National Museum of the American Indian

Cynthia and her husband Walter

Museum's New Director Dr. Cynthia Chavez Lamar Says Her Goal Is 'Listening, Being Respectful and Asking for Help'

Chavez emphasizes how she plans to maintain her cultural and communal ties while working in Washington D.C.

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

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current views may point to “political correctness” for changes in language and terminology, by looking back through historical documents, it’s quite clear that this is not something new.

Louie and Emmalani Longenecker

The Christmas Season in Indian Country

Celebrations, memorials, and gatherings during the winter holiday season

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Native Rights Are Human Rights

Remembering the humanity of Indigenous peoples on International Human Rights Day

cover of If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving, showing a Native American man watching a ship in the bay

'If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving' by Chris Newell Exposes New Truths About a Major American Holiday

Just in time for Thanksgiving, this newly released book explains the events surrounding the original feast at Plimoth – from a Native perspective.

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

Between Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage and Month, November is go-time for teaching and learning about Native America. Here, parent and museum educator Renée Gokey shares simple ways to make the responsibility less daunting. In addition to briefly describing strategies for learners K–12, Renée links to teaching resources from the museum and other organizations. And she notes that students can use Thanksgiving and their new tools for thinking about culture to learn and share more about their own family’s history and traditions.

Educator’s Blog: Land Acknowledgments as a Tool Towards Social Justice in Your Classroom

Teaching about Land Acknowledgments in Your Classroom or Community

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

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

Deb Haaland speaks at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the National Native American Veterans Memorial, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. Paul Morigi/AP Images for Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Reactions From Indian Country to Deb Haaland's Confirmation as Secretary of the Interior

On Monday, March 15, 2021, Deb Haaland (Laguna and Jemez Pueblos) was confirmed as the first Native American Secretary of the Interior.

Hank Adams carries a letter from the White House to Chief Frank Fools Crow (Oglala Lakota) during the siege of Wounded Knee. Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, 1973. (Hank Adams Collection)

“The Most Important Indian”—In Memory of Hank Adams (1943–2020)

The museum mourns the passing December 21 of Hank Adams (Assiniboine–Sioux, 1943–2020). Born on the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana and raised in Taholah, on the Quinault Reservation in Washington State, Adams is best known for his lifelong work to secure Native treaty rights, especially Northwest Coast tribes’ treaty rights to fish their accustomed rivers and grounds. The writer Vine Deloria Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux, 1933–2005) called Adams “the most important Indian” of the second half of the 20th century and predicted that historians would recognize his contributions to the struggle for Indigenous rights.

“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.

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.

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

Seven Native American Chefs Share Thanksgiving Recipes

To the original peoples of this continent, each day is a day to give thanks to the Creator. Thanksgiving ceremonies have always taken place whenever Native people have gathered, and food and feasts often serve as a focal point. For our national Thanksgiving, we've asked Native chefs Javier Kaulaity, Clayton Jones, Justin Pioche, Elena Terry, Brian Pekah, Monie Horsechief, and Anthony Warrior to share recipes inspired by Native American foods and techniques. Our hope during this unusual year is to bring something meaningful and new to your holiday.

California Natives gather in front of City Hall to celebrate Los Angeles's second annual Indigenous Peoples Day. October 14, 2019, Los Angeles, California. (Photo courtesy of Helena Tsosie)

Rethinking How We Celebrate American History—Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! On Monday, more states, cities, and communities than ever will observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of or in addition to Columbus Day. They’re part of a larger movement to see a more complete and accurate history of the United States taught in our schools and public spaces. Given research showing that the majority of state and local curriculum standards end their study of Native American history before 1900, the importance of celebrating the survival and contemporary experience of Native peoples has never been clearer.

Native American veterans of the Vietnam War stand in honor as part of the color guard at the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial. November 11, 1990, Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Native Americans Have Always Answered the Call to Serve: National VFW Day 2020

National Veterans of Foreign Wars Day, September 29, acknowledges the men and women who have served honorably in the U.S. military overseas in war or other imminent danger. The VFW traces its roots to the late 19th century and efforts to secure rights and benefits for veterans of the Spanish–American and Philippine–American wars. Its establishment, however, dates to 1914. A few years later, the participation of American Indians in the U.S. military during World War I helped bring down the last obstacles to their recognition as American citizens. Here, the museum looks at the mission and vision of the VFW and Native Americans' extraordinary record of service in combat.

Cody Ayon (Tsistsistas [Southern Cheyenne]) enlisted in both the U.S. Navy and the New Mexico Army National Guard. The Native community of Albuquerque welcomed then-Lieutenant Ayon home with a Soldier Dance after his service during the Iraq War. (Steven Clevenger [Osage], courtesy of Cody Ayon)

“We took our way of life with us to keep us strong. We represented our tribes in keeping with these values.” —Captain Cody Ayon

Capt. Cody Ayon (Tsistsistas [Southern Cheyenne]) enlisted in both the U.S. Navy and the New Mexico Army National Guard. In this interview, he describes his reasons for joining the military, including family and tribal traditions and his wish to know people and cultures around the world. He retired in 2016 after 24 years of service, including a tour of duty in Iraq during the Iraq War. Looking forward to the completion of the National Native American Veterans Memorial this fall, Capt. Ayon says, “I believe this memorial will serve as reminder and a beacon, not only to Natives but to all who see it, that we are still here, we are still keeping our way of life alive, and our warrior traditions are not forgotten. Even after facing atrocities at the hands of our government earlier in the country’s history, we still stand as the keepers of our homeland.”

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

On National Park Service Founders Day, the museum looks at the changing relationship between Native Americans and the National Park Service through the eyes of three Native rangers and interpreters: “I think Native interpreters steeped in their own tribal cultures are inclined to go the extra mile to educate the public about other vantage points of an historical event or issue,” writes Roger Amerman (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma). “I worked extremely hard to tell a complicated story. Even when I was off the clock, I was still thinking of how to add to the story of my park.”

Dressed in ceremonial regalia, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne), a veteran of the Korean War, stands with World War II veteran Senator Daniel K. Inouye and Native American veterans of the Vietnam War during the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall. September 21, 2004, Washington, D.C. (Mario Tama/ AFP for the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian)

A Native American Remembrance on Korean Armistice Day

On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, Kiowa tribal member Dennis Zotigh pays respect to the veterans who served during the Korean conflict, and especially to the three Kiowa soldiers who gave their lives there. Dennis, whose uncle served in Korea, also shares memories of performing with a Kiowa cultural group in Seoul nearly 20 years ago and his impressions from that trip.

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