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CULTUraL INTrINSIC maintenance, adaptation, or celebration of Inspirationist Cultural Intrinsic Quality
QUaLITy reSoUrCeS traditional ways of life in a modern world� resources focus on similar categories.
The seven Amana villages represent
Cultural Intrinsic Quality resources include Meskwaki Cultural Intrinsic Quality resources cultural activity hubs along the Byway,
evidence and expressions of the customs include craftwork, such as beading, fancy with craftspeople, events, traditions, food,
or traditions of a distinct group of people. dress, weaving, and basketry; events, such and music particularly concentrated within
Cultural resources can include food, crafts, as the Powwow and Proclamation Day; the villages. Traditional land management
music, dance, drama, art, costumes, dress, special food items, such as milkweed soup practices continue today through the
occupations, gender roles, age roles, stories, and frybread; and other traditional activities operations of the Amana Society, Inc., the
legends, rituals, customs, family and group continuing to the present day, including descendant organization of the original
traditions, festivals, religion, place names, farming, hunting, trapping, medicinal use of Community of True Inspiration communal
speech, vernacular architecture (e.g., building plants, and spiritual practices. Dances and land holdings. Today, the Society manages
styles, civic buildings, religious buildings), music with ceremonial or celebratory roots over 21,000 acres for the benefit of its
land management practices, and distinctive have continued importance. Meskwaki land shareholders, most of whom are descendants
goods’ manufacturing. Unlike historic qualities, management practices particularly reflect of the original Inspirationists.
cultural ones often are not expressed in the the Cultural Intrinsic Quality, with all lands
landscape� communally held, and land-use typically In addition to practicing religious piety in
determined by tribal council vote. everyday life, some of the cultural focus for
The Iowa Valley Scenic Byway’s cultural early Amana Colonists was on using traditional
resources number at least 570, with much Meskwaki-related place names along the skills to economically benefit the community;
overlap between Historic and Cultural Intrinsic Corridor acknowledge the tribe’s cultural many of these skills and occupations continue
Qualities (see accompanying data CD). For identity with the area, and include Poweshiek today, including manufacture of woolen goods,
example, all communal era Amana Colony County, Tama County, Indian Village Township, furniture, baskets, brooms, and clocks, along
buildings and structures directly reflect and the former town of Musquaka. Many with metalworking and many agricultural
Community of True Inspiration customs and places in and out of the Settlement may go by pursuits. Handmade textiles typical of the
traditions. Buildings were functional, with very two names: one English, one Meskwaki. For Amanas relate to weaving, lacemaking, tatting,
little adornment—simplistically elegant—a example, the Iowa River is Ne Ko to si ye, or quilting, and embroidery. The culinary arts
reflection of how Amana life was led. A “Single Backbone River.” Traditional games, flourished both historically and today in the
summary of the vernacular architecture is such as bone dice and double ball, are still Amanas, and are epitomized by communal
offered in the Cultural section, and specifics played at the Settlement. dinners which continue in local restaurants.
are provided in the Historic section. Specific representative food items include
Perhaps most importantly––whether within the
There are three cultural categories within Meskwaki school system, within ceremonies, wine, beer, and an extensive array of baked
the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway, with some or at home––Meskwaki history, tradition, and goods and smoked meats. Germanic heritage
overlap among: Meskwaki, Inspirationists, cultural practices flourish because the tribal is reflected in music such as church hymns,
and other ethnic groups. Many of the groups’ members, both as a group and individually, polka, and in the maipole (maypole) dance.
customs, rituals, and institutions focus on the place continuing importance on purposefully
maintaining and strengthening the culture.
