National Museum of the American Indian

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DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, April 19, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

NY | Earth Day: Native Blooms

One-Time Events Learn about flowering plants indigenous to the Americas, their different uses, and the significance behind them with Native artists Jennifer Younger (Tlingit) and Neebinnaukzhik Southall (Chippewas of Rama First Nation). Drawing inspiration from her Tlingit cultural traditions such as weaving and formline designs, Younger crafts each of her jewelry pieces to be one-of-a-kind. Southall is committed to representing and empowering Indigenous peoples through her artwork, which features Anishinaabe floral designs. Visitors are invited to participate in an interactive mural drawn by artist Joaquin Newman (Yaqui/Mexica) titled Pollinator Power, which focuses on different pollinators and their importance to flowers. Evelyn Orantes (Maya) will discuss different types of pollinators and sunflowers, and lead hands-on activities including making bees and butterflies out of pipe cleaners, along with paper sunflowers. Additional activities include sketching flowers, decorating a pot, and planting a sunflower. Photo… Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Diker Pavilion, Level 1. Cost: Free. Saturday, April 20, 2024, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

DC | Storytime

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects and photographs that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.  Recommended for visitors ages 3 years and up accompanied by an adult caregiver. . Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, April 20, 2024, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Saturday, April 20, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Earth Day—Youth in Action: Indigenous Ecosystems

One-Time Events How do Native youth activists envision a sustainable future? How are Native communities uniquely affected by climate change? Join Seneca Johnson (Mvskoke) and Sgaahl Siid Xyáahl Jaad (Marina Anderson [Haida/Tlingit]) in a conversation moderated by Jade Begay (Tesuque Pueblo/Diné) as they discuss their work to create a more equitable and sustainable future. Seneca Johnson (Mvskoke, she/her), a 21-year-old community organizer at the nonprofit Earth Care, began her involvement with social justice and community organizing at the age of 15. In 2019 she worked with other youth and Earth Care staff to found the youth-of-color-led environmental justice organization Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA). YUCCA’s mission is to create equitable pathways for a just transition to a livable future and to hold elected officials accountable for action on the climate crisis. Johnson is from the Mvskoke and Seminole Nations of Oklahoma and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She graduated from the Santa Fe Indian School… Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, Level 1. Cost: Free. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Saturday, April 20, 2024, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

DC | Welcome to a Native Place

Ongoing Tours & Activities Enjoy tribal songs from Alaska to Florida with Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/Isanti Dakota/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) in the Potomac Atrium. At the end of the 30-minute presentation, visitors are encouraged to ask questions pertaining to the museum and Indigenous culture, past and present. Presentations may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.

DC | Welcome to a Native Place

Ongoing Tours & Activities Enjoy tribal songs from Alaska to Florida with Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/Isanti Dakota/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) in the Potomac Atrium. At the end of the 30-minute presentation, visitors are encouraged to ask questions pertaining to the museum and Indigenous culture, past and present. Presentations may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, April 26, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

NY | At the Movies: Hey Viktor!

One-Time Events Twenty years removed from childhood fame as Little Viktor in 1998’s indie hit Smoke Signals, Cody Lightning (Cree) has been forced to move home to his reserve in northern Alberta. He still believes himself to be famous, even though the only parts he gets these days are dubious. When Cody learns his wife and kids are leaving him for a younger, more successful actor, he decides it’s time to quit messing around and make his masterpiece: writing, directing, and starring in Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking. A documentary crew follows Cody on his journey to realize his vision by trying to reunite the original cast, steal Adam Beach’s wig, and borrow money from an arms dealer, only to recognize that his grand vision was complete nonsense. (Director: Cody Lightning (Cree); Canada, 2023, 102 min.), For Mature Audiences: Contains nudity, alcohol use, and coarse language. Director Cody Lightning, and Jacob Floyd (Muscogee (Creek)/Cherokee) and Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq) in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. … Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Auditorium, Lower Level. Cost: Free. Friday, April 26, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

DC | Storytime

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects and photographs that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.  Recommended for visitors ages 3 years and up accompanied by an adult caregiver. . Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, April 27, 2024, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Saturday, April 27, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Welcome to a Native Place

Ongoing Tours & Activities Enjoy tribal songs from Alaska to Florida with Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/Isanti Dakota/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) in the Potomac Atrium. At the end of the 30-minute presentation, visitors are encouraged to ask questions pertaining to the museum and Indigenous culture, past and present. Presentations may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, May 3, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Storytime

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects and photographs that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.  Recommended for visitors ages 3 years and up accompanied by an adult caregiver. . Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, May 4, 2024, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | At the Movies: One with the Whale

One-Time Events Watch the gripping and emotional tale of an Alaska Native family’s struggle to recover from animal activists’ online assaults against their teenage son, the youngest person to ever harpoon a whale for his village. (Directors: Pete Chelkowski and Jim Wickens; Producers: Susan Aakapak Apassingok (Yupik), Yaari Walker (Yupik), and Justine Nagan; USA/UK, 2023, 80 min.; English and Siberian Yupik with English subtitles) This film is for mature audiences. It contains scenes of hunting, strong language, and drug use. Co-director Pete Chelkowski in attendance for post-screening discussion and Q & A. This program is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Image courtesy of Vitamin Sea Productions. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Auditorium, Lower Level. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Saturday, May 4, 2024, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Saturday, May 4, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, May 10, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Storytime

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects and photographs that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.  Recommended for visitors ages 3 years and up accompanied by an adult caregiver. . Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, May 11, 2024, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Saturday, May 11, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, May 17, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

