Arizona Chapter Six - The Heard Museum

We were in luck when we learned the Heard Museum offered free admission during the month of July so it cost us a big zero to browse the building.  The Heard Museum showcases Native American arts and crafts from the 19th and 20th centuries. 

As we entered the building, I had camera in hand, ready to snap away memories of our visit.  I then learned flash photos were not allowed.  Now, the camera and I have a love/hate relationship.  At the most inopportune moments, it shuts off and blinks "replace batteries", which usually occurs when there are no batteries at hand.  In addition, I have yet to master the "no flash" mechanism so I knew my photo taking would have to be purely undercover, as much as a bright flash could offer.

We visited the Sandra Day O'Connor bolo tie gallery, the basket weaving section, and the boarding school exhibition, which was haunting with its history of young natives being sent to government-run boarding schools in order to remove the "savage" from American Indians.  It brought to mind the Japanese camps from WWII along with concentration camps.  A story new to me but very frightening.

After browsing the Hopi gallery, a museum clerk passed us stating "someone is using a flash, someone is using a flash!"  Oops, it was time for my camera to go back into my pocket until we entered the flash friendly zone outside!