The Way Back Home: The Journeys of Seneca “Culture Worker” Peter Jemison
This profile of NMAI Board of Trustees Member G. Peter Jemison (Seneca) follows his journey from abstract artist to a bridge between cultures.
Art & Culture
Reservation Mathematics: Navigating Love in Native America
The intimate stories in this photo essay reveal how U.S. government regulations that determine eligibility for tribal enrollment are impacting Native Americans’ choice of partners.
The Genízaro Pueblo of Abiquiú
This photo essay explores the lives of residents of Spanish and American Indian descent who have lived for more than 250 years in this small New Mexico pueblo, a community that had its genesis in violence and slavery.
Photography as Medicine: Finding Common Ground in Black-and-White Worlds
Photojournalist Russel Albert Daniels (Diné and Ho-Chunk) talks about how he learned to express himself through black-and-white images and his experience living among the Genízaro people.
Hear Me Say My Name: Interactive Play Shows Youth Another View of American Indians
A visit to the museum on the National Mall turns into an intense encounter with Native identity, thanks to a new interactive play presented by the NMAI and the Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater.
A Lasting Statement: An Exhibition Showcases the Range and Enduring Impacts of Native Women's Art
Women produce the majority of Native art, and they are finally getting recognition by name in a major exhibition. “Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists” is now on view at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
Native Authors Invade Sci-Fi: Indigenous Writers are Reshaping Speculative Fiction
Overcoming rear-guard resistance, American Indian writers and their allies are blasting a place in the speculative genre for an Indigenous worldview and discovering surprising affinities.
Strong Words: Poet and Musician Joy Harjo Becomes the First Native U.S. Poet Laureate
Joy Harjo’s unique poetry and music have broken ground and helped revitalize an interest in these Native arts. This year, she became the first American Indian to be named Poet Laureate of the United States.
Filling the Silence: Baskets Preserve Shan Goshorn's Unique Talents and Depict Lasting Impacts of Indian Boarding Schools
A basket series newly acquired by the NMAI pays tribute to the suffering of students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and to the unique talent of the late Shan Goshorn.
Ancestral Connections: A Constellation of Contemporary Artists Show Their Ties to Their Native Cultures
A new NMAI exhibition in New York brings together contemporary Native artworks with past influences spanning the Western Hemisphere. The pieces vary greatly in their forms and origins, yet their creators share a common thread: all take inspiration from their Indigenous roots.