“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
—Dorothea Lange

Photographs are one of my favorite tools to use as a museum educator. One technique I like to use, known as a Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS), is a very simple and effective way for people to start to see more in an image than they otherwise would have noticed. There are three main steps to follow:

1. Show an image to your audience—either project it on a screen in front of a classroom, or pass it around so everyone can get a good look at the details.
2. Ask students to sit silently and look closely at the image for a minute or two.
3. Guide the students through a series of questions that help them think critically about the image and start asking questions of their own.

We might start with an image like this one:

Tintype portrait of unidentified group of African American women. SHSND 10737-310.

After taking in all the details for a couple of minutes, I would first ask my audience to tell me what is going on in the photograph. It is important that we don’t tell them what we want them to know. We have to be patient and let them make observations; compare and contrast their own answers; and start asking questions. We can keep the conversation going by asking follow up questions—“What makes you say that?” and “What more can we find?” This will help students continue their observations and will help them associate details in the image with their own personal experiences or prior knowledge.

This is a great activity for teachers of any discipline. English teachers can use this activity to initiate a creative writing activity. Science teachers can use this to connect observations of an image to classroom lessons such as identifying physical properties of an object. Math teachers can use images this way to help make connections for students between the real world and abstract concepts—for example, you could ask younger students to find basic shapes or to add or subtract the number of items in an image.

This exercise is great for someone teaching North Dakota Studies or other history classes. We can talk about the clothing and interior décor styles of past decades. We can talk about how a historian or archivist could do some detective work to try to find out more about who these unidentified women are. We could even talk about the preservation of historic images, and the process used to create a tintype.

Using a strategy like VTS gets people to start noticing details and interpreting what is going on in an image. Students begin to understand how other people might have a completely different understanding of what is going on in an image than they did. I always try to pair appropriate images to any lesson I’m teaching so that students start to exercise their history detective muscles. It can spark an interest in students of all ages.

In the archaeology lab, we’ve recently had a lot of bags, boxes, and artifacts on the tables. These artifacts are from the site of the first Fort Berthold (32ML2, Fort Berthold I).

Fort Berthold I was a trading post located on the north side of Like-A-Fishhook Village (for more on Like-A-Fishhook, see previous posts at blog.statemuseum.nd.gov/blog/adventures-archaeology-collections-fishhook-village and blog.statemuseum.nd.gov/blog/adventures-archaeology-collections-fishhook-village-part-ii). This trading post was built around 1845 and was used until the early 1860s. This site, like the adjacent village of Like-A-Fishhook, was flooded by the Garrison Dam and was partially excavated by archaeologists in the 1950s as part of the River Basin Surveys. The site is now under Lake Sakakawea.

David Nix, one of our volunteers, has just finished photographing more than 1,700 artifacts from Fort Berthold I. We are now busy working with other volunteers (special thanks to Sandra, Mavis, Mary, and Gary) to transfer the artifacts from brown paper bags and bubble wrap into acid-free, archival storage materials.

Work in progress: sorting artifacts out of old non-archival storage materials

Repackaged boxes of artifacts

It is exciting to see some artifacts that are not common in the archaeology collections. North Dakota does not have a climate that preserves materials like plants, wood, or leather very well. But a few of those materials do survive in this collection!

There are shoes, shoes, and more shoes—as well as boots and overshoes—in parts, pieces, and even nearly complete examples. They come in many different shapes and sizes.

A small selection of the footwear from Fort Berthold I (12711.3, 1285, 1345-1346, 1427, 1745-1746, &1828, photos by David Nix– edited SHSND)

It is far more normal to see belt buckles by themselves in North Dakota’s archaeology collections than buckles with leather belts still attached.

Metal buckles are not uncommon in the archaeology collections, though not all are as fancy as this military buckle plate (12711.1541, photo by David Nix– edited SHSND)

A buckle with part of the leather belt still attached (12711.836, photo by David Nix– edited SHSND)

Two felt caps with decorative fringe are really interesting.

Felt caps (12711.251 & 761, photos by David Nix – edited SHSND)

A carefully braided fragment of delicate sweetgrass is also in the collection.

Braided sweetgrass (12711.612)

Here is part of a sewn birch bark object—you can see the holes where this piece was stitched.

Sewn birch bark (12711.1366, photo by David Nix– edited SHSND)

There are other canteen stoppers in the archaeology collections, but this is the first canteen stopper that I have seen with the cork still attached.

