George Mason University alumni, students, and members of the community gathered in the Buchanan Hall Atrium Gallery on April 24 for the spring celebration of the ongoing exhibition, Offerings to the Potomac: Acknowledging Indigenous Place.
The evening included community singers, dancers, and storytellers and placed a spotlight on a new addition for the exhibit that was organized, designed, and installed by undergraduate students of HIST 397 Public History in Action course taught by history associate professor Gabrielle Tayac.
The exhibit pays homage to three major Indigenous communities in Northern Virginia: the Piscataway (Maryland) and Rappahannock (Virginia) tribes; the Mayan Nation; and the Andean Indigenous Community.
Tayac’s class served as co-curators of the exhibit along with Mason Exhibitions. The students created media pieces and educational materials, along with contemporary and traditional art objects. They also created a series of street signs and markers with Indigenous translations. The exhibit will be on display at Buchanan Hall through Dec. 15, 2025.
“I’m incredibly proud of my students,” said Tayac, who is a member of the Piscataway Indian Nation. “They brought their creativity, group dynamic skills, professionalism. It was an alchemy of work to make this history and experience come alive – history and experience that is incredibly invisible. They approached it with curiosity, vigor, and a lot of excitement.
“It was incredibly exciting for me to see something I’ve studied for a long time come alive with fresh eyes and experiences with our students.”
May 13, 2025