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National Museum of the American Indian

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Unveiling the History and Renaissance of Native Tattoos

From the Paleolithic era to the present, the resurgence of Native cultural pride has re-emerged though ancient tattooing practices

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A Retrospective of the Art of Truman Lowe Celebrates One of the Most Acclaimed Native American Sculptors of the 20th Century

Growing up near the peaceful waters of the Black River in Wisconsin, traditional knowledge was gathered from the natural landscape and its resources. These cultural teachings and resources were used to develop the exhibition

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These Objects From the Smithsonian Collections Mark the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn

As the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn approaches, approximately 19 tribes have committed to participating in a commemorative event. This historical tribute is expected to draw thousands of Native Americans and visitors to the battle area

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Meet Jewels Gilbert, the Native Artist Behind Beautiful Arctic Beadwork

Above the Arctic Circle, where the temperature plumets below zero and darkness abounds for months, the art of Indigenous beading sustains the resilience of the Alaskan Gwich’in Athabaskan culture.

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How This Weekend's Native American Hoop Dance Championships Mark the Rebirth of a Dynamic Art Form

In 1991, my father and I decided to host a unique event to preserve a Native artform that began in the Southwest and transform it into a World Championship Contest. Little did we know our collaboration would take the art of hoop dancing to unknown levels of skill and performance.

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How Native Americans Are Celebrating the Holiday Season With Festive Meals, Public Service and Cherished Traditions

The winter holidays and especially Christmas have different meanings to tribes and Native individuals across Indian Country as they commune with friends and family

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The Kiowa Return to Tso ai, a Sacred Place With a Meaning Far Removed From Its Role in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

Kiowa tribal members revisit their ancestral homelands to honor their creation story during the anniversary of the United States’ first national monument.

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Restoring Her Name: The Story Behind a 1910 Photograph

American Indians have long been erased or hidden from historical records, but archivists and Native communities are working to restore identities and reconnect families with photos and other materials related to their ancestors.

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Meet Montana’s Teacher of the Year: Kevin KickingWoman

It is very rare for an American Indian who has deep roots in his culture, to receive teaching recognition in formal education. Here is his story.

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The Long Path Toward Establishing Indigenous People's Day, a Day to Honor and Recognize the First Peoples of America

Native American Indians are committed to making Indigenous Peoples Day a national holiday in 2024.

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The Quapaw Treaty Was Honored for Only Six Years Before the United States Broke It

The document signed in 1818 serves as a reminder of the unfairness of the federal government's approach to negotiating with Native communities

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Women’s History Month featuring Native Rights Champion Suzan Shown Harjo

“She’s taught all of us that Native values make Americans stronger.” - President Barack Obama

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How to Play Snow Snake, the Traditional Winter Game of the Haudenosaunee

This age-old game uses the techniques of skill and strength to propel a wooden pole down a long snow track

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How Christmas Is Celebrated Across Indian Country

A unique look at how Native people spend their winter holiday season

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The Indigenous Effect: Native People in Film

Over the past few years, Indigenous film and television have finally started to break through on mainstream platforms, and the National Museum of the American Indian's annual Native Cinema Showcase has been part of that change. Native comedian, filmmaker, and the producer of Netflix show "Spirit Rangers" Joey Clift (Cowlitz) looks back on how things have changed since his childhood and what he hopes the future holds for Indigenous film and television.

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Through the Indigenous Lens of Photographer Tomas 'Teko' Alejo

For Hispanic Heritage Month the National Museum of the American Indian is proud to feature the powerful images of an Indigenous American Chicano photographer.

The quilted work Tears of Our Children, Tears for Our Children created by Susan Hudson (Diné/Navajo) depicts the effects of assimilation and boarding schools on the lives of Diné/Navajo children and adults.

Healing Soul Wounds: Grappling with the Indian Boarding School Era

During history major Maddie Henderson's internship at the National Museum of the American Indian, she sought to learn more about the Indian boarding school era and how forced assimilation has affected the dissemination of cultural practices generations later, including within her own family.

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What the 1865 Cheyenne Arapaho Treaty Represents About the United States' Broken Promises to Native Americans

The important document is now on view at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

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Festivals Officially Return to the National Museum of the American Indian Starting with the Cherokee Festival

After a hiatus due to the Covid crisis, in-person events are now scheduled for the museums in New York and Washington D.C.

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A Return to the Wounded Knee Occupation, 50 Years Later

The new era of social consciousness and racial activism in the 1970s would play a pivotal role in the events leading up to the 71-day occupation

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