MONAH: Museum that Tells 24,000 Years Across the Americas

We sit down with MONAH Executive Director Jazlyn Sanderson to explore how a museum in Bentonville threads 24,000 years of Indigenous history into the present through art, archaeology, and living partnerships that honor descendant communities. The journey centers on the Spiro Mounds, a Mississippian cultural powerhouse in present-day Oklahoma. Jazlyn guides us through the material evidence: shell dippers etched with regalia, woodpecker effigy axes, and a sacred warrior pipe that arrived through a careful collaboration with the University of Arkansas and the Caddo Nation. Jazlyn describes the scale-- 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. 

We also share how MONAH meets learners of all ages with field trips, reimagined audio guides, family tours, and a monthly newsletter that spotlights artifacts and contemporary Indigenous creators. If you’re curious about Indigenous history, archaeology, and more, visit http://monah.org

A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.  

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Transcript

Beth Bobbitt 0:03

This is a new American town. I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt, and I'm happy to welcome back Jazlyn Sanderson, the Executive Director of the Museum of Native American History, or MONAH. Welcome, Jazlyn.

Jazlyn Sanderson 0:16

Yeah, thanks for having me again. Excited to be back. Of course.

Jaslyn’s Path To Museums

Beth Bobbitt 0:19

And MONAH offers guests stories about indigenous people across North and South America, artifacts and exhibitions, programs that connect past traditions with present understanding for those who haven't been. So let's get into it. I want to first start and hear a little bit about your background. How long have you been there? What got you interested in history? Brought you to Bentonville, all of that.

Jazlyn Sanderson 0:46

Well, um, I actually grew up over in Gentry, so not too far. I mean, we definitely drove over to Bentonville for different activities, but of course, whenever I was growing up, Bentonville was nothing like it is now. Yes. Um, which is, you know, a wonderful place. But we we went more so to like Fayetteville for shopping. And so it's been exciting to see Bentonville kind of explode in in my childhood years and everything. But growing up there, I didn't have like a ton of options. It's not like one of these large high schools that have, you know, every class under the sun that I can choose from. So I really loved art. History was all right. But I growing up, I really got into paleontology. And so I I loved doing that. But whenever I got into high school, I realized that that was a lot of science that didn't exactly agree with how I was learning at the time. So I decided to take kind of a wild card into college, and I studied in uh art history because the end goal eventually was museums. I I loved museums. I mean, I was here at the onset of Crystal Bridges and everything. So it was very inspiring. So I went to the University of Arkansas, got my degree in art history, found out I loved pre-Columbian Mesoamerican art. Um, and Mona has a pretty extensive collection of that. So I really fell in love with there after an internship. And I've been with Mona since 2020. So going on six years there. Wow. Yeah.

Why MONAH Is A Must-See

Beth Bobbitt 2:24

I love that you knew going in. You were specific about museums. That's that's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For someone new to Bentonville or visiting for the first time, why do you think Mona is a must-see destination?

Jazlyn Sanderson 2:38

I mean, MONAH is a very unique place. I don't know if you could even get anywhere close to it across the nation, truly. I mean, we always have uh, you know, niche museums for for art, for history, like regional spaces, but I think everybody gets blown away by the fact that we tell the story of all the Americas. So that includes Canada all the way down to South America. It's a pretty unique story, especially whenever we go back 24,000 years to tell it. Right. Um, and we of course connect it to the present. In our shop, we have over 220 different tribes represented. Wow. And we're working with contemporary indigenous artists and authors, creatives, business owners. And, you know, we're we're super excited to highlight the what's going on today and how it connects to the past. So I always like to tell people and it always kind of blows their mind whenever I do so. But uh there are 574 federally recognized tribes today. That's not including unfederally recognized, and it's not including tribes of the past that may not exist in the same way they do today. So that's the story that we tell. Wow. Um, including the 600 in Canada and the 800 in Latin America. Oh my gosh.

Mission And Why It Matters

Beth Bobbitt 3:51

Extensive. Yeah. Wow. So go into the mission a little bit. Why is it important to educate and inspire and preserve this history?

