Bennett Insurance Group Presents: The Amerind Museum

The Amerind Foundation is museum and research facility dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Native American cultures and their histories. Its facilities are located near the village of Dragoon, Arizona in Cochise County, about 65 miles east of Tucson, Arizona in Texas Canyon.  William Shirley Fulton, an archaeologist, established the Amerind Foundation in 1937.

The Amerind Foundation's building was designed by Tucson architect Merritt Starkweather and contains one of the finest collections of archaeological and ethnological artifacts in the country as well as a sizable research library.

According to the Foundation's literature, "Amerind" is a contraction of the words "American" and "Indian".

The museum's permanent exhibits include archaeological artifacts from the Amerind property by founder William Shirley Fulton and later by director Charles C. Di Peso, as well as items found at Di Peso at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico and other excavations. The objects include weapons, tools, baskets, sandals, cordage of human hair, and cloth.

There are ethnographic items from different Native peoples ranging from Alaska to South America. Items on display include jewelry, baskets, weapons, cradle boards, religious artifacts, figurative items, ceramics and pottery, and art.

On one of William Fulton's visits he heard of Texas Canyon with its rugged vistas and rumors of prehistoric agricultural villages. Fulton purchased the property for his FF Ranch (later the Amerind Foundation) in 1930. After building a home amid the boulder formations of Texas Canyon in 1931, Fulton soon found his annual trips to the Southwest began lasting months instead of weeks, and he soon started excavating sites on his ranch property. What began as an avocation grew rapidly into a full-time passion. As his techniques improved, he began publishing accounts of his excavations in a series of Archaeological Notes published by the Museum of the American Indian in New York. With the incorporation of the Amerind Foundation in 1937, Fulton hired a professional archaeologist and began supporting archaeological research on a major scale.  

Fulton believed that one of the few means of interpreting ancient cultures was through the collection and preservation of their surviving material remains. He also believed that contemporary Indian cultures could help to interpret the past, but that many native traditions were rapidly disappearing under the influences of the modern world.

The Amerind Museum and Fulton-Hayden Memorial Art Gallery:  2100 N. Amerind Rd., Dragoon, AZ  85609  520.586.3666  Website: http://www.amerind.org/

When considering your need for insurance products for your home or business consider contacting Bennett Insurance Group at 623-979-4140

Brought to you by:
Jim Bennett
Bennett Insurance Group
623-979-4140
http://jimbennettinsurance.com
jim@jimbennettinsurance.com