In recognition of National Native American Heritage Month, Shiloh Museum is again partnering with the Arkansas Archeological Survey and about twenty different presenters for the 6th annual Native American Days all-virtual education event on November 19 and 20, 2025. A variety of sessions highlighting the history and culture of Native Americans in Arkansas will be offered live for registered attendees over a span of two days. Session recordings will be available following the two-day event. This event fits Arkansas curriculum standards for grades 5 to 7 but is open to all grades. All sessions over the two days are free but registration is required. See below for information on the 2025 speakers and sessions. To register, click here.
Day 1 Events Include:
We will present live sessions via Zoom which will introduce students to the Native Americans of Arkansas along with sessions about the historical interactions between Native Americans and European explorers. In the very first session on Wednesday morning, November 19, from 9:00-9:25, we will offer an introductory session to the program welcoming students and teachers and to give an overview of the program, introduce the hosts, and offer directions for navigating to sessions and corresponding with presenters.
Day 2 Events Include:
Archeologists will present live sessions via Zoom discussing how they learn about the ways Native Americans lived in Arkansas in the past.
We will send yarn, arrowheads, air-dry clay, and demonstrational sewing supplies for hands-on demonstrations to groups with 10 or more registered students while supplies last. Sessions using supplies will be noted on the schedule and in the materials shipped to each classroom. All registered participants will receive access to a digital page of resources for educators and students as well as recordings of all sessions. Questions about registration, schedules, or content can be directed to Shiloh Museum Education Manager, Judy Costello or Cori Williams, Program Manager.
Below are the scheduled presenters and their programs for Wednesday, November 19:
Kim Hosey, Judy Costello, Michelle Rathgaber, Introduction to Native American Days, 9-9:25
Judy Costello, Kimberly Hosey, and Michelle Rathgaber will give a brief welcome and introduction to the program and how it works. Judy and Kim will be your hosts in alternating sessions throughout the program so this is a chance to meet them. Michelle helps to plan the schedule and recruit speakers. If you have not participated in the program before this may help to clarify the presentation links and how the program is set up to accommodate all of the speakers and students. This session is typically short, but is a chance for teachers to ask and last minute questions that they have about how the program works.
Michelle is the Educational Outreach Coordinator with the Arkansas Archeological Survey. In this role she works with K-12 and college students, the general public, fellow archeologists, and archeology enthusiasts to bring information about the archeology of Arkansas to the public. She does this through classroom presentations, booths at public events, the Arkansas Archeological Survey’s YouTube channel and social media accounts as well as co-hosted events such as Native American Days!
Tonia Weavel, Cherokee Clothing, 9:30-9:55
From pre-contact to present day, an historic timeline of clothing styles worn by Cherokees will be presented. Images from basic clothing to adornment will be viewed.
Weavel is currently employed with the Cherokee National Language Department as a cultural specialist. She has over 30 years experience sharing Cherokee culture through lectures, workshops, classes both in person and virtually to local communities, corporate diversity groups and international guests.
Weavel, an award winning textile artist, was granted the distinction of Cherokee National Treasure in 2012 in textiles, an award given to citizens that preserve and perpetuate the culture through art. She was awarded the Moscelyne Larkin Cultural Achievement Award by the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission in 2019.
paige ford, plum bayou cultural site, 10:30-10:55
Through a historical and archeological perspective, this presentation will compare and contrast the histories and practices of pre-Contact Native American groups. Paige Ford will emphasize cultural relativity, providing basic understanding that though these communities are defined under the umbrella term as “Native American,” they are incredibly diverse with different beliefs and practices, which should be understood in their own contexts. Dr. Ford will use archeological data (i.e., artifacts, features, and more) from cultures like Mississippian peoples, some Plains groups, and Plum Bayou peoples to show how diverse the perspectives and practices of these groups were prior to European contact.
