Museum of Natural and Cultural History

A 7.5" long woven cylindrical bag is tied via woven cord to a woven bag about half the size. The body of the larger bag is light beige, with a brown woven outline of a frog featured. On the smaller bag, the same outline of a frog is visible as well as the edges of another one.

Wasco weaver Pat Courtney Gold crafted this sally bag, named "Honor the Frog." Sally bags are a unique example of Columbia Plateau weaving, traditionally used to carry and store foods and medicines. See our online gallery for more sally bags! mnch.uoregon.edu/coll.../plat... #indigenousart

A piece of white paper is taped to a cabinet. It reads 'A collection of calcium carbonate casts or a posse of plastic paraphernalia or a frenzied fiberglass free-for-all or a vast vinyl volume or a roomful of rubberized relics or Simply a whole lotta casts that need to be put away."

Took a trip over to our fossil vaults today and thought you all might appreciate this label for our teaching collection cabinets...#paleosky #fossilfriday

How I spent my summer vacation: student educators bring science to towns across Oregon The annual outreach by the Museum of Natural and Cultural History means as much to the students who give the talks as to the communities that host them

10,000 miles. 105 presentations. 5 University of Oregon students. Our educators crisscross Oregon every summer, sharing museum programs with libraries throughout the state.🧪 #scicomm

Read more:
news.uoregon.edu/how-i-spent-...

Text reading "Ventura County Archaeological Society, September 9th 2025, 7pm Zoom meeting. Dr Todd Braje Understanding Imperiled Earth: How Archaeology and Human History inform a Sustainable Future." Email us at vcas.arch@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Join our executive director @tbraje.bsky.social for this virtual talk with Ventura County Archaeological Society! Email vcas.arch@gmail.com for the Zoom link. 🏺

Two students are silhouetted against a brilliant glowing light box in Transgressors, an exhibit at the University of Oregon that examines Indigenous Queer identity. The light box is an illustrated image of a woman riding a horse. She is surrounded by thunder and lightning, wearing a white dress with rainbow ribbons that stream out behind her dramatically.

"No matter who you are, this work is for you."

Transgressors presents now and future Indigiqueer ancestors who move beyond boundaries in life and art. The work of 10 artists. curated by Anthony Hudson and Felix Furby, is on view at the museum until January 4, 2026. #IndigenousArt

Museum archaeologist Marlene holds the artifact in her hands and smiles at it. The coffee pot is about 6" in diameter. The bottom is intact, showing blue speckled enamelware; about halfway up the coffee pot the metal is crushed and rusted beyond recognition.

A blue enamelware pot sitting in a white photography box. The coffee pot is about 6" in diameter at its widest. The bottom is intact, showing blue speckled enamelware; about halfway up the coffee pot the metal is crushed and rusted beyond recognition as a pot.

A blue enamelware pot laying horizontally in a white photography box. The coffee pot is about 6" in diameter at its widest. The bottom is intact, showing blue speckled enamelware; about halfway up the coffee pot the metal is crushed and rusted beyond recognition as a pot.

This enamelware coffee pot is from the historic site of the Corvallis, Oregon city dump (used 1910-1913). It's made from iron sheet metal and covered in a ceramic enamel layer; this method of manufacturing was at its peak popularity in the United States from 1880 to 1930.🏺 ☕

Decoding the summer archaeological field school Chris Ruiz joins Chelsea Rose, host of Underground History.

@therealchelsearose.bsky.social interviewed Chris Ruiz, director of this summer's Applegate House Field School, on Underground History. Listen here for a great overview of archaeological field schools and why we were so invested in running a commuter one this summer! 🏺🧪

A beige lab/pittie mix stands in a field in front of pop up tents at the University of Oregon archaeology field school. Her ears are perked all the way up and her tongue is sticking out.

A beige lab/pittie mix sits in front of archaeology equipment. She grins widely at the camera.

It's #nationaldogday and we're celebrating Ruthie, this summer's Applegate House Field School Site Supervisor. Ruthie oversaw team morale, secured the site from intruders (primarily deer and squirrels), and inspected the archaeology crew's work. Thanks for a great field school, Ruthie! 🏺

A person reads a panel in the museum at the University of Oregon. They are in front of a large panel decorated like rock and titled "Layers of Time"

Oregon—Where Past is Present shares 14,000 years of Oregon stories. Come visit the museum and delve into Oregon’s past, from the archaeology of the First Americans to the dynamic cultures of today’s Tribes.

Wow, thank you for sharing! It was something very different for us. Kenya created the stunning ofrenda in the space and we're so glad she did.

Scott Fisher (director of Pine Mountain Observatory) and Kenya Márquez (founder of Ballet Papalotl) are familiar names in the museum from their work on Capturing the Cosmos: Images from the James Webb Space Telescope and Hostile Terrain '94, respectively.

An exhibit case with a panel in the center reading "Our Oregon Stories." One half of the case is filled with stories and objects from Scott Fisher; the other half is filled with stories and objects from Kenya Márquez.

It's the peak of the Perseids and we're welcoming some new stars to our Oregon Stories case! This case features objects from contemporary Oregonians their own words telling their stories.

(me @ me: be cool be cool be cool be cool the cool teens are paying attention to me)

nice

(me: nailed it 💅)

Mylo the stuffed ground sloth wears a beige safari-style hat made out of paper and carries a paper trowel

This weekend, we're hosting family-friendly activities that explore how archaeology works. Look at the outfit our student employees made for Mylo, our plushie ground sloth that sits at our front desk 🥹🦥🏺

This is excellent news for Oregon's kelp forest conservation! There's so much work yet to do but this is a crucial step in restoring the sunflower sea star to our coast. 🌊 🧪

A woman reads a panel with the titles "Struggle...and Resilience" and a timeline visible at the bottom. It's in the exhibit Roots and Resilience, Chinese American Heritage in Oregon at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History on the University of Oregon campus.

