A recent letter writer suggested that Muskogee should have a first-class Native American museum, through which native people can tell their story.

Muskogee does have a very good Native American museum.

Ataloa Lodge was built in 1932 on Bacone College campus and is known for its outstanding artifacts.

Mary Stone McClendon, of Chickasaw heritage, came to Bacone to teach in the Language Arts program, and she designed and raised funds to build the museum where students could study native arts and crafts in familiar surroundings. When the building was completed, she began to receive many items from all over the United States.

There are many, many tribes represented in this museum, from the East to the West coasts.

The museum has pottery from the Hopi, who do very fine work, and the pottery of Maria Martinez and her husband. Maria is credited with rediscovering the art of making black pottery which was almost a lost art. Her pieces are very expensive today.

There are also Apache baskets that hold water, and the cooking baskets which cooked with hot coals.

There are the baby cradles of different tribes. One in particular is beaded all over in tiny seed beads. Some items are those made by Woody Crumbo, who was the second director of art after Acee Blue Eagle. There are buckskin clothing and tribal dress, a beaded pouch bag that once belonged to Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe, and a crown beaded by Alice Spinks, Apache.

The fireplace at Ataloa Lodge has stones from all over the United States. It includes stones from all of the Five Civilized Tribes, many tribal council houses, the birthplaces of Lincoln and Washington, Sequoyah’s birthplace and the Custer battlefield.

Many woven rugs are in the museum collection, including one of the largest woven rugs. It is 12 feet by 22 feet and took one Navajo woman three years to weave.