Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will continue its 2013 Lecture & Film series at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 25, with a documentary film titled “More Than Bows and Arrows,” a celebration of Native American achievements. The 1978 one-hour documentary film is a Camera One production showcasing the many Native American contributions to life in modern-day America. The program is free and open to the public.
Narrated by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Kiowa Indian N. Scott Momaday, “More Than Bows and Arrows” covers the advances made by Native Americans in the western hemisphere and the impact those influences and contributions had on the cultures of Europe and the entire Eastern Hemisphere.
From food and agricultural techniques, guided explorations, survival skills, sports, herbal and psychological remedies, to net fishing on Northwest cliffs, prehistoric mounds and the use of sign language to communicate more than 300 different languages and dialects, Native Americans introduced a wealth of innovative ideas. They invented harpoons, kayaks, canoes, snow goggles, snow shoes and dog sleds, among others. More recently, the Navaho Code Talkers, who took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, transmitted messages by telephone and radio in their native language, a code that the Japanese were never able to break.
The film won awards at 11 film festivals and has been broadcast on PBS, The Discovery Channel, the BBC and in eight European countries and Japan.
The documentary is part of a three-part summer film series held in conjunction with the Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the West Virginia Archaeological Society. The series will continue at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, with “Mysteries of the Ancient Architects.” This Camera One production explores the amazing configurations of earthen walls and mounds created by the prehistoric Hopewell people.
Operated by the WV Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250-150 B.C. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.
For more information about the lecture or other programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at 304-843-4128 or email her at Andrea.K.Keller@wv.gov. Indicate in the message if you are interested in receiving information about upcoming events at the mound.
For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org.