Eudora Montoya of Santa Ana Pueblo played a vital role in reviving one of the rarest traditions in Pueblo pottery. At a time when Santa Ana pottery had nearly disappeared, she preserved its methods, taught others, and helped ensure the art form would survive. Her work stands as a powerful reminder that cultural knowledge depends on those willing to protect it and pass it on.

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.

Join the Museum of Indigenous People in Prescott and help preserve Native American culture while gaining access to a vibrant community of learning and discovery. Members enjoy free admission, discounts at the Trading Post gift shop, access to the museum’s research library, and invitations to classes, lectures, and cultural programs led by Indigenous artists, historians, and elders. By becoming a member, you support the preservation of Indigenous art, traditions, and stories f

Mary Golda Ross (Cherokee, 1908–2008) was the first known Native American woman to work as an aerospace engineer. As a founding engineer of Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works division, she contributed to early research on satellites and interplanetary flight paths to Mars and Venus. Her work helped shape the foundations of the U.S. space program and continues to inspire Native scientists today.

Baseball is often called America’s pastime, but the history of the game also includes the important contributions of Native American athletes. From Chiricahua Apache teams at Fort Sill to pioneers like Jim Thorpe and Louis Sockalexis, Indigenous players helped shape baseball at every level—from boarding school fields to Major League stadiums. Their stories reveal resilience, talent, and a legacy that deserves recognition as part of the broader history of the game.

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.

Pablo Abeita of Isleta Pueblo was an influential Indigenous leader, diplomat, and advocate for Pueblo land rights in the early 20th century. Fluent in several languages and respected for his wisdom, Abeita served on the All Indian Pueblo Council and helped guide efforts that led to the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924, a landmark law that confirmed Pueblo ownership of their traditional lands.

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.

The Contributions exhibit at the Museum of Indigenous People highlights the lasting impact of Indigenous contributions to governance, technology, philosophy, and civic life. From the consensus leadership of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to innovations still used today, Indigenous contributions shaped early American democracy and continue to influence modern society in ways often overlooked. On view February 13–July 31, 2026, in Prescott, Arizona.

Pablo Abeita of Isleta Pueblo was an influential Indigenous leader, diplomat, and advocate for Pueblo land rights in the early 20th century. Fluent in several languages and respected for his wisdom, Abeita served on the All Indian Pueblo Council and helped guide efforts that led to the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924, a landmark law that confirmed Pueblo ownership of their traditional lands.

The roots of American democracy extend deeper than many textbooks acknowledge. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s Great Law of Peace and model of unity among sovereign nations influenced early colonial leaders and helped shape foundational principles of federal governance. Discover this story and more at CONTRIBUTIONS, an exhibit exploring the Indigenous ideas that continue to shape the modern world.

Around 1900, a young member of the Chemehuevi people was photographed holding a coyote, an animal deeply woven into Native American belief systems. The Chemehuevi, a Southern Paiute people of the Mojave Desert, survived for generations through mobility, deep ecological knowledge, and cultural resilience. Like the coyote itself, their story is one of adaptation and survival in challenging environments.

Centuries before factories and patents, Indigenous engineers in Mesoamerica perfected rubber processing—creating waterproof textiles, ceremonial ballgame equipment, and resilient materials the modern world still relies on.

Leon Grant (1925–2015) of the Omaha Tribe helped create a safe place for Native Americans arriving in Phoenix during the 1940s. In 1947 he helped establish the Phoenix Indian Center, the first nonprofit urban center of its kind in the United States. What began as a small meeting place became an important intertribal community hub where Indigenous people could find jobs, housing support, and connection while living away from their homelands.

Severa Gutierrez-Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo was a master ceramic artist and matriarch of a renowned family of potters. Active for nearly 60 years, her work and firing techniques helped inspire the revival of polished blackware pottery. Though often overlooked during her lifetime, her artistry and influence continue through generations of Pueblo potters.

As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we also remember a lesser-known chapter of his legacy — his solidarity with Native communities. In Why We Can’t Wait, King condemned the nation’s founding injustices toward Indigenous peoples, naming the genocide and racial hierarchy embedded in American history. His commitment to justice extended beyond the African-American struggle. In the late 1950s, when the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama faced discriminatory school policie

Deep within the Grand Canyon lies Supai, the capital of the Havasupai Tribe. Because no roads reach the village, mail still arrives by mule along an eight-mile canyon trail. Known as Supai Mule Mail, this historic route—operated with the U.S. Postal Service since the 1930s—continues to deliver letters, packages, food, and medicine to one of the most remote communities in the United States.

The story of Sudjikwo'dime, also known as Walapai Charlie, offers a powerful look at leadership, resilience, and survival in Hualapai history. During a time of conflict, displacement, and rapid change in northern Arizona, Hualapai leaders worked to protect their people and preserve a connection to their homeland along the Grand Canyon—shaping the future of the Hualapai Tribe and leaving a lasting mark on Arizona history.

In a small 31-square-mile region south of Prescott, Arizona, archaeologists uncovered hundreds of rare prehistoric ceramic figurines—human and animal forms now linked to what became known as the Groom Creek Effigy Culture. Why they were made and why they were intentionally destroyed remains a mystery.