American Indian Heritage Day returns to Bullock History Museum on Friday

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Bullock Texas State History Museum has teamed up with local nonprofit Great Promise for American Indians to put on American Indian Heritage Day at the museum Friday.

Jessica Hanshaw, the museum's public programs manager, said that the event is part of the museum's larger collaboration with the state's native community.

"As the museum has grown, we've worked with tribal nations to really preserve the historical, social, cultural contributions of American Indians in the state," Hanshaw said.

KXAN spoke with Hanshaw in the Bullock's "Becoming Texas" exhibit, which contains pre-colonization artifacts.

"The exhibition space that we're standing in right now has over 16,000 years of history, long before European exploration began, with artifacts and art and culture...it's important that we highlight those, we celebrate them and we include them in the history of what becomes known as the state of Texas," she said.

The exhibit isn't new to the museum. However, it does feature updates, including new audio tracks in a variety of native languages for its short movies.

The event begins at 10 a.m., with dance performances at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. There will also be a free public celebration from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., with another performance at 6:30 p.m. The museum will also live stream the noon performance on its YouTube page.

"We'll have different artisans and information stations talking about indigenous cultures," Hanshaw said. [People] will get to...learn some information about the preservation of indigenous cultures, and then enjoy some dancing and drumming performances as well."

American Indian Heritage Day was created in 2013 by a bill from the Texas State Legislature. It is observed annually on the last Friday in September.

"This exciting holiday gives us a wonderful opportunity to explore the traditions of various Tribal communities living in Texas today and to discover how their legacies have been sustained and passed down over time," said Coyote Balderrama-Shook, the museum's school programs coordinator. "The excellent talents and voices of our partners, Great Promise for American Indians, and other American Indian artists always makes this a special day for our audience, especially visiting school groups.”

Great Promise for American Indians also organizes the Austin Powwow, which is scheduled for November 23.