Native American Indian Museums & Heritage Centers
Native American Online Resources
Credit Above Photo: Iamtreader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Arizona Museum of Natural History.
Native American Indian Museums & Heritage Centers
Native American Online Resources
Credit Above Photo: Iamtreader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Arizona Museum of Natural History.
Museums listed here have websites that have interesting material and images, but their exhibits are meant to be viewed in person. They can be hard to find, but museums are beginning to create exhibits designed to be viewed on the web. Those that do are indicated by Web Exhibit!.
Akta Lakota Museum – St. Joseph’s Indian School – Chamberlain, SD
The Akta Lakota Museum is a tribute to the Sioux nation that offers visitors a rare and fascinating glimpse into the Lakota culture. Since the museum’s opening in 1991, thousands of people worldwide have been captivated by the unparalleled style, scale, and richness of the facility and its displays of Lakota life, both past and present. This quality Native American experience stems from the Akta Lakota Museum being the only Native American cultural center of its kind. St. Joseph’s Indian School has acquired this rare collection of art and artifacts through gifts received from alumni and friends since the school opened its doors in 1927.
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum (Seminole Tribe of Florida) Web Exhibit
This Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum Exhibits depict the lives of the Seminoles in south Florida during the late 1800s. It is located on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, hosts a stunning collection of Native American artifacts and archival items (more than 200,000 of them), expressing the living history and culture of the Seminole peoples. Named in the Seminole language “a place to learn and remember,’ Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki not only has collections of patchwork clothing, baskets, dolls, and other traditionally-created pieces of cultural significance from the 20th century, but is also home to a large collection of historic archives, conservation work, and tons more. View Web Exhibit)
Antelope Valley Indian Museum | Lancaster, CA
The Antelope Valley Indian Museum (AVIM) interprets the California Indian cultures of the Western Great Basin, East and Southeast of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This includes the Kitanemuk, Mojave, Halchidhoma, Quechhan, Kawaiisu, Southern Paiutes, California and Arizona Indian tribes. The AVIM holdings consist of 8,000 Native American artifacts. The AVIM website has an searchable electronic catalogue of the collection. The AVIM is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Location: 15701 East Avenue M (between East 150th & 170th streets), Lancaster, California, 93535; Museum Phone: 661-946-3055
Arizona Museum of Natural History – Mesa, AZ
Native Cultures of Western North America at the Arizona Museum of Natural History explores the lifeways of dozens of Native American peoples from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska to Mexico. Their stories are told through objects of material culture and works of art. From the Plains, the exhibition features Cheyenne baby carriers, Sioux beaded leatherwork and bone and shell necklaces. From the Plateau are beautiful beaded bags and a vest. From the Arctic and Subarctic are baskets and carved ivory from Eskimo and northern Athabascan peoples. Historic photographs show cultural contexts and uses in all areas.
Birmingham Museum of Art – Birmingham, AL
The Birmingham Museum of Art is a museum in Birmingham, Alabama that features one of the most extensive collections of artwork in the Southeastern United States, with more than 24,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and decorative arts representing numerous Cycultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American. The Birmingham Museum of Art features a large installation of Native American arts. The galleries are organized into four cultural groupings according to region: Eastern Woodlands, Plains, Northwest Coast, and Southwest. Highlights of the collection include a large grouping of fine Navajo blankets and rugs, an extensive collection of Northwest coast art, and important historic and contemporary Pueblo ceramics. There also are excellent examples of Plains beadwork and stunning shaman headdresses. The Birmingham Museum of Art is owned by the City of Birmingham and encompasses 3.9 acres in the heart of the city’s cultural district.
Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC)- Cody, Wyoming
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is widely regarded as America’s finest Western museum. Located in northwestern Wyoming, on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park’s East Gate. The BBHC features five internationally acclaimed museums and a research library. Founded in 1917 as the Buffalo Bill Memorial Association, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center consists of:
The Buffalo Bill Museum examines both the personal and public lives of W.F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, and seeks to interpret his story in the context of the history and myth of the American West.
The Whitney Gallery of Western Art presents an outstanding collection of masterworks of the American West. Original paintings, sculptures and prints trace artistic interpretations of the West from the early 19th century to today.
The Plains Indian Museum features one of the country’s largest and finest collections of Plains Indian art and artifacts. Explore the cultural histories, artistry and living traditions of Plains Indian peoples, including the Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Blackfeet, Sioux, Gros Ventre, Shoshone and Pawnee.
The Cody Firearms Museum contains the world’s most comprehensive assemblage of American arms, as well as European arms dating to the 16th century.
The Draper Museum of Natural History integrates the humanities with natural sciences to interpret the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and adjacent intermountain basins.
California State Indian Museum State Historic Park | Sacramento, CA
The California State Indian Museum, opened in 1940, depicts three major themes of California Indian life: Nature, Spirit, and Family. Native peoples lived prosperously for thousands of years in what is now California. All of the exhibits and photographs on display in the museum are presented with respect for those who went before us on this land and continue to live in California communities today. California Indian cultural items in the museum include traditional baskets, along with some of the smallest in the world, a redwood dugout canoe, ceremonial regalia, beadwork, and hunting & fishing tools-some of which are more than twenty-four hundred years old. There is also an exhibit depicting the life of Ishi, reputedly the last survivor of the Yahi tribe, illustrating how Native culture was powerfully impacted and forever changed when outsiders arrived.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History Web Exhibit!
The Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians emphasizes the interactions of the American Indian people with the natural world. Through exploration of five groups, the Lakota of the Plains, the Tlingit of the Northwest, the Hopi of the Southwest, the Iroquois of the Northeast, and the American Indian living in urban areas, visitors gain an appreciation for the diversity and creativity of native peoples.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art – Indianapolis, IN
500 West Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204 – Located in downtown Indianapolis, in White River State Park. The building’s distinctive design was inspired by the land, people and architecture of the American Southwest.
Cherokee National History Museum – Tallequah, OK
Housed in the renovated Cherokee National Capitol in downtown Tahlequah, the Cherokee National History Museum tells the Cherokee story through immersive exhibits and augmented reality presentations. Through artifacts and interactive exhibits, visitors will find an extraordinary account of Cherokee life before European contact, the Trail of Tears, the Civil War and modern-day Cherokee Nation.
Restored and opened in 2019, the new Cherokee National History Museum resides in the original Cherokee National Capitol building in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It offers 7,000 square feet of timeless art and tribal heritage to explore. Visitors can take lessons in authentic arts and crafts, study the Cherokee Syllabary, and learn about the modern era of the Cherokee Nation. Interactivity is a key feature of the Cherokee National History Museum. Be immersed in hands-on exhibits that showcase the complete Cherokee story. View state-of-the-art digital multimedia displays that delve deep into the Cherokee Nation’s cultural past and present. Experience The Trail of Tears gallery, brought to life by authentic voices of the Cherokee People. Regular Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM. Admission FREE.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center – Shawnee, OK
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center preserves and interprets artifacts relevant to indigenous Great Lakes cultures, with an emphasis on the Anishinabe Potawatomi. Visit this Shawnee museum to experience the history, heritage, art, societal structure and language of these tribes, but not merely in a historical sense. The Citizen Potawatomi are living, dynamic people with a bright future. The museum emphasizes the direct connection between ancestors and the Citizen Potawatomi people of today. The museum also includes a research library, archives, family research center, veteran’s wall of honor, tribal heritage project and long room events center. Stop by the Gift Shop inside the museum, which offers unique Native American made jewelry, ceremonial items, traditional native attire, a vast array of Pendleton blankets, jackets, clothing, bags and more.
Comanche National Museum & Cultural Center – Lawton, OK
Experience the Comanche people’s rich past and present in Lawton at the Comanche National Museum & Cultural Center. Opening its doors in 2007, this museum features programs and exhibits that deepen the understanding and appreciation of Comanche history, culture and fine art. The museum is home to a variety of collections including fine art, the Egli and Chibitty Collections, Fort Sill Indian School and military items. Visitors can also access a library, photo archives and gift shop on-site. Over three decades in the making, the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center (CNMCC) offers fascinating insight into the largest American Indian tribe in the Lawton-Fort Sill area. CNMCC is more than just a traditional museum.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Denver, CO
Representing communities and societies from across the Americas, this collection captures the arts, traditions, worldviews, and practices of living cultures
The American ethnology collection dominates the anthropology collections with about 21,000 objects from nearly every corner of the Americas representing hundreds of cultural groups. Objects range from those made last year to the 1700s, from unidentified to maker-identified, and from hobbyist creations to artistic masterpieces. The region in and around Colorado is prime, representing 65% of the collection, and the majority of the objects are from Native American tribes in North America. Strengths also include Hispanic crafts, Mexican Indian arts, Guatemalan and Andean textiles and utilitarian objects, and a variety of Amazonian objects. Several small documented holdings derive from travelers and government or business missions.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a municipal natural history and science museum in Denver, Colorado. It is a resource for informal science education in the Rocky Mountain region. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help museum visitors learn about the natural history of Colorado, Earth, and the universe. The 716,000-square-foot (66,519 m2) building houses more than one million objects in its collections including natural history and anthropological materials, as well as archival and library resources.
The Eiteljorg Museum – Indianapolis, IN
The Eiteljorg Museum displays the rich cultural diversity of North American peoples through an expansive collection of storytelling, artistic expression, and artifacts. One of the only Midwestern museums to present the histories of both Native America and the American West, Located in Indianapolis, the Eiteljorg showcases many dynamic collections of art and culture. From sculptures and paintings to weaving and pottery, this museum of historical and contemporary art is something you won’t want to miss. The museum also organizes many educational and cultural programs and festivals, such as the summer Indian Market & Festival, throughout the year.
Field Museum of Natural History – Chicago, IL
The Field Museum of Natural History, also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is a popular natural-history museum for the size and quality of its educational and scientific programs, as well as due to its extensive scientific-specimen and artifact collections. The permanent exhibitions, which attract up to two million visitors annually, include fossils, current cultures from around the world, including a huge section dedicated to Native Americans and the broader topic of all the indigenous peoples of North America. Their Native Amerian exhibit is on a scale that will remind you of The Smithsonian.
