Angel Mounds State Historic Site has unveiled an updated exhibit featuring modern perspectives on Mississippian history and traditions.
Reopened to the public in November after two years of work, the revamped exhibit cost $6.5 million.
“A lot of people in Evansville haven’t been here since fourth grade … on a field trip,” says Mike Linderman, Southwest Regional Director with Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. “It’s not the same place.”
“The previous experience here was 20 years old. … It really focused on [Indiana archaeologist] Glenn Black’s efforts. This new experience is about the people who still find connections at Angel Mounds,” says Brian Mancuso, ISMHS’ chief engagement officer. “We want to shift our visitors’ perspective and say ‘Hey, there’s another way to look at the site.’”
Funding came from a $4 million grant from the state of Indiana and a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Before, the exhibit featured mannequins, mock buildings, and the archaeological discoveries of Black and others. To update the new exhibit, ISMHS collaborated with members of the Miami, Osage, Quapaw, and Shawnee nations and several other federally recognized tribes, incorporating their perspectives.
“As well as looking at the past, you’re looking at … what [Angel Mounds] means to natives today,” says Carrie Wilson, a member of the Quapaw Nation based in Quapaw, Oklahoma, and director of its Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
The renovated space boasts a more vibrant, colorful design, along with interactive elements. Touchscreens display videos educating visitors on topics such as indigenous weaving and weaponry. Tabletops equipped with sensors provide audio lessons on a variety of subjects, including astronomy and archaeology.
Displays featuring QR codes offer insights into the work of indigenous artists commissioned by ISMHS to create pieces displayed alongside artifacts from the state museum system.
“I’m most excited for visitors to see these deeper stories that we’re able to tell through working closely with members of federally recognized tribes,” says Michele Greenan, ISMHS’ director of archaeology Though the renovation is complete, Wilson says the work of ISMHS and federally recognized tribes “hasn’t ended, it’s just started. The future holds a lot, not only for our [Native American] people but for the local community and throughout
the state.”
