Native American Indian Museums & Heritage Centers
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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!.
American Indians Museums Programs for State & Local History (Listing of Museums)
Listing of tribal museums included in a report on American Indian museums. List includes location of each museum, representing over 170 entries.
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)
Clewiston, FL - Includes a 5,000 sf exhibit hall consisting of artifacts and cultural displays unique to the Florida Seminole. Exhibits depict the lives of the Seminoles in south Florida during the late 1800s. The exhibit features artifacts of its own, as well as rare artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. Includes 60 acres of nature trails, museum film and interactive computers.
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:
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.
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.
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 Indian Museum & Cultural Center
The purpose of the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center is to culturally enrich and benefit the people of California and the general public. The goals of the Museum and Cultural Center are to educate the public about California Indian history and cultures, to showcase California Indian cultures, to enhance and facilitate these cultures and traditions through educational and cultural activities, to preserve and protect California Indian cultural and intellectual properties, and to develop relationships with other indigenous groups.
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. A special online exhibit, North, South, East, West American Indians and the Natural World explores some of the major themes of the exhibition. Located in Oakland, in the east end of Pittsburgh, PA.
The 20,000 square foot building houses the Cherokee National Archives, the official Archives of the Cherokee Nation, and the Library. The Library consists of over 4,000 volumes related to Cherokee History and culture, including special collections of out-of-print bibles, books in the Cherokee language, and photographs related to Indian Territory. Approximately 55 hours of oral history tapes provide other research sources.
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.
The American Western Gallery includes works from the Taos, N.M., artists' colony as well as pieces from such legends as Remington and Russell. Contemporary artists who tell the story of today's West are also represented and the Native American collection includes pottery, basketry, sculpture and other artifacts from all 10 North American native cultural areas.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
HCR 1 Box 1, Onchiota, NY 12989, xxx-xxx-xxxx. The 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. Call 518-891-2299.
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.
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).
Visual Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion - Sioux Falls, SD
View seven galleries of changing exhibits including the works of contemporary American Indian Artists. The Northern Plains Gallery features pieces from the museum's tribal arts collection.
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".
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.
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.
