The Huhugam Ki: Museum rang in its 37th anniversary with a celebration of what’s new by following traditions that never grow old. 

Everyone was welcome on the morning of November 2 for a breakfast of mesquite pancakes with sweet prickly pear syrup and an egg scramble before the museum reopened to show off its newest exhibits, including items from the old Salt River Day School. 

The museum hosts mesquite pancake breakfasts at events throughout the year; the pancakes have become a favorite feature thanks to the efforts by museum staff and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members to collect mesquite pods during the gathering season and mill them into flour.

As guests enjoyed the cool morning outside under the vato, Cultural Resources Department staff and Salt River day workers spent time preparing branches and attaching them to the outside of the olas ki: (roundhouse) as part of their regular maintenance.

After everyone enjoyed the breakfast and conversations with friends, the museum doors opened and guests were welcomed inside to see the changes that took place throughout October as the museum exhibits were updated.

Many of the new exhibits feature items acquired last year as part of the Bert Robinson collection, such as an O’odham war club from approximately A.D. 1900 and replicas of booklets that Robinson had collected. Other displays feature baskets, a woven belt and a whimsical hat, illustrating the different techniques and tools used in traditional weaving. 

Because of the ongoing work at the old Day School, another large museum display contains artifacts from the school spanning several decades. Looking at a yearbook from the 1970s alongside a T-shirt given out at a school event in the 2000s, the viewer begins to reconsider assumptions about history and how near and living it truly is. 

The plaque above the exhibit states, “When completed, the [Day School] campus will be the new home of the Cultural Resources Department. The former classrooms will once again be the center of education in Salt River, with spaces for art and language classes, cultural events and offices for the CRD staff.” 

This time, the school of the past is only part of the story as the Community creates a space for enriching the future.

If you were a student or worked at the Day School and have any items you would like to donate to the museum, please contact the SRPMIC Cultural Resources Department at (480) 362-6325.