Smithsonian Voices

From the Smithsonian Museums

Mitchelene BigMan with fellow members of the Native American Warriors. (Photo courtesy of NMAI)

National Women's History Month: Mitchelene BigMan

An interview with Native American Veteran Mitchelene BigMan.

“Hogan in the Snow,” ca. 1985. Painted by Robert Draper (Diné [Navajo], 1938–2000). Chinle, Navajo Nation, Arizona. 26/6481 (National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian)

Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

Volunteers with the Navajo & Hopi Families Covid-19 Relief Fund distribute food and other essential supplies to isolated communities and farmsteads on the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation. As part of the Smithsonian's virtual program 24 Hours in a Time of Change, Shandiin Herrera (Diné)—seated on the left, wearing a Duke University sweatshirt—describes how this grassroots response to the COVID-19 pandemic came together last spring and shares her experiences as the fund's volunteer coordinator in Monument Valley, Utah. (Photo by Karney Hatch)

Smithsonian Wants Your 2020 Stories

Percy Sandy (A:shiwi [Zuni], 1918–1974).

Seven Native American Chefs Share Thanksgiving Recipes

Theresa Secord (Penobscot, b. 1958). Ear of corn basket, 2003. Maine. 26/1694. By looking at Thanksgiving in the context of living cultures, we can make the holiday a more meaningful part of teaching and learning, in school and at home.

Five Ideas to Change Teaching about Thanksgiving, in Classrooms and at Home

Rebecca Hill-Genia in the award-winning documentary

Films for Fans of All Kinds from the Museum’s Native Cinema Showcase 2020, This Year Screening Online

Doña Ofelia Esparza decorates the ofrenda

Celebrate the Day of the Dead from Home with Music, Butterfly Science, Cultural Presentations, and Family Activities

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020, the museum brings young Native activists together online to discuss the tension between history and memory, and how both are reflected in the current racial and social landscape. Hip-hop artist Frank Waln contributes a musical performance. From left to right: Musician Frank Waln; panelists Brook Thompson, Dylan Baca, Lina Krueck, Julian Brave NoiseCat, Michaela Pavlat, and Alberto Correa III. (Photos courtesy of the participants)

Five Ideas for Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020

An Indigenous couple marries on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park. Many of the United States' National Parks are places of historical, cultural, and sacred meaning for Native communities. (Photo used with the permission of Desirée Shelley Flores)

How Native Americans Bring Depth of Understanding to the Nation’s National Parks

A Diné child begins her much-anticipated school year online in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Courtesy of Cornillia Sandoval, used with permission)

Returning to School in Indian Country during the Pandemic

People protest against the name of the Washington, D.C., NFL team before a game between Washington and the Minnesota Vikings. Minneapolis, November 2, 2014. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Ending the Use of Racist Mascots and Images

Adrian Stevens (Ute/Shoshone–Bannock/San Carlos Apache) and Sean Snyder (Dine/Ute), a couple who regularly participate in powwows. (Courtesy of Adrian Stevens, used with permission)

Pride Month 2020: Perspectives on LGBTQ Native Americans in Traditional Culture

Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox), with the inscription “To my little girl Grace From Dad Jim Thorpe 1951.” The photo, in the original folder frame, shows Thorpe during his career with the Canton Bulldogs football team, ca. 1915 to 1920. Grace Thorpe Collection, NMAI.AC.085 (pht_092_002). (National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian)

Happy Birthday, Jim Thorpe! We're Celebrating by Making His Daughter's Archives More Accessible Online

Drum used by Native American soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2007 and 2008. 27/167. The drum was also used in a Cheyenne Soldier Dance held for Cody Ayon (Southern Cheyenne) in 2010 when he returned to the United States. Mr. Ayon gave the drum to the museum in 2018. (National Museum of the American Indian)

Memorial Day in Indian Country

Gabrielle Lee (Kanaka Maoli), the first Native Hawaiian cultural interpreter on the staff of the National Museum of the American Indian, in a small section of the New York Botanical Garden that features plants native to Hawai‘i. (Courtesy of Gabbi Lee)

Aloha Opens the Door to Learning

Patricia Stone (Akimel O'otham) and Leonard Stone (Akimel O'otham) with their new baby, 1965. Gila River Indian Community, Arizona. (Helge Teiwes Collection, NMAI.AC.070)

How Do American Indians Celebrate Mother's Day?

Visitors look at a large, cut-paper work by Ian Kuali’i (Native Hawaiian and Mescalero Apache), on view at the Red Bull House of Art Detroit. Kuali’i was a resident artist at the experimental, noncommercial arts organization in 2016. (Red Bull, courtesy of Ian Kuali’i)

From aspiring breakdancer to accomplished artist, Ian Kuali’i traces his path so far

Genízaro Delvin Garcia standing in remains of the 18th-century Santa Rosa de Lima Church. Abiquiú, New Mexico, 2019. (© 2020 Russel Albert Daniels)

“Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field” Presents Contemporary Native Experiences from the Inside

From a Dance Performance on the Residential School Experience to a Symposium Celebrating Native Women's Art, Women’s History Month Matters at the National Museum of the American Indian

Maria Marable-Bunch, associate director for museum learning and programs of the National Museum of the American Indian, in the exhibition

"All the Fun Action Happens in the Galleries and Learning Centers of a Museum"—Maria Marable-Bunch

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LGBTQIA+ Pride and Two-Spirit People

National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. to Reopen May 21

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