A Note about the Texts

As mentioned, an accurate account of the history of this curious culture is difficult. There are no known descendants of the tribe and contemporary accounts from the turn of the century were varied, impossible to verify and in some cases are hard to believe. Much of the text for Pianista exhibits in the past has come from the scholarly work of an anthropologist who taught at the Teacher’s College in Boone, North Carolina (precursor to Appalachian State University) in the late 1800’s. His name was Nathaniel Greenville, and his specialty was native cultures. He first became acquainted with Pianista artifacts while traveling in the West after the Civil War, and did extensive field work, based in Alaska and California for the most part. Although much of his research has since been debunked and his theories discredited, his writings form a large portion of our knowledge of the Pianistas, and without his tireless dedication to the study of this people, we would know virtually nothing of their culture. (The publishers thank his family for allowing us to use his notes and published works for the text in these exhibit writings and in the catalog.)