A Journey Through Nevada’s Past
A JOURNEY THROUGH NEVADA’S PAST:
GUIDED TOURS OF STEWART INDIAN SCHOOL CULTURAL CENTER & MUSEUM AND THE MARJORIE RUSSELL CLOTHING AND TEXTILE RESEARCH CENTER, NEVADA STATE MUSEUM
DATE: FRIDAY, MAY 30th, 2025
RIDE SHARING IS AVAILABLE
SUGGESTED DONATION: $20 for FECM members; $30 for non-members
RSVP: No later than Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at info@fecm.org or call 760-920-4020.
NOTE: An overnight stay in Carson City, Nevada on Thursday, May 29th is possible.
Accommodation/Reservations are up to the attendees; for hotels and motels, check out:
https://visitcarsoncity.com/hotels/ or call the Carson City Visitor Center at 775-687-7410
and https://visitcarsonvalley.org/ or call the Carson Valley Visitor Authority at 775-782-8145
The Friends of the Eastern California Museum is sponsoring a day trip up to Carson City, Nevada . . .two unique and significant institutions, both linked to the history and culture of the state of Nevada.
Our first stop will be:
10:00 a.m. Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum, located at 1 Jacobsen Way, Carson City, NV
WHAT TO BRING: Comfortable walking shoes, water, hat, and anything else you might take on a walk.
MEETING LOCATION: We will be meeting at 9:45 a.m. in the Museum parking lot; additionally, a SISCCM volunteer has offered to meet up at 9:00 a.m. for anyone interested in arriving an hour earlier, to go on the self-guided walking tour.
DESCRIPTION:
The mission of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum is to tell the stories of the thousands of American Indian children from western tribes who were educated at Stewart. These stories tell of a complex past that changed the course of generations of these children. The countless stories of hardship, resilience, strength, and triumph are at the core of the current efforts to preserve the Stewart campus and are illustrated in the exhibits at the museum. In addition to sharing Stewart’s history, the museum is a place of living heritage through exhibits of contemporary Native art, storytelling, arts and crafts demonstrations, lectures, public programming, and educational activities.
Education Curator Melanie Smokey will lead our tour. Melanie is an enrolled tribal member of the Yomba Shoshone Tribe located in the Reese River Valley in Nevada and a descendant of the Washoe Tribe. She is a Humboldt State University alumnus where she was trained by the Indian Teacher Education Personnel Program, earning her BA degree, and completing a teaching credential program. Melanie recently earned her certification as an iNauturalist through the California Tribal College. As the Education Curator, she assists with creating learning opportunities for guests who may not know about the boarding school experience. She also works with community members who provide classes to “help us remember our past and celebrate our future.”
[Text referenced from the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum website; for more information, go to https://stewartindianschool.com/ ]
LUNCH BREAK: To be decided by the group.
2:00 P.M. MARJORIE RUSSELL CLOTHING AND TEXTILE RESEARCH CENTER (2351 Arrowhead Drive, Carson City, NV)
WHAT TO BRING/TAKE NOTE:
This tour is a walking and standing tour. The only seating time available is in the library during the introduction period; no seating is available for the rest of the tour.
DESCRIPTION: The Nevada State Museum has a separate facility dedicated to storing and preserving historic costume and textile collections. The Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Research Center includes the Marilyn J. Horn fashion library and a large collection area of 19th, 20th, and 21st-century garments, quilts, flags, and accessories. The collections are used in exhibitions at the Nevada State Museum, the Nevada Historical Society, and the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
The collection is comprehensive, focusing on Nevada and the Great Basin. Significant artifacts include Nevada’s First Ladies Inaugural Ball gowns, entertainment costumes, wedding attire, every day and formal wear, military, religious, railroad, and fraternal garments. Our tour today will be guided by Jan Loverin, Curator of the Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Research Center. For more information go to https://www.carsonnvmuseum.org/marjorie-russell-clothing-and-textile-research-center/