Evening Star Project

A thousand years ago, a technological and religious movement reshaped the cultural landscape of the American Midwest and Southeast. Great towns and cities were built, vast networks were established, and power was consolidated under complex polities. Today, many aspects of that movement are alive and well - still reflected in the art, religion, and culture of native communities across Turtle Island. 

The Evening Star Project is dedicated to the study and preservation of Mississippian history, art, and culture. This site has been designed to educate and engage the public about this fascinating time in the history of the Americas. Our goal is to provide users a unique source of information, including research and preservation efforts, native myths and histories, as well as access to our biannual publication: Yellow Roads.

This project is not an anthropological or ethnographic study, nor is it an archaeological examination. The framework here is historical and will draw upon various fields and data sources in an attempt to paint as accurate a picture as possible of the people, cultures, and places during this important and dynamic period in our history.

In coordination with native governments, communities, organizations, museums, and experts from the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, our goal is to take a broad based approach in understanding and preserving this amazing period in history and its lasting impacts on native thought, art, and culture. 

Outside continuing research and the production of our biannual publication, one of our first efforts will be the development of our Bright Star Program. This program will focus on our core mission - Cultural & Historic Preservation - and will include two initiatives:

 - Tracking, monitoring, and cataloging culturally and historically significant objects that may be or have been for sale on the open and black markets.

 - Cataloging, studying, and preserving maize and bean varieties related to those in use during the Mississippian Era. This includes the return of traditional seed varieties to Native communities. 

The research and efforts behind this project have been under development for many years. Although some have passed, we would like to thank Vine Deloria Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux), Bill Day (Tunica-Biloxi), Janet Nugen (Pamunkey/Saponi), Frederick Byrne, Benito Torres (Taíno), Billy Tayac (Piscataway), Georgette & Gus Palmer (Kiowa), Paul Moorehead, Robert Holden (Choctaw), members and staff of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Tom Pohaku Stone (Native Hawaiian), Alice Kehoe, and many others. 

This site is for educational purposes only. More content, including images, resources, research, native myths, and histories will be posted over the course of the project.