Native Nations at Fort Pitt Museum

Voice of the Arts

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we kick off the month of November with a look at the Fort Pitt Museum's new exhibit, Homelands: Native Nations in Allegheny. Assistant Director of Fort Pitt, Mike Burke, and educator and member of Seneca-Cayuga Nation, Shideezhi Emarthla, spoke in this episode about their work on the exhibit. They talk about the different artifacts throughout the exhibit that were curated with input from the Delaware, Seneca, Seneca-Cayuga, and Shawnee tribes to illuminate the past, present, and future of Pittsburgh's tribes. Highlights include a 14,000 year-old stone point called The Miller Point, a pair of 1930s beaded moccasins, and dance outfits handmade by the Seneca-Cayuga tribe. Both talk about the importance of telling these histories, as many assume these tribes and traditions are gone, when that is the farthest thing from the truth. Shideezhi also talks about playing stick-ball (now known as lacrosse), with other tribes growing up, and her hope of passing down their history to the next generation. Visit https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/whats-on/fort-pitt/exhibits/homelands-native-nations-of-allegheny/ to learn more about the exhibit. Fort Pitt is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.