Alridge Gardens Whispers from the Past 2012

Some of the many artifacts on display at the event

Aldrige Botanical Gardens hosted the third annual Native American festival, Whispers from the Past, on October 6th this year. Students and faculty from UAB ANTHRO-TEACH were excited to participate and help educate about our Native American Culture.

The festival includes a variety of activites such as flintknapping demonstrations, dance preformances by the The Sylestine Legacy, and many activities for childen such as leaf pounding and loom beading.

The Sylestine Legacy is a family of Alabama Coushatta Native Americans 

 

Hoop Dancing preformed by Lyndon Alec

The Three Sisters Garden was filled with squash, maize, and beans. These vegetables were a staple in many Native American gardens. You can learn more about the folklore behind the three sisters here!

Children learning Cherokee leaf pounding

UAB is home to one of the most diverse collections of Native American artifacts. The Josselyn Archaeological Collection contains artifacts, such as pottery, arrowheads, stone tools, and many other unique treasures, all of which were found in Alabama! UAB students and staff are currently working to create a digital catalog of the collection, helping to promote education and assure preservation. 

  UAB graduate students, Mallory and Brandon, explaining the difference between projectile points. 

    Collection of traditional Native American musical instruments

In addition to having artifacts from Alabama, UAB also houses some from South America and Louisiana. 

Above are artifacts that were found at Poverty Point. This site, located in Northern Louisiana, is home to some of the most ancient earthworks in the United States. Due to the extremely unique artifacts found there some are simply given the name "Poverty Point Objects". 

Whispers from the Past allows us to get in touch with our Native American culture in fun and interesting ways. ANTHRO-TEACH looks forward to helping again next year!