Nestah’omae

The Charles Eagle Plume Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Eagle Plume in 1985. The Foundation encompasses the Charles Eagle Plume Collection of North American Indian Art, which is continuously displayed at the store. The collection is comprised of over one thousand pieces.

Katherine Lindsay Perkins began collecting Plains beadwork shortly after she arrived in Allenspark, adding to the few pieces she had inherited from her father. By the 1930's she and Charles Eagle Plume were actively collecting and trading everything from Navajo weavings to Pueblo ceramics and everything else within the spectrum in Indian art. As a result, the collection includes a variety of historic Indian art including beadwork from the Northeast, Woodlands area, and the Northern and Southern Plains.

One of Charles' favorite aspects of his collection were the baskets. Hung from the ceiling in one room of the cabin are dozens of baskets from the Southwest, Northwest Coast, California, and Alaska. The beautiful Tulare basket was his favorite and still hangs where it can be seen from his old desk in the jewlery room. Other favorites include the intricate Pomo feather gift baskets, the finely woven lidded grass baskets from the Aleutian Islands, and the large Apache ollas and burden baskets that still hang above the stairwell.

Other major parts of the collection include the historic Navajo and Pueblo jewelry, Pueblo ceramics, and weavings. There are a few notable pieces that include a beaded Iroqouis Glengarry cap, a Mohawk cradleboard that is finely carved and painted, a Karankawa armadillo helmet, a Chilkat Dancing Blanket, lacrosse sticks, as well as others. For many years Charles had intended on donating his impressive collection to a number of universities, individuals, and so forth. However in later years, wanting the store to continue after his death, Charles made the decision to keep the collection on display at the store for the enjoyment of his many friends and customers. Eagle Plume's extensive Indian arts library remains at the store and is available for study by appointment.