National Museum of the American Indian

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DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 7, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | The Story of Chocolate

One-Time Events Bring the whole family or your Valentine to enjoy a day of chocolate history, culture, and food. Visitors can watch as Executive Chef Alex Strong of the museum's own Mitsitam Cafe shows how she makes some tasty chocolate treats, enjoy performances by dance group Danza Tecuanis, and follow the path from blossom to beverage with an interactive presentation, and make and take a bookmark to remember the day!   SCHEDULE, Level 3, imagiNATIONS Activity Center  10 AM-4 PM| Amate Bookmark Activity Made from fig and mulberry bark, amate is a type of paper that has been made and used by Indigenous communities of what is now Mexico for generations. Amate was often used to create codices or folding books. Join our museum educators to make and take home your own amate bookmark.   *Please note: The imagiNATIONS Activity Center has a limited capacity and is first come, first served and sometimes requires free timed entry tickets. Please see imagiNATIONS Activity Center staff for details. , , , Level 1, Potomac… Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium, Level 3: imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Cost: FREE. Saturday, February 14, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

NY | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's teaching collection, such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials, which can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. *Recommended for visitors ages 3–9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. **Schedule subject to change. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 14, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. *Schedule subject to change. Image: Photo by Matailong Du for the National Museum of the American Indian. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 14, 2026, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

DC | Mother Tongue Film Festival: Opening Night

One-Time Events Join us to celebrate opening night of the Mother Tongue Film Festival, with a free film screening, followed by a Q&A with a filmmaker. *Film to be announced. The Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity by showcasing films and filmmakers from around the world, highlighting the crucial role languages play in our daily lives. Join us for the festival’s eleventh year, February 19–22, 2026. This year, we present 25 films in 27 languages from 14 regions of the world. All programs are free and open to the public, in various locations across Washington, DC. The Mother Tongue Film Festival is a public program of Recovering Voices, a collaboration between Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and Asian Pacific American Center. Co-sponsor: Recovering Voices. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1: Rasmuson Theater. Cost: FREE. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program. Captioning. Thursday, February 19, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM. For more info visit mothertongue.si.edu.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Friday, February 20, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Friday, February 20, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 21, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 21, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Indigenous Games

One-Time Events Games are an integral part of Native community life. In this fun and active program, Museum Educators will teach visitors about and how to play several games from different regions of the Americas. All are welcome. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1, imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 21, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

DC | Women's History Month: Honoring Polly Cooper

One-Time Events Learn the story of Polly Cooper (Oneida) and her service and contributions to the Continental Army during the American Revolution with Michelle Shenandoah (Oneida) and the Shenandoah Family Dancers and the U.S. Mint. At the direct request of George Washington during the American Revolutionary War, Oneida warriors traveled more than two hundred miles on foot in the winter of 1778 to reach Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Accompanying them was Polly Cooper, who provided vital food and medicinal aid to the starving Continental Army. Oneida oral tradition recounts that Cooper taught the soldiers how to properly prepare white corn, without which it could have caused severe illness or death. After the warriors departed, Cooper remained behind to nurse the soldiers back to health. Refusing any payment for her service, she is said to have been gifted a black shawl by Martha Washington—a treasured item that remains in the care of Cooper’s descendants today.  The U.S. Mint will also present the 2026 Native American $1… Co-sponsor: United States Mint. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1: Potomac Atrium. Cost: FREE. Related Exhibition: Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations . Saturday, March 7, 2026, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, March 7, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Women's History Month: "SEEDS" with Kaniehtiio Horn

One-Time Events Ziggy (Kaniehtiio Horn) receives her first internet influencer job offer to promote the seed and fertilizer company Nature’s Oath. When her cousin calls her back to the rez, she is forced into a battle to save her people’s legacy and finds her power along the way. Director: Kaniehtiio Horn (Kahnawake Mohawk), Canada, 2024, 82 min. This film contains violence, horror, and coarse language. It is intended for mature audiences. Doors open at 6:45 PM ET. Image credit: SEEDS (film still), courtesy of indican pictures   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. Support for this program is provided by The Walt Disney Company. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Lower Level, Auditorium. Cost: FREE. Friday, March 13, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, March 14, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's teaching collection, such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials, which can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. *Recommended for visitors ages 3–9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. **Schedule subject to change. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, March 14, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. *Schedule subject to change. Image: Photo by Matailong Du for the National Museum of the American Indian. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, March 14, 2026, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM.

DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Indigenous Art Through the Lens of Glass

One-Time Events Contemporary Indigenous glass artists Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Dan Friday (Lummi), and Jody Naranjo (Tewa, Santa Clara), share how they use the medium of glass to express Indigenous stories, designs, and contemporary issues. Visitors can see the artists’ work in the exhibition Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass which traces 45 years of Native glass art and showcases approximately 120 artworks by 29 Indigenous artists. Generous support provided by Janet and David Offensend. Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass was originated by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers and Cathy Short (Potawatomi). The traveling exhibit was curated by Dr. Chambers and is toured by International Arts & Artists. Image: Preston Singletary, Raven Steals the Sun, 2019, Blown, sand carved glass, 21" x 7" x 7". Image courtesy of Preston Singletary, Photograph by Russell Johnson, © Copyright Preston Singletary. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: Diker Pavilion. Cost: FREE. Related Exhibition: Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass. Saturday, March 21, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

DC | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity.  *Due to limited capacity in our spaces, tickets may be needed to enter the Activity Center and therefore the Story room (limited to 25 persons max). Please see staff at the entrance desk of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center on Level 3. **Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. ***Schedule subject to change without prior notice. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: imagiNATIONS Activity Center, Level 3. Cost: Free. Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's teaching collection, such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials, which can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. *Recommended for visitors ages 3–9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. **Schedule subject to change. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, April 11, 2026, 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM.

NY | Story Time

Ongoing Tours & Activities Families are invited to an interactive story time on the second Saturday of each month* featuring a children’s book by a Native author, illustrator, or created in collaboration with an Indigenous community. They will have the opportunity to engage with objects from the museum's Teaching Collection such as photographs, textiles, or natural materials that can deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story, along with a craft or other activity. All are welcome. Recommended for visitors ages 3-9 years old accompanied by an adult caregiver. *Schedule subject to change. Image: Photo by Matailong Du for the National Museum of the American Indian. Venue: American Indian Museum NY. Location Icon: New York, NY. Event Location: Level 1: imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom. Cost: Free. Saturday, April 11, 2026, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM.

DC | Curator Tour: "Water's Edge"

One-Time Events Curated by Rebecca Trautmann, this exhibition is the first major retrospective of the acclaimed Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) artist. Lowe’s elegant, minimalist sculptures made of willow branches, feathers, and other organic materials evoke the rivers, streams, and waterfalls of the Wisconsin woodlands where he was raised and the canoes used to traverse them. His sculptures and sensitively rendered pastel and charcoal drawings reflect on cultural traditions, memory, and human relationships to place.  Water’s Edge features nearly 50 of Lowe’s sculptures, drawings, and paintings that explore the evolution of and themes within the artist’s work throughout his career. The exhibition brings to light rarely seen monumental works, significant pieces from public and private collections, including 28 from the National Museum of the American Indian’s collection. Join the curator for a guided tour of an exhibition that brings to light rarely seen monumental works, significant pieces from public and private collections, including… Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 3, exhibition gallery. Cost: FREE. Related Exhibition: Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, April 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.

DC | Panel Discussion: Truman Lowe's Artistic Legacy

One-Time Events Water’s Edge curator Rebecca Head Trautmann moderates a panel conversation about Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) artist Truman Lowe’s work and its impact on Indigenous contemporary artists. Water’s Edge brings together nearly fifty of Lowe’s sculptures and drawings, reflecting on waterways, woodlands, memory, and cultural practices. Image: Truman Lowe (Hoocąk, 1944–2019), Mimi, 1979. Pine, peeled willow sticks, blue jay feathers, leather, glass beads, 18 x 16 x 16 in. National Museum of the American Indian 26/9773, gift of John Lavine and Meryl Lipton Lavine Leading support provided by Bank of America. Major support provided by the Henry Luce Foundation. Generous support provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and Ameriprise Financial. Additional support provided by John and Meryl Lavine, Greg and Cathy Tibbles, and Leslie A. Wheelock. Venue: American Indian Museum DC. Location Icon: Washington, DC. Event Location: Level 1, Rasmuson Theater. Cost: FREE. Related Exhibition: Water's Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program. Saturday, April 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.