By: Emma Brackbill
A new exhibit has been opened to the public at the McPherson Museum and Arts Foundation as of June 13. Described as “The best kept secret in America” by Dr. Donald Blakeslee, curator of the Quivara Exhibit, this new display showcases tools, trade goods, maps, interactivity, and much more from a society largely forgotten by history. This exhibit depicts possibly the largest native American political power, trade routes spanned from many far corners of North America, stemming from central Kansas. Though the people of Quivera were largely wiped out due to disease, slavery, and warfare through colonization, their impact was felt by many native societies during their time.
The history of Quivira, the ancestral people of the Wichita tribe, was forgotten and confused when Spanish conquistadors reached Kansas in the 1600s. It was mislabeled as a large city famous for silver and gold, then drawn near the west coast. Due to that mistake, any information regarding it has been misdirected. Now, some of the first information of the real Quivira has been released to the public.
This exhibit features attractions that show trade goods between the people of Quivera and other societies uncovered from various dig sites. The imports through these routes illustrate how extensive their reach was. Marine shell beads from the Gulf of California, a knife from eastern Missouri, multiple items such as a paint palette, malachite, and Puebloan pottery from what is now New Mexico are all on display. Beyond that, obsidian, volcanic glass, has been discovered in Kansas due to trade from as far as Hidalgo, Mexico.
Exports from Quivira would be general prairie goods such as bison horns was found off the coasts of California and eastern Florida. This new exhibit also includes places to interact, such as the process of making hominy with a grindstone and real corn, trivia to play while reading descriptions, and a touchable digital map to show the exact places where artifacts were discovered. Along with many other parts to the exhibit depicting daily life for these people. This exhibit could appeal to people who are interested in local activities, history, or adventuring, and the museum is free for everyone, so full access for is available to all.
