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The Smithsonian Institution celebrates American Indian Heritage month with more than forty events — films, performances, talks, tours and demonstrations.
 

 

  WASHINGTON D.C.
 
Location: National Portrait Gallery
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Ongoing Exhibition , 2010, 11:30 am - 7 pm
Description: Faces of the Frontier: Photographic Portraits from the American West, 1845 - 1924
The American West was dramatically reconstituted in the eighty years between the Mexican War and the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. This exhibition tells the story of these changes through more than a hundred portrait photographs of the defining figures of this period. It will be shown at the San Diego Historical Society, California, from March 12 through June 6, 2010, and at the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma, from October 9, 2010, to January 2, 2011.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center, Third Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Ongoing Exhibition , 11 am and 1 pm
Description: Daily Storybook Readings for Families with Children
Listen to storybook readings selected from the Resource Center's collection, presented by museum staff. A coloring activity is included.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Sunday, November 1 - Monday, November 30 , Daily, 11:30 am and 1:30 pm
Description: A Thousand Roads
This fictional work illustrates the complexity and vibrancy of contemporary Native life by following four people living in New York City, Alaska, New Mexico, and Peru. Recommended for ages 12 and up. (2005, 43 minutes)
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Sunday, November 1 - Monday, November 30 , Daily, 2:30 pm
Description: Always Becoming
Artist Nora Naranjo-Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo) discusses the process in creating an original sculpture for the landscape of the National Museum of the American Indian. (2007, 13 minutes)
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center, Third Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Tuesday, November 3 - Saturday, November 28 , Tuesdays-Wednesdays and Fridays-Saturdays 10:30 am - 12:30 pm and 2 - 4 pm
Description: Mayan Weaving Demonstration
Master weaver Juanita Velasco demonstrates her work on the traditional back-strap loom and tells the story depicted in the weaving.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center, Third Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, November 4 , 11 am
Description: Hok-noth-da? (Did You Hear?) Listen! I Have a Story to Tell!
This twenty-minute reading program is designed for student groups (grades K-4) and families. Children hear a story and learn about indigenous groups introduced therein.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Friday, November 6 , 10:15 am and 12 noon
Description: El Conejo y el Coyote (The Rabbit and the Coyote)
This one-act chamber opera is based on Zapotec stories and is inspired by the artwork of Mexican painter Francisco Toledo (Zapotec). Sung in a fantastical imaginary language and narrated in English, the work blends many stories in which wily Rabbit outwits Coyote. Recommended for all ages. The Saturday and Sunday shows are free; seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets required for the Friday shows: children, $5; adults, $6; Resident Associate members, $4; children under two, free. For tickets, call 202.633.8700.

Cosponsors: Mexican Cultural Institute and Government of the State of Oaxaca, Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, The Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Education Classroom, Third Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 7 , 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Description: Past and Present-Day Warriors: American Indian Military Service
This teacher workshop surveys American Indian participation in the American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II, and explores the ways in which it relates to warrior culture. Registration form is under the “Education” tab of the museum’s website. There is a $20 fee. Register under the “Education” tab at www.nmai.si.edu
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 7 , 10 am - 12 noon
Description: Hands-On Activities: Paper Star Quilt Patterns
Families can create their own quilt pattern to take home.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 7 , 10:30 am
Description: Saturday Morning Cartoons
The museum presents family-friendly cartoons from the award-winning Wapos Bay and Raven Tales series. Breakfast specials are offered in the cafe from 10 to 11 am.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 7 - Sunday, November 8 , 2 pm
Description: El Conejo y el Coyote (The Rabbit and the Coyote)
This one-act chamber opera is based on Zapotec stories and is inspired by the artwork of Mexican painter Francisco Toledo (Zapotec). Sung in a fantastical imaginary language and narrated in English, the work blends many stories in which wily Rabbit outwits Coyote. Recommended for all ages. The Saturday and Sunday shows are free; seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets required for the Friday shows: children, $5; adults, $6; Resident Associate members, $4; children under two, free. For tickets, call 202.633.8700.

Cosponsors: Mexican Cultural Institute and Government of the State of Oaxaca, Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, The Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater
 
Location: National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Tuesday, November 10 , 10:15 and 11:30 am
Description: Native Pride Dancers: American Indian Dance, Drum, and Song
Brightly colored headdresses, pulsating drumming, and fancy footwork are part of the excitement of a Native American powwow. In this show, dancers perform to sacred songs from the Northern Plains. Children, $5; adults, $6; Resident Associate members, $4; children under two, free. Call 202.633.8700.