Dr. Paige A. Ford is the Station Archeologist at the Arkansas Archeological Survey’s research station at Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park. Her research focuses around reconstructing the relationships past peoples forged and maintained with one another by looking at how they made and decorated their ceramic vessels. She is passionate about public education, outreach, and advocacy, creating programs that teach the importance of archeology, cultural heritage, and collaboration with descendant communities. At Plum Bayou Mounds, she conducts new research as well as consults and advises state parks onsite preservation and management.
Robert Scott, Parkin Culture/Site, 11-11:25
The Parkin site is a large, well-preserved Late Mississippian and Early Contact period (AD 1300-1600/1650) site on the east bank of the St. Francis River in Cross County, Arkansas. It is a 17-acre village area surrounded on three sides by a wide moat or ditch. A platform mound is located on the west edge of the village immediately adjacent to the St. Francis River. The site is believed to be the Indian village of Casqui visited by the military expedition of Hernando de Soto in 1541. It is the only site in Arkansas where Spanish expeditionary period artifacts have been recovered through controlled scientific excavations by archeologists. Because of its importance for understanding Native American history and prehistory in northeast Arkansas, the “Parkin Indian Mound Site” was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Today, the Parkin site is located entirely with the boundaries of Parkin Archeological State Park (PASP).
This presentation will consist of a 15 minute pre-recorded walking tour of the Parkin archeological site. Dr. Scott will show students where archeologists have dug within the site, explain why they chose to dig in those locations, and summarize what was found and learned from those excavations.
Robert J. Scott is the research station archeologist at the Parkin Archeological State Park research station of the Arkansas Archeological Survey. Robert (Bob) received his B.A. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2000), his M.A. from the University of Alabama (2004), and his PhD from
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2018). He worked previously for the Illinois State Museum, the Center for Archaeological Investigations at SIUC, and Panamerican Consultants, Inc (Tuscaloosa). Between 2004 and 2007, he worked as the station assistant at the Survey’s UAM research
station, and served in the same capacity at the ASU research station from 2010 to 2013 and at UAPB from 2010 to 2023. He has conducted archeological excavations in Illinois, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas and has extensive experience in the laboratory analysis of Native American ceramics, lithics, and faunal remains from sites across east Arkansas. His research interests include the Late Prehistoric and Early Contact periods in the Lower Mississippi Valley, the archeology of colonial era Native Americans, the Late Woodland to Mississippian transition in northeast Arkansas, diaspora and Cahokia’s influence on regional communities in eastern and southeastern Arkansas, and applied zooarchaeology (mollusks).
lisa bailey, mary jacobs, Learning about the Quapaw, 11:30-11:55
“Learning about the Quapaw,” is an ArcGIS Story Map that offers a comprehensive look at the history of the Quapaw Tribe. Presenters will begin with pre-contact with the Dhegiha migration, tracing their journey down the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys until the five tribes split, thus, the Quapaw or “Downstream People” are formed. The presentation then moves into the post-contact era, detailing their first encounters and trading relationships with the French, before covering the major land-ceding treaties signed between 1818 and 1864. The presentation concludes by discussing a brief history of the Quapaw from the 1900s through to the present day, highlighting the continuity and resilience of the Nation.
Lisa Bailey is the GIS Specialist for the Tribal Historic Preservation Office. This means that she makes the maps and documents where different sites are located within the Quapaw Area of Interest (AOI.) She has been working at the Quapaw Tribal Historic Preservation Office for almost 2 years.
patricia doughty, desoto interaction with casqui, 12-12:25
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Details to be announced.
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ryan smith, european exploration and settlement, 12:30-12:55
Students will discover how the creation of the initial point at Louisiana Purchase State Park was a watershed moment in Arkansas history and had roots going back in the 1700s. Its creation carved the landscape into lines and squares that formed the basis for property ownership that exists today and displaced American Indians that previously lived on these lands, permanently changing the relationship they had with European nations and the United States.
