Alabama Museum of Natural History • Discovering Alabama • Moundville Archaeological Park • Office of Archaeological Research • Gorgas House • Museum Collections

N e w s f r o m t h e U N i v e r s i t y o f A l A b A m A m U s e U m s • N U m b e r 3 1 • f A l l 2 0 0 9

M u s e u M

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• Moundville Native American Festival, October 7 through 10

• Carver Interprets Native American Symbols

• Artist Sews Heritage Into Moundville Exhibit

• Construction at the Jones Archaeological Museum

• Expedition 31 Reveals More Information About the Globe Hotel at Old St. Stephens

• Discovering Alabama Virtual Field Trips

• Epiphany Changes Songwriters Life, Music

• UA Museums Advances toward Accreditation

• Evenings at the Gorgas House

i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

Michael Jacobs, 2009 Moundville Native

American Festival performer

Photograph by Lynn Ivory

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S e p t e m b e r 12 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 12 Saturdays in the Park–Fall Garden - Moundville 19 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 19 Saturdays in the Park–Hunting and Fishing - Moundville 26 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 26 Saturdays in the Park–Ceramics - Moundville 26 Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day

o c t o b e r 3 Saturdays in the Park–Gourds and Crafts - Moundville 7–10 Moundville Native American Fesitval 17 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 17 Saturdays in the Park–Adornment - Moundville 24 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 24 Saturdays in the Park–Hunting and Fishing - Moundville 31 Saturdays in the Park–Fall Harvest-Moundville

n o v e m b e r 7 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 7 Saturdays in the Park–Gourds and Crafts - Moundville 14 Saturdays in the Park–Hunting and Fishing - Moundville 21 Natural History with the experts–Pre-Game - Smith Hall 21 Saturdays in the Park–Ceramics - Moundville 28 Native American Thanksgiving - Moundville

d e c e m b e r 6 Open House Alabama Museum of Natural History 11 Children’s Christmas Market - Smith Hall

he sea creatures, animals, birds and symbols Dan Townsend carves in shell comprise a “language of the soul that speaks to the heart,” he says. it’s a language whose roots lie deep

in the artist’s Muskogee (Creek) heritage and lifelong love of the sea, as well as in spiritual realms and human experience we all share.

Townsend, who grew up in the Florida Keys and everglades, now lives in Tallahassee. As a boy he taught himself to carve coconut shell, carved tikis and totems in palm, then took up scrimshaw. Townsend, by carving shell, began delving ever more deeply into the history, traditions and medicine ways of Southeastern tribes, whose shell work dates to the Mississippian period of A.D. 1000 to 1600, including Moundville.

Townsend’s exquisitely carved gorgets (pendants), medicine cups and earrings are created from lightning whelk shell for ceremonial pieces, or from gold and black mother-of-pearl. While the ancients used stone carving tools, Townsend sees his own use of non-powered, metal tools as true to tradition.

c a r v e r i n t e r p r e t sn at i v e a m e r i c a n s y m b o l s

Photographs by Lynn Ivory

Published periodically during the year by The University of Alabama Museums

Robert Clouse, Ph.D.Executive Director

The University of Alabama Museums

Ben Barnett, Board PresidentTuscaloosa, AL

Larry Taylor, Board Vice PresidentMoundville, AL

Prescott Atkinson, Ph. D., M. D.Birmingham, AL

Catherine Sloss CrenshawBirmingham, AL

Darla GravesOwasso, OK

Tommy HesterTuscaloosa, AL

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Mike JenkinsMontgomery, AL

Steve JohnsonTuscaloosa, AL

Thomas JoinerTuscaloosa, AL

Douglas Jones, Ph. D.Tuscaloosa, AL

Eleanor MayTuscaloosa, AL

Douglas McCrawFt. Lauderdale, FL

Tom McMillanBrewton, AL

Beverly PhiferTuscaloosa, AL

Tom SemmesSan Antonio, TX

Marguerite Smith ShortBirmingham, AL

Berry Tew, Ph. D.Tuscaloosa, AL

Terry WatersTuscaloosa, AL

Tom WatsonTuscaloosa, AL

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Many of his designs are inspired by shell carvings found in burial

sites around the Southeast. He has created items for medicine people around the world. “This work is about the old folks, the ones before us,” he explains, adding, “it’s been quite a journey, and still is.”

“Not much is generally understood about Southeastern

indian art, especially from prehistoric times,” Townsend says. “When i exhibit my works, i spend

much of the time explaining the traditions and cultural significance.”

