International Museum Day at Pueblo Grande Museum
New Outdoor Exhibit Incorporates O’otham Language with help of Community Elders
Press Release
Pueblo Grande Museum
Phoenix, AZ – Looking for a fun way to celebrate International Museum Day on May 18, 2021? Check out the new outdoor exhibit at Pueblo Grande Museum … for free!
Pueblo Grande Museum is a National Historic Landmark and Phoenix Point of Pride. It is the largest preserved archaeological site within Phoenix.
Recently, the Museum was awarded National Park Service Heritage Partnerships Program funding to update the interpretive signage located along the trail that winds around the 1,500-year-old platform mound. The impetus for updating the signs came from input received during consultations with O’Odham tribal representatives who are the descendants of the ancestral Sonoran Desert peoples who lived at the site.
Tribal representatives from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community participated in the preparation of the new sign texts. Tribal Elders were also important sources for the interpretation and translation of songs and vocabulary in the O’Odham language.
The input the museum and collaborating archaeologist J. Andrew Darling received via consultation with affiliated tribal communities was not only appreciated, it was essential to developing a new approach to museum signage.
Overall, a new narrative and perspective were introduced, which included terminology that better reflects tribal perspectives and cultural sensitivity, as well as provides an historical perspective based on O’Odham traditions and worldview.
At Pueblo Grande Museum we continue to learn and, in turn, share these lessons with you through exhibits and programs. Although the indoor galleries remain temporarily closed, Pueblo Grande Museum invites you to celebrate International Museum Day with us!
The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day on and around May 18, 2021. The theme chosen this year is The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine.
The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”
Participation in International Museum Day is growing among museums all over the world. In 2020, more than 50,000 museums participated in the event in some 142 countries. – International Council of Museums Website.
Pueblo Grande Museum
4619 E. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85034
(602) 495-0901
The Museum is located on the Southeast corner of 44th St. and Washington St.
Accessible by the Sky Train and the Sky Harbor Airport Light Rail Station Stop
Follow us on Facebook @PuebloGrandeMuseum and on Twitter @PuebloGrande
Museum Outdoor COVID Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
CLOSED Sunday and most major holidays
Museum Campus: Two outdoor interpretive walking trails are currently free.
- All indoor facilities, including restrooms, remain closed to the public.
- No dogs or bicycles allowed on main interpretive trail.