Discover how ancient cultures intertwine with our own in the “Robert R. McCormick Halls of the Ancient Americas” is a journey through 13,000 years of human ingenuity and achievement in the Western Hemisphere, where diverse societies thrived long before the arrival of Europeans. Through interactive features, floor-to-ceiling displays, and thousands of artifacts, this immersive exhibition explores the ancient peoples of the Americas, from hunters and gatherers to the Aztec and Inca empires—and from the arrival of European settlers to the present day. Discover what we’ve learned recently about these advanced early civilizations and what cultural practices teach us about our own way of life in the 21st century.
First Americans Museum | Oklahoma City, OK
First Americans Museum is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the Crossroads of America, the confluence on Interstates 35, 40, 235 and 44. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city in the state of Oklahoma, USA. FAM is positioned along the Oklahoma River across from downtown. In one place, visitors experience the collective histories of 39 distinctive First American Nations in Oklahoma today. First Americans Museum shares the cultural diversity, history, and contributions of the First Americans. Only a few tribal Nations were indigenous to what is now the State of Oklahoma. All others were removed from homelands across the contiguous U.S. to Indian Territory. In 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the union. The state’s name comes from two Choctaw words “Okla” and “Homma” meaning Red People.
Located in the Tribal Nations Gallery of the South Wing of First Americans Museum, OKLA HOMMA shares the stories of all 39 tribes in Oklahoma today. You are invited to explore this celebration of our peoples’ resiliency—told from the perspective of First Americans. OKLA HOMMA represents more than a decade of careful consultation with each of the 39 tribes, our Knowledge Givers and scholars. Developed by an all-Native curatorial team, the exhibition shares our diverse lifeways and experiences rather than presenting a singular, authoritative narrative.
First Americans Museum (FAM), with support by the Osage Nation Museum and the Osage Nation Foundation, is proud to announce the opening of the Voices from the Drum traveling exhibition. The exhibition features 20 drums and shares the important role of the instruments within the Osage community. The exhibition is thematically arranged to examine how the artists approached the drum, through their culture, their artistic vision, and in relationship to the annual I Lonschka dance. In addition to the 20 drums, the exhibition also includes fine art and a digital display. The exhibit assembles the creativity, knowledge and talent of 19 practicing artists including: Norman Akers, Dante Biss-Grayson, Joe Don Brave, June Carpenter, Sarah Elsberry, Anita Fields, Yatika Fields, Jessica Moore Harjo, Kilan Jacobs, Jonathan Lunsford, Harleigh Moore, Ted Moore, Vanessa Moore, Rock Pipestem, Wendy Ponca, Alex Ponca Stock, Jon Red Corn, Addie Roanhorse, and Jen Tiger.
First Americans Museum + National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Joint Ticket: For $25 per ticket, visitors can experience two nationally recognized museums located just 15 minutes apart. Experience art, living cultures and unique perspectives while learning about the 39 Tribal Nations in Oklahoma today and Western history. Visit museum ticket desks at either institution (in-person only) to purchase.
Five Civilized Tribes Museum – Muskogee, OK
The Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee celebrates the rich culture and heritage of the Five Tribes linked to the area – Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee Creek and Seminole. The museum honors these tribes with artifacts representing their unique history in Oklahoma. Browse one-of-a-kind art and artifacts housed in a building as historic as its contents. The structure housing the museum was built in 1875 as the first Union Agency, constructed by the U.S. Government to house the Superintendence of the Five Civilized Tribes. In addition to its collection, the museum hosts several events to celebrate the tribes. Lectures and art shows are presented annually at the museum. Attend any of these events to experience the artistic and historical impact these Five Tribes had on Oklahoma. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum is housed in the Union Agency Building, whose construction was begun on August 18, 1875. This building was the first to be built by the United States Government to house the Superintendence of the Five Civilized Tribes. Something which is scarcely known is that the term “Five Civilized Tribes” does not official appear in history until one year after the opening of this consolidated Indian Union Agency. Ownership of the Agency Building traditionally rested in the Creek Nation, during which time it also played the role of home and school for orphans of the Creek Freedmen.
Frisco Native American Museum – Frisco, NC
The Frisco Native American Museum contains a nationally recognized collection of thousands of Native American artifacts, exhibits and natural history displays. Galleries filled with native art include information on Native Americans across the United States, as well as artifacts from the first inhabitants of Hatteras Island. Designated as a North Carolina Environmental Education Center and a Historic Albemarle Tour site, the museum also includes several acres of nature trails winding through a lush maritime forest. Include a special gallery, dedicated to the local tribes (Hatterask, Croatoan, Roanoac) and features many items that were found locally on the Outer Banks.
Gilcrease Museum – Tulsa, OK
The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, known as Gilcrease Museum, houses a comprehensive collection of the art, culture and history of North America. Thomas Gilcrease, a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation, established Gilcrease Museum in 1949 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today the interdisciplinary collection contains more than 350,000 items. The museum represents hundreds of Indigenous cultures from across North and South America, with material culture and archaeology ranging from 12,000 BCE to the 21st century. The collection includes more than 350 years of American paintings, sculptures and works on paper, including the largest public holdings of art of the American West. The Kravis Discovery Center brings state of the art technology and artifacts together for an exciting new look at Gilcrease Museum’s anthropology collection. This visible storage area is an interactive collections research facility, providing access to thousands of objects relating to the early history of the Americas.
