Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology News

In celebration of Kentucky Native American Heritage Month, archaeologist Dr. A. Gwynn Henderson of WKU’s Kentucky Archaeological Survey will present a lecture entitled "A History of Native Americans in Kentucky" at the McCracken County Public Library in Paducah at 7:00 pm on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

Dr. Henderson will discuss the history of the diverse Native American peoples of Western Kentucky as told through objects, places, and documents. The period she will consider extends from around 10,000 B.C., when the first peoples arrived in what we now call Kentucky, through the early A.D. 1800s, when Federal Indian policy forced Native groups living east of the Mississippi River to move from their homelands.

Her presentation is part of the McCracken County Public Library's Evenings Upstairs lecture series. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Henderson received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Delaware in 1975, and has lived in Kentucky since she joined an excavation in Jefferson County directed by University of Kentucky archaeologists in June 1977. She subsequently received her M.A. in anthropology in 1982 from UK and in 1998, her Ph.D. in anthropology with a minor in Native American history from the same institution. She currently is Education Director at the Kentucky Archaeological Survey in the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at Western Kentucky University.

Founded in 1995, the mission of the Kentucky Archaeological Survey is to provide a service to state and federal agencies, work with private landowners to protect archaeological sites, and educate the public about Kentucky's rich archaeological heritage. The Survey provides hands-on educational experiences to WKU students in the field, the lab, and the community. The award-winning Survey undertakes a variety of projects throughout Kentucky. Some are conducted in advance of construction by state agencies, while others are conducted to identify sites on public lands, so that state and federal agencies can be better stewards. KAS works with local governments and non-profits on diverse initiatives, including educational projects that involve grade-school children and civic groups who participate in ongoing archaeological research.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, now known as Native American Heritage Month. The commemorative month affords opportunities for tribes and Native peoples to share their culture and heritage with others and to advocate for indigenous rights. Many government agencies, schools, and organizations provide educational programs about Native American history, culture, and contemporary issues in celebration of Native American Heritage Month.

McCracken County Public Library

555 Washington Street

Paducah, KY  42003

For local information, contact Bobbie Wrinkle

Tel: 270-442-2510 ext. 119

Email: bwrinkle@mclib.net