Toss aside all the economy woes for a while. At the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh, all November programs are absolutely, positively free. This includes the museum’s largest event of the year, the 13th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. Come and experience North Carolina’s Indian culture firsthand during this celebration filled with dancing, music, craft demonstrations and much more.
November also brings Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach, a lecture about the architecture of the State Capitol building, a tour of the new exhibit Elected to Serve: North Carolina’s Governors, and children’s programs.
Come spend the day at the N.C. Museum of History, where admission is always free, and parking is free on weekends.
PROGRAMS
*Make It, Take It: Campaign Countdown
Sunday, Nov. 2
1-3 p.m. (drop-in program)
Get ready for Election Day by making your own political button. Then see political buttons from past gubernatorial campaigns in the exhibit Elected to Serve: North Carolina’s Governors.
The Capitol of North Carolina: Unlocking Its DNA
Sunday, Nov. 2
3 p.m.
To register, call 919-807-7992 by Oct. 26.
Calder Loth, Senior Architectural Historian, Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Learn about the Greek origins of the State Capitol building, widely regarded as architect Alexander Jackson Davis’s masterpiece. A reception at the Capitol follows the program. The program is co-sponsored by the State Capitol Foundation.
*Time for Tots: Picking Cotton
Tuesday, Nov. 4, or Tuesday, Nov. 18
10 a.m.
Ages 3-5 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Look at objects in the collection associated with picking and processing cotton. Create a cotton ball collage to take home.
*History Corner: Digging Up the Past
Wednesday, Nov. 5
10 a.m.
Ages 5-9 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Get your hands dirty and learn some history! Discover what archaeology can teach us about people who lived long ago. The program is presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.
*Make It, Take It: Patriotic Pins
Saturday, Nov. 8
1-3 p.m. (drop-in program)
Make a colorful flag pin to wear on Veterans Day. Then tour A Call to Arms in the museum’s Military History Gallery.
History à la Carte: Nathaniel Macon
Wednesday, Nov. 12
12:10 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
William S. Price Jr., Historian and AuthorNathaniel Macon served in both the state senate and the U.S. Congress. Find out what shaped his character, values and steadfast devotion to the legacy of the American Revolution.
Curator’s Tour: Elected to Serve: North Carolina’s Governors
Saturday, Nov. 15
2 p.m.
Louise Benner, Curator of Costume and Textiles
Join the exhibition curator for a special tour. Find out how governors have shaped our state and improved Tar Heel life in areas such as agriculture, industry and education. The exhibit also highlights the contributions of several first ladies to North Carolina. Additional sections focus on political campaigns, voting and inaugural traditions.
*Music of the Carolinas: Lloyd Arneach
Sunday, Nov. 16
3 p.m.
Popular Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach will entertain with “old stories” of the Cherokee, along with contemporary tales. His storytelling style is humorous, informative and extremely moving. A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Arneach has presented stories at the National Folklife Festival, the National Museum of the American Indian, and hundreds of other venues. PineCone co-sponsors the Nov. 16 performance.
*Thirteenth Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration
Saturday, Nov. 22
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Celebrate North Carolina’s American Indian heritage during this event filled with music, dancing, storytelling, hands-on activities, and food. See artists demonstrate their skills at pottery, beadwork and other crafts. Watch dancers perform traditional dances to the rhythms of northern- and southern-style drum groups. Make crafts, play games, and listen to stories and legends presented by Indian storytellers.
This popular family event attracts approximately 8,000 visitors each year, and all presenters are members of the eight state-recognized tribes: Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony, and Waccamaw-Siouan.
The celebration is supported by the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs; the N.C. Museum of History Associates; and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, with funds from the United Arts campaign and the N.C. Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts.
*Artist at Work: James Malcolm
Saturday, Nov. 22
11 a.m.-4 p.m. (drop-in program)
Sunday, Nov. 23
1-3 p.m. (drop-in program)
Watch this Lumbee tribe member create wall hangings and medallions based on traditional Lumbee pinecone patchwork art. Malcolm uses actual pinecones to create the finished product. He takes a traditional Lumbee design and kicks it up a notch with a contemporary twist.
For more information, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org.
* marks program of interest to children or families
The N.C. Museum of History’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.