Jazlyn Sanderson 4:02

I think our mission is to of course like tell the story of the past, but also educate and preserve that for everybody here today. Um, we hope to also inspire and want people to ask questions and lead more into their own understanding and research. Um, so everything that we do, we we want to keep that in mind. And, you know, it's so important, of course. All history is incredibly important. You can learn so much from it. But indigenous history is often one that a lot of people don't know or don't understand. This morning we were having a group of kids in the museum. And so I just ran from, you know, giving my field trip talk into here. And so, you know, whenever I do that talk, I always ask the question, how many tribes do you think there are in the United States today? And usually it doesn't matter necessarily for the age range. They always kind of stay under a hundred. Sometimes it's three, sometimes it's fifty. Right. Uh, it's very rare that I get somebody saying some crazy, you know, big number. Um, so it's always amazing whenever I tell them the actual number and they realize that, oh, this is something I don't know about yet. Right. And I'm excited to learn.

Beth Bobbitt 5:21

Yeah. And especially, you know, those growing up here to get a little bit of insight into Cato Kwa, the you know, the first people here. So I I love that you're making that connection for students. And I'm sure that's really rewarding too, just to get to like see their faces.

Jazlyn Sanderson 5:40

Absolutely. I mean, I I definitely really enjoy kind of engaging with our students and seeing kind of the this the spark light up of oh, this is this is something I never knew, this is something I want to learn more, asking questions. They have the best questions.

Beth Bobbitt 5:56

Yeah, I bet.

Jazlyn Sanderson 5:56

Yeah.

Spotlight On Spiro Mounds

Beth Bobbitt 5:57

That's amazing. Okay, so let's get into what you have going on right now. Spyro Mounds, the center of Mississippian world, opened in January. Give us a little bit of a rundown of what this site means. It's considered one of the most significant archaeological locations. Why?

Jazlyn Sanderson 6:17

Yeah. Um, well, the Spyro Mounds, they're located in present-day Spiro, Oklahoma, which is just over across the river from Fort Smith. So we could all take a drive there and be back, you know, for for mid-afternoon. So it's it's a site that is so close to Arkansas, or it's close to northwest Arkansas. And a lot of people don't know that it's there, but like you said, it's one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. The Spiro Mounds are is a mound culture that existed um about 900 CE to just kind of before colonial contact, I saw about 1450 uh CE. And this is a site that had far-reaching influence across the country. I mean, you're seeing artifacts from coast to coast, from the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of California, Great Lakes region, down in Mexico, even. And you kind of have to put yourself in the mindset of that day. Um, this was before colonial contacts. So horses were not existent yet. So people were using the riverways to get around. They were traveling massive distances through the wilderness. And so these materials ending up in Oklahoma today was a feat. And that just kind of goes to show you the trade networks involved with the Mississippian world. Yeah. Um, and their ancestors today are the the Caddo people. Um, so they now kind of reside over in Binker, Oklahoma. But they once had, of course, the outreach of down in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, some like they had a pretty far reach. And then even more beyond that, they extended to like the bigger sites like Cahokia or, you know, all over the southeast United States.

Beth Bobbitt 8:15

Right. And you mentioned earlier that you were working with the Caddo Nation and I assume the University of Arkansas as well.

Jazlyn Sanderson 8:21

Yes.

Beth Bobbitt 8:22

So explain that partnership and how that process works.

Jazlyn Sanderson 8:25

Sure. Well, we just introduced about 50 new objects from the Spiro Mounds, the site. And majority of them are coming from the collection of Dr. Jim Cox, who is one of the foremost experts on Spiro. But there's one particular piece called the Rusting Warrior Pipe that is a very important cultural object. And we are having this on loan from the University of Arkansas, it's so it's in their collection. But we also got the permission and the blessing from the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma to have this on display because this is such an important cultural item within their nation. This is a really spectacular pipe. Um, it's kind of depicting a figure sitting. You can see some really important characteristics. And so a lot of people are kind of attributing this to a Caddo uh deity. And we're so incredibly honored to have this piece in our collection. Whenever it came from the university to Mona, of course, the university museum staff was there. We had members of the Caddo Nation there, we had our board members there, and we also had uh members from the Arkansas Archaeological Survey there. And so this was like a pretty, you know, exhibit big deal. Yeah. Um, and it was just like a quiet morning, just kind of to us. We didn't really take like a ton of pictures or you know, really like a announce this in any way, but um, it was incredibly special to be there and and see that now on display for everybody else.

