Ancient Tracks
The Little Feather Center has been open full time since 1994 when Chuck Derby, the owner, retired from the National Park service after 31 years. At that time he dedicated himself to the Center, working every day to better the facilities and educational opportunities there. In 1994 Gloria Hazell invited Chuck to work with her in presenting the 'Beads & Buckskins' cultural education program that she had devised, Chuck agreed and a partnership was formed between the couple. The 'B & B' program extended itself to the Center showing the items that were used in the presentation so that visitors to the Center could get the benefit of the educational aspects of the program without actually attending a presentation. The exhibit grew over the years until a large portion of the Center was used for the items, and educational material that stemmed from those items, to be shown, so that eventually it turned into a small museum. The items were also shown on a large website so that anyone in the world could learn alongside visitors coming into the Center, that large site was taken down in 2005, after many thousands of people had visited it, leaving only a basic website in it's place. The exhibits in the Center were also cut down as the Center again became used for more social things by the Native community. The 'Beads & Buckskins' program itself has been presented in many places in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois in the States, and England, the Isle of Wight and the Netherlands in Europe. Due to his age, diabetes and a serious back injury Chuck has now decided to take some time off from the program because of all of the travelling he has had to do. He will do this when the last bookings have been fulfilled. The Little Feather/'Beads & Buckskins' museum items will be put on the Ancient Tracks part of this site once again as a tribute to Chuck for his 12 years of the 'Beads & Buckskins' program work. Chuck will continue to make pipes as he always has, and will also do local area talks. Gloria will continue with the 'B & B' work in Europe and will continue to join with Chuck when she is in Pipestone if a talk is asked for locally. (latest news: October 2006 - Although the B&B talks are winding down a new presentation is being worked on by Gloria and Chuck dealing with cultural values that are needed in this day and age. This will be presented to schools locally or otherwise. More details will be added shortly.) On this museum site you will also learn about the stone that the sacred Pipes are made from, and books to related subjects. Please enter this part of the site
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