The Heard Museum held its annual Veterans Day Tribute, celebrating Native American military service.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum altered its 2020 event, but it was back in person this year with veterans’ art around the courtyard.
“It was just a video we produced last year with veterans but this year is nice to kind of get people back together,” said Marcus Monenerkit, director of community engagement at the Heard Museum.
“We usually try to work with veteran artists so the bands and the artists, the visual artist most our veterans,” Monenerkit said.
The event lasted almost all day. It ended with a sunset tribute. “All the veterans and I really appreciate the Heard Museum for putting this event together,” veteran artist Edward Yava said.
The tribute is conducted in front of a Native American Military Service Memorial. Monenerkit said it is the “first memorial of its kind.”
Inside the museum is filled with beautiful Indigenous art, making it a great place to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
“The museum is a way to show all the positive aspects of our heritage. Art has transformed the reach of people to touch the heart and help open the mind,” Devotee Shadowalker, a Mescalero Apache Army veteran, said.
The Heard Museum recently opened a new exhibit called “Toward the Morning Sun: Navajo Pictorial textiles from the Jean-Paul and Rebecca Vallette Collection.”
Velma Kee Craig is the museum’s assistant curator. “It is showcasing 30 textiles 29 of which are from the John Paul and Rebecca collection. And they are all textiles, which depict ceremonial and sand painting themes,” Craig explained.
Craig said many of the textiles are from the early 20th century. “The display of the textiles as they are on the walls, I think they’re mesmerizing,” Craig said.
The textiles are filled with many different beautiful colors. Craig said that “this exhibition, in the way that we told the story is what makes it important.”
The Heard Museum is a place where visitors can connect with Native American Heritage through art and history. Monenerkit and Craig both explained that it is Native American Heritage day every day at the museum.
“I hope it’s a place that they can look to and be proud of, you know, that we share their history and their stories and we listen,” Monenerkit said.
The museum welcomes people to come and learn more. Check out its website at heard.org for more information about events at the museum.
Contact the reporter at astanbri@asu.edu.
