Native American Initiatives at MNHS

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Native American Initiatives at MNHS The NAI team at MNHS is responsible for the vision and strategy of NAI content.

Join us on October 29th from 3-5 PM at WakaĆž Tipi AwaĆžyaĆžkapi as Derek Nicholas of Wiisinig leads a PsiĆž/Manoomin Winnow...
10/10/2026

Join us on October 29th from 3-5 PM at WakaĆž Tipi AwaĆžyaĆžkapi as Derek Nicholas of Wiisinig leads a PsiĆž/Manoomin Winnowing demonstration with cultural teachings intertwined. This free/drop-in event is supported through a collaborative partnership between WakaĆž Tipi AwaĆžyaĆžkapi and the Minnesota Historical Society.

Come join NAI staff and our Native collections staff this Saturday, October 10 from 11 am-4 pm at Father Hennepin Bluff ...
10/08/2026

Come join NAI staff and our Native collections staff this Saturday, October 10 from 11 am-4 pm at Father Hennepin Bluff Park for the 2026 Owámni: Falling Water Festival!

Join us at the History Center for a powwow "tail" for the ages.Stages Theatre Company in collaboration with Mni Giizhik ...
10/07/2026

Join us at the History Center for a powwow "tail" for the ages.

Stages Theatre Company in collaboration with Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble presents: "Bowwow Powwow"

Saturday, October 10, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Minnesota History Center
(345 W. Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55102)
651-259-3000 | [email protected]

The program starts at 11 am in the 3M Auditorium and is pay-what-you-will with a $10/$8 suggested ticket price.
Recommended for: All Ages
Show Run Time: 50 Minutes
________________________________
Adapted by Benay McNamara and Blossom Johnson
From the MNHS Press book by Brenda Child, Bowwow Powwow, 2018
Illustrations by Jonathan Thunder
Translation by Gordon Jourdain
Music by Bizhiki and Keith Secola

Another great year of celebration and community connection at the Minnesota State Fair for Indigenous Peoples Day in Dan...
09/03/2026

Another great year of celebration and community connection at the Minnesota State Fair for Indigenous Peoples Day in Dan Patch Park! 🎪🌽🍪

This year’s theme, presented by NĀTIFSorg (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems), was Mitákuye Owás’iŋ (All My Relations).

We appreciate the warm welcome back and the opportunity to share MNHS resources and NAI program opportunities! Wopida, Miigwech, Pinagigi to everyone who stopped by our booth for good conversation, laughs, questions, and prizes.

We wish you a wonderful fair season with your friends and relatives, and we hope to see you at the Minnesota History Center soon!

Some pictures from our trip to the Mille Lacs Indian Museum & Trading Post back in July. Miigwech to Site Manager Travis...
08/22/2026

Some pictures from our trip to the Mille Lacs Indian Museum & Trading Post back in July. Miigwech to Site Manager Travis Zimmerman and staff for the welcome and tour through exhibit spaces, collections and the trading post! 🛶🌾🌲 We are missing these fellows so much already!

Highlighting a year-after-year NAMF program favorite: our visit to Jeffers Petroglyphs 🧡During the Native American Museu...
08/19/2026

Highlighting a year-after-year NAMF program favorite: our visit to Jeffers Petroglyphs 🧡

During the Native American Museum Fellowship’s paid, 10-week summer program, NAI staff travel with fellows to sacred sites throughout Mni Sóta. Our time spent at the Jeffers site has always been intentional, grounding, and spiritual. This year, under the super moon, the evening skies were clear enough for our cohort to stay out late sharing jokes, laughs, and future dreams beneath the stars while reflecting on the stories carved into the petroglyphs by our ancestors.

We also circled back to earlier program teachings provided by Jim Rock about Kapemni, the concept meaning “what is above is also below,” connecting the physical world and star constellations. Some shooting stars might have been mistaken for flying fireflies… But, Kapemni, right? ⚡🌠

Thank you to Site Manager Mikalah for the continued warm welcome and hospitality! We’re already looking forward to next summer’s trip. 🪨

The 2026 Native American Museum Fellowship has ended but the friendships and teachings will stay for a lifetime! Last Fr...
08/13/2026

The 2026 Native American Museum Fellowship has ended but the friendships and teachings will stay for a lifetime! Last Friday on August 7, MNHS staff, friends, relatives, and community partners celebrated these ten spectacular individuals who spent the entire summer with us learning best practices for preserving our cultural belongings, stories, and heritage for generations to come. We are so proud of this cohort and what we were able to accomplish together in these ten weeks as a community. It’s truly an honor to work with you, know you, and to be your relative.

Pidamaya ye, pinagigi, chi miigwech to Trickster Tacos LLC, Unci’s Prairie Sweets, and Hoka-Hey Singers for adding so much to this special day!

NAMF now has 125 alumni and will continue for a 16th season next summer. Keep an eye out for our team’s recruitment events in the coming winter months or reach out to our Native American Initiatives Department with any questions!

Continuing our visit to Hocokata Ti with NAMF! We had the incredible opportunity to connect with their curators and tour...
08/04/2026

Continuing our visit to Hocokata Ti with NAMF! We had the incredible opportunity to connect with their curators and tour their breathtaking elm bark lodge and other cultural belongings. Scroll through for a closer look at this unforgettable cohort experience!

Here’s a look back at our visit to Hoċokata Ṫi - Cultural Center and Public Exhibit! We had an incredible opportunity to...
07/29/2026

Here’s a look back at our visit to Hoċokata Ṫi - Cultural Center and Public Exhibit! We had an incredible opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s cultural center, exploring their public exhibit space and deepening our knowledge of Dakota history and heritage. To top off an already inspiring day, one of our own NAMF fellows, who also interns at Hoċokata Ti, led us on an exclusive tour through their collections. Seeing how Indigenous-led institutions preserve stories and material culture firsthand was an unforgettable experience for our cohort!

Our Native American Museum Fellowship cohort had the incredible privilege of visiting the Science Museum of Minnesota! G...
07/27/2026

Our Native American Museum Fellowship cohort had the incredible privilege of visiting the Science Museum of Minnesota! Guided by Native curator Pejuta Haka Win Red Eagle, we explored both the public exhibits and the collections behind the scenes. Getting to examine material culture up close and learn directly from an Indigenous curator about stewardship, preservation, and representation in museum spaces made for a deeply inspiring day.

Address

345 W. Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN
55102

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16512593015

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