As her object to represent the 20th century, Marcia Anderson, chief curator and head of museum collections, selected one of the Society's most recent acquisitions — a set of clothing worn by American Indian activist Joe Campbell of Prairie Island (pictured here). The outfit consists of a vest of patterned wool and leather made by Patty Beaulieu of Leech Lake, a denim shirt with beading by Richard Mason of Red Lake, jeans, a turquoise and black neckerchief and Red Wing boots that Campbell wore loosely laced.

"Joe has been wearing this 'traditional' look since about 1985 so that people would identify him and his personal stance on an issue," Anderson says. "By always appearing in these clothes at demonstrations, meetings and other public settings, Joe is making a statement against nuclear power plants — the one at Prairie Island in particular.

"Joe's clothing is representative of our expanded collecting focus, developed with help from the Society's Indian Advisory Committee, to better document the daily lives of contemporary American Indians in Minnesota," Anderson says. "Joe's apparel represents how one person relies on elements of his traditional values to preserve a healthy lifestyle for himself and his community."