CAIRNS Returns to Timber Lake

Friday, December 9, 2022

The CAIRNS team spent the day in Timber Lake working with members of the Museum’s exhibit committee. This collaborative work began about a year ago when the museum wished to update its exhibition of American Indian items from its collection. The idea was to focus the exhibit on the White Horse winter count, a remarkable history document that Martin White Horse had kept for years. It spanned the years 1788 to 1914. Martin White Horse died in 1910 and is buried in White Horse, a community in Cheyenne River Reservation that is named after him. Just prior to his death, White Horse shared his interpretation (Harvey Left Handed Bear was the translator) of the history document with Florence Thwing who then typed up her notes, a copy of which are in the museum. White Horse's winter count is now in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Images of the front and back of the winter count, provided by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, were enlarged and printed onto acrylic panels which were installed in the Timber Lake and Area Museum today. The front side is displayed in the photo above. The Museum’s exhibit committee decided to organize its display of American Indian items around its interpretation of six events from the White Horse winter count. 

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