A canteen cork (12711.152, photo by David Nix– edited SHSND)

Less fragile, but not less interesting, is a flute made from a gun barrel. This is one of my favorite objects from Fort Berthold I. I wonder who made this and what kind of story is behind it. There is no mouth piece with it now. Did it ever have one? Was this a toy or a real instrument? If it was a real instrument, what did it sound like?

Gun barrel flute (12711.300)

I get asked on a fairly regular basis what I do in the “off-season” at the mansion without all the summer tourists. This question always gets me a little riled up, mostly because I don’t have an off-season. We experience slower times, but we are never “off.” It may surprise you to learn that our largest audience does not consist of tourists. General visitation (our term for spontaneous visits during regular hours) only adds up to about a third of all the people that visit over the course of the year. In 2016, 6,400 people visited, and about 2,000 of those were general visits. The rest are people mostly from the Bismarck-Mandan community who come for events and private rentals, as well as a few school groups.

Site supervisor Johnathan Campbell repairing a detached banister finial. This finial has been reattached many times over the years. As people come around the corner they tend to pull on it.

So what do I do when it’s slow, and there are no people around? I clean and fix the wear and tear from all the hands on walls and feet on floors. Many people may not think of the mansion as a home, but that was its primary role for around 80 years, and that is what we preserve. Imagine what your home would look like after having a few thousand people come through it over the course of a year. Then envision having 10,000 fingers rubbing across your oak banister, and 1,000 kids using your bathroom. I’m guessing you wouldn’t let anyone touch the furniture, and you might wish you could lock the doors for a bit just so you could have a slow day or two (maybe three!) to clean. So if you come to the mansion and find the occasional speck of dirt on the floor or paint-chipped doors, please take it as a sign that the state’s historic governors’ home is well-loved by the community.

Site supervisor Johnathan Campbell vacuuming dirt and melted ice from the hundreds of feet that have walked here since winter started.

And when I do get caught up on cleaning and maintenance, I go back to figuring out ways to get more people into the house so I can do it some more!

---

Guest Blogger: Johnathan Campbell

Johnathan Campbell has been around the SHSND for around a quarter of a century. He has been the site supervisor for both the Former Governors’ Mansion, and Camp Hancock State Historic Sites for over a decade, and previous to that was the fossil preparator for the North Dakota State Fossil collection.

One of my favorite heritage tourism programs is coming up very soon: Heritage Outbound! The Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure, an annual day of activities and learning at Fort Clark State Historic Site, will be on February 11, 2017. I’ve been fortunate to be involved with this outreach program for nearly 15 years, and it’s always been a great experience!

Allen Demaray plays traditional flute music in the earthlodge at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site during the 2016 Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure. Image courtesy of Brooke Morgan.

We help participants focus on the history and culture of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara peoples at the confluence of the Knife and Missouri rivers. The State Historical Society of North Dakota has once again partnered for this year’s event with the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, the Knife River Indian Heritage Foundation, and the North Dakota Archaeological Association.

It’s been fun to watch the Heritage Outbound program evolve over the years. The program got its start in the period leading up to the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial of 2004-2006 (remember those two guys?), with Heritage Outbound starting as a multi-day affair offered during the winter and summer seasons. The winter program introduced participants to seasonal activities like snowshoeing and winter camping in below-freezing weather. My friend, Calvin, had remembered to bring a bison hide to keep warm the one year when we winter-camped at the historic Lower Hidatsa earthlodge village, but I had to make do with two sleeping bags! The Heritage Outbound summer program focused on the Missouri River as a transportation corridor, and we put the participants into expedition canoes. We camped overnight in a wonderful camp by the river, holding educational programs and sharing traditional stories under the summer stars.

State Historical Society of North Dakota Curator of Education Erik Holland points out the locations of Fort Clark fur trade post and Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kush earthlodge village to Heritage Outbound participants – February 2016. Image courtesy of Doug Wurtz.

This year’s adventure will begin with a morning snowshoe hike at Fort Clark State Historic Site. The site is the location of the historic Mandan earthlodge village of Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kush .  The village was later occupied by the Arikara people, and an important fur-trade era post was established there during that time. During our site visit we’ll discuss archaeological investigations recently conducted at Fort Clark by the State Historical Society and the PaleoCultural Research Group.

