Paiute Tribe members to feature at Pyramid Lake exhibit opening

The University of Nevada, Reno’s Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center is opening a new exhibit, Reflections on Pyramid Lake, celebrating the history of the lake and the people who have called it home.

The exhibit, opening with a special presentation on Wednesday, March 25, will run through mid-September and feature a variety of paintings, photographs and other artifacts such as cradle boards, baskets, pelican eggs and a rattlesnake from Anaho Island. Items in the exhibit are from Special Collections & University Archives and other museums and individuals throughout campus and the community.

“People will come away from this with a renewed interest and a broader understanding of Pyramid Lake and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, including the battle for water rights,” Peggy McDonald, the exhibit curator, said.

Marking the exhibit opening will be a presentation by Bernard Mergen, author and professor emeritus at George Washington University. Mergen spent much of his childhood on the shores of the lake and returns frequently. His presentation will focus on Pyramid Lake history and personal reminiscences.

Reflections on Pyramid Lake was made possible in part by a grant from IGT. Admission to the opening presentation is free, but reservations are recommended: pyramidlake.eventbrite.com.

Mergen, the author of “At Pyramid Lake,” will share stories about the lake as a place of spiritual renewal and healing. Mergen’s knowledge and familiarity of the lake allowed him to pull together cultural source material, including fiction, nonfiction, journalism, personal conversations and local interviews to create one of the richest histories of the area currently available.

Ben Aleck and Ralph Burns will join Mergen during his presentation. Both are members of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Aleck is a visual artist whose subject matter relates to cultural issues and environmental concerns. Burns is a Pyramid Lake Paiute elder who is a revered storyteller and native-language specialist. He is spearheading native-language revival and revitalization among the Northern Paiute.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Wells Fargo Auditorium, Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, University of Nevada, Reno. The exhibit will run March 25 through mid-September.

Reflections on Pyramid Lake will be featured in the Whittemore Gallery on the Knowledge Center’s first floor continuing through the central sections of the second, third, fourth and fifth floors.

For more information, contact Donnelyn Curtis at Special Collections & University Archives, 775-682-5668 or dcurtis@unr.edu.