.

 We are a team of ten archaeologists who are all college graduates with degrees in either Anthropology or Archaeology. We have had special training in archaeological field and laboratory methods through our experiences in cultural resource management work and various archaeological field schools.                                                                                             

We use the most advanced data gathering technologies to maintain an innovative and ever–evolving research design (much cooler than Tomb Raider because we DO archaeology). By using state-of-the-art Global Positioning Systems (GPS), the TAS is able to record and complete archaeology for the Tribe on both paper and in an electronic database. Our archaeological data collection and analysis database is one of the nation’s top tribal archaeological databases.

Archaeologists at Work!

The archaeological field crew excavates shovel test units in the first phase of archaeological site detection. Every shovel test is recorded and mapped using a Trimble GeoXT (GPS Device). The Trimble provides the location of the test unit at sub-meter accuracy. The maps created by the TAS aid in the writing of reports and in the archaeological research conducted on the Tribe’s reservations. The TAS, in conjunction with the THPO, is compiling an extensive and accurate research database. In years to come, a few simple clicks of a mouse will show what has been surveyed and the areas to be avoided due to the presence of the Tribe’s invaluable cultural resources.

Our goal is to maintain the cultural landscape of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. As the archaeological field crew, we pride ourselves in being an integral part of preserving the history of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  Thanks for reading. Sho-na-Bish!

 

Conserving the Past

Hello, my name is Corey Smith and I am the conservator here at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.  We are extremely lucky to have a conservation position at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, because most museums of our size do not have the ability to have this position.  Since one of the main goals of our museum is to preserve Seminole Cultural Heritage, conservation is an important component to have at the museum.   

Corey Smith treating one of our historic canoes.

When I speak of conservation, I am referring to art conservation not environmental conservation, which is a very common misunderstanding. Although I do like trees quite a bit and the wildlife out here on the Big Cypress Reservation is incredible (more on this later), my job at the museum involves object and textile conservation.  Conservation, in the most general terms, is the process of stabilizing artifacts through examination, documentation, and treatment of the artifact’s internal conditions (the chemical composition and physical structure) and external conditions (the museum environment and storage conditions). 

Most materials on earth will return to dust at some point.  It is my job as a conservator to slow this process down and preserve the original material of an artifact as it exists today.  Many factors, both natural and those created by humans, can cause an artifact to deteriorate.  Insect damage, pollution, accidents and extremes in light levels, temperature or humidity can accelerate deterioration.  The conservator must recognize these issues and minimize the effects that they have upon the collection within their care. 

The field of conservation is often associated with or confused with the practice of restoration, and I think it is important to point out the differences between the two.  Conservation is the act of preserving and stabilizing the original material of an artifact.  Restoration is the act of adding or subtracting elements of an artifact in order to make it look like it did at an earlier point in time.  The illusion of an earlier time may be enhanced by changing the surface quality of the artifact or adding additional elements to create a “whole” piece of art.  There are times when my conservation treatments involve elements of restoration, but this only occurs after lengths have been taken to stabilize, identify and separate the original components and conservation treatments never involve the destruction of original material.  As we have all learned from the various antique-themed television shows, restoration can commonly devalue an artifact.  Conservation on the other hand does not devalue a piece of art, because it is not damaging any of the original components of the artifact.  Often conservation can enhance the value of the artifact because it adds to the prolonged life of the piece.

I am excited to be able to use this blog to explain conservation treatments that are going on at our museum.  Visitors to the museum can see the conservation lab through the observation hallway on our boardwalk.  Sometimes we feel a bit like animals in a zoo on exhibition, but it is a great opportunity for our visitors to see the museum work that happens behind the scenes.  There is also a small exhibit in the observation hallway featuring tools and equipment that I often use in conservation treatments.  It was in this observation hallway my very first week of work here that I realized that our museum was not going to be like any museum I have worked in before.  As I was sitting at the table in front of the hallway I looked up to see a large bobcat trying to come in through the observation hallway exterior door.  The bobcat had been peacefully walking on the boardwalk through the swamp when the sound of visitors frightened him and he was trying to run away but had come up against the glass door.  As I watched he leaped off of the boardwalk onto an adjacent tree and jumped to the ground.  Since that point I have seen bears, bobcats, snakes, turtles, and other creatures out on the boardwalk.  In fact this morning we created a screen cover to help protect three small eggs of a pond turtle that were buried in front of the curatorial building.  Hopefully in 80 to 150 days they will hatch and we will have baby turtles here at the museum!

