Visitors to the new online exhibit “Three Cultures, Three Stories” will get a glimpse of diverse early American Indian life.  The exhibit was developed by the Virginia Museum of Natural History in partnership with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

“Three Cultures, Three Stories”, developed in consultation with members of the Virginia Indian Council and the Smithsonian Institution’s American Indian Program, explores the unique cultures of the Lakota, Pueblo, and Powhatan cultures, illustrating how people adapt to very different environments and develop equally diverse cultures. 

The exhibit addresses the social science standards of learning that deal with different Native American groups, their differences and similarities, the regions in which they live, the resources that they use, changes in those cultures over time, and various other cultural aspects.  The site also features flash activities, a quiz, and a magnifying glass for viewing artifacts more closely.  Visitors can also navigate the site to collect virtual puzzle pieces to complete an online puzzle.

Visitors will learn about the climate and land where each group lived, the environment and resources which were available for their use, how each group adapted these resources to provide clothing, shelter, and food, and how religion and art were used to express creativity and cultural values in different ways.  While there are common threads, different Native American tribes adapted to their unique situations in varying ways, resulting in fascinating cultural differences.

“It is interesting to look at the similarities and differences of various cultures,” said Dr. Elizabeth Moore, curator of archaeology at VMNH.  “This online exhibit provides particularly relevant SOL information for both teachers and students.”

The “Three Cultures, Three Stories” online exhibit is based on a physical exhibit of the same name developed by the Virginia Museum of Natural History and exhibited at the museum in 2005.  The development of the physical exhibit was led by Moore, with curatorial assistance from Dr. JoAllyn Archambeault (Lakota), director of the American Indian Program at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, along with Dr. Lynn Snyder, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

For more information about exhibits at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, visit www.vmnh.net/exhibits.

Click here to explore "Three Cultures, Three Stories".