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Wyoming State Museum Honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Arts and Science Celebration

Wyoming State Museum Honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Arts and Science Celebration
Jasmine Pickner-Bell, the first woman to win the World Championship Hoop Dance Competition, will be performing with her family members in four showcases during the event. (Courtesy photo)
  • PublishedOctober 15, 2024

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Wyoming State Museum hosted a special event celebrating Native arts, culture, and science, Wyoming News Now reports.

The celebration featured several tribal artists, alongside interactive activities for attendees, including the opportunity to create “seed bombs”—a tool for spreading native wildflowers and plants with ethnobotanical value.

These plants, which hold ceremonial, edible, medicinal, and artistic significance, have long been important to tribal communities and remain so today.

Angelina Stancampiano, an Interpretive Ranger for the Shoshone District at Wyoming State Parks and a member of the Choctaw tribe of Oklahoma, emphasized the importance of acknowledging the ongoing presence of Indigenous peoples.

“I like to make sure there’s emphasis on the present tense. These people have been here for generations, but are still here today,” she said.

The museum also highlighted its exhibit “An Unbroken Circle,” which traces Native American history in Wyoming from the arrival of the first peoples to the present day, offering visitors a comprehensive look at the state’s rich Indigenous heritage.

Written By
Joe Yans