Border construction in 2026 damaged an ancient O’odham geoglyph, altered a mountain sacred to Kumeyaay and Kumiai communities, and placed Lower Pecos rock art at risk. The conflict raises a difficult question: can the United States secure its border without destroying the Indigenous history it is also responsible for protecting?

CONTRIBUTIONS closes July 31, 2026, at the Museum of Indigenous People. Explore the Indigenous technologies, food systems, ideas, and living knowledge highlighted throughout the exhibit.

Chunkey is an ancient Indigenous game requiring speed, endurance, accuracy, and judgment. Its history connects Cahokia, the Mississippian world, the Mandan, the Chickasaw Nation, and many other communities across North America.

Now that the 2026 FIFA World Cup has ended, the Puyallup Tribe’s historic role deserves reflection. The Tribe became the first sovereign Indigenous Nation to serve as an official FIFA Host City Supporter, helping Seattle welcome the world while sharing Puyallup language, culture and contemporary community life.

Federal officials are reconsidering protections covering approximately 336,400 acres around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The proposal could reopen federal public lands to mineral leasing and mining claims after decades of Tribal advocacy and bipartisan efforts to protect the Greater Chaco landscape.

Can tribal nations be fully sovereign if another government controls criminal jurisdiction and sacred lands? Explore Native sovereignty, Oliphant, Bears Ears, Chaco Canyon, and treaty rights.

Lacrosse returns to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, but its story began long before the modern Games. Indigenous nations, especially the Haudenosaunee, shaped one of North America’s oldest team sports.

Museum of Indigenous People Executive Director Manuel Lucero, Cherokee, was invited to provide a blessing ceremony at Prescott’s World’s Oldest Rodeo®. The moment honored Indigenous heritage, the history of the land, and the community connections that continue to shape Prescott today.

Powwows have a connection to the 4th of July, but not in the simple patriotic way many people expect. For many Native communities, Independence Day became a way to keep gathering during an era when federal policy tried to suppress Native ceremonies, dances, and religious life.

The World Cup is more than a global soccer tournament. This article explores how Indigenous and First Nations cultures were represented through ceremony, language, host Nation recognition, and Native soccer athletes whose stories stretch from early First Nations teams to MLS records and World Cup history.

Generations of "Skywalkers" (Mohawk ironworkers from Kahnawà and Akwesasne) helped shape New York’s bridges, skyscrapers, and the World Trade Center. Their story connects Indigenous skill, family responsibility, dangerous high-iron work, and the recovery and rebuilding that followed September 11.

Discover how Hohokam engineers built hundreds of miles of canals that sustained communities and helped shape Arizona’s Salt River Valley in the Sonoran Desert.

In the harsh Arizona desert, the Hohokam built structures that were never meant to fade. Casa Grande stands as proof—engineered with local materials and deep environmental knowledge, not force. These adobe walls reflect more than survival; they reveal a culture where architecture, identity, and land were inseparable. What endures today is not just a structure, but a legacy still shaping how we understand resilience.

Long before modern agriculture, Indigenous communities transformed a wild grass into maize and developed the Three Sisters farming system. This knowledge spread across trade routes, shaped the Southwest, and still informs how we grow and store food today. Discover how Indigenous innovation continues to impact global agriculture through the Museum of Indigenous People’s “Contributions” exhibit.

The hanging canals near Mount Graham reveal a sophisticated Indigenous engineering system designed to move water across extreme terrain. Learn how these structures reflect innovation, precision, and deep environmental knowledge tied to the Contributions exhibit at the Museum of Indigenous People.

Case That Changed U.S. History. Elouise Cobell, also known as Yellow Bird Woman, exposed decades of mismanaged Native trust funds. Her work led to a $3.4 billion settlement and forced the U.S. government to confront systemic failures while creating lasting opportunities through land restoration and education for Native communities.

From the Trail of Tears to the Indian Citizenship Act to Minneapolis streets in 2026, the question asked of Native people has never really changed: do you belong here? The Museum of Indigenous Perspectives traces the unbroken pattern and explains why cultural integrity is the only honest answer.

Dr. Lois Ellen Frank (Kiowa), an award-winning chef, scholar, and educator, has helped bring Native American cuisine into the national conversation. Through research, cookbooks, and teaching, she highlights traditional Indigenous ingredients such as corn, beans, squash, and wild rice while exploring the cultural knowledge behind Native food traditions and the growing movement to reclaim Indigenous food sovereignty.

The history of Native nations in North America includes hundreds of treaties made between Indigenous governments and the United States. Many of those agreements were later violated or ignored. This article explores the legal doctrines, treaties, and historical events that shaped Indigenous land loss and sovereignty debates, and why these issues continue to influence discussions about justice, land rights, and tribal sovereignty today.

John Herrington, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, became the first Native American astronaut to walk in space during a 2002 mission to the International Space Station. His historic journey highlights Indigenous contributions to science and inspires Native youth to pursue careers in STEM while honoring cultural heritage and curiosity about the cosmos.