Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

02/24/2020

Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists

Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures. Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists explores the artistic achievements of Native women and establishes their rightful place in the art world.

Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists is the first major thematic exhibition to explore the artistic achievements of Native women.

02/19/2020

Today MIAC hosts Helen Bird (Santo Domingo Pueblo) for a pottery demonstration from 1pm to 4pm. Stop in any time! Free entrance today for New Mexico seniors.

02/18/2020

Dose of Reality New Mexico

MIAC's friend Ricardo Cate (Santo Domingo Pueblo) is responding to the Opioid Crisis in the best way he knows - through cartoons!

Get more information in the Native American Outreach community toolkit at https://doseofreality.com/toolkit/native-american-outreach. #doseofreality #prevention

New Mexico Human Services Department

02/12/2020

Taika Waititi Helped the Oscars Acknowledge That They Take Place on Native Lands

"The academy would like to acknowledge that tonight we have gathered on the ancestral lands of the Tongva, the Tataviam, and the Chumash. We acknowledge them as the first peoples of this land on which the motion pictures community lives and works."

The academy should do that every year.

02/12/2020

Please note Wednesday's pottery demonstration with Helen Bird has been rescheduled to 2/19 - the following Wednesday - due to inclement weather.

02/11/2020

Due to inclement weather and for the safety of our guests and staff, the four state museums in Santa Fe will be closed Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

Photo by Maxine McBrinn

02/11/2020

MIAC is closed today due to inclement weather. Please visit us Tuesday through Sunday when the weather improves!

02/10/2020

As we prepare for the closure of Here, Now and Always we recognize the importance of documenting all parts of the exhibit. This includes filming Dr. Bruce Bernstein and Tony Chavarria (Santa Clara Pueblo), two of the original curators, discussing and reflecting on the exhibition. Filmography by Peshawn Bread, Charine Gonzales, and Jhane Myers.

02/07/2020

From our friends at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology...

Last week, our very own Mary Weahkee (Santa Clara Pueblo / Comanche and staff archaeologist at the Office of Archaeological Studies) posed for a photo shoot for an upcoming New Mexico Game and Fish publication. The photo shoot centered on Mary and her experimental work of making a turkey blanket using traditional methods and materials (yucca cordage and turkey feathers). Mary was commissioned by the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture to make a turkey blanket to be exhibited in the upcoming revision of the Here, Now and Always permanent exhibition slated to re-open in June of 2021. Mary’s experimental work is currently generating a lot of discussion in our local tribal communities and the archaeology world. Thanks to Mary’s efforts we are learning more about how these blankets were made in the past.

During the process of making the blanket, Mary partnered with the New Mexico Game and Fish. One ranger (Storm) from New Mexico Game and Fish gave Mary 32 pelts for the blanket, in addition a biologist (Caelin) allowed Mary to harvest feathers from several live birds around New Mexico.
It is estimated Mary spent 18 months creating this blanket with an average of 2 ½ hours per foot weaving the feathers into the yucca cordage. We are very fortunate to have Mary with us at the center, and her wealth of knowledge pertaining to these blankets and birds. We are excited about future educational opportunities that Mary will be doing in the future in regards to this endeavor. Thank you Mary, and please come see the turkey blanket at MIAC in June of 2021. Look out for the New Mexico Game and Fish publication featuring this collaboration.

Photo 1 Courtesy of Martin Perea

02/05/2020

Cherokee Nation First U.S. Tribe to Send Heirloom Seeds to Global Seed Vault in Norway — Native News Online

The Cherokee Nation is the first tribe in the United States to receive an invitation to deposit its traditional heirloom seeds to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a long-term seed storage facility housed deep inside a mountain on a remote island in Norway.

Tweet   Published February 5, 2020 TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Nine varieties of heirloom seeds that predate European settlement in North America have been sent to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway by Cherokee Nation. The seeds’ journey across the Atlantic Ocean came as the result of Luigi Guarin...

02/04/2020

Joe Vandever Sr., Navajo Code Talker, dies at 96

Just a handful of Navajo Code Talkers remain.

Joe Vandever Sr., a member of the top-secret Navajo Code Talker program that developed an unbreakable code language during World War II, has died, according to Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

01/30/2020

12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now: David Gaussoin

Congratulations to David Gaussoin (Picuris Pueblo/Diné) for his selection by Southwest Contemporary as a NM artist to "know now." MIAC will feature one of his necklaces in the renewed Here, Now and Always, opening next year!

These are artists whose works are shaping the landscape of contemporary art in the Southwest.

01/29/2020

Meet 4 Indigenous-Owned Streetwear Brands Empowering Their Communities

Meet 4 Indigenous-Owned Streetwear Brands Empowering Their Communities

“I feel a responsibility to create change for generations to come.”

