The Heard Museum Phoenix

As a child, I have always been fascinated by Native American cultures.  But growing up watching movies like Dances with Wolves and reading history books I knew I was only getting one side of the story. 

At the Heard Museum Phoenix, you get to see the other side.  You can learn about Native American history and culture and hear it from their own voices.  You get to learn about their struggles and their triumphs, and understand the things most important to them: family, community, language and respect for the land. 

You get a clear picture of how things were for the American Indians from thousands of years ago, up to the present day.

I consider the museum not only educational, but also entertaining.  You don't just walk quiet halls, reading informational placards.  No, the experience is much more engaging.  Most of the exhibits include an audio portion, where you can hear oral histories of tribesmen and women told through their own voices. 

Many of the exhibits include hands-on activities.  It is one of the reasons why many people really enjoy the Heard Museum Phoenix.  The interactive exhibits are great for kids who can experience what day-to-day life was like for tribal communities.  Children can try their hand at things like braiding a Hopi belt or basket weaving.

The museum not only includes authentic artifacts, but also has many contemporary art pieces as well.  Crafts like beading, basket weaving, works made from silver and ceramics, as well as jewelry and textiles are on display.

Have you ever seen an authentic Hopi Katsina Doll in person?  At the Heard Museum in Phoenix, there are six major collections of these popular dolls to enjoy.  You can learn how Katsina dolls were traditionally used to teach different aspects of life to children.  See how the craft of making Katsina dolls has evolved through time with the advent of modern tools and methods.


One of the more popular exhibits within the museum is the "Remembering Our Indian School Days: The Boarding School Experience".  It is more well-known because it acknowledges the not-so-talked-about part of American history where Indian children were taken from their families and put in government boarding schools. 

In an effort to make them "civilized", children were forced to cut their long hair, wear Euro-American style clothing and were forbidden to speak in their own language.  It was emotional for me to see the pictures and hear the stories of these children and what they had to endure.  Yet it is a major part of their history, and ours.  And it is much better to acknowledge it than ignore it.

The Heard Museum Phoenix also recognizes tribal communities from around the globe.  Paintings, masks and other works of art from Canada, Guatamala, the Phiippines, New Zealand, Nigeria and more are also on display.