National Museum of the American Indian

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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.

Female Aztec dancer in motion.

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.

Two Natives waiting for the fire fight

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

Worth Waiting, Craig George

Romance in Indian Country

What does romance look like in Native America? Join us as we delve into inside world of Indigenous people as they look for love and romance

Taffy Abel

A Forgotten Olympic First

Taffy Abel, U.S. hockey's initial American Indian player, won a silver medal at the inaugural Winter Games almost a century ago

Coyote and Turkeys Illustration

Native Ghosts and the Supernatural

In the new book, "Living Ghosts and Mysterious Monsters," a Native storyteller shares ancient and contemporary scary stories

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

For the last 20 years, the National Museum of the American Indian's annual film festival has provided a venue for Native filmmakers who are telling their own stories in their own voices and using the medium as a catalyst for change. This year, from November 18 through 27, the museum presents Native Cinema Showcase entirely online, with many of the selections available to viewers around the world. Here, the museum’s New York film programmer highlights showcase films for every audience.

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.

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

As the country debates racist symbolism in monuments, sports, and commercial brands—and the Washington NFL franchise considers dropping the racial slur from its name—the director and board chair of the National Museum of the American Indian take the stand that the appropriation of Native language and imagery never serves to honor Indigenous people, histories, and cultures. On the contrary, it perpetuates racism and legitimizes racist acts.

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

Ian Kuali’i (Native Hawaiian and Mescalero Apache) is known both for his cut-paper art and for his background in hip hop and graffiti. In this profile, the museum’s Justin Mugits talks to Ian about the creative influences in his life and finding his space in urban contemporary and Indigenous art.

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

Most of the Native American art we see in museums, in the United States and around the world, was created by women. In many traditional tribal governments, women formed the upper council, responsible for decisions of war and peace, and women have been elected to the highest offices in 20th-century Native nations throughout the United States. In short, Women’s History Month is important to our museum. Here are highlights of programs on the calendar in Washington, D.C., and New York City throughout March 2020.

Alaska Magazine calls the Inuit drum-dance group Pamyua

From new music and dance fusions to traditional festivals, the museum's Native American Heritage Month is something special

Everything people need to know to join the National Museum of the American Indian in celebrating the diversity and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives during Native American Heritage Month this November. For friends unable to visit Washington, D.C., or New York, the museum is webcasting many of these public programs live, then archiving them online.

Norma Baker–Flying Horse (third from left) with models wearing her Red Berry Woman designs. Paris Fashion Week, March 2019. (Ulla Couture Photography)

"A Lot of Our Traditional Clothing, We Had to Fight to Keep"—Fashion Designer Norma Baker–Flying Horse

Designer Norma Baker–Flying Horse (enrolled citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) grew up loving toy high heels and secondhand accessories. "I was the most stylish six-year-old on the cattle ranch," she says. This year, Paris Fashion Week featured her work. "To be a Native American designer showing for the Fashion Week Studio was amazing. I felt like a childhood dream had come true." Happy Women's History Month!

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.

Jazz performer and composer Delbert Anderson (Navajo). (Shutterfreek Photography)

"The Swing of the Navajo Heartbeat and the Improvisation of Navajo Chants"—Musician Delbert Anderson

In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, the museum talks with musician Delbert Anderson. The sources of Anderson's always-evolving art are eclectic, ranging from jazz standards and improvisation, to Navajo spinning songs and the traditional melodies his grandfather hums, the scenery of the Navajo Nation, and the historic experience of both Native and African American people. “Most of the time I explain the Delbert Anderson Trio’s music as traditional Native American jazz—fusing ancient Navajo cultural music with the hard swing and funk of the jazz masters,” Anderson says. “But I’d rather just call it music.”

Michael Smith, founder and director of the American Indian Film Institute, at the 42nd annual American Indian Film Festival. November 2017, San Francisco. (Courtesy of the American Indian Film Festival)

Native Film Advocate Michael Smith (1951–2018)—An Appreciation

Michael Smith (Fort Peck Sioux Tribe), the founder and director of the American Indian Film Institute and American Indian Film Festival, was an advocate for Native people and a leader in bringing their voices to mainstream media through film. His dedication to showcasing films by or about American Indians and First Nations people was tireless. He could be seen at conventions, film festivals, tribal communities—even at local diners—where he would chat with anyone about his loves: the American Indian Film Festival and his family.

In the exhibition

The entangled history of non-Native Americans and American Indians has shaped and defined who we are as a people

Images of American Indians are embedded in Americans' everyday lives and have been since before the American Revolution. What other nation in the world is so fascinated by one segment of its society? And what can we learn about ourselves and our history by thinking about why? One of the curators of the "Americans," opening January 18 at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., gives a brief introduction to a few of the ideas behind the major new exhibition.

From left to right: Zack “Doc” Battiest, Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, and Spencer Battiest in the music video

Musician Spencer Battiest talks heritage, motivation, and Standing Rock ahead of museum concerts

Award-winning singer Spencer Battiest (Seminole Tribe of Florida/Choctaw) is a third- or fourth-generation musician, but his cultural roots go even deeper. “I’ve always had close ties with my tribe since I was young,” Spencer explains. “As I push forward in my career and see how far I can go, I always carry my tribe with me.” Battiest’s reverence for his heritage is palpable in his work. His music videos have Native directors, actors, tech hands, and producers. “I love doing business with other Natives. That’s always been my thing.”

Poet and spoken word artist Autumn White Eyes. (Angel White Eyes for Red Cloud School)

Writing as Cathartic Practice and with Intention toward the Audience: Autumn White Eyes on Poetry

Autumn White Eyes (enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, Turtle Mountain Anishinaabe, Northern Cheyenne, and Pawnee descent) talks about writing, revision, and the evolution of her work. She sees poetry and spoken word as forms of oral tradition and storytelling: "I was lucky to grow up with my great grandmothers," she says, "and I loved hearing them tell stories, which always sounded like poetry to me." Their stories are one source of her inspiration; others include the writing and performance styles of John Trudell, Mayda del Valle, Tanaya Winder, Supaman.

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