Henderson County Public Library: February 2026 Genealogy, Local History, and Veteran Newsletter

Americans

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

AMERICANS

Based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, Americans explores how deeply intertwined American Indians are in the culture of the United States.

American Indians are about 2 percent of the population, yet images of Indians are everywhere. From imagery on commercial products and professional and high school sports mascots, to classic Westerns and episodes of Seinfeld and South Park, we are surrounded by American Indian imagery. Indian names are everywhere too, from state, city, and street names to the Tomahawk missile.

How is it that Indians can be so present and so absent in American life? Pervasive, powerful, at times demeaning, the images, names, and stories reveal the deep connection between Americans and American Indians. Indians have been embedded in unexpected ways in the history, pop culture, and identity of the United States.

The exhibition highlights the ways in which American Indians have been part of the nation’s identity since before the country began and offers a new way of understanding a few familiar events:

Thanksgiving was a modern invention.
Pocahontas was a key figure in the country’s founding.
The Trail of Tears was a vast national project that reshaped the entire country.
Little Bighorn was the moment when, after killing 200 American soldiers, Indians became the country’s unofficial mascots.

Americans surrounds visitors with images and objects from popular culture and delves into these historical events. The exhibition invites visitors to explore this complicated history and to share local stories about Native American history and culture about Native American history and culture.

The Americans exhibit is located in the Dick & Shelia Beaven Art Gallery.

Americans February Featured Events

Cherokee Visions: Art, Regalia, and Storytelling

Saturday, February 21, 2026

10 am

Upstairs Rotunda Area

Presenter: Jannette Parent

Be inspired as artist Jannette Parent shares her colorful Native American artwork, her experience learning the Cherokee language, and how the language has become an integral part of both her life and her work.

Through stories, songs, and dreams, she has created more than 95 paintings that honor and preserve this ancient language. During this special presentation, Jannette discusses the inspiration behind her work and the cultural significance of the Cherokee language.

Join us for a morning of discussion, learning, and discovery. Experience how Jannette’s artistic vision brings to life the stories, culture, and history of the Cherokee people, and be inspired by her dedication to preserving this remarkable language through art.

Pocahontas: Her Life and Legacy

Recently, Lorie Maltby, retired history professor at Henderson Community College, spoke on Pocahontas: Her Life and Legacy. Who was Pocahontas, and why is she still relevant today? Learn about this important Powhatan woman’s life and role during the period of the Jamestown colony’s settlement, as well as her contributions to generations of Americans.

Click on the link below to listen to Pocahontas: Her Life and Legacy.

Regular Monthly Activities

Register online

or contact the Genealogy and Local History Staff

270-826-3712 ext. 214

Genealogy Roundtable

Monday, February 23, 2026

6 pm

Pittsburg Tank and Tower Event Suite C

What is Genealogy Roundtable? It is a round-table discussion time for genealogists who like to share ideas and discoveries, discuss research problems, and enjoy being with people who share the same interest in genealogy. Feel free to bring your dinner or just yourself and join us as we learn more about this interesting subject.

Lunch Bunch

Friday, March 6, 2026

12 pm

Wathen Room

What is Genealogy Lunch Bunch? It is a round-table discussion time for genealogists who like to share ideas and discoveries, discuss research problems, and enjoy being with people who share the same interest in genealogy. Feel free to bring your lunch or just yourself and join us as we learn more about this interesting subject.

To participate virtually, please click the link below:

Upcoming Activities

Audubon Beekeepers Annual Bee School

Saturday, March 7, 2026

8 am-3:30 pm

Henderson County Co-op Extension Expo Center

3341 Zion Road

Henderson, KY 42420

Food trucks will

For inquiries call Larry Stone (270-339-7245)

"Together"

RootsTech 2026

World's Largest Virtual Family History Conference

Online Live Virtual Conference

March 5-7, 2026

What is RootsTech?

Familysearch.org describes RootsTech as a "place to learn, be inspired, and make connections through family history. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by other leading genealogy organizations, we have hundreds of expert classes, tips and tricks videos, and inspiring stories that can help you experience family history like never before."

The on-demand learning library comprises over 1,500 sessions from 185 topics can be accessed 24/7 over the next year.

Registration is FREE!

RootsTech 2026 Overview

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/

Register for RootsTech 2026 Online

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/registration/online/pass

Evansville Indiana FamilySearch Center

Expanded Hours

Wednesdays

6-8 pm

Saturdays

1-3 pm

8020 East Covert Avenue

Evansville, Indiana, 47715

812-499-3442

Opportunities to Serve

Encourage and assist Veterans to complete an application! Applications are online: www.HonorFlightSI.org.
Recruit your family, friends, social clubs, and youth groups/schools to send in cards and letters for Mail Call! Mail Call will be collected in April.
Honor your Veteran by sponsoring a wheelchair banner. The form is online through the Honor Flight website.
Welcome our Heroes home! Bring your flags, banners, and patriotic spirit to the Welcome Home Parade and give these Heroes the welcome home they never received!
Donate! As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Honor Flight of Southern Indiana's mission is funded entirely by donations. Go to: HonorFlightSI.org or send a check to: HFSI, PO Box 8234, Evansville, IN 47716. All donations are tax deductible.
Sign up to be a volunteer. The application can be completed online at HonorFlightSI.org.
Follow HFSI on Facebook and Instagram! Like the HFSI page, share the posts to keep the community informed about Honor Flight Southern Indiana.

Local History Exhibit

Artwork courtesy of Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site

From the Ice Age to present day, the lower Ohio River Valley has been host to numbers of different people. Nomadic people who crossed the Bering Strait land bridge in 10,000 B.C. preceded Mound-Builders who left behind clues to a rich culture, who were followed by numerous tribes of American Indians. All left behind clues to their way of life.

Visit the HCPL’s Genealogy and Local History Department to view the history and the art of Early Americans in the local area, on display in the Carnegie Library until March 1, 2026.