Gilcrease Museum’s grounds match the artistry within as themed gardens have been developed on 23 of the museum’s 460 acres. Garden tours are available to make the most out of your time on the beautiful museum grounds. The Helmerich Center for American Research at Gilcrease Museum houses the vast archival collection that Thomas Gilcrease amassed. The archives constitute one of the country’s most extensive collections of rare books, documents, maps, and unpublished material related to the history of the North American continent. In addition, the museum offers a continuum of art education programs for all ages. The museum is owned by the City of Tulsa, which has partnered with The University of Tulsa to steward the museum.
Heard Museum – Phoenix, AZ
The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, is a private, non-profit museum founded in 1929 by Dwight B. and Maie Bartlett Heard to house their personal collection of cultural and fine art. The mission and philosophy of the Heard today is to educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and arts of Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest.
Heinz History Center – Pittsburgh, PA
The Heinz History Center is an impressive center of Western Pennsylvanian history includes several museums, from the main Heinz History Center to the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. However, its spot in this list of Native American museums is due to its stunning Fort Pitt Museum, which is home to historic galleries, living historical reenactments, and exhibitions exploring the French and Indian War. Within its galleries and exhibitions, the relationship between Native peoples and the French and English who all competed for the land are explored. This center is also affiliated with the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, which is an unbelievable archeological treasure: the oldest known site of human habitation in North America used continuously by the Native peoples until the 18th century.
Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, the oldest site of human habitation in North America, is located in Avella, Washington County, Pa. Meadowcroft Rockshelter, a National Historic Landmark, features 19,000-year-old evidence of the region’s earliest inhabitants under a massive rock overhang. In addition to the Rockshelter, the site is also home to three outdoor historic areas, including a 16th century Indian village, 18th century Frontier Trading Post, and 19th century village that help visitors experience life over the past 500 years.
Heritage Center – Pine Ridge, SD Web Exhibit!
Located five miles north of historic Pine Ridge Village on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, we are a museum and cultural resource center open to the public throughout the year. During the summer, part of the permanent collection is stored in order to make room for the annual Red Cloud Indian Art Show. This show runs from the second Sunday in June through the second Sunday in August and features award-winning paintings, graphics, and sculptures. Currently, part of the permanent collection is on exhibit, including some of our oldest pieces: buckskin shirts and beaded moccasins c. 1880. One of our featured pieces is a top hat worn by Chief American Horse. An online exhibit includes many very nice closeup photos of old moccasins.
Indian Village at Moundville Archaeological Park
The Indian Village at Moundville Archaeological Park provides an opportunity to look into the past lifeways of the prehistoric Mississippian peoples. Each house in the village has a separate theme that depicts the daily life of the people that lived here prior to European arrival in the Americas. The new John and Delia Roberts Crafts Pavilions are used to demonstrate Native American lifeways to the park visitor. The pavilions also serve as outdoor classrooms and demonstration areas for our Native American artists-in-residence.
Moundville Archaeological Park is located 14 miles south of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Highway 69 South. From Highway I-20/59 take exit 71A and proceed 13 miles south. The park entrance will be located on your right on Highway 69.
The Interior Museum (US Dept. of the Interior)
First floor of the main Interior Building in Washington, DC – Museum collections include 1,500 North American Indian artifacts, over half of them baskets, that have been contributed by private collectors.
The Journey Museum and Learning Center – Rapid City, SDWeb Exhibit
The museum houses five major prehistoric and historic collections of art, artifacts, and exhibits to shed light on the Black Hills and Native American culture. Art collections and galleries feature the unique telling of the story of the Western Great Plains through the eyes of the Lakota people, as well as the historic pioneers who settled there and the contemporary scientists who study the archeology of the location. They run several educational programs and have many dynamic and interactive displays and outdoor exhibits from several renowned Native artists. Many of the distinctive tribal styles and lavish surface embellishment in beadwork and quillwork were developed during the early reservation days of the late nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth century. Included in the collection of contemporary Native American arts and crafts is work by the late Oscar Howe, Herman Red Elk, Robert Penn, Sophie New Holy, Emil and Alice (New Holy) Blue Legs, Nellie Menard, and many more. In addition to the Permanent Exhibits, the museum features a series of rotating promotional exhibits featuring contemporary American Indian artists and craftspeople. View Web Exhibit)
Maas Collection of Native Americana Web Exhibit!
Online galleries of both museum quality collections and quality reproductions,including Hopewell pipes, axes& celts, points, bead work, baskets, pottery, and more. This is a private collection, offering many close-up images of beadwork, moccasins and other crafts.