What Artifacts Reveal About Life

Beth Bobbitt 10:02

Yeah, yeah. Wow. Okay. Well, I want to see it. Yeah. You describe it very well. Tell us uh you went into it a little bit, but what these artifacts tell us about this time and these people who lived over 600 years ago.

Jazlyn Sanderson 10:16

Yeah, these cultural objects are, you know, really kind of depicting a lot of the artistic practices of the people, the ceremonial practices of people, um, as well as just like general life. And I mean, like it's pretty important whenever we're looking at any historical object to kind of think of the context around it rather than it just uh kind of like a sterile piece by itself. So for example, we have these beautiful shell dippers. So they're these conch shells that have been kind of like carved out in a way, and they're etched on the outside, and somebody, an artist, however long ago, you know, decided they were going to make this a beautiful artwork, probably a ceremonial piece, because we do find these in like um significant spots within the archaeological context, but it's depicting somebody of the time. So you can kind of see the regalia, you can see how they would adorn themselves, you can see the weapons at their side or whatever object.

Beth Bobbitt 11:19

Yeah.

Jazlyn Sanderson 11:20

And so it's really cool, particularly because we do have some pieces that connect to others. So one of those shell dippers, you can see a woodpecker effigy axe at the side of their person. You know, it's just kind of beyond their hip. But if you go a couple cases over, you can see a woodpecker effigy axe and what it actually looked like. So you can connect those two pieces together, and then of course, you can kind of see the bigger picture and see what life was like at that time period and how important that object was to them. And, you know, it's just also inspiring and wanting to learn more.

Beth Bobbitt 11:57

Yeah. Right. It's so interesting to think about yes, there are all these objects and artifacts that have a function, but as you describe, there's also some that are art, you know, and um the idea of like just preserving history and being a vessel for learning and sharing, you know, that's the beauty of art. So I was wondering if your art history itch has been scratched.

Jazlyn Sanderson 12:25

I I definitely, you know, I I frame a lot of these objects within the the art realm. Yes, I bet.

Surprising Indigenous Innovations

Beth Bobbitt 12:33

Wonderful. So for visitors who may not be that familiar with indigenous history, what do you think is surprising? What what are things that they're learning? You mentioned the number of um tribes. What else?

Jazlyn Sanderson 12:46

Yeah, no, I diversity is definitely one of the the major ones. Um, you know, the extensive history too. I mean, a lot of people, you know, are blown away by the fact that some of these things are coming from 24, 26,000 years ago. Um, that's mind-blowing in itself. Um, but uh one of like the major ones, especially for people visiting the area, is they don't realize the intricate artwork and pottery that existed in Arkansas. Um so from like the Mississippi River area all across Arkansas down to the like the where the cattle were. I mean, a lot of people are kind of blown away by the fact that our pottery is so beautiful and intricate. And some really important pieces. I mean, this is all handbuilt pottery, and so they learned how to temper with the muscle shells from the riverways and and make these beautiful pieces practically sculpture. Yeah. And, you know, a lot of people that visit the area are pretty surprised by that. I mean, you I I could understand that you think that in like the Southwest culture, they're pretty well known for their artistic practices and their their pottery, but the Mississippian world is more or less unknown to a lot of people.

Programs, Tours, And Family Engagement

Beth Bobbitt 14:04

Yeah. And I remember um early on in one of my first visits being blown away with kind of how you described this was pre-colonial, they didn't have transportation. Everything was so concentrated on these areas around the waterways. And so you have some maps that show that and it just gives you this appreciation for water, you know, nothing else. But absolutely. So beyond the artifacts themselves, how much does Mona create, you know, experiences that connect people, like programs, audio tours? My daughter loves the audio tour and the digging for arrowheads. And what are what are some other ways that we do that for kids, especially?