Heritage Outbound participants enjoy a pleasant (snow-free) walk on the Two Rivers Trail near the Big Hidatsa earthlodge village in Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site – February 2016. Image courtesy of Doug Wurtz.

After lunch, we’ll learn about the lifeways of the Hidatsa peoples. We’ll be hiking and learning as we explore the Lower Hidatsa and Sakakawea villages, two important earthlodge villages located in Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. Outdoor activities like fire-starting, using atlatls to throw darts (always a fun time) and other traditional winter games keep the afternoon lively and fun. We’ll also be joined during this year’s activities by living history presenters Chris Floyd and Terry Madden of The American Mountain Men.

SHSND Curator of Education Erik Holland demonstrates flint and steel fire-starting during the 2016 Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure. Image courtesy of Brooke Morgan.

2016 Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure participant Brooke Morgan demonstrates the proper form used in atlatl dart throwing. Note the reconstructed earthlodge at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site visible in the background. Image courtesy of Doug Wurtz.

2016 Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure atlatl target practice. Image courtesy of Brooke Morgan.

The day-long program concludes with a traditional meal, story-telling, and songs around a warm fire in the recreated earthlodge at Knife River. We’ll be joined this year by the Baker-Demaray family of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation. The evening activities in the earthlodge are among my favorite. The warmth of shared experience and camaraderie among new friends around the fire in the earthlodge all make for a magical conclusion to a great day.

If you’re interested in registering for this year’s Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure on February 11, please register at heritageoutbound2017.eventbrite.com.

The Baker-Demaray family and Amy Mossett of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation gather in the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site visitor center at the conclusion of the 2016 Heritage Outbound Winter Adventure. Image courtesy of Brooke Morgan.

Museum staff often have to walk a fine line when it comes to displays. Sometimes we get it right, and other times a little modification may be needed. If barriers are put up (such as Plexiglass, metal railings, etc.), some people feel offended or think that we’re trying to keep them away from the object on display. However, if we have no barriers, sometimes people get a little…too…up close with the artifact or specimen.

One of our first priorities is to keep the object on display safe. Without them, there is no museum! A gallery filled with photographs of fossils isn’t the same as seeing the real thing. Safe for the fossil? Yes. Good for museum patrons? Not so much. Another priority is to keep our museum visitors safe. For the most part in this state, we see a good dose of “North Dakota Nice,” which helps us keep our barriers to a minimum and objects close for viewing. There is the occasional mishap however.

Plastic shrink-wrap and a touch of humor to hold the bones in place while the glue dries.

Someone trips over untied shoelaces, and bumps into a painting. Perhaps you wish to show everyone where you are, and during a selfie opportunity lean too far back, knocking into a display case. Or maybe an over-exuberant child who has escaped the watchful eye of parents runs into the leg of a Mastodon.

Not all repairs are conveniently placed! Becky touching up some spots of plaster with brown paint.

This last case did happen. No one was hurt, but the Mastodon legs did suffer some…dislocation. So what happened then? We fixed it. After making sure the bone was still in good condition, we looked for what went wrong with the display mount and how to counter the problem in the future. The radius (lower arm bone) was previously only glued into place. To repair it the bone was first cleaned, then we re-glued the bone and added some wire support. The wire was painted brown to match the bone and make it less distracting than shiny silver. To give the bone a little extra support while the glue was drying, we added a temporary layer of shrink-wrap.

Becky concentrating on painting the newly installed silver wire.

The physical railing around the Mastodon is very low, so it doesn’t distract from the skeleton itself. There’s not a whole lot of modification that can be done on that aspect. So – can people touch it? Even though the physical opportunity is there, the museum staff sincerely hopes you will use photo opportunities, rather than tactile ones. Help keep our museum safe – safe for you and safe for the specimens and artifacts – and enjoy North Dakota’s history!

“I loved the Infant-At-Work Program so much that I brought both of my sons to work! My favorite aspect about the program was being able to bond with my babies after my maternity leave was over. I felt so fortunate to be able to contribute to my professional career and see my sons every day!” - Emily Ergen, SHSND Archives Specialist

This post will take you way behind the scenes, to talk about the tiniest members of our staff. Many people are not aware that North Dakota state agencies have an “Infant-at-Work Program” (IAWP). I don’t know how it works for other agencies, but I have benefited from it myself at the SHSND and thought the blog would be a good way to share about how it works here.

Tom Linn (Architectural Project Manager) works on his computer while his daughter naps in his lap.