The Malki Museum,located inside The Morongo Native American community land near Banning,California is an excellent cultural,visual and learning experience for the entire family. Our permanent exhibits consist of various artifacts, which include baskets, pottery, and a variety of tools used by the native tribes of southern California. We also have our native plant garden exhibit—Temalpakh—which showcases a variety of California Native plants and how they were used as a food source, medicine and creating shelters. Each exhibit aims to open dialogue and inform our visitors of the history, culture and lives of California native Americans in the past, present and future. Phone: (951) 849-7289
Mid-America All-Indian Center – Wichita, KS
650 N. Seneca, Wichita, KS 67203, 316-262-5221. The Center is located at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers, on land where the Wichita tribe camped more than 100 years ago. The arrow-shaped building shown at the right, was a Bicentennial gift to all Indians from the people of Wichita. The Indian Center is part of the cultural triangle which includes the Wichita Art Museum and Old Cowtown Museum. It is just five minutes from downtown Wichita.
The Indian Center Museum, located in the Mid-America All-Indian Center, preserves and showcases the heritage of the Native American tribes of North America. Permanent and rotating exhibits of both traditional artifacts and contemporary art depict Native American cultures of both past and present.
Middle Border Museum – Oscar Howe Art Center – Mitchell, SD Web Exhibit!
Located on the Dakota Wesleyan University Campus. Featured displays include: American Indian beadwork and porcupine quillwork including clothing, bags, ceremonial regalia, utilitarian objects, horse gear, dolls and missionary items. Tribes represented in historic quillwork and beadwork displays include the following: Sioux, Meti, Chippewa-Ojibway, and Plains Cree.
Minnesota Institute of Art Web Exhibit!
Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Institute was opened in 1915. This is a free museum, operated for the public benefit. Current exhibits include: The Legacy of Plains Indian Shirts and Art of Northern Plains Indians. Surrounded by Beauty is an online resource featuring Native American works of art from the permanent collection.
Millicent Rogers Museum – Taos, NM
This museum is all about celebrating and sharing the “arts and cultures of the Southwest.” While it is a smaller museum than some others on our list, it holds an impressive collection of beautiful pieces and a rich cultural tradition. The museum, a historical site in its own right is named for the fashionista, Millicent Rogers (1902-1953), whose passion for North American cultural heritage left a lasting legacy. This museum is home to Roger’s own beautiful collection of Native American turquoise jewelry and her own creations, as well as many Native American and Hispanic arts, ranging from prehistoric to contemporary.
The unique Native American Collection at the Millicent Rogers Museum gives a comprehensive overview to the Native American cultures of the Southwest. The examples of Native American textiles, pottery, baskets, Katsinas, and jewelry on display illustrate the use and the life of the objects. The objects in the Native American collection have a utilitarian use and a sacred life, yet they were also created and admired as artistic expressions. The exhibitions illustrate the aesthetic beauty of the objects and the museum respects the objects as ceremonial pieces, making them more than simply utilitarian goods. The jewelry exhibit features nearly 1,000 pieces of stunning Native American jewelry, largely collected by Millicent Rogers herself.
Monterey Museum of the American Indian | Monterey, CA
Many Native people have donated photographs of family and friends for viewing in the museum. There is also a wall of photographs devoted to honoring California Elders, and a hands-on area where visitors have the opportunity to utilize Indian tools like the pump drill, used for making holes in shell beads, and the mortar & pestle, used for grinding acorns. Location: The California State Indian Museum is located in the downtown area of Sacramento at 26th and K Streets. 2618 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95816; Phone (916) 324-0971.
Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum – Warner, NH
With a powerful backstory of multiculturalism and diversity, this museum has a unique heritage of Native American land reclamation. Located in the beautiful woods of New Hampshire, this museum features tours through the Medicine Woods that showcase the natural flora that Native Americans historically used for food, medicine, and more. With interactive and educational exhibits, this museum offers guided tours of its facility that help you get the most out of its many exhibits, outdoor features, and programs. They organize lectures, crafts, workshops, and more. It is also home to the Annual Harvest Moon and NatureFest, a fun day of cultural food, exhibits, and storytelling, appreciating a traditional harvest celebration.
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts – Santa Fe, NM
The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) is the country’s only museum for exhibiting, collecting, and interpreting the most progressive work of contemporary Native artists. MoCNA is dedicated solely to advancing the scholarship, discourse, and interpretation of contemporary Native art for regional, national, and international audiences—as such, it stewards over 10,000 Contemporary Indigenous artworks (created 1962 to present). The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts was formed in 1972 and more recently was relocated to a Pueblo Revival-styled building. MoCNA is at the forefront of contemporary Native art presentation and strives to be flexible, foresighted, and risk-taking in its exhibitions and programs. MoCNA is located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Museum of Native American History in Arkansas – Bentonville, AR
The Museum of Native American History was first established in a downtown location in 2006 as the Museum of Native American Artifacts. The collection quickly outgrew the space and MONAH opened its current doors in June of 2008. Founded by David Bogle, a registered member of the Cherokee Nation, born and raised in Bentonville, the museum houses over 10,000 of the finest Native American artifacts. The museum features Bogle’s private collection, along with a number of collections donated and on loan to the museum for display. Admission to the museum is free. We are committed to offering free and low-cost events. Open 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday – Saturday.
