Ball State University’s Applied Anthropology Laboratories Partners with Tribal Nations for New Exhibit and Weekend Event at Fort Recovery Museum

Topics: Academic Programs, College of Sciences and Humanities, Immersive Learning, Students, Faculty

October 16, 2024

Ball State University's Applied Anthropology Laboratories (AAL) has collaborated with Tribal Nations to create a groundbreaking permanent exhibit at the Fort Recovery Museum, "St. Clair's Defeat Revisited: A New View of the Conflict."

This free exhibit, which offers a Native perspective on the 1791 battle, will debut during a special two-day event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, located at the museum: 1 Fort Site St, Fort Recovery, OH, 45846.

Beyond the Battlefield and St. Clair's Defeat: Connecting with Tribal Nations Today is a free event highlighting Eastern Shawnee, Miami, Ottawa, and Wyandotte history and culture. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with 10 Tribal interpreters and explore both the past and present of Native cultures whose ancestors were part of this historic battle. The event is partially funded by the Ohio Humanities Council.

The new permanent exhibit, co-created by Dr. Kevin Nolan, director and senior archaeologist of AAL, and Christine Thompson, assistant director and archaeologist, showcases the perspectives of 11 Tribal Humanities Scholars on St. Clair's Defeat, the largest U.S. Army loss by casualty count. The battle, which took place on Nov. 4, 1791, at what is now Fort Recovery, Ohio (about an hour northeast of Muncie), saw nine Tribal Nations achieve a significant victory over U.S. forces.

"This is a major event for AAL and the region," Dr. Nolan said. "It's the first exhibit of its kind to be developed collaboratively with representatives from 10 Tribal Nations, sharing their story and perspective on critical historical events that still resonate today."

The exhibit provides a comprehensive look at the battle's history and aftermath, focusing on themes such as broken treaties, Native removal, boarding schools, and the ongoing persistence of Tribal cultures. Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the America 250-Ohio Commission made both the permanent exhibit and a traveling version, which will tour Ohio, possible.