Ryan is a park interpreter at Delta Heritage Trail State Park and Louisiana Purchase State Park. His education background is in forestry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has been with Arkansas State Parks for over 10 years, first at Parkin Archeological State Park and later Delta Heritage Trail State Park and Louisiana Purchase State Park.
matthew rooney, Identifying 1500s Spanish Trade Goods on Native American Village Sites in Arkansas, 1-1:25
Presenters will discuss archeological efforts to identify village sites on the Lower Arkansas River along the route of Hernando de Soto, whose men traded and left behind glass beads and metal implements that were used by Native Americans as decorative objects and tools in the decades that followed the 1540s.
Matthew Rooney is a station archeologist and assistant professor of anthropology for the Arkansas Archeological Survey’s research station in Monticello. He has conducted fieldwork in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas. His research focuses on colonialism in the southeastern United States with great emphasis on collaborating with descendants and other affiliated communities. Dr. Rooney is currently the board president for Preserve Arkansas, a trustee for the Arkansas Historical Association, and an associate editor for the Southeastern Archaeological Conference.
lisa rutherford, cherokee moccasins, 1:30-1:55*
Lisa Rutherford will discuss Cherokee moccasins and demonstrate making a pair of center-seam pucker toe moccasins from deerskin. Other examples of beadwork and decoration will also be shown.
Lisa Rutherford (Cherokee Nation) is a full-time artist specializing in pottery and textiles. Rutherford began making ancestral style pottery in 2005 and began researching and making historic clothing, including feather capes and mantles, twined textiles and 18th-century Cherokee clothing. She is a 1986 graduate of Northeastern State University (Oklahoma) and in 2009 participated in the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Leadership Arts program. In 2014, Rutherford was selected for the Art Leadership Program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, studying twined textiles, historic clothing and beadwork, and feather capes.
In 2018, she was named a Cherokee National Treasure by the Cherokee Nation for her work in preserving and promoting Cherokee pottery and culture.
Her work is in collections, including the Smithsonian Museum’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum at OU, the McClung Museum, University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Cherokee National History Museum in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
* Demonstration materials can be provided while supplies last.
ben swadley, LIthics, 2:00-2:25*
Ben Swadley, Arkansas Archeological Society member, will present an overview of how ancient stone tools and weapons were made from natural rock like chert and flint. Attendees will be shown how natural stones were made into arrowheads, spear points and tools.
* Demonstration materials can be provided while supplies last.
Below are the scheduled presenters and their programs for Thursday, November 20:
mel zabecki, what's in an archeologist's bag?, 9-9:25
In “What’s in an Archeologist’s Bag,” Mel Zabecki will unpack her dig bag and discuss the different tools she and other archeologists use to perform scientific and systematic excavations at archeological sites.
Melissa (Mel) Zabecki is the Arkansas State Archeologist. She received her BA in Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College in Western Massachusetts and her MA and PhD from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She began her career as an ancient Egyptian bioarcheologist, working at various cemeteries around Egypt, learning about past lifeways while adjunct instructing at a few different universities. Then, she became a Park Interpreter for Arkansas State Parks, where she not only became well-versed in educating the public, but learned about American archeology. Mel joined the Arkansas Archeological Survey as its Education Outreach Coordinator and then moved into the State Archeologist position. As State Archeologist, Mel collaborates with the Arkansas Archeological Survey station archeologists, multiple federal and state agencies, as well as private citizens to help spread awareness of the rich history of Arkansas and the importance of protecting archeological sites from destruction.
betty gaedtke, quapaw pottery, 9:30-9:55 *
Betty Gaedtke will be explaining the method to process raw clay for use in making Native American pottery. Using raw clay that she dug up locally and she will demonstrate the process from start to finish; from cleaning, grinding, mixing, adding temper, and rehydrating the clay to make it usable in the same way that her ancestors did.
