Overview
Engage with Indigenous cultures and traditions
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with crafts and activities for all ages that will provide an opportunity to engage with the history of Native Americans in Texas. This year, Texas Tribal Buffalo Project will join us to provide an interactive experience to learn more about the Lipan Apache way of life and the connection to buffalo and the land.
“Planting Seeds of Relationship” – All visitors are invited to participate in this purposeful activity led by Charles Bush. Pollinator packets are small gifts of renewal — a way to restore habitat for bees, butterflies, and
birds. Indigenous peoples have long practiced reciprocal planting, returning seeds to the land as acts of gratitude and balance. By creating and sharing these seed packets, you help reconnect with the living world and
contribute to healing the prairies of Texas. (1st floor Loggia)
Explore the Museum and visit the Native American Heritage Month history exhibition to learn more about its significance and impact in the U.S., Texas, and Abilene. (3rd floor History Hallway)
About Texas Tribal Buffalo Project
The Texas Tribal Buffalo Project is committed to healing the generational trauma of Lipan Apache descendants and other native nations bordering traditional Lipan Apache ranges. These ranges mimic the ancestral buffalo ranges of the southern plains. The state of Texas has prospered and grown to be an Agriculture and natural resource powerhouse in the nation. While this has happened through the generations, the native descendants have had forced relocation, suffered massacres and been severely traumatized. We however are a proud and strong nation still, even displaced in our own homelands. Just as the buffalo have been displaced from their southern ranges. We aim to provide a pathway to heal our people, our relatives, including the buffalo.
About Charles Bush
Charles Bush is the Curriculum Developer at Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, where he creates educational materials that integrate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge with conservation biology and regenerative agriculture. He works with a diverse team of experts, educators, and community members to design and deliver engaging and culturally relevant content that fosters environmental awareness and stewardship among Indigenous youth and adults. He has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Science from Oglala Lakota College with a focus on Conservation Biology. Charles is passionate about bridging the gap between science and culture, and empowering Indigenous voices and perspectives in STEM fields.