Turtle laying eggs outside of our Curatorial Building

AIAC 2009-Welcome to the Craft Corner!

 

Hi, I’m Diana Stone, Education Coordinator at the Museum. During the American Indian Arts Celebration (AIAC), Education staff provides a Craft Corner tent to allow the visitor to take part in the festivities.  The Craft Corner started in 2007, as a way to engage the youth during the three-day festival and a place to reflect on the inspiring world of Native American art.

AIAC Craft Corner – Transparencies

At any time during the festival you will find staff, parents, teachers, chaperones, etc. sharing and helping children with their crafts. These crafts tap into the aspiring artist in all of us. These crafts, much like the actual Seminole art sold at AIAC, are inspired by the traditions of the Seminole people. Crafts in years past have ranged from Woven Paper Fans shaped like palm fronds fans to painted transparencies of archival and collection images. This year we are creating patchwork bookmarks inspired by the famous patchwork clothing of the Seminoles. While you’re in the tent you will learn about how the patchwork designs have changed of over the years.

AIAC Craft Corner - Paper Fans

It is interesting to see how each child makes the craft their own work of art. My favorite part of the Craft Corner is sitting down and talking with the children learning about how they experience AIAC.  I would also like to take this opportunity, to promote a new children’s activity brought to AIAC by the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (or THPO) who will be teaching children about archaeology. The THPO studies the objects left behind by Ancestors of Seminole and other Native Florida Tribes.

This is also my opportunity to mention all the great and wonderful activities for children, ages 1 to 100, to experience at our Museum.  All performances at AIAC and the Museum are family friendly. The performances come from the Seminole Tribe and tribes from across the nation. There will also be an alligator demonstration and a critter show. And if this blog is not enough to convince you to come, email me at dianastone@semtribe.com and I can tell you about the many other reasons you and your family should come to this event.

 

AIAC 2009 it’s almost here…

AIAC, it’s almost here…You can feel the excitement grow as the tents and stage are being set-up, the artists arrive on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation and set-up their booths filled with arts and crafts for your consideration and purchase.  Some artists sell only what they make and some come with goods representing their broader Native community.

This year we have 39 artists from 6 states and 10 tribes (including many Seminole artisans) making the trip to join in the American Indian Arts Celebration.  As I look at the photographs of their work, I just can’t wait to meet the artists and see their artistry in person.

I sincerely hope that you are planning to be there.  From the first year I ever attended, I was impressed with the music, the dance, the beautiful art, the great food, the beauty of the Everglades and the blue November skies.  It is simply amazing! There will be fantastic musical performances daily from a variety of Seminole and other Native performers.

This is our 12^th year presenting the AIAC and it remains such bargain entertainment and fun at only $9 per adult and $6 for students/seniors.  Engaging activities for all ages include a Craft Corner, Critter Show, Alligator Wrestling, Archaeological Information Tent, Raffle Tickets and of course the Museum itself.  You can view photos of previous AIAC events at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo_search.php?oid=46484093517&view=all. 

Friday, November 6 at 9am it all begins.  So come by and see me for I will be on the festival grounds in the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum tent.

On another topic, in my first blog, I mentioned our pending Direct Mail. Well it has mailed, so if you have gotten our mail, please join Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum today.  If you did not get the appeal, you can contact me for member information marybirch-hanson@semtribe.com or visit me during the 12^th Annual AIAC.