CONTRIBUTIONS
FEATURED EXHIBIT
Step into a powerful exploration of Indigenous innovation and influence. Contributions reveals how Native technologies, philosophies, and systems of governance from snow goggles to principles of unity continue to shape the modern world in ways many have never been taught.
Image courtesy: DeAgostini/Getty Images
Exhibit Details
in·di·gen·u·i·ty™
The creative intelligence and technological knowledge of Indigenous communities that contributed to agriculture, medicine, governance, food systems, and innovation—and continue to influence the modern world.
Indigenous + Ingenuity
Indigenous Ideas
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy influenced the U.S. Founding Fathers through the “Five Arrows” symbol of unity and the Great Law of Peace. The Peacemaker taught that a single arrow can be broken, but five bound together—representing the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations—are strong and unbreakable.
Haudenosaunee leaders shared this principle of unity with colonial leaders, including Benjamin Franklin, who later adopted similar ideas of federalism and collective strength. In 1988, the U.S. Congress formally recognized the Confederacy’s influence on the development of the Constitution.
%20Confederacy%205%20Arrows.jpg)
“Savages we call them, because their Manners differ from ours, which we think the Perfection of Civility; they think the same of theirs.”
Benjamin Franklin,
Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America. 1784
Franklin wrote that Native nations governed themselves through councils of elders, without prisons or coercive force, and that skilled speakers won influence in public debate highlighting a form of republican, participatory politics he found admirable.
Image courtesy: Getty Images
Arctic Indigenous peoples created snow goggles to protect against UV glare and snow blindness, using narrow slits to reduce light while maintaining vision an early innovation that informs modern eyewear design.
Image courtesy: Getty Images
Contributions You’ll Explore in This Exhibit
Agriculture & Food Systems
crop domestication, sustainable growing methods, land stewardship
Medicines & Plant Knowledge
healing practices, botanical science, wellness systems
Engineering & Technology
tools, materials innovation, protective design (ex: snow goggles)
Water & Infrastructure
irrigation, canals, terraces, and climate-adapted planning
Governance & Diplomacy
confederacies, consensus-building, unity models, civic systems
Science & Observation
astronomy, seasonal calendars, navigation, environmental science
Kelly Washington
Most residents of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area are familiar with the term ‘Maricopa’, but relatively few are aware it is a name referring to one of the indigenous tribal groups of the land upon which they reside. Even fewer are familiar with the distinct culture and history of the Maricopa who refer to themselves as Piipaash in their own language. There is very little information written about the Piipaash/Maricopa, and what little does exist is usually not from a first-person perspective. In this presentation, I will share a brief history of the Piipaash along with aspects of our origins, language and culture, past and present.
The Piipaash (Maricopa): A Living History and Enduring Contributions
Related Articles
America 250
Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom
