Montana's Contribution to America 250 Time Capsule: Beadwork by Karis Jackson
When a stainless steel time capsule is buried at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia this July 4, it will carry a piece of Montana into the year 2275. The state's contribution to the America 250 Semiquincentennial Time Capsule is a beaded artwork by Karis Jackson, an Apsáalooke/Arikara/Hidatsa artist from Browning, selected by the Montana Historical Society to represent Montana among submissions from all 50 states, five territories, and Washington D.C.
Jackson's piece renders Montana in beadwork. The colors of the state flag, the mountains and prairies, the bitterroot, the western meadowlark. At its center is the bison, an animal of enduring significance to the Indigenous peoples who have called this land home since time immemorial. She created the work specifically for the capsule, and it is the only object representing Montana inside it.
"Karis Jackson's beadwork carries Montana's story forward in a way that is both beautiful and enduring," said Molly Kruckenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society. "We are honored to send her work as Montana's contribution to this national milestone."
Jackson is an award-winning artist whose work is held in collections across the United States, known for intricate designs that blend Crow geometric patterns with floral elements in cut beads, elk hide, and other traditional materials. "I take pride in where I come from and what I do, as I was taught since I was very young," she said. "Each piece is my own vision, an intersection of creativity and expression, but also a way of honoring the past."
The capsule itself is a feat of engineering: a stainless steel cylinder designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to preserve its contents for two and a half centuries. America 250, the federal commission overseeing the nation's 250th anniversary, gathered submissions from all three branches of the federal government, every state and territory, and its own programs and events. The cylinder will be sealed and interred during the July 4, 2026, celebration marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, then opened on July 4, 2275.
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