The Bison Project Facts

Some 500 objects to appear in the exhibition will include the following categories: 19th-century Northern Plains Indian artifacts (clothing, regalia, tools, and weapons); bison hides, horns, bones, teeth; two and three-dimensional artworks (paintings, sculpture, prints, historic photographs, etc.) by Euro-American and Indian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries; 19th and 20th-century photographs of American Indians; a wide variety of non-Native objects utilizing bison imagery (such as U.S. currency and State flags); and a number of functional objects (such as hat racks) made from bison hide or horn.

This new exhibition and associated programming are being developed with a Project Team of Advisors with 18 members, including scholars, artists, tribal representatives, archeologists, art historians, biologists, historians, anthropologists, and curators from across the nation.

The Russell Museum’s exhibition will be the largest of its kind, and offers a truly distinctive perspective. American Indian perspectives, the complexities of human interactions, art objects and art historical information, and contemporary issues will all be important aspects of this new installation. The Bison exhibition will also provide visitors with information about other places featuring information on bison in the area (Ulm Pishkun, Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center, Head-Smashed-In, etc.), so those who are interested in continuing to learn more can do so.

Filling approximately 25% of the Museum’s exhibition space, this show is scheduled to remain on display for the next 10 years.