“The more i study and practice this kind of art,” he says, “the more i understand it and the more adept i feel at interpretation. After working with them a long time, you begin to understand the symbols are really a written language, a medicine language, the breath of the creator.”

Townsend explains, “Shells were trade goods, and they were a valued art medium for recording the

people’s history and symbolizing their belief system. The richness of the depictions of wildlife and other living things in their art points to a basic understanding that everything has life in it.”

Dan Townsend is based in Tallahassee, Florida. His work has been displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American indian and he has also served as an artist in residence at the Art institute of Chicago.

Townsend will exhibit his work at the Moundville Native American Festival, October 7-10.

Dan Townsend, Native American carver

e p i p h a n y c h a n G e s s o n G W r i t e r ’ s l i F e , m u s i cor songwriter and musician Michael Jacobs, a Native American of Cherokee descent, life has been about returning to his roots. Jacobs will perform at the

Moundville Native American Festival on October 9 and 10. Jacobs has been twice nominated, and awarded one Nammy Award, the Native American Music Awards equivalent of the Grammy.

in the late 1990s, Jacobs was a rock band guitarist working and recording in Nashville. “i felt there was something missing. i always knew i was Cherokee, but i had never experienced it,” he said. Soon thereafter, Jacobs’ life changed when he attended a powwow, a gathering of Native Americans where they share songs, dances and ceremonies. “i had an epiphany. My musical life was crashing down around me, but the journey of learning about being a Native American had just started,” he said.

After the powwow experience Jacobs picked up a guitar again, but not the electric guitar of his rock band days. instead, he returned to the acoustic guitar and began writing songs. “it felt like coming back home. Just me and a guitar.” He began performing again and, at the urging of friends, decided to record his work.

The resulting CD, Sacred Nation, received the 2003 Native American Music Award for best independent recording. The next year he recorded his second solo CD, They Come Dancing. it too, was nominated for a Native American Music Award. His latest CD, The Journey, received the 2006 indian Summer Music Award in the Spiritual category.

“everyone has an idea about who Native Americans are,” he said. “i hope people come with an open mind. i want them to get out of it what they need on their own journey.” He points to the spiritual aspect of the Native American view of life — that all people are connected to each other and the land, and are responsible for both. “in that context, i just want to bless them,” he said. Prior to his October Moundville performance, you can listen to online samples of Jacobs’ music at his web site, www.sacrednation.com.

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a r t i s t s e W s h e r i t a G e i n t o m o u n d v i l l e e x h i b i t

e v e n i n G s a t t h e G o r G a s h o u s e

abric artist Jay McGirt is sewing down thousands of feathers onto a piece of

burlap. The piece of decorated fabric, when completed, will stretch across the top of a Native American palanquin – a litter carried by four men -- as part of an exhibit to be displayed at the Moundville Archaeological Park’s museum. His painstaking, detailed work shows just how much McGirt cares about his culture and his ancestors.

“This is a labor of love, because i don’t know very many people who would take the time to cover this in feathers,” says McGirt, who lives in Tulsa, Okla. “i would like to show folks in Alabama and elsewhere who see the exhibit that there are still people who care about tribal art.”

The exhibit, which will be the centerpiece of the main hall of the renovated Jones Archaeological Museum, will depict a Native American bride of the Moundville culture being carried by four life-size bearers to her wedding. The palanquin will bring alive an interpretation of ceremonial life of the people who built the mounds at the Moundville site, a Native American city that flourished between A.D. 1000 and

Jay McGirt, Moundville exhibit artist.

A.D. 1450. The new exhibit will open early 2010.He’s making the covering in a studio adjacent to the Moundville park, where he’s participated as an artist in the annual Native American Festival, scheduled for Oct. 7-10 this year. At the festival, McGirt, who trained as a tailor, has shown off his skills making ceremonial Native American men’s clothing. This year, however, McGirt demonstrates traditional Southeastern cooking, another of his passions. McGirt finds inspiration in existing collections and living traditions for his work and his work can be found at the Smithsonian institution in Washington, D.C., the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Okla.

in making the palanquin, McGirt uses his greatest tools: his patience, his imagination and his pride in his ancestors and culture. “i’m sure that there will be parts of the exhibit that are educational, but basically i hope people are struck by its beauty as a whole,” McGirt says. “Our

ancestors are mound people. That blood is still in my veins. There is that appreciation for that.”