Very simply, IAWP allows new moms and dads to bring newborns to work every day until the child is six months old. YES. I KNOW. Amazing, right? Since I started here in 2011, I have worked alongside at least eight agency babies, including my own daughter. The policy has some caveats, of course – the baby must be in a safe environment, you cannot travel with the baby in a state vehicle, and the baby cannot be at work if he or she is so loud or disruptive that it affects productivity (our administrators make that decision). Parents also need to provide all necessary furniture or equipment like strollers, cribs, changing supplies, etc. So while it is allowed, parents still need to be mindful and considerate. That is not too much to ask, considering what you get in return.

Left: My daughter did not like doing her five minutes of “tummy time” in the office! In a show of solidarity, Lisa Steckler (Historic Preservation Planner) was kind enough to keep her company.
Right: My daughter spent a lot of time in her baby carrier, which allowed me to type with both hands!

So now you might be wondering – how could anyone get any work done while they are also taking care of a baby? It’s a great question. I asked myself the same thing before I started bringing my baby to work. I was so nervous that having her at work would be stressful or affect my productivity (or that of my coworkers). But newborns mostly sleep, snuggle, observe, and eat for the first few months, all of which are things they can basically do anywhere. Don’t get me wrong – working with a baby is hardly easy. But I did learn how to type softly so I didn’t wake her if she was asleep on me, find quiet places to read my work out loud so she would be entertained, and we went for walks through the galleries when she got restless.

Here is Genia Hesser’s (Curator of Exhibits) daughter learning the ropes of exhibit development in the Exhibit Production room.

Usually my job is varied enough that I can do things while moving if she is in an active mood, or sit at my computer and get other things done if she is feeling content. We got into a good groove after a few weeks, where I could predict the best times during the day for me to schedule meetings, eat lunch, do standing work, make phone calls, and so on. And when you do start noticing that your baby is more active and needs more of your attention, you are typically at that 6-month mark, when it is time for him/her to “resign” from the job anyway.

Left: Visitors to our administrative offices may or may not have noticed this little lady on the floor behind Ashleigh Miller’s (Administrative Assistant) desk! She was Ashleigh’s sidekick in answering the phone, assisting visitors, and keeping track of our leave balances.
Right: Here is another SHSND baby helping Erica Houn (Administrative Officer) with payroll and accounts.

Our agency converted our former first aid room to a nursery, complete with a rocking chair, soft lighting, refrigerator and private bathroom. There was never a shortage of co-workers willing to hold her, talk to her, or take her for a walk. In our building, you typically see a baby traveling with an adoring entourage around 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. every day, as people take their work breaks. It gives parents a rest and gives the baby plenty of social time with agency staff. My coworkers were also great about opening doors for me, carrying some of the ten bags I always seemed to have hanging off of me, and looking at me with sympathy rather than irritation when my baby cried.

My baby attended dozens of meetings in her first six months, saw her first artifact before she could eat solid food, did some exhibit planning, supervised my work on the lithic comparative collection, and helped me organize countless collections from her stroller or baby carrier. She was an attentive and agreeable sounding board, who always seemed to think that my ideas were great. Our staff even threw her a “retirement party” on her last day of work.

This was my version of a cubicle-nursery in 2014.

As a parent who has benefited from this policy, I am eternally grateful for it for so many reasons. First, I felt like I could enjoy my maternity leave, since I knew that the end of it did not mean the end of being with my baby all day. I was able to bond with my daughter for her first six months, with no disruption in feeding routines or constant worrying during the work day about how she was doing (which I would definitely do) . Second, she grew accustomed to being able to sleep through ANYTHING (and it stuck!).

And lastly, it made me feel a sense of support in the workplace that I have not had anywhere else. Whether it was our Historic Preservation Planner getting on the floor to do “tummy time” with her, our Grants & Contracts officer watching her while I attended a meeting, or our reference specialist mesmerizing her with sparkly things while we talked about historical records, I was never made to feel like my baby was an intrusion. She was just part of the team, and our Security guys even made her an SHSND name badge to prove it. So the next time you see one of us with a baby at the North Dakota Heritage Center, you will know that he or she is part of a tiny army of future historians who were lucky enough to get their start at the State Museum.

Amy Munson (Grants & Contracting officer) was the first parent in our agency to take advantage of IAWP by bringing her son to work in 2006. Thanks for leading the way, Amy!