By Hand Through Memory, opening September 11, traces the adaptation of Plateau Indian traditional lifestyles to the realities of twentieth-century America. Focusing on economics, family life, arts, religion, and politics, the exhibition emphasizes the different strategies used by the tribal members to retain a sense of cultural continuity amidst the wider American culture in which they live. Rather than portraying Plateau Indians primarily as victims of white America, the museum has chosen to stress the active way the people have responded to the threats against the survival of their way of life. Museums often, because of the nature of their collections, don t treat it that way. We want to get away from that and show that cultures change constantly and they take in new things.
People always look out for their best interests and they make conscious decisions.
The exhibition will be a permanent fixture at the High Desert Museum. Public lectures on different aspects of Plateau culture are planned to coincide with the exhibition s first year. Consultants from both academia and the Plateau Indian community advised and worked with the museum s staff. Vivian Adams, curator of native heritage at the museum and herself a member of the Yakama tribe, was responsible for interviewing members of the Plateau tribes to gather information for the exhibition. She says that the tribes responded enthusiastically.