Museum of the Great Plains
The Museum of the Great Plains offers traditional exhibit presentation coupled with innovative discovery-based learning activities, as it continues its mission to “Explore the human history of the Great Plains.” Our living history interpreter and reenactors take you all the way back to the 1840s – and that’s a fur piece. Visit the Red River Trading Post, a re-creation of a structure that once stood about 50 miles southeast of the museum. The Trading Post is active Tuesday through Saturday from March through September. In 2003 the Museum of the Great Plains became the first partner, along with Science Museum Oklahoma, in the Oklahoma Museum Network (OMN). This event marked the beginning of the Museum of the Great Plains’ association with the Donald W Reynolds Foundation, the grantor behind OMN. Hours: Mon – Sat 10a – 5p; Sun 1p – 5p. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.
Museum of the Plains Indian – Browing, Montana
Located at the juntion of US Highways 2 & 89 West, Browing, MT. This museum displays richly varied arts of Northern Plains tribal peoples including the Blackfeet, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Sioux, Assiniboine, Arapaho, Shoshone, Nez Perce, Flathead, Chippewa, and Cree. Highlights of the exhibits include historic clothing, horse gear, weapons, household implements, baby carriers, and contemporary arts & crafts.
Museum of the Red River – Idabel, OK
When the Museum of the Red River opened in 1975, it focused on preserving material culture from local native American groups. However, that focus soon grew beyond Southeast Oklahoma. By the late 1980s, the collection included material from most of North America, South America, and all of Central America. By the early 2000s, the Museum’s collection had grown to include art from around the world. During this time, it also acquired a cast skeleton of a large Cretaceous-era predator, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis or Acro. (The original fossil was unearthed less than twenty miles away from the Museum.) As a result, the Museum began collecting natural science specimens, mostly to inform the public’s understanding of Acro. Today, the Museum has over 33,000 objects from around the world and across time. The bulk of its collections is from the Americas. In fact, it houses one of the world’s most extensive collections of Amazonian featherwork, Southwest ceramics, and Southeast basketry. Rotating exhibits are drawn from the museum’s permanent collection of over 30,000 objects, while educational programs introduce visitors to the world of America’s native cultures and illustrate the remarkable achievements of both ancient and modern peoples.
National Museum of the American Indian – Smithsonian Institure
In 1989, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed a law, establishing the National Museum of the American Indian within the Smithsonian Institution. The law appropriated funds for the development of NMAI facilities at three sites:
Cultural Resources Center: 4220 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746, 301-238-6624
Opened in 1999, the CRC, located just outside of Washington, D.C., provides state-of-the-art resources and facilities for the proper conservation, protection, handling, cataloging, research, and study of the museum’s collections, library holdings, and photo and paper archives. The CRC also serves as a hub for the museum’s community services, educational outreach, technology and Web development, and information resources, and as a production center for the museum’s public facilities on the Mall (opening in 2004) and in New York City.
George Gustav Heye Center: , Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004, 212-514-3700
Opened in October 1994, this museum serves as the National Museum of the American Indian’s exhibition and education facility in New York City. Permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as a range of public programs—including music and dance performances, films, and symposia—explore the diversity of the Native people of the Americas and the strength and continuity of their cultures from the earliest times to the present.
NMAI on the National Mall: This facility is currently under construction. For more information, please call: 202-287-2020
In 2004, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) will open its new museum on the last available space on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the National Air and Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol. The new museum will be NMAI’s centerpiece venue for ceremonies, performances, and educational programs, as well as a primary exhibition space for Indian arts, history, and material culture.
Oneida Nation Museum – Oneida, WI
The Oneida Nation Museum serves local, national, and international visitors and is one of the older Native American museums within the United States. The Museum helps preserve Oneida cultural resources and assures their accessibility to the community and the public. The Museum exhibits explain the world view and history of the Oneida people, then focus on expressive culture, social change and cultural continuity.
Osage Nation Museum – Pawhuska, OK
The oldest tribal museum in America, the Osage Nation Museum is a unique space where past and present converge. Located at the heart of the Osage Nation, the museum is a place of gathering, community, and sharing the powerful story of the Osage people. The institution’s exhibits and programs are a vibrant reflection of the proud heritage of the Osage Nation. We are open from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday, and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday. You can find us on the southwest corner of the four-way stop as you enter Pawhuska from the east.
Red Earth, Inc. – Oklahoma City
2100 NE 52nd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111, phone: 405-427-5228
Red Earth Museum, has since 1978 benefitted the education of thousands of Oklahoma schoolchildren and adults. Historical artifiacts, contemporary and traditional art exhibitions, and hands-on exhibits at the museum provide an exciting learning atmosphere for museum guests. Since 1987 Red Earth has been home to the southwest’s most extensive display of Native American cradleboards. The renowned Deupree Cradleboard Collection features outstanding examples of Native American craftsmanship representing Native American nations, tribes and bands from throughout the United States.
Seneca Iroquois National Museum – Salamanca, NY
Daily demonstrations, sales of traditional arts, and interaction with visitors will be held on the Museum grounds, showcasing Iroquois traditional arts which are still practiced in our communities. Daily schedules are available on the website. Permanent Exhibits at the Museum include the clan animal display, the partially reconstructed Longhouse and a rebuilt log cabin. Iroquois traditional materials, (baskets, corn husk items, beadwork, silverwork, etc.) prehistoric artifacts, and modern Iroquois Art are also on display. They also host an annual traditional dance competition as part of their Winter Social Pow Wow. Also known as Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center.