Sponsor: The Smithsonian Associates
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Sealaska Gallery, Second Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Tuesday, November 10 , 2010, 10 am - 5:30 pm
Description: IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas
This “banner exhibition” focuses on the interactions between African Americans and Native Americans, especially those of blended heritage. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, November 11 , 11 am
Description: Hok-noth-da? (Did You Here?) Listen! I Have a Story to Tell!
This twenty-minute reading program is designed for student groups (grades K-4) and families. Children hear a story and learn about indigenous groups introduced therein.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, November 11 , 11:30 am and 3:30 pm
Description: Answering the Call: Veterans Day Short Film Project
The museum presents a first look at short documentaries on Native veterans, all of them winning selections from the Answering the Call: Veterans Day Short Film Contest.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, November 11 , 1 pm
Description: Paul C. Rosier
The museum marks Veterans Day with a talk by Paul C. Rosier, professor of history at Villanova and author of Serving Their Country: American Indian Politics and Patriotism in the Twentieth Century.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Room 4018, Fourth Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Friday, November 13 , 1 pm
Description: Blended Families: Tracing African-Native American Genealogy
Angela Y. Walton-Raji facilitates this genealogy workshop presented in conjunction with the exhibition IndiVisible.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Friday, November 13 , 3 - 6 pm
Description: Symposium: IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas
Occasioned by the exhibition IndiVisible: African–Native American Lives in the Americas, this symposium aims to bring visibility to these lives and to initiate a dialogue for people of all backgrounds. Moderated by NMAI Director Kevin Gover (Pawnee). Opening remarks by Lonnie G. Bunch, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. There is a live webcast at www.AmericanIndian.si.edu/webcasts.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 14 , 10 am - 12 noon
Description: Hands-On Activities: Paper Star Quilt Patterns
Families can create their own quilt pattern to take home.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Room 4018-19, Fourth Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 14 , 10:30 am - 12 noon
Description: Meet the Curators: IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas
Join IndiVisible curators for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at their work.
 
Location: National Postal Museum
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 14 , 11 am - 2 pm
Description: American Indian Heritage Month Celebration
The whole family can listen to James Rumford’s Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing and take part in activities related to the story. See the U.S. postage stamp commemorating Sequoyah and then design your own!
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 14 , 10:30 am
Description: Saturday Morning Cartoons
The museum presents family-friendly cartoons from the award-winning Wapos Bay and Raven Tales series. Breakfast specials are offered in the cafe from 10 to 11 am.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 14 , 2 and 7:30 pm
Description: Native Expressions: The Drum Is the Thunder, the Flute Is the Wind
The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble presents a variety of American Indian traditions and aesthetics expressed through dance, traditional flute, storytelling, and sign language. Resident Associate and NMAI members, $20. General admission, $25. Call 202.633.3030.

Sponsors: National Museum of the American Indian and The Smithsonian Associates
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 14 - Sunday, November 15 , 10 am - 3 pm
Description: American Indian Heritage Month Family Day: From Deer to Dance
The whole family is invited to this kickoff of the Smithsonian’s celebration of American Indian Heritage Month. The weekend includes demonstrations of deer-hide tanning and painting, beadworking, and moccasin making, as well as drumming and dance performances. Hands-on activities are included. The White Oak Singers perform on Saturday at noon. The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble performs on Sunday at noon.

This is the fifth and final feature event in the 2009 Smithsonian Heritage Month family-day series, sponsored by Target. The theme is “Living in Many Worlds,” which explores the dynamic intersection of family, history, and cultural identity.

Participants: National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian American Indian Employee Network, Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, and Smithsonian Heritage Months Steering Committee
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center, Third Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, November 18 , 11 am
Description: Hok-noth-da? (Did You Hear?) Listen! I Have a Story to Tell!
This twenty-minute reading program is designed for student groups (grades K-4) and families. Children hear a story and learn about indigenous groups introduced therein.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Albert H. Small Dcoument Gallery, Second Floor East
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Thursday, November 19 , 12 noon - 12:30 pm
Description: Native Histories, Native Documents
Rayna Green, a curator of the exhibition Keeping History: Plains Indian Ledger Drawings, discusses the ways in which Native Americans transformed an alien art form into a very Native recounting of their stories, A Meet Our Museum presentation.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 21 , 10 am - 12 noon
Description: Hands-On Activities: Paper Star Quilt Patterns
Families can create their own quilt pattern to take home.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 21 , 10:30 am
Description: Saturday Morning Cartoons
The museum presents family-friendly cartoons from the award-winning Wapos Bay and Raven Tales series. Breakfast specials are offered in the cafe from 10 to 11 am.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 21 , 2 pm
Description: Native Writers for Kids: Stephanie Duckworth-Elliott
Duckworth-Elliott (Wampanoag) reads from her book Poneasequa: Goddess of the Waters, about a young Wampanoag girl who unexpectedly leans about her culture and herself. Recommended for ages 9–12. A book signing follows.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Resource Center, Third Level
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, November 25 , 11 am
Description: Hok-noth-da? (Did You Hear?) Listen! I Have a Story to Tell!
This twenty-minute reading program is designed for student groups (grades K-4) and families. Children hear a story and learn about indigenous groups introduced therein.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 28 , 10 am - 12 noon
Description: Hands-On Activities: Paper Star Quilt Patterns
Families can create their own quilt pattern to take home.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe
City: Washington D.C.
Date: Saturday, November 28 , 10:30 am
Description: Saturday Morning Cartoons
The museum presents family-friendly cartoons from the award-winning Wapos Bay and Raven Tales series. Breakfast specials are offered in the cafe from 10 to 11 am.
 
