American Indian Heritage Day 2023
Programs
September 29, 2023 10:00am – 2:30pm
Free Public Celebration 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Join the Bullock Museum and Great Promise for American Indians in a celebration of the 11th Annual American Indian Heritage Day!
Event Details
With House Bill 174, the Texas State Legislature named the last Friday in September American Indian Heritage Day, which recognizes the historic, cultural, and social contributions American Indian communities and leaders have made to the state. The Bullock Museum, in partnership with Great Promise for American Indians, celebrates our community's Indigenous cultures with its special American Indian Heritage Day program.
The day will feature a range of activities, with dancing and drumming performances and interactive experiences for school groups at the Museum, as well as on-demand digital resources and a livestream of the performance at 12:00 p.m. that you can use to celebrate virtually at home or at school. An evening public program will celebrate the traditional and contemporary performing arts of Texas's American Indian groups.
Schedule of Events
Program for School Groups and Museum Visitors
10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Discover the diversity of native groups that have called this land home and find out more about groups currently living in Texas. Learn about cultural traditions including storytelling, clothing decoration, art creation, and food preparation at hands-on activity stations.
- Dancing and drumming performances by Great Promise for American Indians in the Museum Grand Lobby.
- Performances: 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.
Public Celebration
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Celebrate the traditional and contemporary arts of Texas's American Indian groups. This FREE public program will honor American Indians of yesterday and today, with dancing and drumming performances.
- 6:00 p.m. — Doors open. Explore the exhibition Becoming Texas
- 6:30 p.m. — American Indian Heritage Day program begins
School Groups
Introduce your students to American Indian cultures through first-hand experiences. Space is limited, so sign up early. Reservations open August 1. Make a field trip reservation to this FREE program here. Call (512) 463-6712 or email reservations@thestoryoftexas.com with any questions.
Please note:
Homeschool information: Homeschool groups are welcome on American Indian Heritage Day and may receive school group rates without assembling a group of 10. Make a field trip reservation at least two weeks in advance in order to receive our school group rate of complementary exhibition admission for teachers and students, regardless of the number of people in your group. Questions? Email reservations@thestoryoftexas.com or call (512) 463-6712.
Arriving at the Museum without a reservation? You are still invited to participate in the activities, which will be free with exhibition admission. Please visit the Ticketing counter upon arriving.
Parking information: The underground parking garage entrance is located on 18th Street on the south side of the Museum. The cost is $15 for full-day parking (no re-entry). We suggest carpooling, if possible, as the garage can fill to capacity on special days like American Indian Heritage Day.
Celebrate in the Classroom
The day will feature a range of on-demand resources that celebrate the traditional and contemporary performance arts of Texas's American Indian groups, including dancing performances, a curator talk, storytelling, artmaking, and learning activities to explore at home or in school. Join our livestream on the Bullock Museum YouTube channel at 12:00 p.m. to virtually attend the performance.
Missed the event? The livestream video will remain available on the Bullock Museum YouTube channel.
Bullock Museum craft activities
(~10-15 minutes)
Form a coil pot from clay using Caddo pottery as inspiration.
Activity materials: Air-dry Clay, PlayDough, or Model Magic, plastic knife, and toothpick
VIEW HERE
Make a patterned armband inspired by American Indian beadwork.
Activity materials: Bullock Museum Armband template, scissors, tape, and 3 colors of markers or crayons
VIEW HERE
Create your own "bison hide art" to tell a story.
Activity materials: Construction paper, paper grocery bag, or fabric, scissors, and markers or crayons
VIEW HERE
Great Promise for American Indians video tutorials
(~15-25 minutes)
Make a corn husk doll while learning about the Haudenosaunee origin story of the Corn Husk Doll.
Activity materials: 5 corn husks, scissors, string, felt sheet (optional), and bowl of water
VIEW HERE
Create a dreamcatcher and learn about the story of its origins.
Activity materials: hoop at least 3 inches in diameter, 1 spool of 1/8 inch ribbon, 1-3 beads for decoration, 1 feather, and scissors
VIEW HERE
Try your hand at beading by crafting a pony bead keychain in the shape of a lizard.
Activity materials: plastic cord, key chain ring, scissors, and total of 50 pony beads: 36 green pony beads for body, 12 orange or yellow pony beads for feet, 2 black pony beads for eyes
VIEW HERE
Native Cultures in Texas presentation 60 minutes
Join a Bullock Museum educator and a curator in a discussion that compares the ways of life of diverse American Indian peoples who called Texas home. Take a close look at the artifacts that tell the story of the development of native communities in Texas.
View Here
Storytelling with Amy Bruton Bluemel 38 minutes
Join a Bullock Museum educator and Amy Bruton Bluemel, a Chickasaw Nation storyteller, for a storytelling session that explores traditional stories and history. Amy travels the United States educating about Southeastern people and other native tribes.
View Here
Great Promise for American Indians, Dance Performance 17 minutes
Discover the history and personal stories of contemporary American Indian dancers.
View Here
Jeri Redcorn, Caddo pottery 2 minutes
Jeri Redcorn is recognized nationally and internationally for reviving Caddo pottery. Here she shares the clays, techniques, and tools her Caddo ancestors would have used.
VIEW HERE
Miranda Nax’ce Meyer, Tonkawa beading 1 minute
Miranda Nax’ce Meyer of the Tonkawa Tribe shares the importance of traditional beadwork and its role in keeping Tonkawa culture alive.
VIEW HERE
Eric Tippeconnic, Comanche artist 5 minutes
Filled with symbolism and meaning, Eric Tippeconnic's paintings highlight the strength, beauty, and grace of the Comanche past and present.
VIEW HERE
Projectile Point 1 minute
Discovered in central Texas, this stone point with a broken tip was made at least 16,000 years ago. This one small point challenges our ideas of when humans arrived in Texas.
VIEW HERE
- Discover the history of American Indians on the Texas History Timeline
- Use the Bullock Educator Guide to access resources and materials on teaching about American Indians
- Explore artifacts related to American Indian culture and history
- Dive into the story of American Indian history and culture in Texas
- Check out our recommended children's book list for your next storytime
Educators: To receive CPE credit, email Education@TheStoryofTexas.com
Educators: To receive CPE credit, email Education@TheStoryofTexas.com
Your Support Matters
Help us continue to share the story of Texas through free programs with a tax-deductible donation.
Enjoy discounts, exclusive programs, and free access to exhibitions year round by becoming a member of the Bullock Museum.
The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.
School Field Trips presented by The John M. O'Quinn Foundation.
School Programs are generously funded by Featured sponsor The Marie M. and James H. Galloway Foundation, Supporting sponsor The Lange Family Foundation, and Contributing sponsors The Honorable Kent R. Hance and Bella and Chase Cooley.
Presented with support from the
Texas Commission on the Arts.
