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.

The Tour de France is known as one of the world’s ultimate endurance tests. But who are the Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous cyclists who have reached cycling’s biggest stage?

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.

Long before chile peppers traveled across oceans and transformed global cuisine, Indigenous farmers in the Americas were cultivating, selecting, and sharing them. This story explores how peppers became one of the world’s most important Indigenous food contributions.

Learn how Ojibwe inventor Olivia Poole drew from cradleboard knowledge to create the Jolly Jumper, a lasting Indigenous contribution to modern baby care today.

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.

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.

The Skidi Pawnee Star Chart is one of the most compelling examples of Indigenous astronomy in North America. It reflects a Pawnee understanding of the sky as a source of knowledge, ceremony, order, and responsibility.

Akimel O’odham, Tohono O’odham, and Western Apache foodways show how Indigenous communities developed distinct approaches to farming, gathering, and thriving in the Southwest.

Before kayaks became recreational boats, Arctic Indigenous peoples developed them for hunting, fishing, travel, and survival in cold waters. This MIP article explores the kayak as an Indigenous contribution rooted in engineering, environmental knowledge, and generations of design skill.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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