The American Heritage Gallery at Epcot: Creating Tradition Exhibit

The American Heritage Gallery is located in the American Pavilion of the World Showcase at Epcot. It was formerly home to an exhibit featuring Native artifacts and contemporary pieces of American Indian Art. Below, we’ll preview the exhibit, ‘Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art.’

Here are a few quick reference attraction details.

American Heritage Gallery	Epcot Attractions
Location:	America Adventure Pavilion
Early Theme Park Entry:	No
Extended Evening Hours:	No
Height Requirement:	Any Height
Ride Type:	Gallery
Good For:	Everyone
Scare Factor:	None
Must-Do List:	Low Priority
Perfect For:	History Enthusiasts
Special Mention:	While not a high priority, well worth the walkthrough.

Additional Info: Guests may remain in wheelchairs or ECVS.

Creating Traditions at the American Heritage Gallery

The American Heritage Gallery honors American Indian cultures and contributions. The Walt Disney Imagineering Collections Management team collaborated with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C., to bring such an extraordinary collection to the American Adventure Pavilion. They also worked closely with the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, which is part of the Seminole tribal community.

Typically, most exhibits at the American Heritage Gallery change every couple of years. However, this exhibit debuted in 2018 and was last updated in 2021 when new pieces were added.

The Creating Traditions exhibit presents a mix of historical and modern-day Indian art representing Native Americans across the centuries. It includes collections from seven regions of American Indian tribes.

Some of the featured artists in the Creating Traditions exhibit include:

•  Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo, fashion designer)
• Glenda McKay (Ingalik-Athabascan, doll-maker)
• Juanita Growing Thunder (Assiniboine Sioux, from the Growing Thunder Family of Montana, doll-maker)

Here are a few photos from the exhibit. Each display highlights historical native artifacts and examples of cultural traditions from different American Indian tribes. Below, we have a gallery collection representing the tribes from the Southeast regions of the United States.

This geographic region includes Cherokees, Choctaws, Muscogees (Creeks), Seminoles, and their descendants.

This display features a Choctaw Man Shoulder Sash.

Next, we have the Southwest region featuring works from various native communities.

Here, we have an Apache skateboard.

Douglas Miles was one of the first Native artists to paint on skateboards.

Below are a few examples of jewelry from the Zuni Pueblo People.

Here is a Pueblo Girls Jar by Jody Naranjo.

This sign shares how the pottery produced by 19 Pueblo communities has changed over the last 150 years from domestic kitchenware to tourist souvenirs to fine art.

Moving on, we have the Northwest Coast and Arctic geographic regions.

Contemporary works of American Indian Art include pieces made of glass.

This glass sculpture is called Raven and the Box of Daylight by Preston Singletary.

These dolls are wearing parkas made from dried seal intestines.

Native peoples in the Arctic were known for using every part of the harvested animal.

Here are a few pieces from the Great Basin and Plateau region.

This region includes Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and inland areas of Oregon and Washington. Tribes from this region include the Ute, Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Salish peoples.

Some of the traditional native influences most of us can probably quickly identify are these moccasins and headdresses.

They are works of art.

A smaller collection toward the back of the room featured items from the California and Hawai’i regions.

Here, we have the display for the Plains.

The Comanche Blackfeet Regalia from artist Jayne Myers was added to the exhibit in 2021.

Here is the opposite side of the display.

Lastly, we have the Eastern Woodlands region, which features various baskets.

Here are a few extra photos:

Overall, Creating Traditions is an enriching experience. If you have time, take a few minutes to walk through these installations featuring the work of contemporary native artists.

You can browse the exhibit while waiting for the next American Adventure attraction to begin. Or you could see it before or after a performance of the Voices of Liberty, who appear multiple times daily in the rotunda. For more attractions, you might enjoy the following:

• Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
• Remember Me! Mexican Folk Art Gallery
• Impressions de France
• Stave Church Gallery at Epcot (Vikings Exhibit)
• Gallery of Arts (Race Against the Sun Exhibit)

In the Comments

Have you had the opportunity to see the Creating Traditions exhibit at Epcot? If so, please leave us a comment below and let us know if you enjoyed it.