Chinese immigrants were among the earliest non-Indigenous communities to settle in Oregon. Our exhibit Roots and Resilience explores the intense discrimination they faced, and their perseverance in shaping Oregon's diverse industries, business, and communities.

Museum educator Rowan and a child look together at a map activity labelled "One Big Ocean"

A map of Oregon with dots showing the library programs sprinkled across the state. 

One month left of our traveling library program!

The whole family will enjoy exploring the environment, designing solutions, and imagining a brighter future for the Earth. #scienceeducation

In Oregon? View the map to see when we're stopping near you: maphub.net/MNCH_UO/mnch...

'Oregon Culture Nights' demonstrates the value of traditional arts Emily Hartlerode, Director of the Oregon Folklife Network, joins The Creative Way host, Vanessa Finney.

Vanessa Finney of Jefferson Public Radio interviewed Emily Hartlerode, director of Oregon Folklife Network, about culture-keepers and traditional arts in Oregon. Listen to the end for a preview of our final Oregon Culture Night (this Thursday, July 31)! www.ijpr.org/show/the-jef...

New Online Support Hub Launches for 2SLGBTQ+ People - Underscore Native News Two Spirit Support Boat offers resources and an online community for Indigiqueer adults, caregivers of 2SLGBTQ+ youth and clinicians.

In part as a response to the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric, organizations and individual allies from across the country worked together to create the virtual hub. Creating spaces of love, safety and resource sharing for 2SLGBTQ+ relatives.

✍️: @nikabartoosmith.bsky.social for UNN+ICT

An orange and yellow bee on a light pink Nootka rose flower.

A dragonfly with delicate black wings is resting on a large, bright green Twinberry leaf.

An iridescent green-bodied fly sits on a veiny milkweed leaf.

Insects and bugs are critical to a healthy environment! We love seeing them in our Native Plants Courtyard.

Got a kiddo who loves bugs? We've got bug-themed activities in our courtyard for the next two Fridays and Saturdays in #EugeneOregon. 🐝🐜🌞

Five grinning archaeologists in the scrubby Great Basin.

This photo has 5 generations of UO archaeological field school students! Students from 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2023 worked on a survey project in northern Nevada, led by Geoffrey Smith (University of Nevada-Reno) and Aiden Hlebechuk (MNCH field school and archaeological research division alum).

A young person is centered on a dry scrubby landscape with a brilliant blue sky behind them. They're wearing safety glasses and holding an axe, mid chop.

A small (2 inches across) bleached animal skull sitting on a human palm.

Three young people grouped around archaeology equipment in a scrubby landscape.

Our Indigenous Archaeology Field Methods field school is wrapping up!

13 students have spent the last four weeks in coastal California, conducting collaborative archaeology with members of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Stay tuned for more about what they've been doing. 🏺🧪🏛️

A blue background with text reading "Oregon Culture Nights" and then a list of each performance, each on a Thursday at 6:00p.m. July 10: Traditional Irish Gaelic Singing with Brian O hAirt. July 17: Nattuvangam in Classical South Indian Dance with Sweta Ravisankar and apprentice. July 24: Carnatic (Indian Classical) Singing with Smitha Chakravarthy and apprentice. July 31: Palestinian Embroidery with Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim and apprentice.

The Oregon Folklife Network hosts live demonstrations of Oregon's living traditions at the museum in July! Culture bearers from a wide variety of backgrounds will provide insider knowledge about their traditional artforms -- if you're in the area, come hang out with us this summer. 🏛️

A screenshot of a Mammoth Trumpet article. The title reads "From the Soil: Paleoindian Plane Use at Connley Cave 5"

The Mammoth Trumpet spotlighted the Traditional Nutrition Project! MNCH Curator of Great Basin Archaeology, Katelyn McDonough, worked on this paleoethnobotanical study with Perry Chocktoot, former Director of Cultural and Heritage for the Klamath Tribes, and Geoffrey Smith at UNR. 🏺🧪

Our friends from @uomnch.bsky.social  are coming to the Library for Power Play for the Planet! The whole family can play games, solve puzzles, and complete wacky challenges in order to save planet Earth! Head to the Main Meeting Room at 1:30 PM on July 9th to join in the fun.

Floppy bright yellow cinquefoil flowers are six-petaled polkadots across a blurred green background

Plump purple Oregon grapes bunch across a green-leafed branch

A spear of rich pink fluffy Douglas spirea buds cuts across the blurred background of the front of the museum

Tiny white six petaled elderberry flowers cluster across the frame

It's always fun to see how the courtyard changes throughout the season! The plants have been appreciating this weekend's cool and rainy weather. #pnwnativeplants #naturephotography

Before the dinosaurs were the trilobites! #fossilfriday

17 University of Oregon students smile at the camera

Five University of Oregon students in robes, cords, and caps smile at the camera.

Today is Commencement here at @uoregon.bsky.social — UO students are employees, volunteers, club members, visitors, and, of course, students here at the museum. The Class of 2025 has big hopes and dreams and and we can't wait to see them change the world. #GoDucks 🦆 🎓

Back again for another #fossilfriday, this time looking closely at Columbian mammoth teeth and tusks 🦷🦴🦣🧪

Summer Outreach 2025 by MNCH_UO · MapHub Summer Outreach 2025 by MNCH_UO

This summer we'll be presenting 111 library education programs for families all across Oregon.

It's one of our favorite things we do, and this year: we're learning how fun it can be to save the planet! 🧪

Check out the map to see when we're stopping near you: maphub.net/MNCH_UO/mnch...