Shako:wi Cultural Center – Oneida, NY Web Exhibit!
Located on Nation lands about 35 miles east of Syracuse, NY, Shako:wi is a focal point for the culture and history of the Oneida People. Here Nation Members meet to share more about their heritage, and in turn share it with their friends. Stop by to find out more about the Nation next door, the Oneida Indian Nation. Easily accessible from anywhere! Be sure to check out the exhibits page & links for online items.
Sioux Indian Museum
222 New York Street, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701, 605-394-6923. Travel along a 200 year timeline and watch the epic story of the Lakota nation unfold. Come to understand the historical events that forever changed the Lakota homeland. Hear first and from Lakota elders and their descendants how a proud people lived, hunted, played and fought. Join the spirit of a storyteller as she recounts tales and traditions of the Lakota culture.
Six Nations Indian Museum
Six Nations Indian Museum houses a myriad of pre-contact, and post-contact artifacts, contemporary arts and crafts, diagrammatic charts, posters, and other items of Haudenosaunee culture. The objects within the Museum are primarily representative of the Haudenosaunee, but there are representations of other Native American cultures as well. The floors are decorated with Haudenosaunee symbol & motif, and within the rooms are cases exhibiting artifacts. The walls are laden with informative charts, beaded belts, paintings and other indigenous items of interest. Up into the peaked ceiling of each room are representations of Native America as they are covered with artifacts including canoes, baskets, tools, beadwork, feathered headgear, Native clothing, and posters. HOURS: July 1 – Labor Day: 10am – 6pm, May-June & September – October by appointment.
South Dakota State Historical Society – Pierre, SD
The Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society has 15,000 square ft. of exhibition space located in the Cultural Heritage Center. In the language of Oceti Sakowin, the nation some call the Sioux, Oyate Tawicoh’an means The Ways of the People. This exhibit focuses on the importance of kinship obligations, which determine an individual’s place in the tribe and the universe, and the values of courage, wisdom, generosity, and fortitude as prescriptions for daily living.
Southern Plains Indian Museum
715 East Central Blvd., Anadarko, OK – This museum displays the richly varied arts of western Oklahoma tribal peoples, including the Kiowa, Comanche, Kiowa-Apache, Southern Cheyenne, Southern Arapho, Wichita, Caddo, Delaware, and Ft. Sill Apache. Highlights of the exhibits include historic clothing, shields, weapons, baby carriers, toys, and contemporary arts and crafts.
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute – Pendleton, OR
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is the interpretive center for the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes. The public is invited to learn the history and cultures of the Tribes at the Institute, located at the foot of the Blue Mountains near Pendleton, Oregon. The permanent exhibit gallery tells the story of the Tribes in three parts: “We Were,” “We Are,” and “We Will Be.” The exhibit experience begins with a walk at the base of the Blue Mountains, leading to the permanent gallery where the Tribes’ story is shared through exhibits designed by world renowned Jean Jacque Andre. An art gallery hosts changing exhibits and showcase local and regional art by tribal artists. The 45,000 square foot facility also features a visitor services wing complete with a museum store emphasizing local tribal arts and crafts, multi-use theater, and Café.
The museum services wing features archives and photo collections, the Institute’s permanent artifact collection, a community storage facility, and other facilities for caring for artifacts, photos, and documents. Tamástslikt , which means “interpret” in the Walla Walla native language, is part of the Wildhorse Resort that also features a casino, 100-room hotel, 100-space RV park, and 18-hole championship golf course (owned and operated by the The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla).
WebExhibits Web Exhibit!
WebExhibits, as its name would suggest, provides museum exhibits that have been created for viewing on the web. The location of this museum is its URL! The link provided is based on searching for exhibits on “Indians”, resulting in 19 results (about 10 of which are relevant). Exhibits include: American Indian and the Natural World, Edward S. Curtis’s North American Indian, Indian yellow – history, and more. Some additional results under “Native American”.
Tehachapi Museum | Tehachapi, CA
Even before you enter the Tehachapi Museum you will be impressed by a rare example of art history. The Museum structure was built in 1931 in the popular art deco architecture of that era. It serves as a branch of the Kern County Library system until 1982 when the Tehachapi Heritage League moved its museum operation to this location. Tehachapi’s roots began with the Kawaiisu who arrived in this region about 1,500 years ago. While miners passed through on their way to California’s fabled gold rush, the first permanent settlers were ranchers and farmers. But it was the coming of the railroad in 1876 which created the present Tehachapi. The Museum’s collections are not only varied but unique in many respects as they offer you a glimpse of life in Tehachapi and its many generations.
The rich culture and history of the Native American Kawaiisu is showcased in this gallery made possible by Mark and Jessie Milano. Tehachapi and the surrounding territories of the Kawaiisu are rich in cultural history. The Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park, located in Sand Canyon, was the winter home of the Kawaiisu. Plan to spend some time viewing this magnificent collection especially the hand woven baskets and rock art. Exhibits are changed periodically. Location: 310 S. Green St., Tehachapi, CA 93561; Phone (661) 822-8152.
Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park | Sacramento, CA
Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park was created as a unit of California State Parks in 1993 to protect and preserve the integrity of this unique site. Nestled atop a ridge in the Tehachapi Mountains, overlooking Sand Canyon to the east and the Tehachapi valley to the west, Tomo-Kahni, or “Winter Village,” was the site of a Kawaiisu (Nuwa) village. The location was likely chosen for its moderate temperature and plentiful resources. The Kawaiisu migrated from the Great Basin and made the Tehachapi their home for two to three thousand years. The Kawaiisu are noted for their finely woven baskets of intricate and colorful design.
Due to the extremely sensitive nature of the site, Tomo-Kahni is available to the public by tour only. These tours are led by trained State Park Volunteers on weekends during the spring and fall months. Tours begin with an orientation at the Tehachapi Museum. After an orientation, participants must caravan or carpool approximately 12 miles to the park. The moderately strenuous walking tour takes about three hours to complete; the overall tour, including orientation and return, takes about four hours. Location: Tehachapi Museum, 310 S. Green Street at East E Street, Tehachapi, CA. Phone Fort Tejon State Historic Park office (661) 248-6692.
Wassama Round House State Historic Park | Sacramento, CA
Wassama Round House State Historic Park is a historic site used as a ceremonial meeting placed by California Indians is preserved in this park. It includes a reconstructed “dance house” still used for Miwok and Yohut celebrations. The Round House is open by appointment only, 11 am to 4 pm. Location: The park is five miles northwest of Oakhurst off Highway 49. Road 628, Ahwahnee, CA; Phone 599- 822-2332.
Wind River Historical Center – Dubois, WY
Located in Dubois, Wyoming, The Wind River Historical Center is a regional museum featuring permanent displays of: material culture and high altitude adaptation of the Mountain Shoshone, settlement and history of the Upper Wind River Valley, regional geology and natural history. New exhibits and features are added on a regular basis.
Woolaroc Museum – Bartlesville, OK
Hidden away in the rugged Osage Hills of Northeastern Oklahoma, Woolaroc was established in 1925 as the ranch retreat of oilman Frank Phillips. The ranch is a 3,700 acre wildlife preserve, home to many species of native and exotic wildlife, such as bison, elk and longhorn cattle. Woolaroc is also a museum with an outstanding collection of western art and artifacts, Native American material, one of the finest collections of Colt firearms in the world, and so much more. The name WOOLAROC is derived from three words—the woods, lakes and rocks that make up the beautiful Osage Hills of northeast Oklahoma where Woolaroc is located.
Woolaroc Museum relates the story of man’s cultural development in the New World. Artifacts of early man trace the prehistoric civilizations in Oklahoma. Baskets, pottery, and Navajo blankets show the Native American civilization of the Navajo, Apache, Hopi, and Pueblos located in Arizona and New Mexico. Beaded buckskins and feather bonnets from the Plains tribes are prominently displayed. Material from approximately 40 different tribes is displayed in the collection at Woolaroc Museum.
Woodland Cultural Centre
184 Mohawk Street in the city of Brantford, province of Ontario, Canada, 519-759-2650. A visit to the museum at the Woodland Cultural Centre will take you on a journey back through time beginning with our Iroquoian and Algonkian pre-contact period. As your journey begins, you will enter into a Neutral Iroquoian village in the Woodland period. Travel with us to our first contact with European Nations and onward to the twentieth century with stops in a tranquil evening forest, a display on the history of the Mohawk Village, and replicated interior of a 19th century longhouse. As you continue through the exhibits, our history unfolds to the present day and opens into the temporary exhibition gallery. Here, throughout the year, a variety of interchanging exhibits focusing on contemporary art, current social, cultural, environmental issues are presented.
Ya’i Heki’ Regional Indian Museum | Perris, CA
Ya’i Heki’ (pronounced yahee ehkey) is translated from the Cahuilla language meaning “Home of the Wind”. This museum is one of a series of regional museums funded by the State of California. This beautiful museum has had recent upgrades to the building and the park is beginning the process of creating new exhibits. Once installed, the Lake Perris Regional Indian Museum will again become a jewel in the California Regional Indian Museum system; where past, current, and future experiences and achievements of California Native Americans of the Mojave Desert region are recognized. Location: 17801 Lake Perris Dr., Perris, CA 92571; Phone (951) 657-0676.
Native American Online Resources
Current Crow Calls Sale
March – April 2024
Take advantage of great deals during our March – April Crow Calls Sale! SAVE 10%-20% on popular powwow, rendezvous, historic reenactor, bead & leather crafter supplies. Don’t miss the savings on many popular items like Missouri River Deluxe Hunting Bags, Plains Hard Sole Moccasin Kits, 18th & 19th Century Footwear: Men’s & Women’s Colonial Shoes with Buckles, Riflemen’s Half Boots & Civil War Brogans, Colonial Clothing: Waistcoats, Knee Breeches, 1850s Waistcoats & Frockcoats, Pow-Wow Drums, Hand Drum Kits, Plains Style Lance & Spear Heads, Dream Catchers & Mandalas, Traditional Serapes & so much more!