01/28/2020

2020 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellows | First Nations Development Institute

Congratulations to Clarence Cruz (Ohkay Owingeh) on his selection as an inaugural Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow! Cruz demonstrated his pottery skills just a few weeks ago at MIAC. We couldn't be happier for him!

In 2019, First Nations Development Institute in partnership with the Henry Luce Foundation launched the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship to honor and support a select cohort of fellows as they work to further Indigenous knowledge creation, dissemination and change in Indigenous communities. ...

01/27/2020

Sophie Yazzie, a WWII veteran and member of the Navajo Nation, dies at 105

Sophie Yazzie, a WWII veteran and member of the Navajo Nation, dies at 105

One of the longest-living female WWII veterans, Sophie Yazzie, died Saturday, Arizona Department of Veterans' Services Director Wanda Wright said in a Facebook post.

01/22/2020

At 90, Alaska Native woman is 1st counted in US Census

Fascinating to learn how the Census is conducted in Alaska!

Lizzie Chimiugak has lived for 90 years in the windswept western wilds of Alaska, born to a nomadic family who lived in mud homes and followed where the good hunting and fishing led.

01/21/2020

At Long Last, Smallest Native Californian Tribe Has Land To Call Their Own

Good news out of California!

Thanks to a $4.5 million grant from state legislators, the Esselen tribe has finally been given a historic chunk of Californian land to call their own.

01/17/2020

"Canes of Power" Trailer

Take a look at this trailer for Canes of Power, which MIAC is screening on Sunday at 1pm. Introduction and Q&A will be hosted by Dr. Matthew Martinez, our deputy director and an associate producer of the film.

The story of President Lincoln's gift of engraved Canes to each of New Mexico's 19 Indian Pueblos, forever symbolizing the recognition of their tribal…

01/17/2020

MIAC remains closed on Friday, January 17, due to the inclement weather. Please visit us Tuesday through Sunday when the weather improves!

01/16/2020

For the safety of our guests and staff, the 4 state museums in Santa Fe will be closed this afternoon due to inclement weather.

01/15/2020

The Blackfeet Nation is opening its own national park

The Blackfeet Nation is opening its own national park

Members of the Blackfeet Nation want tourists to understand how the story of Glacier National Park is really the story of their nation.

01/14/2020

Washington state gets first Native American justice

Washington state gets first Native American justice

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee named Judge Raquel Montoya-Lewis to the state Supreme Court on Wednesday, saying the appointment of the first Native American justice to the...

01/10/2020

Five Indigenous-Made Films Premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival

Five Indigenous-Made Films Premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival

Founded by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that actively advances the work of independent storytellers in film and theatre.

01/09/2020

Why Are Native Hawaiians Protesting Against a Telescope?

"Halting the telescope is the immediate aim, but the protesters’ larger goal is to bring wider attention to their grievances about the state’s economic interests being given priority over Native Hawaiian cultural and land use rights."

Demonstrators blocking construction of a major scientific project on Hawaii’s highest mountain have started to attract support across the country. Here’s what you need to know.

01/07/2020

Antiques Roadshow l PBS

Save the date! For more information about the Antiques Roadshow l PBS 2020 tour and ticket application process please visit pbs.org/antiques or call the hotline at 888-762-3749.

New Mexico-area Roadies: The 2020 Production Tour is heading to New Mexico's Museum Hill on Tuesday, June 16! Learn more and enter for a chance to win tickets now:

01/07/2020

These Snow Goggles Demonstrate Thousands of Years of Indigenous Ingenuity

"The gear is a testament to exceptional engineering talent. The Yupik people do not possess an indigenous word for 'science,' but they have had a nuanced grasp of the physics, biology and chemistry that propel the natural world. They use every material they can get their hands on to craft tools and clothing that help them survive a frigid, treacherous environment."

Made in Alaska and fashioned to protect against snow glare, the eyewear was carved from whale baleen circa 1890

01/06/2020

A big moment finally comes for the Little Shell: Federal recognition of their tribe

"The long and fragmented history of the Little Shell, known for decades as Montana’s landless Native Americans, can now move forward with a more cohesive future."

“It’s really about dignity, because we’ve been fighting for so long.”

01/03/2020

'Nobody saw me': why are so many Native American women and girls trafficked?

Trafficking of Native American women and girls is now making world news.

Nearly a quarter of New Mexico’s trafficking victims are Native American – and women and girls are the least protected as the state struggles to address the problem

01/02/2020

How Rose Simpson's lowrider is an homage to Pueblo potters

“A long time ago, we would actually make a pot, and carry it on our head. We would use it for the things we needed,” said Simpson, who earned an MFA in ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design. “And nowadays, we have these cars, and we use them, and it’s still for the same purpose of nourishing our families.”

