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National Museum of the American Indian

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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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What Indigenous Americans Believe About Eclipses

From Cherokee to Shawnee to Shoshone-Bannock and others, the traditions and beliefs marking an eclipse reveal close connections to the planets

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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

“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

For the last few years, Native friends have shared their Christmas plans and traditions with Smithsonian Voices. This extraordinary year, we asked how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting people’s families and communities. The introduction of Christianity to the Americas can be controversial in Native circles. Europeans knowingly replaced Native people’s existing spiritual beliefs with the beliefs taught in the Bible. Cruelty and brutality often accompanied this indoctrination. Yet it is also true that some tribes, families, and individuals embraced the Bible and Jesus’ teachings. This complicated history is reflected here, as well.

Doña Ofelia Esparza decorates the ofrenda

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

Join us to celebrate the Day of the Dead virtually with cultural and environmental presentations, music, and art online. Share memories of your loved ones on the museum's Facebook page. The roots of el Día de los Muertos are millennia-deep in Indigenous Mexico. Today, the holiday is celebrated in cities and towns throughout the United States and, increasingly, around the world. In addition to giving an overview of the observance and a look at the virtual programs being offered by the museum this weekend, Dennis Zotigh provides links to online resources, including family activities and good books for young readers.

Niuam (Comanche) peyote fan, ca. 1890. Oklahoma. 22/9197 (Ernest Amoroso, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian)

Native Perspectives on the 40th Anniversary of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Forty years ago, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act finally finally extended that right to the country's Native citizens. Here Native Americans who observe traditional ways talk about religious freedom.

Haudenosaunee bear effigy pipe, 17th c. Cayuga Lake, New York. 22/3765 (Ernest Amoroso, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian)

"Words Spoken Before All Others," the Ohenten Kariwatekwen or Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

When the museum asked Native Americans if their families celebrate Thanksgiving, a friend from the Crow Agency in Montana spoke for many Native people when she told us, "My Dad used to say, 'We give thanks everyday. . . .' " The Ohenten Kariwatekwen is often called the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, but translated directly the name refers to "words spoken before all others." The Haudenosaunee nations—the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora—traditionally open and close every important gathering with a version of these thanks.

Lyricist, musician, and dancer Christian Parrish Takes The Gun, aka Supaman. (Matika WIlbur)

"To Reach More, Serve More, Inspire More, and Just Live More"—Hip Hop Artist Supaman

Christian Parrish Takes The Gun (Apsáalooke Nation), who performs as Supaman, has won a Nammy (Native American Music Award), an Aboriginal Peoples Music Choice Award, and the 2017 MTV Video Music Award for "Best Fight Against the System"—the last as part of the group of Native and non-Native musicians who recorded "Stand Up/Stand N Rock." What motivates him, however, isn't recognition but spirituality, Native culture and values, the people he meets on the road, and the chance to make a difference in the world.

The Winter Solstice Begins a Season of Storytelling and Ceremony

In the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice is the year’s day of least sunlight, when the sun takes its lowest, shortest path across the sky. North of the Arctic Circle, it is the midpoint of the period of darkness, when even twilight doesn’t reach the horizon. We asked a few of our Native friends to share traditions they’ve heard about the winter solstice. Their answers highlight winter as a time for storytelling.

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