A word you hear often these days is ‘upcycling.” It’s a wonderful way to express a concept that has been central to Native American cultures for thousands of years. And it’s a practice that is used at the Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center in countless ways. Some things are more obvious than others. For example, the building has served multiple purposes over its long life – from post office to general store, shell shop, and now a museum. Although almost every inch of the building is filled with exhibits, the changing floor structure and ceiling heights are clues to “upcycling” efforts.
It would be impossible to discern the original use of some items. The turntable showcasing three native figures was formerly part of a NASA project; a case displaying a collection of masks once resided in the Smithsonian and housed a chair used by Theodore Roosevelt; benches in the natural history center were originally bases for an exhibit at the Virginia Living History Museum.
Upcycling extends to the nature trail as well. Visitors can see tree stumps that have been converted to perches for bird houses and bird feeders. The natural perches blend beautifully into the forest providing additional camouflage. Several dead trees have been pruned and left in place to provide additional perches for wildlife.
Visitors will also find a twelve-foot cedar log on the nature trail that is in the process of being “upcycled” as a dugout canoe. Individuals are invited to join in the process by scraping at the charred interior with clam shells.
The museum is located on Hatteras Island and open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit the museum website at www.nativeamericanmuseum.org or call 252-995-4440.
