In conjunction with the exhibition ¡Viva Mexico!, National Cowboy Museum Curator Michael Grauer will celebrate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain by emphasizing the roles of horseback peoples and cultures in Mexican history. Historically, men on horseback have always been viewed as independent and protectors of independence. Throughout Mexican history, from chinacos to vaqueros …
The case of Mexico’s Civic Militia illustrates the extent to which independence was less a defined moment in time than a series of changes spanning decades. Guanajuato, the old mining capital and so-called “cradle of independence,” is a case in point. Matters of government, citizenship, class, and race all converged in the institution of the …
Missouri became a state in 1821, and 2021 marks its 200th anniversary of statehood. That same year, Mexico became a nation, having gained its independence from Spain. When Mexico opened trade with the United States, Hispano and American entrepreneurs were ready and able to make the Santa Fe Trail a two-way international trade route and …
In conjunction with the exhibition Find Your North, Nathan Jones, National Cowboy Museum associate curator of history, will present a wide-angle overview of Western history with a focus on the Hispanic experience of the area from 1527 to today. Examining the West on a north- south axis offers new questions and insights into the region’s …
Tattooing is a custom dating back thousands of years in North America. Traditionally, women and men used them to visually express tribal affiliation and war honors, as well as connections to divine beings, maturity rites and social and religious affiliation. These expressions of identity continued with the person after death — ensuring their place in …
All cultures practice some type of body modification, be it body painting, piercing, tattooing, scarring or re-shaping. In many cultures, body modification is done to indicate social position, family affiliation, marital status, identify with a particular ethnic or gender group, perform a rite of passage, ward off or invoke the spirits, or to transfer information. …
An Indigenous tattoo revival is in full swing all over the world. J.P. Johnson will discuss the importance of ceremonial tattoo traditions amongst tribal peoples of the Southeast but, more specifically, Cherokee tattooing and the reclaiming of Cherokee identity through ceremony. J.P. Johnson has worked with the Cherokee nation for 13 years teaching language and …
Traditional Tattooer Holly Mititquq Nordlum discusses Inuit people, place, history, colonization, healing and wearing sacred markings in a modern context. Nordlum is one of a few women internationally bringing back Inuit markings to her people and working with the next generation. (Nordlum will speak via Zoom from Anchorage, Alaska.) Bring your lunch or purchase one …
Join National Cowboy Museum Curator Nathan Jones in exploring the landscape, culture, and traditions that gave birth to tequila, the West’s homegrown spirit. The talk will feature the photographs of Joel Salcido that feature in Aliento a Tequila, including images from the original distilleries that founded the industry, as well as several artisanal tequileras committed …
Join National Cowboy Museum Curator of Ethnology Eric Singleton in a discussion on the origin of the world and the mythic tales that shaped its development. These stories reflect social values and are part of the ongoing artistic tradition of indigenous people who today still live on the Northwest Coast. Bring your lunch or purchase …
