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The Heard Museum was founded by a family that had a great interest in Indians and Indian history. The museum building is modern and very attractive. In mid-summer, of course its most attractive feature is its air-conditioning, but in other seasons it must be nice to linger in its courtyards.

Heard Museum Courtyard

Heard Museum Courtyard Sculpture

As with so many other parts of American society today, the Heard Museum tries to be politically correct. These days,as far as Indians are concerned, that amounts to calling them Native Americans and assuming they are always right. Right here usually means that if they say they were mistreated by the White Man they were. In the case of the Navajo and Hopi this leads to a conflict.

Map showing Navajo and Hopi Reservations

The Navajo (Dine) Exhibit:

We have always been here. When the world was new, the Holy Beings introduced us to the four mountains that border our homelands in the Four Corners Region. With the resources on these four mountains, Dine would be able to survice for all time. The figsts of nature that surround usteach us the importance of living a good life.

In the 1850s, American people came to our homelands. They told us to live in one place because they wanted to build towns and farms in our homelands. (From photo s2p0628-69.jpg)

The Hopi Exhibit

We have lived on the mesas and plateau lands of northeastern Arizona for centuries. We are part of the Pueblo culture, which evolved in the Colorado Plateau region. Today, most Pueblo villages are in New Mexico, and we are the only Pueblo people with land in Arizona. Our homeland is very dry and there is little rain, but we are farmers. We practice dry farming. This means that we don't irrigate but rely on rain to nuture our crops.

In the mid-1800s, other people began to move into our homeland. The Navaho people moved in around us and settled on our farmlands. The U.S. Governement established our reservation by executive order. (From photo s2p0628-58.jpg).

The Heard Museum's collection of Indian artifacts is unsurpassed. Here we saw lots of items that we would later recognize both in our travels in Arizona and further south in Mexico and Central America.

Heard Museum

Hopi Kachina Dolls

Hopi Kachina Dolls

Hopi Kachina Dolls

Hopi Kachina Dolls