Native American Initiatives at MNHS

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

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.

Last week, the Native American Museum Fellowship traveled up north to the Fond du Lac Cultural Center and Museum! Fellow...
07/22/2026

Last week, the Native American Museum Fellowship traveled up north to the Fond du Lac Cultural Center and Museum! Fellows had the opportunity to meet Museum Director and MNHS Indian Advisory Council member, Jeff Savage. Together, they discussed treaty rights, Ojibwe cultural preservation, seasonal harvesting, and the important work that goes into tribal museum spaces.

Chi-miigwech for the warm welcome! 🛶

Day 4 of our 2026 fellowship seminar was packed with art, culture, and community! We spent an incredible day exploring t...
07/16/2026

Day 4 of our 2026 fellowship seminar was packed with art, culture, and community! We spent an incredible day exploring the cultural corridor, touring and shopping at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, visiting the Four Sisters Farmers Market, taking in the stunning work at All My Relations Arts Gallery, and enjoying a delicious lunch at Pow Wow Grounds. We then wrapped up our afternoon at the Bell Museum with an insightful guided tour, followed by a deeply moving star knowledge presentation by Jim Rock! 🌌

On day 3 of NAMF seminar, the fellows got to start things off by meeting Chloe Cashman and Rita Walaszek Arndt, followed...
07/15/2026

On day 3 of NAMF seminar, the fellows got to start things off by meeting Chloe Cashman and Rita Walaszek Arndt, followed by an immersive behind-the-scenes tour of the History Center’s collections, conservation lab, and the Gale Family Library. Stay tuned to see what our 2026 cohort tackles next!

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345 W. Kellogg Boulevard
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