The objects in the Merry Claymore Kettering Collection in the Department of [American] Indian Studies are exquisite examples of Native American craftsmanship. The collection includes clothing items and regalia, food collection containers and implements, and a child's doll. The various objects represent upper midwest tribes, providing students and the community an opportunity to see traditional Native American artifacts that are often only known through reproductions in books.
Much of the Native American artwork in the collection is enigmatic in its origin. The majority of the pieces were found in a cardboard box in a UND warehouse, where they had been overlooked for several years. After Administrative Secretary Merry Claymore Kettering (Lakota) was notified about their existence, they were moved to the Department of [American] Indian Studies. In recognition of Kettering's rescue of these artifacts, the department's collection was named in her honor. The provenance of these pieces, which are appreciated for they aesthetic and cultural value, is currently unknown. [American] Indian Studies Professor Gregory Gagnon (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) has suggested that if more information is uncovered about the origins, creators, or age of these works, they may have additional educational value for students in the [American] Indian Studies Department.
Excerpt taken from: Storytelling Time: Native North American Art from the Collections At the University Of North Dakota Arthur Jones-Lucy Ganje-Joseph Bull - University Of North Dakota Art Collections - 2010