Betty Gaedtke is an enrolled member of the Quapaw Nation and former Quapaw Tribal Council Member. Her Quapaw name is Te-Mi-Zhi-Ka (Little Buffalo Woman) after her great, great grandfather, Te-Zhi-Ka (Buffalo Calf). She is descended from a long line of pureblood Quapaw, and belongs to the Buffalo clan. Her goal is to resurrect that lost art of Quapaw pottery and bringing back to the tribal culture. She learned how to make Quapaw and Mississippian pottery several years ago and is the only Quapaw Tribal Member producing it today. She uses some of the methods and tools used hundreds of years ago and has made over 500 vessels in the styles and designs of her ancestors with many of them being displayed in museums in several states.
* Demonstration materials can be provided while supplies last.
Madelyn Rose, 3D Printing Artifacts, 10-10:25
This presentation introduces students to the exciting intersection of archeology and technology. Students will learn how the Arkansas Archeological Survey uses 3D scanning and printing to preserve, study, and share artifacts from sites. The process allows researchers to create detailed replicas of fragile or hard-to-access objects, making archeology more interactive and accessible. This demonstration will explore how these technologies are changing the way we study and understand the past.
Madelyn graduated with her Bachelor’s in Art History and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Arkansas in 2018. She started working at the University of Arkansas Museum as an undergraduate in 2014, where she then transferred to work at the Arkansas Archeological Survey in 2015. Since then, she has worked in various capacities at the Survey, from lab technician to lab lead to Assistant Registrar, where she runs the 3D Technology Lab. She is currently working towards her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences through University of Oklahoma Online, where she is set to graduate Spring 2025.
Curriculum Ties/Objectives
1. Introduce the basics of 3D scanning and printing – Explain how 3D scanning captures detailed images of artifacts and how 3D printing creates replicas from those scans.
2. Demonstrate the application of 3D technology in archeology – Show how archeologists at the Survey use these tools to preserve artifacts and conduct research.
3. Engage students in the technological process – Show students the process in action, with examples of scanned artifacts and printed replicas.
4. Highlight the importance of preserving cultural heritage – Discuss the significance of using technology to document and share artifacts that may otherwise be inaccessible to the public.
Jennifer Frazee, Choctaw Twining, 10:30-10:55*
Twining is a fiber arts skill practiced by many indigenous communities for centuries. The process is a method of weaving fibers into material that can be used as cloth for clothing, shoe soles, bags for gathering, foraging, and carrying essentials, etc. This session will give a brief history of the skill, its uses, and offer a demonstration of how the process works.
Jennifer Frazee graduated with her Masters in American Studies and began her history career with the Oklahoma Historical Society in 2013 at Hunter’s Home in Park Hill Cherokee Nation. She has developed and conducted living history programs, educational tours for Hunter’s Home and other agency sites and partners as a historical interpreter until her recent promotion to Fort Gibson Historic Site. She works with educators and historians to develop supplemental educational materials for schools, colleges, and universities. Jennifer currently serves Oklahomans as director of Fort Gibson Historic Site where she and staff collect, preserve, and share the history of that region with visitors.
* Demonstration materials can be provided while supplies last.
T'ata Begay, Choctaw Code Talkers of WWI, 11-11:25
This presentation highlights the extraordinary contributions of the Choctaw Code Talkers, the first Native American code talkers in U.S. military history. Through historical insights and cultural context, it explores how their use of the Choctaw language helped turn the tide of WWI and contributed to victory.
T’ata Begay (Choctaw/Taos Pueblo) is a Tribal Researcher with the Choctaw Nation’s Historic Preservation Department, based in Durant, Oklahoma. Her work focuses on preserving, protecting, and revitalizing Choctaw history and culture. With a strong commitment to narrative sovereignty and Indigenous representation, T’ata brings scholarly rigor and cultural insight to her research and public engagements.