  NEW YORK
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Tuesday, November 3 , 10 am - 3 pm
Description: Educators' Open House
Educators have the opportunity to learn about the experiences available at the museum. Activities include tours of the exhibitions, the Haudenosaunee Discovery Room, and the Resource Center, as well as hands-on activities. Those who preregister will receive a package of resources. Call 212.514.3716.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 10 a.m.–noon & 1–3 p.m.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 10 a.m.–noon & 1–3 p.m.
Thursday, November 5, 2009, 10 a.m.–noon & 1–3 p.m.
Description: Gallery Demonstration: A Song for the Horse Nation with Joy Tone-Pah
Joy Tone Pah Hote (Kiowa/Mayan) will demonstrate the art of making Powwow dresses, as well as her famous beadwork techniques, with museum visitors. In addition she will discuss the impact horses had on the Kiowa people of the Southern Plains.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Thursday, November 5 , 6 pm
Description: What Did the Native Peoples Think of Hudson?
In connection with the Hudson Quadricentennial, the museum continues a lecture series on the Native encounter with Henry Hudson and the Dutch who followed him. In this talk, Evan Haefeli of Columbia University reexamines traditional interpretations. The lecture is preceded by a thirty-minute walking tour that brings to life the environs and customs of the region before the Dutch. For tour reservations, e-mail nmaitours@si.edu.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Auditorium
City: New York, NY
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 6 pm
Description: Curator Talk: Emil Her Many Horses
Emil Her Many Horse (Oglala Lakota) discusses the exhibition A Song for the Horse Nation.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Auditorium
City: New York, NY
Date: Thursday, November 12 , 6 pm
Description: AAIA Short Film Showcase
The fifth annual showcase features works by Blackhorse Lowe (Navajo), Ryan Red Corn (Osage), and Eve-Lauryn LaFountain (Turtle Mountain Chippewa). The program is preceded by a public reception at 5 pm at the American Indian Community House, 11 Broadway, Second Floor.

Cosponsor: Association of American Indian Affairs
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Saturday, November 14 , 12 noon
Description: Storybook Readings and Workshop
Children listen to stories from the Eagle Books series by Georgia Perez (Nambe Pueblo), which teach healthy ways of living. After the readings, join us for healthy activities and a book giveaway.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: EXHIBITION OPENING: Saturday, November 14
Description: A Song for the Horse Nation
A Song for the Horse Nation presents the enduring relationship between Native people and the horse through vivid personal accounts and a spectacular array of objects, most from the museum's renowned collection. Starting with the return of the horse to the Americas in the 15th century, the exhibition traces how Native people adapted the horse into their cultural and spiritual lives and integrated it into their geographic expansion, warfare and defense.

A Song for the Horse Nation presents 95 works, including elaborate horse trappings, clothing, and photographs. The exhibition will close in March, 2011, and will continue at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., from June 2011 through January 2013. Afterward, the exhibition is expected to tour nationally through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service program (SITES).
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Thursday, November 19 , 5 - 8 pm
Description: Porcupine Quillwork with D. Joyce Kitson
A gifted Lakota traditional artist from the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, Kitson learned beadwork from her grandmother and hide tanning from an elder relative. Join her in a hands-on workshop in which she teaches basic quillwork techniques. Materials fee: $25, or $20 for members. To register, call 212.514.3716.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Auditorium
City: New York, NY
Date: Thursday, November 19 , 6 pm
Description: Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete
This documentary traces the life of Jim Thorpe from his boyhood in Indian Territory to his athletic stardom at Carlisle Indian Industrial School to the 1912 Olympics and the tumultuous events afterwards. (2009, 62 minutes)
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Thursday, November 19 , 6 pm
Description: Representation of North American Natives in the Dutch Golden Age
Michiel van Groesen of the University of Amsterdam discusses images, both visual and written, that influenced Dutch opinion toward the indigenous people of their new domain. The lecture is preceded by a thirty-minute walking tour that brings to life the environs and customs of the region before Dutch contact. For tour reservations, e-mail nmaitours@si.edu.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Saturday, November 21 , 1 - 4:30 pm
Description: Art for a Horse Nation
Celebrated Native artists discuss and demonstrate traditions of plains Native cultures featured in the exhibition Song for a Horse Nation, including horsehair basket weaving, ledger art, and beadwork and quillwork. Curator Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota) leads a tour of the exhibition.
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Saturday, November 21 , 2 pm
Description: Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete
This documentary traces the life of Jim Thorpe from his boyhood in Indian Territory to his athletic stardom at Carlisle Indian Industrial School to the 1912 Olympics and the tumultuous events afterwards. (2009, 62 minutes)
 
Location: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
City: New York, NY
Date: Wednesday, November 25 - Sunday, November 29 , 1 and 3 pm
Description: We Shall Remain: After the Mayflower
In the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the seventeenth century, the diplomatic strategy of the Wampanoag included supporting the English who desperately needed their help. But a half century later, the volume of English immigration had become overwhelming and led to struggle known as King Philip’s War. This documentary with dramatic reenactments was produced by American Experience as part of the series We Shall Remain. (2008, 74 minutes)

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