Jazlyn Sanderson 14:46

Well, of course, we've got our field trips like I kind of talked about earlier. I mean, we've got some kids in the museum right as we're speaking, they're having a blast. Yeah. Uh they're probably about to go on an arrowhead hunt. Yes, you know, which is a big part. The audio guides, I'm actually going to we're redoing the audio guides soon. So you'll see some new information. And you might hear a familiar voice uh speaking those words. Nice teaser. Right. But I mean, beyond that, we're always engaging with our community. So we're often invited to outreach events and and so we'll table at different things and and you know, play games, do a craft, do something probably pretty different from the other people in the in whatever, you know, event. But I'm really excited for spring break. We're planning on doing some drop-in family tours. Yes. You know, we wanted to do a staff guided tour that's geared specifically towards family. So having somebody from the museum kind of point out some of our favorite objects and speak about them and and engage with kids and in a new way. Cause I do think that while the audio guide is really spectacular and kind of just browsing the museum on your own is great. Sometimes whenever you hear it from somebody who's like with these objects day in and day out, you learn something completely new.

Beth Bobbitt 16:02

It's you're so right and it's so memorable. And I know that you have some very knowledgeable and passionate volunteers that really represent the museum and and get into the storytelling aspect. So that's yeah, I love that. Yeah. So you mentioned spring break. What else is coming up that you're really excited about?

Community Favorites And Local Life

Jazlyn Sanderson 16:20

I mean, summer always. I mean, we're so busy in the summer. We're so excited to welcome welcome all of the summer visitors that are coming through the area. We'll probably have some some programming there. We're still kind of finalizing it. So I don't have anything to to peek at just yet. But but I mean, all the uh hope maybe we'll have the audio guide by then. Yeah. I don't know yet. We'll see. We'll see how that timeline goes. We will stay tuned. Yeah.

Beth Bobbitt 16:46

Okay. So we're gonna switch gears here. We love to ask our guest about their love for the community. And because you grew up here, I know you've got some hot spots. I know you've got some favorite spots to hang out and also some insight on just what makes Spittonville and this area so special.

Jazlyn Sanderson 17:04

Yeah. Well, I mean, as since I grew up here and now I live here actually, you know, it is pretty exciting to kind of see everything kind of pop up. I don't explore downtown as much as I should. I mean, I think I'm a little intimidating by how much construction is like different every time I visit. True. But um I I really enjoy Eighth Street Market, you know, going to Markham and Fitz. And I'm a crafter myself, so Hillfolk is great. Yes. Um, you know, I I spend a lot of time in my sewing room. So I do hang out at all the craft spots. I love it. But other than that, I mean, like the outdoors are just great. Yeah. I mean, you can't beat some of the views and you know, the the wind in your hair. Yeah. Walking the trails. So we're pretty lucky.

Stay Connected And Closing

Beth Bobbitt 17:51

Yeah. Okay. So we mentioned a couple, but there's a lot of ways to stay engaged. You have a newsletter, you can sign up for it, Mona.org. You're on all the social channels. Anything else you want to plug that way?

Jazlyn Sanderson 18:04

I mean, the newsletter is a big one. I mean, for a lot of people that maybe don't get the newsletter or might be interested in what's on the newsletter, we usually kind of highlight an artifact or a couple of artifacts each month that kind of go into the theme of whatever the month is. And so I'm often like writing kind of like a mini blog post there, and you kind of learn something new as well as what's new in the shop or or new, just in general at the museum. So a newsletter is always a great way. We only post it once a month, so it's not, you know. Intrusive. Right. But I mean, at the same time, a lot of it gets kind of pushed over to social after we push out the newsletter. So just keep following as you at both places. Right, right. All the ways. Yeah.

Beth Bobbitt 18:46

I love it. Well, Jocelyn, thank you so much for your time today. This was insightful for me, and I hope our listeners learned something too. Mona.org for more information. Yeah, thank you so much. Glad to be here. Yeah. Don't forget, Visit Bentonville is here to help you navigate things to do, where to eat and stay, and what's going on in our new American Town. Check out the show notes to follow us on social, sign up for the newsletter, and go to the website at visitbentonville.com. Thanks for listening.