NY | Aloha Days Family Festival

One-Time Events This year’s family festival celebrates all things Hawaiʻi! Enjoy a hula dance performance and learn the history behind it, get to know Hawaiian musical instruments, watch animated short films about ocean safety, and participate in a variety of hands-on activities for all ages. ALL DAY, Level 1: Diker Pavilion, Coconut-leaf weaving: ʻUlana lau niu is the art of weaving coconut leaves. Learn how to weave a coconut leaf into a fish, headband, or rose. , Kapa: Dalani Tanahy (Native Hawaiian), a master in the art of kapa (bark cloth), will share her expertise and demonstrate how to create a kapa bookmark. , Bracelet making: Both hala (also known as screwpine) and kukui nut trees had many uses in ancient Hawaiʻi. Learn about their significance and weave a lauhala (hala leaf) and/or kukui nut bracelet to take home. , Lei making: Enjoy demonstrations of different lei-making techniques, including kui (needle and thread), wiliwili (wrapping), and haku (braiding). Visitors can see and smell different types of lei… Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Levels 1 and 2. Cost: Free. Saturday, May 18, 2024, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

DC | Storytime

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects and photographs that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.  Recommended for visitors ages 3 years and up accompanied by an adult caregiver. . Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, May 18, 2024, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Saturday, May 18, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

NY | Aloha Days Family Festival

One-Time Events This year’s family festival celebrates all things Hawaiʻi! Enjoy a hula dance performance and learn the history behind it, get to know Hawaiian musical instruments, watch animated short films about ocean safety, and participate in a variety of hands-on activities for all ages. ALL DAY, Level 1: Diker Pavilion, Coconut-leaf weaving: ʻUlana lau niu is the art of weaving coconut leaves. Learn how to weave a coconut leaf into a fish, headband, or rose. , Kapa: Dalani Tanahy (Native Hawaiian), a master in the art of kapa (bark cloth), will share her expertise and demonstrate how to create a kapa bookmark. , Bracelet making: Both hala (also known as screwpine) and kukui nut trees had many uses in ancient Hawaiʻi. Learn about their significance and weave a lauhala (hala leaf) and/or kukui nut bracelet to take home. , Lei making: Enjoy demonstrations of different lei-making techniques, including kui (needle and thread), wiliwili (wrapping), and haku (braiding). Visitors can see and smell different types of lei… Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Levels 1 and 2. Cost: Free. Sunday, May 19, 2024, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, May 24, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Storytime

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects and photographs that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.  Recommended for visitors ages 3 years and up accompanied by an adult caregiver. . Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, May 25, 2024, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Saturday, May 25, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

DC | Memorial Day: Honoring Native Servicemembers

One-Time Events Honor Indigenous servicemembers who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Join the museum for a film screening, book talk, and book signing. Visitors are welcome to pay their respects and remember loved ones at the National Native American Veterans Memorial on the museum grounds. Level 1: Rasmuson Theater, 2 PM: Film screening, The Warrior Tradition tells the astonishing, heartbreaking, inspiring, and largely untold story of Native Americans in the United States military. Why would Indigenous men and women put their lives on the line for the very government that took their homelands? (Director: Lawrence R. Hott, USA, 2019, 56 min.), 3 PM: Book talk, Co-author Alexandra N. Harris will discuss the conception and creation of the book Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces. The book chronicles the generations of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians who have served in the United States Armed Forces during every military conflict since the… Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Rasmuson Theater, Level 1. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces. Monday, May 27, 2024, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

DC | Guided Gallery Tours

Ongoing Tours & Activities Experience one of the museum's major exhibitions currently on view—Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations—with a guided tour led by a knowledgeable museum educator. Join fellow visitors to dive deeper into the content and have your questions answered. These walk-in tours include a brief overview of the museum’s mission, history, and even the building itself. Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, meet in the Potomac Atrium. Cost: Free. Related Exhibition: Americans; Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations. Friday, May 31, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM.

NY | The Americas Film Festival New York Closing Night: Frybread Face and Me

One-Time Events Frybread Face and Me follows two adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds as they learn more about their family’s past and about themselves during a summer on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch. (Director: Billy Luther (Navajo/Hopi/Laguna Pueblo), USA, 2023, 83 min. English), This film is rated TV-MA for mature audiences. It contains coarse language. Actor Charley Hogan (Navajo) will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Screening presented in conjunction with The Americas Film Festival Closing Night. The Americas Film Festival New York (TAFFNY) is a film festival that showcases premieres, award-winning films, and classic works about the cultures and peoples of the Americas. The festival is a project of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education of City College of New York (The City University of New York-CUNY), in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute of NY and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Screening presented in conjunction with… Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Auditorium, Lower Level. Cost: Free. Friday, June 21, 2024, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

DC | 2024 Folklife Festival: Indigenous Voices of the Americas

One-Time Events Join us for a special Smithsonian Folklife Festival program from June 26–July 1. Indigenous Voices of the Americas honors the twentieth anniversary of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, and celebrates Indigenous creative expression across the Western Hemisphere. It features more than 220 participants representing 50 Indigenous nations in nine countries. The Festival is co-presented by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Park Service.At the Festival, Indigenous artists and makers, professional chefs and home cooks, musicians, dancers, athletes, and storytellers will demonstrate multigenerational traditions as well as new, innovative approaches to cultural expression. Join a circle of celebration with stories, songs, and dance. Experience Indigenous foodways, learn about Indigenous sports and games such as lacrosse, hear how Indigenous youth are reclaiming their languages through spoken word and… Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: National Mall and additional museum locations indoors. Cost: Free. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 26, 2024 – Monday, July 1, 2024. For more info visit festival.si.edu.