Michelle Rathgaber, Archeology Lab tour, 11:30-11:55
The Arkansas Archeological Survey, part of the University of Arkansas System, is dedicated to studying, protecting, and sharing the history of archeological sites across the state. Through partnerships with universities, state parks, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, the Survey operates ten research stations, serving as a model for archeological programs worldwide.
Dr. Michelle Rathgaber (PhD-University of Arkansas 2019, MSc-Bournemouth University 2011, BS-University of Wisconsin 2006) is the Educational Outreach Coordinator at the Arkansas Archeological Survey. She has worked as an archeologist since 2007 and has conducted extensive research on the Mississippian time period in eastern Arkansas, looking at how people responded to large-scale earthquakes through time. She has also taught classes about archeology to elementary, middle, and high school students as well as college classes and classes for the general public. Most recently, she co-directed an archeological curation field school for college students interested in working in archeology and archeological museums.
Sasha Bowles, Cherokees Through Arkansas, 12-12:25
Cherokees are not typically the first tribe that comes to mind when referring to tribes historically in Arkansas. They, however, began moving into Arkansas in the 1700s. We will look at the reasons Cherokees moved to Arkansas before removal, what prompted their move to other areas of Arkansas, and the issues that led to the Trail of Tears; their removal through Arkansas.
Sasha is a Park Interpreter II for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville. Lake Dardanelle State Park is a registered Trail of Tears site. Sasha is a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the Past President of the Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association. She spends much of her time sharing Cherokee history as well as the history of the area with local schools, civic groups, and park visitors.
John R. Samuelsen, What Archeological Isotopes Can Tell Us , 1-1:25
What are isotopes and how can they help us understand humans in the past? This talk will help introduce you to the world of archeological chemistry and how isotopes in materials like bones and teeth can tell us about how people lived in the past. Whether we are investigating what people ate or where people came from, isotopes can help answer these questions. Studies from Arkansas will be discussed as examples of what we can learn using this type of science.
Dr. John R. Samuelsen is an archeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas in 2020. His research focuses on using archeological chemistry to evaluate anthropological questions, such as evaluating the geographic origins of humans, animals, and artifacts to investigate rituals, burial practices, and warfare. He also heads the Ancient Biogeochemistry Laboratory which analyzes archeological and geological samples for isotopic content.
Emily Beahm, How Archeologists Study Past Plant Use, 1:30-1:55
Plants have always been an important part of daily life. Archeologists use a variety of methods to study how people used plants in the past for food and for raw materials to make fabric, tools and houses. This talk will describe different methods archeologists use to study past plant use and explore some of the results of this kind of research in Arkansas.
Dr. Emily Beahm is the Station Archeologist at the University of Arkansas- Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Research station on beautiful Petit Jean Mountain. She is originally from eastern Tennessee and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. Her research interests include foodways and gender studies. She manages the Teaching Gardens at the WRI Station.
michelle rathgaber, How Do we know all this stuff?, 2:00-2:25
Michelle Rathgaber will discuss how archeologists use artifacts, soil stains, and other evidence in the ground to help to draw conclusions about how people lived in the past. She will talk about making links between the artifacts and evidence that is found at archeological sites and how those things might have been used by people in the past. In addition to Dr. Mel Zabecki’s program “What’s in an Archeologist’s Bag?” from Day 1, this program will help to introduce some of the concepts and terms that many of the archeologists presenting on Day 2 may use during their programs.
Dr. Michelle Rathgaber (PhD-University of Arkansas 2019, MSc-Bournemouth University 2011, BS-University of Wisconsin 2006) is the Educational Outreach Coordinator at the Arkansas Archeological Survey. She has worked as an archeologist since 2007 and has conducted extensive research on the Mississippian time period in eastern Arkansas, looking at how people responded to large-scale earthquakes through time. She has also taught classes about archeology to elementary, middle, and high school students as well as college classes and classes for the general public. Most recently, she co-directed an archeological curation field school for college students interested in working in archeology and archeological museums.