Huhugam Ki: Museum

Museum

Welcome to the Huhugam Ki: Museum

“Huhugam Ki:” meaning the “house of the ancestors” in the Onk Akimel O’odham language describes the Osborn and Longmore building which is constructed of adobe brick in a style accustomed to the community members over 50 years ago. This unique structure reflects the harmony that our people shared with the Salt River and the Sonoran Desert. Our life stories are told in a large one room exhibit gallery with emphasis on the cultural and historic past of the Salt River Community.

Our Vision

The Huhugam Ki: Museum is dedicated to the perpetuation of the knowledge and life style of the Onk Akimel O’odham and the Xalychidom Piipaash.

Responsibilities

Our museum is dedicated to the preservation, retention and collection of the traditional and contemporary life of the Onk Akimel O’odham and the Piipaash. Baskets, pottery, photographs, and artifacts create an understanding of a people who are enriched by the strength and perseverance of their ancestors. The importance of these objects is not determined by their monetary worth; rather they are appraised for the value in demonstrating important aspects of our history and culture. We are a museum for the Salt River Community where the people can learn and in turn educate future generations of O’Odham and Piipaash. We always welcome visitors to our home to partake in a bit of traditional knowledge of the people.

The Huhugam Ki: Museum has a responsibility to interview SRPMIC tribal Elders, former employees, community members, tribal council and cultural practitioners (e.g. singers, dancers, basket weavers, potters, etc.) with historical knowledge for future reference by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. This information may be used to assist in the development of exhibits, documentaries and for other educational purposes. All data recovered is stored at the Huhugam Ki: Museum Repository for retrieval when needed.

Museums have an ethical obligation to care for these objects in a manner considered appropriate by cultural knowledge and respect as well as professional conservation standards. This involves careful consideration regarding the materials of which the object was made and its original purpose. Additionally each object must be catalogued in order to ensure accountability and to preserve relevant information (e.g. who made it, how old it is, etc.)

Some objects in our collection may be thousands of years old while others are current. In either case we have a duty to utilize standard conservation methods with these important artifacts to make certain their integrity is intact for future generations.

What We Have to Offer

Guided tours – (Please call two weeks in advance to schedule)
Exhibit gallery
Traditional outdoor structures
Museum store
Public events and special classes – Visit our Calendar
Accession of collection and archive donations
Interview opportunities for the O’odham and Piipaash

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Friday | 9:30am – 4:30pm
NOTE – We will be closed for the entire month of October for annual inventory and building maintenance.
Closed for Federal and Tribal holidays. Please call ahead to assure we are open.

Repository

Welcome to the Huhugam Ki Repository

Responsibilities

The Huhugam Ki: Museum Repository is where the collections and historic archives for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community are kept. The care, maintenance and housing of artifacts and collections are primary the duties of the repository. Currently it is a separate building where cultural and professional methods meet and work together in order to keep knowledge and education opportunities available to the members of the Salt River Community.

Collections

The Repository houses 3-D items such as willow baskets, pottery, rattles, etc. from the O’odham and Piipaash. Items in the Collections are historic, prehistoric and contemporary. All accessioned items come from the traditions and cultural knowledge of the community and are housed in the repository for protection, maintenance and safety for the Salt River Community.

History of Property

The building is located at the intersection of Longmore and McDowell Road on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. It was originally built as a dormitory for teachers who taught at the Salt River BIA Day School. Constructed in 1934, according to the blueprints, it was done in the Spanish Colonial Revival.

This style of building became a marker for Southwest architect in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Built laboriously during the American Depression of the 20th century it is designed by the firm of Bertram Goodhue and Associates and Mayers, Murry and Phillips Architects and Builders out of New York City.

Events-Classes

Events and Classes

PLEASE NOTE: Specific dates, times and classes are to be determined. Visit our calendar for specific dates.

SPRING

Cholla Bud Harvesting

Cholla buds are one of the staples of a traditional diet for the O’odham and Piipaash. The Museum encourages Community Members to join us in the gathering and preparation of cholla buds with classes on how to prepare, gather and store. The class dates are determined by the cholla bud growing season which varies from year to year.

Spring Affair

The Museum hosts a gathering of different museums from our neighboring communities, by inviting them to our Community to sample everything they have to offer. This event is open to the general public. This event usually occurs in March.

SUMMER

Mesquite Pancake Breakfast

The Museum opens the summer months with a twist on an old favorite, mesquite pods. We kick off the gathering season by turning the flour from last seasons harvest into pancakes for enjoyment by all. Hosted in conjunction with the SRPMIC Community Day Celebrations, we serve the pancakes with a breakfast side and top it all off with prickly pear syrup. In this morning event we also have information tables, demonstrations, tortilla making and recreations of the historic time frame of the Salt River Community. This event is open to the general public and occurs in June.

Mesquite Gathering

We promote traditional ingredients in our current diets. During this month we encourage community members to join us in gathering the mesquite pods to store and then grind in the fall. Education information is made available to the people about the importance of this traditional food and the special uses that come from the mesquite tree. This event usually occurs July-August.

Tortilla Camp

Open to interested community members ages 10 and up. We take the student from making the dough, patting out the tortilla and cooking it on either a wood or gas fire. This activity teaches the values of rising early, patience, commitment and the satisfaction of providing for your family, qualities the community still looks highly upon. This is a week long class that begins right after sunrise and is 2 hours in length. This event occurs June-July.

FALL

Mesquite Pancake Breakfast and Hammer Milling

As the season ends in September, we take the fruits of the summer labor and finish the process. The Museum has a hammer mill that will take the pods that were collected and grind them into flour. This in turn is used on making the delicious pancakes that the museum is known for. The flour is sometimes given out, during abundant seasons, throughout the year to the elderly and social programs. A “Home-ganic Market” is also held on this day for those who make their own jams, jellies, breads, sewn work and other crafts. This event is open to the general public.

Museum Anniversary Celebration

The Huhugam Ki: Museum was established on November 11, 1987. In recognition of this event we have an annual celebration. It is a festive time where chicken Scratch bands, traditional dance groups, food booths and arts and crafts tables line the museum grounds. It’s a time to reflect on the past achievements of the community and celebrate the things to come. This event is open to the general public.

WINTER

Gift Making

The holidays are a fun time of family and giving. The museum holds classes for individuals and families to participate in and to take away more than a finished product. Clay ornaments, jams, Ojo de Dios, beaded necklaces, and genealogy scrapbooking are offered. Some classes are adult only but most encourage parent-child participation.

Tamale Party

With the season coming to a close, we take time to celebrate. We invite students from the past tamale making classes to bring their own meat filling; we supply the masa and the husks. People get together, sip cocoa, eat cookies, swap stories and make tamales all the while listening to Christmas music and remembering those who are loved.

YEAR-ROUND

Traditional Art Classes

The Museum promotes the continuation of traditional arts. Throughout the year we host classes on pottery, beaded cape making, weaving, beadwork, food preparation, and other traditional arts. The students will learn the process, the language surrounding it and the historical background of the O’odham and Piipaash. Open to interested community members, age participation is class specific.

PRESENTATIONS

The Huhugam Ki: Museum hosts presentations for the community on the different areas of museum work. Curation, collections, archives, maintenance and preservation are important areas in our field and we encourage the community to see what it takes to run a museum.