“A long time ago, we would actually make a pot, and carry it on our head. We would use it for the things we needed,” said Simpson. “And nowadays, we have these cars, and we use them, and it’s still for the same purpose of nourishing our families.”

12/30/2019

Three House members seek to strip Medals of Honor from 20 Wounded Knee Massacre soldiers

Three House members seek to strip Medals of Honor from 20 Wounded Knee Massacre soldiers

Three House members have introduced a bill calling on Congress to strip Medals of Honor from 20 soldiers who participated in the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.

12/26/2019

In Indian Country, a Crisis of Missing Women. And a New One When They’re Found.

In Indian Country, a Crisis of Missing Women. And a New One When They’re Found.

The federal government is trying to catch up with a crisis of missing Native American women. But no one is addressing the problems that arise when they’re found.

12/24/2019

Reservation high school students' film on missing and murdered Indigenous people wins award

"When it came time to narrow down topics to make two films, the students settled on issues that have affected many of them in some way: drug and alcohol abuse, and missing and murdered women and girls in Indian Country and on the Wind River Reservation."

The film, created by Fort Washakie High School students, is an attempt to help raise awareness about the problem in Indian County and on the Wind River Reservation.

12/23/2019

Craft in America » IDENTITY

Be sure to catch Diego Romero (Cochiti Pueblo) on PBS this Friday in Craft in America. Then visit our exhibition - the largest collection of his work to date - at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture!

Featuring potter Diego Romero, photographer Cara Romero, furniture maker Wendy Maruyama, and sculptor Cristina Córdova. PBS premiere December 27, 2019 (check local listings)

12/21/2019

A Cree Artist Redraws History

A Cree Artist Redraws History

With humor and fantasy, Kent Monkman disrupts clichés of Native victimhood at the Met.

12/19/2019

Our annual holiday wrapping paper will be published this Sunday 12/22 in The Santa Fe New Mexican and available in the Santa Fe museum lobbies while limited supplies last!

Marbled paper by Tom Leech, curator of Palace Press. Handmade papers and prints are available for sale at the Palace Press.

12/17/2019

There's a massive free catalogue of Indigenous films online — and we have 6 picks to get you started | CBC Arts

Check out all the Indigenous films now available online!

In honour of Canadian Film Day, we asked Indigenous filmmakers and curators for some recommendations from the NFB's new Indigenous catalogue.

12/16/2019

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Museum Hill Holiday Stroll. It was our pleasure to host you at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Happy Holidays!

12/13/2019

Art gave Navajo combat vet another chance after injuries ended his career

The power of art knows no limit.

Jeff DeMent of Santa Fe, who suffered injuries in a St. Louis tornado, will showcase his work in the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts' annual Winter Market this weekend at

12/12/2019

Join us tomorrow evening for the Museum Hill Holiday Stroll! The MaaTuu Dance Group (Pojoaque/Santa Clara Pueblo) will perform at 5:30 and 6:30 at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

12/11/2019

Native veterans talk about PBS's ‘The Warrior Tradition’ and their stories

Read this article, then catch 'The Warrior Tradition' on PBS!

“I know it is easier to be in a war zone than to be an Indigenous person trying to survive every day in the United States”

12/11/2019

Today Malcom Yepa (Jemez Pueblo) delivered a tree for our Holiday Stroll as a gift from Jemez Pueblo. The Stroll begins at 4pm on Friday afternoon, with the tree lighting at 4:15. Drop by for this free event and see the other museums, too!

12/08/2019

Pueblo Christmas Celebrations: Dec. 12–25

Pueblo Christmas Celebrations: Dec. 12–25

Native culture lights up the holidays.

11/29/2019

‘Stretching the Canvas’ Showcases Eight Decades of Native American Paintings

‘Stretching the Canvas’ Showcases Eight Decades of Native American Paintings

A look at the National Museum of the American Indian’s new exhibition, on view now.

11/24/2019

Rep. Haaland Seeks to Restore Olympic Records for Native Olympian Jim Thorpe

Rep. Haaland Seeks to Restore Olympic Records for Native Olympian Jim Thorpe

Published November 20, 2019 WASHINGTON Today Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) introduced a resolution recognizing the achievements of James “Jim” Thorpe and requesting that the International Oly…

11/22/2019

GOP Navajo Nation member joins US Senate race in New Mexico

GOP Navajo Nation member joins US Senate race in New Mexico

The announcement by Elisa Martinez, a Latina Republican and member of the Navajo Nation, potentially upends an election Democrats had considered safe.