Blog

The story of Lori Ann Piestewa, the Hopi soldier whose name is carried by one of Phoenix’s most recognizable mountains.

Discover Gordon Lewis’s Apache Gaan figures at a Prescott museum, the Mountain Spirit Dance, federal suppression of Native ceremony, and the tradition’s survival.

William Pollock (Pawnee) was already gaining recognition as a Pawnee artist when he enlisted in Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. His drawings, writings, and military record preserve the story of a promising artist whose life was cut short after serving in Cuba.

Born near Four Peaks and taken from his Yavapai family as a child, Wassaja became Dr. Carlos Montezuma, a physician, publisher, and outspoken defender of Native rights and Fort McDowell land and water.

Diné scientist Reagan Wytsalucy is restoring the Southwest peach and reconnecting Native communities with a food nearly erased by forced removal.

Thirty Tribal Nations share the Colorado River Basin, and many hold some of its oldest water rights. As new rules take shape in 2026, the fight is about more than water. It is about sovereignty, culture, infrastructure, and who has the authority to decide the river’s future.

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.

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.

Modern soccer was not invented in Mesoamerica, but Indigenous ballgame traditions across Mesoamerica and Arizona reveal a much older history of formal courts, rubber ball technology, public competition, ceremony, and community. Explore how the beautiful game fits into a deeper human story of sport and meaning.

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.

Donicio Sánchez’s life offers a deeper look into the artistic and cultural legacy of San Ildefonso Pueblo. More than a collaborator in pottery, he was a vital link between generations, contributing to a tradition that shaped Indigenous art in the Southwest. His story reveals the people behind the craft—honoring family, identity, and the enduring strength of Pueblo culture.

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.

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.

Once the largest Indigenous nation in northwest Mexico, the Opata people endured colonization, devastating disease, and forced assimilation — yet their story never ended. Through figures like Francisca Acuña and living traditions such as the fariseo ceremony, Opata identity persists across Sonora and southern Arizona, hidden in plain sight. The Museum of Indigenous People is proud to share it.

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.

Unveiling the Piipaash (Maricopa): A Journey Through History, Language, and Culture” with Kelly Washington

Two mysterious bighorn sheep effigies discovered in Prescott, Arizona in 1935 continue to spark questions about the Indigenous cultures who created them. Now cared for by the Museum of Indigenous People, these rare cultural resource materials invite visitors to explore ancient connections, ceremonial traditions, and the ongoing research that helps uncover the deep history of the Southwest.

Indigenous living culture displays at the Museum of Indigenous People in Prescott, Arizona, invite visitors to experience Native history as vibrant and evolving. Through traditional pottery, textiles, contemporary art, and community events guided by Native voices, the museum presents Indigenous culture as living and resilient. Each exhibit reflects authentic perspectives rooted in the Southwest, fostering understanding, respect, and connection.