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National Museum of the American Indian

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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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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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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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Connecting Community and Collections

The Role of Virtual Engagements in Home to Mi’kma’ki Shared Stewardship

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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

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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How Shared Stewardship Is Bringing to Light One of the World’s Most Significant Holdings of Mi’kmaw Cultural Items

How do two institutions work in partnership across borders and time zones to care for cultural items? More than 25 years ago, the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre (MDCC) in Nova Scotia and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian began a partnership that continues today.

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Five Ideas for Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022

From reading Indigenous authors to exploring Native plants, these activities suit everyone in the family

Bison on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana

The Return of a National Icon

Bison, commonly referred to by Native people as “buffalo,” were once on the brink of extinction. Discover how the revival of the bison became one of the United States' great conservation success stories.

Hawaiian wa'a (canoe)

Ka Mo‘olelo o Au Hou ma Wakinekona, D.C. | The Story Behind the Hawaiian Canoe in Washington, D.C.

For thousands of years, Native Hawaiians have traveled the Pacific in traditional voyaging canoes. A fixture on the National Mall for almost 20 years now, a wa‘a (Hawaiian canoe) named Au Hou has called Washington, D.C. home since the National Museum of the American Indian’s grand opening in 2004.

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A Retro Look in the Archives Reveals Past Views on Language Derogatory to Native Americans

Although current views may point to “political correctness” for changes in language and terminology, by looking back through historical documents, it’s quite clear that this is not something new.

The National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

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

Last chance to see the popular exhibition "The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire," before it closes later this summer

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

What can one day tell us? This Friday, December 11, 2020, ten Smithsonian museums and cultural centers are taking a snapshot of this extraordinary year, offering a moment for reflection and sharing perspectives. Join us in this effort to document a day in the life of our nation and the world—a chance to consider together where we’ve been and where we’re going. In addition to collecting individuals’ and families’ stories—with the assistance of wide-ranging questions as prompts—the ten museums and centers present a series of free, virtual programs sharing different perspectives on the issues that have shaped this year. See https://24hours.si.edu/ for the schedule and to register for some of the programs.

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

The exact date of Jim Thorpe's birth is unknown, but it is generally believed that the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States—regarded by many as one of the greatest athletes of all time—was born on May 22, 1887, or May 28, 1888. In honor of his birth, the Smithsonian Transcription Center has added eight significant projects from the Grace Thorpe collection in the museum's archives, including Grace’s “Memories of Dad” and her answer to the frequently asked question “How does it feel to be Jim Thorpe’s daughter?” Read more about Grace Thorpe’s life, then consider becoming a Smithsonian digital volunteer and contributing to the Transcription’s Center’s work.

Ceramic olla purchased from Soledad Lala (Soboba Luiseño), Riverside, California, for the collections of the Museum of the American Indian, with a sketch by the collector, E. H. Davis. Olla: NMAI 7/1952. Drawing: Expedition Sketch Book, No. 2, November 1917. Edward H. Davis Papers, Huntington Free Library Collection 9166, Cornell University Library (National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian; sketch courtesy of the Cornell University Library)

Spotlight on Collections: Reuniting Objects and Expedition Field Notes

The collections of the National Museum of the American Indian include thousands of objects and images acquired during expeditions conducted or sponsored by our predecessor institution, the Museum of the American Indian–Heye Foundation. While some expeditions are well documented in collectors’ field notes and early publications, much of the information about specific objects or the individuals associated with them was never recorded on the museum’s catalog cards. A long-term, multi-institutional project to reconstruct objects’ acquisitions histories is reuniting this information with the collections. Here are a few things we’ve learned so far.

Coiled basket jar, ca. 1900, made by Mary Burkhead (Western Mono). Madera County, California. 16/5503. Through archival research, the museum now knows that a Western Mono woman named Mary Burkhead made this coiled basketry jar, information not listed on the catalog card. The research is part of a multiyear, multi-institutional project to recover information that was separated from, or perhaps never a part of, the museum's catalog records. (National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian. Note: Objects and catalog cards in these photo composites are not to scale.)

Spotlight on Collections: Expanding Both What We Know and What's Available Online

The National Museum of the American Indian has taken a major step toward making our collections more widely available: We have posted all of the museum’s ethnographic and contemporary art collections to the Smithsonian’s collections search center, more than tripling the number of our object records online. Equally important, a long-term, multi-institutional project to reconstruct objects' acquisitions history is adding significantly to what we know about the collections, the history of the museum, and collecting practices over time.

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