The Gorgas house has recently been the location for students and parents to learn about the early history of the University of Alabama. evenings at The Gorgas House are lectures/tours designed for students that tell of the history the building, the Gorgas family, and little known information about the early years of the campus.

in the fall, Greek pledge classes come as part of their pledge education program. The past two summers evenings at the Gorgas House have been a popular attraction for parents who are on campus for their children’s general university orientation sessions. Gorgas House director Marion Pearson says, “it seems an appropriate use of a building that has been here the entire history of the University of Alabama.”

Marion Pearson, Gorgas house director, stands next to a portrait of William Crawford Gorgas.

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c o n s t r u c t i o n a t t h e J o n e s m u s e u m

u a m u s e u m s a d v a n c e s t o W a r d a c c r e d i t a t i o nThe University of Alabama Museums is in the process of completing the third of four steps in the American Association of Museums (AAM) Museum Assessment Program (MAP). Completion of the four-step program is a highly recommended prior to applying for AAM accreditation. AAM accreditation is considered America’s official “stamp of approval” for museums. Being AAM accredited will give UA Museums access to additional grant programs and special traveling exhibits, as well as certify that we maintain the highest standards. The current step in the Museum Assessment Program focuses on UA Museum’s extensive collections.

The Museum’s collections consist of well over a million objects and range from furnishings in the Gorgas House, taxidermy specimens, geological samples, archaeological objects and nearly everything in between. The natural history collections are stored in Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, the archaeological collections are in the erskine Ramsay Repository at Moundville Archaeological Park and some period furnishings are in the Gorgas House. The collections are one component of the Museums that those of us managing the museum today will hand off to our successors and will transcend all of us. They are the core of the institution and it is our goal to care for those objects to the best of our ability.

The Museum Assessment Program focusing on our collections included self-study questionnaires and activities to assess how the collections are integrated into our mission and planning, how collections are used for education and interpretation, as well as collections organization, stewardship, administration and finance. The activities included the involvement of staff, museum board members and the public in better understanding

what we have in collections, why we collect what we do, and how well we manage our collections and the related documentation on the collections. The activities and questionnaires addressed the natural history collections as well as the archaeological collections at Moundville. We are most appreciative of Board of Regent members larry Taylor and Tommy Hester who took time out of their busy schedules to assist in the process. Both larry and Tommy were instrumental in helping us better comprehend the public’s perception of the collections. The activities gave the museum’s collections staff an opportunity to see if our record keeping was up to par and how readily data could be extracted about randomly selected objects in the museum storage facilities.

The improvements and additions at the Jones Museum at Moundville Archaeological Park are nearing completion. exhibits constructed over the past year are now about to make the long journey from our exhibit fabricators, Pacific Studios in Seattle, Washington, to be assembled at Moundville, Alabama. Over the next three months, artisans and craftsmen will carefully install the exhibits, finishing their work sometime in early 2010. Public information will be provided closer to opening date for the launch of the new museum.

Because the project still lacks about $500,000 completing its goal, opportunities still exist for funding a part of the new museum. UA Museums’ Development Director, Kelli Harris said, “We’ve made tremendous progress, raising about $4.5 million toward a $5 million goal from both private and federal sources. A great opportunity exists for someone out there who wants to be a part of Moundville’s heritage by funding the Campaign for Moundville. To be a part of a thousand year old site is a rare opportunity.” if you would like to be a part of the Moundville legacy, contact Kelli Harris at 205-348-9826 or e-mail her at kharris@ua.edu.

$5,000,000 Campa ign fo r Moundv i l l e

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Drawer of fossils at Museum’s collection facility

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e X P e D i t i o N 3 1 c o N t i N U e s P r o j e c t A r o U N D t h e g l o b e h o t e l

xpedition 31 ended on July 2, when the last of the museum trucks loaded with equipment

and trailers pulled out of Old St. Stephens (1WN1). everyone had a great summer dig under the direction of our archaeologist, George Shorter, and the participants contributed significantly to this massive project: the excavation of areas around the Globe Hotel.

During the first week, the budding archaeologists focused their work on uncovering the well which was located on the west side of the lot near the slave’s quarters and behind the kitchen. Not much was revealed but Shorter reminded the team that some-times not finding anything is just as important for the scope of this project.

Participants from week two shifted their work toward the slave’s quarters which proved to be much richer in artifacts and more interesting to those who were digging and sifting. Buttons, coins, glass, ceramics, tools, nails, horseshoes, and buckles were but a few of the artifacts found.

The third group continued to work in and around the slaves quarters in what would have been an outdoor space used for daily

Keenan Holmes, of Columbia, MD, spent his fifth summer with the Expedition as a Team Leader.

Bill Vaughn, of Bloomington, IL points toward the open yard next to the Slave’s Quarters.

Naomi Rath (center), of Ontario, Canada, returned for her third year at the Expedition to work on the Slave’s Quarters.

production oF virtual Field trips ADDs to DiscoveriNg AlAbAmA’s 25 th year

The 2009-2010 school year marks Discovering Alabama’s 25th year of bringing Alabama’s natural wonders to viewers throughout the state and beyond.

APT broadcasts of Discovering Alabama reach many viewers in surrounding states, and several states in other regions have featured periodic broadcasts of Discovering Alabama. National Public Television has selected a number of programs from the series, now totaling almost 100 shows, for use as part of a special educational initiative serving schools nationwide. Viewership for Discovering Alabama has grown to number in the millions and is second only to televised football games in representing the University of Alabama’s greatest public outreach.

This year, with much-appreciated encouragement and support from UA Provost Dr. Judy Bonner, the emmy-honored documentary series is capitalizing on its popularity and its 25 years of impressive archival footage to undertake development of a new kind of series, a sequence of virtual field trips (VFT), to be available online and as a CD, providing schools and other users with interactive learning modules exploring Alabama’s natural resources. The first VFT, entitled Waters to the Sea: Discovering Alabama, features Alabama’s rivers and water resources and will be available in prototype version in coming weeks.

activities such as cooking, laundry and repairs. A footing of a long wall that ran the length of the property was uncovered – it was interesting to note the large amount of broken bottles and glass that was disposed of at the base of the wall.

To learn more about the activities of expedition 31 visit our new web site and blog pages at www.expeditions.ua.edu.

F i r s t l e v e l A l A b A m A R i v e R

$ 4 0Unlimited admission (except for special events) to: • Moundville Archeological Park Alabama Museum of Natural History Gorgas House Paul W. Bryant MuseumMembership newsletter•Discounts on Museum programs and Summer Expedition•Membership card and decal•Recognition in newsletter•Invitations to special member events •

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G i v i n G l e v e l s & b e n e F i t s

M uch of the natural beauty of Alabama is found among its many rivers. To recognize the vital role these rivers play in making our state unique, the University of Alabama Museums has designated gift member-ship levels with the names of some of Alabama’s best-known and beloved rivers.

All membership levels are important to the Museum. We hope you will be as generous as your circumstances allow.

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Unlimited admission to Museums for member and 7 guests•Book on natural history from The University of Alabama Press•Reduce rental rates for Museum facilities•Other benefits as listed in previous level •

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Unlimited admission to Museums for member and 10 guests•Three gift memberships for one year at Black Warrior level•Other benefits as listed in previous level •

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Special recognition in Smith Hall foyer•Special Museum excursion lead by Executive Director of The University of Alabama •MuseumsUnlimited admission to Museums for member and 15 guests•Other benefits as listed in previous level•

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Permit #16

erin harney Joins ua museums staFF Erin Harney is the newest member of the University of Alabama Museums Collections Department. Based at the Office of Archaeological Research at Moundville, she will also assist with collections-related activities on campus. erin received her BS in education from the University of Wisconsin, with majors in elementary education and anthropology. She then received her MA in anthropology and a museum studies certificate from Northern illinois University (NiU), with an

emphasis in archaeology. erin completed two archaeological field schools in Salemi, Sicily, with NiU. During the second season in 2006, erin’s work was focused in the laboratory, reconstructing ceramics to be placed on exhibition in a local museum. Her work completed during field school was the basis for her graduate thesis.

Before completing her graduate work, erin received additional museum experience by interning at the NiU Anthropology Museum, The Jekyll island Museum in Georgia, and The Danish immigrant Museum in elk Horn, iowa. She was then hired by The Danish immigrant Museum as the exhibitions Curator where she designed and fabricated exhibitions along with accompanying materials and programs such as gift shop items, marketing materials, brochures, and children’s activities.

erin joined UA Museums to further expand her work with artifact collections and museum registration practices, and to become familiar with museums in a university setting. The UA Museums staff looks forward to her continued assistance and the new ideas she brings from her experiences at other museums.

Erin Harney at work at Erskine Ramsay Collections Facility.